Every song, every word he sings is delivered with unparalleled passion and heartfelt honesty. Shafer gives you everything he has, every moment. He is no stranger to success in the music industry, having repeatedly defeated the odds that this highly competitive industry breeds, because he eats, sleeps and breathes his music. His relentless work ethic and never give up attitude only adds depth to his world-class talent.

This year, Fred Shafer has reached a major milestone as he finished his first full-length solo album, “Resistor”, which will be released October 5, 2010 through Northview Media/ Intensity Entertainment. The album was coproduced with Jamey Perrenot (Taylor Swift, LeAnn Rimes, Paul Brant) and mixed by Rob Burrell (Michael W. Smith). “Resistor” is an eclectic work, which includes songs Shafer wrote last year while on tour, as well as songs co-written with Nashville songwriters including Autumn McEntire. Being a singer/songwriter (an endangered species in the music industry today), Shafer is able to combine his in-demand, timeless songwriting with heartfelt emotion and tireless conviction.

Standout tracks include first single, “Letting You Go”, “Why You’re Gone,” “Hello,” “Into the Ground”, “Mama Said” and “Gone”. They tell the story of trials and tribulations, love and hope, heartache and maturity; feelings most of us are accustomed to in our own lives. In these songs, Shafer is able to give us hope and comfort in knowing we’re not alone and we are not the only ones going through these troubled times in our lives. Having a song that describes what we’re going through or allows us an insight to our feelings, and that escape and understanding is a medicine far better than any drug you can take. Shafer’s passionate sincerity and soulful performance are both comforting and intoxicating. “Letting You Go,” the current single off the album, has gained some incredible success charting six times on commercial radio, quickly gaining on his previous mark with “All On Me”, reaching #1 on two stations across the country. In addition, Shafer’s music has already appeared in FX’s The Shield and the Ultimate Fighting Championship as well as in the full-length film The Station Agent by Miramax. He has even been featured in Vanity Fair, Hit Parader and Billboard magazines.

Shafer continually undertakes a grueling 250 show per year schedule, Coast to Coast and abroad. “I consider it an honor and blessing to be able to play my guitar for a living, helping those who work hard each day relax and have something to escape in,” explains the talented musician. Some of these tours include playing LIVE for the US Armed Forces in battle stricken countries across the world. Shafer just returned from Asia where he performed in China, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and Diego Garcia. There he became the FIRST ARTIST EVER to perform at the US Embassy in China. He says, “One of my biggest memories of this trip was when I played in South Korea. South Korea and North Korea were at a military readiness standstill over the sinking of a USFK ship. It was amazing to be in the area when that happened; like being in the center of a historic moment filled with tension”. When asked why he decides to put himself in these positions he proudly replies, “When I was born with Polycystic Kidney Disease, they removed my left kidney. Though all the men in my family are in, or were in the Armed Forces, my kidney condition prevented me from joining the Armed Forces. So I serve my country and lend a hand the best way I can, by bringing a little piece of home to the troops stationed abroad and some good old fashioned Rock n’ Soul!” Shafer will be returning to Asia in the fallof 2010 with another invitation from the Armed Forces; an invitation he is VERY proud to accept.

Shafer’s current tour will start in July and will take him through the Midwest US making stops in Ohio, New York, Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Nebraska, and Iowa before starting heading to the southern US to hit Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas and more. Check out www.fredshafer.com for the exact dates and times of his performances.

Pick up your copy of “Resistor”(Northview Media/Intensity Entertainment) available now at www.fredshafer.com, iTunes, Napster, Rhapsody and available in stores October 5th. See you at the show!

Today, the beautiful and talented Winans not only sings, but writes her own songs.  ”I keep a musical diary.  If I want to remember something, I’ll write it down.  When it comes to songwriting, the idea comes first and then the melody,” she explains.  According to the performer, feeling the words is just as important as feeling the rhythm.  ”It’s hard to explain [the feeling] of how wonderful it is to hear your own song being played or to hear someone else singing it,” reveals Winans when asked what it is like to be a songwriter.  She goes on to say that it is especially true if you are writing your songs from experience.  In such a way to Winans, it is like unloading your feelings and emotions; getting your thoughts off your chest.  Her song, “About a Boy,” was inspired by a personal experience and when Winans was finished writing it, it made her cry.  No doubt, a very emotional song for the teenager to create, but it has since become one of her all time favorites.  To Winans, country music affects her more than other genres because it is about “real things in life,” making it more emotionally charged.  Seth Maynard, a fellow songwriter, helps Winans with some of her songs. Winans, who describes herself as “super girlie,” says it is a little funny to have a man like Maynard try to understand her thoughts and feelings and put them into words.

Winans, who says she associates most with country music and enjoys it considerably, does not want her music to only reflect that kind of genre.  Instead of being labeled as strictly a country music singer, she wants to be recognized more so as a multi-genre artist.  On Winan’s upcoming CD set to debut in the summer (she says she still has a few more songs to record), there will be a variety of musical styles reflected in her songs.  There will be something for everyone to enjoy, from country to pop.  The song, “No Boys Allowed,” is the only one not written or co-written by Winans on her CD.  However, she felt strongly connected to the song, and believed in it.  Winans decided then to include it.  It’s a song that Winans could relate to and understand; something you would hear anytime and anyday on a playground.  Winans says she thinks about a group of girls playing happily, creating their own private world where no boys are allowed.  The song is also featured in Winan’s debut video.

And we all know that Winans can sing and write, but can she play an instrument?  ”I play the guitar,” states the talented young entertainer.  Even though she can play the guitar, Winans confides that her studio musicians usually are the ones who provide most of the music.  Winans did reveal that she will be playing the guitar in an upcoming song, and that in all of her original songs, it is just her singing.  Seth Maynard, who owns the studio, plays all kinds of instruments, minus the drums.  So, there are times too when Maynard will take over to provide the beat.

So where does Winans see herself five years from now?  It was an easy answer for the singer/songwriter.  ”A single on the Top 10.  That would be huge!”  And in ten years?  ”I want to be a household name.”  With the way this 19-year-old is performing now, that dream will easily become a reality, and possibly a whole lot sooner than in ten years.

It is apparent that Winans enjoys entertaining her fans, so we couldn’t help but ask what has been her best experience to date singing in public.  With a slight giggle, Winans recalls a time she performed in Nashville at a club.  She had just finished her set, exited off the stage and got approached by a very tipsy bar patron.  The man had been calling her name, and motioned for her to join him.  Winans walked over and was greeted by the man who proceeded to compliment her.  ”You’re fantastic!  You really touched me.  Please don’t leave.  I want you to sing me a song.”  Winans admits that she was honored, but a little unnerved.  She did continue to talk to the man and soon found out that he played hockey.  It wasn’t until later on that she realized who this hockey player really was.  Winans says she was watching the Team Canada hockey team defeat the U.S. in the winter Olympics.  The winning goal in the nail biting game was made by her number one fan.

For more information on Lauren Winans, please go to her website:  www.laurenwinans.com

Sean is a hard working American like you and I. He pays his taxes and he never complained about working. He picked up health insurance from his place of employment and expected that coverage to protect him should he really need it. However, when Sean developed congestive heart failure and required a heart transplant, he was denied by his health care provider because of a small clause written that they don’t cover heart transplants. Now, this is not us justifying a social health plan, or showing the fallacies of the health insurance industry, rather what we are saying is there is hope and we’re going to point out how.

Vegas happens to be the birth city of Holes and Hearts, and one day their grandmother heard Sean’s story on the local news. She told her grandsons about this man because his story is very close to the tragedy Riley had at birth. Riley was born with a hole in his heart, which could have been fatal. Luckily, All Children’s Hospital and the doctors there were able to save his life. Now the hard rocking kids of Tampa Bay want to reach out across the United States with a campaign to help save Sean.

Casey and Riley, along with their dad and uncle, decided on a way to help raise money for this cause. Holes and Hearts is offering a download for a donation of $1.00 to benefit Sean’s cause. The idea is simple; we spend $1.00 on a soda, candy bar, newspaper, etc. everyday and never even think twice about it. What if 700,000 people were to donate just $1.00 to his cause. That would give Sean the $700,000.00 he would need to cover this surgery. Once he has enough money he can be placed on the transplant list. Time is of the essence because he doesn’t have long to live without a heart transplant, and the waiting list could be lengthy in itself. Holes and Hearts asks for each of us reading this article, visiting their MySpace or Facebook accounts, and those hearing about this cause to please find it in their heart to donate $1.00. And for your generosity, Holes and Hearts will give you a single song download. In essence, Holes and Hearts is giving up $700,000.00 that could be theirs off their song sales, so you have something great to listen to.

It’s hard to believe that two young boys ages 12 and 13 can have such a generous heart. They didn’t even flinch when they heard about this unfortunate young man, who at 30, is gambling with his life and time is the house. These kids should be considered saints and heroes, but ask them and they will tell you, “We’re not any of those things. We just want to help out, and if we can help with our music then that’s enough payment for us.”

If you know and follow Holes and Hearts one of their first major gigs was playing at the Relay For Life Cancer Walk at Sun Lake High School back in 2008. It was where we first caught a glimpse into the talent they possess. They also played for the American Cancer Society at another event, The Expressionist’s own “Rocktober Fest” and for the Humane Society Of Pinellas. They were the ambassadors of the Fight Against Homelessness, and are pleased to lend their support and name to any worthy cause that needs their help.

For more details please see www.myspace.com/holesandhearts and donate $1.00, or more if you can. Help them help Sean and give this man a chance at life; a gamble he must win and where better to do it than the greatest stage in the world… Las Vegas!

The computer is mostly to blame for this debacle with P2P file sharing and illegal music downloads which really hit the pocket books of these recording companies, forcing them to extend contracts on the talented artists of today unless it’s a for sure thing. In order to screw over the music industry and get something for nothing, the P2P really didn’t hurt the big wigs; they still make money on the distribution. Instead, whom we hurt most were the artists.

By not having lucrative contracts, it forces the artist to be what the industry calls an “indie” artist or independent artist. This indie artist can still produce their music and have CDs and digital downloads except they must fork over the millions it takes to make a successful career. Most bands are not endowed with bottomless pockets; rather they start out as garage bands. These artists, unless they have great knowledge of the music industry, are doomed to either stay at the status quo of the band never to be more than a garage or bar band, or excel in the industry. They are at the mercy of a very corrupt business.

The P2P is not totally to blame for the contracts not being dealt. The record industry itself has played a small part in the problem by not taking a good strong hold over the digital download revolution. Many people today prefer digital downloads to conventional CDs and tapes. The reason is simple; digitally you can store thousands of songs on your computer and carry them all around in this neat little box that is the size of a business card at most. The MP3 player was an answer to the clutter and damaged tapes and CDs that angered many music listeners. The digital downloads are great but they don’t make a lot of money for the record industry fast; at small $0.99 downloads, it would take a long time to reach the amount of money they would get off CDs. Yes, the industry does allow full CD downloads of any album along with singles but many people don’t want all the songs so that choice doesn’t get utilized like the singles do.

Disney, on the other hand, has found a way to stronghold the industry. For instance, lets take the Little Mermaid soundtrack for example. Ashley Tisdale did a remake of the famed song “Kiss The Girl” on the re-release of the classic movie. The soundtrack included that version, along with the original version by Samuel E. Wright. If you go to iTunes to purchase the song, you will see that only Samuel E. Wright’s version is available for singles download. If you want Ashley Tisdale’s version, you must purchase the entire soundtrack for $19.99. If the rest of the record industry did this they wouldn’t lose as much money on the digital download aspect and, in turn, could sign more people to full contracts.

Now, full contracts are nice and all but are they really worth it? When a record company purchases your contract, they own all your songs and can force you to be here or be there on a tour, of which you have no say. They can force you to produce a certain amount of songs or CDs in a short period of time which can actually cause lackluster songs that don’t make sense or don’t have feeling because of the “must get it done” rush. They may also require at least one #1 radio or Billboard chart song in the duration of the contract or they can cancel you keeping the rights to your music. Contracts almost destroyed Hall of Fame artist REM in the past.

The “indie” artist on the other hand has a lot more freedom. If you decide enough is enough, in most cases you own the royalties and full rights to your work. You have the choice to go on any tour you wish, when you want, as long as it’s in your budget. You can take the time to write quality songs and record them passionately, which in turn, could roll out a #1 hit or even a Grammy. The only downside is you need money to do this.

So what should an artist do? How do they stay away from the shysters of the industry and maximize their investment? Simple. Find a reputable manager who can help you all the way through. You want to find someone who keeps close records on radio hits, sales and your budget. Most artists have no idea what the music industry is about, what’s fair and right; therefore, teaming up with a veteran who knows the ropes can save you from getting ripped off, and make your career prosperous.

Being a celebrity musician is the dream of just about anyone in the modern music era, and with MTV and VH1, it’s been glorified and glamourized.  So when a talented artist comes along that can take that childhood dream and turn it into reality with their own unique sound, style and brand, then you have found a star.  For Jenna Zablocki, she has not only found her niche in the music industry, but also gives something extra to the package because she can act too.

Since the young age of five, Jenna has been tinkering on the piano playing her heart out.  She loved to perform and let the music run through her, releasing her soul.  Jenna continued to pursue singing and music for eleven more years.  She studied classical composers and tried her hand at opera and gospel music.  It was her love to perform that gave her the idea to also act, and her first act was at a school production.  Jenna decided to stop music for a while, and pursue the acting career she enjoyed so much.

Jenna’s acting career got started in a strange place.  As the saying goes, sometimes you are where you are for a reason.  Jenna was discovered by a casting director at the JFK airport in Boston, and never looked back.  She would move herself to Los Angeles to make this dream a reality.

Her first major role came when she played April Meadows in The Portal, which airs on the silver screen in 2010.  She has also performed in supporting roles and fill-in’s on Repo Chick as Eggi,  Project Solitude as Sara, and Killer Weekend.  However, she never lost her love for music either, and her home in Los Angeles made it possible to pursue both loves at once.

In 2009 Jenna went into the recording studio to record an album, and it was there that she sang a song which defined her musical style.  It was very different from her childhood training.  The producer said, “Man, that sounded almost country.”  So, from then on Jenna was a country singer and produced her debut CD, Powerful Stuff, set to be released nationwide in January 2010.

Hearing Jenna sing on her new CD you will understand exactly what I am talking about with her unique style.  Her voice is sultry smooth, feminine and powerful with a mix of  slight country feel, but not being overpowering, which can land her music on easy listening, country, and top 40 radio stations.  If you don’t like country, you will still love Jenna and her CD has something for everyone to enjoy.

Jenna intends to set her ambitions high, and succeed in both acting and music, and a role in a musical movie would fit her just fine.  When her career has ended she hopes to someday win a CMA, as well as an Oscar, Grammy and Tony award.  “An award is the ultimate symbol of success.  I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to win one… and it’s the utmost honor because your fans voted for you to win it,” Jenna states.

With the launch of her debut album and her ability to act and sing well, Jenna’s career is only heading up, and success is on the horizon for this young star.  You’re sure to see her name in lights and a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame one day.

You can get Jenna’s CD Powerful Stuff through iTunes and Amazon.com.  Find out more about Jenna, her amazing budding career, and her current projects at www.jennazablocki.com

About a year and a half ago the multi-decked theater was sold out.  The judges sat waiting for their next performer in the initial audition, when out comes a ten-year-old dressed in ballerina garb and a beautiful tiara that sat upon her head, sparkling in the stage lights.  The judges ask her, “What’s your name?” and with a soft English accent she mutters, Hollie Steel.  Little Hollie points off stage to queue the music, and starts to perform a interpretive ballet dance.  The judges sit back with baited breath knowing she will probably sing, mainly because she has a small head mounted microphone on.  Her dance didn’t last long before coming to a complete stop.  She then looks at the audience, cool and collected, and belts out one of the most amazing sounds ever heard.  Simon Cowell’s eyes grow wide in shock over the vocals of this young lady, and with a heart felt passion she sings, “I Could Have Danced All Night.”  That performance won her a trip to the next round, allowing her to compete in the finals last year.  Sadly, she didn’t win the competition, but is proud to say she made it farther than she ever expected.

Talking with Hollie, I discovered she originally was in ballet.  She loves to dance which frees her spirit, allowing her to express herself through her movements.  I don’t know too many young ladies who don’t want to be beautiful ballerinas performing on stage.  I know many also that wish to be singers, performing for their adoring fans.  Hollie, at the age of ten, got that chance for both of her loves which soared her into the hearts of millions.  Singing came later, but it was something she loved to do, so combining the two was like the cherry on the cake for Hollie.

Her appearance on Britain’s Got Talent led her to record her first album, set to be released in 2010; a feat Hollie is quite excited over and hopes the enthusiasm will trickle down into the album for her fans.  The album will contain mostly contemporary-crossover and opera-like compositions.  Granted, Hollie loves pop music and rock, but prefers to sing the music that expresses her young heart the best.

Despite the success, Hollie has a great head on her shoulders and hasn’t let the fame and success get to her.  When she is not singing, she loves playing with her teddies, listening to music, playing with her friends and doing what a typical now eleven-year-old girl would do.  She also loves spending time with her family, who have supported her all the way on this amazing journey.  If you see Hollie around town, or walking down the road she will gladly give you her autograph and thank the people who cherish her music.  That’s how you can tell she hasn’t let stardom affect her, which is also a sign of great parenting.

Hollie has performed on TV,  and has an album coming out this year, but believe it or not she still has one dream she hopes to fulfill in her new career.  Hollie wants to tour the U.S. and sing for her fans here in America.  Hollie’s mom says that she has a tremendous following here in the states, and is touched how the American people have taken Hollie into their hearts.  I have a great feeling that this will come true faster than she expects and she will get to greet those fans here face to face.

If you want to find out more about this amazing young lady, you can visit her official website and sign up for her fan club at www.holliesteel.org.uk and tell her how much her music touches your life.  There is no greater compliment than that for an artist.  Once you see her, you will know why she can capture your heart with her voice and charm and not ever have to meet you in person to do so.

Don’t forget to listen to her podcast where she sits down and talks with The Expressionist Magazine on “Artist One On One.”  The podcast is found on our podcast link, or you can search The Expressionist Magazine on iTunes.

Back in 1953, a man by the name of George Treadwell, creator of Atlantic Records, started a conversation with Clyde McPhatter to start a group.  This group was to be recorded with Atlantic Records, and McPhatter did just that, naming the group The Drifters. Their first hit would come three years later in 1956 called “Money Honey,” which also was their first number one hit.  The five man band became quite popular, and started a trend among other artists such as The Temptations and The Four Tops.

Clyde McPhatter wanted out, and the group would go down to four members and continue that way.  A few years after McPhatter left The Drifters, they started to get in trouble, showing up late for practice and even for some shows. George Treadwell wouldn’t stand for this kind of behavior and fired the whole band.  Infuriated with the band, Treadwell went across the street and hired a five man band called The Five Crowns to replace his Drifters.  That move would turn out to be special because they lifted The Drifters to super stardom.  In fact, in that new group was vocalist Ben E. King, also noted for his solo career following his stint with The Drifters, giving us a hit called “Stand By Me.”  The new line up included Ben E. King, Charlie Thomas, Doc Green, Elsbury Hobbs, and James “Poppa” Clark.

Ben E. King’s Drifter line up is commonly referred to as the “Golden Age” of The Drifters.  They produced great songs such as “Dance With Me,” “This Magic Moment,” “Save The Last Dance For Me,” and so many more.  During this time, this particular line up went into tumultuous situations, because many of the fans knew and adored the first line up giving this one grief.  This new group lasted only two years for a few reasons.  Lover Patterson, the road manager,  had a fallout with Treadwell.  King was under contract with Patterson when he was The Five Crowns, so Patterson refused to let King tour with the band.  King continued to record the songs for one year while another man, Johnny Williams, toured in his place.  To make matters worse, King asked Treadwell for his share of the royalties, which he was denied. King would go on to a very successful singles career.

Despite the fact their lead singer King was gone, Rudy Lewis took over in King’s spot and recorded hits like “On Broadway,” “Some Kind Of Wonderful,” and “Please Stay.”  The band would also find more changes in the future.  Hobbs was drafted and Tommy Evans from the original lineup came back to fill his spot.

Amazingly, the group started to tour in 1953 and still does so today, making them the oldest consecutively touring group in the world that we know about.   Currently, there is a new generation of Drifters.  George Treadwell is no longer with us, but his daughter Faye Treadwell continues the legacy.  She gets new band members from time to time.  Each Drifters member that is chosen must look similar to, and sound similar to the original Drifters to ensure the quality is maintained.  Today, that group has a new CD out titled, The Drifters – Five Decades and Moore.”

This new CD is a tribute to the late band member Johnny Moore.  It contains some of the classic hits from the original Drifters, with a few lost songs from the ’60s decade no one knew existed.  There are also some songs written and performed by the current Drifters line up. This CD can be obtained at Amazon.com, iTunes and their official website.

George Treadwell’s The Drifters would continue to morph members in and out, but they always kept to their roots and sang the songs that brought them to the level they are known for today.   The Drifters were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in a few ways.  One way was as Ben E. King and The Drifters, and secondly as The Original Drifters (this one was a separate group run by original Drifter Bill Pinkney).  The Drifters would go on to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as well.

To find more about The Drifters, see their official websites:

The Drifters:  http://www.thedrifters.co.uk/
The Original Drifters (Bill Pinkney):  http://www.originaldrifters.com

Then, out of Canada, comes another boy band trio.  Before you roll your eyes, I must say they are nothing like the others. They call themselves Destino3.  Sure, they have incredible looks that make the women go nuts, have harmonic vocals that will soothe the savage beast, and unlike the other boy bands of the past, these guys sing something none of the other boy bands even dared to try… classical crossover.  They have everything the other bands don’t, and are set to stand the test of time because they attract the younger generation, but they also appeal to those who love opera, classical, and gospel music.

Their name translated means “destiny,” in both Italian and Spanish.  The name was chosen because they knew they were destined to be singers and perform what they love the most.  Destiny is exactly what they got.  They all had acclaimed solo careers and rich musical training before joining Destino3.  They all had various genre backgrounds such as pop, gospel, opera, and classical, that when combined, would make for a delightfully unique sound.  In turn, that would make them a household name.  The group was joined by Paul Ouellette, the mastermind and founder of Destino3.  He brought in Joey Niceforo and Hans Munoz to complete this dynamic trio.  They originally lost one of their first members, bringing in Munoz in his place.  Munoz brought a new pop style and sound to the band, as well as an amazing song writing ability that Destino3 hopes to utilize in the years to come.

It’s hard to believe they’ve been around since 2006, and started to sell out theaters and opera houses all over their native country of Canada.  The group realized they had a talent that the rest of the world needed to see, and in 2009 started to tour the United States.  Destino3 started a tour throughout the entire southeast, which has been a great success.  They are very honored that the rest of the world is starting see the gifts they bring to the music industry. Their music even brought them their most acclaimed performance to date; it took place in 2008 at the Beijing Summer Olympics.  Ouellette states the band was very honored to be a part of something so special.  It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity which made them feel like they earned a gold medal for their talents.  That performance put their music in front of the nations and set an international stage unlike any other.

In 2009, they released their first major debut CD titled, Forte.  It boasts an exotic name supported by the great variety of tracks contained on the disc.  It contains songs such as ” Adagio” and “Una Furtiva L’Agrima” that have an operatic feel.  Included as well is “Breathe Again,” originally recorded by Grammy Award winning Toni Braxton, thus showing the diversity of the album.  It even has the track “My Baby You,” in both English and French.

The band looks forward to seeing what 2010 has in store; the places they will travel to, the people they will meet.  They look forward to making songs that everyone can love, no matter what your musical style is.  We know that once you hear their soulful, harmonic voices you will be hooked on their “popera” sound and be a fan of Destino3 forever.

To find out more, go to their website www.destino3.com

Hyperplastic Corpus Corrosum  is an underdeveloped brain, specifically the part that connects the two hemispheres together, resulting in a failure to thrive.  Despite the circumstances, Ethan has overcome many obstacles and manages to fight for life.  He is a brave soul that just wants a chance to live a normal life, no matter the dismal prognosis of permanent brain damage.  Each day Ethan wakes up, and fights to keep his food down, as his parents feed him through a feeding tube.  He goes into an oxygen chamber for an hour each day, and once a week private nurses come in and give him blood transfusions.  Ethan also has a special teacher that visits his home once a week and works with him.  Ethan cannot speak or see well, has developed an immune deficiency, suffers from breathing problems, cannot hold his head up for long or even grab objects. It is heartwrenching to even mention the list of problems.  However, despite these challenges, on July 20, 2008 Ethan managed to smile for the very first time, showing the world he is happy and loves life.

For his parents, caring for Ethan is a 24 hour a day job, one they do without complaining or hesitation.  They love their son and will do anything for him, and that’s why they need to give Ethan a possible life saving procedure called Cord Blood Transfusion. They saved his cord blood when he was born, and that very blood could reverse many or all of his problems.  As a child, the blood is most useful at the age he is at, however, each day they wait the chances of recovery dwindle.  Many doctors in the U.S. won’t even do this 15 to 20 minute procedure that could save Ethan’s life, as they say the risks are too high.

Ethan’s mother says that he gets a blood transfusion every week, exposing him to possible disease and rejection.  This procedure is no different except it’s his own blood that has the possibility to heal him. To get this procedure they have to leave the country and go to China for a 15 minute infusion.  The procedure, with travel, costs $30,000.00.  This kind of money they must raise in order to help their son.  What really angers them is that this could be done right here in the United States. The goal is to find a U.S. doctor that will take the risk, stand up for Ethan and give him the procedure here (probably costing half of, or even a quarter of the price).  However, until that person steps up, China is their only bet.

The worst thing that could happen with this procedure is nothing; Ethan doesn’t get better at all.  On the other hand, the best case scenario would be that the nutrient rich blood could reverse all his problems making Ethan a healthy, young boy.  However, if Ethan only gains slight improvement, that will help his quality of life even in the smallest way, making the procedure well worth it.  That’s why on Saturday, December 19th, 2009 from 6:30 p.m. to midnight, local bands are going to come together to rock for a cure, raising money to help Ethan get that possible life saving procedure.

To partake in the festivities, see the info below:

Beef ‘O’ Brady’s (Wilderness Lakes)
US 41 N.
Land O’ Lakes, FL
6:30 PM to Midnight
TICKETS:  FREE CONCERT, DONATIONS WELCOME
Beef ‘O’ Brady’s will be donating 10% of proceeds to the cause, in addition to the money collected from donations.

Bands:
Charlie Nicol
Pine Hill
The Hat Trick
Holes and Hearts
The Ghost Sound
& other great musicians

There will be face painting and some crafts for sale to help raise money for the cause.

If you can’t come, you can still donate and help this little champion by going to www.ethansangels.com.  When there, just hit the contact US link.  You can also make an online donation through PayPal, or send a check.  Please make a notation that it is for the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Land O’ Lakes fundraiser.

It will be a night of good food, good friends, and great music all for an amazing young boy who will certainly touch your heart. Maybe Ethan can’t be there in person, due to his condition, but he will be there with us in spirit.  The family is very grateful to all the participating bands, and everyone else who is helping the cause, including all the people who unselfishly have donated their time to help organize this.

Photographs by Angel’s Touch Photography

How was your Thanksgiving?

Paul: It was pretty uneventful but it was good. We had a day off after having 14 shows in a row. When out on the road I’m not with my family. So it was just another day but the fact that we had a day off was nice.

Looking forward to the remaining holiday season?

Paul: Of course we’ve been very busy while on this tour. We’re ending just before Christmas and everyone will be getting home in time for the holidays so they’ll be able to spend time with their family and loved ones so we’re all looking forward to that.

What do you hope to find underneath the Christmas tree come Christmas morning?

Paul: I don’t even know anymore to me I don’t want anything or need anything. I want to see my family, see my wife and daughter and can’t for that. That’s the most important thing to me.

What about your latest record, what can be said about it that hasn’t been covered?

Paul: I don’t know good question really. It’s a great record I think – we felt that we did good job on it. Eric doing the best he can to produce it. We’re happy it’s doing so well and we’re out on the road doing better than we ever have been so it’s a good feeling all around.

Out of all the members of Cannibal Corpse, who goes the longest without showering?

Paul: (Laughs) Probably George, sometimes most of us it’s hard to do because you go and shower the night before a show and then have to go and shower again afterwards – so it’s like pointless. I think it would be a safe answer to say though that George is indeed the one that’s gone the longest without showering. There are going to be days where all of us play not showering and then some where we have showered. I would hope I’m somewhat clean so I would wait it out after a while before needing to shower so it happens.

What have been your best and worst interview/fan experiences?

Paul: Ya know I guess the interviews would be a hit and miss. The Most we do is being one of those a hit and some are like the ones where they don’t even know who you are. It seems like I have some knowledge of who I’m going to talk too. But those are the types are the ones that seem the most pointless. As for fans 99% of the fans are great and down to earth who just want to meet you and have a good time and then get some that don’t know when to keep their mouth shut. You got to take the good with the bad with the business we’re dealing with here.

You’ve toured with pretty much everybody, who do you prefer touring with the most?

Paul: We have toured with a lot of bands and befriended a lot as well. That is also a hard question to answer. We’ve toured with so many but as us being fans of music we full filled our dream of getting to tour with Slayer and watch them perform every night was awesome and we’d love to do that again.

What’s it like going back to being a support act after so many years as a headliner?

Paul: It’s a little different as well. We’ve done headlining since the beginning but at the same time we’re one of the biggest death metal bands around so we look at it expanding the fan base as much as possible. Like we are today this tour is a combination so we got more an eventful chance. We’re not use to doing this type of thing but we’ll do it whenever we can and make it work.

There are of course the main songs that we’d “have to” perform and then there are the ones that we can toss to the side that wouldn’t matter as much as the main ones do. If we didn’t perform such songs as “Hammer Smash Face”, then we’d be facing a problem. I don’t think I could go without playing that song either way.

Who does most of the interviews while out on the road, and who do you usually get guys or girls or is it even?

Paul: It’s mostly I or Alex or George does a bunch as well. Unusually us three it’s always a mix. I’d say 60% male and 40% female it’s not like we’re just sticking with just females or just males. Everybody has their share.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Paul: Thanks for the support of death metal and Cannibal Corpse if it wasn’t for you guys we wouldn’t be here today so keep it brutal!

What’s been the highlight so far of the Into the Mouth of Hell We Tour?

Shaun: The two tours were so near one another that the promoter’s decided to put them together into this big festival for the San Francisco and Los Angeles dates. But I think Los Angeles kicks ass better than San Francisco does which is rare.

Which band have you been hanging out with the most on this tour?

Shaun: Trivium, I ride a lot with them and hang with them. Cory, Matt, Paulo, and Nick are great friends of mine I just love those guys.

Is the economy affecting your tour attendance or merch sales? Is it impacting logistics or operation at all?

Shaun: Of course you see it. For the price we have to sell t-shirts they are 4 or 5 other bands you have to match it up with to keep it fair. So there are kids that have to miss out on buying shirts at times which sucks. Its reality so you just got to make the best of it I suppose.

What’s the best prank you’ve played on bandmates or other bands?

Shaun: Gabe of Whitechapel who I call Cartman we bought him an Eric Cartman drivers license and put it in his wallet that was hilarious.

I’m sure you get stories from fans about how your music impacts their lives. What’s one that really stands out?

Shaun: There was a girl in Hartford, Connecticut who said that our music helped her get through her illness. That’s always a very heartfelt to hear from our fans.

Tell me about your latest video for “Forever the Martyr”.

Shaun: It was a long day of bombs and explosions, I think the director got a good vibe of the band and we’re known to be an aggressive type of band when performing live. I want to have fun and crush some skulls.

Why should the fans own a copy of “Force Fed Lies”?

Shaun: I think every song has a different vibe and has a good American metal and do our own thing.

Any last words?

Shaun: Thanks for having me, and keep supporting metal!

Written and interviewed by Natalie Perez

These names listed above, as well as about 75 others, are all musicians that have been inducted into the Georgia Music Hall Of Fame… and they are all from Georiga.

Despite the different genres from country to rock, rap to gospel and even blues and jazz, these performers all came from the humble southern life they all know and love, nestled in the state of Georgia.  It’s actually quite amazing to find out that so many of these great performers have their roots in Georgia, showing how much this state has contributed to the modernization and diversity of the music industry.  Some like Little Richard, Gladys Knight and The B-52s are also included in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.

The Georgia Music Hall Of Fame is a monument to all the greats from Georgia that have shaped music and inspired the artists of today.  Nestled in the historic downtown of Macon, Georgia the ride is as impressive as the museum.  As you travel down Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. going toward the museum, you will be taken back by the beauty of the old shops, industrial buildings, and medians lined with colorful cherry trees.

This museum is a town landmark, and one the locals take great pride in.  You can just tell by the enormous size of the building mixed with the art nouveau exterior.  The fountain outside dons the walkway as you come to the great rotunda of the museum. The inside is lined with faux building facades that mimic the style of music encased inside the room.

Two of my favorite exhibits in the museum were the Gospel Chapel, and the Rock Room.  There, in the Gospel Chapel, you walk up to a typical Southern Baptist or Congregational church type facade, making it feel like you’re actually going into a church.  Around the hall you see memorabilia from some of Georgia’s most famous gospel performers, such as the Lewis Family.  After making your way around the hallway, you come into the “chapel” where you sit on a pew and watch an 18 minute video about the gospel heritage in Georgia.

Being a rock man myself, visiting the rock exhibit and seeing memorabilia such as The Alman Brothers guitars, The B52s and Little Richard’s costumes, as well as many other great artifacts from Georgia rockers, was impressive to me.  I just sat in awe knowing how much great music once came from those very instruments, and all the amazing concerts these musicians put on in those onstage costumes.  Plus, the outside of this room looked like an old bar.

It was also amazing seeing the memorabilia of the great Ray Charles, whose iconic voice and charm wooed its way into our hearts. Sure, he was more of a jazz and blues artist, but some of his hits like “Hit The Road Jack” would also serve the rock lovers well.

Walking the halls, I learned a lot about these artists, in addition, learning just how many came from Georgia. 

So, what qualifications do you need to get into this magnificent hall?  Well, it’s a lot more complicated than the Hall Of Fame in Cleveland, like you must be a musician first and foremost.  Then, if you fit into that category, you must be born in the state of Georgia; that is the complicated part.  Unlike the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame, you don’t have to have played for a certain amount of years, or made a certain amount of money or records in sales of your album.  I know this because people like Keith Sweat, Ludacris, and Collective Soul are inducted into the hall.  If you know anything about them, you will know that they haven’t been around as long as others on the list, some less than ten years.  However, they have played a major impact on their respective genres which qualifies them for the hall, even if they are a one hit wonder.

To see who is inducted in the Georgia Music Hall Of Fame, click this link.  I assure you it will blow your mind, and if you are searching for more information about the Hall Of Fame, you can visit their website at www.georgiamusic.org.

Keep an eye out because over the next few months we will he spotlighting some of the inductees from the Georgia Music Hall Of Fame.

Q.  Tell us about yourself, and how you got into singing.
I was born January 29, 1996, and I am thirteen-years-old.  I have always liked singing, and started singing even before I had learned to speak.  When I was eight-years-old, I started singing in a more serious manner.  At that time, I participated in my first talent contest and acted on a stage for the first time.  This was something that I enjoyed very much, and I knew that this was something I wanted to do in my future.  I started singing in a musical chorus and took private lessons to develop my voice.  I practiced several hours each and every day.  At the age of nine, I performed in the stage once again, in a similar song contest, and this time I won.  I think that it was after this contest that other people started recognizing my singing.  However, it wasn’t until 2007, when I was eleven-years-old, it carried away. Without my knowledge, my sister uploaded a video of me singing on a large Norwegian Internet site.  More than 100,000 people saw the video within the first five days, which is much in a small country like Norway with its 4.9 million citizens.  This led to the biggest newspapers and the biggest TV channels coming to my home to interview me, taking pictures and filming me. I remember that I found it somewhat frightening.

Later on, I signed up for the contest called Norway’s Got Talent.  I ended up placing third, which I was very satisfied with.

Q.  Can you compare your sound to any major singer out in the industry?
I have noticed that other people compare me with Celine Dion, Mariah Carey and Eva Cassidy.  It is kind of hard to define my style, as I feel I have several styles.  I think it is a common opinion that I have a jazz/pop/country voice. However, it is Celine Dion and Eva Cassidy that have inspired me to sing the way I do.  I’m also very fond of Beyonce, and would have loved to try singing some of her R ‘n’ B songs.

Q.  Has your family supported your singing career?  Do you consider that a big part of your success so far?
My family has been very supportive to me all the time, and they have followed me on everything.  They have supported me during th

ick and thin, and have given me comfort whenever I have needed it.  I would definitely not have gotten to where I am today without them.

Q.  Do you have a CD out currently or is there one in the works?  If so, can you tell us about it?
I have still not released a CD, but we are working on it.  We are producing the record at the moment, and it will be released next year.  I’m looking forward to this; I think it will be exciting.  I can’t tell too much about the record yet, but I can reveal that some of the songs are written by me.

Q.  What is your favorite song that you sing, and what makes it so special to you?
I have several favorite songs.  Earlier this year, I performed in a memorial show for Michael Jackson.  I participated on the s

ong “We Are The World,” along with several other artists.  This song is magical to me.  The song was written in the 80s, but the lyrics are still valid today.  Too many innocent people in the world, children and adults who have not done anything to deserve it, are suffering greatly.  I am half Iraqi, and I often think about how my family in Iraq are doing.  However, the song I love to sing the most is “Gabriella’s Song.”  It is a Swedish song that is about a woman that

is being dominated by her man, but at the end of the song, she can’t take it anymore and says she wants to live her life. The song has a strong lyric: “I want to feel that I am living all the time I have got.  I want to feel that I have been living my life, knowing that I am adequate.”  I think that lots of women feel the same way.  I have even heard from people that they started crying when they heard me sing it on Norway’s Got Talent because they could associate themselves with the song.

Q.  If you could share the stage with any artist, dead or alive, who would it be? I would have loved to perform on a stage with lots of artists.  Some of them are Eva Cassidy, Celine Dion, Michael Jackson or Beyonce.  All of them are fantastic musicians and singers.  There is, or there was something unique with all of them.

Q.  Have you done any live shows?  If so, where and what was your favorite show and why?
I have been at some live shows, for instance, Norway’s Got Talent and Oprah. Both experiences were incredible and exciting, and I was very nervous.  One of my best memories was when I sang in the semi-finale in Norway’s Got Talent, and the audience never stopped cheering me and shouting my name after I was finished singing.  The whole audience was fantastic!

Q.  What do you like most about your fans?  Do they have an impact on your singing?
I love my fans!  They are the ones that make me want to continue singing.  They are there for me and support me, even if they don’t know me.  I think that is fantastic.

Q.  What are some of your greatest accomplishments or experiences you’ve had so far in your singing career?
The greatest moment in my career so far was when I was on Oprah.  It was amazing.  However, I was so nervous that I felt I wasn’t completely able to show what I was capable of.  However, what an experience; I loved it!  I would say it is partly due to Oprah that I’m releasing a record next year, and probably due to her that I’m being interviewed by this magazine.  I recently heard that Oprah will end her show in 2011, which I think is sad, but I fully understand her decision.  I would like to send a greeting to Oprah and thank her for having me on the show.  It was a memory for a lifetime.

Q.  Is singing something you want to to do the rest of your life as a career?
Singing is something I want to do for the rest of my life, but it is hard to make it so we will have to see what happens.

Q. I hear you have been invited to sing in both California and Hawaii. Have you ever been to the United States before and how exciting is it to go to Hawaii?
I have been contacted by some people from both Hawaii and California, wanting me to sing there.  However, this is not confirmed yet, so I can’t comment on it any further at this point of time.

Q.  What do you like to do when you’re not singing?
When I’m not singing, I like to write music and songs, spend some time with my friends, travel and to play soccer.

Q.  Do you enjoy school? How do you manage school with singing and still maintain good grades?
I enjoy school very much.  It is important to get an education, so I am trying my best at school at the same time that I’m focusing on my singing career.

hly baked cookies, spending time with family and waiting for Santa’s arrival.  For me, the ever classic tale of The Nutcracker always comes to mind.  I remember one of the first times I saw the ballet. I was a little girl, and my mother took me to see it.  I loved the costumes, the dancing and of course, the beautiful music.  For many Christmas seasons to follow, my mother would continue to take me to see the performance.  As an adult, I continue to look forward to the beloved ballet.  The story is timeless and continues to be a part of my holiday tradition today.

Originally written in 1816 by E.T.A. Hoffman, the popular dance production was called The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, and was considered to be quite mor

bid, not exactly something recommended for children.  It was later on revised to a more child friendly version with the help of the French writer, Alexander Dumas Pere.  Pere sparked the interest of Marius Petipa, the senior ballet master of the Russian Imperial Ballet. In 1891, he commissioned Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to compose the score for a full length version of The Nutcracker.  It debuted the following year in St. Petersburg, Russia. The ballet stayed until 1934, when it appeared in London.  Six years later, it was introduced to the United States in a shorter version.  Then in 1954, choreographer George Balanchine created his famous and well known version of The Nutcracker for the New York City Ballet.  Although the ballet is not as dramatic or scary as it first was written to be, it still embraces the original story.  A little girl’s favorite Christmas toy (the Nutcracker) comes to life and takes her away to a magic, fairy tale land populated by dolls after defeating the evil Mouse King.  This is a tale where reality is lost and imagination prevails.  Sugarplum fairies sparkle, and toy soldiers don red candied cheeks.  It’s make believe, happy and wonderfully written for all ages to enjoy.  However, it is a well known fact that nearly every version of ballet production consists of mostly all Caucasian performers.  LaVerne Reed wanted to change that.

Reed, who grew up in South Philly in the 1950s, studied dance and took on small roles in The Nutcracker in the Pennsylvania Ballet throughout the years.  Reed was always a very talented dancer, but was never cast as Claire (or  Clara), the lead character in the production.  Reed said that when she got older she was going to create and direct her very own version of the classic tale where the dancers could all be of different colors; a multicultural Nutcracker production.  This was Reed’s vision, her dream.  She went on to study dance and theatre at Howard and George Washington Universities, and then later on lead a national dance touring company.  At the age of 39, Reed set out to remake The Nutcracker… her way.  This African-American inspired modern take on the original holiday classic would be called The Chocolate Nutcracker.

Reed’s narrative loosely follows the original version, but unlike the original more Victorian version, the opening party scene is set in 1950s Harlem.  And this is just the first change to the version we all know.  The lead dancer, Claire, has to fight off vicious snakes instead of battling the notorious Mouse King and his army.  Traditional snowflakes are replaced with twinkling starlight generated by a hidden disco ball.  And if you remember the original Nutcracker, there are magical lands including that of the Snow Queen and Candy Land.  In Reed’s version, little girl Claire stops off in more realistic places such as Africa, Egypt and Brazil.  She even visits a street corner where a jazz bassist and saxophonist play a duet.  However, there still is magic involved in each of these places.  Claire explores the “Magical Rainforest,” a place called the “Land of Funk” and “Jazz Land.” The little girl and the Chocolate Nutcracker explore these faraway lands in a dream.  With all their global travels, the duo is introduced to a variety of musical dance genres such as gospel, hip-hop, jazz, modern, tap and ballet.  According to Reed, the whole idea was to incorporate cultural touchstones that would better resonate with minority audiences and incorporate more popular dance styles than just the traditional pointy-toe ballet.

The Chocolate Nutcracker came to life in 1994 on the campus stage at the University of Southern California, and it has been exciting audiences ever since.  Performed throughout the country, the ballet production is selling out to large crowds.  It’s not just the popularity of the show that has grown, but also the amount of dancers involved.  When The Chocolate Nutcracker first got started there were only about 75 dancers, mostly all youngsters.  Today, there are over 200 dancers from the ages of six to twenty-five, along with over 120 adult volunteers.  Quite a few of the children involved with the ballet over the years have endured personal struggles.  Some haven’t had much to go home to.  They may live in high poverty situations or come from broken homes. Instead of getting involved with crime such as using drugs or hanging out on the streets, these children have overcome the odds and taken to dance.  In fact, dancing is their life.  When these youngsters perform, they use every ounce of their heart and soul. Their passion and drive is amazing and it truly emanates in each one of their performances.  In addition, the production is not exclusionary, meaning white children can participate and many ending up doing just that.

The end result of Reed’s dream is nothing short of energetic, fun and different.  It’s a refreshing twist to the original version we all know so well.  Sometimes it is hard to embrace change, but in this case, change is a good thing.  The Chocolate Nutcracker has everything and more that the classic tale does.  So, if you haven’t seen it, be sure to do so this holiday season.

The 12th anniversary show will be shown at the newly renovated Mahaffey Theater in downtown St. Petersburg, FL, the weekend of December 4-5th, 2009.  For more information, contact www.mahaffeytheater.com.

Mahaffey Theater

401 1st St. S., St. Petersburg, FL 33701

727-892-5798

Aiyana Lee Anderson was born and bred into the music business, her genes carry the gift bestowed to her which she already recognized and is sharing with the world.  She knew early on singing was her life since she’s been doing it since she was two. Her mom, Nicole, is a talented singer, song writer and composer of music.  She has blessed the world with her talents for years and now she lends her experience and talent to her daughter.  On the other side of the spectrum, Aiyana also has some American legends in her family whose genes were passed down to her as well.  Her uncle is David Ruffin from The Temptations, best known for his hit “My Girl.”  She has motown in her blood and loves the hits they produced in the ’50s and ’60s.

Amazingly, Aiyana Lee has a broad genre reach meaning that she sings pop, jazz, motown, R&B, and really anything that she finds a good beat to.  For some artists, it’s hard to find that one genre and do it well, but not Aiyana; if she can dance to it then it’s worth singing.  Being able to sing in the different genres takes discipline and practice, something Aiyana loves to work on.  For her, singing isn’t practice.  Instead, it’s fun and fills her soul with happiness; something she hopes you can hear and feel when you hear her music or see her perform.

One of the things she loves most about performing, is being able to perform with her mother on stage.  In the modern family we see lots of parents struggling to find something to relate to their child with, something they can do together.  Well, Nicole and Aiyana had no trouble and they perform together for countries.  I, personally, haven’t seen them perform live yet, but I bet watching a mother/daughter duet on stage would be nothing short of magical.

Aiyana has performed in her home country of England, Romania, and Germany, as well as a few others.  She is already really big in Romania, and is about to return there to perform some more for the first few weeks into November.  Aiyana recently had a small tour with her mom there in Romania, where she has accumulated a lot of fans.  Her mom is from Romania, therefore, it’s extra special to have her treasured in their hearts, and let me tell you, she has Romania in hers.

Aiyana’s New CD

In just a few short weeks, Aiyana will release her first CD before her ninth birthday, a self-titled compilation.  It will be released digitally on CD Baby for distribution everywhere.  Aiyana says the CD will contain a mixture of genres so there is something for everyone.  She incorporates pop to jazz.  As a special tribute, Aiyana will sing “My Girl” and “Just My Imagination” from The Temptations, songs that made her uncle famous.  Those songs will be especially fun to listen to because it’s always enjoyable watching a younger generation sing songs from their family.  Look at Natalie Cole and her remake of her dad’s, “Unforgettable.”

The CD contains fifteen songs, some written by Aiyana herself and some by her mother, Nicole.  One of the songs was written by Nicole for Celine Dion, performed by Aiyana.  There is also master song writer Michael Jay and producer Tony Matthews who contributed to the album.  (Tony worked with legends such as James Brown and Whitney Houston.)

With people like that lending their talents to Aiyana, this album should be a sure success.

She’s Still A Child

Despite the success she is experiencing, and the talent she has worked with, Aiyana still takes time out to be a little girl growing up in this big world.  She plays with her friends, goes to school, watches movies and enjoys life; things a typical eight-year-old girl would do.

Even though her schedule is tough with touring, singing, and living a life of the typical child, she loves and maintains good grades in school.  One of her favorite subjects is World History, and she doesn’t complain about doing homework!  But when she’s not doing anything, her favorite thing to do is spend time with her mother, who she credits for her success.  ”My mom has done everything for my singing. I love her so much, she’s amazing.”

Aiyana is a very special young girl, who loves the lime light and has no intentions of not growing up to be a singer.  I asked her what she would do if singing didn’t happen for her when she grew up and her response was solid. “Nope, not going to happen… singing is what I am here to do.”

Keep an eye out for her new album set to release soon, and check up on Aiyana on her Myspace page: www.myspace.com/aiyanaleeanderson

Also don’t miss our one-on-one interview with her.  You can hear it on the Artist One-on-One podcast in our podcast section.

Most recently, Miraj signed on to star in an upcoming big budget film directed by Sean Lawlor of “BraveHeart” fame. From teaching dance at several South Florida Studios to performing all over the United States, Miraj will definitely become an integral part of the music industry. Miraj is without a doubt an artist who will gain respect among his peers.

Miraj is opening for Jamie Foxx in a Miami concert next month, October 2009. Miraj will also be appearing in the movie “Healing Frequencies”. Actors in this movie will include Anthony Hopkins, Sean Lawlor and John Savage. Miraj’s music can also be found and purchased on Myxer ring tones and iTunes. We sincerely believe that this talented young artist will become one of the most popular and successful performers in the music industry.

Check out the links below to view more details and music from this fabulous artist!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZHKJs9QkjA – The First Time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ED5Xbjgw4rM – Make A Movie

http://www.myspace.com/mirajthernbbeast

www.myspace.com/miraj305

www.twitter.com/miraj305

www.facebook.com/miraj305

http://penwayllc.lefora.com/2009/09/05/the-rnb-beast-miraj-a-new-young-talent-you-wont-be/page1/

For further information please contact Tango:

tango@tangoleerecords.com – ph: 310.310.1628

Welcome back to the U.S., how does it feel to be back in California?

Jyrki 69: It’s awesome, Hollywood in general we consider this our second home, this year we spent over 3 months during the spring time recording our newest album so it’s great to finally be able to come back and play a show. It’s never frustrated to hang out in Hollywood and to have fans recognize you and come up and ask you “What are you doing here – why aren’t you playing a show?” at that time there was no way to do anything but now it’s the time and we’re now in Hollywood, so The 69 Eyes and are back in blood!

“Back in Blood,” came out last month and it’s also your tenth to date, how does that make you feel – do you think your music has grown since when you first started?

Jyrki 69: Actually you’re mistaken there is a little confusion everywhere it’s actually our ninth album, I’m excited to do the tenth album when the time arrives, and we have of course several compilations available but this is our nine studio album. Yes and no it’s the same sources of inspiration remains, the same rock n’ roll life remains, on the other hand of course

We’re better song writers, and I myself have written better lyrics, once in a while you make songs that last a little bit longer than others, like most of the songs within our set list, there are the ones we consider “our classics”. There are so many songs that could be on the next ten year compilation, with the way we’ve grown.

Can you briefly tell us about the whole concept for “Dead Girls Are Easy?”

Jyrki 69: It was pure fun with Bam Margera, it was long lost Halloween weekend, the whole idea the name of the song, I just liked the title when I put together everything it represents the dead girls, these gothic girls who want to be dead and want to be a part of the undead and want to become Vampire girls. The story line is this classic old school 80s theme with this nerdy guy working and something strange happens to him when these Vampire girls come into his life. This video is much like the videos from the 80s – having that rockin style and positive atmosphere – all the videos of today have changed, with the bombs, bugs, a very depressing imagines, I’m a fan of the 80s videos so this video is just like those.

What was it like playing on Carson Daily back in 2006 – I’m not sure if you remember me, at that show but I was the girl in the audience who had waved to you, I had wanted to be on the bottom near the stage but couldn’t get down there.

Jyrki 69: That was great that was one of those classic 69 Eyes moments that we were able to do that show, and hopefully we can return to those shows, it’s been an honor to be involved with these shows, (Carson Daily) and to have The End Records (US Label) who have done great promotion for us, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re watching T.V. that you see us performing, we’ll be able to set something up pretty soon and also the next time you wave I will know it is you.

In my opinion I’ve always pictured you guys doing a U.S. tour with H.I.M. would you ever be able to make that happen – I know you guys toured with Cradle of Filth back in 06.

Jyrki 69: That is something the fans are always asking, but I don’t think the bands are really excited about the idea. If you haven’t noticed the Finnish bands don’t really tour together and I don’t know why but that is something that we should considering doing because the fans keep asking about it. I haven’t heard any rumors so don’t think it’s going to happen anytime soon. As far as I understand the H.I.M. guys are recording their new album, and there are a lot of Finnish bands around here in Hollywood recording their new albums, so every rocker act is here in Hollywood right now and are from Finland so a very busy period for everybody right now.

What can you tell us about your comic book “Zombie Love: Vampires, Ghosts and the 69 Eyes”?

Jyrki 69: It’s just a compilation of my old stuff that I drew in the 80s as a teenager, during the night, most teens go out and get drunk for the first time and meet the opposite sex, I was this guy that spent my nights at home watching horror movies and listening to strange rock n’ roll music, like the real nerds Somehow these comics survived and the characters pretty much looks like our band and dressed in rocker appeal and the girls are drama queens so it’s not so far away from the world of the 69 Eyes. So I drew them and they still appear interesting so I put it altogether and that’s the book Zombie Love, and after 25 years, the kids still find this comic book amazing and it’s available at all of our shows so pick up a copy.

How about “Route 69,” what can be said about that?

Jyrki 69: That’s a photograph book it’s done by this photographer named Ville Juurikkala, the guy who’s been taking pictures of a majority of Finnish rock bands over the years, H.I.M. Nightwish, and us, and back in 06 he traveled with us and took pictures and put out the book and it has pictures of Japan, Finland but mainly it’s about when we first traveled the states and how everything was different, a very big and exciting experience. It’s a great book filled with great memories.

Your known around the world as the “Helsinki Vampires”, do you consider yourself a Vampire?

Jyrki 69: Well some strange reason I don’t age and I draw people’s attention to me I drive girls crazy especially those that know me. I like to hang out with sunglasses after dark as far as that goes I might be a Vampire but I won’t tell if I’m one or not. But don’t try old school tricks on me like holy water or garlic that won’t kill me. If you really want to destroy me, play me some anti-rock music, Beatles, Faith No More, Red Hot Chili Peppers, if you really want to throw me out of the party and kill me just throw on some bad music that should do it.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Jyrki 69: I hope people will have the chance to check out Back in Blood, because I think it’s our best record The 69 Eyes have done and we’re really proud of it. The theme involves Vampires, and the sound is awesome, and it’s interesting that The 69 Eyes have worked with American artists and producers, and a director for the video, it’s just something we’ve always wanted to do. Now that we’ve had the chance to do it, it’s become a great album but not just from The 69 Eyes but in general in the year 2009.

By: Natalie Perez

I was sitting at my computer when this e-mail came across my inbox. The message read and I quote, “If you’re interested in “up and coming” music artists, I have a very special one for you.  Her name is Jackie Evancho, she is from Pittsburgh, and she is nine-years-old.  Jackie sings like no other nine-year-old anywhere. Jackie isn’t signed to any label, but she is putting out her own independent CD in November.  I saw that you interviewed Connie Talbot…..well, wait until you hear Jackie!”  Obviously, that peaked my interest. From experience most people would see a nine-year-old and say “yeah, that’s just some family pushing their kin” and dismiss. I couldn’t do it. I believe in the children of today and their art ability and I support those who express it. So, I went and visited her link and to this day I am so glad I did, because she’s exactly what we look for in a story.

What I heard fooled my ears. I was thinking that this voice wasn’t coming from a nine-year-old girl, but instead a woman in her late teens to early 20s, singing with controlled range, pitch and ear pleasing melody (mind you I didn’t see a picture of her). It was the voice of an angel!  Then I got to the video, and sure enough it was a blue eyed, blond haired adorable child with a voice beyond her age.

You’d expect most nine-year-olds singers to choose a genre like pop, perhaps to mimic their idols like Cristina Aguilera, Brittney Spears, Mya, Pink or someone in that field.  Not Jackie, and why should I expect anything less; this pint sized wonder chose “classic crossover.”  For those who don’t know what that is, it’s a style of singing you would find with broadway, opera and gospel music.  It takes the utmost control and concentration to perform this kind of genre, just ask Josh Grobin and Sara Brightman who have mastered the genre. Jackie makes it look easy.  She just loves these singers and wants to someday follow in their footsteps with her own music, hopefully sharing in the success they already know.

Amazingly, Jackie never took professional lessons to achieve this vocal standard; it came completely naturally.  She was discovered by her mother after watching The Phantom of the Opera. Jackie had gone up to her room to play, and downstairs this amazing sound came flowing through the air.  Jackie’s mother went upstairs and sat at the door of Jackie’s bedroom and heard Jackie singing some of show’s songs.  Her mom’s jaw hit the floor, probably like mine did. Then she stepped in surprising her daughter by saying, “Oh my Jackie, I can’t believe that’s you!”  Her parents decided it was best to get her some professional lessons to help her perfect her God given talent.  Jackie laughed when she told me what her vocal coach says about her. “Jackie, you’re the cupcake. I’m just putting the icing on the top.”  She really doesn’t need much training from what I’ve already heard, and I agree with her vocal coach.

Jackie is about to release her CD, expected around November.  This young talent is uber excited about this. She tells me the songs on the album are a secret, but did divulge that it will have a blend of genres from opera to gospel and even some country revamped to fit her singing style.  Having a CD is a milestone for any musician, and Jackie gets the honor at the very young age of nine.  This CD is an independent release; she is not signed to any label so purchasing the CD will probably come from her own website once released. 

When Jackie isn’t singing or producing her CD, she is just like any other nine-year-old girl. She loves to play with her friends, shop, go to school and ride her bike but most of all she loves spending time with her family.  What I love most about children in the arts is that they look invincible on stage or in the limelight, but once the show is over they return to their beloved childhood and that is the sign of a true superstar.

I see Jackie going far in her career. I just can’t see her falling like some of the children have in the past.  If I had a crystal ball, where I could see the future, I would see this:  Jackie won’t be playing on MTV or anything like that, but instead I see her sitting on the stage at Carnegie Hall, standing alone as a vocalist. Behind her is the New York Symphony Orchestra belting out the melody of her songs, which will surely send chills down your spine as only the orchestra can do. Jackie will be releasing that amazing voice over the orchestra to give you goose bumps on top of goose bumps.  That is how Jackie will touch your heart. 

Jackie’s Achievements

In 2009, Jackie was asked for a second command performance by Pennsylvania Senator, Jane Orie, to perform at the site of the United Flight 93 crash site during 9/11.  It was Jackie’s first time singing for something that special, an honor she holds dear to her heart. To be able to provide her voice to the victim’s family and her country in hopes to mend the pain of that frightful day was quite significant to the young singer.  Many of us know where we were or what we were doing when the planes hit; Jackie was only a year old when that all went down.

Jackie also won or came in the top three spots for contests in the Pennsylvania area.  She has also performed on a real stage at the Pittsburgh Musical Theatre. 

The year 2009 also marks a momentous time for this rising diva. Shortly after the interview I did with Jackie, she had another performance for Jackie Orie, and will be on a PBS special with composer/conductor Tim Janis set to come out this fall. 

For More Jackie…

If you want to hear some of her music, guaranteed to bring a tear to your eye or touch your heart, go to http://www.jackieevancho.org/.  The site is also a bulletin board so you can interact with all her fans.

Also don’t miss out on her podcast with The Expressionist Magazines’s Artist One on One.  She sings like an adult and talks like one, too!  Jackie articulates well, and has manners typical of a little debutant.  This little singer will amaze you, make you laugh and you can get to know her personally.  Just go to  http://www.theexpressionist.com/2009/10/02/jackie-evancho-usas-little-darlin-podcast/. You can download the podcast to your computer, listen to it on the story or get it from iTunes under “Search- Podcast- The Expressionist Magazine.

With hip hop hitting the airwaves, we noticed a trend- hip hop redefined the way songs were written in the 50s and 60s, when they created dance moves. Typical of the early rock sound came the “Twist,” “Mashed Potato,” “Hand Jive,” and more.” Hip hop brought on some dance moves, maybe not named anything like they did before, but the style was there and definitive to the song it was associated with. Some songs were lucky enough to have a dance move named after them such as “The Hammer,” but more commonly with hip hop, a fashion trend was named after it. MC Hammer had both a dance and fashion trend, but we also had Criss Cross, TLC’s patch, and others to name a few.

With all that hip hop brought to the table, Creo-D was about to bring in something extra special. He was in good company too, blasting the airwaves was Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back,” “OPP,” “Hip Hop Horray,” and other songs that would define the 90s. They spoke of the booty that was popular back then.

The song started out innocently as we found out when we spoke to Creo-D. “ I was addicted to this tape from Tony! Toni! Tone!, and I listened to it hours at a time all day, all week. That song, that tape, inspired me to write a song. So one day sitting on my porch trying to come up with some lyrics, these two girls passed by the house. I stood up and said with a loud powerful voice “Come on baby, kick them dazzeys” because they had these shorts on, and they started laughing. I was like, that’s it.” Low and behold, the famous lines of Dazzey Duks was created.

In the studio, Duice had recorded the song by accident; they wanted to include it in the track basically to make ladies laugh when they heard it. What they didn’t realize at the time was that the mistake would make them an overnight sensation, define a fashion trend, and have a song like “Baby Got Back” brand the 90s.

The song started off local, until one person heard it and it got on the radio. People started to dance when they heard it. The powerful vocals of Creo-D were catchy and sweeping the nation. It wasn’t long before it went national when they were picked up by MTV and VH1. Those stations took that song and made it a household item. Before you knew it, women all over the US were “kickin’ them Dazzey Duks,” a trend that was made popular by Daisy Dukes of the hit show, Dukes of Hazzard in the mid 70s to early 80s. The song even had its own dance. You would ball your fists up, put them together, stick your elbows out and crouch down flexing that booty, exposing those Dazzey Duks while you swing from side to side.

Today one of the greatest compliments Creo-D gets is when someone recognizes him and starts to do that dance for him.

The song was a hit for many many years, but started to take a back seat to the new sound of hip hop defined by “Death Row Records” and the “gangsta rap” sound. It had the same beat and feel but slowed down the tempo, and had a much different story to tell. That trend eventually drowned the early hip hop sound, making it “old skool.” Nevertheless, even today when you hear those songs you are instantly brought back to a time when things were fun; memories flow freely and maybe a tear comes to your eye. You will start to dance and you won’t know why, but you realize you can’t stop. That was the magic of early hip hop.

Now, when you talk about the magic of the early 90s and those “Old Skool” sounds you loved growing up with, Dazzey Duks is among the names thrown out with artists such as: MC Hammer, Vanilla Ice, Naughty By Nature, Criss Cross, Kid N’ Play, Will Smith and other names that defined the generation.

So why bring up Dazzey Duks again? Well, the song has been in seclusion long enough, and Creo-D has decided to remake the famous song, but with a new hip hop sound. The new song is titled, “Rock Dem Dazzeys.” It’s nothing like the original. It has the same lyrics and the same famous line “Come on baby, kick them dazzeys…,” but it boasts a techno, hip hop, R& B sound. They even added a female vocal sung by Valencia, and of course, La Sno with Creo-D. Creo-D hopes that the fans of the original will love and embrace the new sound just as they did before. Hearing the song I have to admit, I’m a fan. It’s Dazzey Duks all grown up. That’s what makes artists like Duice timeless, because they are able to take a song and mold it to fit the current craze. Duice has also decided to rename the group, or not rename it, but fix the spelling to Dewce.

The song is about to be released in February, but is set to do so along with another milestone for the group which hasn’t been leaked out to any press yet except for us. Creo-D has his own reality television series coming out based around his famous song called  America in Dazzey Duks. The series will be based on women’s personalities, their ability to put outfits together and their creativity. The ladies on this show will be put on a campus. They will go into their rooms and on their bed will be a pair of jeans, and anything else they need to make their own Dazzey Duks. They will have three hours to complete them. Then they will be judged by “kickin’ their Dazzey Duks” and displaying them properly by dancing and showing off their personalities. And, of course, like any reality show there will be a winner.

Looking back, it’s amazing how this song has evolved to a new rendition to a reality series almost 17 years later. It’s also amazing how it shaped a generation, created a dance craze, and forever stands as one of the most prolific songs of the 90s. Duice – Creo-D and La Snow are masters of their genre, and can still make us “kick dem Dazzeys.”

Picture it from this contestant’s point of view. Here we are in this large theatre, packed to capacity, among the onlookers are three judges including Cowell.  As one contestant comes and performs you see what you think is a great artist being told “no,” having their dreams crushed, and probably a bit more gruff by the ruthless Cowell. Then you realize it’s your turn.  You watch the other contestant walk off stage and wonder, they were good, they didn’t make it, what does that mean for me?  You walk out behind the curtain to see the thousands of people and the sharp glance from the judges… now that’s intimidation.

From the audience point of view, when she comes out all eyes are on the judges to see their reaction to her.  Two are nodding, while Cowell puts his hand over his mouth and looks down like “Oh, here we go.”  On stage is an adorable pint sized girl with long brown hair and big bright eyes holding a microphone almost as big as she is, engulfed by an oversized stage which makes her look even smaller (but that would soon change).  With an amazing smile, the audience awes and the place grows very silent.  Nerves would be causing most to shake at this point in time, however, Connie is calm, cool and collected. Mom, on the other hand, is behind the curtain more nervous than her six-year-old daughter, who just walked in front of the judges to perform.  Cowell tells her to proceed.

Little Connie opens her mouth and what she releases is nothing shy of the angels singing themselves.  Her beautiful voice, pitch perfect, could only be duplicated by a song bird. Her incredible innocence is magical, so much so, it brings a tear to your eye as she sings “Over the Rainbow.”  The audience is stunned quiet.  Finally, Connie finishes up to a roar of applause; a full standing ovation.  The judges quickly gave her rave reviews. Connie looks calm and cool but then it comes to the always stern Cowell.  He says, “Connie, I am going to talk to you like an adult… because you deserve it (and that isn’t usually good coming from him). I thought you were brilliant.” Those words brought forth a smile from ear to ear on young Connie’s face as she was sent to the next round.

“Simon’s not mean at all, honestly… I think it’s just an act. So, he’s like a big teddy bear… Yeah, he’s really nice,” Connie says laughing.

Connie would go on to place second on Britain’s Got Talent, not bad for a six-year-old phenom that just stole the hearts of millions across the world.  Connie’s music is very pure, very clean and very innocent.  Anyone that watches her can see why she captures your heart.  Connie has been singing since she could talk.  Her parents and family have always been a major influence for her to do what she loves best and they are there every step of the way helping this amazing girl achieve her dreams, and fulfill the demand of her fans to hear her sing across the globe.

Recently, on her trip to Jamaica, Connie filmed her first music video off her debut album, Three Little Birds sung by the legendary Jamaican born singer Bob Marley.  Connie takes this song and makes it her own, while keeping the feel of the song that Marley created.  If he was here today, I think he would be very pleased with her version of his song, and proud that she taped it in his home country.  You can see the video on Connie’s website, and the home page of The Expressionist.

This winter the world is in for a treat. PBS has picked Connie to host her own holiday special called The Holiday Magic Special with Connie Talbot.  She is currently in Pennsylvania taping the show, of which she very well could be the youngest host of a holiday special in U.S. history.  The show will air live on PBS around the nation in December, and will be released on DVD for the rest of the world to see, and for those who missed the special.  Connie hopes everyone will watch her sing the magic of the holidays, especially when she sings “Ave Maria,” her favorite holiday song because it’s in another language.

If that isn’t amazing enough, Connie was named the official 2009 Toys For Tots Ambassador, and has co-designed a specific bracelet (of which has some pretty beads, as she says) for the Toys For Tots charity.  They go on sale soon and she hopes everyone will buy one to help out this great cause.

Connie’s years beyond her age and may have the same impact Princess Diana did on the world, and for her, there is no better time to start than now.  Her courage and energy will take her far, as she spreads her talent to the millions.  I got to admit, I am a huge fan!

Don’t miss Connie’s holiday special to air on PBS in December, and to find out more about this pint sized phenom, go to her web site at www.connietalbot.com. Don’t forget to check out her podcast interview with The Expressionist Magazine on Artist One on One.

It all stared in Nashville, Tennessee when Big Vinny came down to the city to learn more about writing and performing music. His father was an amazing musician that toured with the likes of Steve Miller; so music was in his blood and now it was time to bring it to perfection.  He bought a place on 18th Street in the city, and one night around 3 A.M, Vinny walked outside and there was Butter, sitting on his porch playing the guitar with two strings missing.  Vinny recognized him as Butter who he’s seen play around town, so he asked Butter if he could play him a song.  He did and they struck up a friendship and started to write music together.

The team solidified one night when Butter was on stage performing. Big Vinny was on the floor watching and dancing, when Butter invited him up on stage to dance.  That was all it took. The magic was embranded and the people felt it as well.  Butter said he wanted him to be a permanent part of his act.  They became the hit band we now know today as “Trailer Choir.”

So what about Crystal? How did she join the band?  It was a strange incident that normally would not be allowed to happen, but again fate paved the way to make this group a trio one night at a show in Nashville.  Butter and Big Vinny were on stage performing, when a beautiful blue eyed vixen jumps up on stage and tells Big Vinny,” Move over, I’m singing with you.”  ”Be my guest. Who am I to tell that pretty young thing no?”  That’s all it took, the trio was officially bonded.  Crystal brought a new sound to the group and got them into a whole new way of performing.

“Plus she made us look good. At every frat show there are guys lined up next to the stage. They don’t move, since she joined us,” laughs Vinny.

Fate wasn’t done yet, no sir.  After a show in Nashville, they got word that Toby Keith, the legendary country music singer was there and loved their act and wanted to see them.  Star struck, the trio walked to Toby’s side and graciously listened to the amazing offer he had. He wanted to work with the band and if it worked out, sign them to “Showdog Records,” Keiths label.

It took a few months to prove themselves, get the contracts signed and finalized, but it was worth the wait for as it turned out Keith was the magic they needed. Trailer Choir was about embark on an amazing ride.

Trailer Choir started to tour opening for Toby Keith, and have done so around 49 times to date.  The tour was much more than just a job. They got to tour with a friend and learn from a legend whose been there and done that and there is no better way to learn than that.  So much of Toby has rubbed off on the band, which really helped make them the fun loving, fan appreciative band they are today.  They say they have to “earn each and every fan,” something they picked up from Keith.  They treat their fans as each one is special, which they are. “We’re out for our fans, it wouldn’t be any other way.”

In just a year’s time, the accolades have rolled in for this band of buds. Honors include About.com’s Best New Country Group/Duo winner, their song “Off The Hillbilly Hook,” which was on the soundtrack to Toby Keith’s movie Beer for my Horses, their song “Last Man Standing” which was used by ESPN & ABC for a NASCAR promo, and most recently the release of their full CD, Trailer Choir-Off the Hillbilly Hook, on which the “Rockin The Beer Gut” single has exceeded the 100,000.00 sales mark!

Vinny told me about the ESPN/NASCAR promo. He was sitting in a bar up in Detroit with Keith, and they were watching TV when “Last Man Standing” blasted over the TV.  Keith looked at them and said “Damn boys, you’re on TV.”  Nothing can send chills up your spine like hearing your song blast across the TV and having a legend be proud of you.

Even though this band is young and has accomplished so much already, I can only see them going farther than this.  They have an amazing fun loving act that the people love. Their stage presence with each other is magical, making the duo addicting, which emanates through their music.  When all is said and done, I can see them in the Grand Ole Opry, and I can see them in the Country Music Hall Of Fame.

So when they come to your city, don’t miss them. And don’t forget to get your cowboy hat, boots and suspenders on and hit the town “country style” for some fun.  Oh, and most importantly, don’t forget to “rock the beer gut!”

If you want to contact Trailer Choir, just hit them up on their MySpace page, which Big Vinny runs. He will answer any e-mails you send.  Want an autograph?  Just catch them on the street or after a show and they will be happy to oblige.  Their website is www.trailerchoir.com It has links to all their sites and news.

Don’t miss the podcast “Artist One on One” that we had with Big Vinny.  To check it out  just go to our Podcast link.

1. How, when, and why did you form?

Rick: For the love of punk rock music because there wasn’t any at the time. It was all for the music, we formed in the 90s and have been playing strong ever since.

2. How does it feel to play back in the U.S. and how is the current tour going?

Rick: The current tour is going great we just released the new record and this tour is to support that record. We’re out on the West Coast right now we’re about o play L.A. tonight – one of our favorite cities to play. We’ve been having huge turn outs, having kids who are into the punk scene and punk music come out, having lots of energy. After this tour, we’re going be heading out to Japan next month and then South American in December pretty much hitting the road non-stop.

3. “We Are All We Have,” came out this past Tuesday have you gotten all the partying out of the way?

Rick: Well the partying is part of the tour and it’s something we do – it’s why it’s there. We don’t want to get up on stage and look like retarded drunks. We want to make sure we play good, go out and have fun and have a couple laughs, when people come to a show. We want to make sure that all of our attention is focused not only on us but the audience as well. We don’t want to suck on stage, so when we drink and party we save it for afterwards because when we do play we want to make sure we don’t totally suck!

4. What are a majority of your songs about? Is there an underlying theme?

Rick: We don’t have an agenda on what we write about we just write about what’s currently going on around us and the world. What we’ve seen or heard about. Sometimes we have political themes to our music like our previous albums, but this one not as much basically whatever is the most importance to us is what we like to discuss musically.

5. What are your immediate music career goals?

Rick: Just make the best records we can make and do a lot of touring and make sure people like our music and have a good time. Doing what we like to do as long as we can. Making sure the music we make is what we want to do. Not writing songs on topics that aren’t our thing, what’s important to us and what we like doing.

6. What can you say about your secret show on September 27 out at the Cobalt Cafe?

Rick: Oh yes, we’re doing a secret show in L.A. before we head out to Japan the following day.

7. What is one of the toughest interview questions you’ve been asked?

Rick: “What does punk mean to you?” I just hate answering that. It’s not something that you can really describe and what it means to you. I know the answer I just can’t put it into words. I sit down and think about it but just don’t know what it really means. It’s one of those questions you just can’t answer.

8. Out of all the shows you have played, on this tour – is there one that stands out as a favorite? Is so, please explain.

Rick: L.A. is one of our favorite places to play – the Key Club is a smaller venue to play and normally always packed, which is good so I’m really looking forward to playing it.

9. Who are some of your favorite bands you’ve shared the stage with? Can you name some of the bigger bands that you’ve played with if any?

Rick: Yeah one of the bigger bands we’ve played with was Bad Religion really cool guys and we pretty much followed them growing up, so having the chance to talk to them about music was awesome. Circle Jerks a favorite of mine was another really cool experience for me, to be able to hang out and talk with those guys about music was great. As of right now we’re touring with a band called the Krum Bums they’re an up and coming band from Austin, Texas, and those guys are great.

10. What has been your biggest challenge as a band? Were you able to overcome it?

Rick: I really think the biggest challenge is all the people within the world talking down on us and talking crap. Saying things such as “You guys can’t play music” this and that situations, you then worry about what other people will say either online or in person. So you wonder how many of those people will be talking crap. It’s a real challenge from all angles.

11. What advice do you have for fans who want to start their own bands?

Rick: It’s a lot of hard work and you should definitely do it, no matter how hard you try don’t listen to what other people say – do what you want to do. Screw what everybody else has to say just go out and play and do what you love to do.

12. What should people know about you? What sets you apart?

Rick: I think what sets us apart is that we’re hardcore and more louder and that’s what I like we have our own uniqueness and I’m like that as a person and all of us in this band and we do what we really feel we should do. When you see us playing we’re not doing this for a paycheck we’re doing this because it’s what we love to do and what sets us totally apart from everyone else.

13. Thanks for doing the interview, anything you’d like to add?

Rick: Our new record is out now and we’re touring on it, so come check out a show pick up a record and come check out The Casualties.

Written and Interviewed by Natalie Perez

1. The video is very bouncy, grainy and hard to make out anything its taping.
2. The man that jumps out has hair similar to MJ, and a shirt he would typically wear.  However, look at a costume store and tell me you can’t find one of these wigs.
3. The city of Los Angeles picked up ALL expenses on the King Of Pop’s funeral.  Do you really think they would spend over a million dollars of money they didn’t have to help him hide (I don’t think so).  They know he’s dead.
4. Michael would NEVER be without his children by his side.  That would kill him faster than his drug addiction.
5. They never show the face of the person getting out of the cororner van.  It could be anyone dressed up, or a VERY VERY VERY slim chance it’s Michael
6. If they were going to stage his death, and rush him off somewhere from the coroner’s office, don’t you think the garage door would have been immediately closed, and verified empty anywhere around that van before Michael got out?
7. The caption on the video states:  This video shows that Michael was still alive after his dead body was transported to the Los Angeles Dept. of Coroner I checked the license plate number and it looks like the King of Pop is jumping out of the same van, his dead body has been in. I got the original video tape from a trustworthy source. I know him for years. And I am sure it´s real and Michael is alive.  You can’t check the ownership of a license plate, unless you are a cop.  Plus, it is a coroner van, so it would be licensed as such.  Does not make it real.  Plus look what he says, I known this person for years, I am sure its real.  How many times have you heard that in spam mails.

So why are we posting this video?  Simply because we want to show you how hysteria comes about, and how people think they see something that isn’t there.  Honestly, the tape is up for interpretation, but really consider the 7 points we have listed above.  More than likely, it was a prank done by some people to start a hysteria about Michael being alive.

Kole didn’t just recently stumble upon her talents.  She has been performing since she was just a toddler.  Kole started with dancing, and then gymnastics by the age of five.  While in elementary school, she discovered singing.  ”I found my way to music through dance,” states the young performer.  Kole began developing her voice through school and church choirs.  In 2004, Kole’s dance group got her to perform at Disney World.  It wasn’t long after that that this talented singer and dancer began touring. Kole has been performing since at numerous festivals, music venues and amusement parks.  Kole has graced the stage at the famous Apollo Theater, and has made her mark at Carnegie Hall.  She also has performed at The New York Comedy Club  and several times has wowed audiences at the well known New Jersey venue, The Stone Pony.  Kole even has appeared on The Today Show with the St. Bart’s Choir.  Kole’s amazing vocal ability has even taken her outside of the United States.  The fifteen-year-old got to travel to Italy to take part in the 2005 Italian Tour, which covered six cities and consisted of eight concerts.

As a pop singer, Kole describes her target audience to be mostly pre-teen and up.  Many of her songs are similar to those sung by Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and even Lady Gaga.  Kole further goes on to say her music has something of a fun, uplifting beat; something you could dance to.  Kole’s young, hip and fresh sound translates well into her exciting stage presence.  ”I like to involve my audience with my music and be interactive,” explains the performer.

Having listened to Kole, I must say I am quite impressed with her vocals.  Strong, mature and soulful are three words to describe Kole’s impressive talent.  It’s almost hard to believe that after hearing Kole sing, that she is only a sophomore in high school. And everyone knows that behind every good singer there is an amazing vocal coach.  Kole’s coach is Don Lawrence, who also has worked with Christina Aguilera.  There is no doubt that Kole is following closely behind in the famous singer’s footsteps.

In addition to singing, the New Jersey resident, who was originally born in Brooklyn, New York, is also an actress.  Kole has starred as an extra in the movie The Clique, and has appeared in various theater productions and on several television shows including Teen Nickelodeon.

It is quite obvious that this talented, young woman has met some famous faces, and has performed in many famous places, but there is one place that Kole has never gotten to try out.  ”I would love to perform at Madison Square Garden.  It would be the greatest honor ever,” states Kole.

With all of Kole’s singing, dancing and acting, it’s hard to imagine the teenager still must turn in homework and go to class. Kole, who is half Ecuadorian and half Italian, says it’s important to have a very loving and supportive family.  In addition, she admits her school has been accommodating and understanding when it comes to her busy schedule.  Even though Kole is very passionate about her performances, she realizes the extreme importance of a good education.  Well spoken and mature, Kole seems way beyond her teenage years in her ideals and what she wishes to achieve.

With all of Kole’s hardwork and passion, it’s no surprise she may have an album out as soon as November.  To be an accomplished recording artist and performer is a dream come true for Kole.  And if she didn’t go down the record contract road, Kole says that she would continue to stay with music and perhaps become a vocal teacher.  In addtion to her amazing singing ability, Kole writes her own music and has even composed some of her songs by guitar and piano.  She is also bilingual and sings some of her songs in Spanish.  It seems as though this young lady’s talent is never ending!

Kole doesn’t just have skills, she has lots of heart.  Fundraisers are most important to the performer. “I love helping people.  I love being inspired,” states Kole.  She has worked on several fundraisers as a performer, including one for Haiti and also for The American Cancer Society.  Not only that, but she is the Youth Ambassador of the American Diabetes Association.  Quite an impressive honor and Kole is very proud of her title.

With all of Kole’s incredible talent, heart and soul, it is certain we will be hearing and seeing a lot more of this performer in the future.  Veronica Kole is definitely making her mark in the music world, and we couldn’t be more excited.

To visit Veronica Kole’s website, please go to:  www.veronicakole.com

You can also find more on Kole at:  www.myspace.com/veronicakole1, www.myspace.com/veronicakole013

To listen to the singer’s amazing voice, go to:  www.youtube.com/verok01

If you are interested in booking Kole, contact:  jkoleshnick@yahoo.com

Want to become a Veronica Kole fan?  Join the club at:  Veronica Kole Fan Club, P.O. Box 6814,

Freehold, NJ, 07728

At the beginning of August we asked our readers what their favorite love song of all time is?  We had some responses, rated them against some of the proven love songs, and then we made our list based on research.  So here they are:

1. Unchained Melody – Righteous Brothers
Recorded in 1965 by the Righteous Brothers, and produced by Phil Spector, the group took the song to a whole new level.  Their version is probably the most notable version out there, and by far, the most played and noted as the most recorded song today.  It was originaly written in 1955 by Alex North (Melody) and Hy Zaret (Lyrics).  North originally wrote the melody for the movie “Unchained.”  In  1990, this song was played in the movie Ghost in the steamy scene where Demi Moore (Molly) sat at her clay wheel and had a passionate moment with Patrick Swayze (Sam).  Everyone remembers that timeless scene which helped bring this song back into our homes and hearts.

2. Take My Breath Away – Berlin
Debuted in the movie Top Gun, this song was played at the scene where Tom Cruise (Maverick) makes love with Kellie McGillis (Charlie).  The song is sultry. I think every man dreams Berlin is singing directly to them when it comes on.  The power and passion Berlin puts into the song clearly makes it #2 on our list.

3. Endless Love – Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey
There aren’t too many voices as soothing and sexy as Luther Vandross’ to make women melt, and then to team up with powerhouse vocalist and pop diva Mariah Carey, this song was bound to be a hit and timeless love song.  This song has been portayed in many a love scene in the movies, and easily helps it get into the top three spot on our “Ultimate Love Songs.”  Originally sung by Lionel Ritchie and Diana Ross, that version is by far the most recognized but give props to Luther and Mariah reviving the song with their powerful duet.

4.  Every Woman In The World – Air Supply
Air Supply is so crisp, so powerful and so moving; their songs are timeless.  It’s hard to chose just one of their songs for this list because so many of their songs could rank here.  Air Supply exhaults their love for every woman and makes her feel like an angel.  The vocals, the melody, everything about this song can touch even the most hardened heart and is loved by men and women everywhere.

5.  Glory Of Love – Peter Cetera
The lead singer of Chicago and also solo artist, Peter Cetera, came up with a love song for the 1986 movie Karate Kid II.  The song was the theme for the movie, and played right after Daniel beat the crazed and dishonored nephew of the Japanese village.  He vowed a fight to the death, and took Daniel’s girlfriend hostage.  This was no tournament, and when Daniel defeated his foe and released his girlfriend from his grasp, there is no song more fitting than “Glory Of Love.”  The powerful lyrics combined with Peter Cetera’s timeless voice, make it a great choice for #5 on our list.  It portrays the feeling most men have for their women, and we couldn’t say it better.

6.  Rush Rush – Paula Abdul
Just listen to this song on Paula’s Spellbound album.  Her amazing vocals on this song could seduce any man, and any man wishes he was that man.  The song is very seductive and sensual and Paula easily shows why she is a diva and sex icon with this song.

7.  Donna – Ritchie Valens
The sock hops in the 1950s and the last dance at the senior prom wouldn’t be complete if it wasn’t for Valen’s “Donna.”  This song expresses his love for this goddess named Donna, who stole his heart.  It’s a legendary song that landed him in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and will forever remind the baby boomer era of their first love.  Unfortunately, we lost Valen too early as he perished in a plane crash on “The American Pie” in 1958 that also claimed the life of The Big Bopper and Buddy Holly.  This song will forever remind us of innocent love and the timeless 50s!

8.  From This Moment On – Shania Twain
This country girl from Canada woke up the world to her sexual persona and came out with an instant chart topper, “From This Moment On.”  Just listen to the words; it’s a song about two people who the world said together wouldn’t last.  However, they showed everyone that love will conquer all, and the power a couple has when together.  Add in Shania’s amazing voice and you have one unforgettable love song.

9.  All My Life – K-Ci & JOJO
This song came around in the late 90s by two amazing R&B artists.  Their strong and soulful voices portray one of the hottest love songs of the 20th century.  This song is played at many receptions as “the first dance.”  It’s about a love this man found, someone he prayed for, and wished for and finally found, an answer to his prayers and hopes she feels the same.

10.  Always On My Mind – Elvis
Originally written and performed by Elvis, the song was more popular with Willie Nelson.  However, there is nobody or no voice like Elvis, and that is why his version is here and not Willie Nelson’s.  The two versions are like night and day, but who is more sensual than “The King.”  Elvis had many more great love songs like “Kentucky Rain.” Well, not a love song per say, but it’s about a man chasing down his love and how he portrays his love for her.

Also in the list, not ranked but good enough to be mentioned:

Saving Forever For You – Shanice (Debuted on Beverly Hills 90210)
Forever – John Stamos & The Beach Boys (Debuted on Full House)
How Sweet It Is – Marvin Gaye
Air That I Breathe – Hollies
Valentine – Martina McBride
Love Will Tear Us Apart – Joy Divison
Love Is Strange  – Mikey & Sylvia

All songs were sent to us by readers, and we ranked them based upon the list mentioned.

Tammy hit the “bull’s eye” on the Internet radio market, and she enters at ground zero as this market starts to reach new heights. She will be one of the forerunners that others will have to set the bar to as Internet radio rises.

Originally a marketer with the record label Cannon Music Group, Tammy ran social networks for the bands they’d sign.  Working for artists Mista Freezy and Lance, she stumbled across blogtalkradio.com, where she currently DJs, in her pursuit to gain exposure for the bands.  Realizing how powerful this can be, and how much fun it is, she jumped right in without looking back.

One year later, she has managed to expand the station which required taking on another DJ.  Tammy states she was talking with Lindsay Paige one day, and mentioned what she did.  Linsday grew very interested and excited about her career.  Tammy clicked right then and there and knew it would be unreckoned with force.  This month, Lindsay got her chance to DJ for the first time and now adds her own charisma and style to the radio station for her listeners.

When Tammy started the radio, she wasn’t concerned about any specific genre of music she was going to play.  Instead, she wanted to play it all; to please everyone’s tastes.  However, the station started out with country and rap/hip-hop.  Now, as it grows and evolves, you will find more rock and alternative sounds coming across the station.

Another great feature for the radio station is Tammy’s ability and willingness to interview rising stars and professionals in the music industry.  She will interview local and national celebrities, comedians, and whoever else wants a chance to talk on her station.  The ability to talk on any radio station, regardless of your field, gives you the ability to gain exposure and let people get to know you and who you are.  There is nothing more valuable than exposure for any of the arts.

Today, her line-up of interviews have been quite impressive.  She has spoken with Kaotik, Freddie Way, Kevin M. Thomas, Mike West, Mista Freezy, Tammy Bryant (song writer) and more, just to name a few.  Her goal is to start incorporating more platinum and Grammy winning artists from the different genres in the year ahead.

Forever searching for great artists to interview and promote, Tammy is always willing to play new songs and take interview requests.  She asks that if you are a band and want some exposure, to send her your music for consideration.  Who knows, you may be chosen and put on rotation, and since Tammy’s station is on the Internet, it can be heard worldwide.

Tammy doesn’t charge to be on her radio station or request compensation to listen, it’s 100% free.  Although, she would love for businesses to sponsor her station; another aspect she is focusing on for the remainder of the year and years to come.

We think you’ll find this Alabama native’s radio refeshing, and we feel that you will love her amazing personality and her chemistry with the radio.  One listen and you will see why she was destined to be on the air (cyber air) waves.

To listen to her station, including her interviews, simply go to http://www.blogtalkradio.com/TammyMartina and click on the little microphone with waves coming off to listen to it live.

1. The name of the band Thy Will Be Done is interesting to say the least and sounds as if there is a story behind it. Where did the name come from and what is the story?

J: There is a lot of reason for it we’ve gone through a lot of line-up changes and the music was getting a little more epic and little bit more heavy and at the time we had a lot of names written down on some paper and one of them was Thy Will Be Done it just kind of reminded us of the old days like bands like Testament and Exodus those names are just so timeless and just so powerful. I’ve seen people who know the consultation of it. The phase itself is just a wonderful thing you just got to remind yourself sometimes do you believe in faith to it kind of fits well and seeing it fit into place.

2. Can you briefly summarize how the band formed and what you do in Thy Will Be Done?

J: I’m the vocalist and I also write all the lyrics and do 95% of all the music arrangements I do write some of the music too, and the first version of the band, we use to go by the name of Cobalt back years ago and I’m the only originally member and our Eric our bass player has been with me for 10 years and several years ago is when we changed the name. Just evolution of the band ya know.

3. Your lyrics are infused with heavy detail and raw emotion. What is it that normally gives you inspiration when writing lyrics and is there a concept behind the music you create?

J: Well I think a lot of inspiration comes from everything around you; rather it’d be history or current events obviously anything personal I want to written lyrics that anyone can get something from and this is exactly what I’ve been signing about and want people to get something from it no matter what.

4. Your new album “In Ancient of Days,” is out how has the reactions been thus far? What can fans expect when they listen to your music?

J: So far so good the reaction has been really well a lot of people who love the first record they are just dumb founded like “Wow I didn’t think you could get any better I didn’t think you could get any better.” People are just diggin it takes the first record and really dials it up you can hear the real maturely of the band. You can really home the sounds and with the new guitar player on board you can expect a lot more metal.

5. How do you think you will affect the music scene you are part of? What are your thoughts on the growing popularity in it as well?

J: Its tough because we don’t fit on any tour we play on, we are kind of the odd men out but we kind of like it that way, sometimes it’s a burden and sometimes it’s a blessing I think right now in the constant of music I think what’s happened is that people feel so comfortable carting to people to a crowd’s reaction by playing what masses are accustom too I’m not trashing it or knowing at it at all. General label a costumed thing, that’s not what we want to do, and want to take our influences on it and we are a band playing what we like.

6. You have a music video for the song “Earth’s Final Embrace,” can you give a brief summary on how it all came together.

J: Well for the video when it came down to do a song I really wanted to do was “Earth’s Final Embrace,” I really feel that, that video which we did with David Borski the director it kind of all came together rather quickly we had just came back from Japan. We had just gotten back and we set up that day for 5 or 6 hours and we had gotten this room, within the rehearsal building where we were practicing it, and the land lord had let us borrow this room didn’t charge us for it and it was 100 degrees in that room and had a couple of ideas for it and the director took it from there and did the editing magic to it.

7. Many of your songs are so hard and intense that I am sure they translate well into a live setting taking on a whole new life in front of a live audience. How does it make you feel when the emotion and power that you envisioned in the recording studio, come to life while playing in front of a crowd?

J: I love I live for playing live, those 20 or 30 minutes on this tour, all the driving or parking the little things you instantly forget about them. It’s just so rewarding.

8. What are the upcoming plans for Thy Will Be Done?

J: We are doing this Thrash and Burn Tour right now with DevilDriver after this we actually go to Europe for 4 weeks going there with Earth Crisis with Sworn Enemy that takes us to the end of September early October and when we get home we’re doing a CD release show with Hatebreed and then from there on we kind of have an open schedule I’m hoping we can fill that schedule in sometime soon and do some stuff.

9. How has MYSPACE and the internet impacted your band and do you think downloading helps or hinders the artists?

J: It’s a double edge sword I’m always one for people if they want to download music and pay for it I’m all about it downloading for free and keeping a record and like it and not going out and buying it you’re hurting the band and then that label is not making money and then the band is not getting on tours and then dropped from the label and poor sales numbers so people who really love the band go buy it. The internet, has helped MySpace has been great, it takes a lot longer sometimes because we don’t always have internet access while out on the road but I really try my best.

10. What is the toughest lesson you ever learned in the studio and on the stage?

J: That I’m human and nothing is going to go exactly as planned. No matter what we have to constantly remind ourselves why we do, what we do.

11. What bands would you like to tour with and who has been your favorite to tour with this far?

J: I’ll tell you what it’s been an honor to be on the road with DevilDriver I’m excited but definitively if I could say any bands or artists we could tour with Black Sabbath with Ozzy, that’d be amazing or Metalllica number one for all of us would be amazing or a reunited Sepurta, that would be amazing, there are so many, Machine Head, we did a show with Machine Head and Arch Enemy that was great, there are too many there are a few Testament, etc

12. Every band has its musical influences. What are some of the other bands and artists that have greatly influenced you guys and your music?

J: We listen to everything from rock to bock, to industrial, classical, we listen to everything, influences from everything Black Sabbath, to early Metallica, Slayer, Testament, Misfits, Danzig of course it’s hard to say of course bands like Suffocation, Death, Tool the Almond Brothers, Pantera, there all there.

13. What’s your reaction when/if a fan told you a very meaningful statement such as “Your music changed my life?” Has this ever happened to you?

J: It just happened and it gives me goose bumps, that’s the part of love, “really thank you so much” I don’t know what else to say other than I feel real appreciate and blessed to make someone feel the way I do when someone has gone and inspired me. It just makes me feel amazed, and it’s not about money or anything like that, if somebody really got inspired by something I did then wow that is the ultimate goal with music. Making music for someone else and making it sound like something

14. All of that passion that you play with must be tough on you physically. How do you prepare for the physical demands of a tour?

J: Its tough since I do all the driving I don’t get much sleep or rest, I eat the healthiest within the band, and prepare myself with breathing exercises before each show.

15. Anything else you’d like to add?

J: Yeah it’s been awesome meeting you and awesome meeting everyone we have so far, I hope this is the first of many shows out on the West Coast.

Interviewed and written by:  Natalie Perez

1. So four albums as a band thus far how does it feel?

Dez: It feels amazing and what people need to know about DevilDriver is most bands get 4 or 5 or 6 years before they get a record deal. So they get to really know how to write we had about 6 months before we got our record deal. It was written by one guitar player and so by the time we did our second record, the second record rather we’d only been together for like 2 years or so. I think everything has been an evolution, a real killer progression to this point that I think now I think there is a really defining sound the growth is right there.

2. When you guys started this band, where did you see it going? What were your goals?

Dez: Goals were just to go make music. In this day of downloading and the economy I didn’t really have anything on my mind other than working and doing music. I think the guys around me would think it’d be cool to tour, and I think starting over would be hard and fun and we’ve been on the road now since 2002 I don’t think nobody tours as hard as we do, we always have a good time.

3. Did you ever see yourself being a “professional” musician?

Dez: I don’t know kind of dreamed of it as a kid ya know everybody has their dreams right? I got my first tattoo at 16 and they asked me what are you doing? Don’t worry I’ll be in a band one day. So something observably in the back of my mind but I just did everything I could just go to rehearsals and ya know all that stuff young and being in different bands and find a good way to do it ya know?

4. When and where was the first DevilDriver show? Can you describe the scene?

Dez: It was good a lot of people didn’t know us and it was at the El Rosa.

5. What keeps you guys going?

Dez: Music, love of brotherhood, love of the road, love of doing something different right now, we love the fact that we stand out like a sore thumb, ya know when there is so many thousands of bands sounding the same right now, we don’t which is just totally organically you can’t make that happen so we look at that and that is just great for us and the reason we do it.

6. Has there ever been any major road bumps where you’d consider you’d had enough of the band?

Dez: Ya totally of course but then they’d say the same thing about me and you’d say the same thing about your job or whoever’s reading this or listening this would say the same thing about their girlfriend or boyfriend ya know of course. But in the end family wins over, and you end up talking but most people have it hard road when it’s in band life but we ya know how to get along ya know. We know what exactly pushes each other’s buttons so we don’t do it to each other anyone when you’re first coming up everybody is learning what those buttons are ya know.

7. Over the years you guys have always been with Roadrunner Records. Has there been any interest from any other labels, why do you choose to stand by Roadrunner?

Dez: Right ok well this record we couldn’t put it out anywhere we actually talking it probably 10 different labels when someone would offer more money and all this and more promises but I feel comfortable with a label I’ve been with for 10 years and I know everyone over there then when they honestly got on the phone with me and said hey we’re gonna be behind this record. Then it was just so obviously choice to go with them. They are the best label I think when it comes to metal ya know. Some labels are good from other things hardcore whatever types of music, but this is a metal label so they know what they’re doing.

8. “Pray For Villains,” came out a week ago, what can fans expect, can you give a brief description on how it all came together?

Dez: Well we recorded it in a month and to describe the record would be an evolution a defining moment I think in the band’s career and the other part of the question we are totally pleased with what’s going on right now, we couldn’t be happier.

9. Looking back, do you have a favorite album or any particular song, and why?

Dez: Right now “Back with Vengeance” and it was just so fun to play and that one for now.

10. What has been your favorite place to eat while out on the road?

Dez: *Laughs* Aw to eat, anywhere that’s kind of like home cooked and not fast food which is rare a lot of us live off protein stuff and shake mix and crap like that otherwise you end up stopping and eating BS every night.

11. I noticed you guys tend to tour with Lamb of God a lot, among other bands when coming in contact do they ever get tired of seeing you, like “Oh no not these guys again leave us a alone”.

Dez: They are great guys really nice guys we’ve been fortune to tour with them ya know, their album came number 2 on Billboard, there a huge band, make no mistake about that Lamb of God is probably the biggest heavy metal band right now next to Metallica and really great guys and amazing players and a band like that who takes another band out a lot knows that they are doing that band a favor by turning them onto other people and that’s what they’re doing for us. I mean we are all for sure; I we are extremely grateful for that.

12. What is the best part about being in this band?

Dez: The best part of being in a band? Is being able to play music I love to take the stage I love all of that and I love the road I do, but I’m the kind of guy that can sit back here and say nothing for 4 hours that’s just me.

13. How long do you see yourselves doing this? What do you want to accomplish with DevilDriver?

Dez: Accomplishment for me I think is in the journey because you don’t know what the destination is and any kind of accomplishment is in the journey and how long I want to do this? I want to do this until my health fails me, which could be 40 but who knows give me 50 years.

14. How does it feel to headline this year’s “Thrash and Burn Tour” and are you guys getting along with everyone? What is expected after this tour?

Dez: Ya Thrash and Burn is good totally diverse bill most bands wouldn’t go on a tour like this because it’s all hardcore bands completely separate genre I mean for us we’re not scared to test the waters and go out with different bands and different people. After this, we are going to Europe with Behemoth for about 6 or 7 weeks and then going with Lamb of God to Austria and then trying to do Japan and Hawaiian by ourselves then we’re gonna start at the end of January net year and we’re already booking to the end of 2010 way into 2011.

15. Any last words?

Dez: Any last words? Never there is no last words.

Written and interviewed By: Natalie Perez

1. The name of the band Blacklist Union is interesting to say the least and sounds as if there is a story behind it. Where did the name come from and what is the story?

Tony: The band name comes from well most bands nowadays that are successful I could be standing next to some dude from Incubus I would have no idea who he is. it goes back to the whole rock star environment when rock n roll was insane man. I grew up worshipping the outlaws of rock n roll I was 11 years old when “Appetite for Destruction” came out and I just wanted to be that rock n roll outlaw ya know. Like Scott Weiland, Axl, and rock that element ya know. It was based on, a couple of guys in a band having bad reputations and being misunderstood for the whole outlaws of rock.

2. Can you briefly summarize how the band formed and what you do in Blacklist Union?

Tony: I formed the band in 2004 and I’m the singer for the band and we went through our shares with up and downs and member changes and record deals. Having a band is like having a marriage it takes a few times to get it right.

3. Your lyrics are infused with heavy detail and raw emotion. What is it that normally gives you inspiration when writing lyrics and is there a concept behind the music you create?

Tony: All of our lyrics are real and every single song I have has been about an experience in my life. “After The Mourning,” that title comes from an inspiration of a girlfriend of mine that was killed in an auto accident and right after we released “After The Mourning,” 10 days later came out my Ex-wife died. Ya know we have a new song “Sixty Five Steps Away” which is about how many steps away it is from my x wifes grave to my x girlfriends. So as I was saying all of our songs are based on tragedy or addiction or love to the birth of my son it’s all about real life events. I try to keep it real because it’s not just about putting together some words that sounds cool it’s all about real life stuff and situations.

4. Your new album “Breakin Bread with the Devil,” is coming out how has the reactions been thus far? What can fans expect when they listen to your music?

Tony: They can expect kick ass high energy rock n roll with hooks and real raw good melodies good guitar work with great vocals if you’re into rock like Buckcherry, Avenged Sevenfold you’ll love Blacklist Union. Actually the title “Breakin Bread with the Devil,” what that means is inviting the wrong people into your life and into your heart. It has nothing to do with the devil actually. We’ve been banned from a few Christian college stations because they won’t play it because they think were devil worshippers.

5. You have several music videos for the songs “After The Mourning,” “Breakin Bread with the Devil,” and “Sixty Five Steps Away,” can you give a brief summary on how it all came together.

Tony: “After The Mourning,” was our first video was shot by a guy named Mark Racco he’s worked with other bands Stone Temple Pilots, Nirvana, Guns N Roses, and the second video is the title track “Breakin Bread with the Devil,” and was done by film student it’s an amazing video. We just did a video for “Sixty Five Steps Away,” which was very heavy for me, I remember filming that video and I got very choked up its about how many steps away my Ex-Girlfriend’s grave is from my Ex-Wife’s and to find love after walking thru the darkness.

6. Many of your songs are so hard and intense that I am sure they translate well into a live setting taking on a whole new life in front of a live audience. How does it make you feel when the emotion and power that you envisioned in the recording studio, come to life while playing in front of a crowd?

Tony: It makes me feel grateful and amazed we have the best fans the first time I saw people singing the lyrics we were playing in Washington D.C. and the whole crowd was singing the lyrics it was amazing. It was such a moment for me, we are a great live band, we deliver live if you can’t deliver live then you can’t deliver at all. Anybody can do anything in the studio. Live is where it’s at. If you come to a live show then you’re going to get a kick ass show for sure!

7. What are the upcoming plans for Blacklist Union?

Tony: We just got a new management company, called the Campbell/Howell Group out of Nashville ,and we have been talking to several people about setting up a tour and getting us a good record deal. That’s why we’ve been sticking around L.A. We just played Memphis and played Georgia last year. We’d like to head around the world, like Europe and Japan have become real big on us.

8. How has MYSPACE and the internet impacted your band and do you think downloading helps or hinders the artists?

Tony: MySpace is an amazing business tool it’s helped us connect with people fans of rock music and business contacts through there and I think it’s amazing. As far as downloads and stuff like that when you’re paying $1.00 a song that’s fine, but taking artist’s music for free the artist should have their share too. Like if we put out a record offer a few free downloads and then they can go and buy the record ya know?

9. What is the toughest lesson you ever learned in the studio and on the stage?

Tony: Probably be don’t sing too hard.

10. What bands would you like to tour with and who has been your favorite to tour with this far?

Tony: I’d like to tour with Buckcherry, Saliva, Avenged Sevenfold, Turbonegro, is a great band I love. We played this event “Rock on the Bayou” in Houston last year with a lot of bands I’ve never heard of, but childhood influences I heard every now and then. Recently we opened up for Duff McKagans Loaded who personally requested us to open for him, back at the Viper Room out in Hollywood a few months ago. We are definitely a new age rock band.

11. Every band has its musical influences. What are some of the other bands and artists that have greatly influenced you guys and your music?

Tony: For me personally my biggest influence growing up was a guy named Andrew Wood, the singer of MotherLove Bone he was one of the biggest influences for me as a singer. Some others include Scott Weiland, Alice in Chains, Jane’s Addiction, and the Cult. As far as musically goes a lot of us are into punk rock and high octane rock. If you had to put us into a category it would be along the lines of Buckcherry or Avenged Sevenfold those type of bands.

12. What’s your reaction when/if a fan told you a very meaningful statement such as “Your music changed my life?” Has this ever happened to you?

Tony: That’s happened to me several times and its one of the most touching things. If I could touch one person’s life I’ve done my job. I was a kid that needed to be saved by music. With my childhood the way it was that means the world to me. When that happens I get choked up that is a beautiful moment when it happens.

13. All of that passion that you play with must be tough on you physically. How do you prepare for the physical demands of a tour?

Tony: I do a lot of hiking in Griffin Park, brutal up hill and downhill cardio and eat healthy and drink a lot of water.

14. Anything else you’d like to add?

Tony: Let me think of that one for a second…. I appreciate all the people that have been supporting us through all the ups and downs and we play our music for them and it means so much that we’ve sold over 10,000 records completely on our own .We do so well at shows. And last but certainly I want to say I love Aboo……..

Written and interviewed by: Natalie Perez

The body of pop icon, Michael Jackson, was carried in a gold casket that cost as much as a luxury car.  Eleven thousand of Jackson’s fans lined up to say their last goodbyes to the King of Pop.  Stars like Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant of the Lakers (whose home court is the Staples Center), Mariah Carey, Berry Gordy and so many others came to pay tribute and perform.  It was a gala that would fit the President of the United States.

After the dust cleared, and the people went back to their normal lives, what was left was a 1.2 million dollar bill from this memorial that needs to be paid.  It was decided by the Jackson family to allow a public memorial, which wasn’t necessary or demanded.  They could have had a small public service for Michael Jackson, but instead, they went large.  That bill is now in debate of who should pay- the city and people of Los Angeles, or the Jackson family.

Personally, I am disgusted because today Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles refused to let the Jackson family pay and now the tax payers of Los Angeles must pay.  

Michael Jackson was a great performer, and seen by some as a real humanitarian.  Jackson did, however, partake in some majorly controversial behavior which got him charged for child molestation, and some people believe he is still guilty despite the ruling of the courts.  Those people may hate or dislike Jackson, but now have to pay for his memorial.  I liked him as a performer but if I had to pay for his memorial, I would be very upset.

The Jackson family may have come from poor roots, but today they aren’t poor.  They have multi-platinum, Grammy winner, Queen of Pop Janet Jackson in the family, and they are still collecting on the millions they receive in royalties from The Jackson Five era. They also have LaToya Jackson who made a lot of money as an actress.  Michael Jackson’s newly released album and past albums are flying off the shelves; the King of Pop made more since his death then he did in the last three years.  The family has enough to pay for the tribute with Michael Jackson’s earnings alone.  They are not hurting for money and in my opinion should pay for the tribute that wasn’t a mandatory thing, nor did it have to be that large.

Right now California is bankrupt, and they are offering IOUs and such to schools and other government agencies to keep them going.  They are somewhere in the five billion dollar range in debt.  The city of Los Angeles is no better off, in fact, it’s one of the worst cities in debt in the state, but now they are going to pay for Jackson’s funeral when they can’t pay their living employees?  Come on Mayor Antonio, if the Jacksons were piss poor broke I could see it as a good gesture, but they have the money and should pay, not the citizens of your city.  It’s not fair to make people that hated or loathed the man to pay their hard earned money for his funeral; it just isn’t right.  Just another example of why California is having so many problems.

The tour goes through 32 stops which are:

Susquehanna Bank Center – Camden, NJ
Blossom Music Center – Cuyahoga Falls, OH
First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre – Tinley Park, IL
White River Amphitheatre – Auburn, WA
The Amphitheatre At Clark County – Ridgefield, WA
Shoreline Amphitheatre – Mountain View, CA
The Joint @ Hard Rock Hotel and Casino – Los Vegas, NV
USANA Amphitheatre – West Valley City, UT
Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre – Englewood, CO
Journal Pavilion – Albuquerque, NM
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion – The Woodlands, TX
Superpages.com Center – Dallas, TX
Sprint Center -Kansas City, MO
Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre St. Louis – Maryland Heights, MO
Verizon Wireless Music Center – Noblesville, IN
Riverbend Music Center – Cincinnati, OH
DTE Energy Music Theatre – Clarkson, MI
Post Gazette Pavilion – Burgettstown, PA
PNC Bank Center – Holmdel, NJ
Comcast Center – Mansfield, MA
Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheatre – Virginia Beach, VA
Nissan Pavilion – Bristow, VA
Time Warner Cable Center @ Walnut Creek – Raleigh, NC
Cruzan Ampitheatre- West Palm Beach, FL
Ford Ampitheatre- Tampa, FL
Verizon Wireless Ampitheatre – Charlotte, NC
Saratoga Performing Arts Center – Saratoga Springs, NY
Toyota Pavilion – Scranton, PA
Darien Lake Performing Arts Center – Darien Lake, NY

1. Both Michael and Elvis were crowned early in their careers “King” of Rock N Roll and King of Pop.
2. Both Michael and Elvis were known for their exotic dance moves: Elvis with his hip thrusts and Michael with his moon walk.
3. Both Michael and Elvis wore exotic outfits on stage, it became their symbol.  Elvis was known for his jumpsuits with the cape and scarfs that he would give to the audience, Michael was known for other great costumes and the one glove.
4. They are both considered one of the greatest entertainers of all time.
5. Michael and Elvis came from humble and poor surroundings, rising up to stardom.
6. Michael Jackson married Elvis’s daugher Lisa Marie.  Lisa Marie was the Princess of Rock N Roll, and gained the title Queen of Pop while married to Michael.
7. Both Elvis and Michael were HUGE in the 60s and 70s.
8. Michael’s home and Elvis’s home are LEGENDARY, and both have a title… Elvis is Graceland, and Michael’s is Neverland Ranch.
9. Since his death, people are already saying they are seeing the ghost of Michael, and Graceland is reported to be haunted by the ghost of Elvis.
10. Both set the example for their respected genre’s of music.
11. If the autopsy confirms what we already know, both Elvis and Michael would have died from a drug overdose at their home, dying from Cardiac Arrest.
12. Both had a royal like funeral with millions of people watching.
13. Both were about to start a tour and died days before that tour started, each tour had to refund the ticket holders that pre purchased tickets.

Poised for one of the greatest come back tours ever, after a long hiatus due to molestation allegations, the King of Pop sold out each venue across the world.  Tickets were flying off the shelves at $100.00 starting price.  Jackson himself noted how great it would be and how excited he was to finally perform again.  So what happened?  The death of Jackson caused promoters to return millions and millions of dollars back to the fans who purchased tickets, and suicide seemed out of the question because of the work Jackson put into this up coming “Farewell” tour.

So if it wasn’t suicide, what happened?  After two autopsies that could not determine a cause of death (disease, illness etc.) the finger then points to the doctors Jackson was seeing.  He currently has over a $100,000.00 tab at his pharmacy.  One of his doctors was there when he want into cardiac arrest at his Los Angeles home.  It was this very doctor that called 911.  Supposedly this doctor gave him a very fatal shot of Demerol.  It’s also known that Jackson was on Xanax and another major anti-depressant that if combined, could be fatal.  Was the reason for Jackson’s death a drug overdose by a greedy doctor or was it the doctor didn’t know what Jackson was on.  Rumors are now flying that Jackson wanted some very powerful sleeping pills and most doctors refused to give it to him, but Michael Jackson being Michael Jackson managed to get his hands on them.

In the end, the doctor fled Jackson’s house leaving his car at the residence.  Since this doctor fled by foot, this leads me to think he is guilty of something.  If he really didn’t know what Jackson was on and gave him something that interacted with the other, that doctor would have had no problem staying and saying what he had given him and so on.

Michael Jackson has been around a lot of crooked doctors, for instance with his nose.  Many doctors said that the surgery he wanted and the amount of surgeries on his nose would cause permanent damage that could not be reversed.  Jackson fished the big pond till he found one that took the money and did the surgery anyway.  Was this the same for his pain management?  Only time will tell.

That leaves us with the man and his legend.  Jackson started out as a cute young ten year old singing with his brothers on the Ed Sullivan Show in The Jackson Five.  Producing hits like “ABC,” “I’ll Be There,” “Stop The Love,” and so many other catchy tunes that marked the 60s and 70s.  When Jackson went out on his own, giving up the security of The Jackson Five, he showed the world he meant business.  Jackson took to some disco/dance mixes in the late 70s, then in the early 80s made his iconic nature complete.

Jackson sealed the deal with his infamous “moonwalk” dance, combined with the famed Thriller CD.  His choreography, dance mixes, and songs made him a performer like no other.  People demanded him, loved him and wanted to be him.  He would go on to make notable #1 hits like “Billie Jean,” “Black And White,” “Man In The Mirror,” “Heal The World,” and so many more great songs that topped the Billboard charts.  Before the 80s were over Michael Jackson was already a hall of fame bound artist, and now, with his untimely death, he is sure to be one.

In the late 90s into the early 21st century, Jackson had some personal problems; people started to doubt his sanity and accused him of molesting children.  Two cases we know were settled out of court, with some very damning evidence against him that caused California to ban the payoff of any molestation case and deemed it the Jackson clause.  Shortly after that, Jackson married the King of Rock’s daughter Pricilla Presley.   The marriage did not last long.  He then married again and had two children with his second wife.  After their quick romance fell through, he had another child with a surrogate mother.

Jackson would often cover his children’s faces with cloth which made people really wonder about the King of Pop.  Jackson swears it was to protect their identity.  He also was video taped dangling his child off a balcony in Brussels, almost dropping the infant, which shocked the world with horror.  In the latter part of the 1st decade of the 21st century, Jackson would be accused of two more child molestation charges, both of which he was acquitted of.

Jackson struggled in the last few years of his life, but his fans loved him.  Usually when someone is accused of such heinous crimes against children it doesn’t take long to become a single grain of sand lost in a vast ocean of emptiness.  However, that was not the case for Jackson.  It really surprised me how people didn’t care what he did with those children, guilty or not, they wanted him and loved him more and more.  For Jackson he has fans and enemies, but no matter what he is one of the greatest song writers, stage performers, choreographers and musicians of our time  Without him, we may not have the kind of music we do today.  Nobody can take that from him, and we will all be smiling when he makes the Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall Of Fame.

Ironically, Jackson once told Pricilla Presley he will die just like her dad.  If he did, in fact, die of drugs, that will be the exact same scenario.  More ironically they were both classified as “Kings” in their titles, and their popularity is still as high today as it was in life.  Both Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson, upon death, had their CDs and now MP3s sell out in the moment their death was announced, and both icons will forever be the obsession of the music lover.  Jackson will be missed and our sympathies go out to his family, and children.

As a producer Macek understands exactly how a good mix works, and the beauty it produces when done correctly.  Mixing the song is just like mixing paint for Macek, only the final product is art for the heart and the auditory senses.  When he mixes songs, Macek takes what works and makes it perfect.  His brother Bill will tell you that Frank Macek is a perfectionist with his work and has no problem scrapping something and starting over if it gets a better final product.

Macek is no stranger to music, especially on the production end. He is a Grammy nominated producer, writer, engineer and programmer.  He has a resume that would make many envious, some of those names are Grammy award winner India Arie, Ice Cube – Kill At Will, Death Certificate, Predator, King Tee-The Triflin’ Album, DJ Pooh- Del The Funky Homosapien, Yo Yo – Black Pearl, Quincy Jones III- The Fresh Prince Of Bel Aire – Tevin Campbell – Strawberry Letter 23 (REMIX), 2 Pac – Strictly For My Niggaz.  A resume with those names and albums are certainly impressive.

Today, Frank Macek’s main work is with his young nephews, Casey and Riley of Holes And Hearts.  Macek signed them to his record label, Mongrol Records and painstakingly molded them into the success they are today along with his brother Bill, Casey and Riley’s father.  With his leadership, connections and attention to detail, Macek helped the boys release a sure fire hit, “Holes And Hearts”  which was their debut CD.  He helped them receive endorsements from some incredible guitar manufacturers, and he had a hand in making his nephews one of the official spokes bands for “Rock Against Homelessness.”

Mongrol records is now moving to the Los Angeles area where he hopes to obtain some new talents that he can mold and shape into future successes.  This move is also to help Holes and Hearts in the entertainment capital of the world, where resources are at his fingertips.

This new label, combined with the proven success of Macek’s past will surely provide an incredible outlet for any rising bands of tomorrow. To obtain his services, simply visit his MySpace page www.myspace.com/mongrolrecords

Ina Gada Da Vida

Ever wonder how they got this name, honestly you’d have to be pretty messed up to think of something like that and they were.  The band’s lead singer had a few too many drinks one night, and talked with a reporter who asked them what the name of their new song was.  In a reply he said, Ina Gada Da Vida, which was drunk talk for In The Garden Of Eden.  The band actually liked the screwed up gibberish and made it the title of their new song.

Once, Twice, Three Times a Lady

Did this ever make sense to you?  Well, I heard from Scott Shannon on his radio station exactly how Lionel Richie came up with this song.  He was at his parents for a celebration, their wedding anniversary.  His dad got up and made a toast, and in it mentioned, she is once, twice, three times a lady.  Lionel thought, dang, that would make a great song; and he was right.  That song topped the charts upon its release.

In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed

The Alman Brothers made a musical tribute to Elisabeth Reed, but who is she?  Is she related to them some how?  Nope, they never met her at all.  She died in the late 1800s and was buried in the cemetery they would go and jam on.  They loved where she was buried and would jam on her grave.  Imagine this woman helped make Georgia rock legends, just by being in the ground.

Mellow Yellow

You will probably never look at this song right again, its not about a soda.  This song was actually about a vibrating “woman’s” toy.  It came out in the 1960s and was bright yellow.  That’s why it references “electrical banana is sure to be a certain craze.”  They call me Mellow Yellow.  Yea… you get it.

1. The name of the band Fall Of Envy, is interesting to say the least and sounds as if there is a story behind it. Where did the name come from and what is the story?

Michael: We get this question a lot. The name comes from our personalities and how we all have a common dream and desire. And although we are determined to be successful at what we do, we never want to be a band or people that are envious of other’s success and status. So the name is derived from the determination we have to follow our dreams, but we refuse to have this success by trying to take it from someone else. Hence the name Fall Of Envy.

2. Can you briefly summarize how the band formed and what you do in Fall Of Envy?

Greg : The Band formed back in mid 2005. My brother Tommy (Lead Guitarist) and I had played in several previous projects throughout Florida, but moved to Orlando because of the up and coming music scene here. I ran into Michael Baker (lead vocalist) at a starbucks, one day here in Orlando. I had known Michael from one of his earlier projects called Liquid Vinyl, which I was big fan. We arranged to all jam out soon after. Immediately, things gelled and Fall of Envy was born! Though we did go through a few name changes early on. A few months later, Michael recommended we talk to drummer Brandt Frenchmen, also formerly of Liquid Vinyl, to join the band and help strengthen the lineup. Lastly, Brent Venderly joined in early 08 to complete the final arrangement.

3. Your lyrics are infused with heavy detail and raw emotion. What is it that normally gives you inspiration when writing lyrics and is there a concept behind the music you create?

Greg: The lyrics on the album were extremely personal to most of us in the band. We don’t really have a set agenda/concept behind all the material, but a good portion of it does tend to mirror things that are happening in our daily lives.

4. Your new album “Poetic Rage,” is coming out how has the reactions been thus far? What can fans expect when they listen to your music?

Michael: The reactions to the album have been overwhelmingly great. We’ve received such a positive reaction to our music and style that we feel very humbled to be doing what we love to do. Currently we are working more material, and bigger and better ways to put on an exciting live show for our fans.

5. How do you think you will affect the music scene you are part of? What are your thoughts on the growing popularity in it as well?

Michael: We hope to have a huge impact on the music scene in a way that not only separates our sound from anyone else, but will mainly help draw more attention to a music scene in Central Florida that is going unseen. There are so many diverse bands that are very talented; we hope that with any success that we have will only shine more of a light on this great music town.

6. You have a music video for the song “Face To My Fist,” can you give a brief summary on how it all came together.

Michael: Well, first off the song is written about MMA fighting and with members of FOE being huge fans we wanted to write a song that portrayed that. We met a great guy, Mark Moorer with Pitcher Point Productions, and he approached us about doing a video. After discussing different options we decided to use Face To My Fist for our first video since it had such great energy. We were then lucky enough to have Ben Saunders of the UFC, who by the way is in their new video game, agree to be part of the production. We shot everything in 1 day, in a warehouse, and Mark did everything with one camera and some great editing. We are looking forward to our next video very soon.

7. Many of your songs are so hard and intense that I am sure they translate well into a live setting taking on a whole new life in front of a live audience. How does it make you feel when the emotion and power that you envisioned in the recording studio, come to life while playing in front of a crowd?

Brent: I think we really see it the other way around. We are amazed that the emotion and power we poured into our songs while writing and rehearsing, and pour into the songs at every live performance actually translates through in the recording. First and foremost, we are a live rock band and really take pride in every live show. We love being up on stage playing more than anything. Justin Thomas did an amazing job of capturing that in the recording studio and making sure that the recorded songs painted the picture so to speak. But, if you have not seen the live show yet, you are missing a huge part of who we are and what we love to do. It is where everything else stems from.

8. What are the upcoming plans for Fall Of Envy?

Brent:  Probably first on everyone’s mind is touring; we all really want to get out on the road and play some great venues in front of some great fans. Secondly, write the follow up to Poetic Rage. Even though it is new to most people, we are ready to get the next one in the works and bring out some new material. Other than that I think just continue to be ready for any opportunities that come our way and promote, promote, promote, and play more shows. That is really when we are at our best.

9. How has MYSPACE and the internet impacted your band and do you think downloading helps or hinders the artists?

Brent:  MySpace is an amazing tool for us and bands in general. We have a ton of fans today that 10 years ago would never had known about us unless we were signed and accepted by mainstream radio. It is direct distribution/marketing/promotion to your fans. It is immediate, 24/7 and there has never been a promotional tool available like it. It has kind of leveled the opportunity “playing field” for unsigned bands. As far as downloads go, I am not sure if downloads help or hinder, and I am not sure if anyone truly knows yet. There are definitely two sides: Anyone can get your music anywhere anytime whether a record company is behind you or not, and anyone can get your music anytime whether it is paid for or not. The lack of money from CD sales has changed the business A LOT and I think it really remains to be seen what the “new” music business is going to look like.

10. What is the toughest lesson you ever learned in the studio and on the stage?

Tommy: Well, I think we learn something new every time, it’s an ongoing, natural progression! As far as the studio goes, I think it’s important to keep an open mind at all times because you may go into the studio with a clear cut idea of how you want a particular song’s to sound but then take a completely different approach altogether. As far as being on stage, we have learned (through many many shows), that you always have to keep in mind, the reason you’re there is to perform! That means keeping the focal point on the audience…..keep their attention at all times, make them feel involved, get them so amped up to be at your show that they forget about everything else going on in their lives at that particular moment!!!!

11. What bands would you like to tour with and who has been your favorite to tour with this far? Any particular reason?

Tommy: We have been fortunate enough to share the stage with some incredible bands (Papa Roach, Sevendust, Nonpoint, Buckcherry…who are all great bands and great guys, by the way) just to name a few! I’m not sure we necessarily have one particular band we would like to tour with in general. We’re just looking forward to the opportunity to hopefully get on a national/international tour at some point and continue to show people what a good rock show is all about!!!!

12. Every band has its musical influences. What are some of the other bands and artists that have greatly influenced you guys and your music?

Tommy: There’s a whole laundry list of bands who have influenced us but a few that come to mind are: Sevendust, Chevelle, Alice N Chains, Breaking Benjamin & of course, Milli Vinilli…they had mad lip synching skills lol!!!

13. What’s your reaction when/if a fan told you a very meaningful statement such as “Your music changed my life?” Has this ever happened to you?

Brandt: This happens to us on a regular basis and this is why we play music! We are so honored to have the ability to inspire people and help them fight obstacles such as cancer and depression and anything there going through at the time. We strive to change people’s lives with our music.

14. All of that passion that you play with must be tough on you physically. How do you prepare for the physical demands of a tour?

Brandt:  Sleep, diet and lots of exercise!!!!

15. Anything else you’d like to add?

Brandt:  Sure do……. Music is not a factor a thing in the world, but a meaning constituted by human beings. . . . To talk about such experience in a meaningful way demands several things. First, we have to be willing to let the composition speak to us, to let it reveal its own order and significance. . . . Second, we have to be willing to question our assumptions about the nature and role of musical materials. . . . Last, and perhaps most important, we have to be ready to admit that describing a meaningful experience is itself meaningful.

Written by Natalie Perez

1. The name of the band THE SEVEN GATES, is interesting to say the least and sounds as if there is a story behind it. Where did the name come from and what is the story?

Adrien: Well, at first, thank you for noticing this. Actually, we wanted our name to be the reflect of the music we play: powerful, dark, ironic and full of anger.

2. Can you briefly summarize how the band formed and what you do in THE SEVEN GATES?

Adrien: We started in 2005 and basically, it was Vincent and I who found a drummer and then another guitarist. Later on, Adrien joined in as the true guitarist of The Seven Gates and then Kevin, who is a hell of a drummer! Vincent plays bass and does the vocals, and I’m also a guitarist.

3. Your lyrics are infused with heavy detail and raw emotion. What is it that normally gives you inspiration when writing lyrics and is there a concept behind the music you create?

Adrien: Not really.. I write lyrics about what irritates me, what upsets me, what pisses me off about human nature. But we’re always on the dark side of any matter, because this is our nature, our philosophy. Death metal is a true way of life, I think.

4. Your new album “Angel Of Suffering,” is coming out how has the reactions been thus far? What can fans expect when they listen to your music?

Adrien: We are a death metal band, so they’re going to hear death metal!  For the moment, the responses have been pretty good so far, we’re quite happy with this.

5. How do you think you will effect the music scene you are part of? What are your thoughts on the growing popularity in it as well?

Adrien: If I knew, I could tell, but for the moment, I haven’t got the remotest idea! Anyway, our goal is simply to write and play the music we enjoy, no matter what people think, you know? This is a extremely egocentric pleasure, and after that, if someone likes it, fine! But I’m very enthusiastic about our songs, regardless of if we shall become “tomorrow’s band” or not.

6. You guys are from France what is the local music scene like there? Any bands you’d recommend?

Adrien: Sure! Give a listen to our friends from Offending and Mithridatic, these are killer outfits! Many good bands are poppin out here and there.

7. Many of your songs are so hard and intense that I am sure they translate well into a live setting taking on a whole new life in front of a live audience. How does it make you feel when the emotion and power that you envisioned in the recording studio, come to life while playing in front of a crowd?

Adrien: Haha! Nice question! Yes, you are absolutely right! The feeling is intense! Releasing power and getting a raging response is the most insanely intense experience you can have as a band! I just love it!

8. What are the upcoming plans for THE SEVEN GATES?

Adrien: We are being in an European tour setting process, and should also play across France later this fall. Also, we’re working on new songs that should be hundred percent better than the previous ones. To tell you the truth, we just finished writing a brand new track yesterday with my band mate Adrien, and are very excited about it!

9. How has MYSPACE and the internet impacted your band and do you think downloading helps or hinders the artists?

Adrien: Myspace and internet in general are very useful as a media. It did help a lot finding shows dates and a label. As far as downloading goes, well.. I guess you can not avoid people to do so, but I’m not sure it does help the band to have their albums downloaded in their entirety.

10. What is the toughest lesson you ever learned in the studio and on the stage?

Adrien: “Never take anything as granted”.

11. What bands would you like to tour with and who has been your favorite to tour with this far? Any particular reason?

Adrien: I guess I’d love to tour with bands I listen to, like Hate Eternal, Nile, Behemoth.. And I enjoyed playing with Offending, Mithridatic, Brutal Rebirth, Blazing War Machine and many more… also, Goddamn were cool to play with, they are nice guys and do their stuff 100%.

12. Every band has its musical influences. What are some of the other bands and artists that have greatly influenced you guys and your music?

Adrien: Well, I think guitarists like Tony Iommi, Randy Rhoads may have been an influence to me.. Also bands like Slayer, Possessed, Repulsion.. But I have been listening to many different things untill now, and I can not tell that Chopin, Mozart or Beethoven haven’t been subconsciously acting on my musical ideal!

13. What’s your reaction when/if a fan told you a very meaningful statement such as “Your music changed my life?” Has this ever happened to you?

Adrien:Yes it did. It’s cool to hear.. At this point, you can tell yourself that your inner fire burns through music! But actually, our music also changed OUR lives! For real.

14. All of that passion that you play with must be tough on you physically. How do you prepare for the physical demands of a tour?

Adrien: Yes it is pretty much of a challenge to play our tracks.. but it’s a lot of fun to perform! And it requires a long warm-up time before we play.

15. Anything else you’d like to add?

Adrien: Thank you very much for your interest in The Seven Gates! Come and meet the band on stage! This is where lies the truth. Rage!

Written by Natalie Perez

Everyone is born with something special; a gift, that will help change the world. That gift could be simply speaking your mind to change or challenge the status quo. It may be art that makes the world pleasing to the eye, or you may be a musician where someone can relate to your song which helps them feel better. No matter your gift, it’s yours to share. Some gifts don’t show right away because you may not have known what your gift was. Sometimes you know the gift because it was something that came naturally, without instruction of how or why. Sometimes it takes practice and skill to hone in on your gift, and once you’ve perfected it, watch out world.

For Tinton Falls, NJ native Amber Nicol, music is her gift. She was lucky enough to be born into a musical family; her mother played a lot of folk music such as Jim Croce and James Taylor, while her father was the rocker who loved classic rock, especially Eric Clapton. Amber remembers her father loved the electric guitar, the crazy riffs, and the physical emotional rock conveys. With a blend of music in the house, Amber grew up in a well-rounded musical environment that helped mold her into the musical artist she is today.

At first, Amber was a writer. She recalls the wonderful times she had writing poetry and sonnets. Those documents were very dear and intimate to her because they showed her true emotions, something Amber felt best if left private. As she grew up she realized that others could relate to her lyrics and poems, and that she wasn’t alone. It was then that Amber started to share her work and transform those heartfelt emotions in lyrical form into the wonderful songs she sings today.

Since Amber wasn’t into the music scene at first, it was something she has taught herself and picked up a few classes to help along the way. In order for her to successfully tell her tales she wrote onto a crumpled piece of paper, she would have to learn how to strum her emotions formally donned by the pen, into the guitar. At the age of seventeen, Amber’s mother gave her an Ibanez acoustic guitar for her birthday. It was one of her favorite gifts growing up. Now she had the utensil to define herself as an artist and to seal her future in the musical arts, though she may not have known it at the time. Amber is mostly self taught when it comes to her guitar, although she did study the classical guitar with Professor John Demas at HCC. She currently studies voice with Carlo Thomas in Sarasota. She majored in music composition when she was in college, a fitting subject for a lyrics writer. Knowing how to compose lyrics around a melody or vice versa, is not an easy task to undertake so in the end this line of study would help her understand music and how songs are compiled.

The start of her professional career comes at the hand of her partner in crime, her younger brother Charlie Nicol. No matter what the future brings, Charlie and Amber will always work together playing original works as well as covers.

Charlie is a self taught drummer who is incredible on the instrument. He also is a self taught guitar player and an overall connoisseur of music. Amber and Charlie started to do some acoustic shows in Brooksville, FL and a few charitable shows, where most of the proceeds went to the Humane Society Of Hernando. They started to get tired of the acoustic scene and recently decided to move in a new direction for their music.

Back in 2008, Amber met a drummer named Nick. Nick, Charlie and Amber would get together regularly to just jam out some tunes. Eventually they realized they wanted to get serious and in order to do so, they needed a bass player. Ironically, Nick’s brother Patrick, or better known as “Patches,” played the bass. It was a match made in heaven because Charlie and Amber are siblings and so are the drummer and bassist.

In January of 2009, this group of inspiring musicians started the band called Better In Black And White. Right now if you want to see them play, you may have to wait a few months; they are only playing as a group doing original songs once every few months. It’s easier to catch Amber and Charlie doing covers at local events and pubs across the state of Florida.

The sound to Better In Black And White is an eclectic mix of modern rock with a hint of classic rock and a blues influence. The band is focused on their originals right now. Amber Nicol is currently working on her solo debut album. That album has yet to have a name to it, but Amber says that it will have a nice blend of sounds and a well-rounded number of ballads such as “Dancin’ With You,” and jam songs like “Never Been Good With Goodbyes.” When I asked her about the possibility of not having enough songs, Amber replied, “Not a chance, I have enough copyrighted material to fill three full length CDs.”

Amber’s new album is co-written musically with Miguel Gonzalez, who has put together great albums with Saigon Kick, Brian Howe and 16 Second Stare to name a few. His talents, mixed with the talents of Amber and Charlie Nicol, and the production by Miguel’s studio Purple Studio Productions, will make this CD a hot commodity once it’s released.

It just goes to show you no matter what life throws your way, if you’re determined enough, you can make things happen and accomplish the impossible. Amber’s love for song writing for herself and anyone that needs a co-writer, and her love for music, have kept things together proving her talent and purpose on this earth wasn’t just to look cute, but to make amazing music for those who listen can relate to.

If you want to hear their music as it progresses, see their MySpace page at www.myspace.com/amberlynnnicol or Better In Black And White at www.myspace.com/betterinblackwhite (stay tuned for their new website coming soon.)

Photography by HME Photography (Picture 2 Right Column)

How long have you been playing the piano? Did you take lessons or did it come naturally?
I’ve been playing the piano for fourteen years and that all started when I asked my parents for lessons. My dad showed me the notes and a couple songs. When I walked up to a Radio Shack keyboard display and gave an impromptu performance, my parents knew it was time for lessons.

I grew up seeing Barry Manilow behind the piano everytime I saw him at a concert or on television. The fact that my dad also played piano was a significant influence. While professional musicianship runs in families, it really didn’t in my family; he just played for fun.

Well, it gives me a whole different dynamic of expression compared with six strings on a guitar. It has been a defining element to my sound as an artist and to my performance on the stage. Except for rock gods like Eddie Van Halen or Slash, it’s hard to create a unique element for a guitar-playing artist.

What positives can you contribute to someone taking up an instrument?

Are you familiar with the “my parents make me sit inside on a hot summer day to practice the violin for three hours” allegory, as on the TV show King of the Hill? Well, I see taking up an instrument as just the opposite of that. It should feel like a liberation of expression rather than a prison sentence. There are many children (or parents for that matter) that do it for all the wrong reasons. As for a great positive, I can say that the skills I developed learning an instrument have wired me to be successful in a classroom setting, especially in math and reading.

I’ll give you a couple of quick takes since there’s too many (about 18,000 songs on the iPod). Brian Wilson – He’s taught me everything I’ve ever known about harmony just through his records. Bob Dylan – There are songs, and then there are Bob Dylan songs. I realized music was much more than verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge. I learned from Bob Dylan that there always should be substance. Even if it feels ambiguous, I now feel inspired to create deeper meaning in everything. Barry Manilow – Any good musician appreciates his body of work. Anybody beginning to play pop is told to never start with Manilow because of his chord changes and modulations. Since he was the first artist whose work I really studied as a pop musician, my standard of music was at a much higher level earlier on.

Your talent surpasses your age of just seventeen, but what’s amazing are your accomplishments thus far. Please tell me about a few of your most notable accomplishments such as TV appearances, concerts, awards, etc..

I tell anybody looking to start in the music industry that it is a crap shoot. For every major credit on my resume, there are at least a hundred of dismal failures. I showed up at every audition I could find in the trade paper or online. I made the audition reel on American Idol Juniors back in 2003, which gave me a fifteen minute national spotlight. I made it on Entertainment Tonight and MTV based on that moment alone. I also made it on to America’s Most Talented Kids after months of going city-to-city to audition. Ironically, they discovered me through a video tape submission. During my season, Jordin Sparks was on the show, and she’s gone on to many big things. After that success, I took on the initiative to create a website for when people started Googling my name. After five years online, barryharrismusic.com is now the fourth thing you see on Google for me.

Lately, my attention has been focused on my MySpace page. I jumped on the bandwagon and really discovered the potential of the Internet. I have 16,000 friends now and 200,000 views. From there, I’ve been able to use that as a platform for my most recent endeavor.

Yeah, I write much of my own material, but you won’t hear them in most of my shows. I had to face it, people just really didn’t care for the songs they didn’t know. I like to stick to most of my interpretations of other songs for the most part. However, I don’t stop writing. I have long periods where I don’t finish much of what I write or don’t record much, but I never stop. To be a writer, you have to be more perceptive than the average person. I’ve stopped in mid-conversation a few times to run for a piece of paper when I’ve inadvertently been inspired to write something. There’s really no source in particular.

I know you have a CD- tell me a little bit about it. What are some of your favorite songs, and why.

I should say that that particular CD keeps evolving. I replace older tracks with newer ones as I create them. It creates a great gift for family and friends when I need to get rid of my old CDs {laughs}. Two favorites are “Handle with Care,” which was originally done by the Traveling Wilburys. I knew I had become a genuine vocalist when I was able to completely nail Roy Orbison’s solo part in that song. It is such a great song to open with. Also, I like “I Can Hear Music.” That juxtaposes elements of the Ronettes’ and The Beach Boys’ versions; the harmonies are spot-on.

At this point, the CD I sell at my shows is a compilation of tracks that I recorded for my MySpace page. But little by little, I’ve been previewing work-in-progress mixes for an actual album I have in the pipeline. It’s all original, and I plan to vary the styles from song to song. There’s a few songs partially recorded and some that I need to finish writing, but I got the main idea fleshed-out. I recorded an original song called “Can We Get It Back” at Capitol Studios last summer. To prove that stuff is coming, I put a video of the recording sessions as edited by my friend on my YouTube page. That’ll be more on a grand scale; I get it up on iTunes and everything.

Well, I’d have to say the Hollywood Bowl. It’s one of those places that have that special vibe. Funny story though, I actually have been on the stage at the Hollywood Bowl several times. Of course, it was in front of an empty sea of seats, but I know that is not far from reality.

I’m a big fan of classic rock. There was a time from the 1950s-1970s where everything was about pushing the boundaries of music. I’m talking about Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix, and others in that vein. Every artist that I listen to has a tremendous impact. My latest additions to my iPod have been the catalog of Neil Young, David Bowie, John Mellencamp, and the Grateful Dead. The next batch of songs I write will probably show a big influence from those artists. My most recent batch of songs to date reflects an influence from Bruce Springsteen, the Beach Boys, and George Michael in my opinion.

Actually, I really don’t. I had a period when I decided that I was wasting my childhood away. I took a little break with my writing. But after time away, I realized that I missed the music. I missed recording, and I missed writing. My time is spent organizing my iTunes library and keeping up on current events. I am a big news junkie.

Well, I opted to put a big amount of effort into my school work because I felt that it would be my ticket to a good college with a good music program. In the process, I have become involved in activities; I anchor our school’s morning news program. It makes it so much more fun if you’re involved.

That said, I was admitted to the University of Southern California for the fall 2009 semester. I’ll be majoring in Popular Music Performance, which is designed to explore the fundamentals of pop music. It’s the first of its kind in the nation. This really appears to be a revolution in music education, and I’m proud to be a part of it.

I hope that they keep coming back because they enjoy what they hear. A big part of being an artist is building a brand with which people can identify. Certainly, if there were other people out there who are exactly who I am as an artist, they wouldn’t keep coming back for more.

What does legacy mean to you?  What do you want your legacy to be?
I know that artists come and go, but I hope to prove that I am here to stay. I want to go out and define my idea of success and make it happen on my own terms. I want people to always remember that I never compromise and I do what I love to do everyday.

1. First off, thank you guys for taking the time to do this interview. Seems like this year has been really big for you guys, “Waking Into Nightmares” is causing quite a buzz and has been met with high praise. Did you guys think that the album was going to be so well received?

John: We were hoping so! It’s not out yet so we can’t tell for sure, but we think that the band became much stronger musicians between the first and second albums and that it shows.

2. What was the writing process like with “Waking Into Nightmares,” compared to your debut CD? What were some of your greatest influences when writing “Waking Into Nightmares”?

John: The influences were similar to the first album; we already had a sound figured out and at this point are mostly drawing on our own internal ideas to expand upon it. The writing process was very different because we had a little over 2 months to do this one, whereas the first we had almost 4 years.

3. If you had to explain Warbringer to someone who has never heard any of your music, how would you explain it? What sets your band apart from any similar band in your genre?

John: I would describe our music as being directly focused on maximum aggression and intensity. I think we set ourselves apart from most thrash bands with a few things; we have a bit more death metal in the rhythms, but sometimes more melodic playing in the leads. We also try to keep our song arrangements really compact, and try to blend our favorite qualities of our influences without sounding directly like them.

4. Where did you guys come up with the name Warbringer and how did the band come to be? Why the switch up from Onslaught to Warbringer?

John: I wish people would stop asking about this! We never recorded or performed under the name onslaught, hell, we didn’t even have a full lineup. For all intents and purposes the band was never called anything but Warbringer.

5. Do you ever get tired or annoyed by hearing the same questions from Journalists?

John: Depends, the last one yes! Usually though it is not a big deal.

6. What should your fans expect from you the rest of 2009?

John: More tours, more violence! We plan to tour as much and as many places as we can the rest of this year.

7. What is your favorite Warbringer song?

John: There are a few. I like “Combat Shock,” “Total War,” “Shoot to Kill,” Severed Reality,” “Abandoned by Time,” “Forgotten Dead,” a lot. It’s too hard to narrow it down.

8. What are some of your most eagerly awaited releases this year? What are your all-time favorite albums and all-time favorite guilty pleasure albums?

John: N/A.

9. How is the current tour been treating you, how have the fans been reacting to the new material as to your old material.

John: The tour with Kreator and Exodus has been amazing so far! People have been reacting great to all of our material, old and new.

10. After this current tour is over any other tours you have in store, I’d like to see you guys go out with Avenger Of Blood, again.

John: That’s not a question! But we are doing that in June, we are doing some shows with them around the west. You are in luck!

11. So your main theme by the looks of it revolves around the war?

John: Yes and no. We have less war themed songs on this second album. I like to write about all things destructive, aggressive, or demoralizing, and war is certainly one of those things.

12. Who do you think is the wildest while out on the road.

John: In our band? Ben. He rages like a mad beast sometimes. The rest of us are usually pretty mellow dudes.

13. What is one thing you have yet to accomplish as Warbringer?

John: Go to South America! Go to Japan! Go to Russia! All kinds of things we are just getting started!

14. Summer flick that you have to see?

John: Well, there is the new terminator coming out, I will definitely have to see that.

15. Anything else you’d like to add?

John: Hammer on! See you out on the road

-John Kevill

(Interviewed and written by Natalie Perez)

We start with Tim, aka “The Judge,” the mastermind of the band, as well as the lead vocals and rhythm guitar. He is from the harsh city of Detroit, which his voice compliments all too well. His “whiskey and nails” sounding vocals can compare to the legendary AC/DC. Tim’s songs are more rough and in your face, with a shake ‘em up kind of style; but when he sings the ballad “Goodbye,” he’ll show you he’s diverse. Tim’s life long dream was to rock out across the United States in a band. He wants to tour and play in every city across the globe; that’s where his heart and vision are for with this band.

Now I move onto Todd Pettus, lead singer and lead guitarist for 16 Second Stare. He hails from the Deep South in Killian, Alabama. Todd grew up with the southern rock style of guitar picking, and was born just down the street from where the legendary Lynard Skynard composed their album in Muscle Shoals, AL. Todd has a smooth mellow voice that is the complete opposite of his fellow band mate Tim. Todd is the lead singer on their first two singles, “Ballad Of Billy Rose” and “Red Carpet Material.”  When asked about the styles of 16 Second Stare Todd states, ” Yeah, we’re two totally different styles that really shouldn’t work together, but we found a way and what we got was something special.”

Where would the band be without their ace drummer Chris “Beano” Davis from Bartow, Florida. Chris is very charismatic and brings a true sense of showmanship when he’s on stage. He’s phenomenal to watch on the drums, almost like he’s in his own world when he’s back there; and the crowd sees it and loves it.

When all is said and done and you combine these three footers of the band together, you get one rockin’ sound that’s so diverse anyone can pick up their songs and find something they like. One reason for that would probably be that they have an unbelievable team of Jeff Tomei and Miguel Gonzalez producing their songs. Jeff  has mixed for The Smashing Pumpkins and other huge notable names, while Miguel has toured with Brian Howe of Bad Company, and produced 90s band “Saigon Kick.”

Since 2006, 16 Second Stare has combined their talents and their dreams and accomplished a lot for a local rural band in Florida. They managed to produce their first ever CD, Red Carpet Material that contains thirteen some hit songs like: “Ballad Of Billy Rose,” “Red Carpet Material,” “Goodbye,” “Roxy,” “Stuck In The Moment,” and “Take Me Back.”  Their CD has a AC/DC, Lynard Skynard sound to it, which comes as no surprise with some songs giving off a rhythm and blues feel. Where else can you find such a diverse CD and it’s no wonder it is becoming such a huge hit with the fans. This CD was released in June of 2008, and is available on their web site or digitally on iTunes and through all major digital music distributors.  Red Carpet Material is distributed by Universal Fontana Records.

Another success they recently accomplished was that they were able to go on a two month tour with Royal Bliss, which took them from Texas to Illinois, and to California and back. They stopped along the way to do a few television appearances on Good Morning San Antonio, and Studio 10 Tampa Bay. They had a radio show in Shreveport, Louisiana and in Mississippi. This tour gained them some much appreciated exposure across this great country, including a 1,300 fan show in Boise, Idaho where the fans mobbed them after their performance. They are anxiously awaiting to rejoin a tour here in May, so check their website as they may be headed your way.

16 Second Stare has also done something no other band has done to date. They donated 10,000 of their CDs to the troops in Iraq and war stricken zones. Tim states that being in the Coast Guard he understands the stress these men are under, therefore he wanted to do this for them so at the end of the day they could have a taste of home to rock out to and release stress. 16 Second Stare completely supports our troops worldwide and thanks them for their unselfish duty, which allows them to make great music for their fans to listen to.

If you like to rock, 16 Second Stare is the band for you. Check them out today at www.16secondstare.com, or on their myspace at www.myspace.com/16secondstare. And if you like their music, be sure to friend them. They always respond to their fans e-mails and it doesn’t come from a third party, it genuinely comes from one of the members of 16 Second Stare. Also, their CD is on sale now at their web site for $9.99 and soon to be in stores.

Blank Tape started around Lennon, who is the lead guitarist. He got together with his friend Efrain, who played bass and they started the band, recruiting members Gabriel and Alan. They had to come up with a name for their new band and settled on Blank Tape. I asked them how they came up with that name, being that it is so unique, and their answer was simple. “Our base player came up with the name; we needed a name quick so we could start promoting and touring. It doesn’t really mean anything, but it was good.” From that point on the boys never looked back.

It’s hard to be in the music business this day in age, with all the competition and illegal downloading, but Blank Tape looks at it as a challenge they are willing to meet head on. They said that their age plays an important role, while sometimes hindering them in this venture. Being under 18, when they get booked at some clubs, they are sometimes cancelled because it’s 18 and older only. In a business where public promotion is key, that is a big problem but these boys don’t let that stop them. Instead, they just keep doing what they do best, and find places around the state that will let them rock their stage.

I, personally, got to watch this band perform live and their stage performance was simply amazing. Those boys know how to rock the stage; they look natural and comfortable up there, yet they thrash and crash their way to your soul. Their music, as they stated, is a eclectic band with the hardcore sounds of punk and metal, with some death metal mixed in. What you get is a tune you can dance, thrash and crunk to. After their performance I talked to some of the people in the crowd about what they thought, and what I got were raves from the young to the adult crowd, even into the ages of 50 and over. If that doesn’t say something about this band, I don’t know what does.

The band has had some recent success over the past few years. What they now can seal into their book of accomplishments is being a two-time Pembroke Pines “Battle Of The Band” winner, and a one-time third place finish in the same competition. The “Battle Of The Band” competition is fierce as it incorporates a blend of different genres, usually a few hundred contestants of amateur and semi-professional levels that all come with one goal- to win. If you have ever seen one of these competitions you’d know what I’m talking about and you’d understand how prestigious it is to win. Blank Tape won it twice. They also opened for the Shelia Wicken Memorial Show, which is a benefit for cancer in South Florida that Johnny Depp actually performed in. That show was made into a documentary which has Blank Tape included in it; not too shabby for a young teenage band.

Probably one of the most worthy accomplishments is the production of their first CD, When The Sun Goes Down. A first CD is the pinnacle of any band because it helps you stand out and shows that you are serious, taking you a step above the garage band to touring band status. It’s something this band is particularly proud of and they rightfully should be. This CD contains original songs written and composed by the boys which shows their diverse sound.

The sky’s the limit for this talented band, especially if they stay as charismatic and energetic on the stage as they are now, while pumping out some great hits like on their first album. This is a band certainly worth checking out. To do just that, see their MySpace page www.myspace.com/blanktaperocks.com or their official website where you can get a link to purchase their CD, and find out more about the band’s tour and news. www.blanktaperocks.com

Despite his success, Phil Spector had a vicious side, especially when he drank.  His estranged wife Ronnie Spector of the Ronettes left him because of his binge drinking and violent past.  Ike and Tina Turner even had their rounds with Mr. Spector.  Even though he was a genius in the studio, Spector was a fierce businessman that many didn’t want to tangle with; it just wasn’t worth the hassle.

In 2003, the hall of fame producer was at a bar where he picked up Lana Clarkson; he took her home to his mansion where she allegedly committed suicide.  Spector’s testimony was that she asked to see his gun, and upon showing it to her, she ate the barrel and pulled the trigger killing herself in his home.

The prosecutor had a different story.  With a parade of witnesses, he told a tale of Spector’s drunken temperament.  The prosecutor claimed that if someone wanted to leave Spector’s mansion and he wasn’t ready to let them go, he would hold the person at gunpoint.

In the first trial, the jury was deadlocked and deemed a mistrial.  Spector got off easy, but was then retried this year in a lesser sentence of second degree murder.  The first trial was indeed for first degree murder which stood to send Spector to death row.

On Monday, April 13, 2009, a jury convicted Mr. Spector of second degree murder of Lana Clarkson.  This sentence could land this hall of fame producer in jail for a minimum of eighteen years; fifteen years for second degree murder and three additional years for using a gun.  It took 30 hours for the jury to come up with their verdict, unlike the week for the first trial.  Spector showed no emotion as the verdict was read, but it’s been said his lawyers would sedate him due to his aggressive nature.

The judge remanded Spector to jail instantly, but his lawyers tried hard to convince the judge to let him go free on bail until the sentencing on May 30^th.  The judge denied the claim and Mr. Spector is sitting in a California prison tonight.

Phil Spector will be 88 when he’s eligible for parole; he has to serve a minimum of eighteen years to life.  He probably will never see the light of day again, and women everywhere can rest easier knowing this crazed maniac is behind bars.

Miss Netta is not only a talented rap artist, but she is also a dancer and choreographer.  She says she loves to dance and enjoys teaching hip hop moves to others.

Miss Netta says she is musically influenced by Beyonce Knowles and hopes to one day become just as famous.  ”I want to pursue my dreams, keep pushing forward and never give up so that I can take care of my family and be happy with my life,” states Miss Netta.  There is no doubt that she is on the right path with her music career.  The popular rapper typically performs at clubs, community events and even at birthday parties.

Be sure to check out Miss Netta live on stage.  She has a strong stage presence, making her energetic shows infectious.  Miss Netta is a definite must-see.

You can view some of Miss Netta’s videos on YouTube, and you can also visit her at www.myspace.com/missnettacute.

If you are interested in booking Miss Netta for a show, or are looking for a skilled choreographer, contact her at gwenettamartin@yahoo.com or at missnetta87@gmail.com.

The heat and brightness of the hot misty air shined down above the hundreds who lived in California and the four members of Papa Roach knew how to keep everyone all nice and cool. By playing some rock music? The band broke into the music scene unleashing upon the masses “Old Friends from Young Years,” (1997) and soon after “Infest,” (2000) that lead towards three more accomplishments; “Lovehatetragedy,” (2002) “Getting Away with Murder,” (2004), and “The Paramour Sessions,” (2006) but then the tragedy and disappearance of the band was in the air and we hadn’t heard or seen Papa Roach for some time….

Until the arrival of the year known as 2009 the arrival of “NEW” and this time everyone is back up on their feet creating what they love to do most in the music world which is music and by all means may I present to you Papa Roach’s sixth and foremost newest addition to their rockiest collection yet “Metamorphosis.” Originally being named “Days of War, Nights of Love,” the band decided to switch it up a notch with something more edgy and catchy that draws you in wanting to know the meaning behind the name.

Vocalist and front man Jacob spoke to me about the band’s current touring schedule and upcoming plans for the next couple of months and what to expect to see them come the summer and fall terms. Jacob also went into discussing about how their newest record “Metamorphosis,” came into effect and how is currently being reacting to the media and fan base.

How is the current tour going? You guys recently did a set of dates right here in Los Angeles having celebrated what was the occasion?

Jacob: The tour is going great everything is going good we’ve been out with Buckcherry and Avenged Sevenfold for the last 8 months and we’ve played in front of a million people by now and is a record for us and that’s great; and the shows out in Los Angeles did one in Los Angeles and one in New York small, small club dates and those were for the 10 Anniversary shows, and we did one at the Troubadour and that’s where we got our start in Los Angeles and that’s  actually the club we got signed out of it was great to play back there and just throw down.

What are your upcoming plans for the 2009 year?

Jacob: We’re gonna be touring our asses off we’re finishing this tour on the 11^th and then the 12^th going to Europe for 2 and half weeks and kicked the shit out of Europe for a couple of weeks and looks like all the dates are sold out which is great; and then after that and then come back to the states playing a few shows and then this summer go out with Nickleback and just working our asses off touring, touring, touring we have a great time.

Could you briefly summarize the time spent in the recording studio and the how the ending result of “Metamorphosis,” came about?

Jacob: For us we went back to the Paramour in Los Angeles in the process of that we have a new drummer and a huge change for us. We had a blast writing this record we didn’t have any issues with each other just four men in the studio jamming having a good time. Since this is for the fans of Papa Roach and have a statement and really say something we were paying attention to the world around us and the song “Lifeline,” was inspired on what’s going on right now in the United States and in particular my hometown Sacramento and the leading places homes for home foreclosure and a lot of desperation people losing their homes is a tragedy and for me I the first year of my life; my family was homeless I can identify and being poor and growing up and stuff like that and “Lifeline,” is a song  that relates to the desperate times we live in and the war in IRAQ and everything that’s going on over there. We’re centered in on that and wrote a song called “Had Enough,” and how violence is penetrating our lives and every aspect of our lives and we’ve had enough of it and we’re basically making a record about the world around us than just a record that’s totally personal.

How were you guys chosen to play the Guitar Center Drum Off event, I was there by the way, tried setting up an interview with you guys then but didn’t know who to contact.

Jacob: That’s the case of us every records we put out either a new record company or new president of the company. But the drum-off was great man, and seeing we got a new drummer and showcasing him and showing him as a kick-ass drummer and it was a great show and the drummer of Iron Maiden was there and the guy from Shadows Fall was in the house and it was a really fun show, it was a great night.

How does it feel to have some of your songs being playable for the Rockband video game, are you fan of it?

Jacob: Oh yeah I think it’s great and really gotten the kids heads into rock and roll and for us to be involved in that is great. It helps us really make our band name an out- sold name because that game is a fucking hotcake and really helps get our music out to the people.

You guys played last year’s Crufest, and also was a guest on Motley Crue’s “Saints of Los Angeles tune, how was that experience?

Jacob: For us, we were sitting at the Paramour, and our manager called and asked us would you wanna go out with Motley Crue this summer? We didn’t even have to think we were like “FUCK YES” and then they asked me to sing for the song and I was like I’d love to they’re one of my favorite bands. After that being in the video and going out on tour and singing “Saints of Los Angeles,” every night, it was off the chain and it was a blast that will be a summer I will always remember.

Are there any 2009 plans you want fans to know about or do you want to be secretive?

Jacob: For us really is about touring for this record and supporting it and we’re trying to get involved for some charity work and do some stuff for our community and anybody out there that needs help or wants to help people go volunteer at a soup kitchen or a shelter ya know and give back to the less fortunate in our communities because people really need right now.

What are the largest and smallest crowds you’ve played in front of?

Jacob: The smallest crowd like back in the day when we first started was those back yard parties and garage parties and shit like that and the biggest crowd we played in front was Rock-n Rio with Guns-n-Roses and Oasis in 2001-2002 and that just blew me away I was tripped out.

Do you remember the first show Papa Roach ever played?

Jacob: The first show we ever played was the high school talent show in 1993 and we thought we were the coolest thing since slice bread but we fucking sucked. We were having fun so that’s what it was all about.

Why the name change from “Days of War, Nights of Love,” to this title.

Jacob: “Metamorphosis,” just more fitting and what we’ve gone through firing management and getting a new booking agent and also with the sound of the band; really progressing and pushing ourselves in a new direction and I think where we’re at as a band, the evolution and progression is what keeps this band pushing us forward and our goal as a rock and roll band and take our fans on a new ride and take them to new places I think it’s our reasonability.

Is there going to be a new DVD in the works?

Jacob: I’m sure over the cycle of this record we are definitely going to do another live DVD and when we get on stage and throw done that is the best element of our band. Also recently we went into the studio in Nashville and cut a couple of acoustic songs “Lifeline,” “Carry Me,” and “Had Enough,”  three songs off the new record, and had a good time doing that so look out for those somewhere, somehow, somewhere.

As I mentioned before I had seen you guys perform back in January of this year, and noticed you have a lot of tattoos spread around you, is there one that has a special meaning?

Jacob: I would say the tattoo of a microphone on my forearm and my X-Drummer drew it up for me and that was back in the mid-90′s and I had a day-job and I was like “FUCK IT” and I was committed this is my life and my passion and went and got it tattooed and where everybody can see it and that was the moment where I was like this is my life and I want to play music and what I want to do.

You obviously have toured all over since the beginning of your career, but has there been a spot that Papa Roach hasn’t been too?

Jacob: We’ve never been to Antarctica and I would like to go to Alaska and going to Russia for our first time in June and probably go play North Korea sometime. *Laughs*There are a lot of places we have yet to go.

Do you ever get tired of hearing the same questions from Journalists?

Jacob: Ya know for us it’s our opportunity to get our message out and comes with the job and try to make the best of any situation.

You just released your latest video “Lifeline,” did you work with the same people that did “Hollywood Whore”?

Jacob: No we worked with a different guy, Chris Sims and we wanted to express the reality of the world around us in that video and I think we wanted to make a video with a message and I think we did a great job on that video I’m really proud of it. We’re going to go work again who directed and produced “Hollywood Whore,” and going over to the U.K. and stopping in with him and shooting videos for “Days Of War,” and “Change Or Die,” we really like working with him it’s going to be combat,  rock and roll death cult it’s gonna be awesome.

Can you take a guess as to how many interviews you’ve done in the past 24 hours?

Jacob: 4.

Are we going to be seeing you guys perform on Jimmy Kimmel Live anytime soon?

Jacob: We would love to do that show I’m sure over the course of this record and we did Jay Leno over a month ago and we did “Lifeline,” and I think for us that was our best television performance to date. It just sounded right and felt right and we went back and watched it and we like “We did it.” T.V. is hard to do sometimes because you’re under the microscope, but we nailed it this last time.

I’m curious to know what does the name “roach” in Papa Roach refer too, does it refer to the insect or something else?

Jacob: Papa Roach it came from my great grandfather last name and we called it Papa Roach and once we became the band we grabbed the cockroach as our motto and mascot and the thing I love about the cockroach when everything is done and over with the cockroach can survive anything.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Jacob: For us we feel blessed and humble to still being doing this for so many years now, and get an impact on people’s lives and getting support from our fans and we are nowhere near from ending this we have so much more to say and so much more to say and write about. So bewared!

Written by The Expressionist’s own LA Music Reporter:  Natalie Perez

How did the name come about?

David: Our lead singer thought of basically he liked the name “doom” but doom is already a band name, so the name came to him one night because it means without God our lives on Earth are impending doom.

How is the current album The Serpent Servant going?

David: Good it comes out in 2 days out on Tuesday.

How did the title, artwork, and lyrics come about?

David: The title with the first song we wrote was a while ago back in June and we started playing it on the last tour and after that tour we had to think about the new album and then named the album after it. And our singer Brooke and had an idea of how he wanted it to look.

When did the band form?

David: Our first show was October 31st 2005 and the band formed in 2005 as well and weíve been going strong ever since.

When was the first show you played?

David: Well Iím not a originally member I joined 6 months after the band started, and my first show was performed in Coroa,California at the Showcase Theater I was pretty nervous, and that show was with All Shall Perish and The Faceless and Underneath The Gun Iím not too sure but it was fun.

How ís the current tour going?

David: Itís going good, itís a pretty long tour 6 weeks but everyday was pretty insane but the dudes of The Acacia Strain and Bleeding Through are super nice and fun to hang out with so itís been a great tour.

Any technical difficulties during your performance?

David: Oh yeah happens all the time like a cable will go out or break a string thatís the most common one, thatís why you have to have a back up guitar handy.

What do you prefer seeing while performing, hardcore dancers or mosh pits?

David: Mosh Pit, not a fan of hardcore dancing if you have crush pits and everyone jumping just everyone having a good time.

How you getting along with everyone?

David: Pretty good no bad vibes really. Weíve known As Blood Runs Black, and The Acacia Strain for a couple of years now so itís been fun hanging with them but Bleeding Through we never met until this tour but theyíre accepting and nice dudes.

What are your plans after this tour?

David: We have a month off and then we do a week in Mexico and then come home for 3 weeks and then start our headlining tour in June. It will be us and Carnifex for sure.

Did you do anything for St. Patrickís Day or Easter?

David: St. Patrickís Day we played a show, and everybody in that city was running around drunk and wearing green and Easter probably be with my family.

Any final thoughts or comments?

David: Pick up our CD when it comes out ìThe Serpent Servant,î and yeah check it out!

Miller has a soothing sound to his voice and music; it’s not all crunk and hate but clean and suave, something anyone can enjoy if you are into the Hip Hop/R&B scene. For me, I love music that isn’t about disrespecting another human being for their race, sex or religion. I appreciate those who can be creative enough to step outside those conformed paths this genre has grown to over the years and still be successful. Listening to Miller, I can honestly say that it’s the kind of Hip Hop sound with a R&B mix I can enjoy. Honestly, it could almost fit into a Pop genre.

Miller grew up loving music; it was a passion for him. He started to perform to entertain his friends, obviously making him a popular kid to hang around with. With his good singing ability,  Miller took his music to a new level by writing his own melodies. The talent rubbed off enough for people to realize this guy was for real.  Miller’s music is inspired by Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye, two huge powerful influences in the Soul/R&B and Pop genres.

The musician’s career got a jump start in 2004 when he partnered up with ShyDog Productions. It was then that Miller was introduced to a major record deal which helped him jump into the charts and radio stations around the United States.

Miller’s first record Sucker for Love brought some notoriety to the table for him because it included some pretty heavy hitting names which appeared on the tracks such as Akon, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Detail, 40 Da Great, & 2RQ. With those kinds of artists, there is no doubt this record will go high on the Billboard charts, and show people that Jason Miller means business.

In 2007, Akon realized the talent Miller possessed and personally signed him to his own record label, KonLive Distribution. This has given Miller the ability to work with Akon at the Legacy in New York City. This label has also brought him new notoriety, as he attended the 2008 Grammy awards; something the average joe doesn’t get to do. This is the life every musician dreams about, and it is starting to come true for Miller.

Miller’s career, if you look at it, shows the hard work any artist has to do today to get their dreams accomplished. It takes talent most of all because without that, you have nothing. This is something Miller has recognized early in his career. He also has a lot of confidence in himself and his work. Those who don’t have confidence in their work cannot move on to the next hurdle because they have already defeated themselves. Miller also realized the dream doesn’t come without sacrifice, hard work and constant dedication. The musician may have had it easier than some making it to where he is now, but rest assured there was hard work involved. No one can just walk into success; it’s something that must be earned.

One of the other major reasons Miller’s a success is the fact that established artists liked his work and his passion, thus lending their names to his album. When an opportunity like this comes around, Miller has realized you can’t just throw it away. He quickly jumped on the chance to work with these individuals, who undoubtedly gave Miller advice that he learned from.

The musician recently had another once in a lifetime opportunity which he took full advantage of.  Miller got to work with one of Japan’s greatest producers, Jam Kane and came up with an R&B Techno song. This song is being offered to Miller’s loyal fans as a free download on Overdrive.  It is sure to get you up on your feet and dancing.

Despite Miller’s new success, he is still human and enjoys helping others that are less fortunate than him. To do so, he is currently working on establishing a non-profit organization to help terminally ill children. It’s heart wrenching to see anyone suffer, but kids who never got a full shot at life and their dreams, is even worse. Miller wants to make their stay on this Earth a memorable one, and to try and bring hope to these kids so that maybe, just maybe they can overcome the terminal part of their sickness and have a second chance at life.

With his work and dedication, and compassion for his fellow man, it’s no wonder Miller’s career has been so blessed.

To book Jason Miller for a concert or for general information, please contact Scott Templin at 317-696-2643 or Rob Lichtenberger at 765-729-0443. You can also receive information by emailing sltemplin@gmail.com

Send Out Scuds is a Christian band that has overcome the stereotypical labeling that comes with this kind of music genre.  When it comes to music, the band proves it’s not all about just hymnals and traditional gospel.  Send Out Scuds, usually abbreviated, is a double acronym.  The first and more obvious acronym is S.O.S. and the second part stands for “Servants of Christ Until Death,” hidden within the word “Scuds.”  (The band tells me they add on an “s” to the end as a plural, just for good measure!)

When it comes to stereotyping with Christian music, the band is more than familiar with this.  ”We have certainly run into stereotypes concerning the dominant message of our music, however, we have found that a positive attitude transcends and eliminates these stereotypes and our listeners are more concerned with enjoying that positive vibe than they are debating us about our spiritual beliefs.  We use our music as somewhat of a gateway to a greater discussion.  We hope that through our music we can portray and communicate the positive enlightenment we have discovered in the message of Christ.  The music is a product of our beliefs and like a light on a hill, we hope the listener cannot help but wonder why we seem to shine so brightly.  And we do not shine because of what we have done, but because of what Christ has done for us,” states band member Josh Peters.

S.O.S. is comprised of eight members:  Kim Diauto-trumpet, Dustin “Mullet” Hollifer-trumpet, Josh Peters-bass guitar, Jeremy Calderon-rhythm guitar, Brennen Lesser-drums, Josh Deiches-lead guitar, David Meister-saxophone, and Sam Massaro-lead vocals.

The band got its start about five years ago.  Kim Diauto and a friend came up with the idea back in their high school days.  The two got together with some of their buddies and started to write music, similar to what they listened to at the time.  The rest was pretty much history.  Over the years, the band went through changes.  Some members got married and moved on, while others went off to pursue other goals.  One S.O.S. member actually just left one day, never to be seen or heard from ever again, strangely enough.  The band always tried to play every show they could, even if not all the members were available.  They worked hard at achieving success.  In 2004, S.O.S. started to get even more ambitious after they released their first homemade demo.  And according to the band, it was the numerous line-up changes over the years that finally brought them to where they are now.  After it all, Kim Diauto is the last remaining original S.O.S. member.

The band has played for all kinds of audiences ranging from the elderly to fresh faced pre-teens.  S.O.S. attracts a mostly younger audience, but there are also the folks who grew up listening to other Christian Ska bands such as the now defunct Five Iron Frenzy and the O.C. Supertones.  S.O.S. also has held their own with the secular Ska crowd.  ”Every show we play that has other Ska bands on the bill are secular shows and that is fine.  We’re certainly not preaching to the choir… in fact, the choir doesn’t like us sometimes because we are not afraid to get out and play shows that many other Christian bands would never play.  We’re humans just like everybody else.  We just feel as though we have found something great and we want to share it with the world,” exclaims Josh Peters.

S.O.S. band members admit to having a wide range of musical inspirations that include groups such as AC/DC, Pink Floyd, DragonForce, Korn, Billy Talent, and Enya just to name a few.  The band is also influenced by other Ska groups like Less Than Jake and the RX Bandits.

S.O.S. will play nearly everywhere… and anywhere.  There doesn’t seem to be any limitations with this band and where they go. “We have played at churches, bars, clubs, open fields, festivals, houses, gazebos… pretty much any type of standing structure has been host to our music.  However, some of these structures were no longer standing after we got done with them!  We have an unfortunate habit of accidentally breaking things while we are playing shows,” admits Peters.  Apparently, S.O.S. is known for their very strong stage presence.  Striving to never leave anything on the stage after a performance, some of the group members claim the high intensity level of their shows have left them physically ill or in great pain days later.  ”At one festival, called Real Fest, we were playing at an outdoor stage and about halfway through the set, [trumpet player] Dustin (also a pro wrestler) suddenly and inexplicably went crashing through the stage itself!  Well, of course, we used the gaping three to four foot deep hole to our advantage by hurdling it back and forth for the rest of the set, integrating an array of various death defying stunts into the remainder of our set,” recalls the band’s bass guitarist.  According to the band, their highly energetic and wildly entertaining performances are directly related to the emotion that goes into the creation and expression of their music.  ”True passion cannot be feigned and it’s easily conveyed to an audience when it is truly felt, ” states an S.O.S. member.  The band feels that the audience is one of the most important parts in a live show, noting it is their energy and excitement that gets the group going. S.O.S. will even dance with their fans off stage, hoping to further immerse them into their music.  ”You never know what you’ll see with an S.O.S. show,” remarks Peters.

S.O.S. mentioned that their favorite show series was the Cornerstone Christian Music Festival in Illinois.  After traveling through northern Florida and Georgia, playing a few shows in both states, the band arrived at the festival.  Realizing their set wasn’t for another five days, they decided to camp out on the grounds and ended up playing impromptu shows for an entire week. S.O.S. even played shows back to back at one point on different stages.  Talk about an energetic band!

Currently the Christian Ska group has a five song EP titled, Slower Seed, and expect to have their first full length album out soon. S.O.S.’s most popular tracks include “If Scranton Were For Lovers,” “It’s 4 a.m. And I’ve Put This Off For Way Too Long,” and “Capsized, But Grace Means More Than The Air I Can’t Reach.”   Most of the band’s songs deal with the various aspects inherent of living in a Christian lifestyle.  ”Joy through Christ, inner conflicts, hope for the future, the paradoxical happiness and burden of love, and the television show, “The Office,” explains S.O.S.  [" The Office " characters]Pam and Jim are the ultimate perfect couple and “If Scranton Were For Lovers” seeks to forever immortalize that relationship.”

S.O.S. is the first Ska band to ever be signed to the Christian record label, Blood and Ink.  Obviously, the group has huge boasting rights with this kind of honor.  It is hard not to see S.O.S.’s amazing talent.  This unique Christian band is making a name for itself with their success that is growing each and every day.  These guys are what a great band is all about with their message filled music and crowd pleasing performances.  S.O.S. is a band that has proven itself and should be around for years to come. According to the group, they hope to continue writing, recording and touring until the day they die.

Touring Information:

Send Out Scuds (S.O.S.) hopes to get onto the East Coast part of the “Extreme Tour,” which goes from May to Sept.  You can also visit the band’s MySpace page at www.myspace.com/sendoutscuds for their show schedule.  They have included information such as price of admission, times, and directions for each show.  While checking S.O.S.’s schedule on their page, you can listen to their music as well.

S.O.S. is easy to contact for a booking.  Just email them at sendoutscuds@gmail.com.  Someone is always on hand to check e-mails.

What my friend sent me was a video of Cleopatra Stratan, an amazing singer who is not only cute but talented beyond her years. She hails from Romania and speaks three languages. This young talent has a bubbly personality that you will fall in love with, and she’s only four. That’s right, she isn’t even in kindergarten yet and she already has a music video out.  Stratan is one of the most demanded singers across the pond and sells out arenas for her concerts. Nobody can believe this little girl can sing the way she does; quite frankly, neither can I. Most four year olds can barely speak well in their native language; however, Stratan can speak three languages fluently. Most four year olds have no idea what a concert is, while Stratan sells them out.  In 2006, Stratan became the youngest musician to win commercial success with her album, “La vârsta de trei ani.”  She also holds records for being the youngest artist that performed live for two hours in front of a large audience, the highest paid young artist, the youngest artist to receive an MTV award and the youngest artist to score a #1 hit in a country.  Oh yeah, did I mention she even has her own doll! 

Stratan got her start from her father Pavel Stratan, who happens to be a professional singer. One day he was sitting around playing some music on his guitar, when his daughter started to sing with him. He couldn’t believe what he heard. He realized he couldn’t let her talent go to waste so he worked with his young daughter and helped her blossom into what she is today, a superstar.

He realized his little girl was going to go far, so he started taking her on tour with him.  Stratan’s charm and voice, mixed with her innocence, captured the hearts of the audience.  Word spread quickly, and Cleopatra Stratan became a household name over night.

Today, many people applaud Stratan and adore her, but they do question the father. Many have accused him of trying to profit off his daughter. Some people have even criticized him for the choice of adult content songs that this young superstar sings. Since her songs are mostly in Romanian, I couldn’t understand what they were talking about. I did find an English translation and then, I understood.

Her hit “Ghita,” is a cover song about a woman who waits around for her lover. Sure, it’s a mature theme, but would adults come to listen to Stratan sing nursery rhymes? I seriously doubt they would, so I wouldn’t change a thing. I also don’t believe that Stratan’s father is trying to live off of her success. Her father realized she has an enormous talent and thought it would be a shame not to let the world enjoy it. As a musician himself, I’m sure he knows the limits and takes into consideration his daughter’s age. Plus, he adores his little superstar and wouldn’t want to do anything to jeopardize her.

Stratan has never come to America as far as I know, even though she speaks English. For us Americans, we can only enjoy her music through YouTube. We may not understand what she’s actually saying because it’s in Romanian, but if she sang in English and took away the romantic Romanian language her songs are typically sung in, it just wouldn’t have the same effect. I don’t care that I can’t understand the story; the language is beautiful and it’s what makes the song. 

Once you see this cute and amazing young lady, you will see why she’s sweeping Europe by storm. You’ll probably have to watch her video, “Ghita” a few times before it sinks in to what you just saw. You’ll swear she is older than she is by the way she conducts herself in the video and how she performs. Stratan’s so good, you won’t be able to get the song out of your head and you’ll probably sing it out loud when you least expect it. This talented child star will make a fan out of you in the first few seconds of her priceless video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The 80s had an impact unlike any other music had before. In 1984, the world got a taste of MTV. This television network actually allowed people to live the music, not just listen. Sure, throughout the 50s, 60s and 70s we had “American Bandstand,” “The Ed Sullivan Show” and “Solid Gold,” which allowed you to see the bands play live, but it came on only once a week.  MTV was on 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It not only incorporated the music and live shows, but it showed a different artistic view to these videos. MTV took music to a whole new level, and showed how this industry was revolutionizing with the times.

The 80s gave us a huge mix of music. It was the time when Rock ‘n’ Roll split to become rock and heavy metal. Rock was more your typical sound like Phil Collins, Billy Joel, and Michael Jackson which stuck to the typical sounds of 60s and 70s rock. Heavy Metal is a more intense rock where you would see wild hair; hence the name “hair bands.” You would see these rockers in wild outfits, trashing their guitars on stage and incorporating wild pyrotechnics. Bands that fit this genre would be Twisted Sister, Poison, Warrant, Bon Jovi, Def Leopard, Van Halen and similar bands.

The rock version, even though it stuck to more of the 60s and 70s sounds, had their own unique flare in itself. It wasn’t uncommon to see some of these guys dressed in drag with flamboyant make-up. This was typical with Boy George, and Dead Or Alive. It brought out some of the greatest hard rocking women in history like Pat Benatar, The Bangles, Joan Jett, Heart and other powerful voiced, yet sexy women of the time. While talking about the rock sound, we can’t forget the strange sounds that swept the “electronic” age of America.

The 80s also brought into play some great names like “The Material Girl” Madonna, and Cyndi Lauper who helped define the “punk” fashion that made Soleil Moon Frye, better known as Punky Brewster, a huge success from 1984 to 1987. Punk was a fashion that completely branded the 80s, and is still talked about today.

The 80s gave birth to some of the most unforgettable music videos. For one, probably the most expensive video created in the 80s was Paula Abdul’s “Opposites Attract,” where she sang side by side with an animated cat. Michael Jackson came out with small movie videos. One of Jackson’s most well known was “Thriller,” where he teamed up with Vincent Price to make a well choreographed, pop horror flick. We can’t forget Madonna’s cone bra that shocked the world and when she had her music video banned in countries across the world. Another stand out video was “Land Of Confusion” by Genesis. This music video was a mix of live Genesis concert footage and some amazing puppets. Last but not least, there was Dire Straights’ amazing video that became an icon video of MTV, “Money For Nothing.” This video looked like a walking 3D video game, and at the time, the graphics were state of the art.

Today, most of these bands and videos have disappeared, as sad as it is. Some of the big 80s stars like Madonna, Phil Collins, Heart and others still perform, while some are now just dust in the wind. The years of these great videos are over; they took an evolutionary turn as well. MTV is now more news and reality shows, while music videos have taken a back seat. However, with great sites such as YouTube and the Internet, general artists can publish their music videos right on their own sites and they don’t need these channels anymore. YouTube actually has many of these great old music videos that designed a whole generation.

The 80s have never really died, instead they have evolved into some of the great music we have today. Sure, it may not be the same as it was back then, but if you listen hard you can still hear some of the influence the 80s had in our music today. The 80s music is so unique that it’s definitely worth looking into and learning more about.

Click here to view the embedded video.