JUNE Vandla
2013 D'Angelico Guitars REBORN Launch
FANBOY TO VILLAIN"
"FROM Interview with Anthony Barro of New Years Day
CAMPAIGN
THROW DOWN ENTERS THE STUDIO
Down The Tempo CHILL OUT TO BONOBO
ARTIST T SPOTLIGHT ABRASIVE SOUNDS & THEMES RETOX TAKES THE PUNK SCENE BY STORM
Returns With "Pissed and Driven"
Why Your Music Self-Promotion Isn't Working
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Letter From The Editor/Team Music Season Starting! I don't know about you but when the weather warms up and new music hits the music scene in full force I get goose bumps. This music season is really heating up from festivals to touring bands. Being out doing an interview, releasing a new album or performing you can see so much talent. We caught up with a few of the acts out on the road, plus of course our regular features. I can say for June's edition of Vandala I was in overload. Not only has Vandala achieved getting over a million hits a month since Aprils edition so much talent seems to be coming out of hibernation. Be it a small band to a large one we are so proud we are able to cover it all. We are proud to have New Years Day grace our Junes cover. This is a band that shows hard work, DIY and amazing talent takes you far. I had the pleasure of listening to their new album "Victim to Villains" before its official release and wow! It's made it on my personal playlist which is not the easiest list to make these days. Bag had the pleasure of interviewing bassist Anthony Barro from the band. The band is really busy this season with a new album, Vans Warp Tour and so much more! We also interviewed Retox for our artist spotlight. This is a band that has something to say. From a Jerry Springer riot, YPPL, abrasive sounds and themes, Retox is one interesting punk band. Besides Vandala loves bands that have something to say and keep it interesting for us! On my infamous positive note - Good music is out there and it may not be on your Television and Radio so get out and see some live music! Your local venues, pubs and even coffee houses have some really amazing artists that you want to here and would love your support. Next Month we have Young Guns on the Cover! A rock band hitting the charts worldwide with their latest album Bones! Our staff is going to be out in full force so don't forget to say hi! Also I hit the road to do an interview with an artist which I haven't done in months - she's that good! Many Thanks - Crystal Lee Vandala@VandalaConcepts.com Editor In Chief Send us your letters, comments and questions right to the editors Vandala@VandalaConcepts.com and Jolle@VandalaConcepts.com
Contents Vandala June 2013 8 Album Reviews Dillinger Escape Plan "One of Us is The Killer" (Mathcore) Brutus "Behind the Mountains" (Hard Rock/Psychedelic Rock) Kae Sun "Afriyie" (Singer Songwriter/Alternative) Half Moon Run "Dark Eyes" (Alternative/Rock/Folk) Joy Of Painting "Tender Age" (Rock) Alkaline Trio "My Shame Is True" (Pop/Punk) Black Dahlia Murder "Everblack" (Melodic Death Metal) Monarque "Lys Noir" (Black Metal) 14 Album Cover Of the Month Tame Impala "Innerspeaker" 16 Reviews "Down the Tempo and Chill Out to Bonobo" "Musical Mastery Tainted by Technical Imperfections" (Shabazz Palaces Live)
AFRIYIE
20 In The Clouds "A Little Rant & Vanguard Records: A Leading Independent Music Label" 22 Editorial Special "11 Reasons Why Your Music Self-Promotion Isn't Working" 28 Other Lens "Photographer Spotlight: Gregory Moore Photography" "On Location With FEINICS by LGN" 32 Artist Spotlight Interview with Retox "Abrasive Sounds & Themes, Retox Takes the Punk Scene by Storm"
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38 Cover Story New Years Day "From Fanboy to Villain" Interview with Anthony Barro" While on the high of releasing their best work yet and getting ready to hit the road with Vans Warped Tour with some of their all time favourite bands, bassist Anthony Barro took time from his busy day to explain all the madness that has been brewing! 46 New Releases "Damien Jurado 10th Anniversary Deluxe LP "Acoustic Songwriter Daniel Schamroth Releases Debut EP" "Julianna Barwick Previews New Album - Nepenthe" Bloc Party "Truth (Digitalism Remix)" Doorly "Boom Boom Room EP 1" "The Aristocrats New Album 'Culture Clash' Out July 16, 2013" "Burnout by Anarbor Just Released!" "Black Water Rising Returns With Pissed and Driven"
Contents Vandala June 2013 54 More New Releases "Eye Ra Haze Releases Eye of the Storm" "Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats Premiere New Track "Revocation - Album Release Date & Additional Tour Dates" "Darkane and The Sinister Supremacy" 58 Music News "A Legend is Reborn: D'Angelico Guitars to Launch 'Reborn' Campaign" "Throwdown Enters The Studio With Zeuss Mixing" "Ephel Duath Finishing Work on New Album Details Revealed" Anti Signs Melodic and Releases Debut EP Diana Joins Jagjaguwar & "Born Again" Releases in August "Glorior Belli Signs with Agonia Records + North American Tour" "Sanctuary Signs Worldwide Deal with Century Media Records" "Polaris Music Prize Announce SiriusXM as Official Radio Broadcaster - Event Details Revealed" 68 Events & Tours "Castle Heads Out On American Tour" "Holy Grail Announce North American Headlining Tour" Harvest Festival Announces Initial Lineup"
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Reviews Bags Picks
Dillinger Escape Plan "One of Us is The Killer" (Mathcore) Despite being one of the most intentionally, conventionally unlistenable bands in music, since their critically acclaimed album, "Calculating Infinity", their consistent efforts of putting out albums and touring seemingly without taking much breaks, DEP has been the ultimate underdog story. Their catalogue is so diverse that they've alienated pretty much every single listener at some point, creating pop oriented rock songs, but also putting out their complex, spastic songs. The truth is obvious, they are genuine fans of all great music, and that statement is reinforced in "One of Us is The Killer". First single, "Prancer" is a definite fan pleaser. Though reminiscent of classics such as "43% Burnt", and "Fix Your Face" it's finessed with a touch of melodies and catchy rhythms, which is not only a natural progression, but also proof of maturing and improving. Second track, "When I Lost My Bet" is a schizophrenic masterpiece that puts you in the headspace of a deranged individual in an insane asylum. The skipping drum beat creating space between the furious guitar stabs captures the feeling of high pressure anxiety perfectly. Backed by explosion sounds accentuating certain beats in a given measure, the impact, and damage is portrayed so viscerally, it feels like you are in imminent danger. The title track showcases in traditional Dillinger manner, their more accessible sensibilities. It starts off with haunting melodies that are accompanied by breathy, soothing vocals. However, the chorus opens up with a crushing riff and a definitively catchy melody. Not to mention the ever-so-huge, unrelenting outro! 4.6/5 Dragons www.dillingerescapeplan.org
Brutus "Behind the Mountains" (Hard Rock/Psychedelic Rock) What could be more refreshing than a stack of cabs washing your face with overdriven tube tones gently shaving your follicles? Absolutely nothing. Full length release, "Behind the Mountains" by Scandinavian hard rock avengers, Brutus certainly hits the mark. Attempting to perfect or show respect for a familiar genre well developed and popularized back in the day by legendary bands like Black Sabbath, and Blue Cheer can be a daunting task. However, their witching riffs scream well past the hills into the ears of every child, and teenager who had not been exposed to this golden era of heavy rock music, but also to their parents that have lost faith in the current state of over produced, regurgitated heavy music. Brutus simply points out that the music they fell in love with early on is still revered enough to explore further and have a blast doing it. The album is a straight ahead punch, driving the point home by chugging palmed muted open notes while hitting the higher octave on the upbeat, galloping forward with a beer dripping in one hand and a sword in the other, fighting for partying! That's what it's about, having a great time headbanging, reminiscing, and drinking with your buddies at the bar. The kick-loose vibe is conjured by how the band was recorded and edited, flowing very naturally to the drummer's thick grooves. Also as heard in "Big Fat Boogie," the gang vocals in the hook creates the imagery of a bunch of rowdy dudes drinking. 4/5 Dragons www.brutusband.com
8 Vandala.Ca - June 2013
Album Reviews Lana Nimmons Picks. Kae Sun "Afriyie" (Singer Songwriter/Alternative) Kae Sun immigrated from Ghana to Canada in his teens after graduating from the renowned Achimota School in Accra where he first started performing and writing music; now under URBNET Records, an independent record label based in Toronto, Ontario. Kae Sun's sophomore album "Afriyie" is probably one of the smoothest albums I've come across this year. His perfect blend of music influences, from folk, reggae, and soul, makes this impeccable album which will undoubtedly spice up your summer. The poppy, happy "Heart Healing Pulse" is guaranteed to put smiles on faces and "Dzorwulu Junction" will draw obvious Sun's comparisons, while a harder track like "Lion Unleashed" stands on another foot. My top songs on this album would be "When the Pot" and "Stillness," which are not only technically perfection and are sonically booming- defining a whole new space between partying and chilling back.
AFRIYIE
All his pent up emotions and heartfelt sermonizing, the songs on Afriyie bubble over with the life of everyday experiences. There is no question that Kae Sun is going to find success in the future, this album a decadent art piece, and speaks for itself. The moments where a reggae vibe slips in, some darker drums, simple yet expressive guitar are indulged with his poetic lyrics. Afriyie was released May 28th, and perfect timing- boy and girls Kae Sun has officially created the perfect summer album. 4.7/5 Dragons www.kaesunmusic.com
Half Moon Run "Dark Eyes"(Alternative/Rock/Folk) Half Moon Run is a talented, young trio from Ottawa, Ontario and Comox, British Columbia. It was in a studio situated in Montreal's Mile-End district, through the hardships of time HALF MOON constraints and flatlined bank accounts, that the trio bonded and created their unique sound, fusing together the restless elements of indie, pop and folk with beautiful rhythmic harmonies, delicate guitar lines and a hint of warm electronica. Following their release their debut album, "Dark Eyes", they've been topping charts and globe trotting, touring and playing some of the biggest folk rock bands in the industry. Aesthetically, Dark Eyes is absolutely perfection and as I dug deeper into this album, I found myself spellbound by its lyrical Dark , beauty, and wisdom. Their first track "Full Circle" sets deep root for this album, with their beautifully woven acoustics and memorable hooks. Half Moon Run's kick ass debut slyly avoids being another cookie cutter indie rock band. As Devon sings in Full Circle: "The needle in your skin won't bring you closer to God / I watch as your head turns full circle" - he elevates this band to a deeper level telling a gut wrenching story of addiction. Half Moon Run's abilities to incorporate heartfelt folk melodies and vocal harmonies are to die for in Dark Eyes, in effect, demands attention. The power combo of spaced out indie rock/pop and folk sensibilities isn't anything new (Radiohead's Pablo Honey comes to mind), but Half Moon Run delivers it with their own twist. I personally have not seen such promise since the mid '90's. 4.5/5 Dragons www.halfmoonrun.com June 2013 - Vandala.Ca 9
ALBUM
Reviews) Andrew Johnstones Picks Joy Of Painting "Tender Age" (Rock)
When I first heard about The Joy Of Painting I first thought of the show "The Joy of Painting" which was an American television show hosted by painter Bob Ross. South Division Records' garage rock artists The Joy of Painting released their sophomore album titled, Tender Age. Featuring the already hit single "Dontchu Wanna", alongside with six other pop-y rock tracks that are upbeat, danceable, coupled with infectious hooks are perfect for the fun. "Dontchu Wanna" and "I'm Reelin" would be my top tracks off of this, small but sweet release. Their upbeat acoustic guitar and feel good tone of the vocals has given me an uncontrollable smile injection. Not my usual cup of tea, I was pleasantly surprised from start to finish with their track "I'm Reelin". Whether it was by the instrument choices or the unexpected melody in the chorus, I fell smitten with this track. Other highlighted track would be, "Back To Romance" - which not your a-typical love song. It's more upbeat than I expected from the title, but it's got tell-tale rock and roll bones so it gives a sort of a nostalgic feel to a pop vibe. Every track seems to be an anthem in disguise, with this bluesy structure and rock attitude that can't be missed. Pulling inspiration from such icons as Elvis Costello, Weezer and Butch Walker, this release gives the band an opportunity to find a home in the pop genre while walking the balance beam between grit and blithe indifference. 3.5/5 Dragons www.joyofpainting.bandcamp.com
Alkaline Trio "My Shame Is True" 'Pop/Punk) As one of modern punk rock's most prolific acts, Alkaline Trio, emerged from Chicago in 1996 and spun out eight full length punk rock studio albums. 2010's This Addiction which reached #11 on Billboard 200 and Damnesia, which features a selection of beloved fan favorites selected from the group's extensive catalogue and presented in an intimate-semi unplugged format. "My Shame Is True", Alkaline Trio's new album was recorded with Bill Stevenson (The Descendents and Black Flag and with Jason Livermore) at the producers' legendary punk rock studio, Blasting Room Studios, in Colorado. "My Shame Is True", blasts the band into new musical terrain while keeping true to their classic Trio sound. The album contains 40 minutes of punk rock anthems that showcase guitarist/vocalist Matt Skiba, bassist/vocalist Dan Andriano and drummer Derek Grant" - kicking ass and takin' names. My favorite track from this album is "I Wanna be a Warhol". An implicit reference to famed artist Andy Warhol, the song parallels the need to be appreciated the way an art collector pines over and shows off a masterful painting. I checked out their music video after listening to their album, and this three-minute clip consist of femme fatale Milla Jovovich walking around her home while a pervert living inside the walls watches. Once the model/actress realizes she's the object of his creepy male gaze, she strips down to her lingerie and heads to the bedroom. Kinda creepy, but awesome, such as this album. 3.7/5 Dragon www. alkalinetrio.com/ 10 Vandala.Ca - June 2013
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Black Dahlia Murder "Everblack" (Melodic Death Metal) Melodic Death-metallers unleash their latest album Everblack" this month and the anticipation is almost palpable. Their name has popped up many times over the last 5 years in the various conversations I've had and every time fans revere these guys with the utmost respect. After a solid listen to "Everblack" I now know why - these guys deliver in every moment of music! The record starts out with slow, brooding sound effects that are quickly layered by doom-y instrumental work before kicking into their usual high-tempo, energetic soundscape. The guitar-work forms a melodic texture that weaves between frantic drumming and vocals that range from aggressive grunting to soul-piecing shrieks. One source of controversy the band has always had was whether they were death metal or dethcore. Well this may matter to some, it makes no effin difference to me! These guys rip with authenticity and finesse worthy of the approval of any elitist. Overall, I can't escape how much expression comes through in the guitar playing. Whether is melo-technical riffing or another crazy solo, every note seems to drip with feeling and gel the parts together masterfully. As a result, "Everblack" does not attempt to re-invent the band, but it provides a further of the refinement of the direction that BDM has always been heading. The band seems increasingly more comfortable in delivering high-tempo, melodic riffing in a very palatable manner. It was a pleasure to be able to review this record! 4.5/5 Dragon www.metalblade.com/bdm
Monarque
"Lys Noir" (Black Metal,
I love it when black metal uses minimalist, yet, intense texture as the
backbone of the music. Monarque really comes across as a band that puts significant thought into their compositions, laying the music out in movements that both compliment and contrast the parts that came both before and after. One thing that I don't hear enough of in most Black Metal is the presence of bass and stylistic drumming. However, Monarque definitely has these elements covered. The drumming on Lys Noir includes the standard blast beats BUT it also incorporates a lot of polyrhythms and tasteful fills which effectively comes across very nicely. The varied drums swirl around the simplistic guitar-riffing creating a trance-like effect. Acoustic guitars are used in sparing quantities to provide a well-deserved respite from the onslaught of speedy riffing. Keyboards tend to take the backseat but it really works nicely in this music as they add a quiet, haunting effect in the background. Usually I'm a stickler for modern production, but I think that the production style that was selected for this record is more effective than modern production. The mix is awaash in reverb and has a warmer, dynamic quality to it that helps to bolster the atmospheric nature of the compositions. There's nothing too extreme or unbalanced about this record. Instead, Monarque is successful in achieving a mature and well-thought sound for this record. If I could make an analogy and say metal was like alcohol, then this record would be the 21-year old Scotch. It's got a bit of bite to it, but provides a powerfully intoxicating effect executed with smoothness and a tremendous character. These guys get a well-deserved 3.7/5 Dragon째 www.facebook.com/monarqueqc 12 Vandala.Ca - June 2013
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Album Cover
Of The Month Bags Pick tame impala IInnerspeaker (Psychedelic Rock) tame impala
Ever since the release of Innerspeaker in 2011, Tame Impala's musical journey, and progress has skyrocketed into success with sold out shows all over the world, in addition landing the song, Elephant from their latest album on a TV commercial for the new Blackberry. This breakthrough success is a great example of how working at achieving a certain, vivid vision can take you to the greatest heights. Perhaps what makes this impeccable focus possible is the fact that Tame Impala's music is written, produced, played and recorded by one man, Kevin Parker, the frontman. Their beautifully nostalgic sound is sonically executed perfectly on Innerspeaker. From how the overdriven guitar tone breaks up in a perfectly saturated, warm, but crunchy way to how the drums sound like they are being squeezed harshly, but tastefully out of a vintage compressor, the overall feel when listening is sheer retro bliss. In fact, it would be hard to convince someone new to the band that this album was made after the 70's. The gluey, lush amalgamation of affected guitars, vocals and drums is created by dense compression, which gives off a wavering effect of the overall mix as if each instrument is trying to overcome each other, fighting for its dominance in a playful, energetic, dancy way, spewing crash hits, and flanged out guitars like a cherub fountain. The album cover conveys the same aesthetic. It's vibrant, and full of life. The immense tunnel vision represents Kevin Parker's strong sense of musical focus for the band's sound. The wavering sky either represents the overall production tone, or travelling back in time much like the retro, psychedelic vibe of Innerspeaker. The high contrast image is clearly reminiscent of the psychedelic rock culture in the 60's and 70's. If looked at in a literal way, it looks like a speaker, helping to visualize the sound. www.tameimpala.com 14 Vandala.Ca - June 2013
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Reviews Live In Vancouver Down the Tempo and Chill Out to Bonobo Review & Photo By Bag Soul singer, and labelmate Szjerdene surprised and dazzled the audience walking out onto the stage in her sparkling gold on black dress only the truly classy could pull off. Supporting his new album, The North Borders, Bonobo's tour came through, and easily sold out Vancouver's legendary concert hall, the Commodore Ballroom. Opening rock duo, El Ten Eleven from Los Angeles played their form of progressive post-rock utilizing a lot of looping and loads of other guitar effects to create a full sound. Reconstructing their songs from the ground up, guitarist, Kristian Dunn played a double neck guitar/bass that was as big as he was. Running up and down both necks, the instrument created a huge range for the band. Not to mention his playing style, constantly tapping melodies that fluttered like butterflies. Sometimes Kristian had his left hand fingering the bass while the right hand was over hand tapping the guitar, what a talent! Drummer, Tim Fogarty also used electronics to loop and trigger electronic drum machine sounds. These musicians had impeccable chemistry, especially highlighted by the moment Tim walked off his drums, got on his knees in front of Kristian and started playing the bass strings with his sticks, something I have never seen before, and quite frankly the most memorable part of their set. Considering how far apart El Ten Eleven's style was different from Bonobo's, they received a very enthusiastic response from the crowd, clearly mesmerized by all the different sounds and intricate rhythms flurrying from just two guys on stage. It's common for headlining bands with complicated setups and many musicians to hire an opening band that is much smaller. Although Bonobo is really just one producer/DJ named Simon Green from the UK, famed as one of the "new pioneers of downtempo," his live set has become quite the spectacle and production. Featuring a keyboardist, flute/horn/clarinetist, guitarist, drummer, singer and himself playing midi controllers, drum pads, keyboards and the bass, this was an epic show packed with room for improvisation, and extended solos. Kicking off the set with the ever so catchy and organically flavoured house track, Cirrus off his new album, the crowd started dancing and talking about how much they love Bonobo. Unfortunately, no matter how intimate and special the show wanted to go, the talking amongst immature frat party kids never stopped. On the other hand, the musicians were all top notch, and the entire show went off without a single notable hitch, which is very surprising considering how many things on stage could have gone wrong. Absolute professionals on every level. Since Bonobo's electronic tracks have all types of different permutations of instrumentation, certain musicians stepped off the stage for certain songs, and came back for others, a cool way of switching up the dynamic, and playing with different sounds and possibilities. At one point everyone except Bonobo was on stage and performed a short, but sweet Di set, which got the sound system totally banging and the crowd surrendering to the bass. Visit These Bands Online: El Ten Eleven - www.elteneleven.com Bonobo - www.bonobomusic.com 16 Vandala.Ca - June 2013
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STYLUST BEATS I TANTRUM DESIRE I THE FUNK HUNTERS THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE I TORRO TORRO
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FUNK
HOMBRE I DAWN
Reviews
Shabazz Palaces Live
Musical Mastery Tainted by Technical Imperfection Review By Bag The most humane aspect about technology is perhaps its imperfections. Although we'd like to think that computers are perfect, and they could never fail us, all in all they were still created by humans, we make mistakes, so do the machines. Shabazz Palaces made a huge splash with their debut full length album, Black Up in 2011. Highly critically acclaimed, many journalist including myself named it the best album of that year. Naturally, I've been yearning to see them live ever since. This night was one of those nights heavily advertised as an "early show." To accommodate the drink thirsty, party goers of the weekend that want to hear countless bass drops, no matter how talented the touring artists are, they are scheduled so that the bar can maximize their profits. Although this is a sad reality, since the venues are faced with costs of maintaining a business, along with upholding liquor licenses, which is especially difficult in Vancouver it is understandable. I got there about an hour after the suggested showtime, Shabazz was still not on. However, DJ Brendan Butter was warming up the stage playing all kinds of great electronic, hip hop, and other beat-centric music. Switching the songs up quickly, mixing up different styles so smoothly, he was easily one of the best local DJ's in Vancouver that I have seen. To welcome Shabazz to the stage, it started off with smoke, dark red lighting and an intro track that sounded like a demonic, space travelling sermon backed by a gospel choir. A perfect intro to the experimental, dark, mysterious hip hop mastery that is Shabazz Palaces. From the first sampled kick, it was on! Their tight, detailed sonic characteristics in the low end hit and shook the room just right. Emcee, Palanceer Lazaro's unique voice cut through the mix as he does on their recordings, also playing the Roland SP-555, hitting pads, twisting knobs, looping, overdubbing live, it was all very dramatic and effective. Percussionist, and singer Tendai 'Baba' Maraire performed masterfully on lots of acoustic instruments including the mbira, an African instrument consisting of metal keys in a bowl. In addition effortlessly playing a set of sample based drum pads containing anything from chimes to synth bass samples. Watching them create their complex arrangements live was simply mind blowing, however throughout the set there was one major issue, their macbook. It was apparent early on that Palanceer's laptop was crashing. Instead of disrupting the flow of the show in any way, they continued to try to figure out what was wrong, booting, rebooting the computer over and over while rapping flawlessly. That is talent! Eventually he took it off stage for it to be fixed by people backstage, and from then he went backstage after each song, but unfortunately it never did get fixed. On one hand, it was a great show filled with adventure, feeling, and emotion, on the other, it was distracting to see so much commotion stemmed from technical difficulties along with knowing that a lot of sounds weren't heard. Shabazz Palaces Online: www.shabazzpalaces.com 18 Vandala.Ca - June 2013
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Reviews
Clouds A Little Recc. A Leading. Independent Music Label Story By Lana Nimmons
So to make things clear before I start, I do not like reality TV, and for that matter: reality TV shows that serve the purpose of humiliation, specifically music related. I find it a waste of time. To quote Dave Ghole: It's destroying the next generation of musicians! Musicians should go to a yard sale and buy and old f°cking drum set and get in their garage and just suck. And get their friends to come in and they'll suck, too. {...} You don't need a f*cking computer or the internet or The Voice or American Idol.
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With this being all said and done, the other day while listening to the radio this song came on, and I really, really liked it. I didn't really hear who this artist was but later on that evening while browsing through Soundcloud looking for inspiration I was lead to Vanguard Records where I found the artist Lee DeWyze (song, Silver Lining). I thought the name rang a bell, so I researched him, discovering that Lee DeWyze won American Idol in 2010. I usually strongly dislike winners of shows like this because of their pop-y, cookie cutter sound, but DeWyze's shows his true colors with his expressive songwriting. I found that his advanced chops on a variety of instruments and his stylistic approach he employs was delightful. Inspired by his lifelong love of classic folk-rooted artists like Simon & Garfunkel and Cat Stevens, he shines.
His first single, "Silver Lining" from his upcoming summer release he collaborated with renowned producer/songwriters such as Toby Gad, Drew Pearson, Jim Scott, Matthew Wilder and Phil Allen. In an interview he said that he "wanted to take it back to what I'm really about, which is writing emotionally charged, meaningful songs, I knew what kind of album I wanted to make and knew I could make. The way I see it, everything that's happened throughout my career has happened so that I can make this record." This, in my opinion, proves that with the right support an artist can succeed. Succeed not only in a monetarily way, but artistically aswell. Vanguard Records is a perfect example of this. It's a family owned record label, and one of the world's leading independent record labels. Set up in 1950 by brothers Maynard and Seymour Solomon in New York; what started as a classical label, it's catalogue of recordings grew by a number of pivotal folk and blues artists. Vanguard diversified in the mid-1950s by challenging the blacklist and signing Paul Robeson and the Weavers. In the summer of 1965 Maynard Solomon hired Samuel Charters to edit the tapes of the 1964 Newport Folk Festival. Following that project, the company sent Charters to Chicago to capture the broad range of blues musicians there. Those sessions resulted in the classic 1966 three album series titled Chicago/The Blues/Today!, which introduced a new generation to the blues. The albums included sets by Junior Wells with Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters's bandmates Otis Spann and James Cotton, Otis Rush, Homesick James, Johnny Shines, Big Walter Horton, and Charlie Musselwhite. Now here in 2013 Vanguard records houses some of the top artist in the industry such as Barenaked Ladies, Indigo Girls, Lee DeWyze, and California country music legend Merle Haggard. This label, and Lee DeWyze are on my watch list- amazing music. Take A Listen to Lee DeWyze amd More Artists from Vanguard Records www.vanguardrecords.com www.soundcloud.com/vanguard-records 20 Vandala.Ca - June 2013
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Special 11 Reasons Why Your Music Self-Promotion Isn’t Working By James Moore - Author of "Your Band is a Virus" Books Series
THE REALITY OF MUSIC SELF-PROMOTION
SOCIAL MEDIA RECORD THE
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FUNDING
Self-promotion in the music industry is a topic that has been explored extensively over the past 20 years. Some of the basic ground rules are the same that apply to any business or freelancer. Most people in the industry, however, bands included, don't know a whole lot about it. Many prefer to hover around the topic of social media because it's all they know. After all, once you call yourself a "social media coach", there's really not much room for expansion besides posting an analysis of every new Twitter or Facebook development/etc. Artists flock to new music technologies, discovery platforms, unsigned networks, indie authorities, and crowd funding platforms looking for the answer, and yet, the message generally being sent to the artists tends to do them a disservice. Promises, promises. Even the term "submit your music" can be very misleading. Submit it where? Well...the junk folder, to be blunt.
Just as people starting businesses often under-estimate the amount of work necessary, so do unsigned musicians and bands. A quick disclaimer: it IS possible to be very successful as a musician in 2013. You can do it. It's helpful, though, to do away with some of the lies that we typically accept from today's music authorities, and I'll go over some of those here. The intention isn't to be overly blunt. Just to tell the truth. Below are some reasons why your music self-promotion may not be working. 1) You're waiting in line. It's wonderful that there are so many services for artists to use to send their music to either industry professionals, festivals, blogs, magazines, and radio promoters such as Sonicbids and Music XRay. Mixed feelings abound about these sites, but to call them positive or negative would be a snap judgement. Does it suck that it costs $40 to simply apply for X music festival given that this is a digital submission we're talking about, and chances are your music will not receive a fair listen? It sure does. Would it possibly be a life-changing experience if you were chosen? It certainly would. Musicians today are accustomed to waiting in line for just about everything. After all, it's busy as hell out there. While it's necessary to wait in some lines, and good results can come of that, if you merely play by the rules and wait in lines you'll get stagnancy, and that isn't a very fun gift to open up for Christmas. Artists need to think as creatively in their promotions as in their songwriting. Outsource your duties. Get momentum by getting freelancers on your side. Promote outside of the music blog arena. Hire people to promote your music; preferably a lot of them. Get the forums buzzing. Get people requesting your music. Get people writing about your music. Donate to blogs you like. Use Fiverr and similar micro-job sites. Read Tim Ferriss. Read business books. Get out of the "band" mentality. Ignore the music authorities and start infiltrating. 22 Vandala.Ca - June 2013
Editor a Special 2) You're only promoting on social media. Don't get me wrong. Social media, when used correctly, can have a massive effect on your success. The only problem is, since most industry guru's and music marketing publications tend to focus on social media exclusively, the current generation of artists are spending all of their time posting, pinning, tweeting, hashtagging, reblogging, liking, sharing, tagging, stumbling, digging, and cultivating the perfect "reddiquette", but in the end, without the proper balance, the result is something close to a Warcraft or Angry Birds addiction. Time down the memory hole. It's easy to forget that not everyone hangs around on these networks, and even if they do, they're often tuned into only what their personal perceptual filters will allow; not something new. It's important to keep your communication skills in tip-top shape, to send actual, conversational emails, make phone calls, and speak with promoters in person. The worst faux pas is messaging companies or industry people through networks such as Facebook. These often go unanswered, as these networks are riddled with spam, and real messages get lost in the shuffle. Send a real, personalized email and notice the difference. 3) You're on automatic, Thought it might be a good idea to outsource your music marketing to a robot? Some of the most heavily advertised automated services such as Beatwire and Musicsubmit look very attractive to most artists. They promise to send your music to X number of journalists, radio hosts, and industry professionals, and charge a flat rate for doing so. The rates are often less than what most publicists charge, making it even more enticing. But how are these emails received? For one, most journalists and bloggers receive dozens, if not hundreds, of real emails daily from promoters, labels and artists who either wrote the message personally or at least prepared a proper email and clicked the "send" button. How much respect do you think they have for the "easy way out", an automated press release, or possibly a Reverbnation profile delivered to their inbox? If your music submissions say anything along the lines of "powered by...", you can expect little to no results. I've been added to lists by companies like these without so much of a "Hello" or "Would you like to be added to our recipient list?" You know what that's called? Spam. 4) You're not "showing them the money". I can't tell you how many times I've submitted an artist to X Magazine or blog and received enthusiastic response back from their sales department, who conveniently request that I pay an exorbitant rate for an online or print advertisement. When I mention that I'm unable to advertise but would still appreciate editorial consideration, I'm told that the sales and editorial departments are separate. For one, this is the public statement of many publications, but it's simply not true in many cases. If you don't buy their advertising, which is often over-priced given that you're at times the only income stream, your submission goes mysteriously missing. Now, most artists can't afford to advertise on multiple major magazines, nor is it usually worth it if I'm being honest. This can be the same with music blogs, and any kind of music service, which makes sense to a particular degree. If you think about it, no one really has all the time in the world to sit around listening to and reviewing albums. There needs to be an exchange, whether it's properly priced advertising, blog donations, paid reviews, crowd funders or anything else. If a paid review scenario is fair, do it. If it's outrageous, move on. Remember, you can always find freelance writers who may be interested in writing about your music by advertising on Craigslist. 5) You're not already on their playlist. The front door appears to be open, but it's all for appearances. Many music blogs featured in the coveted directories/aggregators (Hype Machine, Elbo.ws) are closer to personal blogs than anything else. Hundreds of artists submit music to them every day, but chances are they'll never post a single one. The blog June 2013 - Vandala.Ca 23
Special. James Moore owner simply posts their favorite artists periodically. So why all this misleading the public then? Well, blog traffic is always a good thing for the webmaster, leading to advertising and potentially other partnerships, so cultivating an audience of indie musicians to rack up the hits isn't a bad thing from their perspective. It ends up being wasted time for the artists, though. Some blogs are good enough to post a simple statement such as "Don't send me your music. I only post my own findings."
6) You're not famous or gossip-worthy. Which brings me to my next point. Many supposed "indie darling" blogs and publications have, over the past 10 years or so, turned into gossip rags, and you'd be hard-pressed to find any content outside of Lana Del Rae and ASAP Rocky (and not their new albums). Take these off your media list and don't give them your traffic if they're of no use to you. 7) You have nothing to barter with Put yourself in the blogger/editor/etc's position upon opening your email. Why should they take an hour of their time to promote you? At the very least, you should have built a large network, and offer cross-promotion for the post. This shows respect on your part. The reason good indie labels, radio promoters and PR companies typically get much better results when promoting artists than the artists themselves get is because of leverage. They've built up their networks and regularly cross-promote. They may have arranged other partnerships or deals with the publication as well. You scratch my back. I'll scratch yours. 8) First-time introductions. If you're emailing someone for the first time, it's a lot like making a cold call telemarketing. You can't expect the results to be overly high. This is another reason why good labels, radio promoters and PR companies get better results. They've established those relationships and they're not saying "hello" for the first time. 9) You didn't appeal to their ego (in the right way).There is no one rule. Some bloggers want personal messages while others would blacklist you for attempting chit chat. Some want you to tell them how much you just loved their recent piece on Daft Punk's new album (the 633rd one you've read), while others would see that as a trite move. There's no way to win here. What I do, myself, is provide absolutely everything the blogger may need in a concise way, so no Googling is required, as well as sending a personal note going over why I connect with the artist being submitted. If you'd like an idea of how to do this, check out my music blog promotion template.
10) There's no time. I was horrified when I first learned that many music blogs and publications often receive hundreds, sometimes thousands of submissions a day. Once again, we're waiting in line in the review queue. You can't expect time to magically appear for these people. If I were in their position, I'd shut down. I'd take more time offline and leave the disappointed in my wake. 11) You haven't differentiated yourself. This is a big one. You're lost somewhere in the supermarket, and it's tough for the store manager to find you because you look similar to every other child there. You're certainly not "the blue child". If anyone ever told you to "appeal to the industry" or write songs for the radio/etc, it's time to throw away those silly notions because they're destroying what your art could be. Often, the reason an artist goes unnoticed isn't mysterious at all. You may have, in an attempt to be "heard by the masses", crafted yourself into a generic package. You're not really yourself. You're playing to someone...a hypothetical creation. Be yourself, the weirder and more original, the better. If there are two people doing what you do, the odds are already against you. Be the only one. James Moore is a Canadian music promoter and author of the bestselling independent musician's resource guide "Your Band Is A Virus! Behind-the-Scenes & Viral Marketing for the Independent Musician". 24 Vandala.Ca - June 2013
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Otherside of
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photographer Spotlight
Gregory Moore Photography www.gregorymoorephotography.com Phone: 714-580-2289 gregory.moore.photography@gmail.com
Gregory Moore is a photographer specializing in dramatic fashion, cinematic editorial, and high end commercial photography His style is unique. Its dramatic, colorful, emotional, and cinematic. There are hints of the paintings of the European masters of the romantic era, the modern edgy HDR look, the golden era of Hollywood, and the newest trends from Asia and Europe. Artists Featured Samayra Mellissa Alejandro Montesinos
28 Vandala.Ca - June 2013
June 2013 - Vandala Ca 29
Otherside of
lens It's officially summer! For all you music lovers out there, you know exactly what I mean; festival season. Here in Montreal we have Osheaga, Rockfest, Heavy MTL, Jazz Fest, and much more. Also we have a wide choice of outdoor shows on our Lachine Canale. Last Year I had the pleasure to review, interview, and photography some of the finest bands in the industry and I honestly can't wait to bring you more.
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On Location In Montreal, Quebec
Artist Spotlight: Retox Abrasive Sounds & Themes, Retox Takes the Punk Scene by Storm Story & Interview By Lana Nimmons
Last month I had the pleasure of interviewing Brian Evans and Justin Pearson of Hardcore Punk band, Retox. What ended up being probably one of the most interesting interviews of my career, began walking down Mont-Royal street in Montreal to vegan restaurant Aux Vivres. As Brian, (Retox's colorful character drummer) turned around to all of us after receiving his gyro, he declared: 'this is horrible! where's the meat?' I instantly knew this would be an interesting night. Just last month they dropped their album YPLL and finished their documentary of the band. Just like their sound, their themes are abrasive, tackling important issues such as police brutality and racism, and social stereotypes. Can music define a generation and make changes? See what Retox thinks. Where are you guys from originally? We're all from southern California. San Diego and Los Angeles respectively. How did you all meet? Justin: Brian and I have actually know each other from way back, but Mike and I (our guitar player) had this idea of starting a band. We were a band for a while with a different drummer and then he left the band and recommended Brian. Mike knew Thor from LA. I would describe your music as punch-you-in-the-face-punk. There are musical lines that cross hatch with hardcore, metal, thrash- what are your musical influences? Justin: I think our taste expands from the whole spectrum of music which is good thing. I don't know though, I think it's good when people can't describe what a band sounds like. As for the punch you in the face thing I understand but I'm not quite sure if we want to align ourselves with that negativity or nihilistic aspect of what a lot of punk or hardcore bands end up having. I feel like there's this sort of macho theme that ties into it that we would like to avoid. But I do understand it. It's very aggressive and very punctual. With that being said, it totally represents the world that we live in. I saw a video while researching you guys and fell upon a video on YouTube named: Justin Pearson (The Locust) + Scott Beibin prank Jerry Springer- is this really you? What's the story behind this? Yeah, it was me, it was just a joke. Pop culture sucks. Just a joke, a lot people ask me if it's just a joke, and they don't know. It's just one of those things that added a status around The Locust, and some of the stuff that we do. It was an added element of our art to a band. I was on it twice, it use to be really easy to get on it. Was it filmed live? No, and they actually edited out a lot of cool stuff. There actually this part on the commentary part where the audience got to talk and there was this guy that was 32 Vandala.Ca - June 2013
Artist
Spotlight
threatening me, you know calling me faggot and stuff and I was like alright, lets f째cking go. We actually engaged in the audience, but we couldn't actually touch each other. The security wouldn't let you. But you know it was pretty rad cause we felt like it was a challenge against social stereotypes and homophobia. And there was this gentlemen in the crowd who later on ended up becoming a friend, he's this filmmaker called Rusty Nails. He asked us so many questions, and he was like 'I'm going to ask the rockstar what god would think of all of this', and my answer was: there was no god. The audience just went nuts, and at that point they all wanted to kill me, so it was pretty cool, but they cut out all that stuff. I remember being a kid home from school and nothing was ever on in the afternoon, except for soap operas and Jerry Springer and I always thought- why would anyone want to be on that show, why?!? {laughs} Some of that sh째t is real, some of those people on that episode with me were legit- which is scary.
Well that answers that! Just watched your new video "MATURE SCIENCE." from your new album- that was intense. I mean it went from violent- to gruesome- to "f째ck yeah!". Well it depends, I think it depends on the viewers stance on the theme. I think that for me, I do not advocate harming police officers in any way, none of us do. It's the system that is rotten to the core, some people say "not all cops are bad"- it's the system, it's what they uphold, it's the government and it all trickles down to a known fact that there is a sub-sect that was part of the ku klux klan. And you cannot deny it there are racist cops and the way they treat citizens is pretty intense and sure the video is an extremity of that concept, or idea- but it's an everyday fact for a lot of people of color, or inner cities. In the grander scheme of things, it's not a new story, it's been told my NWA, Black Flag, you know it still exist. I feel although that issue still exist we still need to be talking about it. It was well done, and message was crystal clear. Justin: (laughs) I'm pretty sure we're on a watch list now or something. Brian: I hope we are! Can you tell me a bit about how the song ties into the video & where the concept came from? Well I wrote the lyrics and there were a bunch of tracks that we were considering doing a video for. We work with Simon Chan and were throwing back different ideas and we weren't really sure what he was capable of and of course it was based off of the lyrics. I wasn't really sure what style we were going to go for. Well, it was really well done. Justin: Yeah he did a great job. Simon is good at what he does, that was the first Retox one he's done. But he's done some of The Locust ones, and All Leather and lot of other bands. What does YPLL stand for? Justin: Year of potential life loss. That's it. You can google that, it's a common term, just referenced by us. It's not like a saying or a term we came up with. But it ties into a lot of ethics that I don't want to say have to do with punk, but has to do with life. I guess it ties into punk ethics, but not music. It's basically saying that certain people like ourselves, by default or by the way life handed us: it equates to the years that we have loss, the longevity of life, how we grew up or whatever we are doing now, all that factors into some life quality. June 2013 - Vandala.Ca 33
Spotlight Retox Listening to your new album there are a lot of heavy themes, what is your message? Well, there's not just one simple message, but the concept of YPLL- is about the bigger picture, like the mature science, racism, and police brutality, or overstepping boundaries of LAPD, or what not. Each song has it own lyrical content or message. The same thing, it's open to interpretation, there's a lot of thematic stuff that I think I can't write about- especially on this record. We talked a lot of metaphor of dealing with birds, and that all ties into I a bigger picture. The fact that there's a girl biting a white dove, and the dove represents peace, you know- she's basically taking a bite of this bird killing it. I reference flying rats, and pigeons, in a lot of the lyrics- creating a thematic piece of art. The whole album ties together. Why is this important to write music with such themes? Justin: Well it's like, I don't remember who said this, but is one thing to have the blues, than to sing about the blues. It's like we sing about these things, or play this style of music because he have to. What comes out of us, as cheesy as it sounds, it comes out of our hearts. It's like in our YPLL documentary, I reference Justin Timberlake's song "bringing sexy back"- it's a great song, I love it, but, I don't think we can sit back and write that song. I cannot relate to it, I think this is something we can all relate to, it's the world we live in and come from. We're not privileged in certain ways like Justin Timberlake we don't have that life. So the outcome of our art we create comes out like that, and it's the things we've been exposed to and we've seen and things we're aware of. A lot of people are blind to a lot of things that are happening on this planet, you know for me I cannot turn a blind eye to that. Therefore, I think these are issues that should be addressed until we can correct them. I think music is the best form of communication, beyond gender beyond class, race, beyond age, beyond whatever I think it's the best form. It transcends language. Historically, music has defined generations, provided anthems for revolutionary change, and inspired people artistically and intellectually. Do you think your, or music in general creates change. Are we included in that change? I'll speak for myself, I don't know whether I'm trying to make a change. I know exactly what I'm doing but I'm not sure what I'm trying to do you know what I mean. Justin: So it wouldn't be pre-calculated. Brian: It's up to them (the audience). Justin In retrospect, oh we did that! If you think about in the early eighties when like punk shifted to hardcore it's even more aggressive and even more nastier. I don't know if their concept was: I know what they were doing. I think they just did it and reflected afterwards- like this is what we were part of, or this is what we influenced.
of vac,. Or they thought, who cares what people think. Justin: That's another thing too, I don't want to come off as like we're this awesome thing. Nobody gives a sh.t, we're just part of a billion bands that have existed. But we do what we do because we have to do it for ourselves. And the outcome is whatever it is. If it's positive or we can affect people or communicate with people or connect in some way or make life better we have succeeded. Simple as that.
You Can grab Retoxs latest album "YPLL", view music videos, find out where the band is playing next plus more about the band online at www.Uglyanimals.net www.facebook.com/RETOXRULES 34 Vandala.Ca - June 2013
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"From Fanboy to Villain" ew with Anthony Barro of New Years Day While on the high of releasing their best work yet through Century Media Records, and preparing for a summer of complete debauchery on the Warped Tour with some of their all time favourite bands, bassist Anthony Barro took time from his busy day to explain all the madness that has been brewing. From touring in a dark, unventilated 11-UHaul trailer to helping young fans deal with bullying, New Years Day has been through and seen it all. Peak through their adventurous lives and may we all transform from Victim to Villain. Story and Interview By Bag
Dover Story: New Years Day Your brand new album, "Victim to Villain" is coming out on June 11th, and then you guys are hopping on the Warped Tour. What are you doing to prepare yourselves for such a busy summer? Anthony A lot of rehearsals, spending as much time as we can in the studio running through each song over and over again. This week we are focusing on the music video, so not as much practicing, but when we do we are working through every little detail, getting ourselves mentally and physically ready. I just started packing yesterday, I just got a rush of excitement, which helps me mentally prepare. What's the situation on the upcoming music video? Anthony: We are working on it this weekend. It's super DIY so we literally have to do everything ourselves, so Ash is running around these next few days, putting everything together, renting set stuff, making costumes, etc. What was it like growing up in Diamond Bar, California? Anthony: Very suburban, most people would consider it "high class," the majority of the city is fancy, rich mansion homes. I don't live in that portion. I live in "not the super rich" part. It's called Diamond Bar for crying out loud, people expect diamonds on lamp posts, but it's not that high class, it's pretty chill. How did you discover a passion for music? Anthony: I've always been musical. I grew up playing sports, but there was always a part of me that loved performing. I'd act in school plays throughout elementary school and middle school. A part of being an athlete is going out there and performing. It was always something that I wanted to do, and was always into music. My older sister took me to a local concert venue, called The Glass House, and saw Goldfinger play. I was just blown away by the whole experience of people on stage rocking out, going insane, then I realized that I had to do this. After that I picked up and taught myself drums, guitar, singing joined some bands and eventually ended up in playing bass for New Years Day. Did you play in bands before New Years Day, what kind of music? Anthony: Definitely a lot different, but similar as well. My first band was a pop punk band when I was around 15 years old. This was a time when Drive Through Records was on the top of the world with bands like Blink 182 controlling the world, The Ataris, Goldfinger, New Found Glory, all these bands were accessible to me, and just loved it. So my first band was very much like that. I played drums, it was super fun. I had another friend who inspired me to play guitar, gave me a guitar to play, and taught myself. In my second band, I played guitar for a regular rock band, then after high school I started a ska band because I always wanted to play in a ska band with horns, that was my favorite style of music. From there I got into New Years Day. Our drummer Russell was actually in my ska band, that's how I met him. He actually left first to join New Years Day, then eventually took me with him What was your writing process like for Victim to Villain, what environment did you put yourselves in? Anthony We've always been very DIY. We've always written everything ourselves. Even with the EP, The Mechanical Heart, we recorded that ourselves. Actually, Russell and I 40 Vandala.Ca - June 2013
Anothy recorded a lot of it here in my bedroom, and his room. The writing process for this was with a producer and it was way different than what we were used to. We came into the studio with a ton of material already written, whether it was an instrumental song, or just some riffs, ideas, some of them were completed. We had accumulated that over the past year, did some writing on the road, some writing at home then we just brought it all in to Erik Ron, and presented it to him, so we could all pick out parts and choose the best songs to go on the album. We spent a couple days doing that, started to lay down some rough takes of things to see how they went together. It was difficult to pick out the right ones, but that was definitely different. We collaborated together as a band, even if the writing of a song would start off with one person. Before, it was just Ash, Russell and I writing and if we three were happy with it, we were good, recorded it and released, but this time there were a lot of heads in the mix, a lot of people to please, but in the end everyone was satisfied with it, which makes it even more special because we all love it. Now that you've gone through the DIY route and working with a producer, would you work with a producer again in the future? Anthony: Absolutely! It's crucial for bands to do. You can do it all yourselves, our EP was pretty successful, but when you hear this new album you can hear the maturity, you can hear that everything came together better. It's not all over the place, it's more directed, and I think it's necessary for bands to realize that at some point you need someone to come in and direct you where to go, and help you reach a wider audience. However, I'm not saying that these are not our own songs because we wrote every part of that, but having him in the room guiding us along was the best thing. For sure, from here on out I'd love to do another record with Erik. It was amazing working with him, he was the only person that we've worked with that really understood what we wanted to do. You just released a new single featuring Chris Cerulli of Motionless in White, how did that collaboration come about? Anthony: It was kind of pieced together. We recorded it with Erik and wanted to have a guest guy vocalist. We had hired another guy before Chris to sing the part and he helped putting it together. For a while we had a guy from another band that was just as relevant as Motionless in White and he got kicked out of his band, so we contemplated whether to keep him on the record. Ashley had the contact to Chris, he liked what we were doing, came out and agreed to sing on the song, so it wasn't a co-write with him, he just came in and laid down the parts. However, the difference between his version and the original is like night and day, so much better with Chris. He just fit the song so much better, and with some of the stuff he was improvising with in the studio, it was what the song always should have been. The album title is very strong. However, it's easy to read and interpret it as being a revenge theme. What is the real message New Years Day is trying to send out there? Anthony: It doesn't not represent revenge. I don't want people to think, 'people are bullying me, now I have to go seek revenge,' that is not a good message to send. Honestly, I think revenge could be a bad thing. In the news you see people killing each other, bombings, bombings during marathons, shooting up schools, that's what revenge is. "Victim to Villain" is more about accepting who you are. If the world is going to pin you as a bad guy, it's not necessarily a bad thing. You don't have to do bad things, you just have to own that. This is you, this is who you are, maybe it's not the world telling you this, maybe it's just you, 'I'm this person, this is who I am, this is a quality about me that people don't like, but it's me and it's true to myself, so I just have to learn to accept and learn to love it.' It's about the transformation. It's not about June 2013 - Vandala.Ca 41
Cover- Story: New Years Day It's about the transformation. It's not about literally being a villain, it's about going through that change in your life, being okay with it and moving on. The band is very outspoken about being against bullying which is great, do you guys get a lot of fans reaching out to you? Anthony: Yeah, they definitely do reach out. It's definitely a blessing, but it's also a curse. It's very flattering to get tweets, and messages on facebook, and chatting.. all day, everyday, kids asking me for advice, or they just need to vent. I'm glad that kids want to reach out to us, but at the same time, this is my job, I'm just a musician that writes songs, likes to tour, play music, and get my voice heard. I'm not a therapist, I'm not your parents, it's not my job. At the same time, it's my duty. Our duty as the band. With each member, kids will latch on to us, they'll come find us when it comes to the music, and the lyrics, but then all of a sudden.. we've been at shows where kids will literally come up to us crying, they'll show us their scars, and say "look, this is what I did," and kind of force us to react in the moment and then consult with them, console them. It's not what I set out to do, but it comes with a territory, we definitely do our best to be there for the kids. What bands are you excited to see every night on Warped Tour? Anthony: I know I've dropped their name three times already, but my favorite band in the world, Goldfinger is playing. They are the first band I've ever seen live, they are the reason I started playing music, and now I'm on a tour where they are on it! It'll be just for the first week of the tour, but I can tell, for that first week I'm gonna be glued to the stage, rocking out because this is like a dream come true. I'm gonna have my laminated pass, sneak backstage, go on stage and use it to my advantage, rocking out to them everyday. I hope to meet them as well. Another guy who's on tour is Matt Embree, he's the lead singer for Rx Bandits, they're probably my second favourite band for life, he's doing an acoustic west coast run as well. Pretty much all the bands that I looked up to when I was an impressionable youth growing up is on this tour, so it's definitely a dream come true for me, it's so surreal. Although I guess I get to do interviews over the phone and make music videos, I'm still just a regular dude who geeks out about music and is a fanboy himself, so it's an honour to be playing with those guys. Then of course, The Years is a band that I love watching, The Aquabats, Real Big Fish, My Ska Heart, there are just so many bands on this tour that I'm very excited to tour with. What new song are you most stoked on playing live every night? Anthony: Honestly on this Warped Tour we are gonna play a lot of new stuff, which I'm super excited about because this album kicks ass. Angel Eyes, now that it has been released I think a lot of kids are gonna be liking and wanting to hear that one and we are definitely excited to play that. Throughout our rehearsals I think my favorite new song is Bloody Mary. It's the third song on the new record, that song is my favorite I'm probably gonna lose it playing that song every day. You guys have video blogs of awesome tour stories on your YouTube page, what was the one story that you've continued to share in the real world, so people at home can start checking these out! Anthony: We had to ride for a week from Seattle all the way back to Southern California in a U-Haul truck that seated three, and we had seven people, so most of us had to sit in the back of the U-Haul. That's where you put furniture when you move, it has no ventilation whatsoever and one little tiny light for a thousand miles. You guys broke through as up and coming artists quickly on myspace, which social media platform has been the most helpful for you as an artist? Anthony: Hands down, it's gotta be Twitter. More people are present there. I have 2 or 3 42 Vandala.Ca - June 2013
Interviews Anthony thousand followers on there, I don't even know how because I never tweet. On Facebook, I post things all day every day, I've got about a thousand friends. People are just on twitter and are more interested in your short little ideas. Even me, if I hear that there was some earthquake, or explosion somewhere, I don't go to google, I go on Twitter and Facebook. With our generation of ADD internet culture, how do you stay in everyone's radar and make sure you are keeping your audience interested? Anthony: Having that social presence on Twitter helps people keep interested, especially with platforms such as Instagram, people can visually see us, they need to be stimulated in so many different ways besides the music. All our fans follow us and Ash on Instagram, she's always posting things with her out and about, what she does, places she's going whether it's an award show, or a concert. The way that she looks and presents herself in society, people latch. That all helps keeping bands present because kids are very visual with everything now. It's not just the music, it's about the visual as well. We try to be our best with the music videos and with our episodes that we've released recently, trying to paint a picture of our band instead of being just about the music, it's also about the picture. Anything else you want to tell the people out there? Anthony: Definitely grab a copy of Victim to Villain. We poured our blood, sweat, tears, souls, sh.t, piss into it and we couldn't be more proud! To find out more about New Years www.facebook.com/nydrock Day and details on their Tour Dates www.twitter.com/NYDrock www.vanswarpedtour.com For Videos from New Years Day www.youtube.com/CenturyMedia Grab "Victim To Villain" along with some cool New Years Merchandise www.cmdistro.com/Search/new_years_day www.districtlines.com/ New-Years-Day
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New Releases • Acoustic & Alternative Damien Jurado 10th Anniversary Deluxe Damien Jurado is the sort of songwriter who straddles rock's past and future, and with each record contributes a new chapter to an ever-fruitful body of work. Before we move onto the next chapter, we look back at his first album with Secretly Canadian. An instant classic when released in 2003, Where Shall You Take Me?, was his fifth full-length, and is a beautiful collection of ten Raymond Carver-esque vignettes terror and bliss in Middle America. Arriving two decades after Springsteen's Nebraska, Jurado put the darker, more complicated side of the heartland back on the map with his tales of young love (some requited; some not), innocent fun and bloodshed. Mostly acoustic with very sparse band arrangements - with the notable exception being the old live favorite "Texas to Ohio," which sounds like a Scarecrow-era Mellencamp hit-Jurado displayed the songwriting talent that turns back the hands of time to a place in which his tunes sound like they've been floating around, passed down from generation to generation. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of this fine release comes a deluxe gatefold 2xLP vinyl reissue, incorporating unreleased basement reel demos, and the Just In Time For Something EP (never before released on vinyl). To hear Damien Jurados music and to order the double LP visit www.damienjurado.com.
Acoustic Songwriter Daniel Schamroth Releases Debut EP Daniel Schamroth from Devon in the UK delivers six brand new tracks, produced by Danny Hembrow and mastered by Pete Maher (U2/Beady Eye/The Rolling Stones).
Common Knowledge,
The songs are acoustic and emotive with Daniel's distinctive vocals weaved around luscious guitars and strings. From the instantly catchy opening track "Flicker" to the intimate ballad "Cold Wind Blowing" through to the more thumping "Heart's Desire", Daniel displays a variety of influences yet still retains his distinctive and vivid stripped back sound, having been likened to 'a more sane version of Noel Gallagher' with echoes of Ryan Adam's and Richard Ashcroft along the way.
His debut EP 'Common Knowledge' certainly confirms Daniel as a fast emerging song writing talent. With each track comes a different colour and mood, the themes of his song writing exploring (amongst other things) love, loss, hope and friendship. On first inspection 'Common Knowledge' promises to be the perfect laid back sing-along soundtrack for the summer and beyond... This is one for the lazy Sunday or the late night after party. His debut music video "Cold Wind Blowing" has been causing a stir on YouTube with thousands of views already notched up. 'Common Knowledge' offers a fleeting glimpse of Daniel Schamroth's song writing skills and we can expect big things in the not too distant future from this boy with a guitar from Devon. More on Daniel visit www.danielschamroth.tumblr.com/ Watch Daniel's music video 'Cold Wind Blowing' here: www.youtube.com/danielschamroth
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New Releases: Alternative lulianna Barwick Previews New Album "Nepenthe" Julianna Barwick's art is equal parts force and beauty. Her music finds its motor in significant events in her own life, but they are abstracted into a sense of sonic wonderment, a radiance that you could say is her signature sound. That radiance has been taken to new zeniths with Nepenthe, her third full-length album, which was recorded in Reykjavik, Iceland, in the dark cold days of February and will be released August 20 on Dead Oceans. To celebrate the release, Julianna has shared a trailer for the album, featuring the track "Forever,". In ancient Greek literature, nepenthe was a magic drug of forgetfulness used to wipe out grief and sorrow. The title suggested itself to Julianna, who experienced a death in her own family in the middle of making the record, but it also refers to the music consoling her during the isolation she was going through - on her own, in a foreign country with a terrible internet connection - during the sessions. Nepenthe's heady potion is about moving forward, finding a way through difficult times - of retaining a feeling of hope. "Everything I was making was visceral - the record represents some serious emotional stuff," she confirms, while at the same time she raves with enormous positivity about the unique recording environment. Alex Somers (musician/producer of Sigur Ros, Jonsi, Jonsi & Alex) invited her to Iceland in the first place. For Julianna, who was blown away at a Sigur Ros show in 2002, it was a dream come true. "That was the fastest email I ever wrote: 'Yes!' Who would say no to that?" Somers produced and engineered the record and brought in local Icelandic musicians who turned out to make crucial contributions: string ensemble Amiina, guitarist Robert Sturla Reynisson from mum, and a choir of teenage girls. The biggest influence on Nepenthe, though, was the unfamiliar surroundings of Iceland itself, with its vibrant music scene and stunningly alien landscapes with their lingering magic. "I had never had anyone play on any record before, so this was a 180 turn," she explains. "I also was inspired just by being there, and the gorgeousness of that place. Your eyes can't believe what they're seeing. I walked home one night and got totally lost in Reykjavik. I ended up walking alongside the ocean - and it was glowing blue. It looked like it had a lamp underneath it. This is a completely different experience than recording myself in my Brooklyn bedroom." Nepenthe is intimate without being introspective. Instead it's a radiant array of light-dappled choral works, drawing a powerful sense of hope from the depths of despair. The extra musicians have rounded out her sound, emphasizing the yearning mood, the reaching towards the light. Check the teenage choir's ecstatic crooning on "Forever," or Amiina's shimmering sound clouds on the glorious second track, "The Harbinger." "Offing" and "One Half" are the perfect showcase for her seamlessly layered vocals, which circulate and settle upon one another like sheets of gauze on the breeze. Far from the secondhand emotions and digital dabblings of so many other artists, Julianna Barwick's music is the real deal: a life-affirming work of importance, interest... and sheer beauty. Watch "Forever" Nepenthe Album Trailer on Dead Oceans YouTube Channel
www.youtube.comeadoceansrecs For more information and to check out Julianne Barwicks upcoming tour dates visit www. juliannabarwick.com www.facebook.com/JuliannaBarwick June 2013 - Vandala.Ca 47
New Releases Electronic Bloc Party "Truth (Digitalism Remix Celebrating ten years of Toolroom Records, we bring you not one but two momentous remixes from the legendary Digitalism, taking their trademark sound to two immensely successful bands, Bloc Party and The Rapture.
BLOC PARTY.
Poised to take over the US on their upcoming tour, Digitalism continue to be at the top of their game. The recent rerelease of 'Zdarlight' on Toolroom received huge support worldwide, twice charting in the beatport top 10 and crossing genres with its eclectic remixes.
TRUTH
Bloc Party are undeniably one of the UK's most cherished and talented bands, with countless sell-out international tours and four critically acclaimed artist albums. Taken from their current album 'Four', Bloc Party's hugely successful single 'Truth' has already captured the hearts of the indie rock audience with its simple message and beautiful melody. Now, Digitalism re-establish the track with outstanding results. Keeping Kele Okereke's vocals at the fore, Digitalism layer on the synths and electronic textures to create a beautifully balanced indie dance tune set to ignite the upcoming festival season. It's an exhilarating match when two groups of artists that perfectly compliment each other collide and Bloc Party's 'Truth (Digitalism Remix)' is an example of just that. Following this outstanding release, we bring you the second installment from Digitalism with their amazing remix of The Rapture's 'Sail Away', out now. For details and to pick up the album visit www.blocparty.com
Doorly "Boom Boom Room EP 1"
DOORLY.
BOOM
With regular warehouse parties in LA, a whole season of boat parties and club shows in Ibiza and a weekly radio show on key London underground station Rinse FM, we are delighted to welcome Doorly to Toolroom Records for his debut release, the almighty 'Boom Boom Room EP 1'.
Having recently relocated to LA, Doorly is now giving full attention to his first love, house music, taking us back to REPOthosearlydwiMthoracksnIi'Bmo Room EP 1'. Heading up the EP, 'Wait Until The Morning' keeps it deep and dark, creating a staunchly underground feel by layering effortlessly cool vocals over minimal and precise percussion, vinyl textures and an unforgettable groove. In support of this, 'The Sleazy Drummer' is all about the groove; with old school vocal licks and a nod to the urban feel of days gone by, this will take you directly to an underground club back in the day.
BOOM
These are tracks crafted for the dancefloor and there'll be plenty of chances to hear them over the coming months, whether at one of Doorly's warehouse parties or rooftop raves in LA, or at one of his many shows across the globe. So, grab your copy of Doorly's 'Boom Boom Room' and watch out for the second installment in this EP series, coming soon. www.toolroomrecords.com 48 Vandala.Ca - June 2013
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New Releases: Rock/Fusion The Aristocrats New Album "Culture Clash" Out July 16, 2013 Fans of instrumental rock/fusion (Jeff Beck, Frank Zappa, Steve Vai, John Scofield, Joe Satriani) and heavy progressive musical excellence (King Crimson, Dream Theater, Queen) LISTEN UP! The Aristocrats, the white-hot rock/fusion instrumental virtuoso power trio featuring celebrated musicians Guthrie Govan (guitar), Bryan Beller (bass) and Marco Minnemann (drums), will release their new album, Culture Clash, on July 16, 2013 via BOING Music. Culture Clash will be sold in both regular and deluxe editions. The deluxe package will contain a bonus DVD called, "Accept The Mystery: The Making Of The Aristocrats' Culture Clash", a 33-minute DVD documentary shot while The Aristocrats were tracking the album in Nashville, TN between January 15th-21st. Containing both studio footage and exclusive interviews with each member of the band, this is a special behind-the-scenes look at The Aristocrats that fans have never seen before. Culture Clash honors the band's panoramic potpourri of influences, while showing up as a more aggressive, intensely-written album that picks up where the band's first effort left off - all while retaining a quirky Zappa-influenced refusal to take themselves too seriously. That's evidenced by the album's title alone, which derives its name from a sly reference to the Coen Brothers' film A Serious Man, and doubles as an allusion to the band's multi-national makeup (Govan is British; Beller is American; Minnemann is German). "We've all been totally blown away by the reaction to the first album, the live album, and just us becoming a band in general. We're all beyond grateful for that," states bassist Bryan Beller. "So this record, I feel like, is a response to that amazing response. It's like, 'OK, you dug all that crazy stuff on the first one, eh? Well, here, check this out.' We don't want to rest on our laurels. We want to push this thing further, as far as we can, wherever that goes." Culture Clash proves to be a more adventurous piece of work for the trio, with everything from techno-fusion ("Dance Of The Aristocrats"), to nitro-powered rockabilly (the Ren-and-Stimpy-influenced "Louisville Stomp"), to Mr. Bungle-infused metal ("Living The Dream"), to the rhythmically serpentine rock/fusion-esque title track. The band feels that being joined at the hip for the past two years helped them become a stronger unit, which set them on a more unconventional course. "All the time we spent together as a band touring, and gigging together and interacting, has made us bolder in terms of the kind of material we've dared to write for this album," adds guitarist Guthrie Govan. "I think there's some wackier stuff that we maybe wouldn't have submitted for the first album when we didn't know each other as well. We didn't know what kind of craziness we would get away with. So I guess we're enjoying some of the benefits of having been a real band for longer." The Aristocrats recently announced via their social media pages that they will be heading out on tour in July and August for their longest American run to date. The venue tour kicks off in Nashville, TN on July 17th and includes select clinics at schools like the Atlanta Institute of Music, Berklee College of Music, and more. For more information on The Aristocrats, please visit www.the-aristocrats-band.com 52 Vandala.Ca - June 2013
New Release: Rock Burnout By Anarbor Just Released Hopeless Records is very excited to announce "Burnout", the sophomore full length from Phoenix, AZ natives Anarbor! The 11 track album was produced by Matt Mahaffey ( The Sounds, Hellogoodbye, Phantom Planet) and was released June 4! "We are really excited to be finally releasing the new record. It's been way over a year since our last release and it's about to time we get some new music to everyone. Expect to hear more growth since The Words You Don't Swallow. Same sound, same type of vibe, but more balanced sound all around."- lead singer & bassist, Slade Echeverria. "Damage I've Done" was the first taste of Burnout, being released October 7th of last year and had an amazing reaction from Anarbor fans old and new! Watch the official music video for "Damage I've Done": on Hopeless Records YouTube Channelw .yout be.com/user/HopelsRecords Anarbor will hit the road this summer on the ENTIRE 2013 Vans Warped Tour, which kicks off June 15 in Seattle, WA! As the band explains "We couldn't be more excited to be back on another summer of Warped Tour. It's always nice to see the fans you haven't seen in so long as well as the bands you have toured with here and there. It's going to be a blast for everyone! Hope to see you out there this summer!" www.anarbor.net
Black Water Rising Returns With "Pissed and Driven" Black Water Rising is back with the follow up to their critically acclaimed self-titled debut. The band has confirmed a July 30th release date through Metalville/E1 for their sophomore album "Pissed and Driven". The band has also unveiled the cover art and tracklisting for the album. The album art was created by Jan Yrlund of Darkgrove Design (Manowar, TYR). Drummer Mike Meselsohn cannot wait for fans to hear the new music: "We are really psyched to get this new album out to our fans. They've been waiting a while for the follow-up to our debut and I don't think they'll be disappointed. The title says it all and it's reflected in the energy and aggression of the cover art and music. We're ready to take this to the next level!" The first single from Pissed and Driven "Show No Mercy" was #5 most added on the CMJ Loud Rock Chart, already top 10 at many college radio stations and in heavy rotation at Nationally Syndicated Cable channel Music Choice sitting at #6 on their Metal Chart this week. The song can be streamed HERE and is available for purchase on iTunes. Invigorated and eager to capitalize on the success of their debut album, the band's new material promises to be riff heavy and proudly anchored in the foundations of traditional hard rock and metal song writing with hooks and catchy choruses to pull you in and leave you wanting more. Black Water Risingon the web: www.blackwaterrising.com and www.facebook.com/Black-Water-Rising June 2013 - Vandala.Ca 53
New Releases: Rock/Metal Eye Ra Haze Releases "Eye of the Storm" Modern progressive music is somewhat of a boys club. With the exception of a few bands that surfaced between the mid-90's and now, the female gender has been primarily absent from the world of progressive hard rock and metal. Finally, the wait ends now with the introduction of New York City alternative/progressive quintet Eye Ra Haze. Not only featuring drummer Kevin Corcoran's (ex-Buried Alive) thunderous beats and Berklee-schooled bassist Chris Marrone's fresh rhythms, the band also includes the female triple-threat of seductive crooner Natasha Nicholson, striking 8-string guitarist Nicole Papastavrou (ex-Through this Defiance), and captivating classical pianist Karine Catenacci. Eye Ra Haze recently finished recording their haunting new EP, Eye Of The Storm, with world-famous producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris (Killswitch Engage, Soulfly, Hatebreed). Featuring three new tracks, 'New Beginning', 'Quiet Storm' and 'Warships', the EP is set to release on June 11, 2013. They recently they released the official video for "New Beginnings" at www.youtube.com/eyerahaze Also if you are surfing the web, check out guitarist Nicole Papastavrou's official YouTube channel featuring guitar covers and instructional videos. Her first cover released in January 2013 has received over 40,000 views in just four months. Covers include tracks by Meshuggah, Deftones, and more. For more information and to hear more music from Eye Ra Hazeplease visit these andw .facebok.com/eyrahzemusic websites: www.eyerahaze.com
Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats Premiere New Track Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats, one of the most talked about rock bands currently in existence, and an enigma in the international underground scene, released Mind Control. Mind Control is a concept album with a theme that makes the acts and intentions of the likes of Charles Manson and Jim Jones seem like petty crimes. What makes Mind Control scarier than most albums is that it doesn't seem as sinister on the surface as it really is deep down, within the core of its black acid-drenched world of pain and torture. Imagine the original Alice Cooper band jamming in a cell with early Black Sabbath and the Stooges, whilst sitting on murder charges and you may get a glimpse into their fuzzed up world of exploding tube amps and cymbal smashing mayhem.However, this enticing act of musical manipulation is merely the icing upon a very sick cake. Recorded at the legendary Chapel Studios over an autumnal full moon using the finest western electrical technology, engineer Jim Spencer (Bert Jansch, Robert Wyatt) has captured perfectly the bands live sound of saturated fuzz, mind-bending riffs and 60's vocal harmonies. Fans can grab "Poison Apple" and find out more about Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats, at www.metalblade.com/uncleacid. 54 Vandala.Ca - June 2013
New Releases: Death and Thrash Metal Revocation - Album Release Date & Additional Tour Dates Revocation has confirmed an August 6th release date for their new self-titled album via Relapse Records. This is their 4th full-length release and the first featuring new bassist Brett Bamberger. The artwork was created by Orion Landau (Dying Fetus, Obscura, Nile). Throughout the recording process the band had cameras rolling capturing everything. From this footage Revocation has put together a series of videos detailing different aspects of the recording process. All the videos can be viewed on Channel Relapse Records YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/RelapseRecords. Revocation will be taking part in this year's Summer Slaughter Tour, alongside the likes of Dillenger Escape Plan, Cattle Decapitation and others. The tour starts July 19th in San Francisco, CA and runs through August 20th in Portland, OR. In addition to the Summer Slaughter dates, the band has announced a handful of headline shows leading up to the Summer Slaughter and immediately following the tour. To keep up with the band and to see all tour dates visit Revocations facebook page atw w.facebo k.com/Revocation
Darkane and "The Sinister Supremacy" Swedish melodic death metal sensation Darkane are excited to reveal the details on their upcoming album, "The Sinister Supremacy." The album will not only mark the first new music from the band in over five years, but will also include the return of vocalist Lawrence Mackrory, who was last heard on the band's 1999 debut "Rusted Angel". Consisting of 12 haunting tracks, the album will showcase a new, darker and heavier version of Darkane! The meaning behind the album's title, the cover art of which can be seen featured above, was explained by the band as follows: "The Sinister Supremacy is a metaphor for the evil that controls us. It's the dark part of our minds and it's inside us all. It tells us it's ok to do bad things, to hurt other people, and hurt ourselves. It guides us into making choices based on pure selfishness, and it thrives on complete chaos. The cover art by Carlos Holmberg is a Rorschach test as seen by an individual who has completely succumbed to the sinister supremacy." "The Sinister Supremacy" is scheduled for release on July 2 in North America through Prosthetic Records and is currently available for pre-order on the PROSTHETIC webstore along with an exclusive bundle consisting of the album paired with a specially designed t-shirt! For more information on the band, please visit: www.darkane.com
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Music News째 New 2013 Guitar Line A Legend is Reborn: D'Angelico Guitars to Launch 'Reborn' Campaign
D'Angelico, one of the most highly respected names in guitars, has kicked off a major development regarding its top-selling line. Earlier this year, D'Angelico reissued a collection of entrancing, iconic, and classic guitar models that preserves John D'Angelico's legacy. However, the line also explores new horizons such as basses, pedals (by Pigtronix), and soon, amps. The reissue campaign, suitably christened "Reborn", is being heralded as one of the biggest line launches amongst the major guitar industry. "We've spent the last year working tirelessly to bring these classic guitars back to life, while improving and expanding are product line to include more styles of guitars and basses. D'Angelico is a legacy of excellence and that reflects in every model and product we offer" says Brenden Cohen, CEO of D'Angelico Guitars. "Now music lovers, guitar players and guitar collectors everywhere have the chance to experience owning a product held to the D'Angelico standard of excellence for a surprisingly accessible price." The line includes a full range of handcrafted reissues of D'Angelico archtops, semi-hollows and solid bodies. All feature the spruce top, maple back, and stair-step pickguard and tailpiece that are quintessential D'Angelico design. The "Reborn" line made their exciting debut at the industry-leading NAMM Show (Jan. 24 - Jan. 27, 2013), unveiling three new D'Angelico Standard Excel model reissues, including two single-cut guitars in Natural and Sunburst and a double-cut guitar in Cherry, White, Natural and Sunburst. Retail prices range from $1149 to $1419. A USA Masterbuilt 1942 Excel Reissue, the first in a series of limited edition USA Masterbuilt reissues being built for D'Angelico by acclaimed boutique luthier Gene Baker of Premier Builders Guild (PBG) in Arroyo Grande, California, was also introduced at this year's NAMM convention. Baker's reissues are based on extensive research that began with actual MRIs of the original 1942 Excel. The retail price has not yet been set. The result of this unveiling: the title of "#1 Product of NAMM 2013" in Guitar World magazine. Current artists that have been seen with a D'Angelico guitar in-hand include Bernie Williams, Joe Perry, Eric Clapton, Gary Clark Jr., Rick Nielsen, Hanan Rubinstein,(Alicia Keys' guitarist), and many more. Concurrent with renewed artist interest in classic archtop guitars, John D'Angelico and D'Angelico Guitars were featured in Guitar Heroes: Legendary Craftsmen from Italy to New York, a major 2011 exhibition at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. For more information on D'Angelico, please visit www.dangelicoguitars.com. 58 Vandala.Ca - June 2013
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Metal In The Studio Throwdown Enters The Studio With Zeuss Mixing Southern California heavy music giants Throwdown will have entered studio to begin working on their next full length record, with ZEUSS mixing. The new, yet to be titled effort is the follow up to "Deathless," which came out four years ago, in 2009 highlighted with tracks "This Continuum," "Burial at Sea" and "The Scythe." Vocalist Dave Peters offers a statement on the current state of the band and the mindset behind making this next record: "It's really exciting, if not a little nerve-wracking to be recording again. It has been almost 4 years since 'Deathless' came out, which is about twice as long as the time between albums before it. While that has probably been annoying for fans that have been waiting and expecting a new record, it has also been the best thing for the writing process for the new album.
I'm really meticulous when writing and arranging even the simplest riffs and songs, so I like to take my time. It has been strange and nice having the freedom to come back to a song or part several weeks later with a different perspective after hitting a wall with it. We're taking a very minimalist approach with these songs, more like Vendetta and (the first half of) Haymaker. I avoid putting the cart before the horse, but I see the songs on the record coming out stripped down and yet still refined. A two-minute song can arrive at the same place as one that f째cks around for six, and while it's more challenging to get there in less time, it is a lot cooler when you do. I've been going back to that when I find myself maybe adding parts or lines that are at risk of being superfluous. I'm very proud of 'Deathless' and all the work that went into it, but it wasn't a record that Throwdown fans expected. It was really polarizing on account of that. I'm simply not looking to continue down that stylistic road with these songs. This is going to be a hard record. I look forward to making it as much for myself as for longtime fans of the band." Keep up with the band while they are working in the studio and to find out more about the band visitw .facebok.cmithrowd nOC
Ephel Duath Finishing Work on New Album - Details Revealed This July, experimental metallers Ephel Duath will return to Mana Recording Studios in St. Petersburg, Florida. Together with producer Erik Rutan (Cannibal Corpse, Goathwhore, Hate Eternal), the band will complete the recording sessions for their new album started this past February, and do the final mix. Alan Douches will master the songs at his West West Side Studios, NY. Ephel Duath's new album will once again feature the incredible Marco Minnemann (The Aristocrats, Kreator, Necorphagist) on drums, joined this time by his bandmate Bryan Beller (The Aristocrats, Dethklok, Joe Satriani) on bass. Featuring 8 new songs and reaching over 55 minutes of total length, EPHEL DUATH's new album is a multilayered hybrid of death metal, jazz and post-rock, blended together with a strong will to experiment and with no boundaries in sight. Ephel Duath's new album will come out in the fall of 2013 on Agonia Records, and it will be available in digital, CD and vinyl version. Follow the band at: www.facebook.com/EphelDuathOfficial 60 Vandala.Ca - June 2013
New EP 2012 Featuring "Video Game Medley' and Indie Award Nominee 2013 SiriusXm
For The Bear is the most concentrated burst of Scythia's unique sound which hovers between Blind Gaurdian, Elvenking and Alestorm....the best cuts are the raucous titletrack, with its insanely catchy Eastern-European chorus, and the sublime video game medley." Bruce Turnbull, Power Play Magazine "Anyway; I really like what SCYTHIA are trying to present with this EP; their new approach seems to work way better and without doubts adds many points towards music diversity. Now, I am really curious to listen to their new discographic step and hopefully I will get a chance to watch them live. Until then, you can definitely enjoy this one and raise your tankard high!" www.metalkaoz.com As the e.p progresses there is not a dud song to be seen anywhere as the lavish feel-good drink fuelled atmosphere becomes highly contagious, while your mind conjures up images of beer swilling pirate Cossacks and dancing bears. With 'For The Bear' Scythia produce the release that Korpiklaani should have put out earlier this year.' www.fireflameservices.com Music available at www.scythiabandcamp.com and www.cdbaby.com/artist/Scythia Merchandise also available at Bandcamp
Music News. Signed & New Anti Signs Melodic and Release Anti- is excited to announce the signing of British group The Melodic. On June 23rd the young band will release their debut EP entitled On My Way before embarking on their first ever tour of North America. The Melodic offer a vibrant new brand of afro-folk-pop that, while inspired by folk contemporaries, incorporates an assortment of influences from around the world, its members utilizing instruments such as the Charango, Melodica and Kora to create a music that joyously defies categorization. The group's members came of age in the South London neighborhood of Brixton amidst bustling streets and open air markets reverberating with a rich assortment of music from around the world. In the distinctly English tradition of sonic assimilation, they found influence in the sounds they were hearing. As lead singer Huw Williams explains, "Brixton is a real melting pot of different people so it doesn't feel inappropriate for us to introduce sounds from around the world into our music, there was South American and African music around us all the time, as well as reggae and dub music." In the end, the young band has created a vibrant new music which references contemporary artists such as Belle & Sebastian, The Magnetic Fields and the Decemberists, exhibits a clear reverence for past masters Paul Simon and Bert Jansch and mixes in elements from Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa to create a sound entirely their own. For More on Melodic visit: www.facebook.com/themelodic
Diana Joins Jagjaguwar and "Born Again" Releases in August Diana, Jagjaguwar's most recent addition to the label family, is a veritable who's who of Canada's top notch art-pop eltie: Joseph Shabason, Kieran Adams, and more. After meeting at music school, Shabason and Adams lent their instrumental skills to many of Canada's most provocative bands, including The Hidden Cameras, Bonjay, and Shabason's recent contributions to Destroyer's excellent Kaputt and subsequent touring. It was a leap of faith to once and for all pour their hearts and sizable talents into their own project. Their first full-length album of original music, the self-titled debut, Diana, and will be released on August 20th, 2013 (19th in Europe). Full of lush sounds and melodic hooks, the songs of Diana aim to entice the listener into a world that is deeper than its surface may let on. Be it the dense ambient swell that begins the album opener "Foreign Installation" to the embryonic bliss of instrumental closer "Curtains," there are stories and sounds that will leave you wondering whether it's best to stare at the ceiling and let your mind dangle in the atmosphere, or to pull yourself and move your body to the churning rhythms. The choice is yours, Diana won't judge. The band will be going to the UK next week for a short tour and will be supporting Austra in North America late this summer. Details at www.facebook.com/DianaSound 62 Vandala.Ca - June 2013
Music News: Metal Signed Glorior Belli Signs with Agonia Records + North American Tour French avant-garde black metal outfit Glorior Belli has inked a worldwide record deal with AGONIA Agonia Records. The band's fifth full-length album, the successor to The Great Southern Darkness from 2011, is set to be released in the fall of 2013. Consequently climbing the ladder of innovation and artistic development, the French quartet managed to work out their very own sound and view in the often-stiff frames found within the black metal genre. "We are absolutely thrilled to have the chance to work with Agonia Records, and it's only fair given the efforts and determination of both Glorior Belli and Agonia Records into making genuine music that stands the test of time," - commented the band. Glorior Belli was founded in Paris in 2002 and, to date, have released four full-length albums, the last on Metal Blade records. The band will make its North American tour debut in May. The US appearance will include a show at Maryland Deathfest; European fans will have a chance to witness the band live at Brutal Assault festival in Czech Republic this September. More new on the band can be found at: www.gloriorbelli.com and www.facebook.com/gloriorbelli
Sanctuary Signs Worldwide Deal with Century Media Record Century Media Records is proud to announce the signing of the legendary Seattle metal band Sanctuary. In 2010, four of the founding members, Warrel Dane, Jim Sheppard, Lenny Rutledge and Dave Budbill, came together for a few select reunion performances. At first, it was just going to be a handful of shows, but the response and chemistry on stage was so overwhelming that the guys changed their minds. Now, some 20 years after they left off, Sanctuary will continue with their unique mix of US power metal, hard rock and progressive elements and begin work on a new LP. To complete the line-up, Brad Hull (Forced Entry) will be filling in for former guitar player Sean Blosi. A late 2013 release is planned. The band comments: Warrel Dane: "Having been with Century Media since 1995 with NEVERMORE, it was a very comfortable decision for Sanctuary to sign with them. Century Media has a great team that always delivers for all of their bands. I've known most of them on a first name basis for many years and I look forward to this new chapter in history." Lenny Rutledge: "I can speak for every member of Sanctuary when I say we are all excited to join the Century Media family. We now have the opportunity to work with the best metal record label on the planet. We are looking forward to creating great music with an awesome team behind us." Sanctuary online: www.facebook.com/sanctuaryfans June 2013 - Vandala.Ca 63
Music News째 Music Prize Polaris Music Prize Announce broadcaster - Event Details Revealed SiriusXM as Official
Steve Jordan, Founder and Executive Director of the Polaris Music Prize, today announced the official radio broadcaster of the 2013 Polaris Music Prize Gala. The Montreal venue for this year's Long List announcement has also been revealed, along with the details of the Polaris Salon that will follow. SiriusXM Canada will once again be the official radio broadcaster of the 2013 Polaris Music Prize Gala, taking place September 23rd at The Carlu in Toronto. The Gala will be heard live on The Verge XM 151 and Iceberg on Sirius 151. SiriusXM has been in partnership with Polaris Music Prize since the prize's inception in 2006. "We're proud to continue our partnership with Polaris Music Prize and look forward to providing our North American listening audience broadcast performances from the gala event featuring Canada's favourite bands," said Jeff Leake, Director, Music Programming, SiriusXM Canada. It was also announced today that the 2013 Polaris Music Prize Long List will be revealed at the Phi Centre in Montreal on June 13th and hosted by Andreanne Sasseville of SiriusXM. The Phi Centre, with a mission to be Montreal's premiere gathering place for art, will also be celebrating its first year since opening its doors in June 2012. Located in historic Old Montreal, it houses several arts and culture spaces ranging from theatres and concert rooms to recording studios and galleries. Following the announcement and reception for the Long List will be the Polaris Music Prize's first lunch-time salon! Moderated by Steve Jordan, Director and Founder of The Polaris Music Prize, panelists include Melissa Hetu of TFO, Andreanne Sasseville, and other Montreal based jury members to be announced. The Short List will be unveiled on July 16th at The Drake Hotel in Toronto. The Polaris gala will be held on September 23rd at The Carlu in Toronto. The eligibility period for the 2013 Polaris Music Prize runs from June 1, 2012 to May 31, 2013. An independent jury of over 200 music journalists, broadcasters and music bloggers from across Canada determine the Long List and Short List. Eleven people are selected from the larger jury pool to serve on the Grand Jury. The grand jury convenes the night of the gala to select the Polaris Music Prize winner. The Polaris Music Prize awards $30,000 to the artist who creates the Canadian Album of the Year. Judged solely on artistic merit, without consideration of genre or record sales, the prize's past winners have included Feist (2012), Arcade Fire (2011), Karkwa (2010), F째cked Up (2009), Caribou (2008), Patrick Watson (2007), and Final Fantasy (Owen Pallett) (2006). For More on Polaris Music Prize - www.polarismusicprize.ca To find out more about SiriusXM Canada visit www.siriusxm.ca . 64 Vandala.Ca - June 2013
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THE CURE • BECK • MUMFORD & SONS PHOENIX • NEW ORDER • VAMPIRE WEEKEND • FRANK OCEAN THE LUMINEERS • KENDRICK LAMAR • HOT CHIP • IMAGINE DRAGONS MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS • TEGAN AND SARA • ALT-J ELLIE GOULDING • BEACH HOUSE • PRETTY LIGHTS • STARS C2C • TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB • PORTER ROBINSON BEN HOWARD • BONOBO • FLOGGING MOLLY - EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY SILVERSUN PICKUPS • BIG BOI • AZEALIA BANKS • BAAUER THE BREEDERS • BOB MOULD • THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM • FATHER JOHN MISTY TOMMY TRASH • TRICKY - JIMMY EAT WORLD - MISTEUR VALAIRE • AZARI & III CHARLES BRADLEY AND HIS EXTRAORDINAIRES • LIANNE LA HAVAS DISCLOSURE • YELAWOLF • LOU DOILLON • CAJMERE • GRAMATIK • RAINE MAMA MAC DEMARCO • RUDIMENTAL • RICH AUCOIN • ROBERT DELONG • K-OS • FRIGHTENED RABBIT DAUGHTER • WE ARE WOLVES-ANGEL HAZE-DEATH GRIPS-DIAMOND RINGS - GROUPLOVE CAFEINE • JESSIE WARE • JACQUES LU CONT • LES SOEURS BOULAY • THE HEAVY OUAORON • HOLLERADO • HOLY GHOST , • ICONA POP • JAKE BUGG • WILD NOTHING STYLE OF EYE • THE HEAD AND THE HEART SOUL CLAP - JETS - A TRIBE CALLED RED FRANK TURNER • THE NEIGHBOURHOOD • DIIV • ATLAS GENIUS • LITTLE GREEN CARS CAPITAL CITIES • PALMA VIOLETS • THE KNOCKS • RUNE • FLOATING POINTS DVBBS • OBERHOFER • CARNAGE • WILD BELLE • GROENLAND • JACKMASTER • AMTRAC SHOVELS AND ROPE • EC TWINS • KIDNAP KID • VILIFY & HENWARD • HANNAH GEORGAS CORE LUND • HYPHEN HYPHEN • MNOR • LOUD LARY AJUST • DUSTED • MILLIMETRIK BAD THINGS • GUARDS • MAJICAL CLOUDZ • PONCTUATION • LUCY ROSE • NIGHTBOX • ODEZENNE • HUMANS wo.fascewhbok.acgm/ twier.com/sheag
my/ousthebag.cotv
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MAJESTY BATTLE BEAST ASHES OF ARES* WISDOM** 27.09.2013 UK LONDON - UNDERWORLD • 28.09.2013 DE OSNABRUCK - ROSENHOF • 29.09.2013 NL NIJMEGEN - DOORNROSJE • 01.10.2013 DE LANGEN - NEUE STADTHALLE 02.10.2013 CH PRATTELN - Z7 • 03.10.2013 DE LINDAU - VAUDEVILLE 04.10.2013 DE MUNCHEN - BACKSTAGE 05.10.2013 DE STUTTGART - LKA 19.10.2013 DE SAARBROCKEN - GARAGE 24.10.2013 DE KOLN - ESSIGFABRIK 25.10.2013 DE HAMBURG - MARKTHALLE 26.10.2013 DE SPEYER - HALLE 101 27.10.2013 DE HANNOVER - FAUST 29.10.2013 CZ PRAG - NOVA CHELMNICE 30.10.2013 DE LEIPZIG - HELLRAISER 31.10.2013 DE GEISELWIND - MUSIC HALL" 01.11.2013 BE VOSSELAAR - BIEBOB 02.11.2013 DE ESSEN - WESTSTADTHALLE 03.11.2013 NL ROTTERDAM - BAROEG
Upcoming ents & Tours Tours Castle Heads Out On American Tour Having just returned from a successful European tour alongside Intronaut in addition to appearances at Roadburn and Desertfest, female-fronted doom rockers Castle have announced a stretch of shows throughout the western U.S. With support from Demon Lung (Candlelight Records), the trio will make their way to and from the Doom in June festival in Las Vegas, NV on June 1. The band will then continue to tour throughout the summer including supporting Intronaut on select dates of their upcoming U.S. tour alongside label mates Scale The Summit. Additionally, the band have also announced plans for a full North American tour later this summer. More details and information regarding this tour will be announced in the coming weeks. Castle will continue to support their 2012 Prosthetic debut "Blacklands," with a full tour. Dates and details can be found at www.facebook.com/Heavycastle
Holy Grail Announce North American Headlining Tour Having just completed the Metal Alliance tour alongside thrash legends Anthrax while being praised for their "thunderous guitars and soaring vocal harmonies" (Washington Times), heavy metallers HOLY GRAIL will return to the road this summer with support from recent Nuclear Blast signees Anti-Mortem. The five-week headlining tour will kick off in San Diego on June 19 and venture throughout the U.S. and Canada before the band makes a July 26 homecoming at the famous Sunset Strip venue, The Whisky A Go Go. Holy Grail will be touring in support of their sophomore release, "Ride The Void," which has been labeled a mixture of "'80s American thrash and 21st Century metal, blending perverse technical ability, aggro intensity and sing-along melodies" (Chicago News Review). The band recently premiered the music video for the new album's title track, which can be seen directly on Prosthetic Records You Tube Channel at www.youtube.com/ProstheticRecords Ev For more information on the band, please visit: www.ridethevoid.com
SEPTEMBER CARNIVAL
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AFI • SUBLIME WITH ROME • BLONDIE PUBLIC ENENIY•BRAND NEW•FLAG HP I GUIDED BY VOICES ALL TIME LOW - PIERCE THE VEIL • TAKING BACK SUNDAY
THE DISMEMBERMENT PLAN • DINOSAUR JR. •X • DEVOTCHKA YELLOWCARD•SCREECHING WEASEL•PENNYWISE•THE BROADWAYS AGAINST ME! • BOB MOULD • CWAR • THE LILLINGTONS BEST COAST • THE LAWRENCE ARMS • SAY ANYTHING BAD BRAINS • QUICKSAND • THE SELECTER • BAD BOOKS • MISSION OF BURMA •f' THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA • SAVES THE DAY • GLASSJAW • BAYSIDE SMOKING POPES • REGGIE AND THE FULL EFFECT • ATTACK ATTACK!
THE DEAR HUNTER • MAPS AND ATLASES • SURFER BLOOD • CHUCK RAGAN
TWIN PEAKS • FLATFOOT SG • WHITE MYSTERY
Harvest Festival Festival
Initial Line
Announces
Yonder Mountain String Band Just as summer is ting up, the folks at Yonder Mountain String Band's Harvest Festival are already putting the finishing touches on their fall-time event. Set to take place at Mulberry Mountain in the majestic Ozark Mountains, the music and camping experience will span October 17, 18 and 19 in 2013.
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Known for hosting an impeccable lineup of talent, this year is rounding out to be the best lineup yet including event hosts, Yonder Mountain String Band along with Tedeschi Trucks Band, Les Claypool's Duo de Twang, Railroad Earth, Beats Antique, JJ Grey & MOFRO, Kacey Musgraves and Justin Townes Earle just to name a few. (Complete lineup listed below online). •
Now in its 8th year, event promoters partnered with bluegrass giants, Yonder Mountain String Band just three years ago to help provide the ultimate fan camping experience. The festival features 4 stages, over 100 sets of music, workshops, outdoor activities and kid-friendly programming that the whole family can enjoy. While the property can hold over 40,000 happy camper's onsite, event promoters cap out attendance to 8,500 to maintain the intimate experience and appeal of the event. "YMSB is very excited to return for their 3rd year hosting Harvest Fest at Mulberry Mountain. This festival is always such a pleasure each and every year for both the artists and the fans, and 2013 will be no different!" - Yonder Mountain String Band Set to celebrate the turn of season from summer to fall, the event takes place during the peak of the annual fall foliage in the lush Ozark Mountains - the perfect setting for a mind-blowing end of season affair. Loaded to the brim with epic photo opportunities the festival site features one-of-a-kind nature trails, waterfall hikes, expansive views and spacious camping opportunities. Festival goers can also take advantage of Harvest Festival's top-notch VIP camping which includes private tree lined camping, meals, drinks and much more. Music fans already attending Wakarusa will have the first dibs at Harvest Festival tickets next weekend with a limited allotment set to release for a discounted price of $110. Opportunities to purchase tickets on-line for Harvest festival will follow at 10 AM CST on June 3rd. For more information about Harvest Festival stay tuned to the new and soon-to-be-improved Harvest Festival website at www.yonderharvestfestival.com
L.A. STATE HISTORIC PARK
YEAH YEAH YEAHS SATURDAY, AUGUST 24 DEERHUNTER • DEVENDRA BANHART • THE BREEDERS
COMEDIANS
SUNDAY, AUGUST 25
MY BLOODY VALENTINE
A TENGO • WASHED OUT - HOLY GHOST! •
WEEKEND PASSES START AT S99 • MORE INFO AT WWW.FYFFEST.COM CELEBRATING 10 YEARS! - FESTIVAL GATES OPEN AT 2PM
rock
NUCLEAR BLAST
AGNOSTIC FRONT
From 011.112.:
Advent calendar with daily new hand confirmations Only on www.silverdust - shop.de: The first 10,000 tickets are accompanied is a free SUMMER BREEZE 2011 Awn TICKETS (pre-sale fee, parking a camping included].
92 EURO -
No shipping charge for print@home tickets!
www.summer-breeze.de
IN FLAMES - KORN - STONE SOUR BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE - KING DIAMOND - PARKWAY DRIVE - SAXON DOWN-TESTAMENT-COAL CHAMBER-EPICA-KREATOR -MAYHEM-GHOST HELLYEAH - THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA - DARK FUNERAL - KATATONIA - CALIBAN - ABSU COD SEED - MOONSPELL - UNLEASHED - BRAINSTORM - THE SWORD - CLUTCH - REEF NUTS IN THIS MOMENT- MAY TIME I DIE WINTERFYLLMH- LOCK UP ENTOMBED-RED FANG-AURA NOIR - AMMARANHE - VEIL OF MAYA MG
AFTER THE BURIA.UNDERBEIST - BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME - BULLET - HEAVEN'S BASEMENT- HAGKIWIST MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED SOW
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BEHEMOTH • EMMURE BORN OF OSRIS • MOTIONLESS IN WHITE THROWN INTO EXLE
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ROCKAPALOOZA
SATURDAY JUNE 22, 2013
FEATURING
CANDLEBOX SALIVTPRO HEDPE•OBIE TRICE•HURT 12 STONES•SMILE EMPTY SOUL BOY HITS CAR• PSYCHOSTICK SURRENDER THE FALL ROTATION ANOTHER LOST YEAR * DIECAST THROUGH THE ASHES * HYDROVIBE
JACKSON COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS DOORS 10AM I S30 ADV I S35 DAY OF SHOW MCKIM TICKETS IT
SUNDAY, JUNE 23, 2013
OB MARTIN HELLBOUND GLORY GUNNER & THE GRIZZLY BOYS SCOTT THOMPSON BAND MATT RYAN BRIAN RANDALL BAND
•KRIS HITCHCOCK AND THE SMALL TOWN SONS DANIEL HARRIS AND THE S2 HIGHWAY THE KARI LYNCH BAND
POLE BARN REBELS SCOTT CLEVENGER WITH TRIP WIRE KAYLYN PACE MATT AUSTIN RANI JAMERSON DAVID SHELBY
ALLIE SHERMATARO SHELAGH BROWN BILLY SLOAN BRIAN LORENTE AND THE USUAL SUSPECTS MALLERY LYNN CALMING HANNIBAL ALL ARMS WHO'S THIS WE? WRECKLESS
JACKSON COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS 200 W GANSON ST I JACKSON, MI 49201
4 STAGES,
PARADISE Lost TRAGIC ILLUSION TOUR 25TH ANNIVERSARY
1906-2013
LACUNA COIL + GUESTS TO BE ANNOUNCED
GLASGOW 02 'ADC `MANCHESTER :DIE 'RITZ `LONDON CAMDEN 'ROUNDHOUSE ON SALE FRIDAY 9AM 24 MAY 2013 LIMITED VIP TICKETS ALSO AVAILABLE Tickets available from kililive.com/
AUG 23 - CLIFTON PARK, NY @ TRICK SHOT AUG 24 - HAMILTON, ON @ CLUB ABSINTHE AUG 25 - MONTREAL, QC @ LES FOUFOUNES ELECTRIQUES AUG 26 - RIMOUSKI, OC @ LE CACTUS AUG 27 - QUEBEC CITY, QC @ IMPERIAL AUG 29 - SHERBROOKE,QC @ LE MAGOG AUG 30 - JONQUIERE, QC @PLACENIKTOUAGN SEPT 2 - OTTAWA, ON @ MAVERICK'S SEPT 3 - PROVIDENCE, RI @ KING OF CLUBS
DOOMSTAR BOOKINGS PRESENTS
EUROPEAN TAKE OVER DOOMSTAR
YEARS WWW.WACKEN.COM