Music Vice Magazine ~ News Blog

Ash announce April/May Dates

2010-01-12T09:16:00.001-05:00

Hot off the back of their A-Z tour of Britain in the latter part of '09, Ash have announced new UK tour dates for April and May.

April 2010
19 Southampton, University
20 Cambridge, Junction
21 Norwich, Waterfront
23 Birmingham, Irish Centre
24 Leeds, Metropolitan University
25 Newcastle, Academy
27 Glasgow, ABC
28 Manchester, Academy 2
30 Bristol, Academy

May 2010
01 Brighton, Concorde 2
02 Oxford, Academy
04 London, Electric Ballroom

Brian, Editor
Music Vice Magazine - In one word: Funkadelic

Royal Mail Release Classic Album Stamps

2010-01-07T16:10:00.003-05:00

The Royal Mail have unveiled a set of stamps celebrating some classic British rock album covers. This limited edition collection of stamps goes on sale today, Janurary 7, in Post Offices throughout the UK and includes many classics such as The Clash's London Calling and Bowie's Ziggy Stardust.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Primal Scream's Screamadelica in the collection - great band and awesome artwork. But what, no Beatles? I guess they couldn't afford to get Sgt. Peppers... and the White album was out of the question. Perhaps the most debatable choice of the ten stamps is Coldplay's A Rush of Blood to the Head. Coldplay? Really? Not on my stamp!

The stamps have some historic importance because normally a living person is not allowed to appear on a British stamp except for the Queen or some other member of the royal family.

The Ten Albums

The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed (1969)
Led Zeppelin - IV (1971)
David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars (1972)
Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells (1973)
The Clash - London Calling (1979)
New Order - Power Corruption and Lies (1983)

Primal Scream - Screamadelica (1991)

Pink Floyd - The Division Bell (1994)

Blur - Parklife (1994)

Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)

Brian, Editor
Music Vice Magazine - In one word: Stomping

Danny's top 5's 2009.

2009-12-23T22:57:00.002-05:00

So, 2010 is looming and I suppose like everyone else from every other website I'll do a quick round-up of my favourite shows and records this year.~

Click on the titles to read our coverage!

Gigs
1 - Tony Allen, Perth (No Review online).
2 - Fantomas, Big Day Out
3 - Primal Scream, Perth
4 - MC Lars, Melbourne
5 - Hong Kong Mississippi, Melbourne

Albums

1 - Baddies, Do the Job
2 -Dead Man's Bones - Dead Man's Bones (no review online).
3 -Dead to Me, African Elephants
4 - Chuck Ragan, Gold Country
5 - Melvins, Chicken Swtich

Rage Beat X Factor to Christmas No. 1

2009-12-20T14:05:00.002-05:00

History has just been made.

The UK's Xmas Number 1 is Rage Against The Machine selling 502,672 copies of "Killing In The Name Of". X Factor winner Joe McElderry is Number 2 having sold 450,838 with "The Climb" (a cover of a Miley Cyrus song).

This is the first time that a single has reached number one in the Christmas charts by downloads only.

The number one single was revealed at 6.50pm GMT by Scott Mills on the BBC Radio 1 Chart Show.

High-fives to everyone who bought the Rage single, bringing an end to The X Factor's domination of the Christmas charts in recent years.

Power to the people.

Brian, Editor
Music Vice Magazine - In one word: Independent

Rage For Christmas Number 1

2009-12-19T11:46:00.002-05:00

Unless you've been unconscious all week - perhaps from excessive holiday partying or an eggnog overdose - you're probably well aware of the battle raging in the UK for the Christmas number 1 single. The latest X Factor winner Joe McElderry is up against Rage Against The Machine in the fight for top spot and today, Saturday 19 December, is the final day for sales to be counted in this closely fought battle.

In recent years the once coveted Christmas No. 1 has lost a lot of it's magic and charm after being one year after year by X Factor winners. There really hasn't been an interesting battle for the Christmas No. 1 since 2003 when The Darkness (remember how fun they were?) lost out to Gary Jules version of "Mad World". Thankfully in 2009 there is plenty of interest and excitement again with McElderry versus Rage.

McElderry is the latest Simon Cowell endorsed television pop idol - another cash-cow from the Cowell farm, ready to be milked for every penny until the next pop idol comes along. Boring, boring, boring.

Thankfully for us, a couple of bright sparks named Tracy and Jon Morter started up a Facebook group to campaign to get RATM's "Killing In The Name Of" to No.1 for Christmas. Awesome. The song is the second track from Rage's eponymous debut album, released in 1992, and is eligible due to changes to the rules that decide the Christmas winner with the inclusion of downloads.

If Rage clinch then number one spot then it will be a victory against X Factor and against Simon Cowell, and ergo, a victory for music.

Moreover, Rage Against The Machine have announced today that they will play a free show in the UK if they do clinch the Christmas No. 1.

Let's start the next decade with a great band at the top of the charts - go and download a copy of "Killing In The Name Of" from your favourite MP3 store before midnight tonight!

Brian, Editor
Music Vice Magazine - In one word: Independent

New Portishead Single For Amnesty

2009-12-09T19:44:00.001-05:00

Tonight back home in the UK, Radio 1 gave very first play of the brand new Portishead track, "Chase the Tear".

Portishead have written this track especially for Amnesty International in support of Amnesty's work and their current "Protect The Human" campaign. All proceeds from this single go to Amnesty.

The track was debuted tonight on the eve of Human Rights Day.

Watch the video for "Chase The Tear" and download the track
The video and track are also available right now on Portishead's website.

It's a really cool tune and well worth £0.99/$.099 of anybody's money in support of a great organization.

Brian, Editor
Music Vice Magazine - In one word: Independent

Muse Announce North America Tour Dates 2010

2009-12-08T15:47:00.002-05:00

Muse have just announced six gigs in the USA for 2010. The gigs listed today via their Myspace page are as follows:

27 February 2010 - Gwinnett Center, Atlanta, GA
1 March 2010 - Patriot Center, Fairfax, VA
5 March 2010 - Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
6 March 2010 - TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, MA
8 March 2010 - Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON
10 March 2010 - Bell Centre, Montreal, QC
13 March 2010 - Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, MI
17 March 2010 - Fort Worth Convention Center, Dallas, US
18 March 2010 - Toyota Center, Houston, US
29 March 2010 - Rexall Place, Calgary, AB
1 April 2010 - Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, BC
2 April 2010 - Key Arena, Seattle, WA
3 April 2010 - Rose Garden Arena, Portland, OR
1 March 2010 - Palace Of Auburn Hills, Detroit, MI
5 April 2010 - The E Center, Salt Lake City, UT

Silversun Pickups will be supporting Muse on these dates.

Tickets go on general sale on December 12, 2009 with a pre-sale starting at Muse.mu from December 9 at 10.00 am EST.

I have a hunch, or maybe its just a hope, that a few more dates might be announced to fill in the gap between some of those dates - the gap between March 6 and 13 seems particularly ominous - perhaps we'll see some more East Coast dates slotted in that period. I have my fingers crossed that a Toronto date will be added in there somewhere - would be great to see Muse here and shoot them for Music Vice. ** Edit, lo and behold, extra dates were announced and Toronto is go!

The Big Bop Set To Close

2009-12-05T15:31:00.005-05:00

There are reports and rumours today in Toronto that The Big Bop is set to close it's doors. And let me tell you folks, I'm a particularly sad panda upon hearing this news...

I heard the first rumour this morning and the gossip seems concrete with the Globe and Mail reporting in a story last night that:

Owner Dominic Tassielli said The Big Bop, at the corner of Queen Street West and Bathurst Street, will "shut down completely" shortly, but that an announcement on the site's future will come next week.

The triple-decker complex encompasses three key Toronto music venues in one - The Kathedral, The Reverb and Holy Joe's upstairs. It's a busy place, and nearly every night of the week you can see band vans and u-haul trailers parked outside on Queen Street West.

The Big Bop was one of the first venues that I stumbled across when I first came to Toronto in 2006. In truth, it's pretty hard not to stumble across the place, as it stands painted bright purple at the corner of Queen Street West and Bathurst.

I liked The Big Bop from first visit, with it's chilled-out vibe inspired by the grungy and slightly run-down aesthetics. Some music venues can be off-putting by being too clean and sterile - The Big Bop is by no means a dive, but it's suitably grimy to be an authentic rock and roll venue. The staff are always friendly too.

The three Big Bop venues get heavily-used for Toronto's biggest music festivals, including NXNE, Canadian Music Week and Indie Week. The calendar on The Big Bop's website currently shows listings up to March 2010, with the venue set to be part of Candian Music Week once again - time will tell if the venue will still be open by the that time.

Queen Street West is the main artery of Toronto's music scene, with its venues providing the lifeblood and energy of everything that happens - it just won't be the same without The Big Bop. I'm crossing all my extremities in the hope that a new owner will come along to keep the place open as a music venue.

If the doors on The Big Bop do close for good then it will be sorely missed.

Brian, Editor
Music Vice Magazine - In one word: Yummy!

Henry Rollins 'Frequent Flyer Tour'

2009-12-01T14:47:00.001-05:00

Good news folks, Henry Rollins is taking his spoken-word gig back on the road in 2010!

Henry's Frequent Flyer Tour tour kicks off January 12 in Dublin, with the 45-date first North American leg departing from San Diego on February 17. Following stops in Australia and South Africa, Henry returns for a second North American leg in mid-May.

"Since I was last on tour, I have been working in television and radio, traveling all over the world And like everyone else, dealing with the changes America – and the world – is going through. I thought America would become a more peaceful place in 2009. I had no idea the country had so many lunatics. There's a lot to remark upon, of course. There always is." - Henry Rollins

Tickets for the FREQUENT FLYER TOUR go on sale December 4, with pre-sales available December 1 through Music Today. For pre-sale information, go to: http://henryrollins.musictoday.com/HenryRollins/calendar.aspx.

Act fast and get on to that pre-sale, these dates will sell-out quick!

Brian, editor
Music Vice Magazine - In one word: Yummy!

Golf meets Music Festival? Sounds like a Walk in the Park!

2009-11-12T00:47:00.003-05:00

Wow, when you think you've seen it all there's an event like this that comes along and smashes your dim views to smithereens.

Kodak's Walk in the Park festival is a whole new take on the music meets sport format and includes a fast paced golf tournament as well as BMX demos, a skateboarding competition, Classic cars and Customs (YES!) and music from established Aussie acts such as The Hoodoo Gurus, You Am I, Kisschasy and Dallas Crane.

This sounds like one helluva show and we'll be there covering the whole thing.
Find out the whole scoop at http://www.awalkinthepark.com.au/

Beatles Songs On Apple USB

2009-11-06T16:02:00.019-05:00

The Beatles are set for a digital release of their remastered back catalogue. What's more, this release is coming in an apple-shaped packaging. Shock horror...could it be...iTunes?

Nope...

A limited-edition apple-shaped USB drive is set for release on December 7 in the U.K. and a day later in North America. Quantities will be limited to 30,000 and the unit is available for pre-order via the store on the official Beatles website, priced at US$279.

Image from TheBeatles.com store

The USB will feature remastered digital versions of 14 Beatles albums. The 16GB USB drive will also include original U.K. album art, liner notes, rare photos and 13 mini-documentary films.

It remains unknown whether the songs on the USB will be available for straight copying/sharing. A custom designed Flash interface will allow playback of the audio and visual content of the album.

The apple shape of the device is an obvious nod to The Beatles label Apple Corps and Apple Records, but it also seems like some goading by EMI towards Apple Inc, owners of iTunes.

Fucked Up Weekend 2009 Toronto

2009-10-28T11:40:00.001-04:00

Fucked Up weekend starts up again this Thursday, October 30, in Toronto. There's way more attention on it this year after Fucked Up picked up the Polaris music prize recently. Note the 'Metric' logo on the poster, hardy ha ha...

Tickets are available for purchase in person at these Toronto record stores: Hits and Misses, Soundscapes, and Rotate This. If your travelling from out of town then you can sort out tickets by contacting fufest09@gmail.com.

Fucked Up 2009 Schedule

Thursday October 29

THE BITTERS

METZ

MELIGROVE BAND

FRANCE HAS THE BOMB (IL)

LITTLE GIRLS

Sneaky Dee’s

431 College St.

9pm, $8 advance

Friday October 30
CRO-MAGS (NY)
FUCKED UP
MIND ERASER (MA)
RIVAL MOB (MA)
WASTE MANAGEMENT (MA)
FREE SPIRIT (MA)
RAH
BURNING LOVE
Kathedral – ALL AGES
651 Queen St. W.
7pm, $22.50 advance

Friday October 30
RED MASS (MTL)
TEEN ANGER
THE BANG BANGS
PRIMITIVE HANDS (MTL)
Sneaky Dee’s
431 College St.
9pm, $8 advance

Friday Afterparty
MOLESTED YOUTH
MATURE SITUATIONS
CAREER SUICIDE
Rancho Relaxo
300 College St.
1am, $5

Saturday October 31
FUCKED UP
IRON LUNG (WA)
D.S.B. (Japan)
BRUTAL KNIGHTS
FORCE FED (PA)
NOMOS (NY)
Sneaky Dee’s
431 College St.
7pm, $18.50 advance

Saturday Afterparty
MAD MEN
OMEGAS (MTL)
URBAN BLIGHT
Rancho Relaxo
300 College St.
1am, $5

- Brian
Music Vice

New Music Vice Mailing Address

2009-10-27T21:38:00.001-04:00

Some site news...

Attention publicists, promoters, labels, and bands - we now have a new mail box address. The following address is the new default mailing address for Music Vice and should to be used for sending any phyiscal promotional material or items for review:

Music Vice
1117 Queen St W
PO Box 445
Toronto, ON
M6J 3P5
CANADA

Accordingly, our contact page has been updated with this new mailing address. (And in case you haven't noticed, we began reviewing discs again this October, so this news is quite important if your sending us stuff!)

ta!

Brian, editor
Music Vice Magazine - Proudly independent since 2002

Gaga's DJ Lady Starlight has some fantastic demands!

2009-10-23T01:06:00.002-04:00

As previously announced, Lady Gaga's DJ (suprisingly even more horsefaced than her mate) Lady Starlight will be jetting in from New York City to headline the rock room at this year's Crossfire Halloween Massacre on Saturday 31st October in a secret location in East London. As a regular on the NY party scene, famed for riotous behaviour and being one of the most rock 'n'roll glamour-girls in the city, accommodating her was always going to be a challenge. However, Lady Starlight's outrageous and frankly bizarre rider requests have raised even the most furrowed of brows.

. Log fire in room. Must be in a suite at the Hoxton Hotel Urban
Lodge

. Mixed high quality sushi platter (Nobu) served on ice, no crab
sticks

. 1 bottle of Krug Rose champagne, chilled

. 5 bottles of Jack Daniels

. Fresh fruit platter of yellow and orange fruits only, including
star fruit and passion fruit

. Star-shaped "red velvet" cupcakes from Hummingbird Bakery

. A pole and two female dancers (one blonde, one brunette, both at
least 5'8")

. Full length mirrors on every wall of the room, including the
ceiling

. 3 bottles of alkyl nitrites

. Assorted sex toys

. 2 baby hedgehogs and a Persian cat

. A star registered under Lady Starlight's name

. A selection of yellow flowers to be displayed on each surface in
the hotel room

. Sky TV with access to all popular porn channels

. Ltd edition Iron Maiden 'Sound House Tapes' 7" vinyl

. A fan in every room

. Smoke machine

How's that for press?

Good Vibrations Fest Announced!

2009-10-23T00:57:00.004-04:00

It's now announced and for once we seem to be right on time to tell you! Good Vibrations festival has now been announced what a Killer line-up (see that pun?), with bands like The Killers, Basement Jaxx, Gossip, Busta Rhymes, SALT-N-PEPA and the Grammy nominated Armand van Helden the line-up has already shattered last years one to smithereens!

Festival season this year is looking fantastic and I assure you we'll be doing everything within our journalistic powers to be there!

Click on the links to read each band's profiles on the GV website.

Perth + Adelaide Big Day Out Sold Out!

2009-10-22T03:02:00.004-04:00

Peaches will be playing BDO '10

From Bigdayout media: The incredible domino effect over the past week continues with tickets being snapped up in record time! And since going on sale just over a week ago, the PERTH and Adelaide BDO shows have now sold out!

All dates are now sold out!

As with the sold out Gold Coast, Sydney and Melbourne Big Day Out shows, organisers would like to announce a ticket ballot is already in place for both events.

An additional 2,000 tickets will be available to purchase through an online ticket ballot via the Big Day Out website, www.bigdayout.com and registration is now for the first ballot taking place today!

One Movement Indigenous Scholarship winner announced

2009-10-22T02:48:00.001-04:00

One Movement for Music Perth is pleased to announce the final winner of the Australian Indigenous Music Scholarship.

Congratulations to Victoria’s Lee Morgan who was proclaimed the winner in front of 7,500 festival-goers at last weekend’s One Movement Showcase Music Festival.

As the scholarship winner Morgan will receive major development opportunities including the chance to record a full album with a professional producer and manufacturing, distribution and marketing.

Morgan said of his win. “All of the other participants were great people and performed wonderful music. The judges took it all very seriously, as we all did, and were generous with their knowledge and support. I'm extremely grateful for the amazing opportunities not only the prizes will bring but the chance for people to hear what I've got to say. It's really come at a great time for me."

for the full story check out One Movement's website here

Daniel Johnston to play Laneway Fesitval

2009-10-20T00:26:00.002-04:00

As well as the fantastic Black Lips, Florence and the Machine and Echo and the Bunnymen we're (or I am) incredibly ecstatic to announce Daniel Johnston will be playing Laneway Festival 2010.

Go check it all out at www.lanewayfestival.com

DATES AND VENUES

Friday 29 January - Brisbane QLD

Alexandria St off St Paul’s Terrace, Fortitude Valley (Twilight event)

Saturday 30 January - Melbourne VIC

Footscray Community Arts Centre (FCAC)

Sunday 31 January - Sydney NSW

Sydney College of the Arts (SCA)

Monday 1 February - Auckland NZ

Britomart Station

Friday 5 February - Adelaide SA

Fowler’s Live, North Terrace(Twilight event)

Saturday 6 February - Perth WA

Cultural Centre, Northbridge

TICKETING DETAILS

TIX ON SALE FRIDAY 30TH OCTOBER, 9am

TICKETS AVALIABLE FROM GREEN TIX
Web Bookings: www.greentix.com.au
Phone Bookings: 1300 369 882

Faith No More announce Melbourne and Sydney shows!

2009-10-19T00:07:00.003-04:00

The fabulous Soundwave festival have announced two dates for the equally brilliant and infamous band Faith No More who will be playing 2 (TWO!) shows only in Sydney and Melbourne in February.

Tickets go on sale on this Thursday so get in quick before they sell out or alternatively go see them at the Soundwave festival!

MONDAY 22 FEBRUARY - SYDNEY, HORDERN PAVILION
www.ticketek.com.au

THURSDAY 25 FEBRUARY - MELBOURNE, FESTIVAL HALL
www.ticketmaster.com.au

Rory Ellis Australian Dates

2009-10-16T00:42:00.002-04:00

The soulful blues/countryman Rory Ellis is currently touring Australia and is in WA over the next few days, check out his website at www.roryellis.com for videos, mp3s and more information, dates are below.

16/10 - Drakesbrook Hotel Waroona, Western Australia

17/10 - The Nannup Hotel Nannup, Western Australia

18/10 - Settlers Tavern Margaret River, Western Australia

24/10 - The Barwon Club Geelong, Victoria

25/10 - York On Lilydale Mt Evelyn, Victoria

30/10 - The Hamilton Strand Hamilton, Victoria

1/11 - The Drunken Poet West Melbourne, Victoria

7/11 - The Sandringham Hotel Sydney, New South Wales

10/11 - The Northern Star Hotel Newcastle, New South Wales

11/11 - Lizottes (live and local) Kincumber, Central coast, New South Wales

14/11 - Tarerer Festival Killarney, Victoria

Lady Gaga's DJ announces first UK show!

2009-10-15T00:55:00.002-04:00

Crossfire are eight years into their reign as leaders of the underground skate/music scene and are back with London’s most rocking annual Halloween Party, THE CROSSFIRE HALLOWEEN MASACRE.

Last year this event witnessed Pendulum, Chase & Status, Enter Shikari an Dan Greenpeace tear up the hallowed night as guests. This year the lineup includes a plethora of high energy DJs including Lady Gaga’s DJ Lady Starlight destined to blow up the dance floors in both rooms once again.

The venue for this legendary event is never the same. This year, in true Crossfire style, the location will remain a secret until its announcement on Crossfire’s notorious daily skate and music magazine at www.caughtinthecrossfire.com, but we can tell you that this year it will be held somewhere in East London.

PATRICK WATSON AUSTRALIAN TOUR

2009-10-15T00:48:00.001-04:00

The Canadian singer songwriter will be dragging his baby grand around the country for Falls Festival (VIC & TAS), Sunset Sounds (QLD) and Southbound (WA) as well as a very special performance at the Northcote Social Club.

Rising out of Montreal, Canada's hot spot for indie music, the wildly eclectic and dreamy soundscapes of Patrick Watson began as a solo project in 2001 when Watson recorded and released his debut solo album. What began as a solo project quickly became something more as Watson was joined by high school friends Robbie Kuster, Mishka Stein, and Simon Angell to create Close to Paradise and in 2009 the beautifully crafted Wooden Arms.

In 2007 Watson also lent his talents to The Cinematic Orchestra as he co-wrote their inspiring album Ma Fleur including the beautiful To Build a Home now featured in the Schweppes burst commercial.

(Australia) Placebo and Others announced for Soundwave Festval

2009-10-15T00:29:00.000-04:00

From Triple J:

More acts were added to the line-up of the Soundwave Festival today.

The big surprise was Placebo, who'll be showcasing their new album Battle Of The Sun. It's been three years since they were last in Australia. No side shows have been announced at this point.

Also on the bill are legendary New York thrash metal band Anthrax and Minnesota punk rockers Motion City Soundtrack.

Here's the full list of additions:

PLACEBO
ANTHRAX
MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK
SHINEDOWN
SET YOUR GOALS
ENTER SHIKARI
CLOSURE IN MOSCOW

Soundwave dates:

Sat 20 Feb - RNA Showgrounds, Fortitude Valley, QLD
Sun 21 Feb - Eastern Creek Raceway, NSW
Fri 26 Feb - Melbourne Showgrounds, Flemington, VIC
Sat 27 Feb - Bonython Park, Adelaide, SA
Mon 1 Mar - Steel Blue Oval, Bassendean, WA

Music Vice Has Joined MySpace!

2009-10-14T20:28:00.003-04:00

I am pleased to announce that after recent communications with MySpace, Music Vice is now on MySpace!

Somebody had been holding a page using the Music Vice name since 2006, which was an annoyance as well as a copyright infringement. So within the last few days I contacted MySpace and explained this, adding that I felt it was important for us to have a presence on MySpace, given that every band on the planet has a page on MySpace Music. (We did have an old page up on MySpace, but I was aggrieved that we couldn't use our proper name because someone else had taken it.)

I received an email from MySpace this afternoon, informing me that they were going to be deleting the impostor account immediately and handing over the MySpace address MySpace.com/MusicVice to us!

We stood up to the man and won!

So, as of today, the one and only official page for Music Vice on MySpace is: www.myspace.com/musicvice

Thanks a bunch to the good folks at MySpace for being so speedy and helpful with sorting this out!

Give us a few days to get the page sorted out and then we'll begin adding friends and using it and stuff...

- Brian, Editor - Music Vice

Nick Cave Issues apology to Kylie Minogue and Avril Lavigne

2009-10-14T01:57:00.001-04:00

Nick Cave's latest book 'The Death Of Bunny Munro' features a protagonist so obsessed with Kylie Minogue and Avril Lavigne, that Cave has issued an apology to both artists.

"I would like to publicly apologise to both of them, especially Avril Lavigne," he said. "Because the writing about her is darker and more invasive I guess. I know Kylie and at least, I hope, she will take it in the spirit it was written. At the time that the book was set, which was about eight years ago, or seven years ago, Kylie Minogue and her hot pants were all the tabloids wrote about in this country."

The book revolves around the titular Bunny Munro, a door-to-door lotion salesman who spends his days seducing women, "serving both their sexual and moisturizing needs."After his wife commits suicide (a fact for which Bunny feels partly responsible), he hits the road with his son, Bunny Jr.; meanwhile, a man in red face paint and plastic devil horns accosts women in Northern England before a murderous impulse sends him southward.

Shock Records recently released the 7CD audio book of 'The Death Of Bunny Munro', with Nick Cave reading the book. The package also includes a DVD of Nick Cave reading excerpts from the book, underpinned by a soundtrack by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis (Bad Seeds, Dirty Three).

Could you get better PR at the right time?

Future of Turbonegro Uncertain.

2009-10-13T00:07:00.002-04:00

According to Norway's VG website it's looking as though Turbonegro's future is quite uncertain due to the disease of Scientology and general unhappiness within the band after their latest album Retox fell flat.

If you can read Norwegian the whole story is here but below you can read a few translated quotes.

Earlier this summer, guitarist Knut Schreiner said he was going in a different musical direction. He also emphasized that if a new Turbonegro album was to be talked about, it had to be filled with vitality and inspiration - something he doesn't feel the band has in it at the moment.

Already on extra time.

Thomas Seltzer points out that the band has worked a bit of overtime already.

"We were just going to have three comack concerts in 2002. Now it's become seven years, three albums and about 12 tours" he says.

VG has learned that there is supposed to be a lot of discontent internally in Turbonegro, around vocalist Hank von Hell's crusade against the pharmaceutical industry and his connection to the Church of Scientology.

"He is a dedicated man, I can't say much more than that. It's his crusade, it has nothing to do with Turbo. We are not a political party, and one has to be allowed to express oneself even if one plays in a band" says Seltzer who is amused by his colleage's dabbling in Scientology.

"If we make a new record, we'll see if there will be any songs about L. Ron Hubbard", he laughs.

Every Avenue Release First Single From New Album

2009-10-10T11:39:00.000-04:00

Every Avenue have released their first single Tell Me I'm A Wreck from their forthcoming album Picture Perfect. The song is up on the band's MySpace.

Every Avenue recently finished up an eight date tour over in the UK. They kick off their US tour next week with The White Tie Affair, starting Wednesday, October 14, in Detroit Rock City.

The White Tie Affair U.S. Tour Dates
(*Posted dates are in American format of month/day)
10/14 - St Andrew's Hall, Detroit, MI
10/15 - The Interception, Grand Rapids, MI
10/17 - The Basement, Columbus, OH
10/18 - Peabody's Downunder, Cleveland, OH
10/20 - Highline Ballroom, New York, NY
10/21 - Highline Ballroom, New York, NY
10/ 22 - The Chance, Poughkeepsie, New York, NY
10/23 - Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA
10/24 - Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
10/25 - Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
10/27 - Infinity, Williamsville, NY
10/29 - Recher Theatre, Towson, MD
10/30 - The National, Richmond, VA
10/31 - Headliner's Music Hall, Columbia, SC
11/01 - The Masquerade, Atlanta, Georgia
11/02 - Jack Rabbits, Jacksonville, FL
11/03 - State Theatre, St Petersburg, FL
11/04 - The Social, Orlando, FL
11/06 - Meridian, Houston, TX
11/07 - Emo's Alternative Lounging, Austin, TX
11/08 - House Of Blues, Cambridge Room (early show), Dallas, TX
11/08 - House Of Blues, Cambridge Room (late show), Dallas, TX
11/09 - White Rabbit, San Antonio, TX
11/11 - Martini Ranch, Scottsdale, AZ
11/13 - The Avalon, Los Angeles, CA
11/15 - Slim's, San Francisco, CA
11/16 - The Boardwalk, Orangeville, CA
11/17 - Hawthorne Theater, Portland, OR
11/18 - El Corazon, Seattle, WA
11/20 - Murray Theater - Murray, UT
11/21 - Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom, Denver, CO
11/22 - Sokol Underground, Omaha, NE
11/23 - People's Court, Des Moines, IO
11/24 - Fubar, St Louis, MO
11/25 - The Rave II, Milwaukee, WI
11/27 - Station 4, St Paul, MN

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Green Day Australian Tour

2009-10-09T00:03:00.002-04:00

Green Day art in Prahran, Melbourne

Well, it's old news to most of you guys but we're looking forward to Green Day's upcoming Australian tour we want to tell you about it again!

GREEN DAY AUSTRALIAN TOUR

December

4 - Burswood Dome, Perth
6 - Entertainment Centre, Adelaide
8 - Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
11 - Acer Arena, Sydney
14 - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne

Seeya there!

Pearl Jam Australian Tour

2009-10-08T23:42:00.004-04:00

It looks as though your good friends at www.musicvice.com will be covering the ever brilliant Pearl Jam on their upcoming Australian tour at the massive Etihad Stadium in Melbourne.

Vedder and co will be joined by Ben Harper and the Relentless 7 who played Blues and Roots earlier on in the year and Liam Finn, someone we've been wanting to cover for a long time now.

The tour is in support of their newest record Backspacer released on September 20th which has recieved generally excellent reviews across the board.

The dates are below and available now from the usual outlets.

Saturday, 14 November
Members Equity Stadium, Perth

Tuesday, 17 November
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

Friday, 20 November
Etihad Stadium, Melbourne

Sunday, 22 November
Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney

Wednesday, 25 November
QSAC Stadium, Brisbane

The Chemists and Howard Marks!?

2009-10-08T23:28:00.002-04:00

The Chemists release their new single "Milk and Honey" on October 26th and have just set the video for the track live. The video sees an appearance from Mr. Nice himself, Howard Marks with the band playing dress up throughout!

www.musicvice.com

Buzzcocks Australian Tour

2009-10-08T22:45:00.003-04:00

If you've not already heard that The Buzzcocks will be playing Australia next month well consider yourself now informed, as they are one of my favourite bands I am extremely happy to announce this news and also that we'll be covering them in Melbourne.

The band will be playing their first two records Another Music in a Different Kitchen and Love Bites which featured the classic tracks Orgasm Addict, Oh Shit, What do I get? And of course Ever Fallen in Love?

Tickets are available now from the usual outlets and get them fast as we reckon they should sell out soon.

www.musicvice.com

Peter Criss announces he had breast cancer

2009-10-07T22:22:00.001-04:00

KISS founding drummer Peter Criss announced on his official website that last year he was diagnosed with breast cancer.

"This is Breast Cancer awareness month... In '08, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, but with (early detection) my great doctor Alex Swistel & staff and the Lord above, who always looks over me, I am cancer free today!!!

I wanted to let you know men get it like women do. Don't be afraid to let someone know if you have a lump. Do the right thing for you and your loved ones and get it checked. Man or woman, there is no discrimination with breast cancer ... we all don't have nine lives."

Evile's Mike Alexander dies on tour

2009-10-07T22:19:00.002-04:00

(Band Statement) Sadly, just a few days into their European tour with Amon Amarth, Evile's Mike Alexander was suddenly taken ill and rushed to hospital, but tragically passed away in Lulea, Sweden on Monday. No cause of death was mentioned in the band's statement but Evile members Matt Drake, Ol Drake and Ben Carter have released the following statement:

This is so hard to find the words to express fully how we feel. We can't believe or accept what's happened. One minute we're talking to our buddy, Mike, the next minute we can never speak to him again.

There's so many things rushing through our heads that we want to say, do and feel. We half expect him to come round the corner and call us 'dickheads'. We can't get our heads around it.

It upsets us so much that he was away from his family when this happened, although knowing Mike, we're at least glad he was on tour doing what he loves. We're lost for words. We all miss him so much already. He was such a headstrong, genuinely nice guy who loved music and his family. We've got so many brilliant memories with him.

Our hearts go out to his daughter, family and friends at this tragic, difficult time.

Mike is much loved and is sorely missed.

Rest in peace, brother.

Big Day Out 2010 - Sydney and Gold Cost Sold Out!

2009-10-07T21:24:00.004-04:00

The Mars Volta will play BDO '10

Well, it looks as though we'll be keeping you all in the loop with Big Day Out 2010 as we've just heard Gold Coast has sold out this morning, we've been told that from oct 22nd there will be a weekly ballot where an extra 500 tickets will be made available to people who sign up to their website.

For our coverage of last years BDO in Perth, click here

BIG DAY OUT 2010

Friday Jan 15th AUCKLAND Mt Smart Stadium
Sunday Jan 17th GOLD COAST Parklands – SOLD OUT!!
Friday Jan 22nd SYDNEY Sydney Showground – SOLD OUT!!
Saturday Jan 23rd SYDNEY Sydney Showground
Tuesday Jan 26th MELBOURNE Flemington Racecourse
Friday Jan 29th ADELAIDE Adelaide Showground
Sunday Jan 31st PERTH Claremont Showground

Muse and Lily Allen confirmed for Big Day Out 2010

2009-10-06T23:16:00.004-04:00

Well, here we have it Big Day out 2010 has given their first announcement as to who will play Australia's biggest and probably best festival. So far the lineup looks like:

Muse
Powderfinger
Lily Allen
Eskimo Joe
Groove Armada
Grinspoon
The Mars Volta
Ladyhawke
Dizzee Rascal
Karnivool
Peaches
The Temper Trap
Kasabian
Midnight Juggernauts
Rise Against
Magic Dirt
Mastodon
Lisa Mitchell
The Horrors
Bluejuice
Calvin Harris
Kisschasy
The Decemberists
Tame Impala
Girl Talk

What a line-up!

Check out the Big Day Out website by clicking here

Foreign Beggars new video

2009-10-06T22:57:00.004-04:00

Foreign Beggars have a new video out and an album out next week - take a look!

Ladysmith Black Mambazo UK Tour

2009-10-06T01:13:00.005-04:00

Nelson Mandela publicly called Ladysmith “South Africa’s cultural ambassadors”, following his release from prison. The group sings a cappella isicathamiya and mbube music – loud, powerful choruses contrast with softer, almost whispering chants where voices blend harmoniously, combined with tightly-choreographed dance moves that keep the singers on their toes.

I must express how extremely gutted I was to have missed Ladysmith Black Mambazo when they were in Australia earlier on this year so don't make the same mistake I did and go and see them on their massive UK tour commencing next week.

OCTOBER

Thu 15 CAMBRIDGE Corn Exchange 01223 357851 · www.cornex.co.uk

Fri 16 BIRMINGHAM Symphony Hall 0121 780 3333 · www.thsh.co.uk

Sat 17 TRURO Hall For Cornwall 01872 262466 · www.hallforcornwall.co.uk

Sun 18 BRISTOL Colston Hall 0117922 3686 · www.colstonhall.org

Mon 19 HIGH WYCOMBE Swan 01494 512000 · www.wycombeswan.co.uk

Wed 21 BASINGSTOKE Anvil 01256 844244 · www.anvilarts.org.uk

Thu 22 OXFORD New Theatre 0870 606 3500 · www.newtheatreoxford.org.uk

Fri 23 LONDON Cadogan Hall 020 7730 4500 · www.cadoganhall.co.uk

Sat 24 LONDON Cadogan Hall 020 7730 4500 · www.cadoganhall.co.uk

Sun 25 NORWICH Theatre Royal 01603 630000 · www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk

Tue 27 SALISBURY City Hall 01722 434434 · www.cityhallsalisbury.co.uk

Thu 29 POOLE Lighthouse 08700 668701 · www.lighthousepoole.co.uk

Fri 30 CHELTENHAM Town Hall 01242 227979 · www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk

Sat 31 NOTTINGHAM Royal Concert Hall 0115 989 5555 · www.royalcentre-nottingham.co.uk

NOVEMBER

Sun 1 CARDIFF Wales Millennium Centre08700 40 2000 · www.wmc.org.uk

Tue 3 LIVERPOOL Philharmonic Hall 0151 709 3789 · www.liverpoolphil.com

Wed 4 MANCHESTER Bridgewater Hall 0161 907 9000 · www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk

Fri 6 HARROGATE International Centre 0845 130 8840 · www.harrogateinternationalcentre.co.uk

Sat 7 SHEFFIELD City Hall 0114 278 9789 · www.sheffieldcityhall.co.uk

Sun 8 GATESHEAD The Sage Gateshead 0191 443 4661 · www.thesagegateshead.org

Tue 10 GLASGOW Royal Concert Hall 0141 353 8000 · www.glasgowconcerthalls.com

Wed 11 ABERDEEN Music Hall 01224 641 122 · www.boxofficeaberdeen.com

Thu 12 INVERNESS Eden Court 01463 234 234 · www.eden-court.co.uk

Fri 13 PERTH Concert Hall 01738 621 031 · www.horsecross.co.uk

Sat 14 EDINBURGH Usher Hall 0131 228 1155 · www.usherhall.co.uk

Mon 16 BUXTON Opera House 0845 127 2190 · www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk

Tue 17 LLANDUDNO Venue Cymru 01492 872 000 · www.venuecymru.co.uk

Wed 18 DUNSTABLE Grove Theatre 01582 602080 · www.grovetheatre.co.uk

Thu 19 TUNBRIDGE WELLS Assembly Hall 01892 530613 · www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk

Fri 20 BRIGHTON Dome 01273 709709 · www.brightondome.org

Sun 22 DARTFORD Orchard 01322 220000 · www.dartford.gov.uk/orchard

Mon 23 CRAWLEY Hawth 01293 553636 · www.hawth.co.uk

Dead to Me release new record art

2009-10-05T23:56:00.003-04:00

Due out on November 10th this year, Dead to Me have released the artwork to their new album entitled African Elephants.

Since the release of their first record Cuban Ballerina and last years fantastic EP Little Brother 2nd singer Jack Darymple (formerly of One Man Army) left the group after becoming a first time father which should make it interesting to see how these guys sound now.

You can listen to new song Modern Muse online at www.myspace.com/deadtomesf

Guns n' Roses Sued

2009-10-05T23:02:00.003-04:00

(Reuters) - Two independent record labels sued U.S. rock band Guns N' Roses for $1 million, claiming the group used portions of two songs by a German musician on their last album "Chinese Democracy."

Guns N' Roses and Universal Music Group's Interscope-Geffen A&M label were sued by British label Independiente and the U.S. arm of Domino Recording Company, who own the licensing rights to songs by German electronic musician Ulrich Schnauss.

Singer Axl Rose and Guns N' Roses band members and album producers copied portions of two of Schnauss' songs -- "Wherever You Are" and "A Strangely Isolated Place" -- for a song used on the band's last album called "Riad N' the Bedouins," according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit, filed on Friday but made available on Monday, seeks $1 million in damages. A spokesperson for Interscope-Geffen A&M, owned by Vivendi's (VIV.PA) Universal Music Group, was not available for comment.

Soundwave 2010 Announced!

2009-10-04T23:12:00.006-04:00

They've announced Soundwave 2010 and the lineup looks fantastic with the names of like Faith No More, Janes Addiction and My Chemical Romance amongst others released recently.

get more info here

SOUNDWAVE FESTIVAL 2010

FAITH NO MORE
MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE
JANES ADDICTION
AFI
PARAMORE
HIM
ALEXISONFIRE
TAKING BACK SUNDAY
TRIVIUM
SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE
EAGLES OF DEATH METAL
THE GET UP KIDS
REEL BIG FISH
MESHUGGAH
ALL TIME LOW
A DAY TO REMEMBER
IT DIES TODAY
ESCAPE THE FATE
CLUTCH
ANTI FLAG
ISIS
GALLOWS
A WILHELM SCREAM
THE WEAKERTHANS
EMAROSA
ANVIL
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
COMEBACK KID
THE ALMOST
DANCE GAVIN DANCE
FOUR YEAR STRONG
YOU ME AT SIX
WHITECHAPEL
THE AQUABATS
ROLO TOMASSI
BARONESS
RX BANDITS
MAXIMUM THE HORMONE
THE CREEPSHOW

VENUES AND DATES

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2010
SATURDAY 20 BRISBANE, RNA SHOWGROUNDS
SUNDAY 21 SYDNEY, EASTERN CREEK RACEWAY
FRIDAY 26 MELBOURNE, SHOWGROUNDS
SATURDAY 27 ADELAIDE, BONYTHON PARK
MONDAY 1 PERTH, STEEL BLUE OVAL

Kurt Cobain Reanimated For Guitar Hero 5

2009-08-31T22:11:00.005-04:00

The next installment of the hit video game Guitar Hero® is set for release tomorrow, September 1. Guitar Hero 5 will offer the predictable array of "new features" as it's publisher Activision prepares for a video game showdown with rival series Rock Band. The much hyped The Beatles: Rock Band set for release on September 9.

How can you possibly compete for video game supremacy when your going up against the Fab Four? You can't. I mean, of course its possible that the makes of Guitar Hero can make a game that is technically superior or whatever, but the reality is that both games have a similar format and gaming experience. So when one game brings the music and characters of The Beatles to life then that's really quite the scoop and the toughest of acts to follow. Judging from the screen shots and videos that I've seen of both games, Rock Band: The Beatles seems to be a much more visually stunning and imaginatively crafted project too, as its developers Harmonix Music Systems seem to have gone to town to make the most of their exclusive license.

So, again, the begging question: What does Guitar Hero 5 do to try and score sales in it's showdown with The Beatles: Rock Band It aims low. Below the belt in fact. Guitar Hero 5 will include Kurt Cobain as a playable guest character (among bonus characters will included Matt Bellamy of Muse and Shirley Manson of Garbage). My knee-jerk reaction: this is a shameless cash-in and just bad taste. I'm sure Activision could attempt to come out with some PR spin about the inclusion of Cobain, but take one look at the teaser in-game footage released on YouTube two days ago and tell me that this doesn't look shoddy. It's not exactly the best likeness - I know its "only a video game" but what exactly happened to his mouth? (Check out the video here or embedded below.)

The makers of the new Rock Band game had to 'reanimate the dead' if you'll pardon the pun, by recreating the likenesses of two deceased band members George Harrison and John Lennon. The general consensus (and really the whole marketing strategy) is that The Beatles game will be a fitting tribute to the music of The Beatles with the game set to be another medium for their music and imagery to flower and flourish. Whereas the inclusion of Kurt Cobain in the latest Guitar Hero looks like an act of last-ditch desperation to score as many sales as possible.

For the record, Guitar Hero 5 will feature two Nirvana songs, those being Lithium and predictably Smells Like Teen Spirit.

Shooting Green Day Was A Trip!

2009-07-24T22:07:00.001-04:00

Earlier this month I shot and reviewed Green Day at Copps Coliseum - click here for a link to the article and review. It was a pretty big deal to me. Not only did I get to photograph one of the world's most famous bands, but also some of biggest heroes in music and life.

Green Day are the band that got me started in music. As a troubled 15 year-old stuck in my bedroom on an isolated house on a hill in north Scotland, I found both refuge and rebellion in music for the first time when I bought a copy of Nimrod and cranked the volume up loud on my little portable CD player. That album started off my addiction to music, unlocking a passion inside of me that had lain dormant. We've all got to start somewhere, and even my parent's collection of Beatles records didn't provide that initial draw. At 15 I was looking for something new, something from my generation and time - Green Day provided that.

Green Day lie at the root of my passion for music, being the band that started off my addiction and led me to go on to listen to so many bands past and present, and to see so many bands live. My addiction to music would lead me to combine that with my passion for writing, when I had an epiphany at University while studying journalism and realised that I could combine my passions and become the ultimate hack of the music industry: a music journalist.

Imagine my excitement then when I found out that the last-moment that (after much endeavour) I'd be added to the photo list for this Green Day's show at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton - cue a spontaneous video blog to YouTube as my levels of pre-show excitement hit a giddy high. Ah, that video is somewhat regrettable, but whatever.

Shooting Green Day was an amazing trip! The rules were "first 2 songs, no flash" which is 1 song less than the usual law of the photo pit which is in place at most concerts. I'm pretty pleased with the shots I got - my trusty little old school 50mm Nikkor lens did not let me down. My favourite shot is below, others can be found in the show review. It was an amazing night.

Thanks as always to the band, label and the show promoters for putting me on the list.

Incidentally, here are some snapshots below from a road trip I took in May this year after becoming a resident of Canada. It was a rite of passage and also a time used to try and get some perspective on life after my whole world as I knew it had just recently come crashing down around my feet. I took very few belongings with me, but the soundtrack to my adventure was 21st Century Breakdown.

Virgin Festival 2009 Ontario Announced!

2009-07-15T00:30:00.006-04:00

I am stoked. I just found out the line-up for this year's Virgin Festival in Ontario - (a.k.a. V-Fest Toronto, except it's not in Toronto this year). Nine Inch Nails and The Pixies!!!! YESH!! And Franz Ferdinand too!! And Lights will be back this year too.

Even better, this year the festival will not be on Toronto island, which caused big headaches last year as we all had to wait like refugees to be transported off the island at the end of each night by the ferries that connect the isle to civilization. But instead, V-Fest 2009 in Ontario will be held at some place called Burl's Creek Park, which is probably going to be just as problematic to exit from at the end of the weekend but hey at least its on dry land. Maybe there will even be camping on site like a real festival... oooh...

Oh, I realise that it's been months since I've made a blog post, but that's due to a thing called life, some shit hitting a fan, and also the fact that really there's not been that much worth talking about. Well, aside from a few of the festivals I've covered recently in Toronto. Oh and of course Michael Jackson's death, but honestly I knew how that was going to play out: mass media sympathy to mass joking and disrespectful comments (let sleeping dogs lie already) to mass stupid distasteful cash ins and 'celebrations and tributes'. But yeah, apart from Jacko passing away - R.I.P., show some respect for the dead - there's been nothing much to talk about, especially here in the Greater Toronto Area... until now.

Virgin Festival Ontario is gonna be one hell of a festival. The line-up is incredible; full line-up and info here. The motherfucking Pixies!

2009 Glastonbury Festival Line-Up Announced!

2009-05-25T10:13:00.004-04:00

The complete line-up for Glastonbury 2009 has been announced. A press release regarding this just landed in my e-mail Inbox.

The line-up obviously includes some big names but to me its all looking just a little disappointing. Looking particularly lame is Sunday's order of play for the Pyramid Stage - check it out: Madness, Tom Jones, Status Quo... Tony bloody Christie!!! I thought this must be some kind of joke, I mean it's 2009 not 1989 or 1979 even. So I double-checked on the Glastonbury festival official website, and it's completely genuine. So the Sunday of Glastonbury is being headlined by a bunch of cheesy has-beens.

Generally the 'Other Stage' looks a whole lot more appealing - for example, on Sunday, I'd imagine a lot of people might be more interested in checking out the likes of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Glasvegas and The Prodigy.

There are plenty of really good bands scattered throughout, but overall I think that the festival is missing a few really big names. Not sure precisely who those names should be, but for sure something is screwed up when Status Quo are on the Pyramid Stage for Sunday. In the past bands like Radiohead and REM have graced that stage to give historic performance. This year's line-up just doesn't cut the mustard for me.

Now marvel as I engage my astonishing copy & paste skills...below is the complete line-up for Glastonbury Festival 2009:

THURSDAY JUNE 25

Queen's Head Stage:

Metronomy
Kap Bambino
Ebony Bones
Golden Silvers
Alessi's Ark
Liz Green
The Gentle Good
Charlene Soraia
Stornoway
We Have Band
Maximo Park

FRIDAY JUNE 26

Pyramid Stage:

Neil Young
The Specials
Lily Allen
Fleet Foxes
Special Guests
Regina Spektor
Gabrielle Cilmi
Bjorn Again

Other Stage:

Bloc Party
The Ting Tings
Lady GaGa
Friendly Fires
White Lies
The View
The Maccabees
The Rakes
The Whip
Mr Hudson

John Peel Stage:

Doves
Jamie T
Jack Penate
Little Boots
Metronomy
VV Brown
The Virgins
Fucked Up
Rumble Strips
Dan Black
General Fiasco

Jazz/World Stage:

Q Tip
The Streets
Steel Pulse
Lamb
Hot 8 Brass Band
Stephanie Mckay
Speed Caravan
The Perceptions
Rolf Harris
Warsaw Village Band

Acoustic Stage:

Ray Davies
Fairport Convention
Jason Mraz
Scott Matthews
No Crows
Hugh Cornwall
Ben Taylor
Sean Taylor
Alyssa Bonagura
John Smith

The Park Stage

Animal Collective
The Horrors
Noah And The Whale
Special Guests
Emiliana Torrini
Special Guests
James Hunter
Golden Silvers
Bishi
Lay Low

Queen's Head Stage:

Jason Mraz
The Big Pink
The Rakes
Rumble Strips
The Virgins
Dan Le Sac Vs Scoobius Pip
Tommy Sparks
The Low Anthem
Team Waterpolo
Hope And Social
Dead Like Harry
Yr Ods
City Stereo
The Mojo Fins
Maura Kincaid
The Slips
Sub Universe
Smash n' Grab

East Dance

David Guetta
Layo and Bushwacka!
Easy Star Allstars
Iration Steppas ft Mark Iration
Dreadzone
Tom Middleton
The Egg
Paul Woolford
Pama International

West Dance

Erol Alkan
Crookers
The Whip
Annie Mac
Skream And Benga
Whomadewho
Joe Goddard (Hot Chip)
DeepGroove
Nathan Detroit

Avalon Stage:

The Blockheads
British Sea Power
Michael McGoldrick, Iain Fletcher and Andy Dinan
The Puppini Sisters
3 Daft Monkeys
Baskery
The Mandibles

The Glade:

Tom Real
Beardyman with The Bays
James Monro
Banco de Gaia
Pathaan
Outmode
Mum Suleiman
Clive Craske

SATURDAY JUNE 27

Pyramid Stage:

Bruce Springsteen
Kasabian
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Dizzee Rascal
Spinal Tap
Eagles Of Death Metal
Tinariwen
VV Brown

Other Stage:

Franz Ferdinand
Pendulum
Maximo Park
Paolo Nutini
Peter Doherty
The Script
Jason Mraz
Metric
Peter, Bjorn and John
Broken Family Band

John Peel Stage:

Jarvis Cocker
White Lies
White Lies
Florence And The Machine
Passion Pit
Gaslight Anthem
Hockey
The Temper Trap
Esser
The Big Pink
Baddies
The Nightingales

Jazz/World Stage:

Playing For Change
Baaba Maal
Lonnie Liston Smith
Jamie Cullum
Rokia Traore
Erik Truffaz

Acoustic Stage:

Kilfenorca Ceili Band
Tindersticks
Newton Faulkner
Lisa Hannigan
Gary Louris and Mark Olson
Lunasa
Bap Kennedy
Hope And Social
Stornoway
Cora Smyth Band

The Park Stage:

Bon Iver
M Ward
Special Guests
Shlomo and Guests
Horace Andy
Easy Star Allstars
The Memory Band
Bombay Bicycle Club
The Low Anthem
First Aid Kit

Queen's Head Stage:

Guilty Pleasures
Dan Black
The King Blues
The Shortwave Set
Special Guest
The Wombats
Official Secrets Act
Noah And The Whale
Emmy The Great
Broken Records
Special Guest
Peggy Sue and the Pirates
Marina and the Diamonds
Theoretical Girl
Blue Roses
The Glitterati

East Dance:

2ManyDJs
Deadmau5
Pete Tong
La Roux
Wiley
Tinchy Stryder
Eric Prydz
Heartbreak
We Have Band

West Dance:

Josh Wink
Yoda
DJ Food
Qemists
Timo Maas
Japanese Popstars
Hudson Mohawke
NAPT
Emperors Machine
Jam The Channel

Avalon Stage:

The Wonder Stuff
Edward II
Eliza Carthy
Badly Drawn Boy
Solas
The King Blues
The Lancashire Hotpots
Wheeler Street
The Martin Harley Band

The Glade:

Stereo MCs
Stanton Warriors
DJ Fresh
Dub Pistols
Don Letts
Dr Meaker
Tayo
Rusko
Sancho Panza
Nairobi
Jinx

SUNDAY JUNE 28

Pyramid Stage:

Blur
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds
Madness
Tom Jones
Amadou Et Mariam
Tony Christie
Status Quo
Easy Star AllStars

Other Stage:

Prodigy
Glasvegas
Bon Iver
Bat For Lashes
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Enter Shikari
Brand New
Art Brut
Boxer Rebellion
In Case Of Fire

John Peet Stage:

Echo And The Bunnymen
The Wombats
Noisettes
Ladyhawke
The Soft Pack
Just Jack
Emmy The Great
Twisted Wheel
We Have Band
Wave Machines
Good Books

Jazz/World Stage:

Black Eyed Peas
Manu Dibango
Roots Manuva
Khaled
Orquesta Aragon
Linda Lewis
Abdullah Chhadeh And Syriana

Acoustic Stage:

Georgie Fame
Roger McGuinn
Sharon Corr
London Community Gospel Choir
Beth Rowley
Imelda May
Penguin Café Orchestra
Kate Walsh
Martin Harley Band
Lucy Wainwright Roche

The Park Stage:

Seun Kuti and Fela's Egypt 80
Cold War Kids
Tunng and Tinariwen
Alela Diane
Terry Reid
The Rockingbirds
Alberta Cross
Chief
Micachu and the Shapes
Bristol Community Choir

Queen's Head Stage
Robyn Hitchcock
The Aliens
Magic Numbers
Bombay Bicycle Club
Joe Gideon And The Shark
Vagabond
Joe Lean And The Jing Jang Jong
Fight Like Apes
The Capitol Years
Soft Toy Emergency
Priscilla Ahn
Jersey Budd
Two Door Cinema Club
Major Major

East Dance:

Calvin Harris
Mr Scruff
VV Brown
Rob Da Bank
Frankmusik
Wonky Pop DJs
Kissy Sellout
Wonky Pop DJs
Ou Est
Chris Coco

West Dance:

Peaches
Jodie Harsh
Beat Torrent
Freq Nasty
Dirty Vegas
Quiver
Filthy Dukes
Don Diablo
Goldfish
Stuart Wilkinson
Transformer

Avalon Stage:

Peatbog Fairies
Seth Lakeman
Dodgy
Will Young
Teddy Thompson
The Mummers
The Destroyers
6 Day Riot
Stornoway

The Glade:

Gong Sunday
Steve Hillage Band
Eatstatic
Richard 'Kid' Strange and the Party
Second Class Citizen
Back to the Planet
3 Daft Monkeys
Hybrid Cinematic Set
Breakfast with Howard Marks

24 Hours Till 21st Century Breakdown

2009-05-14T06:06:00.001-04:00

This Friday, Green Day launch their eigth studio album, 21 Century Breakdown. It is an album that is set to catipult the band to the top of the charts everywhere. I'm sure you're well aware of all the hype leading up to the album launch. It is a release that once again will establish the Green Day as the biggest and most important band on the planet.

Make no mistake my friends; Green Day are the band of this decade. The album title could not be more apt. Green Day owned 2005. The American Idiot tour was collosal and the band's biggest to date. It felt like more than just a tour. It felt like a movement.

Now in 2009, as we near the end of the first decade of the 21 Century, Green Day are back with a follow-up album which will build on where the band left off. This is the music that will become the soundtrack of the decade.

Only 24 hours to go!

Brian, Music Vice editor

Rise Against UK Tour Dates

2009-05-12T16:30:00.000-04:00

Ah, the summer is coming and tour and festival announcements are coming thick and fast! I'm already getting stoked about a lot of shows and festivals that I plan to attend... I'm already more excited than a kid waiting for Christmas. Truly, it's gonna be an awesome summer for live music. What I'm looking forward to most of all is the Green Day tour, of which at the very least I will be attending at the Hamilton show.

Aside from Green Day, one of the other big tours coming this summer is the knock-out combo of Rise Against and Rancid, who will be playing shows across USA and Canada from June to July.

Rise Against then go onwards to Europe in August, where highlights include slots at both Reading and Leeds festivals.

As if that wasn't enough, Rise Against have now announced five UK dates for November. These shows will feature support from Thursday and Poison The Well - okay, so its not exactly as good as the North America dates with Rancid. At least it gives Rise Against fans in the UK another chance of catching the band live, especially as both Reading and Leeds Festivals have already sold-out.

Below are the dates to mark on your calendar. Get practising the words to Audience Of One!

Rise Against UK Tour Dates 2009:

November
17 Glasgow, Barrowlands
18 Newcastle, Academy
19 Manchester, Apollo
21 London, Brixton Academy
22 Cardiff, University

Rise Against & Rancid, North America Tour 2009:
June 4th Vancouver, BC Pacific Coliseum
June 6th Edmonton, AB Rexall Place
June 7th Calgary, AB Calgary Corral
June 8th Saskatoon, SK Prarieland
June 11th Denver, CO Red Rocks Ampitheatre
June 12th Kansas City, MO Beaumont Club
June 13th St. Louis, MO Pops (Outdoors)
June 15th Cleveland, OH Time Warner Cable Amp
June 17th Montreal, QC Parc Jean Drapeau
June 18th Quebec City, QC Agora
June 19th Ottawa, ON Civic Centre
June 22nd Cincinnati, OH PNC Pavilion
June 24th Detroit, MI Fillmore
June 26th Minneapolis, MN Myth
July 6th Seattle, WA WaMu Theatre
July 8th Reno, NV Reno Events Center
July 10th San Diego, CA Cricket Wireless Amp
July 11th Los Angeles, CA The Forum
July 13th Las Vegas, NV The Joint
July 14th Phoenix, AZ Mesa Arts Center
July 16th Dallas, TX Palladium Ballroom
July 17th Austin, TX Stubb’s
July 18th Houston, TX Verizon Wireless
July 20th Orlando, FL House of Blues
July 21st Orlando, FL House of Blues
July 23rd Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues
July 24th Baltimore, MD Ram’s Head
July 25th Philadelphia, PA Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing
July 28th Boston, MA House of Blues
July 29th Boston, MA House of Blues
July 30th Buffalo, NY Agri Center
July 31st Toronto, ON Molson Ampitheatre

The Amazing Susan Boyle

2009-04-20T07:42:00.001-04:00

By now are probably aware of a lady called Susan Boyle. Her performance on the TV show 'Britain's Got Talent' - the same show that launched tenor Paul Pott's to global fame - has captured the hearts of millions of people across the world.

Susan Boyle is such an average lady - at least on first glance. She is 47 years old, unemployed, and lives in a village in Scotland. She's also never been kissed. It was not surprising that Simon Cowell gazed at her mockingly on first sight. The audience also seemed primed to split their sides laughing, at what on appearance looked like another wannabe-singer ready to get rejected by the judges and suffer the himulation of being embarassed on TV in front of millions.

But then Boyle sang. And, my how she sang!! If you have not seen this video yet then you need to. Susan Boyle has one of the most amazingly beautiful voices you will ever hear.

Click to watch Susan Boyle on YouTube

Susan Boyle is a rare gem, and such refreshing find for a music industry that is dominated by airbrushed popstars and rockstars. On top of that, she has now become the champion of all underdogs. Boyle is an inspiration to any one out there who may have been trambled in life - she has never let go of her dreams, and in the end she has done achieved the seemingly impossible, the incredible.

Metallica Inducted Into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame

2009-04-06T18:58:00.004-04:00

Today Metallica were entered into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, in Cleveland, Ohio.

Flea of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers described Metallica as “fucking rad” before inviting the band onto the stage. The other 2009 inductees were Jeff Beck, Little Anthony & the Imperials, Bobby Womack and Run-D.M.C.

I've got to admit that I'd never heard of Little Anthony & the Imperials before now, or at least they've escaped my memory. A quick search on Google helped me discover who they were... I guess chances are I've heard a song or two by them at some point in an old movie or something.

Clearly there is a large variety in style and sound of the artists that are inducted into the Hall Of Fame. I was curious as to who may be missing from the hallowed museum's walls. A quick look into the inductee archives revealed a few glaring omissions of artists who are surely worthy for a place in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Nirvana, Iron Maiden, Green Day and Flea's band the Chili's are just a few of rock's elite who have yet to be inducted.

Dangerfields' Andrew's Husky Sled Challenge

2009-03-20T11:39:00.006-04:00

Two blogs about fundraising musicians in one day? Well I find this stuff more worthy of mentioning than most the other stories that pass as being newsworthy in the music world right now. Do I care that The Edge from U2 is angering neighbours in Los Angeles who are disputing his plans to build multiple homes on a prime piece of real estate? Zzz, seriously...

This morning I posted a blog about the Deftones quest to raise money for their coma-induced bassist Chi Cheng. Across the globe, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, local music man Andrew 'Griswold' Johnston is about to embark on a Husky Sled Challenge in the Arctic in aid of the UK charity Mencap.

Andrew is music writer, and the drummer and founder of the Dangerfields - a band I know well, and who I met while filming My Tour in 2007. (Andrew is the guy on the left in this Dangerfields video interview.)

This Saturday, March 21, at The Bunker at Lavery's pub in Belfast, Andrew is holding a fundraising gig, a day before he sets off on his Arctic challenge. Entry is only £4, so if your live in Belfast you should check it out. As I write this Andrew still has over £1000 to raise in order to reach a target of £4500.

You can also support Andrew's expedition for Mencap by sponsoring him online. Visit his page here on JustGiving.com to find more about the challenge.

Isn't it nice to be reminded that there are some musicians out there that are actually doing some good for others? Best of luck to Andrew and his expedition teammates in the Arctic.

Deftones launch a fund for their comatose bassist Chi

2009-03-20T08:47:00.003-04:00

Deftones bassist Chi Cheng has been in a coma since November last year, after being involved in a car accident. The band have now launched a fund raising website, OneLoveForChi.com, with an aim of raising $20,000 to help cover medical costs.

This website was created to help raise funds for Chi and his medical expenses. Any amount that you can donate is very much appreciated by the Cheng family! All funds raised are sent directly to Chi's mother, Jeanne Cheng, via PayPal.com. - Deftones

There website states that other fund raising events are in the pipeline.

The Deftones have not played a gig since Chi's accident, but are scheduled to play at the Bamboozle - Left festival in Irvine, CA, this April.

Polar Bear Club Announce UK Dates

2009-03-13T10:31:00.003-04:00

Polar Bear Club are heading to Britain for a couple of weeks worth of gigs, from May 23. I like these guys and recommend you check them out. I first saw them live back in December at The Mod Club in Toronto - click here for that gig review.

The tour dates look pretty familiar - the usual deal of a band playing a lot of gigs across England, then just one token night in Scotland. Incidentally, that's the reason why gigs in Glasgow are usually always so damn good, because international touring bands rarely travel any farther north than the two big cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. This means that so long as the band are at least half-decent then the show will sell-out, and a frenetic atmosphere is almost guaranteed.

As I write this, Polar Bear Club have yet to post these UK dates on their MySpace, but here they are;

May 23 - Kingston, Peel
May 24 - Leeds, Slam Dunk Festival
May 25 - Bristol, Croft
May 26 - Brighton, Freebutt
May 27 - Birmingham, Academy
May 28 - London, Underworld
May 27 - Nottingham, 7
May 30 - Exeter, Phoenix
June 1 - Glasgow, Cathouse
June 2 - Newcastle, Academy
June 3 - Manchester, Musicbox
June 4 - Norwich, Marquee

Look up your local venue or use the power of Google to find out about tickets for these dates.

Brian, Editor, MusicVice.com

Michael Jackson's London Farewell Concerts

2009-03-06T11:03:00.003-05:00

Heard the news? Michael Jackson announced details yesterday of ten London gigs. The ten shows, with the tag-line, 'Is This It?', will be played at London's O2 Arena.

The first concert will be on July 8, with tickets going on sale for £50-£75. Those tickets will be like gold, and will likely have a re-sale value for over 10 times that price. That's one news story I'm definitely expecting to hear about in July; there will probably be some touts re-selling tickets for over £1000.

Chances are that you either regard the man as a being freak-show Wacko or, alternatively, the legendary King Of Pop - I think it's probably safe to call him both. In any case it is certain that this will be one of the most publicised and talked about events of the year.

Just don't expect those shows to go smoothly... I wouldn't be surprised if the whole thing get's cancelled after a couple of nights.

For anyone interested, the official ticket pre-sale site is available here.

Faith No More Announce European Reunion Tour

2009-02-25T09:12:00.001-05:00

Faith No More are once more again.

A European comeback tour seems to be on the cards for this summer, but details are still very sketchy. There have been rumours circulating for a few months now, speculating about a possible comeback from the alt-metal 80's superstars.

As yet, there are still no dates announced, but singer Mike Patton and keyboardist Roddy Bottum have both confirmed via their representatives that a European tour will be happening.

Apparently the band have no plans as yet to do any reunuion touring back home in their native North America. It's a good thing then that airline flights are cheap again, (or cheaper anyway), because I've already had thoughts of flying back to Europe to catch a festival or two this year. It'd definitely be an extra temptation to check out a fest if Faith No More were on the bill.

Recently Mike Patton has been busy with Fantomas; a band made-up of members of The Melvins and Slayer. Fantomas are currently out on the road, and they starred at Big Day Out 2009, in Perth Australia - (click here for our review on that.)

Brian, Editor, MusicVice.com

Green Day New Album Details: Name, Artwork, Release Date...

2009-02-10T10:43:00.005-05:00

On Sunday just passed during the Grammy's Green Day announced details of their new album 21st Century Breakdown.

The album is set for release in May 2009, and is available to pre-order via Green Day's official website.

21st Century Breakdown seems destined to follow on in a similair stance from 2004's American Idiot. So expect more social, religous and political commentary from the 21st Century version of Green Day.

My guess is as good as anyone's as to what direction the album will actually go in terms of sound. With super-producer Butch Vig overseeing the record, Green Day seem set to once again catipult themselves into the world's attention.

Let the hype begin!!

Brian, Editor, MusicVice.com

The 51st Grammy's - Dull And Obnoxious

2009-02-09T10:36:00.006-05:00

Last night was the 51st Annual Grammy Awards. Snore! Boring!

It really was a chore to endure watching the Grammy's. I honestly couldn't watch it for more than an hour before having to switch off to save for sanity's sakes. For the most part this year's Grammy's Awards were a blend of the boring and obnoxious - business as usual then I guess...

Standing in the obnoxious corner was Kid Rock, who preached his weird ego-tripping gospel as, um, Rock N Roll Jesus. The performance of Amen was truly cringe-worthy - in the background on the giant screen was a video showing some flags of China, Saudi Arabia and other nations which I guess we are to assume are 'hostile' or 'strange' to Americans, before of course the Stars And Stripes took over the screen and Kid Rock moved on to butcher Sweet Home Alabama. He was actually only on stage for four minutes... seemed a lot longer!

Representing all that is boring were Coldplay, who picked up a few awards, including the golden gramophone for Best Rock Album for um, Viva La Loca or whatever. It was hardly a surprise. It was rather nice that the band poked fun of themselves for dressing like Sgt. Pepper wannabes in the presence of the only Beatle in the house, Sir Paul McCartney.

Sitting somewhere uncomfortably between all that is both dull and obnoxious were the Jonas Brothers, who gave a performance on stage with the great Stevie Wonder. This was more like a battle to see which Jonas could squeeze into camera shot the closest to Mr Wonder, as they crowded around him at every opportunity. Pretty damn awkward to watch.

There were a few genuinely outstanding artists at the Grammy's, including the aforementioned Messrs. Wonder and McCartney. Most notable was Led Zep legend Robert Plant with his recent partner-in-rhyme Alison Krauss, who together took home five awards. Also, Radiohead got an award for Best Alternative Album, so their was still some kind of standard of musical taste and justice upheld.

The biggest news to come from the night was the on-stage announcement by Green Day during an award to Plant and Krauss that their new album has a name and a release date.

Brian, Editor, MusicVice.com

Music Vice Newsletter 2009

2009-02-02T11:01:00.001-05:00

For those who didn't get it via email, here is the 2009 Music Vice Newsletter...

Music Vice Newsletter 2009
A message from Music Vice editor Brian Banks

Hey there! 2008 was an awesome year, wasn't it!?

Last year Music Vice re-launched in Canada, after I made my permanent move from the UK to Canada. The coverage in Canada began during the festival season last summer and took on from there.

A Growing Team Of Writers - We're Going Global In 2009!
I started advertising for new contributors in September last year, and the response has been incredible. Already some awesome people have come on board from Canada, the US and the UK. Currently we have writers based in Toronto, Montreal, Detroit, Cleveland area and Philadelphia.

For 2009 the team will grow further to include writers in Australia and the UK. We're going to be covering more shows in more places; expanding coverage both geographically and also in terms of genres of music.

Global coverage from a 100% completely DIY online music zine? Pretty rad stuff, even if I do say so myself!

The concert calendar is still in some kind of state of hibernation, but expect regular coverage of shows to resume as soon as things start warming up a little.

New Stuff Coming For This Year - Disc Reviews
Disc reviews are going to start to be published again on Music Vice in 2009. I used to publish demo reviews back in the early days in Scotland; back when this was a completely one-man operation. The disc reviews stopped in 2006, but for this year we will be reviewing demos and albums once again. There'll probably be a few DVD reviews too from time to time. Basically, we'll be reviewing pretty much anything we get - so long as it spins! So, cough, cough, if you're a record label, publicist or band, you can send us stuff for review to:

Music Vice
P.O. Box 89084
991 King St W.
Hamilton
ON, L8S 4R5
CANADA

My Tour - The Complete Movie Now Online For Free!
In 2007 I went on a journey, video camera in hand, from Hollywood to the Arctic Circle, meeting bands. I have now FINALLY got all three parts of this feature-length documentary online, debuting free exclusively on Music Vice. Part three, the final part, just went live a few days ago.

Watch My Tour

Highlights of 2008
The Editor's Picks

Band of the year:
The Bronx

"Yeah, you better not stand still and tap your foot. This is The motherfucking Bronx, so you better throw yourself into it: head first, feet first, whatever." - Brian Banks

"Lights' name is well chosen, performing music to light up faces and hearts." - Brian Banks

Related links:
Interview: Two-part video interview with LIGHTS
Review: LIGHTS at Wakestock, Toronto
Review: LIGHTS at Sound Academy, Toronto

Follow, Follow...
Keep bang up-to-date with the latest stuff on Music Vice by subscribing to our various feeds and channels:

RSS
Feedburner Feed
Feedburner Feed by E-mail
YouTube
Twitter
Myspace

Link exchange
If you wish to exchange permanent links from your website to ours then just get in touch. I'd really appreciate it if you could include a link to Music Vice from your blog, label site, band site, or whatever. We'll happily return the favour by adding a link to your site.

Thanks For Visiting - Over 30,000 Unique Visitors Per Month!
Back in the summer of last year when Music Vice first re-launched in Canada, the site was barely getting 1000 unique visitors a month after a long spell of the site being dormant. Since then things picked up quickly, with lots of our concert reviews ranking highly on Google, and by November last year we'd reached the 30,000 Unique Visitor mark. I guess the next goal is 50,000 per month. I don't care too much about the numbers, but it's just nice to know that some people are actually visiting our humble little zine. =)

And Thanks To All The Bands, Labels, Publicists, ya-da, ya-da...
Cheers to all those who helped Music Vice writers and photographers gain access and accreditation to shows last year. The access is always greatly appreciated and we wouldn't be able to do the stuff we do without your co-operation. Thanks!

Brian, Editor, MusicVice.com

The final part of My Tour is now online! (finally!!)

2009-01-20T11:08:00.005-05:00

Ah, my first blog of 2009. Today is a big day as the eyes of the world are on America for Barack Obama's inauguration as President and newly crowned Super Hero of the World. Go Obama!

In other news, Music Vice is coming out of hibernation. In the next few days I'll share some of our plans for the year, which will basically be to go to more shows in more places! Right now though, the first update of the year though is that My Tour is now online in full!

It's been a long wait, but the final part of My Tour is now online - check it out here!

My Tour is a rock documentary road-movie that I shot back in 2007. I finished editing and re-editing the video last year, with the first 2 parts being released online in August and September.

Now, after a long wait, the final part is now online. So you can watch the whole of My Tour for free, exclusively via Music Vice. Maybe check it out sometime later after you watch Obama? :)

The editor, MusicVice.com

Quacks Say Headbanging Is Bad For You

2008-12-18T00:01:00.003-05:00

Head's up heavy metal fans - health experts are advising you to listen to some softer music, or alternatively to wear some protection when headbanging.

In an amusing report published yesterday in the British Medical Journal
, two researchers have concluded that headbanging could leave you with a sore neck. Declan Patton and Andrew McIntosh from the School of Risk and Safety Sciences, University of New South Wales in Australia, researched the health issues of headbanging and have had their results published. The following conclusion was made:

To minimise the risk of head and neck injury, head bangers should decrease their range of head and neck motion, head bang to slower tempo songs by replacing heavy metal with adult oriented rock, only head bang to every second beat, or use personal protective equipment.

Adult oriented rock??? Exsqueeze me? Not quite sure what that is... I think they are advising metal heads to stop listening to Slayer and start listening to Shania Twain instead.

The editor, MusicVice.com

The Winter Slowdown

2008-12-15T20:30:00.000-05:00

That deadly duo of Old Man Winter and Santa Claus are once again having their merry way and creating slim-pickings in the concert listings. Ok, sure, there are Christmas-themed concerts happening in cities everywhere, but in general the regular gig calendar takes a backseat as everyone kicks, (or gets kicked), into a Christmas mood - wether they like it or not.

There really aren't that many shows happening anywhere in December and January. This is why every music magazine you see on the shelves at your local newsagent is now doing their annual 'Christmas Special' or 'Best Of 2008' edition.

Right now there's nothing much happening in the world of 'music news' either, aside from a few show cancellations - the latest notable cancellation being Machine Head pulling out of their final two dates in Europe with Slipknot after their guitarist Phil Demmel collapsed on stage near the end of a show in Sheffield, England. Oh, and in other 'news', Metallica will feature in a special edition Guitar Hero game next year...big deal! Another band jumps onto the video game gravy train? Nobody is surprised.

Of course, bands deserve their time off to go eat turkey and drink mass amounts of alcohol and egg nog. Ergo, expect to see a few new less show reviews on Music Vice for a while due to all the semi-hibernation and drunken inebriation that the winter season brings to the gig calendar.

Oh, the other problen with shows in winter is getting coughed and sneezed on by that guy in the pit with a cold. I myself am currently laying low with blocked sinuses and a generally BLAAAAH feeling as once again I've been KO'd by the North American version of the common cold. I'd hoped to see Laura Barrett and company play a show tonight in Hamilton but I self-assesed myself as being in too much of a cold & cough med induced stupor to attend. I really didn't want to be 'that guy' coughing and spluttering on people either. Though this Thursday, the 18th, is the Undergroud Operations bash in Toronto at the Sound Academy with Protest The Hero, LIGHTS, et al and I'm not gonna miss that one for anything. For the next few days I'll continue to nuke my virus with Vitamin C, and hopefully I'll win the war, but if not then apologies in advance to anyone I may share airspace with at that show.

Good luck to anyone braving the cold to make it to shows this winter, and thanks to all those bands playing shows in the upcoming weeks and offering us something a bit more interesting to listen to than all the usual Christmas music that's polluting shopping centres and radiowaves. (The royalty holders to I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus must be rolling in it!)

The editor, MusicVice.com

Staind Cancel Toronto Sound Academy Show

2008-12-08T13:50:00.002-05:00

Staind have cancelled tonight's show in Toronto at Sound Academy. This was announced 2 hours ago via the bands official website.

"Staind has been forced to cancel Monday’s concert at the Sound Academy in Toronto, as Aaron Lewis has been diagnosed with bronchitis and is under doctor's orders to rest his voice.

Staind sincerely regrets this unavoidable cancellation and apologizes for any disappointment caused.

All tickets will be refunded from point of purchase." - Message on Staind.com

This is not the first time that Staind have cancelled a show in Toronto - back in 2003 they cancelled a gig in the city due to health concerns following the SARS outbreak.

The editor, MusicVice.com

Joe Satriana Sues Coldplay For Plagiarism

2008-12-05T17:45:00.005-05:00

Huzzah! More Coldplay related news to brighten up your day!!

I was grinning a few weeks ago when I woke up hear about the rumous that Coldplay could retire in 2009. And I'm smirking today as I check in on the BBC to find a story reporting that Joe Satriani is suing Coldplay for plagiarism.

Satriani is claiming that Coldplay's 2008 single Viva La Vida is a rip-off of his instrumental If I Could Fly.

Satriani, 52, wants a jury trial and is seeking damages and "any and all profits" for the alleged plagiarism. - BBC

You can judge for yourself about the similarities between the two songs by checking out this YouTube video. Interestingly, this video was posted way back in June of this year. As of now it already has over a million hits, with thousands of people commenting on it.

These accusations of plagiarism have sparked a ton of new mashup videos on YouTube - just type the words "Coldplay mashup" on YouTube search if you truly have nothing better to do than watch and listen to Coldplay.

The editor, MusicVice.com

The Balance Between Life And Rock N Roll

2008-11-29T12:20:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I posted a new video up on Music Vice - an interview with The Dangerfields that I shot waaaay back in August of last year.

I had hoped that people would first get the chance to see this video in full context, as part of the final part of My Tour. Part's 1 & 2 were hosted via Google Video, due to the size and length of the videos. Part 3, the final part, needs to be hosted in the same way, but unfortunately the 'Google Video Uploader' program is bloody problematic and most the time doesn't even allow me to login, or else stalls half-way during an attempted upload. The final part of My Tour will be up online just as soon as that program starts playing nice, but in the mean time I decided to put up this interview with The Dangerfields.

"Rock 'n' Roll is serious and important, and in the other hand it's absolutely meaningless." - Andrew Griswold

Consider this interview as a 'teaser' to the final part of My Tour, because really you need to know what happened in the 24 hours before this interview to fully grasp Griswold's eloquent words about the balance of rock 'n' roll and life.

Oh yeah, this video is in widescreen, to fit the new video player that YouTube introduced this week.

The editor, MusicVice.com

Garbage And Radiohead On Charity CD

2008-11-27T13:07:00.005-05:00

A new, previously unreleased, Garbage track titled Witness to Your Love features on the new charity compilation Give Listen Help. The two-disc release also contains remixes, covers and previously unreleased tracks from 25 other bands. The bands that jump-off the liner notes for me are Radiohead, Of Montreal, Silversun Pickups and The Dears.

Give Listen Help is being sold exclusively in the US through Urban Outfitters.

A large percentage of the proceeds ($13.88 of every $14.99!) from the sale of each disc will be donated to the PABLOVE Foundation, a group formed by Jeff Castelaz, LA-based cofounder of Dangerbird Records, to help the Children's Hosital of Los Angeles (where Jeff's son is undergoing treatment for a rare form of cancer).

If your looking to buy a CD for someone for Chrimbo then I'd recommend this over Chinese Democracy without hesitation. At least the money is going to a decent cause too, instead of lining Axl Rose's pockets.

The editor, MusicVice.com

Full Preview Of Chinese Democracy on MySpace

2008-11-20T00:40:00.005-05:00

Just logged on MySpace and checked out the Guns n' Roses page where right now you can now listen to THAT album in full.

First impressions? Well at the moment I'm listening to track #7, Scraped, and uh, frankly it sounds a bit of a mess... too much stuff going on. Haven't heard any of the other tracks yet either but I'm going to listen to some more now...

Chinese Democracy just went live half an hour ago, so hey check it out and judge for yourself!

Listen at: Guns N' Roses MySpace

The editor, MusicVice.com

We Now Have RSS, Opposable Thumbs and Death Grip

2008-11-19T18:26:00.001-05:00

RSS? What's that? No, it's not a deadly disease, it's uh... some really cool internet 'Really Simple Syndication' thingy.

Chances are that you're probably internet-savvy and know your RSS's from your RSI's. If you need to know more then go check out the entry on Wikipedia.

Basically by subscribing to our RSS feed you can keep up-to-date with the latest content on Music Vice. The Music Vice RSS feed can be viewed at: http://musicvice.com/rss

You can also subscribe to the feed via many options including email, by using Feedburner: Subscribe

Fun stuff huh? But wait, that's not all... this blog also has RSS. Just click the link that you should see somewhere on the right-hand side of this text.

The editor, MusicVice.com

Coldplay To Retired In 2009...?

2008-11-19T11:52:00.006-05:00

There are lots of rumours buzzing around this morning among the rags and music press that Coldplay may retire next year.

Ah, we can only hope. Unfortunately the source of all these rumours is a Daily Express interview with Chris Martin.

The Daily Express is possibly the worst use of ink I have ever come across. It's some kind of tragic irony that this newspaper now carries the self-professing tag-line of "The Greatest Newspaper In The World." My own personal observation of the Express is that they have 3 main headlines in permanent rotation: attacks on the Labour party, migrant workers in the UK 'stealing' jobs and of course stories about the Royal Family, with regular headline articles still being published about Princess Diana long since her death.

So, yeah, I wouldn't exactly call the Daily Express a reliable source but this quote still put a smile on my face this morning as I ate my breakkie.

"I'm 31 now and I don't think that bands should keep going past 33. So, we're trying to pack in as much as possible. Up until the end of next year, we'll just go for it in every sense." -- Chris Martin speaking to The Daily Express.

Musicians should stop playing in bands at the age of 33? I wonder what formula Chris Martin used to calculate that. It's probably buried in the lyrics of a Coldplay song...

Anyway, this idle gossip seemed fitting enough for me to regurgitate on this blog, simply because I really can't wait for Coldplay to drop out of the music scene, along with their boring, boring, borrrrrrr-iiiiiiiing shoe-gazer 'rock' music. I respect Chris Martin and his band for all their activism work, but honestly they are the Geography-teachers of rock and roll.

The editor, MusicVice.com

Nine Inch Nails Announce New Drummer

2008-11-17T12:55:00.004-05:00

Fronman Trent Reznor has revealed that NIN will have a new drummer for 2009, with thumper Ilan Rubin of Welsh band Lostprophets stepping up to the stool.

"With great pride and excitement I announce the addition of Ilan Rubin to the lineup beginning next year. I had the chance to see Ilan playing his ass off at Reading and Leeds a couple summers ago and he blew me away. We recently invited him out to rehearse with us and he blew US away - the perfect guy to pick up the sticks after Josh leaves us at the end of the year." -- Trent Reznor, NIN.com

In other NIN-related news, check out the review by Liz of their 'infuckingredible' show last Wednesday, November 12, in Montreal. The review also includes a note of the set-list for that night.

Fan of The Cure? Listen to this

2008-11-11T18:00:00.000-05:00

Got a bit of a treat to share with any fans of The Cure. Releasing next year, Just Like Heaven: A Tribute To The Cure is exactly what it says it is. An album full of covers by bands who regard The Cure highly.

The album is due for release on January 27, 2009. In the meantime why not check out some of these full-length tracks that we've been given permission to share with you. I like the one by Grand Duchy a lot - featuring the big man Frank Black, with Violet Clark.

"We chose "A Strange Day" because it's an awesome song, and it's not one of the Hits. It's just obscure enough to have allowed us to come out of left field a bit, and to represent a lesser-known period in the Cure's career for the tribute record. We really had fun reinventing the song and being playful without the self-consciousness one might encounter when messing with the iconic quality of some of the more well-known songs."-- Grand Duchy

I've been listening to the Cure since I was 12. I loved their live version of 'A Night Like This' on the 'Show' record, it's very haunting and it's always been my favorite song." -- Julie Peel

"It wasn't until Kevin Shields played us some of his earliest music that we realized how much of a seminal band the Cure really is. Robert Smith's songwriting is so etheral and yet totally structured. We never would have related the two bands to one another but if you listen through all of My Bloody Valentine's layers the inspiration is clear. Of the long list of bands inspired by MBV, us included, a lot of the credit really needs to go to the Cure." -- Joy Zipper

Enjoy! I'll post more songs later this month. ;)

The editor, MusicVice.com

Human Rights Film Fest in Toronto Next Weekend

2008-11-09T23:22:00.000-05:00

This has nothing to do with music but sometimes there are more important things in life.

Next weekend in Toronto is the Reel Awareness Human Rights Film Festival. It's a film fest organised by Amnesty International, and I've been pleased to have been involved with the planning of it.

If your in Toronto or nearby then I kindly invite you to come along and check out one or two of the movies getting screened during the fest. Admission is "pay what you can", and you'll see some better films than the usual Hollywood crap that you see at your local Cineplex.

The festival is happening from Thursday, November 13 until Sunday, November 16. More info at ReelAwareness.ca I'll be helping out at the festival on at least two of the nights - hope to see ya there!

cheers,
Brian, MusicVice.com editor

New Yeah Yeah Yeahs Album Coming 2009

2008-11-07T17:25:00.000-05:00

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have posted an annoucement about their new album coming in 2009.

There is no beating the bit of news sweeping the nation at the moment but YYYs have a bit of news of our own to share. NEW RECORD? NEW RECORD!! NEW RECORD IS GETTING CLOSER TO BEING DONE DONE DONE!

...WHAT DOES IT SOUND LIKE?? Not much like anything you've heard from us before- DOES IT SOUND LIKE THE YEAH YEAH YEAHS??? YOU BET YOU'RE SWEET ASS IT DOES.
The YYYs

Quote from YeahYeahYeahs.com

I'm excited about this one - I still listen to YYY's on something of a regular basis. I consider them to be one the best groups of the decade. Honestly, there has been a lot of crap bands around so far in the 21st Century, but the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have been one of the minority of bands of this space in time that can truly be considered 'a bit special'.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are also one of the best live bands I've ever seen. That's an extra reason why the annoucement of the new album is such awesome news. A new album means a new tour which means that if you cross your fingers, toes and eyes then the Yeah Yeah Yeahs could be coming to a concert venue or festival near you sometime next year.

Radiohead release remix to celebrate Obama victory

2008-11-05T23:50:00.000-05:00

To celebrate Barack Obama's Presendential Election victory, (and Guy Fawkes night and Jonny's birthday), Thom Yorke has made available a free remix version of Harrowdown Hill.

in celebration of nov 5th
jonnys burthday
amid bonfire and fireworks in the UK
and the dawn of a new era in politics in the USA
i humbly donate a remix of harrowdown hill that was finished ages ago during the band webcasts,
a small reminder of the dark days of Bush's....
x

Go to Radiohead.com to listen to the song. The original version of Harrowdown Hill can be found on Thom Yorke's 2006 solo album The Eraser.

Thanks for the music Thom.

Rock The Vote Today America

2008-11-04T13:18:00.004-05:00

America on this day, November 4, 2008 you have the chance to play your part in history. Get out and vote. Hopefully you choose the right guy so that the rest of the world won't be looking at you for the next four years and wondering how the hell 'that guy' got elected. Two terms of Bush was bad enough - no more mistakes please! It's such a downer guys.

It's gonna be nice to be able to watch the news on TV and finally hear about something else other than American politics. Though I guess it'll probably be a long time until that happens...

F*cked Up - UK Tour this November

2008-11-03T17:55:00.002-05:00

Attention to all good citizens back in Old Blighty: Fucked Up are coming to a town near you.

Here are the tour dates:

07 Nov : 93 Feet East, London
08 Nov : Freebutt, Brighton
09 Nov : Barfly, Birmingham
10 Nov : The Zodiac, Oxford
11 Nov : Cavern, Exeter
12 Nov : Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
13 Nov : Sugarmill, Stoke
14 Nov : Bodega, Nottingham
15 Nov : Kasbah, Coventry
16 Nov : King Tuts, Glasgow
17 Nov : Corporation, Sheffield
18 Nov : Cockpit, Leeds
19 Nov : Roadhouse, Manchester
20 Nov : The GYC, Guildford

Only one show in Scotland but I'll take a guess and say that it'll probably be the best show on the tour. Why? Because every gig I've ever been to in Glasgow kicked ass. Simple as that.

I highly recommend you go see this band. Oh, and don't make the same mistake I did on Thursday last week in Toronto - plan your travel and also overnight accomodation if you need it! I was at Fucked Up's Thursday show at Sneaky Dee's and had to leave before they'd even to taken to the stage so that I could catch the last bus home which left at 12.30 AM. I was gutted to miss the band, but hey sometimes shit happens.

Brian, the editor

The Beatles Announce Rock Band Game

2008-10-30T14:10:00.000-04:00

Ah, I never saw this one coming. Apple Corps, The Beatles' label, have announced today that their music will be featured in a 2009 version of the Rock Band video game.

Published by MTV Games and developed by Harmonix, the world's premier music video game company and creators of the best-selling Rock Band, the game will be an unprecedented, experiential progression through and celebration of the music and artistry of The Beatles. The game was creatively conceived with input from Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, along with Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison, and enjoys their full blessing.

Quote from the October 30 press release by Apple Corps Ltd. -

My first reaction? Total bewilderment. I mean is nothing sacred? I read the following quote from Ringo Starr and this all made a bit more sense...

"The Beatles continue to evolve with the passing of time and how wonderful that The Beatles' legacy will find its natural progression into the 21st century through the computerized world we live in. Let the games commence."

The Beatles are the most important band ever, and they always will be - well, at least until the next ice age. Rock Band, and their rival Guitar Hero, are the latest craze in the toy & gaming industry. Millions of kids and bigger kids are spending hours of their lives inside, as they stand in front of a TV pulling off windmills and duck walks, as they rock out with their overpriced little Fisher Price style plastic guitars.

If these same kids learn and discover the music of the Beatles through playing Rock Band then that's a good thing... or at least a better thing than all the fans that Dragonfarce (sic) made through having that really long song in Guitar Hero III.

Brian, Music Vice editor

Rick from The Casualties chases fan out of venue

2008-10-29T21:20:00.003-04:00

What does Rick from The Casualties do when someone in the audience shouts at his band and calls them "fake punk"? Well, he throws his bass down and chases the kid out of the venue! In all the hundreds of shows I've been to, I've never actually see a band member chase an audience member out the door.

This happened on Saturday, October 25, at Big Giant and the Extravaganza, a one-day festival in Allentown, Pennsylvania. You can read about it here in Alison's review from the show on Music Vice: Big Giant and the Extravaganza show review.

This made my day! Wish I'd seen it myself.

Brian, the editor

Young Rival Guitar Fishing Game

2008-10-29T10:36:00.006-04:00

Young Rival are a band from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada - the very same part of Planet Earth that I now find myself residing in. I've been keeping tabs on these guys, and their name is written on my white board under the scrawled heading of bands that I 'GOTTA REVIEW'.

So yeah, sometime in the future I will be at a Young Rival gig for a Music Vice review but until that day comes you can get an introduction to the band by playing Young Rival Guitar Fishing. Seriously - you have to play this game: CLICK HERE TO GO FISH!

This game is bloody addictive. Much more fun than real fishing - and ya don't have to stand by a river in the pissing rain whilst wearing an army surplus jacket. Float around on a lilly and catch fish with your guitar, avoiding the old boots. Play as one of the band members: Aron, John, Kyle or Noah. I recommend Noah because he has the deadliest red-eye.

Classic!

Full-length preview of Snow Patrol's new album online

2008-10-24T09:10:00.000-04:00

Snow Patrol's new record 'A Hundred Million Suns' is available to listen to in its entirety via the band's official website. You can hear the album right now by registering and logging in to the 'mySP' member area at SnowPatrol.com.

Snow Patrol's last album Eyes Open was one of my favourite records of 2005. I recommend checking out A Hundred Million Suns while the full free preview is online, because band's do not normally keep stuff like this up online for too long.

A Hundred Million Suns is being released worldwide over the next few days. It's in stores today, Friday, October 24, in Ireland, Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Austria & Belgium. On Monday, Ocober 27 it will be available to buy in the UK, and then on Tuesday the 28th it comes out in Canada and USA.

Brian, the editor

Against Me! forced to cancel gig due to bus crash

2008-10-23T08:45:00.002-04:00

Florida punk band Against Me! were involved in a bus crash on Wednesday morning. Thankfully nobody was injured. The news of the crash was broken on AgainstMeForum.com The mother of AM's drummer Warren Oakes gave the facts about the accident.

At about 6am, Wyoming time, while everyone was safely tucked in their bunks, the bus hit a patch of ice just outside Rawlins, Wyoming and slid - ending up facing the reverse direction in the median.

The trailer, containing all the gear and supplies wobbled and bounced out of control - landing sideways in a snowy ditch. The trailer doors had ripped open, so all around the site of their accident the ground was covered with equipment cases, CDs, boxes of T-shirts, etc.

Due to the shake-up they are canceling tonight’s show in Salt Lake City, Utah - and will use this unexpected lay-over to analyze the best way for continuing the tour.

Car (or bus) crashes are nothing to laugh at. I know from my own experiences, especially the time I flipped my car over a deer fence a few years ago back in Scotland. A deer fence is about 10 feet high, so use your imagination to figure how lucky I was to escape from that unharmed. [And also how stupid I was to have been driving into a corner at about 90mph!!] Glad that the band escaped with the only problem of having to pick up all the merch and gear that got thrown from the trailer.

It seems to be the season for rock bands to be involved with crashes. There was the Travis Barker plane crash a few weeks ago. Then a few days ago the entire tour bus of American band Kill Hannah went up in flames while they were on the road somewhere in the Swiss Alps. (You can see photos of the incident on Kill Hannah's Myspace page, but you'll probably want to hit the stop button on their music player.)

Against Me! are currently on a tour accross the US, before they travel to mainland Europe in December for a few shows in France, Switzerland and Spain. I saw the band earlier this year at Virgin festival in Toronto where they were one of the best bands of the weekend, and where I also had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing AM! drummer Warren Oakes.

Brian, the editor

The Sun Brands Katy Perry No1 Idiot

2008-10-22T02:00:00.001-04:00

Katy Perry is in the headlines this morning in the Sun newspaper in the UK. In this Wednesday's issue of Britain's best-selling paper she is branded as an idiot for glamorising the use of knives in order to promote her music.

A snapshot of the story on http://www.thesun.co.uk

POP star Katy Perry poses with a knife — an image which sparked fury last night after another teen was killed by a blade in Broken Britain.

Angry critics said 23-year-old Katy, who sold five million copies of her No1 hit I Kissed A Girl, was “out of her mind” for glamorising knives.

A quote from the Sun's story

Knifecrime is a huge issue in Britain, especially amongst youths and there have been a lot of tragedies where young people have been killed by blades. So this kind of imagery is obviously controversial and seen as bad taste.

I don't like Katy Perry - especially from what I saw of her behind the scenes and on stage at Warped Tour. Katy Perry's acoustic performance at Warped in Toronto was nothing but painful.
However, I think it is unfair to use Katy Perry's image as the headline for a story about knife crime in the UK. Yes, it's a stupid photo and ill-advised, but you can hardly hold the girl responsible for all the knife crime problems in Britain. Those problems have been going on since way before anybody had even heard of Katy Perry.
But hey, tabloid newspapers make sales by sensationalising stories, so I'm not surprised by these headlines.

Brian, the editor

Metallica Announce First European Tour In 13 Years

2008-10-20T12:40:00.000-04:00

It's been a long time since Metallica went on tour in Europe. Since 1996 in fact. Since then the only other appearances have been one-off gig's and appearances at the odd festival. But hey, it's not like anybody was complaining that much, because Metallica weren't exactly churning out any good records during this 13 year period. But hey, now that the band are back on form with Death Magnetic, maybe it'll be worth some of your hard-earned pounds and euros to catch them live.

Metallica 2009 European Tour Dates

Feb 25 Nottingham, England

Feb 26 Manchester, England

Feb 28 Sheffield, England

March 2 London, England

March 3 Newcastle, England

March 5 Antwerp, Belgium

March 7 Stockholm, Sweden

March 8 Stockholm, Sweden

March 25 Birmingham, England

March 26 Glasgow, Scotland

March 28 London, England

April 1 Paris, France

April 2 Paris, France

May 14 Vienna, Austria

June 14 Helsinki, Finland

June 15 Helsinki, Finland

June 17 Oslo, Norway

June 22 Milan, Italy

June 24 Rome, Italy

July 13 Madrid, Spain

July 20 Copenhagen, Denmark

July 22 Copenhagen, Denmark

July 23 Copenhagen, Denmark

Funny Protest The Hero video on YouTube

2008-10-16T19:34:00.000-04:00

Protest are bloody hilarious...

New Bronx track online while Dave Grohl gets his own street

2008-10-13T18:07:00.000-04:00

First off, happy Thanksgiving Canada! Hope everyone had an awesome holiday weekend and plenty of turkey. Canada has a lot of holidays throughout the year; I struggle to remember them all, but they all involve days off and a lot of gouging. Good times. Not that a Scotsman ever needs an excuse to gouge away...

Now what better way to wash down all that fine food and all those bevvies? How about a new song from the Bronx?! Young Bloods comes from the forthcoming album The Bronx III which is in stores everywhere on November 11.

So this is a guide for anybody in Canada reading this:
1. Crash on the couch
2. Pull out your laptop
3. Get online and point your browser to http://www.myspace.com/thebronx
4. Enjoy the sweet sweet sound of Young Bloods while you stroke that inflated belly

Enjoy!

In other news, Dave Grohl is getting a street named after him in his hometown of Warren, Ohio. A nice little tribute to a local hero.

And a footnote - Nine Inch Nails drummer Josh Freese will be quitting the band at the end of the year, after NIN's current tour is over. This is hardly news though as NIN have a revolving door with band members coming and going, and the only permanent member is Trent Reznor. Freese has been a member of the band for three years.

Guns N’ Roses are finally going to release Chinese Democracy

2008-10-10T14:45:00.001-04:00

Yup, it’s apparently true. On November 23, 2008, Guns N’ Roses will release Chinese Democracy in Best Buy stores across the US. There is no mention on wether Best Buy stores in Canada will also be selling the album. And the rest of the world will have to wait on news on how they can get hold of the album without resorting to illegal downloads or buying copies off eBay. (Yeah expect a lot of sales on eBay as Americans try to make a few extra bucks by selling copies of the CD.)

To say that Chinese Democracy is long-awaited would be an understatement. I personally never thought it would actually get a release, and I still have my doubts. Right now as a I look out of my window I’m expecting a herd of pigs to fly by… The last GN’R studio album was Use Your Illusion, released way back in 1991. So that’s 17 years. During those 17 years the Guns N’ Roses line-up that everybody new and liked has broken up, and now basically all that is left is Axl Rose and a posse of new friends. GN’R aren’t really GN’R without Slash, Izzy Stradlin and Duff McKagan in tow.

Chinese Democracy will no doubt fly off the shelves, at least in the first week, but I have my doubts about how good the record will be. It seems like Axl Rose’s strategy was to lock himself away for a very long time trying to craft Chinese Democracy into a brilliant album, a classic. But I doubt it’ll even come close to touching the real classic GN’R album, Appetite For Destruction.

Brian, the editor

So yeah, Music Vice now has a blog...

2008-10-10T12:00:00.000-04:00

and you are reading it! So here's a blog post to explain a bit more about the purpose of this blog.

Basically the blog adds an extra dimension to go alongside the established sections of the website like the Reviews, Interviews, etc. This blog is an all-in-one solution for adding 'other' content to vice, such as news, rants, raves and random idle chit-chat....