Posted on 25 January 2013 by Korey Wilson
One of the hardest working bands out there, Digital Summer is our featured artist of the week. I recently had the chance to catch up with one of their guitarists- Jon Stephenson. Picking his brain via phone, I found out not only was he a huge fan of Creed and a very talented guitarist, but he could also do your taxes in a pinch.
Posted on 22 January 2013 by Melissa
I can remember the day about 3 years ago when a follow request popped up on my phone from @Digital_Kyle. At that time twitter was still fairly young and my account had tweaked some analytics formula and I was getting follow requests from every Tom, Dick, and Harry band that was tweeting. It took me about 2 weeks before I first checked out his account and I found him brutally honest and so, refreshingly entertaining. It didn’t take long before I checked out his band, Digital Summer, and was pleasantly surprised.
Posted on 02 August 2012 by Korey Wilson
Every August, the city of Chicago is descended upon by thousands of people looking for fun, music and the ultimate festival experience that is Lollapalooza. We have put together this little survival guide to help you squeeze as much out of your experience at the festival, whether it be for one day or all three.
This summer is on track to be one of the hottest to date. Being outside for 10+ hours can have serious implications if you aren’t careful. One of the most important tips we can provide is hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Did we mention that you should drink a lot of water? This year the festival guidelines stipulate that you may bring in 2 factory sealed 1 liter water bottles and an empty Camel Bak. Refilling stations are located throughout Grant Park.
Make sure you use the one to one ratio with alcohol. One bottle of water for each beer or other tasty beverage you consume. A great rule of thumb is to save the heaviest drinking for after sundown. Remember this is a marathon not a sprint. You want to be able to enjoy all that is Lolla, including the full day of music and after parties. Remember Sun + Tequila = Hot mess. Passing out on the lawn after two hours, not only insures that you will hate that you spent a fortune on tickets and didn’t see anyone but the openers, but also will likely result in a killer sunburn. Which brings us to the next tip:
Sunscreen. Non-aerosol can. Most people aren’t prepared to spend 20 hours in the sun over two/three days. I say two days, because it never fails to rain at least one day at this festival. Being prepared for both intense sun and rain can be tricky. Small hand held umbrellas are allowed, but we recommend a small poncho. You can pick one up cheap at a dollar store. You wont be blocking the view of others, and if you get muddy/ messy you can throw it away with less guilt.
A small bottle of hand sanitizer/ travel pack of baby wipes to wash your hands before you eat. We always try to schedule trips to the food areas before/after lunch and dinner rushes.
Familiarize yourself with the lay out of the grounds early. Scope out areas to rest in the shade. We always bring a small sheet or blanket to lay on. Take a breath during the festival and take it all in (and rest your feet)! Dress according to the weather. Function over fashion as far as footwear is concerned ladies. (Flip-flops or Toms, just no heels or platforms.)
Remember when you were in kindergarten and you had to line up to go anywhere, holding a rope with knots, counting off each person every couple of feet making sure no one got left behind? While this may be effective, (and entertaining to those of us around you) it simply isn’t practical. You should map out a meet up place just in case you should get separated from the group. Maybe pick someplace other than the fountain or a stage area where there are 30,000 other people. Cell phone towers always get backed up at Lolla, making it impossible to get texts in a timely fashion. Unless you make your friends wear leashes or ‘If Found Return To’ Tshirts… mapping a meeting spot isn’t a bad idea.
Lolla is an experience that only happens once a year. Make sure you take lots of pictures to document the memories. Have a great and safe weekend.
Posted on 27 April 2012 by Korey Wilson
Fresh off the 2012 Cavo “Thick As Thieves Tour,” Réaul is no stranger to touring, the band has traveled throughout the U.S. playing over 340 shows on a variety of different tours in the last 4 years, sharing the stage with Joe Jonas, Demi Lovato, Blink 182, My Chemical Romance, Cavo, Janus, and The Veer Union to name a few. Their latest album, titled “Casino Heart” (Released May 24th, 2011) has received rave reviews in numerous magazines and seen considerable amount of radio airplay.
Réaul began with lead vocalist / songwriter Rick Connell and bassist Michael Neeley in late 2006. “Rick and I had played in other bands growing up, but when we got together we knew there was something incredibly special about the music we were creating…the songs were hits,” said Michael. The rest of the band filled in quickly when Réaul brought on-board Nate Metzler (Drums) and Dave Kriebel (Lead Guitar). Their first release, a self-titled 3 song EP, came out December 5th, 2007. The band followed up with “Take Me Away,” a single release to iTunes and Amazon in October 2009. Their most recent release, “Casino Heart,” hit shelves May 24th, 2011.¹
I first crossed paths with Reaul during the Cavo tour earlier this spring. The honest lyrics, raw vocals, and infectious music instantly had my attention. Add in the fact that they are genuinely nice people, and you have the makings of an “artist you should know”. I could talk for an hour about how great these guys are, but why read when you could be listening? For all things Reaul, check out the links below.
¹Source: Reaul Press Kit
Posted on 16 April 2012 by Korey Wilson
LINKIN PARK ANNOUNCES JUNE 26TH RELEASE FOR NEW ALBUM,
LIVING THINGS
LEAD SINGLE “ BURN IT DOWN” IMPACTS RADIO & iTUNES
LINKIN PARK & INCUBUS CO-HEADLINE 2012 HONDA CIVIC TOUR
Los Angeles, CA (April 16, 2012) – Through their official website, www.linkinpark.com, LINKIN PARK has announced a June 26th release date for their new album, LIVING THINGS (Machine Shop Recordings/Warner Bros.) The album is co-produced by Rick Rubin (Adele, Metallica) and Linkin Park vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, Mike Shinoda, who co-produced Linkin Park’s last two albums. Rolling Stone magazine says, “The material is the band’s most powerful since its megahit 2000 debut.”
The first single from the new album, “BURN IT DOWN,” premiered today on radio, and is now available through iTunes. Starting later today, fans can pre-order LIVING THINGS from the band’s website, www.linkinpark.com
The band also announced that it will be co-headlining the 2012 Honda Civic Tour with Incubus, along with support from Mutemath. The tour will be kicking off August 11th in Bristow, Virginia @ Jiffy Lube Live. Tickets begin going on sale to the general public the weekend of April 27, but anyone who pre-orders the album at www.linkinpark.com will gain access beginning on April 24th to buy tickets for the tour. Fans will also be able to buy LP Underground fan club memberships at a discounted rate, and earn the right to buy tickets first, get early access to the venues, and be eligible for meet and greets with the band.
Ticket sales for members of Linkin Park’s fan club will begin April 23rd at www.linkinpark.com. Incubus fan club pre-sales will begin April 25th atwww.incubushq.com. For pre-sale information, “like” Honda Civic Tour on Facebook and visit www.hondacivictour.com
Since 2001, Honda Civic Tour has provided music fans with an amazing concert experience at a great value – offering various ticket prices, so there’s something for everyone. “Linkin Park and Incubus fans have grown up together,” said Chester Bennington of Linkin Park. “We’re looking forward to bringing them all together for a great night of music.” Brandon Boyd from Incubus adds, “We’re going to have a blast on this tour, and I know the fans will too.”
Continuing a Civic Tour tradition, fans will have an opportunity to check out Linkin Park’s customized and autographed Honda Civic Si Coupe and Honda CBR250R motorcycle – which will be displayed at every tour stop.
USA
Honda Civic Tour Dates:
8/11 Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live*
8/12 Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena*
8/14 Boston, MA @ Comcast Center
8/17 Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center
8/19 Atlanta, GA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
8/21 Detroit, MI @ The Palace of Auburn Hills
8/22 Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
8/24 Chicago, IL @ First Midwest Bank Ampitheatre
8/25 Indianapolis, IN @ Klipsch Music Center
8/27 Dallas, TX @ Gexa Energy Pavilion
8/28 Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
8/30 Denver, CO @ Comfort Dental Amphitheatre
9/5 Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome
9/7 Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
9/10 San Diego, CA @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
*Incubus will not appear at this event
CANADA
Linkin Park with Incubus:
9/4 Vancouver @ Rogers Arena
Posted on 13 April 2012 by Korey Wilson
Brooklyn-based psychedelic rock band Blackbells have quickly become known for their wall of sound approach, with soaring guitars, sneering vocals and a massive rhythm section. The New Yorker dubbed the band’s debut self-titled EP, released in early 2010, “radio friendly indie-rock”, and the overwhelming amount of positive feedback the band has received since assures that Blackbells is no flash in the pan. The EP hit the #18 spot in CMJ’s Top 200, and ever since the band has found themselves playing to sold-out crowds across the US and Canada with the likes of Band of Skulls, Alberta Cross, Crash Kings, and The Greenhornes as well as appearances at both CMJ and SXSW in 2010 and 2011.
“With a smooth British inspired bluesy sound, Blackbells use a blend of guitar melodies, driving rhythm, and passionate vocals reminicent of Oasis and The Verve with some NY edge.”
- Rocksposure.com
“Blackbells are bringing back the outrageous, raw sounds from the years in which The Verve, Oasis and Blur topped the musical charts.”
-VOGUE Italy
Earlier this week the band announced that they had signed with Fieldhouse Music a division of BMG Music. We predict one listen and you will be searching for more…
http://www.youtube.com/blackbellsband
http://www.blackbellsband.com
http://www.twitter.com/blackbellsband
http://www.facebook.com/blackbellsband
Posted on 07 April 2012 by Melissa
It’s not very often you run into some new music that forces you to upgrade your sound system, but that’s exactly what happened to me after my first listen to Janus’ new cd, Nox Aeris. Like most of the population I spend the majority of time listening to music through a pair of semi-decent headphones connected to my phone. It’s definitely not an audiophile’s dream, but lately I’ve become more complacent and the music has been a lot less demanding.
Well, that all changed the first time I heard “Stains”. It wasn’t that I felt I was missing something, I knew it and wasn’t happy about it at all. The sound was clipping all over the place. I refused to listen to it again, streaming from the internet on my tinny laptop speakers, and begged for a copy of the cd so I could take it for a real test drive. Continue Reading
Posted on 05 January 2012 by Melissa
The day after Christmas is called Boxing Day by the British and that pretty much describes the mood around my house this year. We were all jacked up on candy, making trips to the fridge hoping each time that something good would magically appear besides yesterday’s leftovers. Throughout the day, I would catch one of us conducting a thorough scan of the tree, just in case there was one more present that we had somehow overlooked. It was definitely the anticlimax of Christmas, we were stepping on each others toes, snappy, and just plain pathetic to look at. Yep, I could definitely see a full fledged fight breaking out any minute.
About the time I was planning my escape route, I got a text from none other than The HB, herself. I instantly perked up when I saw those words I have learned to love to read, “Check your email!!!”. Whoo hoo! I knew what that meant…All my wishing on that tree had paid off!
After going through 24 hours of (present) withdrawals, there was no way I was rushing this baby. Uh uh, but I immediately took a quick peek! My face broke out in the biggest shit eating grin you ever did see when I read the attachment “Deluxe Edition”. Oh yeah, that girl knows me well!
After a quick download of The Aesthetic’s “I Am (Deluxe Edition)”, I quickly sampled each song. This is what I consider to be my appetizer/wine tasting session. What popped in my ears was the upbeat, very fast driving “Sinking In” that dared me not to jump up and start dancing around. Continue Reading
Posted on 10 October 2011 by Korey Wilson
Tonight we will all be rocking out at Mojoe’s in Joliet with Nonpoint, our very own Seven Day Sonnet, Three Day Pill and Divyded. I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Elias Soriano of Nonpoint.
Posted on 15 September 2011 by Korey Wilson
For a brief period of time, Emily Armstrong thought that her mother was the musical mastermind behind Fleetwood Mac. Is this amusing and endearing? Yes, but more so, it gives us a glimpse into where her creativity and talent were born.
“Music just moves me. It has always been a passion. My mom used to sing Fleetwood Mac songs to me. She is so incredibly talented, to the point I thought she was Stevie Nicks when I was little. I picked up a guitar when I was 11, and she taught me everything. She is amazing, and is definitely an inspiration.”
