Jan 21

While searching for something new and original, I’ve ended up chatting with Mark Schenkel, who pointed me to an innovative band called X:THC.  What is so special about this band, why are they innovative?  They are working on a new concept of music, an album and film experience at the same time.  Sounds weird, original or what?  But let’s just wait and see, I surely have high hopes for this project.  Since I’ve spoke to Mark, I’ve been checking my mailbox everyday, waiting for their new film / album to arrive, so I could check it out, listen to it.  What’s for sure is that they are also evolving and redefining their live shows within the model of the music industry, to create an unforgettable live experience for the fans to enjoy.

From the little glimpse I’ve had of this album, the band combines downtempo broken beats, soulful chill, and indie rock songwriting to create a lush, electronic soundscape.  The album X: The Human Condition, conjures also shades of post-punk and new wave, with a twisted and hypnotic sound.  Well let’s wait and see till we listen to the whole thing, but again, I’m confident in this project.  Well are you curious by now?  Wanna have a taste yourself?  Then sit down and relax, and enjoy the below video.  Stay tuned with this blog for a proper review of this great concept album, and interviews with members of this original band.

Tagged with:
Nov 02

I had to post this! Ain’t Christopher Walken awesome?

Christopher Walken on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross BBC1 performing a special Halloween Message. Go Lady Gaga! Give us more lyrics :)

Tagged with:
Oct 30

If you’re like me, always switching from one radio station to the other longing to hear some good music, I’m sure you’ve heard Leona’s latest single, Run. This single stormed straight to the top of the Official Singles Chart, like other singles she released previously. This single became available as a download only, from midnight on November 30, and in its first two days it sold 69,244 units (record). Leona stormed to success in just 2 years thanks to X-Factor and Simon Cowell (Mr DreamMaker).

Now don’t get me wrong, Leona got the right ingredients to be a great artist, impeccable voice, feel for music and a down to earth personality.  Even Simon Cowell, he is doing a good thing for music, trying to help people exploit their talents, most of which are not aware of.  But “Run” was originally written, composed and released by Snow Patrol, back in 2004. Isn’t it funny and a shame that Snow Patrol didn’t make such a success with the same song, which they wrote themselves? When Snow Patrol released it, they only made it up to number 5 in the UK charts.  Again, Leona’s voice is great, but it’s not just the voice that matters, there’s much more chemicals in a song’s formula to function!  Though marketing and money seem to be the right chemicals.

Well, unfortunately in today’s music industry, luck, marketing and financial power got more power to launch an artist than the actual music itself! If you form part of a band which has good music but can’t strike the right deal to take you off the ground, give Simon Cowell a call!

Tagged with:
Oct 27
Agua de annique’s vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen (ex The Gathering) played a couple of acoustic songs at Agua de Annique’s new album release party, which was held at Backstage hotel in Amsterdam.
“In your room”, Agua de Annique’s new album contains 12 tracks, all of which written by Anneke herself, except for two tracks, Just Fine” and “Adore”.  It will be released on October 30th.
Agua de Annique will also be touring around Holland very soon, to promote their new album “In Your Room”.
Nov. 12 – Oosterpoort – Groningen
Nov. 13 – Doornroosje – Nijmegen
Nov. 14 – Melkweg – Amsterdam
Nov. 15 – Effenaar – Eindhoven

Agua de Annique’s vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen (ex The Gathering) played a couple of acoustic songs at Agua de Annique’s new album release party, which was held at Backstage hotel in Amsterdam, Holland.

“In Your Room”, Agua de Annique’s new album contains 12 tracks, all of which written by Anneke herself, except for two tracks, Just Fine” and “Adore”.  It will be released on October 30th, 2009.

Agua de Annique will also be touring around Holland very soon, to promote their new album “In Your Room”.

Nov. 12 – Oosterpoort – Groningen
Nov. 13 – Doornroosje – Nijmegen
Nov. 14 – Melkweg – Amsterdam
Nov. 15 – Effenaar – Eindhoven

Tagged with:
Oct 25

U2’s tonight much awaited concert from Rose Bowl, USA, will be webcasted live on YouTube @ 8:30pm (PT).  This will be the first global concert webcast on YouTube, so make sure you’ll be there!  U2 are one of the few remaining old school bands who still manage to have sold out stadium concerts, the way it was meant to be.

If you are gonna be there, make sure you’ll be on the front. Bono has this tendency to get a fan on stage, check the video below!

Wouldn’t you want to be there while U2 play one of their best songs (With or without You)?

Tagged with:
Sep 19
Anathema’s Danny Cavanagh & The Gathering ex-singer Anneke Van Giesbergen will be teaming up again for a couple of special shows NEXT WEEK to celebrate the release of their new live album titled “in Parallel”. The dates are:
Sept 24 – ANTWERP, Belgium (Pandemonium)
Sept 25 – EINDHOVEN, Holland (Dynamo)
The album features live versions of classics from Anathema, Agua de Annique and the Gathering, along with cover versions such as ‘Teardrop’ (originally written from Massive Attack) and Damien Rice’s ‘The Blower’s Daughter’. The album has 15 tracks running over an hour in length.  The album was recorded at the Little Devil in Tilburg, March 2009.
Tracklist of in Parallel:
Teardrop
You Learn About It
Temporary Peace
Yalin
Songbird
Big Love
The Blower’s Daughter
One Last Goodbye
Are You There?
Day After Yesterday
A Natural Disaster
Lost and Found
Flying
Jolene
You can order the album from Agua de Annique webshop (http://www.aguadeannique.com/shop) and you can listen to some tracks from the album from Anneke’s Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/annekevangiersbergen).

Anathema’s Danny Cavanagh & The Gathering ex-singer Anneke Van Giesbergen will be teaming up again for a couple of special shows NEXT WEEK to celebrate the release of their new live album titled “in Parallel”. The dates are:

September 24 – ANTWERP, Belgium (Pandemonium)
September 25 – EINDHOVEN, Holland (Dynamo)

The album features live versions of classics from Anathema, Agua de Annique and the Gathering, along with cover versions such as ‘Teardrop’ (originally written from Massive Attack) and Damien Rice’s ‘The Blower’s Daughter’. The album has 15 tracks running over an hour in length.  The album was recorded at the Little Devil in Tilburg, March 2009.

Tracklist of in Parallel:

Teardrop
You Learn About It
Temporary Peace
Yalin
Songbird
Big Love
The Blower’s Daughter
One Last Goodbye
Are You There?
Day After Yesterday
A Natural Disaster
Lost and Found
Flying
Jolene

You can order the album from Agua de Annique webshop and you can listen to some tracks from the album from Anneke’s Myspace.

In_Parallel

Tagged with:
Aug 19

Finally Paradise lost announced the release dates for their new much awaited album; Faith Divides Us – Death Unites US.  Century Media will be releasing the album on 28th October 2009 in Europe, and on 6th October 2009 in the US.  This album is the first album featuring the Paradise Lost’s new drummer Adrian Erlandsson, ex ‘At the Gates’ and ‘Cradle of Filth’ drummer.

Check out what journalists have to say about this new gothic metal album from the below video, which features some footage from the album’s listening session at a coal mine factory in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.  All positive comments!

Looking forward to order the Limited edition 2CD digibook version of this album.

Tagged with:
Jul 20

Without a record label for 2003 – 2008, Anathema couldn’t do much.  They played a couple of live gigs and they released 3 free songs (which you could download from their website for free).  I’ve been to 2 of their gigs, one of them was at the ‘Unholy Trinity’ in the UK, and Anathema rocked the place.  Their stage presence, the atmosphere and the movement they created was by far better than that of Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride.

Thanks to their switch to atmospheric rock, in 2008, they signed themselves with K Scope music, the same label of Porcupine Tree.  Thanks to this deal, they released Hindsight, a semi-acoustic album featuring old and new favourites from the band repertoire.  The album also contained a new track called Unchained.  The record has been arranged, recorded, performed and produced solely by the band.  The album also features cello playing of Dave Wesling, from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.  As a concept I thought it would be something like Metallica’s S&M, but it’s more polished, atmospheric and quiet.  You can listen to some of the tracks from the here, but if you still buy original cd’s, I suggest this should be part of your collection.

hindsight

What about now though?  Anathema should be working on the new album Horizons, which release date and other details still have to be released.  Though on their official site, they do not mention anything in particular regarding their new album.  In the news section they also state that “This new page is now well out of date”.   Although they have a good discography and a large army of fans, Anathema have always been a little bit too lazy with updating us what is happening, which is a pity as I am sure they have a lot of fans out there waiting to hear from them.  On their website, they have 3 tracks which you could listen to, Everything, A Simple Mistake and Angels walk among us.

Come on guys, give that extra push and put yourself together again, we are waiting for you.

Tagged with:
Jul 15

Look to the stars reports:

A young rock fan in England had his dream come true when he met AC/DC courtesy of the UK Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Six-year-old Hendrix of Walsall, West Midlands, is fighting Acute Monocytic Leukemia and has been a huge fan of the famous rockers since the age of three, when he had to have a major bone marrow transplant – AC/DC’s music was the only thing that would calm him and help him sleep.

As well as watching the band’s Wembley show from a VIP box, Hendrix was escorted backstage where band members Brian Johnson, Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Phill Rudd and Cliff Williams presented him with a goodie bag and his very own miniature guitar, signed by every band member.

“Tonight has been fantastic for Hendrix and just to see him so happy means everything,“ said Hendrix’s father. “He has met his heroes and this will be something he will never forget. Thank you so much for making his wish come true”.

I think it must also be a privilege for AC/DC to see the fruit of their work, and it is also nice when such famous people give out something for free, like a bag of goodies, simply to see someone less fortunate than them smiling.

Tagged with:
Jul 15

Finally Paradise Lost released their first single “As Horizons End” on their MySpace page.It’s a must check it out!

As they promised us, the song is heavier and darker than ever, thanks to their re-introduction of melodic guitars, and Nick’s vocals. Are Paradise Lost back better than ever before? I guess yes. Don’t expect Shades of God / Icon style again, that was a different era, but still they did a great job.

Nick Holmes comments on the song “This song is about someone who’s on a downward spiral. Working too hard and trying to claw back some positive spirit by participating in all the so called joyous occasions in life, socialising and networking but to no avail, the long days have crushed the soul till only disappointment and cynicism remains. This song was inspired by the thousands of dishevelled looking middle aged businessmen I see in airports each year.

This track has had a dozen face lifts since its inception and in true fashion, it was never intended to be the first track. Once it was mixed though it was hard to imagine any other song opening the album.”

Paradise Lost’s MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/paradiselostuk

Tagged with:
preload preload preload