Friday, April 26, 2013

WISDOM OF CROWDS release "Frozen North" (audio)


I love it when two of my favorite artists work together! When I heard Bruce Soord (The Pineapple Thief) and Jonas Renkse (Katatonia) were doing an album, I felt the same chill I felt when Storm Corrosion (Steven Wilson from Porcupine Tree and Mikael Ã…kerfeldt from Opeth) was announced.  And it looks/sounds like it is going to be amazing! Check this out:




From the Kscope:

The album is available as a limited digi-book edition. This edition will feature special mirrored foil covers which will not feature on the regular jewel case edition.

WISDOM OF CROWDS is the new album from an exciting new project featuring Bruce Soord from The Pineapple Thief with Jonas Renkse from Katatonia.

"One of the most fascinating and intriguing collaborations of recent years. Utterly spellbinding."
~Amit Sharma (Metal Hammer)

Originally written with Renkse’s voice in mind, Soord sought out the acclaimed Katatonia vocalist to complete the compositions and release the music to the masses. Despite the rigorous schedules of The Pineapple Thief and Katatonia, the two musicians were eventually able to connect

Pre-order for June 3rd release.

For more information on Wisdom of Crowds visit http://www.kscopemusic.com/wisdomofcrowds






Some of their older tunes:















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Tuesday, April 23, 2013

GEMINI SYNDROME: I love this band! (video)

Thanks to my radio career, I hear just about every up and coming band long before they begin to impact the public.  A select few of those artists get added to my radio stations. Fewer get added to my personal listening collection. And even fewer inspire me enough to write a blog about them.  So, when I say GEMINI SYNDROME is a band you should check out, I want you to understand the full measure of this post.  The last time I posted a blog like this was last Oct for VANISHERhttp://rockfileonline.blogspot.com/2012/10/vanisher-i-love-this-band.html

Last weekend during conversations with various bands, big and small, I came upon the real reason why I stay in radio and rock radio specifically.  As great as it is to see an established artist put on a huge show, I get a real rush from seeing a young band giving their all to try and break though.  Their excitement and enthusiasm drives me to do what I do and share their music with others. 

Which brings me to GEMINI SYNDROME. This Los Angeles based band has been touring the country for the last two years, perfecting their "game" and they are poised to release their debut album this Summer on Warner Bros Records.  The label wanted me to see the band live and asked if I wanted to interview them. For the reasons stated above, I said yes. Having heard only two songs, the single sent to the radio station and a video on YouTube, I headed to the show to see what they are about.

Although their music speaks for itself, in the interview the guys prove themselves to have more depth than most of their contemporaries. The 4-song sampler they are selling on tour is a powerful and infectious taste of what is to come on their debut.  Having witnessed them in a small club, opening for DEVICE, and on an outdoor stage at FORT ROCK two days later, the band has chops aplenty and a killer stage presence.  Both crowds were won over during the first couple of songs and by the end of their set, the fans reacted like they had known them for years.

While the first tracks you will hear are on the HEAVY side, the band shows great melodic variety in the current group of songs they are performing on tour, most of which should be on the album.  If you like heavy riffs, aggressive attitude and intelligent, thought-provoking song-writing, keep your eyes and ears on GEMINI SYNDROME.

My interview with Aaron Nordstrom and Rich Juzwick:










Here are some pics that I took at the FORT ROCK Music Festival:




Here is a fan filmed video from Fort Rock:









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Sunday, April 21, 2013

Happy Birthday ROBERT SMITH (video)


Robert James Smith (born 21 April 1959) is an English musician. He is the lead singer, guitar player and principal songwriter of the rock band The Cure, and its only constant member since its formation in 1976. NY Rock describes him as "pop culture's unkempt poster child of doom and gloom," and asserts that some of his songs are a "somber introspection over lush, brooding guitars." Smith's guitar-playing and use of flanging, chorusing and phasing effects put him among the forefront of the goth and New Wave genres. He also played guitar in the band Siouxsie and the Banshees. Smith is a multi-instrumentalist, known for his unique stage look, such as teased hair and smudged makeup, and his distinctive voice.
Smith began sporting his trademark and cult style of smeared red lipstick, eye-liner, pale complexion, artfully dishevelled black hair, black clothes and trainers in the early 1980s, around the same time as the Goth subculture took off. However, Smith denies any credit for this trend and claims it is a coincidence that the styles are similar, stating that he wore make-up since he was young and further saying: "It's so pitiful when 'Goth' is still tagged onto the name The Cure."


His songwriting for the band's early albums centered around themes of depression, loneliness, and isolation. The sombre mood of these early albums, along with Smith's on-stage persona, cemented the band's "gothic" image.

The band's aesthetic went from gloomy to psychedelic beginning with the album The Top. In 1986, Smith altered his image by appearing on-stage and in press photos sporting short spiky hair and polo shirts (this can be seen in The Cure in Orange, a concert in the south of France released on video in 1987). This new haircut made the headlines on MTV news.


Although Smith's public persona could be deemed to portray a depressed image, he has claimed that his songs do not convey how he feels all, or even most of the time:

    "At the time we wrote Disintegration ... it's just about what I was doing really, how I felt. But I'm not like that all the time. That's the difficulty of writing songs that are a bit depressing. People think you're like that all the time, but I don't think that. I just usually write when I'm depressed."



Smith's songwriting has developed a range of styles and themes throughout his career. Some songs incorporate literary paraphrase, such as Camus' novel L'Etranger in "Killing an Arab" (1978)), and "How Beautiful You Are" (1987), based on a poem by Baudelaire. Others involve punk metafiction ("So What"), surrealism ("Accuracy"), straightforward rock/pop ("Boys Don't Cry", "I'm Cold"), and poetic mood pieces ("Another Day" and "Fire in Cairo"). In subsequent decades, Smith explored more poetic moods, which accorded with New Order and other bands of that genre.

Smith's songwriting has sometimes been pop-oriented, for example "Love Cats" and "Catch". However, even Smith's seemingly upbeat tunes invariably contain dark themes; for example, "In Between Days" contrasts a bouncy pop-rock beat with lyrics about sadness and heartbreak.


Although Smith is the main songwriter with The Cure, songwriting credits are usually shared with the band's contemporary line-up.

In an interview in 2000, Smith said that "there is one particular kind of music, an atmospheric type of music, that I enjoy making with The Cure. I enjoy it a lot more than any other kind of sound". When Smith was asked about the 'sound' of his songwriting, Smith said that he did not "think there is such a thing as a typical Cure sound. I think there are various Cure sounds from different periods and different line-ups."














source: wikipedia







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Friday, April 19, 2013

My Interview with LEIGH KAKATY (audio)

It has been a couple of years since I last saw POP EVIL live and wow, the band is back and better than ever! Shortly after POP EVIL got off the FORT ROCK stage, I sat down with lead vocalist, Leigh Kakaty, inside the baseball stadium at Jet Blue Park.  We chatted about the new album and tour, music and future plans. Here is the interview, unedited:



(There is a little wind noise in the beginning. Pardon the part where the windscreen is added, I could not edit it out without losing part of the conversation.)

Chatting with the whole band afterward, they are pumped to be back out on the road and to be sharing their new tunes with the fans.  From what I have seen and heard, you will not be disappointed.


The new album, ONYX, will be in stores May 15th!


For more, visit: http://www.popevil.com






For more pictures I took at the FORT ROCK Music Festival in Ft Myers, FL April 15, 2013, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.234000040058104.1073741828.119716648153111&type=1&l=edce3fc98e


(-'] #rockfile







Wednesday, April 17, 2013

My Interview with JOSH RAND (audio)


At the FORT ROCK music festival in Ft Myers, Fl this past Sunday (4/15/13), I was lucky enough to hang with some very cool rockers.  One of the "coolest" is Josh Rand of Stone Sour.  Spending 20+ minutes on his bus in the refreshing AC was an oasis against the extreme temps of the day.  Josh talks about the new album, tour and offers some behind the scenes info. 





If the player doesn't work for you, visit https://soundcloud.com/rockfile/josh-rand-of-stone-sour-april to stream or download.





Enjoy!



For more pictures I took at the FORT ROCK Music Festival in Ft Myers, FL April 15, 2013, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.234000040058104.1073741828.119716648153111&type=1&l=edce3fc98e





(-'] #rockfile









Saturday, April 13, 2013

My Interview with DAVID DRAIMAN (audio)

 
During my radio career, I have interviewed tons of people but few have been nicer or more intelligent than David Draiman.  The front man of Disturbed has unleashed a new project while the monster is on hiatus.  Device has him jumping into the electronic realm with co-conspirator Geno Lenardo (formally of Filter). David sees the industrial rock band as akin to NIN more than the other electronic musical movements of today. 
We got to spend close to a half hour on David's bus, before the second show of the Device tour, at The Culture Room Ft. Lauderdale, FL.  Our interview was slightly delayed due to David having to eat dinner and he could not stop apologizing for it. He really is a super-nice, laid-back dude!  (I had no problem with it, I got to spend more time with Gemini Syndrome and Falseta...look for their interviews shortly.)

Here is the unedited 16 minute conversation. You can stream it below or stream/download it HERE.

Enjoy! (-']







Joining David on the tour: Virus (Dope) & Will Hunt (Evanescence)















Friday, April 12, 2013

DEVICE & GEMINI SYNDROME tonight's plan (video)


After all my years in radio, the one constant you can count on is things not always going as planned.  Hopefully all bases are covered for tonight as I am headed to a very intimate evening with Device and Gemini Syndrome.  Not only am I interviewing the bands backstage but the show itself is in the tiny, but awesome, Culture Room in Ft Lauderdale.  Here is what we are in for:








Look for interviews to be posted tomorrow morning.

Rock On!




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Thursday, April 11, 2013

NOW YOU SEE ME posts new trailer (video)

 Summit Entertainment has released a new trailer for director Louis Leterrier's Now You See Me, starring Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Melanie Laurent, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Common, Michael Kelly, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman. The thriller is set to arrive in U.S. theaters on May 31st.

Louis Leterrier has a hit and miss record with me based on his directing:     
    The Transporter (2002) - fun action flick
    Unleashed (2005) - surprisingly great Jet Li movie
    Transporter 2 (2005) - ok action flick
    The Incredible Hulk (2008) - better than Ang Lee's take
    Clash of the Titans (2010) - popcorn entertainment at best
    
But, Now You See Me looks very interesting!!



Plot: "Now You See Me" pits an elite FBI squad in a game of cat and mouse against "The Four Horsemen," a super-team of the world's greatest illusionists. "The Four Horsemen" pull off a series of daring heists against corrupt business leaders during their performances, showering the stolen profits on their audiences while staying one step ahead of the law.














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Friday, April 5, 2013

DREAM THEATER Live At Luna Park 360 interactive app (video)

Dream Theater have revealed details of their 360 Interactive app, which will be released alongside their upcoming Live At Luna Park Blu-Ray/DVD. The app promises a “unique immersive experience” and offers users the chance to scroll round the stage while the band play their track Six O’Clock – meaning an almost limitless number of ways to see the performance.



The desktop and laptop software, said to be the first of its kind, will be available to those who purchase the deluxe edition of Live At Luna Park.
The Blu-ray/DVD was filmed in Buenos Aires, Argentina, last August. It’s due for release next month.


“Live At Luna Park, a live concert captured on 2DVD, Blu-ray, Digital Video, 2DVD/3CD, Blu-ray/3CD, and a deluxe edition (2DVD/Blu-ray/3CD), will drop in May 2013.

Live At Luna Park was filmed over two nights in South America — home to one of Dream Theater’s most ardent fanbases. The DVD was filmed after a 15-month world tour, hitting 35 countries.

“This is without a doubt the closest a viewer at home will come to experiencing a live Dream Theater concert,” states guitarist and founding member John Petrucci. “Between the hi-def and 3D video, the huge audio mix and the documentary style behind the scenes footage, you are truly transported to the arena and completely immersed in the entire live experience.”

“We have the greatest fans on the planet and the people of Argentina are no exception!” adds Petrucci. “The energy and vibe at Luna Park was truly electric and contagious. The perfect synergy between band and audience. We are immensely proud of this DVD and incredibly excited to share it with everyone!”"







source: Dream Theater





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Wednesday, April 3, 2013

BIOSHOCK INFINITE so far (video)


The wait for the original Bioshock killed me.  Well, obviously not literally, but the game sounded perfect to me and took so long to come out.  A first-person shooter with steampunk art design, a weird yet well-told story, RPG-lite elements and beautiful graphics! I played the game on XBox, PS3 and finally the PC...loved it each and every time.

Bioshock 2 was fun.  I played through it quickly without much interest in returning.  But, I am replaying on PC for the achievements. (-']

Early word on Bioshock Infinite was mixed.  As much as everyone looked forward to big changes in location and design, after long delays, critics began to wonder if the game would ever see the light of day.  Irrational Games did the right thing by taking their time to craft the best game possible.  The result is a game that is even more fun to play than the original Bioshock but is also one of the best games I have ever played.

I read that one critic finished the single player storyline in 13 hours. I am almost that far along but nowhere near finished, as far as I can tell.

First and foremost this is a very beautiful game graphically.  On my modest, yet still fairly beefy gaming rig, it runs as smooth as glass.  Except for one minor bug I will talk about below...which now appears fixed.

I will not give anything away about the story but it touches on surprisingly mature matters including racism, fanaticism and much more.  The setting and art design only add to the uniqueness of the game. The whole package is as defining as the original Bioshock, this game will clean up at the year end awards.

Game play will make or break a game, no matter how good the story and this Bioshock improves on it's predecessors in every way.  You are still collecting better powers and weapons as you play but it all works so much more smoothly than in the past.

My only complaint is about your companion, Elizabeth.  Although she is a big help with locks, ammo and health, her animation is very choppy compared to the rest of the game.  As I mention, game play is very smooth but her animation stuttered as if her frame rate was separate from the rest of the game.  Either though a recent patch or by my turning off the v-sync, the problem has disappeared.
I am playing on PC but the game is also available for PS3 and XBox 360.  We are getting closer to bringing movies and games together in a new form of interactive entertainment and BIOSHOCK INFINITE is a great example of where we are headed. You should really play this game.

I will let you know how it goes.  All pictures are actual screenshots from my PC.
















IGN's review:












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