Just two months after announcing Black Sabbath's reformation, guitarist Tony Iommi has been diagnosed with the early stages of lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphocytes. According to the band's official statement, "Iommi is currently working with his doctors to establish the best treatment plan--the “IRON MAN” of Rock & Roll remains upbeat and determined to make a full and successful recovery." If you would like to send a get well message to Tony, please send one to getwelltony@black-sabbath.com

The four original members of Black Sabbath - OZZY OSBOURNE (vocals), TONY IOMMI (guitar), GEEZER BUTLER (bass) and BILL WARD (drums) - are currently working on their first record in 33 years together with producer Rick Rubin and will record in the UK rather than LA in the light of Tony's recovery.

2012 tour dates remain as follows:

May 18 - Moscow, Russia (Olimpiski)
May 20 - St. Petersburg, Russia (New Arena)
May 23 - Helsinki, Finland (Hartwall Arena)
May 25 - Stockholm, Sweden (Stadium)
May 29 - Bergen, Norway (Bergen Calling Festival)
May 31 - Oslo, Norway (Spektrum)
Jun 2 - Malmo, Sweden (Malmo Stadium)
Jun 4 - Dortmund, Germany (Westfalenhalle)
Jun 10 - Donnington, UK (Download Festival)
Jun 12 - Rotterdam, Holland (Ahoy)
Jun 15 - Bilbao, Spain (Azkena Rock Festival)
Jun 17 - Nantes, France (Hellfest Festival)
Jun 19 - Paris, France (Bercy)
Jun 22 - Dessel, Belgium (Graspop Metal Meeting)
Jun 24 - Milan, Italy (Gods of Metal Festival)

This is SuicideGirls love letter to Belle and Sebastian. NSFW




I have been a HUGE Belle and Sebastian fan since my best friend put "The State I'm In" on a mix CD we played incessantly on a cross country road trip.

When their new album Write About Love came out and had a song called "Suicidegirl" on it, I had a complete fan girl moment which indie rockers are supposed to be too cool for.

When I told the other girls we were all so honored that we decide we had to do something to let them know how much we loved it. Carrina, Cheri and I got together with Mike_ who made our other movies and created our video ode to Belle and Sebastian.

Hope you like it!

xoxo
-missy

Buy Belle and Sebastian's new album Write About Love and other various goodies here:

belleandsebastianshop.com/​

Much to my dismay, it has just been confirmed that heavy metal legend Ronnie James Dio passed away on this sad Sunday morning. His wife and manager Wendy officially released the following statement on his website about an hour ago:

The 67-year old frontman of iconic bands such as Rainbow, Black Sabbath and most recenty Heaven & Hell was diagnosed with stomach cancer in November last year. Rumors of Dio's demise surfaced on the internet earlier this year but were discredited when he appeared to be alive and his condition improved somewhat after undergoing chemo therapy. Sadly, Dio was forced to cancel all upcoming shows with Heaven & Hell scheduled this Summer due to his declining health and eventually lost his battle to cancer.

R.I.P. Dio, you will be missed by many.

Remember when H.R. hadn't lost his mind yet, Dischord's best releases weren't reissues, Cro-Mags didn’t hate each other and CBGB's wasn't fucking dead? Maybe you do, maybe you don't. I wasn't there, but if you were that must've been awesome. My generation has to settle for Gorilla Biscuits reunion shows, a documentary called American Hardcore, and Henry Rollins spoken word. Yeah, generation Y missed the boat, hardcore died in the '80s and things will never be the same again. Whatever. As long as we still hate the government, our parents and ourselves, and My War will never go out of print, hardcore is still fucking relevant.

Agree with me or not, but you’re reading my column and if I'm gonna be writing about anything, it might as well be something that's played a profound part of my life ever since my parents met at a B.G.K. show 25 years ago. Heavy riffs, stage dives, circle pits, all-ages shows, DIY labels, and a pissed off attitude is what I'm bringing to the SuicideGirls Newswire from now on. This is the first edition of What We Do Is Secret, and fuck you if you don’t like The Germs.

So now that Have Heart has kicked the bucket, 108 broke up again (or not) and Refused aren't reforming after all, what's left of the current underground hardcore scene? To make it a little bit easier weeding out the bullshit, here are 15 bands that I think are doing a pretty great job at playing what hardcore is circa 2010, be it dead or alive.

Alpha & Omega

If you've ever been to an Alpha & Omega show, it probably won't surprise you that the Los Angeles-based band has played with heavyweights such as Madball, H20 and Cro-Mags, despite having released just one demo and a 7". Drawing their influences from Leeway, Integrity and Crowbar, the four-piece has become one of the most promising new hardcore bands around over the past few years, and if The Devil's Bed is any indication of where this band his headed, expect a heavy as fuck LP coming out on 6131 Records later this year.



Backtrack

While many seem to miss the mark and end up sounding like a poor excuse for a Breakdown cover band, Backtrack plays New York hardcore the way it should be. After a successful first European tour and killing it at United Blood Fest this year, they are set to do full U.S. tour with Foundation, Harm's Way and Rotting Out next month. Their Deal With the Devil 7" came out not too long ago and I've had it on heavy rotation ever since picking it up in February. Get into it.



Black Breath

I didn't catch on to these dudes until earlier this year, but since then it hasn’t gone unnoticed that Black Breath is getting huge fast. The trash/metal/hardcore band from Seattle caught the attention of Southern Lord Records, who recently signed them and put out their first full-length. Embarking on a month-long tour with Converge and Coalesce in May, you'll definitely hear this name more often in the future. I'm dying to see them live but until that day I will have to bang my head to the recently released Heavy Breathing album. Seriously, don't sleep on this if you like the sound of Entombed meets Poison Idea.



Ceremony

It's been a little quiet (well, figuratively speaking) around Ceremony since the release of their ultra-violent 12" Still Nothing Moves You, but that will definitely change this year. With the highly-anticipated release of a third LP, Rhonert Park, raging through Asia alongside Bane, a full U.S. tour scheduled this Summer and playing the Unbroken reunion show in London this fall, Ceremony is louder and more aggressive than ever.



Cult Ritual

I’m not even sure how I heard about this band and whether they're ever putting out a last record or not, but either way their three spine-chilling, unnervingly distorted, fast as fuck 7"s shouldn't fade into obscurity. The fact that I can't seem to find out much more about Cult Ritual than their origins (Tampa, Florida) and that they're on Mark McCoy's (Charles Bronson, Das Oath) label Youth Attack only adds to their experimental enigma. On a side-note, those records (supposedly accompanied with human hair and teeth!) are sold the fuck out and probably won't ever be repressed so the MP3s are available to download for free on their blog. P.S. Front page graphic of Cult Ritual originally published on the cover of Maximum Rock'n'Roll #313.



Foundation

Watching them play one of the most impressive sets at The Great American Hardcore Fest last year, Atlanta's Foundation have since become one of my favorite new straight edge bands. Hang Your Head is heavy and straightforward, nothing more and nothing less than '90s-influenced hardcore at its best. They recently joined the Bridge Nine Records roster and are set to tour the U.S. with the aforementioned Backtrack this spring, so keep this band on your radar.



Iron Age

With a complete style and line-up overhaul, Iron Age is hardly the same band we were used to on Constant Struggle, but goddamn I like it. Growing out their hair and trading hardcore roots for metal to create a more complex, haunting and sometimes foreboding sound, this Austin, Texas five-piece doesn't need much else to hold their audience's attention. It's been out for a little while, but get your hands on a copy of The Sleeping Eye for one of the hardest records you'll hear this year.



Mother Of Mercy

Also just signed to Bridge Nine Records, Mother Of Mercy is young, loud, fast and pissed off; essentially everything I love about hardcore. Founded by members of Let Down (R.I.P.) in 2007, the Pennsylvania band's 2nd full-length will drop sometime later in 2010, and if III didn't make you want to pit in your room and break shit, this next LP should fix that.



Pressvre

It's a bummer that Pressvre (not to be confused with Pressure from Belgium) just announced to be calling it quits after 5 years, but you can still catch them at Rain Fest in Tacoma, WA before they officially split. Until the release of their final endeavor, a split cassette tape with friends Rotting Out, the L.A. hardcore band's split 7" with Colin Of Arabia is raw as fuck and worth taking for a spin.



Rise And Fall

Although Rise And Fall have been around for a minute, I still wanted to mention this band because they fucking shred and deserve credit for being the (in my opinion) most crucial European hardcore band around. Hailing from Ghent, Deathwish Inc. darlings Rise And Fall have toured extensively with the likes of Converge, Blacklisted and The Hope Conspiracy. Four years after the release of their first LP, the Belgians relentlessly delivered Our Circle Is Vicious to much critical acclaim.



Rotting Out

I have a weak spot for '80s thrashy hardcore, so why look any further than SoCal for it? L.A.'s Rotting Out have been making a name for themselves by touring the country incessantly over the past year (getting into trouble with Foundation and Backtrack next month, I’m sure) and putting out a solid new album on 6131 Records. I'm stoked to hear more from them in the future. Oh, and Suicidal Tendencies covers are always a plus!



Touché Amoré

Another L.A.-based and undeniably one of the most talked about bands in hardcore today, Touché Amoré has gained a substantial following since the release of their first full-length, ...To The Beat Of A Dead Horse. In the vein of bands like Modern Life Is War and American Nightmare, I've rarely heard so much honest misery on a single album. Europe has to wait a little longer to witness this with their own eyes, ears and hearts, but U.S. fans can catch them on tour with Strike Anywhere and Bane in June.



Trapped Under Ice

Rarely a new band emerges that can compete with household names in hardcore like Terror and Madball, but that doesn't mean shit when you're Trapped Under Ice and already have the whole world on its knees upon releasing your first 7". Never have I experienced such an overnight hype (albeit deserved) around a seemingly unknown band than with this Baltimore five-piece. So what's the big fucking deal? Get into the mosh pit and ask me again. Secrets Of The World is out now on Reaper Records.



Trap Them

Ranging from crust punk to death metal and back to hardcore, Trap Them have a way with perfecting their craft by effortlessly combining said genres. Raw vocals, thundering percussion and crushing riffs all blend together forming a signature sound that won't be ignored. After a couple of releases on Deathwish Inc., Trap Them has recorded Filth Rations, a one-sided etched 12" for Southern Lord Records, which will be available soon. Catch them at this year's Maryland Deathfest in May.



Trash Talk

In addition to fast as fuck 30-second songs and near-death experience stage diving, a Trash Talk show isn't complete without broken furniture, perpetual red eyes, suffering livers and bloody faces. If you haven't seen them yet you're really fucking up as the Bay Area's most loved/hated thrashers are constantly touring Europe, the U.S. and beyond. Having witnessed Trash Talk crush and destroy anything that comes in their way 30+ times, I am the least bit surprised that they've acquired such a steady cult following since they formed in 2005. Eyes & Nines will be released on the band's own label, Trash Talk Collective, on May 18 and they're on tour forever.



P.S. More free music! Deathwish/Malfunction and Six Feet Under Records have teamed up to create a digital sampler featuring tracks from Converge, Narrows, Integrity, Blacklisted, Doomriders, Bitter End, Lewd Acts, Killing The Dream, New Lows, Trap Them, Mother Of Mercy, United Nations, Ressurection, True Colors, Foundation, Ceremony, and a shitload of other bands you should probably know about. Download it.

Clio studies international music management in The Netherlands, used to work at Reflections Records, likes colored vinyl, and has toured with a bunch of bands. Feel free to hit her up with any recommendations you think she'd be into: clioariane [at] gmail [dot] com

Ever thought about how sweet it would be if members of Led Zeppelin, Foo Fighters and Queens Of The Stones Age would jam together and form a supergroup? Because if the answer is yes, rockers rejoice! That time has finally come and since the word is officially out about John Paul Jones, Dave Grohl and Joshua Homme collaborating, it has been buzzing with rumors and speculations about said mystery project.

As soon as posters announcing METRO 8/9 - MIDNIGHT with images of the three bands' logos started to appear in Chicago earlier this month, reports of a secret show poured in and confirmed what many had already been hoping for. But things started to get really interesting once the trio was named Them Crooked Vultures and released a 14-second video clip ominously called Nobody Loves Me And Neither Do I, featuring imagery of three vulture-headed men in suits (not unlike QOTSA's black, red and white animated video for Go With The Flow).





The secret show proved to be a great success and the start of something huge if my sources are not mistaken, and if that wasn't enough to pique my curiosity, another cryptic poster appeared, this time in Amsterdam, only depicting the already iconic man with a vulture's head and the numbers 52.365065, 4.881114. Once the code was cracked and it became clear that these were coordinates of the Melkweg, news of Them Crooked Vultures playing their second show ever there three days later spread like wildfire. Hundreds of people showed up, queued in a line that wrapped around the building as far as the eye could see, in hopes of acquiring a ticket (one per person, non-transferable!) for the next day's spectacle.



On Wednesday night a sold the fuck out Melkweg anxiously waited with high expectations, exploding in a huge ovation when the Vultures appeared on stage. Never had I experienced so much love for a band that a.) no one had ever heard before, and b.) had yet to touch their instruments. With his famous big grin, Dave Grohl took place behind the drum kit (a relatively rare sight since the Foo Fighters frontman usually picks up the guitar) and Josh Homme greeted the audience confidently. Followed by a modest Mr. Jones and long-time QOTSA affiliate (and guitarist for Homme's wife Brody Dalle's band Spinnerette) Alain Johannes, Them Crooked Vultures had officially landed to rock Amsterdam.

Opening an incredible 80-minute set with Elephants, all assumptions that some might have had of TCV being just another incarnation of QOTSA were dismissed within minutes. High-charged guitar riffs and Homme's characteristic voice paired with solid bass lines (and solos!) and Grohl never missing a beat, this deserves much more credit than to be blindly compared to any of the members' previous or current bands. Clearly enjoying themselves, skill and creativity reigned the set (when is the last time you saw and heard a 12-stringed bass, a luminescent sparkling slide-guitar and a keytar all in one night?) and songs like Warsaw, Dead End Friends (my personal favorite), and Daffodils all provided to be excellent material for a truly epic live performance. At one point Homme even put down his guitar to sing for a jazzy intermission. Who said white boys can't dance?

Even if Them Crooked Vultures ends up being a one-off project, I look forward to the full-length album that is supposed to be released later this year(?) and am counting my blessings to Deserve The Future...

The great thing about buying a car these days is that there is so much (SOOO MUCH!) information about every single version of every single model. NOTHING is left to chance except whether or not you read the right blogs, consumer reports and remember to get your CARFAX History Report that tells you how many oil changes occurred during the car’s lifetime, how many windshield wiper blades have been replaced (front and rear) how much sex has been had in the rear seat (front and rear) whether there is actually a dead person in the trunk, and if Ozzy Osbourne ate a bat in the passenger seat. It’s both stunning and mind numbingly boring and it makes me want to start a Russian Roulette Blindfold Car Mart (that’s because I’m a contrary fuck, always have been).

Then, I remembered that there is a field, a business, an art form where the R.R.B.C.M. is commonplace. Yes! You’ve guessed it….the music business! Come on down!

There is no consumer report that warns, points, or guides us about THE REASONS BANDS BREAK UP. For instance, a five second Google search can return that the 2001 Honda Civic is by far the model most plagued with problems. There is no website, blog, book, YouTube video, or directory where you can gauge the likelihood of how prone a middle aged bass player is to alcoholic tendencies or a predication for underage girls. Lead singers and guitarists – well, where do we start? How about the drummer that used to be in PiL, worked with Ministry and NiN? ... should come with warning, “watch out this bright spark might write a book, Tour Smart!

In the interest of due diligence and possibly starting my own BANDFAX History Report business (which I’m thinking of calling BandFaxTic!), I’ve done some research...Well, more accurately, I had some of the students at my new school do it. Let’s have a look at some early results. Please feel free to contribute. We have created a public Google document that you can add to. Go here to read more stories and contribute.

A never ending list of reasons why bands break up:
1. Sandwiches are dangerous: Ask Karen Carpenter (allergic to), Elvis (BLT with banana) and the singer from the Libertines (heroin sandwich?)

2. Girlfriends are dangerous: Ask The Beatles, Elliot Smith, or just about anyone on the planet.

3. Navigational problems: Ask The Kinks, Minor Threat, Kid Dynamite, The Smiths all parted ways because of “different musical directions” while Marc Bolan of T Rex actually drove into a tree.

4. Leadsingeritis: Ask any band with a lead singer! Ha, only serious, or more accurately…………lead singer dying-itis…..maaaaaan: Nirvana, The Doors, Queen, Sublime, Alice In Chains, Joy Division, INXS, the Germs, and the list goes on and on and on.

5. Legal Zoom dot com: Ask N.W.A., Dream Street, Bad Brains, Dead Kennedys, 30 seconds to Mars.

6. Leadsingeritis part two – the curse of massive greatness: Pulp, The Talking Heads, The Jam, Rage Against the Machine, The Smashing Pumpkins

7. Drugs and alcohol: Fill in the name of any band here___________________

8. Unable to follow up the amazing last album – Eagles (also file under Legal Zoom) Geneva, also called the “where are they now” department.

I hope this all helps. So far, from a scientific standpoint, it looks like it boils down to this: don’t start a band whatever you do. If you won’t listen to me and do start a band, then DO NOT get in a van, a bus, or god forbid a PLANE. Don’t do drugs, a sandwich, or anyone else’s girlfriend. Make sure you hire a lawyer (or two!) before you begin playing any instrument (even if you are a parent and your 4-year-old child is just mastering the harpsichord – I especially mean you!) Don’t leave the country. Don’t write any songs and for fuck’s sake don’t come up with a name, an album cover, or t-shirt design.

Forewarned is fore-armed. And remember, for a long time it looked like Ginger Spice leaving the Spice Girls was the end. But, now they are re-united and better than ever...just remember that when everything seems hopeless!

I’m out and about as always. Come say hi:

Tuesday, October 6th - Chicago, IL
New Music Seminar Chicago - Panel Speaker. Pre-registration is open and you can get an additional 10% off using code: NMSCHICAGO24986.

Sunday, October 11th - Philadelphia, PA.
School of Rock - Guest Lecture. 1508 Brandywine St, Philadelphia, PA 19130

Friday, November 20th - Sunday, November 22nd - Philadelphia, PA
School of Rock - Guest Performances; 1508 Brandywine St., Philadelphia, PA 19130

Wednesday, March 10, 2010 - Saturday, March 13, 2010 - Toronto, Canada
Canadian Music Week - Conference, Panel Speaker. Times TBD.

And if you really want to get serious about this stuff, I’m finally teaching my Touring 101 class online through Madison Media Institute. They’ll give you college credit. Fill out the form here for more information.

Vote for my SXSW panel, “Welcome to the Music Business – You’re Fucked”

Vote for my new twitter t-shirt – dont #follow #lead!!!

Follow me on twitter: twitter.com/marteeeen


Woooop

MA

Hello friends and welcome to this, the sweaty final edition of Now Hear This on Suicidegirls.com. I'm not going to hold forth on any New Agey bullshit like "how I'm feeling about it"...for that, you must read my maudlin blog. I'm just going to do what I always do, i.e. tell you about some bands I like whom I think/hope you out there in Internet land might like too. I've gotten some nice comments from people who want me to keep making recommendations, so I'll start inserting them firmly but gently into my SG blog. I hope you've enjoyed this column, and that I've come off more as a big dorky fan than some high fallutin' rock afficionado, because, ironic fronting aside, that's really all I am. If there's one thing that keeps me marginally functional despite frequent heartbreak, professional frustrations and bunions, it's music, and I try to share that with folks as best I can.

Screaming Females

"All the music this year is made on fuckin' computers, man," said one observant bro in front of me in the beer line at the Fader Fort during SXSW. "It's good to hear some fuckin' music with guitars! These guys rock!" He was talking about the new Taylor Hanson/James Iha supergroup Tinted Windows, and he was sorely, dangerously wrong. But when it comes to New Brunswick, New Jersey's punk trio Screaming Females, my little riot grrl heart wells up with the exact same sentiments. Look and listen!



Lead singer/guitarist Marissa Paternoster shreds like a demon, combining the best of '70s riff rock and '90s garage to create something uniquely bone-rattling and head-bopping. Her voice echoes punk icons from Siouxsie Sioux (throaty and authoritative) to Corin Tucker (that amazing scream). By the time Screaming Females are done with you, your head is a pile of blissfully quivering jelly. Anyone still mourning the demise of Sleater-Kinney on the eve of their progression to profound monster riffage minus all the bad things about cock rock will take much comfort in this band's existence.

They're currently touring with Jack White and Allison Mossheart's new buzz project The Dead Weather, so check them out if you can; if you can't, their latest release Power Move is a pretty good substitute. Fun fact: they still do all of their own booking.

XYX

On the topic of badass women, how about this drum & bass duo from Mexico? The words "drum & bass" are misleading; this is no techno group, though their obsession with psychedelia means they probably wouldn't turn down a gig at a rave full of people on drugs. Fuzzy bass lines run ragged over relentless drums as lead singer Anhelo makes noises ranging from meditative, to indignant, to downright maniacal, which are then run through various pulverizers and centrifuges until they grow to truly frightening proportions. The perfect soundtrack for your friendly neighborhood brown acid desert freak out. Consume with caution.



They are currently on tour in this great land of opportunity, the U. S. of A. Their first and only 7" is currently sold out, but to tide us all over they've made "Sistema de Terminación Sexual (Extended version)" and a few other tracks available for free on their very own D.I.Y. label's website. Aaw.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs Get Twisted

Because you can never have too many brown acid desert freak outs (actually you can, but whatevs), I'm now going to show you Snakesweat, the 7 minute video The Yeah Yeah Yeahs put up on Pitchfork to accompany their excellent latest album, It's Blitz. Just when I think this band is losing all its wonderful quirks in a grab at mainstream stardom (I liked Show Your Bones but it also bummed me out), they do something to remind us they're still skulking art kids who can make "a visual journey into our sonic crusade" without feeling any obligation to explain it to us neophyte plebes. This Barney Clay directed clip has everything: Nick Zinner as "The Scientist" brandishing a whip; Karen O as "The Black Widow" looking sexually threatening as she spits, smokes a cigar, and shoots guns; and Barbies far more on fire than the ones in that silly Soundgarden video from the '90s. It's only up for one week, but just between you and me, I'm sure enough people will have ripped it by then for it to stay on the Internet approximately forever. I'm going to get stoned and watch it as soon as I get done writing this post, possibly sooner.

Obits

Formerly a key member of such underground juggernauts as Hot Snakes and Drive Like Jehu, singer/guitarist Rick Froberg has returned with a new project that's a touch more melodic than his older material, but just as loud and cynical. Blues, punk, and post punk combine in ways just new enough not to feel like a retread while keeping his spit and swagger with lyrics like "the streets are all full with people/I don't feel close to them/I led myself to what I want/right now I'm gonna win."

"Pine On," the first single off Obits' debut album, I Blame You, now has a video featuring the curiously Freudian tactic of turning upside down and painting eyes on one's chin. This is not some magical, vaguely blowjobby, inverted Spiderman kiss; twitching lips, moist tongues and unapologetically styled facial hair create an effect strangely vulgar and, in the basest way, funny. In short: the perfect accompaniment to the song.



They're currently on tour all over the place, and if their performance at SXSW was any indication, it's worth the ticket price for Froberg's GG Allen-esque stage antics alone.

Did you guys know that I like music videos? It's my secret hope to someday pretend I'm Liv Tyler or maybe Alicia Silverstone as I sulk and prance to create the perfect visual tableau for some great song.

I never know how to end things, so I'll leave you with my audition to be the next big video vixen:

SPOILERS! (Click to view)

Not bad, right? Smell ya later.


Hunter is a Brooklyn-based writer currently contributing to Vice, The New York Press, Impose, and The L Magazine. If you email her at hunter.suicide AT gmail DOT com, chances are she'd love to add your publication to that list. Seriously, she's got some time on her hands.

The Beastie Boys have announced that they will postpone the release of their new album and have been forced to cancel upcoming live dates after founding member Adam "MCA" Yauch was diagnosed with a tumor in is left parotid (saliva) gland.

In a YouTube video posted on the band's website Yauch, appearing with bandmate Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz, spoke about the situation:

The Beastie Boys' eighth studio album, Hot Sauce Committee Part 1] was set for release on September 15, and the group had multiple festival dates scheduled, including appearances at Lallapalozza and Austin City Limits. They were also planning a special performance to celebrate the reissue of their 1992 release Check Your Head at the Hollywood Bowl on Sept 24th. Yauch apologized to those who had been planning to attend the shows before promising, "Well be back doing this again soon."

Overshadowed by the departure of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett, it has been confirmed that Sky 'Sunlight' Saxon, founder and frontman of Los Angeles '60s garage rock band The Seeds, has also passed away on Thursday June 25th.

According to reports Saxon was hospitalized in Austin, Texas three days prior to his death due to what is presumed to be an infection of the internal organs, which ultimately lead to heart and kidney failure. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah as Richard Marsh, Saxon is thought to be 63 years old, although other sources suggest he was 71. (His wife would confirm neither.)

Formed in 1965, The Seeds gained popularity with songs like Pushin' Too Hard and Can't Seem to Make You Mine but faded into cult status when Saxon joined a religious sect in the 1970s. Various musical collaborations and several records under YaHoWha13 later, The Seeds reformed in their original line-up in 1989 for a headlining tour but remained inactive again until 2003.

Fans can contribute to Sky Saxon's cremation by donating to his widow, Sabrina Saxon.

Reportedly, pop icon Michael Jackson has passed away after suffering from cardiac arrest at his Los Angeles home earlier today. The singer was rushed to the hospital in a coma but paramedics were unable to revive him, after which he was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m. The King of Pop was 50 years old.

With a career starting as early as age eleven with the Jackson 5, Michael Jackson is widely considered one of the most influential artists of the past century, and remains one of the world's best-selling musician of all time. The singer was in Los Angeles rehearsing for his upcoming sold-out performances next month which have obviously been canceled.

Jackson is survived by his three children: Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr., Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince "Blanket" Michael Jackson II.

Lately, whenever I stick my head out the window to see what's the haps, it comes back covered in layers of clammy fog. I know the goddamn devil sun is still lurking behind the clouds, though, because they're fluorescent grey and burn my eyeballs. It's June, and I'm wearing the sweater my mom got me for Jewish Christmas. What gives? I've had to come up with some indoor activities, like drinking tea and making lists of my faults and tasting new pills and listening to shoegaze. It's almost like being in Liverpool or Glasgow (I have never been to Liverpool or Glasgow). Is it mere happenstance that this moist mindfuck coincides with an explosion of excellent post punk, Brit pop, and other U.K. influenced creations? Or have these bands somehow combined forces to precipitate a climate change? Conspiracy or not, they're a lot of gloomy fun.

Blank Dogs

A shadowy figure until recently, Mike Sniper, a.k.a. Blank Dogs, makes post punk that's simultaneously spooky and infectious. His new EP, Under and Under, might be his most accessible affair yet; his hooks capture the heart-clutching loveliness of Joy Division and New Order, while lo-fi production and vocal tracks that sound as if they're coming from underwater keep things dirty. Spacey sound effects and dreamy lyrical imagery add a somewhat cinematic element.

A solo artist who couldn't be bothered with press photos, he gathered an unintentional amount of buzz for keeping his face and identity hidden, until the mystique threatened to overtake the music and he moved to fix that by getting a band together, playing live and letting everyone know he's just a regular guy who goes to shows and runs a label, not some hooded phantasm. I had the good fortune of meeting him recently and found him to be quite personable, that is, until he vanished in a puff of smoke.



Little Boots

Equally hardworking but vastly different from Blank Dogs, U.K. popster Little Boots (a.k.a. Victoria Hesketh of Blackpool, England) explores two conflicting poles of dance music: on the one hand, she's necessarily glam and performs to hip-shaking crowds wearing tight and glittery little numbers; on the other, the magic of the Internet has allowed us a peek into her daily life as she revels in the inherent geekiness of spending hours alone in one's room with electronics. There's something more than a little thrilling about going along for the ride as she builds a club hit from a few simple elements, tests it out in her pajamas, then performs it on late night television a few months later. I'm still not sure exactly how a Stylophone works, but she makes it look and sound just as good as Bowie did on his early hit, "Space Oddity."



Her recently released single, "New in Town," brings me back to the spring of 2002, when I went to Reading ostensibly for a debate tournament but mainly to drink alcopops and dance in packed house parties while wondering if my debate partner wanted to kiss me. Are you out there, James Tabor? I hope you've made something of yourself, you egotistical British bastard.



She's currently touring everywhere and then some in support of her debut album, Hands. Go experience her adorability firsthand.

The Slits Return

-Ari Upp to Impose.tv, March 2008

Bless their hearts. The Slits participated in the first wave of punk when they were just teenagers, bringing a much needed dose of wry feminism to the movement when they toured with The Clash and the Buzzcocks in the late 1970's. They quickly progressed beyond the parameters of the genre, using primal, disembodied female sounds and reggae beats to create something uniquely subversive. By the time they recorded their first album in 1979, they'd grown into a style some call post punk and others consider a category all on its own.

In a development that should warm the hearts of all you tough/sexy woman enthusiasts, founding member Ari Upp reformed the Slits with a mixture of old and new members in 2006 after a 25-year hiatus and recorded a three-song EP of new material. That's not nearly enough Slits for me, so I was psyched to find out they've got a full-length due out in October. I haven't gotten my dirty hands on it yet (and would hate to see what Ari would do to anyone who leaked it) but I'm betting it'll be a combination of their signature "punky reggae" and some new sounds we're not expecting.



She and Him and Moz

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the meta-awesomeness that is She and Him. You see, in the quirky indie film that I anticipate someone will make about my life, yours truly will doubtlessly be played by Zooey Deschanel. But Zooey also made one of my favorite albums of last year, so to prepare for this role she'll need to listen to...her own music. And now I hear tell that She and Him have covered a song by my platonic husband Morrissey for the film 500 Days of Summer. How incestuous.

The soundtrack looks so good, I'll probably see it for that alone, even though the trailer reveals that it will inevitably make me cry (he loves her! she's a free spirit who doesn't do relationships!). The Smiths, Regina Spektor, The Black Lips, Carla Bruni, and Wolfmother all appear on the tracklist. I appreciate the thought director Marc Webb seems to have put into the film's music; there's a great, spoiler-free breakdown of it here.

He even responds graciously to The Playlist's prediction that the movie will suck more precious, sugary, cock and ruin more good songs than Garden State (which, for the record, also made me cry):

You tell em, Webb! Here's hoping this film will be good enough so I don't feel all self-loathing and manipulated for turning on the waterworks (fuck you, Zach Braff).

Love and Rockets Tribute Album

It doesn't get much more English than this: a slew of bands influenced by Love and Rockets are releasing a tribute album to the legendary Northampton alternative rock band. It will include tracks from the likes of The Flaming Lips, Black Francis, War Tapes, a Place to Bury Strangers, and not one but three friends of SG: the Dandy Warhols, Chantal Claret of Morningwood, and Maynard James Keenan's Puscifer. I've already ranted for far too long, so I'll let the album's MySpace page speak for itself. Until next time, kids, keep warm and dry, and remember to wear your Wellies...I don't want you catching cold.




Hunter is a Brooklyn-based writer currently contributing to Vice, The New York Press, Impose, and The L Magazine. If you email her at hunter.suicide AT gmail DOT com, chances are she'd love to add your publication to that list. Seriously, she's got some time on her hands.

I spent last week on a UK Tour:Smart tour. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: If a person like me who has been in the business for 30 years is still learning about the business, you should be too. My week ended at Unconvention (which has to be the best name ever for an unconventional convention). It’s also a testament to Colin Consterdine’s temperament that despite hitting him square in the face with a box of blueberry muffins at SXSW (I mean SQUARE) he still invited me to participate. There were so many great ideas for marketing your band, your music, and your brand to the world and trying to get some attention above the ever growing crowd of people.

Here are tips: (More broad strategy, philosophical stuff, but if you get it, you can sustain. If you can sustain, you can apply your specific lessons and SUCCCCEEEED.)

1. You need fans before you need the guy that is the lawyer for The Eagles
2. Build momentum before you start thinking about business structures
3. Keep your day job while you play and build a fan base. Keep working until you get fired
4. If you can sustain you can succeed. You will need to focus and make choices. When you bet everything on one thing it will blow up in your face
5. The moment you have the leverage to get the deal you think you wanted, you don’t need the deal any more
6. There simply is NO ONE WAY to ‘monetize’ making music. There are a million different ways. Find ten ways that suit you
7. I feel like it’s 1977 all over again. Get creative, be original...(or hijack, remix, whatever someone else’s great idea).

While at Unconvention I met Vijay Nair from India who told me that because India has neither traditional copyright nor any of the million organizations that will help you (like we have in the States), he eventually came to some GREAT conclusions and actions on his own. I loved his idea of giving away a free copy of his album and inviting a fan to turn on another fan to his music. If that isn't the whole fucking point of it then WHAT IS?!!

Another great example of this is a local Chicago artist, Joe Pug. I read about Joe in a blog on Chicagoist (that gave a nice review of his album). But, what really got me is that Joe included his personal email address in the article and invited anyone who wanted a copy of his album to email him. The catch -- you had to ask for at least two and promise to send one to a friend. Genius! Someone at my company did just that and sent one copy of Joe’s album to friend who works in publishing in LA and another all the way to France.

Another exponent of unconventional DIY promotion is Tom Fort from Cobalt and the Hired Guns, who keeps showing up at my events. I saw him at SXSW and at a panel I did with the Chicago Cultural Center. He knows my assistant’s name and even sent her a real paper, hand-written postcard for his band’s upcoming show. That postcard is still displayed on her desk and always reminds me Tom.

It’s simple, simple stuff.

So.... still think you need a deal? Let’s think about this. Once you have a few of the elements in place to get a deal...

• a fan base
• a web site
• a CLUE
• a great recording (or maybe a few)
• some archive video footage
• a work ethic
• an immunity to hard floors, soft tacos, and mediocre plumbing
• a few live albums or demos
• several t-shirts
• shag-a-bility
• noise Noise, or, to be more accurate, other-members-of-the-band canceling headphones

....The LAST THING YOU NEED is a deal!

AND why bother? Many major label A&R men won’t even consider signing artists until they have squillions of friends on MySpace, and thousands of self or indie released records under their belt. And once you’ve reached that level, do you really need a label anyway? Why not bring on board the staff you now know you need, then, for all intents and purposes, YOU ARE your own full service label anyway AND you’ll get to keep 100% of the profits rather than a meager 10-15% (and that’s AFTER the label has recouped 100% of the shared costs!).

Maybe you should sit and ponder how much you really need a deal versus how much you want to say to some other loser in a bar, "we're signed - you're not!!" These conversations, rather revealingly, never talk about the important nuts and bolts of the deals but instead about the amount of cash up front (probably the least important part of any deal with any chance of longevity). It’s smart marketing that really makes a difference. We put a version of the new Pigface album out on an 8-Track cartridge to be difficult, to sound good, and also to prompt a few YouTube video moments of people breaking into Grandad’s car so they can listen to it.



As for me, I’ve finally finished the new Pigface album and i'm taking a break from being the label guy. My friends at Full Effect Records are dealing with that shit this time around so I can concentrate on the nearly finished new book and the school the school the SCHOOOOOOOL! . I’m very proud of this album and hope you all enjoy some new music.

Also, our friends S-Endz and Sam Coley attended my event at Hare and Hounds in Birmingham, and Sam made this kick-ass video (see below). S-Endz’ band, Swami is in Canada on tour -- of course touring :SMART. And a special thanks to Jenny at Capsule for putting the event together.



Upcoming Martin Atkins dates:

Saturday, June 27 - Chicago IL
Martin Atkins DJ set / Pigface CD Release Party at Vampire Night
@ Lucky Number Grill; 1931 N. Milwaukee Ave. Chicago, IL 60647
Time TBD / FREE ADMISSION if dressed like a vampire or $5 at the door.
Info:MySpace.com/VampireNightChicago

Friday, July 10th - Baltimore, MD.
Martin Atkins Gallery showcase/sale of his artwork at The Metro Gallery
@ 1700 N. Charles St.; Baltimore, MD 21201
8 PM to 11 PM / Doors open at 7 PM / FREE WINE from 7 PM to 8 PM.
Info: sarah@themetrogallery.net

Saturday, July 11th - Baltimore, MD.
Martin Atkins DJ set / Pigface CD Release Party at Orpheus, Baltimore.
@ 1003 E. Pratt St. Baltimore, MD 21202
DJ Set from 11 PM to 12 AM / More details TBA


Martin Atkins has drummed with PiL, Killing Joke, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Pigface, and The Damage Manual, among others. As owner of the now 20-year old Invisible Records, he has worked with artists such as Thrill Kill Kult, Einsturzende Neubauten, Chemlab, Chris Connelly, Sheep On Drugs, Murder Inc, and Psychic TV. Martin teaches a course on Business of Touring at Columbia College in Chicago, IL, and has written a survival guide for touring bands, Tour Smart: And Break The Band, which features contributions from Henry Rollins, Cynthia Plastercaster, The Enigma, the Suicide Girls, Zim Zum (formerly of Marilyn Manson), Kevin Lyman, and various other managers, journalists, venues, agents, sponsors, radio personalities and the like.

What's all this business I hear about growing up? People are always saying things to me like, "Just you wait, someday you won't like living in a dirty loft with six roommates," and, "I can't wait 'til you get sick of wiping the noses of concave-chested scenesters," and also, "Buy some high heels and get a real job." And I'm like, "Whoa, guys!" First of all, I only have five roommates and our loft is pretty clean, and secondly, I will wipe my imaginary boyfriend's nose if he needs it because I'm helpful like that, and you should know that I wore heels out the other night for the first time ever and they almost killed me. I think growing up is less about fitting some dumb "grownup 2.0" mold and more about figuring out how to jerry-rig the universe to let you do whatever it is you happen to like doing, even if it's a silly thing like writing and not lawyering or investment banking or putting sprockets into widgets on an assembly line. I think everyone needs a reminder sometimes that you shouldn't let people make you feel bad for being yourself, especially if those people are your own crazy family, to whom I will say glass motherfucking houses and leave it at that.

Matt and Kim Try Out to Be Suicidegirls

Not really but look how naked they are!



I know I've taken some good-natured jibes at them in the past, but Brooklyn's happiest party couple have won me over with their latest effort, Grand. It's all about being young and broke and psyched on life and staying up all night and having lots of lo-fi fun.

How could I not have a soft spot for them when they're singing about my goddamn life?

The music itself is simple as always, and Matt's omnipresent nasalness can get a little annoying towards the end, but they've upped their production quality and catchiness just enough to make Grand listenable for more than a few songs, even adding nice touches like handclaps, strings and electronic beats.

On the theme of making your childish passions work for you, let's juxtapose the Village Voice's video of Matt and Kim's apartment with a recent WTF Bacardi ad that syncs up "Daylight" with one fashionably scruffy young professional's quest across schmancy white people parties through the ages to find a mojito refreshing enough to make him forget he is not, in fact, Jake Gyllenhall.



I bet Kim bought a lot of ice cream with that check!

They're on tour to pretty much everywhere right now, and I defy even the grumpiest of you to last through their set without catching the smiles.

Orphan

If you like your boy-girl duos more evil than adorable, here's some stronger stuff for you. With their bass and drums setup, Orphan is bound to get compared to experimental noise rockers Lightning Bolt, but to my grateful ears, the two aren't all that similar. Contrary to their name (which, for me, conjures some jacked, twitchy orphan packing sharp swords with which to avenge his parents' deaths), they have deep roots in 70's blues metal as well as grunge, hardcore, and weirder art metal motifs.

I discovered Orphan when they opened for the also-great Pontiak at the lower east side's Cake Shop. Despite sparse attendance, they rocked their black little hearts out. Badass drummer chick Speck Brown pounds classically menacing, Sabbath-esque beats straight into your brain while Brendan Majewski screeches doomsday lyrics and grinds through distorted, catchy riffs to kill you with, proving once again that bass is the best instrument if you're good enough to play it like a lead guitar.

They also make funny videos with footage culled from youtube:



Their latest album, Aborted by Birth, came out on white vinyl with great cover art and a run of 666 (awesome). I'm embarrassed I slept on this one for so long.

Love Is All Is All You Need

Even grownups need to dance it out sometimes. Thankfully, everyone's favorite Swedish indie popsters are back with a new E.P. and tour. I've always liked Love Is All for the balance they strike between noise (distorted guitars, lo-fi production, skronky sax) and pure, joyous pop. Delivered in Josephine Olausson's cute, accented wail, lyrics about love, loss, and loneliness make me want to do a happy-sad dance of identification before lying down and spooning with my cat.

They're currently touring Europe and the U.S. and bring copies of their new E.P. with them, which consists of covers of their favorite Swedish classics (in Swedish!). Because they only made 200 copies, they're also giving the music away online. Spread the love.



Camera Obscura

Do you ever wish you could stop falling in love with people who suck? When I grow up, I'm only ever going to love people who love me back. Psyche! You can't control who you fall in love with. What you can control, however, is how you deal with it. Camera Obscura's Tracyanne Campbell deals with it a lot on the recently released My Maudlin Career, with too-close-to-home lyrics like these:

I feel you, Tracyanne. But then you wouldn't make beautifully sad pop songs anymore. And you wouldn't be playing those songs all over the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. right now, either. It's a bittersweet trade off.

The music has matured too, with touches of '50s girl group and country, and lovely string arrangements. And according to twitter, which doesn't fucking lie, it's a current favorite of Missy's. What more do you need? Buy that shit, put it on, and pretend you run a bangin' girly website. Or just hold yourself and sway back and forth while spooning with your cat, that is, if you're flexible enough.





Hunter is a Brooklyn-based writer currently contributing to Vice, The New York Press, Impose, and The L Magazine. If you email her at hunter.suicide AT gmail DOT com, chances are she'd love to add your publication to that list. Seriously, she's got some time on her hands.

"It's quite a full-thrust, sexy, hot show," promises Gavin Rossdale, who is currently on tour promoting his solo album, Wanderlust, and the second single from it, "Forever May You Run," which will be released as part of a 5-track E.P. via iTunes on May 26.

Rossdale may be promoting new material, but fans of Bush and Institute won't be disappointed with the new show since the singer is drawing from his entire back catalog for the tour. "When I write set lists I don't draw from obscure B-sides," says Rossdale. "I like it when people are connected to the songs, and I think they would be disappointed if I didn't come out and play a bunch of Bush stuff."

Earlier this week, Gavin took an hour out of his busy touring schedule to call in to the SuicideGirls Radio studio for an exclusive interview which will be broadcast on Indie1031.com this Sunday at 10 pm PST (click HERE to listen live and HERE for the podcast).

Rossdale was also kind enough to reserve 2 pairs of tickets for SG readers at his Los Angeles and Anaheim dates (4 pairs total). And it gets better! He's also promised that the recipients will get to meet him before the show. "A meet and greet for SuicideGirls is like a dream match made in heaven," says Rossdale. "That I'd run to the venue for."

For a chance to win a pair of tickets answer the question below:

Q: What's the 10th track on Gavin's Wonderlust album?

Send answers via email to competition@suicidegirls.com. Put "Gavin Rossdale" in the subject header, and make sure you let us know which date you'd like tickets for: June 6 @ the El Rey Theatre in LA, California or June 7 @ the House of Blues in Anaheim. Please also include your full name, telephone number, and return email address. Competition closes at noon (PST) on Wednesday May 27. Winners will be notified by email by 6 pm (PST) on Friday May 29.

For full tour dates go to MySpace.com/GavinRossdale or
GavinRossdale.com.

A month and a half after my last encounter with heavy metal enigma Baroness at Scion Rock Fest in Atlanta, I find myself on the other side of the Atlantic (in Antwerp, Belgium if you want to get specific about it) at the band's first show of their headlining tour in Europe. While the Savannah, Georgia-based four-piece played their epic riffs alongside High On Fire, Neurosis, Converge and Mastodon in February, Baroness is riding solo for the next couple of weeks. Recently listed as one of Spin magazine's Top Five Metal Bands You Should Know, I am fairly sure this is something I don't want to miss out on.

Arriving in Antwerp, I nearly forgot how sketchy this city gets until I'm harassed by Jesus freaks and other weird dudes, but I get to the club in time and with both hands intact. (Supposedly the city's name comes from an old tale of a giant who demanded a toll from anyone crossing the river near where he lived. If the traveler refused to pay up, the giant would cut off one of his/her hands and throw (= 'werpen' in Dutch) it into the river. True story, but I digress.) A couple hundred Belgian longhairs have gathered at club Trix on this Thursday night to see what has gained nothing less of a cult following since the release of the 2004 debut EP First. On stage the band's trademark heavy riffs, intense vocals and thundering percussion all come together creating a haunting and more powerful vision than what a recording could ever capture. I am impressed. Also adding to the band's mystique is its iconic artwork by frontman John Baizley, whose detailed visual creativity extends to album covers of Kylesa, Darkest Hour, Cursed, Vitamin X and Torche. Needless to say the limited silk screened prints made for this tour (thanks to Richard at merchandise.nl) are one of a kind. After the show we hang out on the club's roof for a while but later we take it outside where some of us end up at a Eurotrash-looking joint while others crash out at the hotel to rest before tomorrow's trip to the UK.



The next morning I am voted a-okay which means I get to stay, and by the afternoon we step foot into Birmingham, hometown of Napalm Death, Judas Priest and Black Sabbath. UK shows tend to get pretty wild so I'm stoked to be back on British grounds again unexpectedly. However, in true British fashion it's raining and I can't find a pair of decent jeans to save my life, so I am confined to now wet spandex leggings for another day. Anyway, by ten p.m. Hare & Hounds is packed with a rare mix of metal heads, bearded stoners, crust punks and a handful of scene kids, and Baroness sound even louder and more colossal than the night before, which makes for a most excellent second gig. Shout-outs to SuicideGirl Joseph and her guy for showing up and hanging out with us until closing time.

You haven't really been to England if you haven't had a full English breakfast, so team Baroness meet up with some friends for baked beans on toast, fried eggs, sausages and the likes before hitting the road again the next day. In the van I get my virtual ass kicked (Summer has obviously played GoldenEye 007 before), as I suck big time at first-person shooter video games (I'm more of a RPG kinda girl if you must know). Also, who knew John Baizley is the best air drummer in the universe!? In Sheffield we are greeted by our friend Slomo who is promoting tonight's show, and while the dudes soundcheck and do what they've got to do I head into town in search of a change of wardrobe. When I return the band has acquired four animal masks that are nearly as frightening as they are hilarious. Peter's penguin face still gives me the creeps. As showtime rolls around the fog machine is in overdrive (hello Spinal Tap), actually making the animal-headed grand entrée even more surreal! The tone is set for tonight judging by the confusion and intrigue among the crowd, even (or especially?) when halfway through the intro Baroness unmask themselves and their intricate performance unfolds. By now I am convinced that we are dealing with the next best thing in music. Stoked on tonight's gig, most of us stick around at the Corporation for the gothic/metal afterparty which ends up in one ridiculous blur with middle-aged air guitar heroes, scantily clad horror shows and getting completely lost in town at 4 a.m. What city are we in again!?



Waking up to a surprisingly minimal hangover (gotta love being twenty-two) and dreary weather we head down south to Bristol, where Baroness are set to play tonight. While my last memory of this place involves Daughters and a haunted police station, I'm not having it with any apparitions today, so I crash out at the hotel for a couple of hours before meeting up with Nikhita and Joseph who both happen to be in town tonight. The Croft is tiny as hell which definitely contributes to this being the wildest and probably loudest show of the UK leg of this tour. Taking in account the past couple of days, this is pretty unbelievable. The new songs that will be recorded on the follow-up to their Red Album later this year especially get a great response from the sweaty masses tonight. This is also where I discover my love for pear cider, and am very happy about the prospect of sleeping in the next day. (The two are clearly related.)

Being one of my favorite cities, I'm very excited to be back in the capital of England the next day. I always feel like London is a couple of steps ahead of everyone else in Europe when it comes to music, and I have no doubts in my mind that the Underworld will reflect this tonight. My thoughts are confirmed when I spy more than a few High On Fire, Torche, and Kylesa shirts wandering around in Camden Town (the St. Mark's Place of London) before the show. Supported by local bands Latitudes and Manatees, I have never heard Baroness sound better, which is also why it's a good idea to bring an awesome sound guy like Jason. After an hour and a half of progressive sludge stoner doom (try saying that five times hella fast) the party is definitely on at St. Christopher's Inn (note to self: don't drink cocktails with names like 'gas chamber'), and while they may be out of sight after tonight, they certainly won't be out of mind.

Greeting fellow headbangers! Welcome to the fourth -- and very special -- edition of Metal Asylum.

I had the pleasure of attending America's first ever hard rock and metal awards show. The Epiphone Revolver Golden Gods Awards were held on April 7th at Club Nokia in Downtown Los Angeles. The event was hosted by comic and actor Brian Posehn (The Sarah Silverman Show), who is well known for being a self-proclaimed metalhead. Indeed, Poshen's comedy album, Live: In Nerd Rage, which was released back in July 2006, featured a song called "Metal By Numbers" which the comic wrote and performed. To promote the song, which mocks "poser" metal bands and features guitarist Scott Ian from Anthrax (who is also a columnist for SG), Poshen made a silly video, which you can check out below.



Presenters, performers and nominees of the night entered the club on the black carpet. The event was open to the public (by ticket purchase), and the line to get in extended all the way to the next block. Lemmy (Motorhead) was a presenter that night and shared his thoughts on the new annual Golden Gods award show in this video.



As guests were arriving, Slipknot vocalist Corey Taylor spun a DJ set, which included awesome classics from Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath and Dio. The actual awards ceremony started quite late, the timing issue being the first of many technical problems that night. Poshen's microphone never seemed to work, neither did many of the presenters' mics, which were always going in and out. The entire show was very disorganized. "It's metal -- so who gives a shit" seemed to be the prevailing attitude.

The awards ceremony kicked off with a pretty hysterical video of Posehn getting ready for the evening. It included shots of Pantera's Vinnie Paul making Posehn breakfast. Scott Ian was then seen playing guitar to the presenter while he was in the shower and reminding him to "wash his balls." At the end of the video, Posehn spun a HM record backwards to summon the Devil, who appeared in the mortal form of Dio.

One of my favorite elements of the show was that they had the guitarist from Steel Panther (a pseudo Spinal Tap-type band that mocks 80's hair bands) on the stage for the entire show. He just stood there and would play ridiculous riffs during the intermissions and while presenters and winners walked on and off stage..

The night's winners included:

Most Awesomely Good Drummer - Vinnie Paul (Pantera, Hellyeah)
Best Live Band - Slipknot (who also won the Best Riff award)
Best Album - Metallica (Maybe..if this was 1983)
Best International Band - Dethklok (the band gave a pretty entertaining pre-taped acceptance speech)
Best New Talent - Suicide Silence (.....really?)
Best Underground Metal Band - Isis (okay, I'm a huge fan of this band but I'm not sure they're the best underground metal band)
Best Metal Label - Roadrunner Records (love 'em)
Honorary Headbanger - Kat Von D (and the point of this award was...?)
Most Mind Blowing Guitarist - Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman (Slayer)
Golden God - Dave Mustaine (Megadeth)
Hottest Chick In Metal - Marta Peterson (Bleeding Through)
Best Riff - Slipknot
Most Viral Video - Protest the Hero
Most Metal Athlete - Shaun White
Metal Industry Award - The Rainbow Bar & Grill
Reader's Choice Award - Acacia Stain

They also presented Ozzy Osbourne with the lifetime achievement award. I'm sure we all saw this coming, and can admit that he deserves it...But before Ozzy came out to accept the award, they played an almost 20 minute "tribute" type of video for him. Needless to say, it was a tad long and a little over done.

For a complete list of the winners of the night as well as videos from the black carpet hit Revolvers website

The show also featured live performances by Killswitch Engage, Hatebreed, All That Remains, Suicide Silence, and Megadeth, who headlined. They could -- and should -- have picked a broader range of bands to represent more of the metal sub-genres. Also, perhaps because of the sound issues, the crowd never really seemed to be "into it." Even Hatebreed had a hard time getting the crowd riled up (I've unfortunately seen them many times and the crowd has never before failed to go fucking nuts).

Megadeth dropped the last performance of the evening. I have seen them only once before at a Gigantour festival gig a few years back. They put on an amazing show when I last saw them, unfortunately, I cannot say the same for this performance.

Megadeth played a three-song set (as did all the bands that night). Their set-list was chosen by fans in an online poll, and they kicked off with "Peace Sells." Right away you could hear that the sound was not mixed well. The guitars were way too loud and Dave's voice, for whatever reason, sounded very off. Dave had a look on his face that said, "Let's just get through these songs as quick as we can and get the hell out of here." Their next song was "Sweating Bullets" which happens to be a personal favorite of mine. For the last song of the evening they played a true classic, "Holy Wars."

Here's a video of Megadeth's performance of "Holy Wars."



I was very excited at the prospect of America finally having a home grown metal awards show and, for the most part, it was an entertaining evening with many metal legends participating (which was a very positive sign). My only hope is that next year the event will be much more organized, and that they will honor and celebrate more corners of our beloved metal scene.

On that note, here are some albums I have been really getting into as of late..
Primordial - Imrama
Old Man's Child - Slaves Of The World
Epica - The Classical Conspiracy
Candlemass - Death Magic Doom
Amon Amarth - Twilight Of The Thunder God
Eluveitie - Evocation I - The Arcane Dominion

As always, let me know what you guys have been listening too lately. I always look forward to checking new music!

And make sure to keep an eye out for my interview with Chrigel Glanzmann, the guitarist and mastermind behind Eluveitie, which should be up soon.

Until next time,

Horns and Hails!!!

Hollee

So I was browsing Facebook the other day and came across a link from a friend of mine. Oftentimes I ignore these, but she had previously linked me to the brilliant Oren Lavie music video. So I clicked on it, and for the next five and a half minutes, I was covered in goosebumps. Judge for yourself.




After watching that, I did a little research into the organization behind it and what they were doing. From their website:

You may think, 'Well that's great but the world needs more than just a few new musicians. There are real problems.' The foundation is pitching in there as well, not only building both a music and arts center in South Africa, but working to rebuild and improve Tibetan refugee centers in Dharamsala, India and Kathmandu, Nepal. Beyond this, they're also working with the RED(WIRE) group to fight AIDS in Africa.

I guess what makes this whole thing relevant is that we're at a time in the world when many of us seem to be at each other's throats, and really, I can't remember a time when that wasn't the case. We have almost anything at our fingertips, information in a heartbeat and entertainment almost as fast, and just as forgettable. But watching these videos of street performers, professional musicians, and ordinary people all over the world taking a song and an instrument, or just their voice, and building something together is inspiring. They really are trying, in a decidedly unique way, to make a change.

Music has in a lot of cases, devolved into something to make a quick buck or discuss a failed relationship. This documentary and CD has the power to inject a meaning and relevance back into the musical mainstream, and do it without the star power of U2 or Kanye West. I really hope that it succeeds.



The Playing for Change CD/DVD "Songs Around the World" drops next Tuesday, April 28th. Please read more about the foundation at their website: Playing For Change

The great thing about the music business and bands on the road is that pretty much everybody has a useful tip for something. One of the most important things you can do is open your mind to the possibility that you can learn something from anywhere.

It's easy to be open to learning something from me, right? I've been in a bunch of bands, I have dreadlocks, and I wrote a book. What about admitting to yourself that you might have something to learn from the opening band? I mean, they're opening for you, right? What could you possibly learn from them?

Case in point is self-proclaimed international experts on Ovis aries and pharmaceuticals, the brilliantly named Sheep on Drugs (pickled in alcohol as they may be). These not very sheep-like rockers studiously demonstrated the fact that when you drink lots and lots of vodka your sweat starts to smell like vodka. However it was in their pursuit of cash to fund their beverage experimentation that I leant a second, even more key lesson. It was at their merchandise booth that I first saw the concept of the begging bowl interfaced with delightful, disarming honesty that extracted money from everyone who walked past: "Alcohol Fund -- Please give generously."



This tip alone has saved many an evening, and filled many a empty gas tank, stomach, heart, and mind at the end of a grueling day on the road. It is priceless.

We wanted to hear more of these stories so we launched a contest at SXSW. We asked attendees for their nuggets of wisdom -- the person that came up with the most helpful, relevant and/or unique tip would win $4000 worth of really great gear (free being one of the best kinds of gear).

People from all over the world shared brilliant ideas, from the ethereal talking about the spiritual crusade that bands embark upon to the much more down to earth, who shared gems like, "Buy large bottles of Gatorade to use as portable truckers piss buckets to reduce the number of pit-stops during long drives." -- Glorious one and all.

(Note: I've seen the other end of this double-edged sword when, on the road with Dope somebody mistook a lime flavored Gatorade bottle filled with piss for a lime flavored Gatorade. Oh how we laughed, but that is the kind of stuff that breaks up a band.)

There were some tips that were repeated in different ways by different people, all boy-scout-ish in nature:

* Be prepared

* Expect the unexpected (usually instantly ridiculed only by those that have never been on the road)

* Find friends first and musicians second

* Treat your audience as if they were the band and instead of being in the band imagine you are fans of your audience.

That is a great way to describe the reverse of the traditional audience/band relationship and how it should work. It conveniently takes into account that bands should be humble and treasure even the smallest audience and not complain to all who will listen that another 90 (or 900) people should have showed up.

There was also some terrific advice that sadly didn't make the short-list/potentially prize-winning cut:

* Jeff Sheppard from the Sarah & Jeff show wrote "GET ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE! (CAA or AAA)." Which is so much of a no-brainer that it sometimes gets forgotten.

* Emilio Castellanos said, "No matter what happens record everything." (Does not apply if your name is Richard Nixon.)

* John Thomas said, "Just get started. It's easier to change or correct course than it is to get your butt off the couch for the first time." I really liked that too.

* And, "Have a sense of humor in one hand and a big stick in the other and whatever you do don't let anyone know you have a credit card," from Sean Rial -- this made me laugh a LOT!

Surprisingly, one idea that wasn't addressed in the hundreds of entries was something that took me a long time to get to: The Customer Is Always Right.

I couldn't understand how a show that I knew was flawed, where the sound was bad, where someone had obviously fucked up, where things weren't right (or at least not the way they were supposed to be) could seem amazing and enjoyable to anyone. I've gotten into countless arguments with someone who said, "That's the best show I've ever seen." I've spent a lot of energy explaining why it wasn't, going on at length, "If only you had seen us three nights earlier with better sound, better lights, better voices, better, more focused laser light energy, better crowd, less bad notes, more height from the jumps..." The end result being what.....? A confused audience member who just had a great experience explained away and a confused band member convincing fans one at time that we were unworthy.

After years of this, I figured it out. The customer, it turns out, is always right. So when your shambolic 25th show comes to an untimely end, a drum kit falls over, the singer fails to hit high notes and the bass player struggling with only two strings left on his lack-luster bass guitar duels with the incompetent guitarist shredding (except that his guitar isn't plugged in) and somebody says, "That was great!" - it was. And who the fuck are you to take that away from anybody?

Be humble. Be nice. And even though you're not selling anything to anyone anymore, remember the customer is always right.

If you want to read all the rest of tips (and you can vote too) the top 52 are HERE. I encourage you to leave your own tip too. You won't be entered in the competition to win $4000 worth of equipment from PreSonus, Pearl Drums, Dean Guitars, or Trueline Drumsticks (you've missed the boat on that one), but you'll earn a place in my heart forever and who knows, your piece of advice might be the one that saves someone's ass one day.


Martin Atkins has drummed with PiL, Killing Joke, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Pigface, and The Damage Manual, among others. As owner of the now 20-year old Invisible Records, he has worked with artists such as Thrill Kill Kult, Einsturzende Neubauten, Chemlab, Chris Connelly, Sheep On Drugs, Murder Inc, and Psychic TV. Martin teaches a course on Business of Touring at Columbia College in Chicago, IL, and has written a survival guide for touring bands, Tour Smart: And Break The Band, which features contributions from Henry Rollins, Cynthia Plastercaster, The Enigma, the Suicide Girls, Zim Zum (formerly of Marilyn Manson), Kevin Lyman, and various other managers, journalists, venues, agents, sponsors, radio personalities and the like.

After stumbling around the country for nigh a month pondering love, barking my shins and consuming everything that crossed my path from flirty glances to pop songs to the entire city of Portland, I have come home. Everything's exactly the same only not, like I time traveled three weeks into the future and am now just a little out of step with everyone here in Bizarro-Brooklyn. Each new venue, human, and sandwich shop that's appeared as if by magic adds a little to my sense of vertigo. Even my cat has grown unreasonably fluffy. On the bright side, flowers are blooming, and it's no longer cold as shit. I found lots to like at SXSW and beyond, and am now catching up on what I missed while embracing the mind numbing uniformity of the desert. Here's some of what I've found.

Cutting Le Rug

In all my travels, I have yet to encounter any event with the delicate balance of body heat, violence, awkward booty dancing and pure joy one inevitably finds at any decent Brooklyn house party. Since finding my inner Paula Abdul at a fête called Gay By Gay Gay, I've been dying to see how my moves have traveled. Brooklyn's Le Rug just entered my consciousness via a post on Impose and made me do a little shake right here in the cafe. Fronted by the moderately insane Ray Weiss, they make music that's messy, spazzy, and perfect for all of your house party needs, and with adorably depressing, topical lyrics like “deregulate deregulate the market / with those profit margins right on target.” Dudes have released 3 EPs in the last 6 months, all of which can be downloaded for free at tamurrecords.org

Starfucker/Guidance Counselor

Portland is a good place to get down, too. It's not Brooklyn, but it does score high in the three categories most important to me: vegan food, d.i.y. shows, and cute boys on bicycles. As it holds far more of these things than I could even begin to enjoy in just two days (try as I might), another visit is probably in my future. Contributing to the place's joie de vivre are Starfucker and Guidance Counselor, who share a drummer and both make crazy fun dance music, with the former spinning samples off vinyl and the latter keeping things interesting with some Foals-esque quasi math rock sequences. At the show I attended, kids were jumping around with such vigor I feared the flimsy house would collapse. They're currently touring the U.S. and Canada together, so check them out if you don't mind waking up with a sore wiggle muscle.

Cerebral Ballzy

If your idea of dancing is actually closer to hitting people and jumping off things, this is your steeze. Besides having the most awesomely bad name, this group of New York miscreants wins the prize for most punk rock performance I caught not only at Southby, but for quite some time before or since then. These kids pack an impressive amount of aggression into their skinny frames as they thrash all over the place and gnash out songs about getting wasted, throwing up, and riding the NYC subway. Tour dates are currently sparse but you can order their new EP Autistic Expression and a kick ass t-shirt that shows a skeleton flipping the bird on their MySpace page, which, I boast, quotes yours truly describing them as "Bad Brains on crystal meth."

These Are Powers

Anna Barie is one of my top five favorite frontpeople in rock. She's up there with Tim "no pants" Harrington, King Khan, and Jared and Cole from the Black Lips, if they melded into one chompy-grilled, mustachioed mega-rocker. Former Liar Pat Noecker slices the air with bright, grindy bass lines and Bill Salas makes all sorts of pounding, ass-moving percussion sounds, both electronic and live. Their new album, All Aboard Future, transports listeners to some sort of dystopic tribal robo-scenario in which we're all taking peyote and fucking on piles of shredded iPhones and worthless currency in the bombed out remains of luxury condominiums. Get psyched; it's happening sooner than you think.

They're playing select dates in the U.S. before heading off on a tour of China(!) so go have fun and tell them I sent you. Be prepared to bang on an instrument, because they usually pass a bunch out. It's just like your elementary school music class, only this time no one will stop you from fighting that bitch in front for the triangle.

Fucked Up

Following through on their promise to release something for each year of the Chinese astrological calendar, everyone's favorite Toronto experimental hardcore group has released the single "Year of the Rat," the third in the series. Unlike Cerebral Ballzy, who distill the elements of punk into a concentrated sock in the nuts, Fucked Up play around with them, adding elements of prog and noise to aid the song's rise and fall like a tidal wave that takes its sweet time breaking and engulfing you. At the song's end, the feedback shrouded voice of John McCain intones "the Secretary of State told me once that you had better be ready to pull the trigger," a chilling reminder of the dark course this past year might have taken. The b-side, "First Born," pulls from blues-based metal while retaining Pink Eyes' (a.k.a. Daniel Abraham's) superior hardcore vocals. An excellent next move for a band that built up momentum with an epic 12-hour marathon show in New York last year which included the WTF moment of that dude from Vampire Weekend singing on covers of Blitz and the Descendants.



I can has punk rock and Chinos?

OMG metal!

I know Clio just discussed them, so I'll be brief, but holy fucking shit. Mastodon's Crack the Skye is the noisiest most intricately brainmelting thing that has penetrated my earholes for quite some time. Get it if you have ever liked metal even a little bit at all, or even if you don't! It will make you a better person. Look how awesome:




Hunter is a Brooklyn-based writer currently contributing to Vice, The New York Press, Impose, and The L Magazine. If you email her at hunter.suicide AT gmail DOT com, chances are she'd love to add your publication to that list. Seriously, she's got some time on her hands.

Greetings fellow headbangers! Welcome to the third installment of Metal Asylum. It has been a pretty busy month for the metal scene.

First off, my interview with Peter Wichers, the lead guitarist of Soilwork, went up a couple of Sundays ago here on SG. To read the full interview click HERE.

Soilwork actually played a few weeks ago at The Key Club in West Hollywood. I was very interested in seeing them now that Peter has returned to the fold. Unfortunately, I only got to see a small portion of their set because I met up with my Finnish friends from doom metal band Swallow the Sun at the show and they convinced me to go drink vodka with them next door at The Rainbow Room (always a bad idea...but always a good time!) From the few songs that I did see I could tell they were really tight and the crowd seemed to love them.

Though I've not always been much of a Soilwork fan, they put out some solid albums early on in their 13+ year career (Steelbath Suicide and The Chainheart Machine). Unfortunately, later, they took the same route as other bands from the Sweden–Finland melodic scene. Bands like In Flames and Children of Bodom, along with Soilwork, were once were the leaders of this particular genre and were great innovative bands. However, these bands have stopped writing the well-crafted songs with exquisite melodies and the über technical music that would amaze, in favor of fodder that is dumbed down for the masses. In my interview with Peter, he said that for Soilwork's next album he wanted to write songs that are more in line with those classic early albums. Let’s hope that's what transpires. Perhaps the original member's return will help the band get back to their roots and with his influence they'll write the kind of intelligent, heavy, melodic music that first put them on the map.

Here's Soilwork's video for the song "Exile" from the album Sworn To A Great Divide.



Also, if you haven't checked out the Finnish Death/Doom band Swallow The Sun yet, here is their video of "Don't Fall Asleep" from their third album Hope. I’d encourage you to check out this band, Mikko Kotamäki is one of my favorite vocalists.



I caught the Týr (Faroe Islands), Suidakra (Germany) and Alestorm (Scotland) triple-threat show this month too. From you comments I know some of you are not big fans of the folk / Viking metal music, but going to a Viking Metal show is a very different experience. They have such a unique vibe. Unlike death and doom metal gigs, everyone is happy (probably because they are all extremely drunk) and soooo into the music.

It was my first time seeing Alestorm. They’re known as one of the few "pirate metal" bands. A lot of people went dressed as pirates to this show, which to my eyes seemed a little unnecessary, but each to his or her own. The funny thing is Alestorm did not dress like pirates for the gig. They delivered a pretty entertaining performance, and received a good response from the crowd, the majority of which were dancing and singing along. More of a band to go see live rather than experience on CD, I certainly understood the appeal more after watching them perform hilarious pirate-themed songs such as "Wenches and Mead" and "Captain Morgan’s Revenge."

Týr on the other hand was simply amazing. They don't dress up or do anything super flashy like some of the other folk metal bands tend to, they just get up there, perform a tight set and get off stage. However, despite playing all the fan favorites, including "Regin Smiður,” “The Wild Rover” and “Hail to the Hammer,” the crowd didn't seem to respond to their set with the same enthusiasm as they did for the other two bands -- perhaps because they are not as upbeat. Anycase, in my opinion, they were the best band on that bill.

Here’s " Regin Smiður" from Týr’s Eric the Red album.



Suidakra closed out the night. Their last album Crógacht, really hit the spot for me, so it felt good to see them live again. They delivered a much stronger performance than when I last caught them at Paganfest ‘08.

Check out "Shattering Swords" by Suidakra from the album Crógacht.



The Pagan Knights Tour 2009 is wrapping up right now. It stops in New York tonight (Sunday, March 29) and Raleigh, NC tomorrow (Monday, March 30). If you are into folk/Viking/pirate metal, this is a wench-rock show you definitely shouldn't miss!

Other upcoming tours of note include:

• Paganfest II with Korpiklaani, Moonsorrow and Primordial.

• The Kreator tour, which also features Exodus, Belphegor, Warbringer and Epicurean.

Some of you have been messaging me about power metal and asking if I'm into it at all. The answer is yes -- to an extent. For the longest time I was dismissive of the genre, considering it was metal for people who played Dungeons & Dragons. But a friend of mine who is a huge power metal fan starting burning discs for me and I am starting to love it more and more. Having always been a fan of female-fronted metal bands such as Nightwish, Epica and Leave's Eyes (though I'm not placing all of those bands into the power metal category), one PM band that I am really getting into is Blind Guardian from Germany. Their stuff is so epic and frontman Hansi Kürsch's vocals are incredibly powerful and unique.

Other power metal bands worth checking out include Rhapsody (In Fire), Kamelot, Hibria, and, of course, the one and only ManOwaR – though there’s much debate as to weather the later qualify as power metal or straight-up heavy metal (I'd like to hear your opinion on this).

Continuing the "albums I'm currently listening to" segment that I started last month, here is my current play list:

Swallow The Sun – Plague of Butterflies (EP)
Isole – Silent Ruins
Blind Guardian – A Night at The Opera
Arsis – We Are The Nightmare
Kataklysm – Prevail
This Ending – Dead Harvest
Amon Amarth – Twilight Of The Thunder God
Korpiklaani – Korven Kuningas

That's it for this month. Feel free to comment below or message me and let me know what you are listening to and bands that you recommend.

Horns & Hails

Hollee