I am so excited to announce the new band, Budderside from one of our favorite vocalists, Patrick Stone. Patrick caught our eye when we saw him perform with Steven Adler’s Adlers Appetite at The Red Devil Lounge in SF a couple years back. He really grabbed our attention with his powerful vocals and a stage presence that made him the ideal frontman.
His new band, Budderside will feature Patrick Stone, Rich Sacco, and Michael Stone. It is still in the early stages but check out the video teaser which will get you ready to rock! I can’t wait to hear more and one thing is for sure, it is going to fuckin ROCK!
So make sure to visit his Facebook page so you can stay up to date on the latest Budderside news. I am hoping their will be some shows coming up here to Northern California soon!
A Skylit Drive have just released a new lyric video for their song, Shadows which is off their upcoming album, Rise: Ascensionwhich will feature acoustic re-invention of their critically acclaimed album, Rise. The album is set to release on January 6th through Tragic Hero Records. Check out the lyric video here:
You can pre-order the album and receive an instant download of the first single “Pendulum.” For the new record, the band enlisted platinum producer Jim Wirt (Incubus, Something Corporate, The Rocket Summer) who worked with the band on the pre-production of Rise. The album is a complete re-work of their shows which featuring piano, cello, bass, and other assorted instruments.
Make sure to visit their social media sites and stay up to date on their latest news.
New Years Day have just released their new 5 song EP titled EPIDEMIC. The EP was released yesterday and really displays the great musicianship of this band and how they have evolved through their sound. They really bring out the passion in their songs as well as when they perform live. This is a band that speaks volumes of truth in their music and give you a good dose of hard ROCK at the same time. Check out their newly released music video for Defame Me which is off their new EP.
I absolutely love it and can’t wait to see them when they come to San Francisco next month to perform with The Birthday Massacre on a North American tour. Check the dates below and see if they are coming to a venue near you:
NOV 19 Tampa, FL – The Orpheum
NOV 21 Houston, TX – Warehouse Live
NOV 22 San Antonio, TX – The Korova
NOV 23 Dallas, TX – GMBM
NOV 26 Scottsdale, AZ – Electric Ballroom
NOV 27 Las Vegas, NV – Vinyl
NOV 29 Pomona, CA – The Glass House
NOV 30 West Hollywood, CA – The Roxy
DEC 02 San Francisco, CA – Slim’s
DEC 03 Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades
DEC 05 Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre
DEC 06 Seattle, WA – Studio Seven
DEC 09 Salt Lake City, UT – Murray Theatre
DEC 10 Denver, CO – Bluebird Theatre
DEC 13 Minneapolis, MN – Triple Rock Social Club
DEC 14 Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge
DEC 16 Cleveland, OH – The Agora Ballroom
DEC 17 Pontiac, MI – The Crofoot Ballroom
DEC 18 Toronto, CAN – Mod Club Theatre
We loved it when they came to Slim’s in San Francisco on the We Love Tour featuring Combichrist and William Control. They delivered a high energy intense set that had the crowd in awe. I think they set a record for crowd surfing during a set at Slim’s which rarely tolerates. It was probably the most energetic crowd that I have witnessed at their performances, full on mosh pit, crowd participation and infectious passion raging through the crowd. Check out the slideshow of photographs by our Rockin Ryan from their SF show:
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
I will leave you with a couple tribute videos by Rockin Ryan for Death of The Party and Angel Eyes which includes photos and footage of their Sacramento set:
Make sure you head over to Itunes to pick up EPIDEMIC and crank it up loud! Also, make sure to visit their social media sites and stay up to date on the latest news from them.
The all-female rock/metal band, Crucified Barbara from Sweden have been quite busy. They have collaborated with Heavy Metale Brewery AB,to launch the band’s own beer. The first one is a cocky and loud Red Ale, inspired by the band’s new and acclaimed album In the Red. The beer will be available early next year in Sweden’s Systembolagen. “A really fun collaboration,” said Per Johansson, master brewer at Heavy Metale. “I, together with Ida Evileye, who is the beerqueen in the band, discussed beer back and forth. We were inside the Bitter and Brown Ale, but felt for a Red Ale. Red Ale reminiscent of both the bitter and Brown Ale. It allows the malt to take up more space and reduces the amount of hops which gives a comfortable, slightly dry and karamellig character with a hint of bitterness to rounding.”
“We have longed for to make a really good beer, and now we got that opportunity in the collaboration with Heavy Metale,” said Crucified Barbara. “We have had the idea and the vision to create a ‘drink friendly’ and especially good beer for everyone and everything. Just like our music!”
In addition to releasing their new beer, they have released a new single, The Ghost Inside which is off their latest album, In The Red. Check out what they have to say about the song:
“‘The Ghost Inside’ is one of our favorite songs on the new album,” said guitarist/vocalist, Mia Coldheart. “Not just because it is fun to play, but also because it is about something that most people at some time wrestle with – the inner voice that says you are not good enough or fit in. The community is flooded with messages screaming at us that we must be good looking, skinny, rich and popular to be happy. And many times it is unfortunately one’s own inner voice that ultimately confirms all that, and pushes away the last bit into the darkness. The text was written as a pep [talk] to those in touch and tell us that our songs have helped them through tough periods in their lives, but I’ve subsequently realized that I wrote this as much for myself.”
You can check out the song by heading over to Spotify here:
We had the chance to catch Crucified Barbara when they came to San Francisco with CrashDiet and performed at the DNA Lounge. What an awesome show they put on with intense energy from start to finish. We look forward to their return. Check out their video for their song, I Sell My Kids for Rock n Roll.
Crucified Barbara is:
Mia Coldheart – Vocals, guitar
Ida Evileye – Bass
Klara Force – Guitar, backing vocals
Nicki Wicked – Drums, backing vocals
You can pick up their album, In The Red on iTunes here. Make sure to visit their social media sites and stay up to date on their latest news.
A Skylit Drive have announced pre-order for their new album, Rise: Ascensionwhich will feature acoustic re-invention of their critically acclaimed album, Rise. The album is set to release on January 6th through Tragic Hero Records. Check out a stream of their song Pendulum which is on the upcoming album:
Today, you can pre-order the album and receive an instant download of the first single “Pendulum.” For the new record, the band enlisted platinum producer Jim Wirt (Incubus, Something Corporate, The Rocket Summer) who worked with the band on the pre-production of Rise. They didn’t simply plug in acoustic guitars and record coffee shop versions of the songs however; they instead re-worked the pieces into standalone compositions featuring piano, cello, bass, and other assorted instruments.
Make sure to visit their social media sites and stay up to date on their latest news.
Matt Nathanson recently made a trip to Peru with the Starkey Hearing Foundation on a mission to fit people with free hearing aids. As Matt says,
” i’ve been trying to write a short piece
about my experience for weeks now.
it’s been really hard. words kinda fail it.
if i didn’t have my hearing, i wouldn’t have music.
and if i didn’t have music, i definitely wouldn’t have
survived my childhood. listening to albums and
seeing bands and being connected to songs was
EVERYTHING to me. it still is. it makes me feel not
alone. it helps me transcend my broken brain.
in fact, the only reason i play music is because i
love it so much. i couldn’t stay on the sidelines,
i HAVE to be a part of it.
Going to peru was super heavy. the people were incredible. to be in service to them, to assist in connecting them to their kids laughter, to their parents voices, to MUSIC!… it was completely humbling. and overwhelming. i felt love and gratitude towards other human beings on a level i’ve never experienced.
see? it’s really hard to put into words… so i’m glad we shot footage and made a video while we were there. it does a WAY better job explaining than i ever could.”
Matt released a video for his song, Headphones featuring LoLo and it includes the footage from his trip to Peru. As you may not know, I am 100% Peruvian so it really is great to see the wonderful work that he and the Starkey Hearing Foundation has done. 100% of artist and label proceeds from this video are being donated to Starkey Hearing Foundation. For more information on how you can help, go to http://headphones.starkeyhearingfoundation.org/
What an amazingly inspirational video and truly heartwarming! Matt is currently in London working on the next record and we truly can’t wait for it. Make sure to visit his social media sites and stay up to date on his latest news.
We Are Harlot made their live debut this summer at Rock on the Range and followed up with another kick ass set at Rocklahoma. Did you know that they even set a record for attendance at a band’s first show? Yup, these guys are making history and deservedly so. After playing a show in Las Vegas at the Hard Rock Hotel with The Pretty Reckless, it was finally our turn to check out We are Harlot live at Aftershock Festival 2014. Thousands of fans were there as their Harlot cherry was popped with an unforgettable killer set by We Are Harlot.
This is a band with years in the making and they have created such a buzz over the past year as everyone is anticipation of their debut album. Earlier this summer, they released their first single, DENIAL and the Harlot frenzy began. The downloads topped over 100,000 downloads in probably the first week, everyone was talking about, it hit the radio and you knew, that nothing could stop the We Are Harlot world domination of rock n roll.
Everybody has been waiting for an update from We Are Harlot and our Rockin Ryan had the chance to get some new details from guitarist Jeff George.
* * * * * * * *
Ryan: You guys KICKED ASS in Sacramento, blazed through 107 temp and took over Aftershock. How was the show for you guys?
Jeff:Hey Ryan, Thanks so much man! Ya it was ultra hot that day – I believe it was 109 when we walked out onto the stage. The show was an interesting one to say the least..
As you know the night before I really messed up my knee.. and of course the heat index made it difficult for everyone from the crew to the stage hands right on down to the fans themselves. I mean at least the band and our gear were covered.. but there was just no getting away from the sun out in that crowd. I really have to give it up to the 20,000 die hard rockers that stuck it out in the sun. It was strange seeing like 50 rows of fans and then a gigantic football field box of people or a gigantic mosh pit with no one in it lined up around the entire field as they were hanging in the tree lines to get some shade haha. But the rock goes on always.. and hey.. rock n roll is supposed to be dirty and sweaty anyways right? But all in all we had a blast as always!
Ryan:Jeff, we can’t believe that you were injured with a blown knee during your set because you never showed it. You rocked that stage. How is it going with your recovery of your knee and will you ever tell us how did this happen?
Jeff:Ohh man.. thanks again. Alright.. well this is pretty wild. The night before the show.. around 11pm sat night.. Danny Worsnop and Myself were getting ready in the hotel room to go out and have a few drinks.. and as you know.. we don’t really like to party all that much.. but we decided fuck it.. It’s Aftershock weekend.. We just did 8 hours straight of press.. why not. We had some Def Leppard jamming and I turned to head out of the bathroom into the main room, and I heard a sound like a gunshot go off… and then down I went.
I knew something wasn’t right.. as I could feel the pain and my knee cap kept slipping out of place.. but as always Danny served up a couple quick shots and next thing you know were down at the bar. Well.. come about 3am .. and it was a far different story.. it had ballooned up to 3 times the size of my other knee and was crazy painful.. so I started icing it with my tech Allen and then my manager Rick Sales came down and said I needed to go to the venue hospital asap. So.. no sleep at all Sat night before the show on Sunday either.
When I arrived at the hospital at the venue the doctor basically wrapped it and said that I needed to go see a knee specialist as soon as possible. That’s when I knew I was in trouble. Now this is literally an hour before showtime. But.. what do you do?? Rock doesn’t stop for anything.. and the funny part about it is as soon as we hit the stage.. It was showtime. There wasn’t time to think about my knee.. I owe it to the fans that paid hard earned money.. to get the best show possible. And you can’t let your bandmates down ever. So adrenalin took over and it was on.. funny cause you hear about kids lifting cars to save their trapped parents that are under the wheels or something.. adrenalin is no joke.. that stuff is full real haha.
So next day I go straight to the knee specialist and then into immediate surgery. I thought I had sprained it bad or something similar.. NOPE.. Tore my meniscus.. Tore my ACL.. and Tore my MCL.. Unbelievable. See.. Def Leppard is no joke either!
But .. My surgeon Dr. Neil Ghodadra.. is an absolute badass! I walked out of the surgery on my own two feet.. have been kicking Physical Therapy’s ass everyday for 2 hours, and I walked 5 miles today! I’m in week 5 out of 20 of recovery already and will be back in fighting form in no time! I owe that dude everything.. he really saved my knee!
Ryan: Do you have any updates on the album that you would like to share?
Jeff: I have one small one…. THE RECORD IS 100% DONE AND OFFICIALLY IN THE HANDS OF ROADRUNNER/ATLANTIC RECORDS!!!
And guess what else….? It’s a fucking god damn MONSTER of an album. I’m super proud of it and the performances by Danny, Bruno and Brian. As you know this was like the 3rd time we have recorded this damn thing.. and each time you record it, it gets harder and harder to keep the enthusiasm and excitement that you had on the original demo’s. But we went through a ton of shit to get this band all sorted, and finally have a home on the best record label on the planet Roadrunner/Atlantic records, The best management team on the planet RSE, and to have that record finally off our backs. And it’s only a little time now till everyone on the planet gets it as well.. lord knows they deserve it as they have waited for so long just like we have. Hey… good lyric!
Trust me.. we are already writing and thinking for the 3rd album as I type this!!! You got to hear a tiny 20 sec clip today as well Ryan… what did you think?
Ryan:I heard the clip and was blown away. I need to tell all the fans, YES, IT IS WORTH THE WAIT! Incredible guitar shredding, powerful vocals and everybody better hold on tight… We Are Harlot are taking them on a sweet Rock n Roll ride! The fans at Aftershock were treated to your badass song, One more night. Could you tell us the inspiration behind that song?
Jeff:This is a great question and actually has a pretty cool answer. This song was actually a last second song that we needed to have done in 8 hours total for the first time we recorded the album. Myself, Danny and Bruno were all living in the Le Montrose hotel and we did the song top to bottom in that hotel room in 8 hours. Danny couldn’t get out the door fast enough as he was literally getting dressed and singing the last lines of the song at the same time so he could get out the door and go drink at the Rainbow haha.
Trust me. we have pictures of ALL of this stuff that will be coming out very soon as well. But like many other songs that were done super fast.. Paranoid by Sabbath, Rock n Roll all night by Kiss.. ect ect. Sometimes those are the one’s that just work. It’s a straight ahead rock song.. but it has some qualities to it that can only come from this band. One of those is the feel of the heavy parts.. With Bruno being Brazillian.. the way he felt those parts was amazing.. cause I would have never felt them like that.. and those are my favorite parts of that song.. just that feel alone. I cannot wait to play that track on it’s home turf inRio~! And Danny.. he sounds Like Lemmy meets Ozzy on it.. and only he can do that shit. It’s just a really cool song that thankfully resonants with everyone else. When we play it live.. immediately the pits and the crowd surfing erupts.. thats the answer right there.
We have been playing it last each night.. but it was originally intended to start off the show.. the main line in the song is “Lets start the show”. Who knows.. maybe it will start off the album itself …. See ya soon brother.. and thanks again to all our amazing fans out there.. we love you!
* * * * * * * *
With the news of the album completion, I hope now everyone is ready for the new music and ready to catch We Are Harlot as they tour next year. Here are photos from our Rockin Ryan of their set:
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
In case you missed it, check out our interview with the band at Aftershock:
So stay tuned and be a little more patient for new music from We Are Harlot. I can promise you, it will all be worth it! If you don’t already have it, pick up their new single or should I say, your favorite song, DENIAL here on iTunes.
In case you missed our We Are Harlot coverage, check out our previous posts:
Last year we introduced you to what soon became one of our family’s favorite band, Centerlink. A couple days don’t ever go by, where we are not cranking out Distant Voices, Hopes and Dreams or other songs from their CD, All it Takes. This is one metal band that has blown us away and with their latest release of their 3 song EP, Strength In Numbers, they have done it again. The EP brings out their sound which is reminiscent of early Metallica, Megadeth and even a side of Sex Pistols with their last song, Stronger Than Hate. They in no way imitate, instead they are blazing their own trail with their now familiar signature Centerlink sound. If you have been craving more straight up metal that is hard and heavy with fierce guitars, pounding drums and powerful melt your face vocals, then get ready to feel satisfied with Centerlink!
The new EP is available for download on their Bandcamp page here: https://centerlink.bandcamp.com/album/strength-in-numbers. We picked up our copy and I hope you download yours! If you like your rock hard and heavy and your Metal in your face, this is the band for you! After listening to them, you will have a hard time believing that the great music comes from just three guys…. A Power Metal Trio that can rival many metal bands today, surprisingly these guys come from Boston, Massachusetts. I wasn’t expecting that either. They have a sound of their own but you can feel their influences of anything from Metallica, Rob Zombie, Megadeth, Anthrax, and so much more! I know you may be thinking I am building them up, but seriously they deliver the goods!
Check out their video for their song, “Distant Voices”. This is the song that I first heard of theirs and believe me, it just keeps getting better and better.
Centerlink is Parky on guitars and vocals, Billy K on bass and Jon on drums. We contacted them immediately to find out more about them and how they started. Parky told us, “Centerlink first started back in late 2005. Jon and I have been friends since we were both 14 years old and in 2005 with the passing of Jon’s mom Jon and I got together. I was recording music on a pc using software and Jon had an electronic drum set so he wanted me to show him how to record. So next thing you know we were collaborating. Jon then got in contact with an old friend of his that played bass in a band they were we in. So entered Billy, which he had some songs already recorded and we just started moving from there.”
This band is from Boston where as Parky told us, “There is not a good metal scene from where we are from. We are from south of Boston and there is no real metal scene there. If you want to play metal music or catch a metal show you are headed out towards the Worcester are along with southern New Hampshire, Maine and Northern Connecticut”
They currently have a CD titled, “All it Takes” that is going to be a must have for all of you. This one is going to be on replay for quite a while, believe me, I LOVE IT! Hard and Heavy with energy and clean driven sound. You can get their CD on Bandcamp as well as their shirts.
I asked Parky about what they are currently working on and he told us, “We are currently working on doing our next video for the song Withered and we are also working on new material for a new album. We are also friends with Eddie Halford aka Bone Digger Halford and could possibly be working with him in the future. He is Rob Halford’s cousin.” That will be no surprise of them getting the attention of Eddie, they really are incredible and a band you will be hearing a lot more of. As far as airplay, they are currently played (for the moment) on independent internet radio such as metalnation.comandindie365radio.com. It will not be long before we hear them on Octane, Sixx Sense and radio stations everywhere.
Lastly, I asked Parky about what bands would they be interested in touring with and they said, Korn or Anthrax. I think that would be quite a show and we top it off with Device!. We need to get these guys out on the road so let’s all make some calls and make this happen.
Make sure to head over and buy their CD, and you can also listen to more of them on Reverbnation. This is one band, you cannot pass up listening to. In our house, our family is into all styles of rock and roll and metal and tonight we all came together and head banged to Centerlink, even 6 year old Brandon had his fists in the air! Now that has not happened in a very, very long time!
I Can Make A Mess (Ace Enders) has released a surprise digital LP, Growing In through his Bandcamp page. This LP captures the raw emotion and highlights such an honesty in the music. The natural feel of the music is so refreshing and will take you on a musical journey. Ace explains, “I was feeling a little bit stuck creatively before doing the Aaron West & The Roaring Twenties record last year. During the process it sparked something in me and while I was finalizing mixes on the last day, I had about for minuets while a track would bounce out. I was feeling very inspired so I decided to try and write a song during each bounce and at the end of the day I had the beginnings of a record. I used the voice memos from my phone as my only outline. No metronome or edits. I just made songs, didn’t apply any rules and had fun with it.”
Well whatever he did, was perfect and the raw process really carries a weight of emotion. It is when music flows freely as on this LP, that you find yourself drawn to its purity and rawness. No need to sugar coat or edit. It is as if you are sitting there in the room with Ace as he records freely. Check out the track listing:
1. caterpillar
2. get normal
3. keep moving
4. undecided
5. back whoas of lavish glass
6. i’m the man (sarcasm)
7. call me everything
8. chartreuse
9. deciduous
10. i love my wife
11. growing into what you’ll grow out of
This definitely carries a lot of weight and shouldn’t be just considered a side project for Ace. It is a stellar LP deserving of your attention. Some of my favorite tracks are Keep Moving, Call Me Everything, Deciduous and Chartreuse. He brings a blend of styles to life, everything from pop, punk, alternative and indie rock. So I hope you head over to his Bandcamp page and pick it up.
“For anyone who has turned to music to comfort themselves, silence a fear, escape from the pain or just to feed their soul, Kenneth J. Nash delivers the best medicine. Kenneth is no stranger to the music scene and has written and released several LPs over the past few years. He is an English singer songwriter that has captured my attention with his beautiful words and soul touching songs.
Kenneth shares his journey through depression, loneliness, vengeful feelings and provides a message of hope to everyone that they too can get through these times. His smooth voice is like a warm embrace that keeps you safe from harm. His music literally takes me back in time to when I might come home from school with a bruised knee or a broken heart and I would run into my father’s arms and just feel all my troubles melt away. That is what I feel when I listen to Kenneth; safety, peace and just pure bliss. His music is truly a poetic embodiment of perfection.”
It was almost two years ago that I wrote the above after discovering the amazing music of Kenneth J. Nash and it rings even truer with the display of Kenneth’s amazing songwriting and vocals on his new album, The Fall of Eden. The album was released on October 1st and is available on iTunes, Amazon, Soundcloud, Spotify, and Deezer.
Kenneth’s voice captures pure raw emotion and through his lyrics and beautiful music, you can’t help but feel yourself being taken away through his musical journey. Whether it is through the intense vulnerability of Slow Burn or through the longing lost heart in Take Me Home. Take Me Home is such a soul bearing song that has a veil of solemn longing , truly magical track. St. Mary’s Heart paints the perfect picture of looking back at that tender wedding day as your heart floods with emotion.
The words of Dignity brings to you the much needed self reflection and is a charming song. Some of my favorite lyrics of the song are:
“Not so long ago I was that soul
With no one and nowhere to go
Spending hour after hour on my own
Because I just couldn’t let it go”
The Way That She Moved is a beautiful track that captures a depth of love and with the ambient atmosphere of the soothing sounds of the ocean, you can’t help but feel yourself being taken away to an almost ethereal place of bliss and euphoria. One of my favorite tracks.
Come Show Me Your Love is the song to feed your soul, give you hope after you have felt such despair. It will open your eyes to the light and have you release the fear. Another musical gem.
The Fall of Eden pt. 2 is my favorite track on the song as it completely draws out all the honesty of what is and what was and you can feel the burdens being lifted. Beautiful in every sense as you take a turn down an unfamiliar new path. The endearing music box orchestration at the end is the perfect closing to this masterpiece.
All the tracks on this album will speak to you and whatever you are feeling, whatever challenges you are facing, the music of Kenneth J. Nash will comfort you and make you not feel so alone in this world. It is the magic of his music where you can literally feel the warmth of his words wrap around you life a safe blanket.
I hope you get a chance to pick up the new album and fall in love with it as much as I have.
Music Junkie Press 