Queen of The Stone Age unveils "Smooth Sailing" video

Queens of the Stone Age are digging deeper into their ‘… Like Clockwork’ album, unveiling a new mini-movie to coincide with the release of their single ‘Smooth Sailing.’

The promo follows Queens frontman Josh Homme and several Asian businessmen on a hedonistic night on the town that turns more sinister and dark as the night goes on. Drinks at a restaurant turn into drunken karaoke, which leads to altercations, theft, drugs and even death.

Queens of the Stone Age are keeping the momentum going for their ‘… Like Clockwork’ disc. In addition to the new video, the band has also just added more North American shows to their itinerary.
Having booked a mix of festival dates and headlining shows to take them through April and May, Queens of the Stone Age just added four new shows in July. To see their full tour schedule, check below.

Queens of the Stone Age 2014 North American Tour
4/10 — Reno, Nev. — Grand Sierra Resort & Casino
4/12 — Indio, Calif. — Coachella/SOLD OUT
4/15 — Portland, Ore. — Keller Auditorium/SOLD OUT
4/17 — San Francisco, Calif. — Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
4/19 — Indio, Calif. — Coachella/SOLD OUT
5/5 — Chicago, Ill. — Aragon Ballroom
5/6 — St. Paul, Minn. — Roy Wilkins Auditorium
5/7 — Milwaukee, Wis. — The Riverside Theater
5/9 — Chicago, Ill. — Aragon Ballroom/SOLD OUT
5/10 — St. Louis, Mo. — Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
5/11 — Boone, Iowa — Central Iowa Expo
5/13 — Kansas City, Mo. — Starlight Theatre
5/14 — Tulsa, Okla. — Brady Theater
5/16-18 — Gulf Shore, Ala. — Hangout Music Fest
5/23-25 — Quincy, Wash. — Sasquatch Music Festival
7/9 — Montreal, Quebec — Bell Centre
7/12 — Bangor, Maine — Cross Insurance Center
7/16 — Port Chester, N.Y. — Capitol Theatre
7/20 — Philadelphia, Pa. — Skyline Stage at The Mann Center

The Pretty Reckless 'Heavens Knows' video is up

The Pretty Reckless have been climbing the charts with their single ‘Heaven Knows’ and there’s now a corresponding and very attention-grabbing music video for the song.

In a video that’s sure to capture the eyes of viewers, frontwoman Taylor Momsen appears walking down the halls of a school in a black robe until entering one of the darkened classrooms where a group of children are transfixed on the subliminal messages being fed to them on a bank of televisions.

But what will have viewers buzzing and could earn the clip NSFW status is a full body reveal of a nude Momsen sporting the band’s customized gothic cross logo on her body. The emblem is the one that the singer and band have used frequently in promoting the album, which also appears on the artwork for their ‘Going to Hell’ disc.

Momsen says of the video, “How do you sum up a song that is metaphorically speaking about everyone’s life from any general perspective on video? You understate it. We decided to film variations of all of the issues we as a people are facing, whether personal, political or social. We took a lot of shots, each representing some social constant or emotional struggle. Some overt, some subtle, but it’s all in there. Everything is thrown at you from the day you’re born, you’re only chance is to think for yourself…which is not as simple as it sounds.”

‘Heaven Knows’ is featured on the upcoming ‘Going to Hell’ album, which is due in stores March 18 via Razor & Tie.

Within Temptation ‘Whole World Is Watching' has been released

Within Temptation‘s latest album ‘Hydra,’ is set for a Feb. 4 release

The album features numerous collaborations. In addition to Tarja Turunen, Xzibit and Howard Jones, Soul Asylum’s Dave Pirner appears on the track ‘Whole World Is Watching.’ The video for that song has just been released

The clip features den Adel and Pirner standing on a rooftop overlooking a city, with the band appearing periodically. The storyline follows a man who wrecks his motorcycle while drinking, then has an arduous recovery process. He finally recovers, and literally throws his old life into a dumpster and sets it on fire, ready to put  his demons behind him.

Vocalist Sharon den Adel talked about their collaboration with Pirner. “When we wrote ‘Whole World Is Watching,’ Dave was at the very top of our list. He has such a captivating voice: it made the song exactly how it needed to be.”

So where did the album title come from? “It’s like us – undefinable!” says guitarist and songwriter Robert Westerholt. “What’s more, ‘Hydra’ is a perfect title for our new album, because like the monster itself, the record represents the many different sides of our music.”

Red Hot Chili Pepper new album may be coming out soon

The last time Red Hot Chili Peppers released their studio album, ‘I’m With You.’ It’s not unusual for the band to let a little time pass between records, but in a new interview, RHCP drummer Chad Smith says the act is “gearing up to start writing again.”

Since putting out the game-changing ‘Blood Sugar Sex Magik’ in 1991, each full-length album from Red Hot Chili Peppers has been released roughly four years after the previous one, with exception to ‘I’m With You,’ which came out over five years after the 2006 full-length ‘Stadium Arcadium.’ ‘I’m With You’ hit the shelves in August 2011, so the studio hibernation of RHCP sounds like it will soon come to an end.

“We’re gearing up to start writing again,” Smith tells Billboard. “We’ve always got ideas bouncing, but until the four of us get in the room together, that’s when you see how it really takes shape. We’re just starting out now, just getting together. We’re gonna take a little different approach to the writing process, but for the most part when we all get together, that’s when it really starts. It’ll be fun to get into a groove of jamming and writing and all be in one place again. We’re all looking forward to that.”

Red Hot Chili Peppers will also inject a much-needed element of rock to this year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show, which was originally supposed to revolve strictly around pop star Bruno Mars. After Smith told the a news outlet that RHCP would play Led Zeppelin‘s ‘Dazed and Confused’ at the Super Bowl, he brushed off the statement as a joke. However, it’s very true that Bruno Mars personally selected Red Hot Chili Peppers for a Super Bowl cameo spot, claiming he was a “big fan” of the funk-laced rock band.

More importantly, Smith assures fans that RHCP will not appear scantily clad during Halftime, despite past celebrated antics involving tube socks and nude festival performances. “I’m sure they’re familiar with some of our antics, so maybe they’ll add a few more seconds on their delay or something,” Smith says. “It’s a little cold to be out there, scantily clad. Maybe a nipple might slip — you never know. Is that acceptable? If they see Anthony’s nipple, do you think they’re gonna cut away quickly to Diana Ross in the crowd or something?”

Motley Crue announced final goodbye tour

Motley Crue have announced a farewell tour with the legendary Alice Cooper serving as the opening act. Moreover, the Crue have signed a binding legal document that they will not tour beyond the year 2015, making this a true final tour.

At a press conference today, the band revealed details about the farewell trek and ultimate retirement. Mick Mars said, “It’s time for us to throw the towel in.” Band members said the farewell tour could take two years or more and described it as a “huge celebration.”

The first leg of dates have been revealed, and are listed below. Tickets for fan club members go on sale tomorrow (Jan. 29). VIP packages will be available Jan. 30, with the general on-sale for most shows on Friday, Jan. 31. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster and MotleyVIP.com.

Why now? Nikki Sixx said they want to go out on top: “We want to leave a legacy and have dignity. We want to call it a day and be proud.” To make sure it really would be their last tour, the band actually signed a Cessation of Touring Agreement at the press conference. “Everything must come to an end,” says drummer Tommy Lee. “We always had a vision of going out with a big f—ing bang and not playing county fairs and clubs with 1 or 2 original band members! Our job here is done!!!”

Alice Cooper and Motley Crue have never toured together before, and Alice says the tour will be “rock and roll at its most extreme.”

Other topics discussed at the press conference included an upcoming country tribute album, with artists like Florida Georgia Line, Cassidy Pope and LeeAnn Rimes singing Crue songs.

Jeff Tremaine (‘Bad Grandpa’), director of the movie ‘The Dirt,’ based on the autobiography of the band, also spoke about the progress of the film. Right now, they are working on getting the script right. Tremaine says his goal is to begin shooting the movie by June, but did not reveal any details on casting.

As far as their future plans after the tour wraps up, Vince Neil says he’ll continue in music and the restaurant business, Sixx will focus on Sixx A.M. and his radio show, Tommy Lee said he has some “big surprises,” but couldn’t elaborate. Guitarist Mick Mars said he has moved to Nashville and wants to finish up his solo album and write a book.

Green Day's American Idiot musical came to a success

Green Day’s “American Idiot” took the pop culture scene by surprise twice.

When Green Day released the concept album in 2004, it surprised both fans and critics with a storyline that followed the lives of Jesus of Suburbia and St. Jimmy, punk kids facing a choice about how they’ll live their lives — as agents of rage or love.

The album was a massive success, selling more than 15 million copies and scoring four Top 20 singles. It was widely considered a turning point for a band that a few years before was still making scatological jokes.

The second surprise came in 2009, when it was turned into a stage musical that ran for 422 performances on Broadway, won Tony Awards for scenic and lighting design, and won a Grammy for best musical album. It also received Tony and Outer Critics Circle award nominations for best musical.

The punk kids from San Francisco’s Bay Area had clearly grown up.

The musical comes to the Kentucky Center’s Whitney Hall on Wednesday and Thursday night. Evan Jay Newman, the show’s musical director, said the current production remains true to Green Day’s album.

“We’ve always wanted to hold on to that grit, that energy, and cleaning it up would be detrimental to the vitality of the show,” said Newman, who also plays keyboards in the production. “It’s not necessarily something you usually expect from a Broadway show, but keeping the integrity of that rock ’n’ roll attitude was really important to the creative team.”

“I think it’s something different from what we normally experience in the theater,” said Newman, a stage actor, singer and musician who began working at age 8. “It helps us bring in that Green Day audience that’s so loyal to this album and the band. The show brings in people who are used to a more theatrical performance, but also a group of people that spends all of its time at rock concerts.”

Dave Grohl and Sound City soundtrack wins the 2014 Grammy !

A big congrats to Dave Grohl and the ‘Sound City: Real to Reel’ soundtrack winning the 2014 Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media. Producer Butch Vig, who oversaw the production for the disc, was on hand to accept the honor.

“Woo! I’ve got to dedicate this to Dave Grohl,” said Vig. “It was really Dave’s vision, enthusiasm and energy that made Sound City come to life. It’s an absolute pleasure working with him everyday. I love you hombre.”

“A big shout to Sam and everyone at Studio 606, our technical crew and the lovely James Brown who made it sound kind of sweet,” added Vig. “Also a shout out to all the incredible musicians we collaborated with on ‘Sound City.’ It was truly a unique and once-in-a-lifetime experience. Sound City! Thank you.”

The soundtrack included contributions from members of Foo Fighters, Slipknot‘s Corey Taylor, Rage Against the Machine‘s Brad Wilk, Queens of the Stone Age‘s Joshua Homme, Paul McCartney, Nirvana‘s Krist Novoselic and Nine Inch Nails‘ Trent Reznor among others.

The soundtrack bested compilations from ‘Django Unchained, ‘The Great Gatsby,’ ‘Les Miserables (Deluxe Edition)’ and ‘Muscle Shoals.’

Amy Lee announced her pregnancy via Twitter

When Amy Lee announced in late 2012 that Evanescence would go on hiatus, her fans wondered what her next project would be. Now, we know the biggest one of all, as the singer has revealed in a new tweet to fans that she’s pregnant with her first child!

In a Twitter posting to fans, the 32-year-old Lee explained that she couldn’t keep the secret under wraps anymore and that here biggest “project” of the year was her child. It was not revealed whether she and her husband Josh Hartzler are have a boy or a girl.

In other Lee news, the singer recently reportedly acknowledged that she’s filed legal action against her former record label, Wind-Up Records. She’s reportedly seeking more than $1 million for unpaid royalties and other allegations. However, when questioned about it by MTV, the vocalist remained mum on the lawsuit.

She did however spill that she’s been working on new music, but not for an Evanescence record. Lee recently teamed with composer Dave Eggar to create the music for the new film ‘War Story,’ which made its debut at the Sundance Film Festival. She called the film “very dark” and “introspective,” and added that the tone fed into the music created for the movie. She also wrote one new song for the film titled ‘Push the Button,’ which is more electronic-based than her prior work.

New Foo Fighters album is on progress

It doesn’t look like Foo Fighters fans will have to wait much longer for new music, as frontman Dave Grohl and company have confirmed that they’re in the studio, working on their follow-up to 2011’s Grammy Award-winning release “Wasting Light.”

The grunge group dropped the news by posting a photo on their official Instagram account to show their work, featuring progress, which features five boxes of master tapes and reels.

According to Grohl, the band is recording the upcoming album in a way never been done before. Speaking with Rolling Stone last fall, Grohl stated, “We’re doing something that nobody knows about… We’re doing it in a way that no one’s done before and we’re writing the album in a way that I don’t think has been done before.”

Meanwhile, the Foos are already starting to book shows. The band will be one of the headliners at this year’s Firefly Music Festival, which will happen June 19-22 at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del. It’s likely the first of many 2014 appearances for the Foo Fighters, especially if they release the upcoming album before the year is through.

LINKIN PARK took an action for the victim of Haiyan

Typhoon Haiyan tore through the Philippines last November, devastating parts of Southeast Asia and ultimately being named the deadliest Philippine typhoon on record. Now, members of Linkin Park, Alice in Chains, Green Day and others are offering up exclusive items for auction to help victims of the terrorizing typhoon.

Music for Relief, which is Linkin Park’s longstanding charity organization, is spearheading the auction. To help get out the word about the auction, the guys of Linkin Park are offering an incentive:

Share a message about the auction on your Facebook page or Twitter account, and you’ll automatically be entered in a contest to score a Porsche Design P’9982 Blackberry signed by every Linkin Park member.

Other items up for auction include a custom Gibson Les Paul Jr. electric guitar autographed by Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, Fender acoustic guitar signed by Alice in Chains bass player Mike Inez, a Squire Fender P-Bass signed by former Guns N’ Roses bass player Duff McKagan and an electric guitar autographed by Linkin Park. Guitarist Brad Delson played the Linkin Park guitar in the group’s music video for “Burn It Down.”

The Typhoon Haiyan charity auction runs through Jan. 23.

Spiral Arms released 'Drugs & Alcohol' video

SpiralArms unleashed their latest album ‘Freedom’ in 2013, and now Loudwire is teaming up with the band for the exclusive premiere of the video for their latest single ‘Drugs & Alcohol’

The clip features the band playing at a house party in a small room packed with people, where everyone’s having a great time. The song is an anthemic rocker, a perfect tune for parties like the one in the video.

Regarding the video, guitarist Craig Locicero says, “We wanted to make a video of us with a tight group of friends and fans crammed into a living room house party environment. I can honestly say that was the most fun I’ve ever had making a video. Real people being real. ‘Drugs & Alcohol’ is a performance video that hits the nail on the head of fun, excess and the power of SpiralArms!”

SpiralArms released their debut album ‘High Society’ in 2010, and Locicero says the band has changed since then: “We definitely have evolved. You can hear that all band members are extremely good musicians and even more relaxed and laid-back than before.” The latest effort, ‘Freedom,’ is currently available at iTunes.

Locicero continues, “Young musicians tend to be a little insecure, but these days we feel very confident about ourselves and our music. We write songs which first and foremost have to please ourselves. It’s always an amazing experience that the songs you write for yourself are usually the ones that work best.”

Locicero and Machine Head frontman Robb Flynn have organized a benefit concert tonight (Jan. 17) in Oakland, Calif., to help out their friend Nikki Davis, who was injured and lost her husband in a motorcycle accident. An all-star band with members of Metallica, Slayer, Testament, Exodus, Suicide Silence, Death Angel and Rubble will perform classic Black Sabbath songs.

In This Moment revealing Beautiful Tragedy video

With the release of the ‘Blood’ special edition a week away (Jan. 21), In This Moment are revealing the video for ‘Beautiful Tragedy’ (watch above) from the bonus live DVD ‘Blood at the Orpheum’ that’s part of the special edition package.

In addition to the DVD and the original songs from ‘Blood,’ the special edition also includes a cover version of the Nine Inch Nails track ‘Closer.’ The special edition will be available in numerous configurations, including CD/DVD, CD/Blu-ray, digital audio and digital video. Pre-orders for the ‘Blood’ special edition are available here. European fans will be able to buy ‘Live at the Orpheum’ as a standalone DVD or digitally on Feb. 17.

In This Moment’s stage production has come a long way since vocalist Maria Brink had to go out in the crowd and have them form a pit around her. She tells Pulse of Radio (via Blabbermouth), “I don’t have to do it all the time anymore, ’cause now we have so much of a live performance and we’re kind of upping theatrical everything onstage. But once in a while it’s such an adrenaline rush.”

Brink continues, “The other day I went out there and the funniest thing — I didn’t realize it in the moment, but they told me afterwards that I said as I was walking through the crowd, ‘Nobody touch me! I get anxiety!’ ‘Cause I spread the crowd open and walked through, and I said that! [laughs] And it works! I mean, they part the way!”

In This Moment are in the midst of the Hellpop II Tour with Butcher Babies, Devour the Day and All Hail the Yeti. They’ll take a few days to play Shiprocked at the end of the month, then finish up the tour in early February.

For Today‘s album ‘Fight the Silence’ will be released Feb. 4

For Today‘s album ‘Fight the Silence’ will be released Feb. 4, and the new video for the title track raises awareness about human trafficking . The clip was directed by Daniel Davidson (August Burns Red, Norma Jean).

Vocalist Mattie Montgomery explains how the song came about: “I watched a video someone sent me called ‘Girls Going Wild in the Red Light District.’ They were like, ‘Ignore the title. Just watch the video.’ In the video there are six girls standing in the window of a brothel in Amsterdam. This song starts playing and these prostitutes all start doing this synchronized dance to this music.”

He adds, “Then at the end of it, these girls get done and the windows go black and this screen at the top of the building comes on and says, ‘Every year thousands of girls are promised a dance career in Western Europe,” Montgomery says. “Sadly they many of them end up here.”

Montgomery concludes, “I was sobbing, snot coming out of my nose, tears coming down my face. How can we help? Where do we even start? I literally went through the lyrics to this song called ‘Hope,’ which is ironic. I went through the lyrics that I had written and selected everything and I hit delete. You know what? I want the world to hear about this thing. So I re-wrote them in 45 minutes that morning. Then we recorded it. That’s ‘Fight The Silence.’”

Proceeds from the sale of the song ‘Fight the Silence’ and the forthcoming album will go to the A21 Campaign. The organization fights human trafficking on a global scale by rescuing and rehabilitating those who have been victimized and helping oppose and prosecute traffickers.

For Today kick off a headlining tour at the end of January that will go through early March. The band’s summer is already planned, as they’ll be on Warped Tour for the entire June 14 – Aug. 3 nationwide run.

 

Buckcherry launched their new video "Wrath"

Buckcherry set up their very own fight club in the new video for ‘Wrath,’ the latest offering from the band’s sixth studio disc ‘Confessions.’ The album is inspired by the seven deadly sins and assorted events that occurred throughout frontman Josh Todd’s upbringing.

The video, once again directed by Billy Jayne, personifies the sin of wrath. The clip finds the Buckcherry boys smack dab in the middle of a local, down and dirty fight ring, getting out their aggressions the old fashioned way, and yes, blood is shed.

“They say it’s the quiet ones you gotta look out for, you know why? Because they keep all their wrath inside…” said Todd about the song. “This is a fight song – f— the system or the system f—s you!” The lyrics certainly support that sentiment, as Todd belts out the angst driven chorus: ‘All I wanna do is make a mess of you / I can’t control myself, is this really hell? / I’m doing what is right and now is time to fight. Wanna fight some men, wanna fight some men.”

Avenged Sevenfold is back with their new video called "Sheperd of Fire"

Avenged Sevenfold are taking fans straight to hell and back in their new fiery video for the song ‘Shepherd of Fire.’ The track, from Avenged Sevenfold’s 2013 release ‘Hail to the King,’ was also included in the ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops II’ video game series as part of the DLC ‘Apocalypse,’ giving fans a good idea of the tone and direction of the song and subsequently, the new video.

Sticking with their go-to guy, the video was directed by creative visionary Wayne Isham. The clip features the band driving through what can best be described as the depths of hell mixed with scenic countryside, surrounded by flames, skulls, and burning landscapes. In other words, just an average Sunday cruise.

Mixed with performance clips of the band bathed in devilish shades of red, the video fits frontman M. Shadow’s  description of the song. “If you just listen to the music, if feels you’ve been taken down to Hell,” Shadows told Kerrang!. “From the riffs, to the bells ringing, to the horns, to the drumbeat, it feels like you’ve been dragged down.”

Scott Stapp new album "Proof of Life" is set to drop on November 5

Scott Stapp has been hard at work in the studio and his new solo album ‘Proof of Life’ is set to drop on Nov. 5.

It will be easy to see this is a deeply personal record for the Creed singer. He worked closely with acclaimed producer Howard Benson and mixer Chris Lord-Alge in crafting the effort to fit his creative vision.

The album opener, ‘Slow Suicide,’ was just released as the lead single. ‘Proof of Life’ is filled with other standouts, as well. The gritty, in-your-face ‘Who I Am’ is an adrenaline-filled ride. The haunting title track, the anthemic ‘New Day Coming’ and the triumphant ‘Only One’ make the early part of the album a success. Meanwhile the beat-driven ‘Hit Me More,’ the swagger-filled ‘Jesus Was a Rockstar’ and the powerful ‘What Would Love Do’ make sure the back half of the disc holds up against the early songs.

If you like what you hear from Scott Stapp’s ‘Proof of Life’ disc, pre-orders for the album are currently underway in a variety of formats and bundle options.

Tribute to Tony Sly, Songs about an iconic person in punk scene

Sly’s shocking, sudden death in August 2012 at 41 left a void in the punk scene that will never be filled again, least of all by a tribute album. His music inspired so many people from so many different sections of punk, the expectations for this record are almost impossibly high, to the point where it’d be unfair to judge its content in the context of a "traditional" tribute album. Still, as a tribute, The Songs of Tony Sly: A Tribute is a pretty fitting, and often arresting eulogy on behalf of a still-mourning scene.

Sly’s wide-ranging influence is immediately apparent as Karina Deniké’s sparsely haunting “A Biggest Lie” opens the compilation. By using little more than her voice, the former Dance Hall Crashers co-vocalist puts Sly’s lyrics at the absolute forefront of her interpretation, creating a hell of a table-setter in the process. It segues nicely into Mad Caddies’ airy rocksteady version of “AM,” too. Later on, Tim McIlrath of Rise Against and Jon Snodgrass team up for an acoustic take on “For Fiona,” McIlrath’s stark vocals complementing the more soulful, weathered voice of Snodgrass quite nicely. Frank Turner’s interpretation of “Keira” is smartly gaunt, as well; it sounds as if it was recorded roadside, with the faintness of cars whirring by accompanying Turner’s gentle voice and guitar. Brian Fallon of the Gaslight Anthem injects some harmonica into “Capo 4th Fret,” adding even more solemnity than his somber vocal take can provide. Alkaline Trio offer a Damnesia-style spin on “Straight From The Jacket,” with Matt Skiba’s commanding vocals and a powerful guitar solo at the forefront.

Elsewhere, Snuff’s Latin-fueled take on “On The Outside” is an awesome curveball, with infectious rhythms, busy percussion and abrasive horns. The goosebump-inducing, multi-part harmonies of Old Man Markley’s “Feel Good Song of the Year” are also a highlight. Dramatic strings accompany Swingin’ Utters’ rootsy version of “Not Your Savior” with positive results.

Even certain bands who influenced Sly and No Use For A Name pay tribute; Bad Religion’s version of “Let it Slide” is relatively straightforward, but hearing Greg Graffin respectfully croon Sly’s lyrics is a lot of fun. NOFX basically make “The Shortest Pier” their own while augmenting the anthemic nature of the original’s chorus.

Sly’s indelible impression on the enduring EpiFat sound is apparent in droves, too. Strung Out, whose rise on Fat Wreck Chords was concurrent with that of No Use For A Name, do their best impression on “Soulmate” while also injecting their own slightly heavier, harmonic-heavy sound into its backbone. Lagwagon’s cover of “Discomfort Inn” accomplishes much the same, with Joey Cape — one of Sly’s best friends and biggest boosters — sounding more invested than he has in years in this setting.

Arcade Fire "Reflektor" , new shapes of rock

Arcade Fire's lush, imaginative fourth album, produced in part by James Murphy and featuring guest vocals from David Bowie, is a triumph, but not a victory lap; the band never sounds content enough for that. Instead, it's an anxious, occasionally downright paranoid album that asks big, barbed questions aimed not just at the man who may or may not be upstairs, but the more terrestrial gods of rock history, too.

Nearly a decade after Funeral, Butler still sings like everything is at stake. And while there's always been a physicality about the Arcade Fire's sound, the rhythm section has never popped on one of their albums the way it does here. It's limber and loose, as though the songs were performed live; the arrangements breathe, seethe, and sweat.

Reflektor sounds as if the Arcade Fire have ingested a bunch of the great art-rock records you're "supposed" to learn to appreciate in your formative listening years, and thrown them into the fire in an attempt to make new shapes from the smoke.

Alter Bridge "Fortress" album review

It’s hard to imagine that the songwriting duo of lead singer Myles Kennedy and guitarist Mark Tremonti have time to sleep, never mind write a new disc with all of their combined projects. With that in mind, the two, along with talents of Brian Marshall on bass and Scott Phillips on drums, have elevated their creative forces once again producing a disc that truly comes to life, screaming out to be performed live.

With the band members having gone on record insisting that moving from one musical endeavor to the next only intensifies their creative juices, ’Fortress’ puts that sentiment to the test, with Alter Bridge coming out the victor. Much of the magic of ‘Fortress’ took place during pre-production as the band flexed their musical muscles experimenting with new arrangements and even changing time signatures with producer Michael “Elvis” Baskette at the helm, pushing them to their limits all the way.

Highlighting a few of the standout tracks, the first single ‘Addicted to Pain’ is a straight-forward screaming rocker with blazing guitar riffs and melody driven choruses. Although this song isn’t too far off of the beaten path for Alter Bridge compared to several of the other new tunes, it is a perfect radio-ready track.

Kennedy’s vocals have long been praised as a keen purveyor of raw emotion but the band has found yet another vehicle to get their message across. On ‘Bleed it Dry’ Tremonti is unleashed, serving up unequivocally one of the most moving and transcendent guitar solos we’ve heard from him. It shows off not only his technical skills but his restraint and ability to harness the beauty within the song note by note.

The album takes an unexpected yet welcomed turn with ‘Lover.’ Simply put, this is not your mother’s power ballad. While softer in tone, the song conjures up a maelstrom of deep despair and dark betrayal. Kennedy shines throughout, his lyrics emotive and forlorn; in a way only he can deliver.

Lou Reed, The Godfather of Punk Rock died at 71

Lou Reed, the godfather of punk rock, died in New York on Sunday (October 27) at the age of 71. According to Rolling Stone, the hugely influential guitarist and songwriter best known for genre-defining hits such as "Rock & Roll," "Sweet Jane" and "Walk on the Wild Side," died of undisclosed causes, six months after undergoing a liver transplant in May.

Beginning with his work with the Velvet Underground in the late 1960s, Reed created a new blueprint for rock and roll, incorporating elements of avant garde music, dark poetry and subject matter that pushed the envelope for rock, including songs about sadomasochism and homosexuality.

Though VU were not huge sellers in their time, it was often said that everyone who bought one of the 30,000 copies initially sold of the band's 1967 debut, The Velvet Underground & Nico went on to form a band. In the subsequent years, everyone from David Bowie to Iggy Pop, the Pixies, Nirvana, the Cure, R.E.M., U2 and the Smashing Pumpkins have paid homage to Reed and his renegade style. And, it's fair to say, the road would have been even harder for Lady Gaga and Kanye West if Reed had not smashed down the musical barriers between music and art for them.

Lewis Allan Reed was born on March 2, 1942 in Brooklyn, New York, and gained his early education in music by listening to doo-wop and early rock and roll icons from the 1950s. After having marginal success after college, he hooked up with classically trained violist John Cale in the mid-sixties, forming the Velvet Underground with guitarist Sterling Morrison and drummer Maureen Tucker in 1964.

Legendary pop art provocateur Andy Warhol made the VU the house band of his studio, the Factory, as well as designing the iconic peeling banana cover of their debut album. The group set itself apart thanks to Reed's nihilistic lyrics and story songs full of drug and S&M references, which made some of the dark output from the Rolling Stones seem tame by comparison. Reed also helped bring the use of feedback and distortion to the fore for rock bands, inspiring countless bands to step out of the shackles of traditional melody and meter and explore noisier, more difficult territory.

The band's final album, 1970's Loaded, contained two of their most beloved songs, "Rock & Roll" and "Sweet Jane."