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The Rock Dirt Archives
FEBRUARY 2006
The Rock Dirt
week of Feb 27, 2006
Rocudrama TV, undreaded Zombie, Return of the 'HoodsThe revealingly candid music documentary, “All We Are Saying,” makes its television debut March 8 on Showtime. The film, which premiered at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival, features actress and filmmaker Rosanna Arquette in very personal interviews with the likes of some of rock and pop music’s biggest names sharing their personal thoughts and professional views of the music industry. Maynard James Keenan (in a very rare on-camera event), Iggy Pop, Chrissie Hynde, Ann and Nancy Wilson, Steven Tyler, Joni Mitchell, Kim Gordon, Perry Farrell, Marilyn Manson, Thom Yorke, Tom Petty, Flea, Stevie Nicks, Sting, and Peter Gabriel, are among the interview subjects.
www.allwearesaying.net"World Wide Suicide" is the name of the first song off Pearl upcoming record. The song, said to be on the “rocking end” of the Pearl Jam spectrum, will surface in mid-March while the still-unnamed record will arrive May 2 on new home J records - the same label that released 2004’s “Live at Benaroya Hall.”
Yeah Yeah Yeahs second record, “Show Your Bones,” arrives March 28. A spring tour set to begin Feb 23 with a stop at Boston’s Orpheum Theater on April 7.
www.ticketmaster.comFormer Guns n’ Roses and current Velvet Revolver bass player Duff McKagan is the latest addition to VH1’s "Decades Rock Live!" tribute to Heart. The show scheduled for March 10 at Atlantic City’s Trump Taj Mahal will also feature an Alice in Chains reunion with surviving members Jerry Cantrell, Mike Inez and Sean Kinney playing together for the first time in a televised event since the MTV Unplugged session before Layne Staley’s death. Ex-Jane’s Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro will take part, as will Rufus Wainwright and Gretchen Wilson and Carrie Underwood. The show will air later on VH1 Classics.
He’s got a new record and a new look. Rob Zombie’s upcoming solo record, “Educated Horses” is due March 28. He’s at the Worcester Palladium sans the dreads on April 1 with Lacuna Coil supporting. Hear a few new tunes via www.myspace.com/robzombie.
The Cure is coming. The classic alt band’s first four studio releases, “Three Imaginary Boys,” “Seventeen Seconds,” ”Faith,” and “Pornography” will be reissued March 28 featuring full printed lyrics and new photos.
Local Focus
The historic Boston rock band The Neighborhoods are back in action! According to the ‘Hoods site and drummer John Lynch, he, Dave Minehan, and Lee Harrington have a few shows booked both locally and at the upcoming SXSW festival in Austin, TX. First, Ralph’s Diner in Worcester March 4 then they’re off to Austin for a First Act Guitar showcase at The Drink on March 17.
www.thehoodsonline.comBang Camaro claims to be everything we loved about 80s metal minus the hairspray and the lead singer verses. The band, comprised of current and former members of The Models Sons, Bleu, Reverse, and The Good North, has been writing and recording over the past 4 months at Cambridge’s Moontower Studio. A rowdy bunch that includes Bleu, Aaron Perrino (Dear Leader), Ian Kennedy (Reverse) and Max Heinegg as well as members of Taxpayer, Harris, and The Drags have been around to add some “screams.” Look for Bang Camaro to desecrate a venue near you soon. www.myspace.com/bangcamaro
Robby Roadsteamer goes Universal?
Anngelle Wood - Radio DJ, music & entertainment writer, rock enthusiast, and founder of Anngelle Wood Productions - is keeping her ear to the ground to give you the week in dirt. Got dirt? Feedback? E-mail it: anngelle@gmail.com
Hear her on the air at 100.7 WZLX-FM, Boston and 91.5 WMFO-FM at Tufts University, Medford. She's the former Music & Entertainment reporter and Co-host of the WFNX morning show (Boston/Providence/Manchester/Portsmouth).
"The Rock Dirt" appears in print weekly in THE FIX magazine (formerly 168), online at www.anngellewood.com and coming soon to the new THE FIX magazine site, www.fixthemag.com
The Rock Dirt
week of Feb 20, 2006
Rock leaks of the weekGuns n’ Roses may actually release new music in our lifetime. There was lots of excitement in the GNR camp this past week after the supposed “leak” of new songs “IRS” and “Better” off the long talked about “Chinese Democracy” forced a major scramble into action. (I’m not buying it by the way. Nothing like this happens by accident.) Said leak prompted GNR sites to institute a delete and ban policy for any posts linking to the songs. Of course, some radio stations jumped on the “leak,” playing one or both songs. Meanwhile, GNR fansite heretodaygonetohell.com posts any and all mentions of Axl and Guns n’ Roses no matter how small or inane. One that’s worth checking out – current photos of a braided Axl at a New York party last month.
Newlywed Scott Stapp had his best week ever. Not only was he arrested for public intoxication on his honeymoon but a new movie starring the former Creed singer and one time tour mate Kid Rock recently surfaced. Kid’s hometown paper, The Detroit News, reports that a porn distributor plans to release the video featuring Stapp and Kid "engaging in a series of randy tour bus shenanigans with four buxom groupies." Thankfully, one wire report was clear in its clarification that neither Kid nor Stapp “made contact.” The video’s release is planned for sometime this year for about $80 a pop. Giddy up.
Damone took time off from its current tour supporting Less Than Jake to shoot a video for "Out Here All Night". New record drops May 23. The only thing the band has left to do is figure out what to call it.
www.damone.netFor Real. Metallica has indeed dumped producer Bob Rock. The band is busy working on its next record with über-producer Rick Rubin.
www.metallica.comThe third installment of Roadrunner records’ Headbanger’s Ball compilation series, “MTV2 Headbanger’s Ball: The Revenge," is due April 11 and will feature 38 full-on rock songs on its two-discs. Hatebreed singer Jamey Jasta, who also acts as the show’s host, appears twice - once with his main band and again with side project Kingdom Of Sorrow. The latter features members of Down, Crowbar and Seemless. Others to appear on the collection include Iron Maiden, Black Label Society, Mastadon, Chimaira, God Forbid, Korn, HIM, Opeth, and Seemless.
The Dresden Dolls’ long-awaited Roadrunner debut, “Yes, Virginia,” drops in April.
www.roadrunnerrecords.comTaking Back Sunday’s third record, first on major label Warner Bros., “Louder Now” is complete and ready for release on April 25. The band has a 22-date tour booked, hitting smaller clubs throughout the U.S. The follow up to 2004’s stellar release, “Where You Want To Be,” (on indie label Victory) was recorded in Los Angeles last fall with producer Eric Valentine (Queens of the Stone Age). After what singer Adam Lazzara called “some intense recording sessions” the band is very happy with the result. TBS comes to Boston’s Avalon on May 5.
www.takingbacksunday.com
The Rock Dirt
Week of Feb 13, 2006
U2 sweeps, Seemless done, KISS stinksMove over Mariah. Rock had a good night at this year’s Grammy Awards with U2 sweeping all five categories for which they were nominated, including the much-coveted Album of the Year and Song of the Year trophies. Other victorious rock contenders include Green Day for Record of the Year, System of a Down in the Best Hard Rock Performance category, the White Stripes for Best Alternative Music Album and Slipknot for Best Metal Performance. Paul McCartney gets my “One Of These Is Not At All Like The Other” award for his Linkin Park/Jay-Z mash up. I’m still not sure how I feel about it.
www.grammy.comWhat's the smell? Kiss. The band continues to pimps out its reputation, this time partnering with a cosmetics company to launch a line of fragrances. The signature stink for both men and women arrives in September.
Seemless just wrapped work on its next release, the band’s second on Equal Vision Records. The still-untitled record will surface this summer (tentatively June 27) and according to drummer Derek “D-Rock” Kerswill, “it is completely finished and we couldn't be happier. When all was said and done, it took us exactly 27 days. We tracked the majority of the album live....no triggers, no click tracks, etc.....completely raw with a ridiculous amount of energy and emotion. Everyone is pretty overwhelmed with the results.” Paul Romano (Mastodon, Trivium, Chiodos) is in the process of finishing up the records artwork. Seemless has one show scheduled in the area: Sat, March, 11 at The Paradise in Boston with RA, Til' We Die and Jonas Complex.
www.seemlessband.comKid Rock’s first-ever live concert release, “Live Trucker,” hits stores Feb. 28. All of the 14 songs featured were recorded at various shows in and around Detroit over the past few years and include live versions of "Cowboy," "Bawitdaba" and "Picture" featuring the vocal stylings of redneck woman Gretchen Wilson.
John Mellencamp will hit the road again in March. His “Words and Music tour” will include at least 12 dates so far (with more rumored to be added in coming weeks).
The tour – named after his Words & Music double-disc greatest hits package – will feature Mellencamp backed by his full band. Closest show to us thus far - Sun, April 9 at Foxwoods.
Indie Goddess Cat Power has cancelled her upcoming U.S. tour. No reason has been given other than "health reasons" so says her label Matador Records.
www.matadorrecords.comThe Black Crowes get with the times and release their first live DVD called “Freak 'N’ Roll… Into The Fog” (It’s not clear who put the names in the hat and drew them out at random). Due March 21, the DVD will feature over two hours of concert footage from a five-night stand the band did last August at San Francisco's Fillmore Auditorium. Nineteen songs are featured including "Sting Me," "Jealous Again," "Space Captain," "She Talks To Angels," "Seeing Things," "Hard To Handle," "Remedy," and a cover of The Band’s "The Night They Drove Ol’ Dixie Down."
Brett Scallions is outta gas, Fuel rather.
The Rock Dirt
Posted: Fri, Feb 3, 2006Mastering Tool, 3 Parts Pantera, The Weiland Papers
Production on the new Tool record wrapped after the band made a trip to the master of mastering Bob Ludwig in Portland, Me. in late Jan. (A visit followed by the obligatory New England lobster dinner). A warning has been issued to be wary of any supposed “official” release dates but let’s say sometime in May, like the first part.
www.toolband.comMore debunking. So, no, the Pumpkins will not play Coachella but Tool will. In fact, the band will headline the second night of the momentous music festival scheduled for April 29 and 30 in Indio, Ca. Depeche Mode leads the bill for the first night. Of the more than 80 acts scheduled include My Morning Jacket, Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah, Sigur Ros, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sleater-Kinney, She Wants Revenge, Paul Oakenfold, Imogen Heap, and Coheed and Cambria.
www.coachella.comVinnie Paul (Pantera/Damageplan) makes his triumphant return with Rebel Meets Rebel. The band’s debut is due May 2 on Vinnie’s Big Vin Records and features the guitar work of the late, great Dimebag Darrell. It’s the result of a four-year collaboration between Vinnie, Dime, former Pantera member Rex Brown and Country music’s (and bona fide rebel) David Allan Coe. The result: a record rife with down and dirty Southern Metal.
www.rebelmeetsrebel.comAttention hipsters. Death Cab for Cutie and Franz Ferdinand will team for a co-headlining tour beginning March 22 on the left coast. What that co-headlining thing means is that each band gets the same amount of time to play. Just wonder if they flip a coin to see who goes first? Egos should be at bay as it’s a Death Cab practice to tour only with bands with which they have a personal relationship. See DCFC and FF April 12 at Agganis Arena at Boston University.
Interesting pairing. Modest Mouse is working on a new record with The Smiths’ Johnny Marr.
Really interesting pairing. J. Mascis and Lou Barlow – making two thirds of Dinosaur, Jr. - are making new music together in Mascis' home studio.
Rush drummer Neil Peart will appear in the upcoming movie version of “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” (of Cartoon Network’s "Adult Swim" series). Apparently the show’s creators are huge fans and have made references to the band in past episodes. Take that hipsters.
The film based on the 1969 death of original Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones will make its U.S. premiere March 24 at select theaters including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco before opening in wider release. “Stoned” will feature cover versions of Stones tunes as well as music by Jefferson Airplane, Traffic and the Small Faces.
Speaking of stoned, Scott Weiland has signed a deal to write his drug-addled memoirs. He just needs to remember what happened.Kid Rock comes to the Agganis Arena at Boston University on March 30. Tickets go on-sale Sat, Feb 11 at 10am.
www.ticketmaster.comFirst, Heather Locklear and Richie Sambora and now Sheryl Crow and Lance Armstrong. Where has the love gone?
The Rock Dirt written by Anngelle Wood
copyright © 2005-2006 the rock dirt/anngelle wood productions