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Win tickets to Ash @ The Water Rats (London) / XFM party

Written by admin
Tuesday, 04 September 2007
Ash will be playing a show for XFM London's 10th Birthday party at the very intimate Kings Cross Water Rats on Sept 4th. To get in either listen in to XFM now! (They're giving them away every 20 mins) or win tickets online here. See you there!
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CD review: Torman Maxt - The Problem Of Pain Part 1

Written by admin
Friday, 31 August 2007
Band name: Torman Maxt Album name: The Problem of Pain: Part 1 Released: 2007 Mars Hill Records Rating: **** I recieved CD recorded by unknown band and I was told, that it’s metal opera. I recognize the metal part of the style-name in line with black colour on the booklet. And the opera I found inside. There are a few lines before each chapter, which include the story of the chapter. I turned on my player and inserted the CD in. I was almost scared when I heard some kind of electronic music in the begining of „Overture“. Fortunately, it was only 20 seconds. After it I heard only purely metal instruments. The first sung song „Job’s Song“ fluently connects with „Overture“, we can notice fast metal riffs, as well as acoustic, almots Zeppelin-sounded parts. „The Angel’s First Song“ is mix of Led Zeppelin‘s music and Queen‘s choruses. The song gradually grows – from acoustic guitars in the begining to the drums at the end. It sounds „unearthly“ On the other hand „Satan’s First Song“ sounds „infernal“. The slow acoustic begining is changed by fast riff soon. Nearly in the middle of this song the electronic sounds appears again and the listener is in hell. Suddenly, everything goes silent and the instrumental part begins. Chapter Three begins quiet hard, but we can hear some themes from „Job’S Song“ in the next two songs.. It means that Torman Maxt knows basic opera rule about character theme, as well as in „The Angel’s Second Song“ and „Satan’s Second Song“. „Job’s Contemplation“ is instrumental, which can be used for scene changing for chapter five. „Job’s Second Response“ is almost the same song as „Job’s Initial Shock“. There is „Job’s Wife“ afret it with new theme and the CD is ended by „A Great Silence“. I think, that after thet song can be break during live performance in theatre.
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Suburban Knights

Written by admin
Thursday, 30 August 2007
We've got here newest Hard-Fi's music video called Suburban Knights. This is the leading single of their new album Once Upon A Time In The West which is going out at 3rd Septemer.
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The Tame, the Trashy and the Rocker Quality

Written by admin
Wednesday, 29 August 2007
VH1’s “Rock of Love With Bret Michaels” is carnival sludge: a nauseating paste of fried dough, cigarette ash, salt and grain alcohol. The rococo pageantry and high spirits of “Flavor of Love,” the channel’s seminal reality dating competition, starring the hype man Flavor Flav, have gone missing from this, the rock version. This series has trudged along like a heartbroken drunk since July 15, featuring the former Poison frontman Bret Michaels as the bachelor. New episodes appear on Sundays. Reruns appear always. The well-meaning has-been Bret is surrounded with women who are too young, too frantic or too high to know that being easy isn’t funny in itself. These women drink large quantities of booze, caress Bret in groups of three and flaunt their skills at phone sex on national television. Many of them seem dangerously unwell, discolored, surgically altered, physically unbalanced and worryingly mood-disordered. Rodeo, a personal trainer of indeterminate age, has a bodybuilder’s physique. Having swung between bouts of manic, gleeful giggling and severe crying jags, she was eventually sent home — by Bret, in the conceit of the show — for her own mental health. Similarly Bret deemed a spacey-looking woman surpassingly beautiful, but grew concerned about her cerebral capacities after he asked her how she liked living in a house with the other women.
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Cult and breakthrough success 1982-1993

Written by admin
Monday, 27 August 2007
R.E.M. had recorded its debut EP, Chronic Town, with Easter for Hib-Tone when the band's demo tape found its way to I.R.S. Records. The band turned down the advances of major label RCA Records and signed with I.R.S. in May 1982. Chronic Town was released by I.R.S. in August 1982 as the label's first American release. A positive review of the EP by NME praised the aura of mystery the songs presented, and concluded, "R.E.M. ring true, and it's great to hear something as unforced and cunning as this." The band was initially paired with producer Stephen Hague by I.R.S. to record their debut album, but Hague's emphasis on technical perfection left the band unsatisfied and asking the label to let them record with Easter. I.R.S. subsequently agreed to a "tryout" session, allowing the band to return to North Carolina and record "Pilgrimage" with Easter and producing partner Don Dixon. After hearing the track, I.R.S. gave the green light to record the album with Dixon and Easter. The completed album, Murmur, was greeted with critical acclaim, with Rolling Stone listing it as their record of the year. The album was warmly received by college radio, and its success there pushed the album to number 36 on the Billboard album chart. A re-recorded version of "Radio Free Europe" was the lead single from the album and reached number 78 in 1983. Other notable tracks included the piano-led "Perfect Circle", "Sitting Still" (a re-recorded version of the Hib-Tone B-side), and "Talk About the Passion", which was re-released as a single in 1988. Despite the acclaim awarded to the album, Murmur only sold about 200,000 copies, which I.R.S.'s Jay Boberg felt was below expectations. R.E.M. made its first national television appearance on Late Night with David Letterman in October 1983, where they performed a new, unnamed song. The unnamed song, eventually titled "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)," became the first single from the band's second album, Reckoning, which was once again recorded with Easter and Dixon. The album met with critical acclaim; NME's Mat Snow said that Reckoning "confirms R.E.M. as one of the most beautifully exciting groups on the planet."
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CD Review: The Wildbirds - The Wildbirds EP

Written by admin
Wednesday, 22 August 2007
band name: The Wildbirds album name: The Wildbirds EP released: 2007 Pat’s Record Company rating: **** tracklist: #01 421 (Everybody Loves You) #02 Shake Shake #03 Way Down Low #04 Suzanna On a first sight I was amazed by the case of this CD. There’s a sanded bands logo, so I would more expect some country style. The same of the picture from inner side, where guys with hats are walking the plains. And the same of 4th songs name „Suzzana“. But the very first song took me out of my mistake. It was like The Who with Robert Plant by the mic has started their show. Singer Nicholas Stuart during his performance somehow „hiccuping“, but not the way singers used to in ’60. The song is really great album opener! In second song called “Shake Shake” I was taken up by the introductory riff. I also...
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The Underdog

Written by admin
Tuesday, 21 August 2007
Spoon's The Underdog from their new album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga.
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R.E.M. - Formation: 1980-1982

Written by admin
Monday, 20 August 2007
R.E.M. is an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia in 1980 by Bill Berry (drums), Peter Buck (guitar), Mike Mills (bass guitar), and Michael Stipe (vocals). R.E.M. was one of the first popular alternative rock bands, and gained early attention due to Buck's "jangly" guitar style and Stipe's cryptic vocals. R.E.M. released its first single, "Radio Free Europe" in 1981 on independent record label Hib-Tone. The single was followed by the Chronic Town EP in 1982; the band's first release on I.R.S. Records. In 1983, the band released its critically-acclaimed debut album Murmur, and built its reputation over the next few years through subsequent critically-acclaimed releases, constant touring, and the support of college radio. Following years of underground success, R.E.M. entered the mainstream in 1987 with the hit song "The One I Love." They signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1988, and began to adopt broad political and environmental concerns while playing large arenas worldwide. By the early 1990s, R.E.M. were viewed as pioneers of alternative rock and released their most successful albums, the multi-million-selling Out of Time (1991) and Automatic for the People (1992), which veered from the band's established sound. R.E.M. released Monster, which was a return to a more rock-oriented sound, in 1994 and began its first tour in six years. However the tour was marred by a number of difficulties. In 1997, R.E.M. re-signed with Warner Bros. for a then-record $80 million. The following year, Bill Berry amicably left the band, with Buck, Mills, and Stipe continuing as a three-piece. Through some changes in musical style, the band continued its career into the next decade with mixed critical and commercial success. In 2007, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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Jon McLaughlin: Indiana mp3 Album Coming 8/21 To jonmcl.com!

Friday, 10 August 2007

Starting on August 21st, for a limited time, you'll be able to buy your copy of the new album Indiana as DRM-free mp3's right here on jonmcl.com!

The tracks will be 256kbps mp3 files which basically means the songs will sound really good and will play in iTunes, your iPod and pretty much any other mp3 players out there right now.

For more information, check out the official UMG press release

Thanks you to everyone that already picked up the album in stores, on iTunes or anywhere else! Please keep helping to spread the word and make sure to catch Jon on tour with Sara Bareilles starting August 27th!