BON JOVI: Dead or Alive?

Originally Published Here: http://shutter16.com/wp/2011/12/20/bon-jovi-dead-or-alive/

Published Tuesday, December 20, 2011 By amanda_caines. Under Editor : Amanda Caines, News, Uncategorized, Writer: Amanda Caines Tags: Dead or Alive, Heaven looks a lot like New Jersey, Jon Bon Jovi

What do bored, unimportant people do with their spare time? They blog and tweet about celebrities, regardless of the truth of their claims.

Earlier today, some idiot with a wordpress account created a phony press release that proclaimed “International Rockstar Legend Jon Bon Jovi: Dead at 49!” which was subsequently tweeted and re-tweeted ad nauseam, creating a viral rumor mill of complete crap.

http://dailynewbloginternational.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/international-rockstar-legend-jon-bon-jovi-dead-at-49/

Really, y’all?

The bogus press release has been debunked by a variety of more-credible sources, and even before Bon Jovi’s camp made an official statement, a representative for the “international rockstar legend” has told inquiring (legitimate) news professionals that the claims are 100% false. The “official” proof that Jon Bon Jovi is still alive and well came from the Twitter of Bon Jovi’s photographer friend, David Bergman, with Bon Jovi standing in front of a Christmas tree holding a timestamped sign that says “Heaven looks a lot like New Jersey.” (http://twitter.com/#!/davidbergman/status/148913842259365888/photo/1)

This brings about an interesting discussion on whose news is real and whose is fabricated. This “news report” lacks authenticity, with a variety of red flags lining its paragraphs. Here’s a short list to help you sniff out the bull.

1.) It is the ONLY WordPress entry for the blog. While many legitimate music news blogs are on WordPress due to its convenience and flexibility, if the page still has the placeholder text “Hello World!” at the top, it’s a sure sign of crap.

2.) Check the facts AND the sources. In this case, the source names don’t even match, not to mention that the “sources” were supposedly anonymous… yet the writer names the information sources, the Fire Captain Douglas Gray and someone named “Ruda.” Secondly, the paramedics would not have performed CPR if they’d determined he was in cardiac arrest; they would have used a defibrillator. Lastly, if there were “hundreds of reporters” at the scene, why the hell aren’t any credible news sources reporting about the death?

3.) Check for CONSISTENCY. Not only were the sources kinda iffy, but the first paragraph states that the singer was found in a coma in the Empress Hotel, whereas the second paragraph describes the 911 call as coming from “the home.” Yeah. Busted. I’m not even going to dignify the rest of the article with an appropriate bitch-pickin’ on all the details.

This is only the beginning, but if you catch a whiff of these three surefire smells of bull-dookie, you can be nearly certain that your “news source” has run afoul of reality. Remember, music fans: only YOU can prevent the spread of bogus crap on the internet.

Not All Charlotte Area Venues are Wolves–Venue’s Benefit Show Provokes Cooperative Spirit in The Carolinas

Originally Published Here: http://shutter16.com/wp/2011/12/16/not-all-charlotte-area-venues-are-wolves-venues-benefit-show-provokes-cooperative-spirit-in-the-carolinas/ Published Friday, December 16, 2011 By amanda_caines. Under Editor : Amanda Caines, Photographer: Amanda Caines, Photos, Show Review, The Money, The Ultimate Basement, Writer: Amanda Caines Tags: Akarsha, Amanda Caines, Broken at Birth, Darling Waste, David Kiser, Death of Paris, Dreaming in Color, Duran Duran, Lady Gaga, Lithiasis, Luna's Lament, Manamana, metal, Ozzy Osbourne, Pantera, Roll It Over, Static-X, The Money, The Ultimate Basement, Thermostat, Veritas Aequeas

Ultimate Basement Fundraiser at The Money – Day 2 | December 10, 2011

More Photos Here: http://www.flickr.com//photos/shutter16mag/sets/72157628421642867/show/

In a scene full of greedy con artists and self-serving wolves, one venue and a dozen bands stepped out of the dark to help out a nice guy raise money to re-open his arcade/music venue. Beloved owner of The Ultimate Basement, affectionately nicknamed “Gerb,” enjoyed two days of bands’ support and hospitality courtesy The Money and its new owner, David Kiser. Kiser extended his welcome to Rock Hill via accommodations and meals for Gerb and for out-of-town bands who came to support the cause. By this altruistic outreach to another venue owner, Kiser hopes that the spirit of cooperation will prove contagious and that other Charlotte area venues will step up to the plate, leaving behind petty competition in favor of a stronger network of venues, bands, and fans within the music scene.

Though prior obligations rendered me unable to make it to the Day 1 show, which included Veritas Aequitas, Darling Waste, Death of Paris, Akarsha, and Lithiasis, folks who had been there were still raving about it. Day 2 started off with a band called Thermostat from Greer, SC, that immediately brought us back to the heyday of Dimebag Darrel with their heavy, mosh-worthy guitar grooves and aggressive vocals. Jonathan Smith jack-hammered on the double bass in near-perfect precision while Danny Cline and Larry Richter busted out the bass and guitar riffage with some killer squeals and lightning-fast guitar solos. Michael Sellers on the vocals added to the Pantera effect of the band, and he definitely enjoyed unbridled use of the “F” word throughout the set. Kiser was sure Sellers could’ve set a Guinness World Record for the number of times he used the word while Thermostat was on stage.

Next up was a surprisingly good, youthful band: Dreaming in Color from Boone, NC. This ferocious fivesome came out with axes blazing, setting a quick pace with their infectious, upbeat riffs that would sustain the music-electricity throughout their set. I liked the tag-team screaming/melodic vocals of Ben Dunlop and Pat Tarpey—the trade-offs added a versatility to the sounds of the night that even Ben’s wide range of screaming vocal timbres couldn’t have offered alone. Ben also made a point to get the crowd involved in the music, and it showed. Fans crowded around guitarist Gary Vinson as he wailed through some fast-paced guitar shredding. Gary and Pat harmonized on several riffs, which always get bands mega points in my book. Right before they closed out their set, they pulled out a terrific cover of Ozzy’s “Bark at the Moon,” which, except for some odd guitar scale meanderings during the solo, was pretty spot-on.

Broken at Birth from Salisbury, NC, took the stage after that, and brought out good screaming tones over cool riffs and tight rhythms that all adds up to a less-industrial Static-X type sound. While the band clearly has talent and energetic music going on, they would greatly benefit from upping their physical expression of the music and making more of an effort to engage the crowd. The music has a lot of potential if they can get the crowd up in front, paying full attention.

A “Yankee” band from Baltimore, MD, came up next: Roll It Over. These guys had some cool riffage and were really excited about what they were doing. The strongest piece in the band was definitely drummer Brady Molinaro, though his pop-star appearance betrayed him a bit as a metal drummer. Surprisingly, the band pulled out a pop cover to close out their set: Lady Gaga’s “Pokerface.” As a fair-weather fan of Lada Gaga’s, I’d have to say I was unimpressed. While it’s cool to switch genres and play something un-metal in a heavier fashion, you’ve got to NAIL it, and they didn’t. The band has a well-defined personality to it, though, so as long as they stick to originals, they’re pretty impressive.

Second-to-last on the list for the evening, the lovely ladies of Luna’s Lament hopped on the stage with an acoustic guitar and a couple of borrowed bongo players (okay, so one was a djembe). Though an unfamiliar setting for women of metal, acoustic shows allow for more showcasing the beauty of the intricate vocal harmonies blossoming between Morgan Riley and Kim “Kimniption” Karnes. The only thing that didn’t quite fit was the screams—I found it a bit jarring in the otherwise-groovy and intoxicating set. The bongos and djembe, manned by Paul Lashway of Manamana and Adam Smith of A Light Divided, added to the exotic feel, and in the peaceful spirit of the evening, former drummer Michael “Digi” Biggerstaff came up to jam along with the ladies. I know this band is eager to get back to full-on electric performances, but I’m definitely digging the “unplugged” version in the meantime.

Closing out the night, the always-entertaining, never-duplicated Manamana had a new set of tricks up their sleeves for the eager crowd at The Money. Paul Lashway pounds passionately on the drums with Neil Peart precision while channeling some mixture of the Mad Hatter, Gene Simmons, and Animal. Carmen Piro, Damon Patrinos, and John Piro tear it up on the guitars (that’s riht, there’s 3 guitars), and howl like rabid wolves while Stephen Sues brings up the low-end on the bass. Speaking of wolves, the band brought up a friend, Briana Strickland, to howl with them on a cover of Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like the Wolf.” Was it the most skilled cover of the song I’d ever heard? Well, no—but it was certainly the most entertaining. Carmen stripped off a layer of clothing, revealing a shirt that bore “Das Wulfie” for a little game of cat-and-mouse during the song. David Kiser, Gerb, and I really just couldn’t stop smiling and giggling throughout the song. Then, as an early Christmas gift, Manamana turned on their softer side for a guitar-fueled rendition of Pachelbel’s “Canon in D.” I’m a sucker for Classical music, and for Manamana—they are so much fun to experience.

By the end of the night, Gerb’s ear-to-ear smile couldn’t have been melted off his face—the feeling of generosity and cooperation present in the walls of The Money over the weekend truly overwhelmed him. The next morning, Gerb posted on Facebook that “This last weekend, you all made me and my hospitality seem like a New York cab driver dealing with a non paying hooker….. y’all put me to shame!” I’m equally overwhelmed—without the hooker references—and I challenge all fans, bands, and venues to set aside their competitive spirits and instead show genuine support and reverence for one another so we can make Charlotte and The Carolinas a highly-anticipated destination for music.

Boisterous Bands Flaunt Face Fuzz as Fundraiser for Beards BeCAUSE

Originally Published Here: http://shutter16.com/wp/2011/12/13/boisterous-bands-flaunt-face-fuzz-as-fundraiser-for-beards-because/

Published Tuesday, December 13, 2011 By amanda_caines. Under Amos Southend, Editor : Amanda Caines, Photos, Show Review, Uncategorized, Writer: Amanda Caines Tags: Amanda Caines, Amos Southend, Beards BeCAUSE, Evelynn Rose, Grown Up Avenger Stuff, The Spiveys

Beards BeCAUSE Benefit | Amos’ Southend | December 9, 2011

More Photos Here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shutter16mag/sets/72157628408052037/show/

In their down-to-earth, working man attire, I expected Charlotte band Evelynn Rose to kick off the Beards BeCAUSE benefit with music akin to Nickelback’s redneck radio rock, but instead they brought out soaring, emotional melodies to the scene at Amos’ Southend Friday night. Singer “Joe,” sporting a festive beard for the event to go along with navy blue coveralls and a large beanie hat, belted out the desperately artistic cries of a man truly sublimating intense anguish into beautiful tunes. Underneath Joe’s powerful melodies, guitarists Chris and Josh along with bassist Thomas wove a wall of sound, articulated by meticulous tempo of drummer Mike, keeping this fearless fivesome afloat. All the while, there was a barbers’ booth set up in the back, measuring face fuzz length and trimming back to non-Mountain-Man beard length. (One participant came dressed up as a lumberjack—big, bushy beard-appropriate.)

Next on stage came The Spiveys, whose singer/guitarist Adam Middleton also flaunted his face follicle prowess with a beard. Adam is a singing contradiction of self-deprecating chit-chat between songs and boisterous, emotive bouncing with the music that pulses electricity throughout each Spiveys’ set. Going to-to-toe with Adam both musically and in bouncing-height is guitar/vocal co-conspirator Jesse Reaves. Setting the scene for infectious, head-bobbing, retro-infused tunes, are the steady-yet-complex rhythms laid down by drummer Jacob Worden and bassist John Rutherford. All that being said, the best thing about The Spiveys is not just that they’re a good band, but that they present a variety of different rhythmic and stylistic patterns—sometimes within the same song, like the rhapsodic “Inadequate.” While I prefer seeing this band in cozier venues than Amos’, the set was still smile-evoking and head-bob-inducing.

Moving into the headlining timeslot for the night, event-goers saw giant, white banners that looked like a creative use of bed sheets carried onto the stage. A curious sight to those not in-the-know, the sheet-prop setup was an interesting backdrop to the announcements of the Beards BeCAUSE award winners. Female-fronted headliners Grown Up Avenger Stuff really drive home the somewhat humorous polarity of a charity benefitting battered women’s shelters fueled by a masculine, grunt-inspiring beard-growing competition. While vocalist Deirdre Kroener proved not to be a bearded lady, guitarist John Thomsen had enough chin decoration to go around. Drummer Tyler Thomsen made a valiant attempt with a mustache, however. Once the Avengers took the stage, onlookers finally figured out what those sheets were all about—hidden in the vast whiteness was some glow-in-the-dark painted pictures, visible only in black light, which flooded the stage intermittently during the set. Deirdre also used her arms as a phosphorescent canvas, painting “MUSIC” and “LOVE” on her arms. Paired with the throwback feel of the band’s songs, the black light spectacle almost gave Amos’ the feel of a roller skating rink in the ’80s.

As for the music, this set of Grown Up Avenger Stuff’s brought out several of the less-familiar tunes, even to an avid listener. That’s not to say that there weren’t a bunch of the hits, either—and some of their most-loved tribute songs. Deirdre’s costume of a simple white polo, skinny jeans, and calf-high boots was a bit too “soccer mom,” but at least the comparison ended there. After all, who knows a soccer mom who can scream out “Bulls on Parade” with great gusto? No show is complete without technical snafus, and some tuning wonkiness between John Thomsen’s guitar and Hunter Thomsen’s bass left Deirdre singing “Pretty New” in an a cappella duet over Tyler Thomsen’s drumming. Luckily, the incident didn’t deter the crowd from clamoring for an encore, which Grown Up Avenger Stuff heartily obliged, bringing forth the quote of the night from Deirdre: “Do you want a happy song or an angry song… Well… Anger and happiness are close to the same thing.” The band is certainly an envoy of fierce happiness, and a great addition to the finale of a fabulous fundraiser fueled by face fuzz.

Rock Hill, SC’s “Moulin Rouge,” The Money, is Hell-bent to Shed its Seedy Underbelly

Originally Published Here: http://shutter16.com/wp/2011/11/16/rock-hill-scs-moulin-rouge-the-money-is-hell-bent-to-shed-its-seedy-underbelly/

Published Wednesday, November 16, 2011 By amanda_caines. Under Editor : Amanda Caines, The Money, Writer: Amanda Caines Tags: Agent Orange, Club, David Kiser, local music, Ratt, Rock Hill, South Carolina, The Ataris, The Money, Wheatus, Winthrop University

As someone who grew into adulthood in Rock Hill, I can’t tell you how many times I swore I would never again set foot in The Money. It is, and always has been, the bar that Rock Hill loves to hate, but it looks like times are changing. New management is hell-bent on making a great, college-friendly music venue out of what has historically been a sketchy little dive.

On paper, it looks like it would be an excellent place to play and to hang out, and for those who are willing to venture in the doors despite the rumors and reputation, it really is. It’s within drunken stumbling distance of Winthrop University; some really good national, regional, and local bands grace the stage; and it’s pretty accessible and easy to find (straight shot down Cherry Road from SC exit 82B on I-77). Since it opened its doors in 1970, there have even been some well-known national acts in the bar, such as Ratt, Agent Orange, The Ataris, and Wheatus, for starters. The cover charge is always reasonable, and the drinks are affordable at normal price and surprisingly cheap on special. The bar boasts some top shelf liquors, a Jagermeister dispenser, and, my personal favorite, a draft beer wall, tapped-in to over a dozen great craft and import beers (and the cheap shit, too, if you’re into that).

With that glowing review, “Why the hell wouldn’t people want to go there?” you might wonder. Due to some unfortunate choices on the part of former managers/owners and some uncontrollable circumstances, the place has gotten a horrendous reputation, with Winthrop students and Rock Hill denizens, alike, labeling the place “un-cool” and “unsavory.” Horse-shit. This bar is every bit as safe as any bar I’ve visited in Charlotte or Columbia, if not safer, and is one of the nicer bars in Rock Hill. Unfortunately, some negative press in the past year or so heaped undue blame on the club, which made breaking out of its seedy history difficult. The Money has stepped up its vigilance significantly, though, as a positive by-product of the negative situation. They are in the process of installing a digital infrared system as part of round-the-clock club security.

Since current owner David Kiser (also partial owner to other Charlotte area music venues) took over, The Money has gotten a serious facelift that includes changes on the inside and out. Just driving by on Cherry Road, you can see the fresh coat of beige paint, accented with cream-colored trim, and the brand new neon lights that proudly blare the club’s name. Inside, you’ll find cleaner walls, more sanitary bathrooms (with toilet paper!), and a beefed-up stage outfit, both visually, with some updated lighting, and sonically, with some upgraded P.A. speakers. The back patio, now rid of its old, rotting-wood benches, presents a beach-like feel, complete with bamboo-veneered tiki bar that even has a functional beer refrigerator. It’s like a whole new club. If you don’t believe me, they’ve got transformation pictures up on their Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/TheMoneyRH). Their dot-com site has gotten a facelift as well and actually bears useful information about the bands and the beers (http://www.themoneysc.com).

For those like me who have had a bad experience at Rock Hill’s favorite place to hate, skepticism that this time will be different is understandable. The venue has changed hands several times without much to show for it. However, drive by some time and see for yourself. Then, if you’re brave enough to challenge your assumptions, give The Money another shot.

Charlotte’s Identity Crisis Show Brings New Formats and New Fans

Originally Published Here: http://shutter16.com/wp/2011/10/30/show-review-charlottes-identity-crisis-show-brings-new-formats-and-new-fans/ Published Sunday, October 30, 2011 By amanda_caines. Under Editor : Amanda Caines, Photographer: Dianna Augustine, Salvador Deli, Show Review, Writer: Amanda Caines Tags: Amanda Caines, Charlotte Identity Crisis, Evelynn Rose, Grown Up Avenger Stuff, Hello Handshake, musical chairs, The Between, The Chelsea Daggers, The Jupiter Tide, The Spiveys To a veteran of the local music scene, there is little more exciting than hearing a local band you love covering another local band you love—and that’s exactly what happened Friday night at NoDa’s Salvador Deli. The event was the “Charlotte Identity Crisis,” which featured the bands of Charlotte in an ADHD-style lineup playing a little of their own music spiked with covers of other Charlotte local bands’ songs. The good news is there is a wealth of talent in the city to choose from. Grown Up Avenger Stuff Kicking off the night was Evelynn Rose, whose style brought listeners back to the mid-to-late nineties with their mellow-but-heavy rhythms with strong, melodic vocals. While they didn’t play any Charlotte-based covers, their music was genuine and even exciting at times. They were more of a last-minute addition to the bill to cover the departure of another band, however, and spent their time onstage promoting their “real” gig the following night. Regardless, their all-too-short set was very enjoyable. Grown Up Avenger Stuff From there on out, the short, 5-song set that Evelynn Rose performed seemed like Schindler’s List in comparison—length-wise, not content-wise, that is. Each band that followed got a grand total of two songs to rock out before the next band replaced them onstage. At first, it seemed like just a colossal cluster-fuck in stage transitions, but the increased crowd retention that resulted from catering to shrinking attention spans made all the trouble seem worth it. Having each band take the stage at least a couple times helped give fans an incentive to stick around and hear other bands when they might have otherwise been on their merry ways. Being a free show in the pedestrian-friendly NoDa district as well, the Identity Crisis was sure to bring in a bunch of passersby who, because of this format, heard more music than they might have with the traditional gig landscape. The ingenious use of a projector screen with the name of the current band on stage brought even better recognition for each band among intentional attendees and lucky drop-ins. The bands were not all completely thrilled at the musical-chairs-esque use of the stage, but the bustling crowd still around toward the end of the show was a fine reward. The six bands in this rockin’ revolver consisted of Grown Up Avenger Stuff, The Spiveys, The Jupiter Tide, The Chelsea Daggers, The Between, and Hello Handshake. For me, the highlight of the night was The Spiveys’ mostly straightforward take on Grown Up Avenger Stuff’s “As Mary Said,” a song that GUAS rarely plays anymore. I found myself almost giddy with excitement and purchased a download card of The Spivey’s “Let’s Panic” album immediately after their first set. The next best of the night was The Jupiter Tide’s rendition of The Chelsea Daggers’ tune. Evelynn Rose pleasantly surprised me by how much heavier their tunes sound in a live setting, too. I will refrain from my usual technical ticks and suffice it to say this was a groundbreaking, great idea, and I had an excellent time.

Evanescence Didn’t “Disappear Like a Vapor” After All … “Evanescence” album drops October 11, 2011

Originally Published Here: http://shutter16.com/wp/2011/09/27/evanescence-didn%E2%80%99t-%E2%80%9Cdisappear-like-a-vapor%E2%80%9D-after-all-%E2%80%A6-%E2%80%9Cevanescence%E2%80%9D-album-drops-october-11-2011/

Published Tuesday, September 27, 2011 By amanda_caines. Under CD Releases, Editor : Amanda Caines, News, Uncategorized, Writer: Amanda Caines Tags: Amanda Caines, Amy Lee, Evanescence, evanescence new cd, female-fronted rock, new cds, new music, Nick Raskulinecz, Previews, rock, Steve Lillywhite, Tattermask, Wind-Up Records

With a name that means “disappearing like a vapor,” Evanescence, it seems, almost begged to enact its name and fade into the night, especially after the heavy, consistent dosage of drama that plagued the band from almost day one. Five years have passed since the last Evanescence record came out, which gave fans, media, and critics plenty of time to create a cloud of rumors about break-ups and solo projects, but the band is more “truly a band now than ever before,” frontwoman Amy Lee proclaims. The band’s new album, simply self-titled, “Evanescence,” will hit stores in the U.S. October 11, 2011.

Evanescence Boots Steve Lillywhite

This new body of work comes only after a long, personal journey for the band, especially Amy Lee. She told SPIN back in 2008 that she was trying to break into movie scoring and that she was writing new music on her own that was “nothing [she] would categorize as Evanescence.” As of March 2010, Lee remarked that she had realized that “Evanescence is who I am,” and the band was supposedly headed in an “electro-pop” direction with producer Steve Lillywhite (U2, Dave Matthews, Rolling Stones) for the new record—a pretty risky change for a band that built global fame with gothic hard rock. Some rumors assert that Wind-Up Records, the band’s label, rejected the Lillywhite recordings with a request for the band to produce music more akin to their signature sound, while other rumors attribute the split with Lillywhite to financial issues for Wind-Up and the producer’s inability to pull the record together in a timely fashion.

An article from Billboard magazine indicated that going back to square one in recording this record was Lee’s decision, though the remarks the magazine quotes from the label’s president are a bit more ambiguous: “One thing we do at Wind-up is, we’re patient. It [sic] it’s not right, it’s not coming out,” Wind-Up Records president Ed Vetri states. “If it takes a year or four years, [we're] going to take the time it needs to write the right record.” (http://www.billboard.com/#/news/amy-lee-new-evanescence-album-is-much-more-1005230332.story)

Lee commented officially to Rolling Stone: “I’ve come to realize now I was making like a solo record, and if it was going to be an Evanescence record, we needed to come together and make it like a band.” Even though interviews back in March of 2010 indicated she had really found herself in the sessions with Lillywhite and with producer/programmer Will “Science” Hunt—not the same Will Hunt as is currently the drummer, by the way—Lee says things are panning out in a more cohesive way now: “That was a hard time for me. I thought I knew what I wanted and it sort of didn’t happen like I wanted it to…But I have to say I feel so strong about what we’re doing now…We still have some of the same songs from those sessions but we’ve made them about the band.”

Evanescence: It’s not just about Amy Lee anymore

Regardless of the reasons behind the sudden about-face in the making of the new record, the band has come away from their trials stronger as a whole, according to Lee. Despite overwhelming assertions that the band is more “about the band” than it is about Amy Lee, the press still seems pretty focused on Lee and nobody else. All of the interviews, photos, and videos related to the new album feature her prominently, if not exclusively. In the few moments the band has to speak in interviews, they do seem excited about their new album, which they’ve been pushing hardcore ever since they were sure it was going to get finished this year. They made a video this summer to promote the new single, “What You Want,” that is meant to tell the history of Evanescence, emulating the gritty rock club scene that birthed the band many years ago during the full-band scenes. I’m not sure the video screams “club scene” or conveys anything about the band’s history like they want it to, but making the video about the history of a band of which Lee is the only remaining founding member and featuring her almost exclusively in the non-performance scenes doesn’t seem very “about the band” to me, anyway. In her defense, though, Lee is a pioneer in female-fronted hard rock and her fronting the band sets it apart from many others in the rock genres, but having a fully collaborative writing style for this record promises to make it even more dynamic than previous records that were written just by Lee and one other writing partner. That was the reason given for making the album self-titled and using artwork for the cover of the CD that didn’t feature a picture of just the singer, as was done for the other two albums.

So… Wasn’t this a story about Evanescence’s new album?

I’m getting to that—like Evanescence, I had to get through the past first. During their recording sessions in Nashville’s Blackbird Studios with accomplished hard rock producer Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Deftones, Alice in Chains), the band recorded a total of 16 songs—a good number—that can’t all be included on the final record… unless you pre-order the “deluxe version” on iTunes for $3 more, that is. Elements of the final product sound similar in some ways to the previous body of work from Evanescence, but some differences shine through as well. The new songs still have that dark, epic, full sound that defines Evanescence, yet there’s a new, raw edge to the guitar sound in some places—no doubt a product of the increase in writing influence from her metal-based bandmates: guitarists Terry Balsamo (Cold) and Troy McLawhorn (Seether, Dark New Day), bassist Tim McCord (Revolution Smile), and drummer Will Hunt (Dark New Day, Crossfade, Black Label Society). The track “Made of Stone,” available in full for listening at Evanescence.com, sounds a bit like “Pieces” by Troy’s former band, Dark New Day. Not all the songs are super-heavy, though: “Lost in Paradise,” a soft-but-powerful piano ballad that blossoms into a full-band creation, has a feel to it that’s not unlike their famous “My Immortal” from the “Daredevil” movie soundtrack. The last previewed track, “The Other Side,” has some R&B-style vocals over heavy guitars with an odd-but-nifty result. Vocally, it sounds like Amy Lee is pushing herself further than in previous records, and the band is displaying a level of writing maturity that makes the band’s debut record sound like nursery tunes. From the limited available previews of the new songs, it sounds like the rhythms of the songs are leaning towards a heavier metal sound while the vocals and some stylistic elements are going in a more 80’s-pop/R&B direction—resulting in some sort of hybrid “pop-metal.”

All that being said, I am a long-time Evanescence fan—anyone who’s heard my band, Tattermask, is not surprised to hear that, I’m sure—and, after hearing the previews of the tracks during the massive amounts of research I’ve done for this article, I’m insanely excited about this new album. I’m going to go pre-order the deluxe version right now.

Top 16 Songs I Like By Bands I Don’t Like

Originally Published Here: http://shutter16.com/wp/2011/09/24/top-16-songs-i-like-by-bands-i-dont-like/ Published Saturday, September 24, 2011 By amanda_caines. Under Editor : Amanda Caines, Top 16, Writer: Amanda Caines Tags: Amanda Caines, Fallout Boy, Five Finger Death Punch, Godsmack, Kings of Leon, Korn, MCR, metal, Mudvayne, My Chemical Romance, Nickelback, Nine Inch Nails, Papa Roach, Paramore, Puddle of Mudd, Rage Against The Machine, rock, Skillet, Theory of a Deadman, Three Doors Down, Top 16 All of these songs on this list represent the sole reasons I don’t wish these bands’ music to be stricken from the Earth. For some of these songs, I can tell exactly why I like them, while others just have an inexplicable pull. Maybe it’s subliminal messaging. 1. “Far from Home” by Five Finger Death Punch – After they butchered their cover of “Bad Company,” I thought I had lost all possible respect for this band, but then they put out this song. While I’m still not a fan of the auto-tuned vocals that sound like they’re just trying to be creepy, the music and the vocal melody are beautiful. Now, if only they can find a singer that doesn’t suck. 2. “Love, Hate, Sex, Pain” by Godsmack – Speaking of bands that need a new singer, Godsmack surprised me with its somewhat polyrhythmic approach in this song. It’s a sharp contrast to their in-the-pocket, mediocre-local-band sound that they’re usually putting forth. 3. “By the Way” by Theory of a Deadman – …And speaking of bands with major label deals that sound like some sort of mediocre garage band, Theory of a Deadman really pulled a great song out of its ass with this one. It’s beautiful. Too bad the radio never picked this one up, because it’s much better than anything they do play. 4. “Do What You Do” by Mudvayne – In addition to having a stupid name, this band’s songs have at best not impressed me, and at worst made me roll my eyes and change the channel. I’m not sure what it is about this song that I like. It’s mostly just the chorus, really, but this is one song I will actually turn up and sing along with… when no one’s looking. 5. “Got the Life” by Korn – This is a band that thrives on shocking people with disturbing lyrics, and from that agenda has developed a cult following of die-hard goth kids. I’m not one of them, but I can appreciate the energy and underlying positive message in this song. 6. “Burn It to the Ground” by Nickelback – I used to like Nickelback, but I feel like lately they’ve been all about exploiting the same formula for attracting the low-lifes and propagated music like that through other clone bands that follow in their slime trail. This song, though, just makes me laugh, and I like the heavy guitar riffage paired with a hi-energy driving beat. 7. “Decode” by Paramore – Don’t get me wrong; I think Hayley Williams is a highly talented female vocalist, but I really just don’t dig their music enough to buy a CD. This song, however, even though it’s trapped in the “Twilight” movie soundtrack, has a darker tone to it than the rest of their too-poppy-for-me songs and allows me to appreciate her voice a little more. 8. “Psycho” by Puddle of Mudd – I liked a couple of their other songs until the local radio stations wore them out like an old pair of undies, but this is one I never truly got sick of hearing. I think I like the abnormal rhythmic interplay between the vocals and the guitar on the verses. Not to mention, I love having a song available where I can sing an accusation of schizophrenic psychosis. They sucked at Carnival of Madness last summer, though. I was unimpressed. 9. “Sex on Fire” by Kings of Leon – After hearing this as their first single, I had high hopes for Kings of Leon, but everything they’ve put out since this fantastically energetic tune has been overdone, radio crap. The title does kind of remind you of STDs for some reason, though. 10. “Kryptonite” by Three Doors Down – Here’s another band that puts out songs I like at first and then get sick of hearing. This song, though, their first single, is still awesome after more than a decade. 11. “Awake and Alive” by Skillet – I think everyone I know who likes Skillet is sick of this song, but I still turn it up when it comes on. I kind of like other Skillet songs, but this is the only one I would actually pay to listen to. 12. “I’m Not Okay” by My Chemical Romance – MCR’s singer says they’re not an “emo” band, but many fans beg to differ. I’m not sure if they are or not, but with a song that shouts “I’m not o-fuckin’-kay!” … sounds like they might be. Regardless, this is a good one to crank up and sing along with when everything’s falling apart. 13. “Dance, Dance” by Fallout Boy – As much as I like the misheard lyrics version of “This Ain’t A Scene,” there’s really only one Fallout Boy song I like, and it’s “Dance, Dance.” It’s fast, it’s catchy, and has a little falsetto note in the chorus. You can almost tell what he’s saying in this one, for once. 14. “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails – Another band I used to really like when I was an angsty teenager was NIN, but I’ve grown out of that. The only song of theirs that stuck with me was “Hurt;” Johnny Cash liked it, too, so it must be a good one. 15. “Killing in the Name” by Rage Against the Machine – It depends which day you ask me, but I think I actually like this song. Other than that, RATM just sort of annoys me, as rap metal really isn’t my thing, especially when laced with political whining. 16. “Burn” by Papa Roach – So many of my buddies like Papa Roach, and my band has even worked on covering a Papa Roach song, but, honestly, I could do without this band… until their recent single. I like it, but I don’t know why. Maybe because we wrote one with the same title at about the same time and I feel a weird kinship with Papa Roach.

A Perfect Circle at Uptown Amphitheater 7-19-2011

I still think that A Perfect Circle's "Mer de Noms" album was one of the best hard rock albums ever written, but despite the band's putting on a good show in Charlotte, I still left disappointed. Understanding that A Perfect Circle's most recent album "eMotive" centered on cover songs with a political theme, I was not surprised that much of their set consisted of these re-made familiar songs, but I was a bit disappointed in the overall energy of the performance.

The first band, Red Bacteria Vacuum offered a bunch of screaming punk and a lesson in Japanese. All girl Japanese punk band, eh? Interesting choice for an opener, APC. I found it kind of weird; the members were all these cute little short chicks, but with veins full of raging angst--kind of like Hello Kitty with PMS. The drummer's kit looked like a disassembled Mickey D's play land, with bright yellow pipes supplanting normal drum shells. The ladies jumped around and thrashed a lot to their overly simple riffs and beats, but seemed to be having a ton of fun--but who wouldn't be, opening for an awesome American band?

Since jumping into the local scene myself, I have come to expect that major label bands will lack in stage antics in comparison to local and regional independent bands, but normally the major label artists still have some energy in the music, itself. Maynard James Keenan is one of the most talented singers in today's rock world, but Tuesday night he seemed a bit detached from the emotion of his lyrics and didn't seem to get into it very much. I even detected a bit of off-centeredness from a strong pitch in his voice for the first couple of songs--an indicator that he may not have warmed up his voice sufficiently. There was a song or two where he shone through with emotion, such as "Magdalena" from the best CD ever, but some of the rest of the songs just came across as flat from his hiding platform in the back corner of the stage.

I can't say that I was thrilled about all the cover songs; if I had wanted to see a cover band, I could have done that much cheaper and seen a lot more energy. The worst cover they did, though, was of their own song "3 Libras," also from the best CD ever, but it was so far removed from the song I know that I literally did not even recognize it anymore--I had to look up the song on YouTube to hear what I should've been listening for. The soul of the song was gone, replaced with weird samples and repetitions of lyrics of the song taken out of context in a way that made me uncomfortable, similar to how some of Maynard's other band Tool makes me feel. I'm glad I didn't recognize it when they played it, because it probably would have made me mad. I recognize that artists have a right to alter their own songs, but they must recognize that fans have an equal right not to like it. I didn't.

What I did like was their performance of "Counting Bodies Like Sheep To The Rhythm Of The War Drums;" this one actually had feeling in its performance. The thunderous war drums evoked a feeling of oppressive, martial control, and the heavier guitars displayed the underbelly of angst from the oppressed. I will have to go back and give "13th Step" another listen to find this one.

The bad thing about loving a band's work and being ultra-excited to see them in concert is that expectation are high. Few bands could live up to the build-up I gave this concert. I am still glad I went so I can add another notch in my concert belt, but I'm not sure I would go see them again if they are this lethargic onstage every time.

Top 16 Rock Vocalists Who Inspire Me

Originally published here: http://shutter16.com/wp/2011/07/20/top-16-rock-vocalists-who-inspire-me/ 1. Brent Smith (Shinedown) – While I’m not too keen on the over-produced sound on their newest album, I can’t deny that Brent Smith is a fantastic singer. He’s just as great live, too, which is pretty rare these days. I just wish the band would go back to a more raw, rock-oriented sound rather than the fuzzy, homogenous radio mix. 2. Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Audioslave) – I’m not sure I can think of a vocalist with versatility like that in the hard rock genre who can top this guy. He has a bag of tricks for vocal effects from smooth to raspy and everything in between, great control, and a killer range. I’ve heard he’s not so good live, but not having seen him myself, I will maintain my illusions for now. 3. Phil Collins (Genesis, solo) – … So he’s on the lighter side of rock. So sue me. Some people may judge me for this choice, but YOU try to sing “Against All Odds” with that kind of flexibility and control that’s still drenched in emotion. If you can do it better than Phil, then judge me. 4. Glen Phillips/Todd Nichols (Toad the Wet Sprocket, Solo/Lapdog) – Since we’re talking about the lighter side of things, I’ve got to admit that I still think Toad the Wet Sprocket’s album “Dulcinea” might be my favorite album ever recorded. I have to put both of them on here instead of just Glen, the lead vocalist, because the harmonies are one of the things that makes this band’s vocals as amazing as they are. However, Glen and Todd both have some wildly large vocal ranges and write some of the most well-thought-out vocal lines and lyrics with which I’ve ever had the pleasure of singing along. 5. Maynard James Keenan (A Perfect Circle, Tool, Puscifer) – When most people think of Maynard James Keenan, they think of Tool. I like Tool, don’t get me wrong, but the melodies in A Perfect Circle are what really get to me about him: the power, the range, the beauty of controlled dissonance. That, and the fact that he can write lyrics in Tool that are so hateful and disgusting and turn right around and write something as beautiful as “3 Libras” just baffles me. 6. Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots, Velvet Revolver) – I don’t want to be one of those drug pushers, but I must confess that I thought his work with STP was better before Scott went to rehab. “Core” was one of the first albums I ever bought that I listened to from start to finish just about every time, singing along to every word. “Purple” was like that, too, and some of Velvet Revolver’s songs kicked a lot of ass as well, but it’s been pretty hit or miss for STP since “Purple.” Still, he put on one of the best live shows of any major label band I’ve seen in the past 10 years of concert-going. 7. Aaron Lewis (Staind) – If you listened to Staind’s first album “Tormented,” you would probably wonder how the hell they got a record deal with that assault on the ears, but Aaron Lewis has come a long way since then. Finally shedding his self-flagellating, angry shell for some more muted melodic rock, the “Break the Cycle” album has some of the most breathtaking vocal lines I’ve ever heard. Compare “Epiphany” off that record to “Self Destruct” from their first record, and you’ll see what I mean. 8. Amy Lee (Evanescence) – No surprises there, I’m sure, if you’ve ever heard my band tattermask. Amy Lee finally grabbed the idea that Lacuna Coil had made underground headway with and brought female-fronted melodic metal into the mainstream. Of all the vocalists here, she inspired me the most, personally. She proved that female singers can succeed at metal without screaming like banshees. 9. Brad Delp (Boston) – Back before the days of Autotune and digital pitch correction, Brad Delp was squealing out high notes and sounding awesome doing so. It’s hard to respect modern day vocalists who rely on digital effects to make their high notes pop when people in the ’70s and ’80s could do it organically. Not only was his high range impressive, his lyrics were insightful and his melodies fun to sing. 10. Steve Perry (Journey) – Another throwback artist with an impressive upper range, Steve Perry wrote some of the biggest ’80s power ballads of all time that are still all over the classic rock radio–and Family Guy’s karaoke episode. 11. Raine Maida (Our Lady Peace) – Unlike other artists, Raine Maida fearlessly did something different with his voice that no one else was doing–super-high, nasal falsetto. Maybe not everyone digs the sound, but his voice is definitely distinguishable from the rest of the pack. He has a lot of control, bending his voice all over the place and trying a lot of unconventional things with odd pitch intervals and controlled dissonance. His lyrics, too, are intelligent, cryptic, and make a lot of cultural and literary references that not everyone would catch, which I love. He also helped write write and produce some pop songs for two of my favorite female vocalists: Avril Lavigne and Kelly Clarkson. Not only do I respect his choices as a vocalist, I can appreciate his choices as a producer as well. 12. Chris Daughtry (Daughtry) – Remember when American Idol was still American Idol, a competition to become a singer as opposed to a sideshow of fame-rabid freaks? That’s when Chris Daughtry was on the show, and I actually watched. He lost, but I don’t even remember who actually won that season, yet I own Daughtry’s CD. Getting fame and fortune without all of the red tape… I think that’s a “win.” 13. Alanis Morrisette (Solo) – Whether or not she knows what irony actually is, it’s Alanis’s “You Oughta Know” that let the rocker inside her come out to play. Such an angry song with one hell of a power-wailing chorus, that’s the one that impressed me. Even after belting it out a thousand times, I still love that song. I think some of her other work, including her hilariously melodramatic cover of Black Eyed Peas’ “My Humps” was pretty good, too. 14. Brandon Boyd (Incubus) – I like how distinctive Brandon Boyd’s voice is and how those fifths harmonies he does are so classic for that band, yet never get over-used. I’ve also found myself connecting very deeply with his lyrics, especially to “Drive.,” what a great song. 15. Layne Staley/Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains) – This is another duo where the harmonies between two equally awesome voices are what really make the band. It hasn’t been the same since Layne passed on, but that’s what CDs are for. I’ve always admired the duet in the song “No Excuses” as a standout piece for having extraordinarily different melodies working together to create a bad-ass vocal line, and I love the three-part harmonies for which Alice in Chains is famous. 16. Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters) – Last, but not least, on my list is one of the most talented musicians in mainstream rock today: I admire so much about Dave Grohl and his holistic approach to music. On Foo Fighters’ first CD, Dave played all the main instruments himself. Despite somewhat simple beginnings as a singer/songwriter with the verse-chorus-verse debut album, Dave Grohl has blossomed into a singer who goes beyond conventional rhythm and song layout patterns and seeks to weave together all the parts of the song instead of just embroidering vocals on top of everything else. I’m definitely going to be seeing them on their tour this fall. They’ve changed astronomically since I saw them in 1995, I’m sure.

Manamana — It’s Kinda Like Rob Zombie As A Muppet

Originally Published Here: http://shutter16.com/wp/2011/07/06/show-review-manamana-%E2%80%94-its-kinda-like-rob-zombie-as-a-muppet/

Published Wednesday, July 6, 2011 By amanda_caines. Under Editor : Amanda Caines, Photographer: Rebecca Ruddy, Show Review, The Milestone Club, Writer: Amanda Caines Tags: Amanda Caines, Death Proof, heavy metal, Luna's Lament, Manamana, muppets, The Milestone

With mic stands decked in American flags and band members bearing patriotic colors, Manamana kicked off a great Fourth of July weekend at The Milestone. As is customary at the infamous Ghetto Fortress, there was a lot of music, drunken partying, and partial nakedness, all led by the aggressive rock of the three bands on the bill. For those into heavy metal & nakedness—you missed a great show if you weren’t already there.

Starting off the night was the oft-mentioned Death Proof from Greensboro. This is one of several times they’ve made their way onto a bill in Charlotte in the last couple of months, and they had as big a crowd at the bar as the two Charlotte-based bands with whom they shared the stage. While I won’t go into a great deal of detail since we’ve recently included them in a previous article, I will testify that they are every bit as powerful and rambunctious on stage as previously described, and their style, akin to that of Disturbed or Godsmack, had me wanting to mosh—and I don’t mosh.

Following Death Proof came the illustrious Luna’s Lament, with two lady rockers in the band, bringing the female rocker total for the night to three—Death Proof’s drummer is also a woman. Compared to the first time I saw Luna’s Lament last July, they all have come a long way. Guitarist “Kimniption” and drummer “Digi” always had a good stage presence and technical precision at the same time, but bassist “Moose” loosened up a lot since then and continues to be more active on stage. The most drastic change was that vocalist Morgan Riley is suddenly on fire on stage—the bright red hair just feeds the flames. She attributes her newfound stage energy to having watched Jaycee Clark from Greensboro band A Light Divided: “I saw [her] on stage and was like ‘Wow—I’ve really got to step it up.’”

Morgan and Kim started the evening’s trend of stripping down to bra/bikini tops in the sauna-like venue, and by the end of their set, the gaggle of girls in bikini tops both on and off stage certainly made it an interesting evening. Music-wise, Luna’s Lament has some engaging guitar parts and creative layouts, but Morgan, despite having a lovely upper range, sings well below her natural voice most of the time. It makes sense on the older material written for a man’s voice, but the new song they unveiled tonight was not noticeably different. I look forward to hearing what they can pull out when Morgan gets a little more comfortable breaking out of the low zones of former singer Ziggy’s material and writing vocal lines in her power range.

Even with some killer supporting bands, Manamana still rocked the headliner spot of the night with an upbeat set played to a great group of adoring—and half-naked—fans. After announcing that they hoped we all brought earplugs, the guys opened their set with a heavy cover of CCR’s “Fortunate Son,” but these guys are not your typical Southern rock cover band. Like Lynyrd Skynyd—and this is about the only characteristic the two bands share— three of the guys play guitar, offering a lot of awesome options for guitar harmonies and a sonic wall of distortion for the heavy parts, both of which they explored quite a bit. Not being well-versed in death metal vocals, I’m not sure you can call the three guitarists’ simultaneous-but-different screaming “harmony,” but paired with some fresh grooves and layered guitars, it’s an effective communication of the complexities of a dark and angry mood and perfect for this breed of metal.

It’s so refreshing to hear a metal band doing something different from the run-of-the-mill, three-chord guitar parts in 4/4 time signature, with a bunch of screaming that doesn’t change registers or quality. Manamana hits a variety of time signatures, multi-faceted riffage, and boasts a playful chorus of screamers who smile on stage more than any local metal band I’ve ever seen. They cut up with each other on stage and simply exuded the joy of metal during their set—and the fans ate it up. There were sequined-bra-wearing dancers, moshers, and head-bobbers all enjoying the different aspects as Manamana changed gears from death metal to bluesy rock and back again. Guitarist/vocalist Carmen Piro even joined in the strip show and took off his Captain America shirt, revealing an even more patriotic “Freedom” shirt to match the garden of little American flags all over the stage—and some of the guys in the crowed followed suit.

Seeing the aftermath of gleeful, drunken nakedness that followed Manamana’s set, I wanted to go high-five everyone in the band for putting on such a blatantly fun show. This is one heavy metal party band that can deliver a good time that inspires people to get drunk and take their tops off while maintaining enough substance to entertain even the most sober of designated drivers. Every metal head who likes to party should check out Manamana at least once, if not once weekly.

AACK! It’s The Zombie Apocalypse In Epicentre!! Oh, Wait, No…

Published Friday, July 8, 2011 By amanda_caines. Under Editor : Amanda Caines, Festival Coverage, Show Review, Writer: Amanda Caines Tags: Autumn's Blood, cops, Dead White & Blue, death metal, metal, Nephilim, Rusted Radio Dial, Zombie March, zombies

It’s the Dead White and Blue Zombie March!

What started on July 2 as an afternoon of frightful fun for those eager to donate blood or canned goods in exchange for gruesome zombie makeup ended up getting severed prematurely—like a victim’s head—but not before some good-natured mayhem occurred. The event over a thousand canned food items for Metrolina Food Bank and 47 pints of blood for the Red Cross, but still the cops shut the bands down just before 6pm, right in the middle of Nephilim’s set—only the third band of the day.

When I arrived with my crew at the scheduled beginning time of the event, the Epicentre was teeming with zombies, and the pile of bags of canned goods was monstrous. Three makeup artists worked hard to accommodate the large number of people who took advantage of their “bring ten cans and get free zombie makeup” advertisement. Next to them were a tarp and a table with gallons of red liquid labeled “Gallon of Blood” so everyone could get good and bloody before leaving the makeup station—but without bloodying the pavement beneath.

People’s reactions to the undead and the death metal in the family-friendly Epicenter were rather mixed. The old folks got more than they bargained for in their Uptown walk and thought the prophesied Zombie Apocalypse was upon us. Some parents complained to security about zombies menacing their children, but from my observation, the zombies only bothered the kids who were actively bothering them in the first place. Admittedly, there was little forewarning about the presence of monsters in morbid makeup. There might have been signage to that effect had planning for the event not gone a bit awry. The event was originally planned to take place in the somewhat sequestered beer garden in Epicentre, but due to some miscommunications between event staff and Epicentre staff, the bands had to play in a hollow near the 4th Street entrance stairwell. The beer garden is upstairs and has limited access, and children aren’t supposed to be up there, anyway, so that would have been a more appropriate spot for the monstrosities this event brought out. The stage up there would have been much nicer, too.

The sound system that was used was okay, though the vocals seemed a little quiet, which, I’m not going to lie, I didn’t mind because I really don’t dig hardcore. The first band, Autumn’s Blood really had the crowd moving at an early hour for the event. Being a young band, they still have a lot to learn about consistency of stage presence—e.g. you don’t get to move around until you play a solo and then stand stick-still— but they played in tune and time together pretty well, nonetheless. The next band, Rusted Radio Dial tried to pass off a two-piece punk band as something legitimate, but one guitar and a singing drummer playing overly-simple music just doesn’t impress me. Others in our clan liked it, though. Nephilim sounded pretty good, but by the time their licks started to impress me, the cops shut them down. They egged on the cheers of “Fuck the Cops”—at least that’s what it sounded like— with an accompaniment of bass drum kicks in time, further angering security.

Despite the derailment of the concert aspect of the event, the frightful festivities such as “Tha Blood Chug” and the “Brain Eating Contest” continued—and they proved to be some of the grossest stunts I’ve ever seen—so people could win the variety of excellent prizes donated by the event sponsors. Shortly after the festival-sponsored musical entertainment got the big, black boot, some middle-aged guy with tired cover songs and an acoustic guitar came out to play in place of the molten metal bands. No one was out there to see him, but he was preferable to the metal bands, apparently—that’s Charlotte for you! The zombies danced mockingly to his set, and at one point they all lay down together in the middle of the Epicentre right in front of him.

All-in-all, I think this event was a great idea, and I’m sure the benefitting charities would agree. The organizers did a great job of soliciting sponsorships for prizes, and obviously the event was marketed well considering the mobs that showed up. Even as we were leaving, three hours before the scheduled end to the festival, people in tattered, bloody clothing were headed toward the dying party we’d just left. It’s unclear exactly how or why somebody dropped the ball, but the real victims of the debacle were the charities, who could have collected even more goods for their good causes had the event continued through its scheduled ending time.

The highlight of the evening, though, was watching the huge crowd of zombies dancing to the acoustic guy’s cover of “It’s the End of the World as We Know It.”

More Photos Here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shutter16mag/sets/72157627023804927/
And Here:http://www.flickr.com/photos/shutter16mag/sets/72157627148413862/

Dangerous New Machine Makes Mighty Sideshow Look Like Just Plain Freaks

Originally Published Here:http://shutter16.com/wp/2011/06/30/dangerous-new-machine-makes-mighty-sideshow-look-like-just-plain-freaks/

Published Thursday, June 30, 2011 By amanda_caines. Under Editor : Amanda Caines, Show Review, Uncategorized, Writer: Amanda Caines Tags: alternative metal, Amanda Caines, Chattanooga, Dangerous New Machine, Hard Rock, Mighty Sideshow, Shutter, southern rock

Shutter, Dangerous New Machine, and Mighty Sideshow | Rhythm & Brews | 6/25/11 (Chattanooga, TN)

Photos Here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shutter16mag/sets/72157627080353184/

Thanks to inconsistent website information for which I hurled numerous curse words at Chattanooga’s downtown music venue “Rhythm & Brews,” I arrived in the middle of the band Shutter’s penultimate song—and they were the primary band I came to see. The song and a half of their set that I witnessed sounded absolutely stellar, and the band members were full of passion and energy. When vocalist Scott Plante announced that the next song would be their last, I had a major outburst of “WTF?!? Luckily, guitarist Cody Cass handed me a CD to review so I didn’t totally miss out. Of all the hard rock bands I looked up in Chattanooga, they were by far my favorite, and I look forward to sinking my teeth into their new CD.

Following Shutter was a wildly entertaining band called Dangerous New Machine from Atlanta, GA. When they first came on stage and started playing, the vocals were that really unmelodic, aggressive sort—of which I’m not a fan—and I was thinking, “oh, noooo!” I happily learned that not all of their songs sound like that and breathed a sigh of relief as I sat back and let them entertain me.

While most of their songs were pretty post grunge/southern rock-ish, there were some metal-inspired guitar moments, too, akin to Avenged Sevenfold or Ozzy. What impressed me most was not as much the flares of nifty riffage from guitarist Billy Gray as the awesome vocals—both lead and harmony. Lead vocalist Erik Rogers (formerly of Stereomud) definitely has the pipes to keep up with the big dogs in the underground music scene and can go from channeling the gravelly angst of Sully Erna (Godsmack) to belting emotional power-tones like Brent Smith (Shinedown) at the drop of a hi-hat.

He’s also a really big fan of the “F” word and hit the nail on the head when he said something along the lines of, “I bet you guys all think I’m an angry little dude with a Napoleon complex.” This came after his rap metal-esque, crowd-participating tribute to the soldiers who killed Bin Laden. Dangerous New Machine’s music is really angry a lot of the time, but the fans definitely get into it—Erik can really work the crowd.

As for the rest of the band, the bass and drums were nothing flashy, but really tight and polished. The stage show was very animated; all of these guys are really physical with their music and interact with each other in some very humorous ways at times. Erik even finished off the set by jumping off one of the huge side stage PA speakers at the end of their Framing Hanley-inspired cover of hip-hop hit “Low” by artist Flo Rida. It’s hard for any band to follow a “full-contact sport” of a show like that.

Headlining the show was Chattanooga’s own Mighty Sideshow, who had a lot of eye candy in their set props. Draped behind the drummer’s cage-like overhead cymbal rack was a huge banner with a drawing of a woman’s face with an orb set in her forehead that spun and changed colors via a hidden projector. Chains hung from the sides of the stage and adorned the foot of the drum platform that also bore the band name. While the stage set-up was impressive, I can’t say that the band’s stage show was all that exciting. The bad thing about an awesome stage set-up is that it creates a sense of anticipation that something exciting is about to happen—which is a lot to live up to for a musician.

Music-wise, not every song sounded the same, but I did notice some pervasive trends in chord interval choices across their set. A lot of the songs blended together to me, and many of the riffs consisted of only three to five chords without dynamic vocals to fill in the space. Vocalist Alan Whitener had a pleasant voice with some decent strength and he had a charming way of moving about, but he seemed to write his vocal lines within a narrow comfort zone melodically and rhythmically.

Steve Swanson’s guitar solos were drowned in Wah-pedal effects instead of boasting technique, and both guitarists tended to play the rhythm part together instead of branching off into something more complementary. There were a few gems, though; I got excited every time they started off with a heavier riff—partially because of the bad-ass sound emanating from the full-stack Peavey JSX amp that one of them plays. They also had one slower song that stood out as well, but the rest of the songs were largely unimpressive in comparison. Despite claiming the metal and Southern rock genres, I thought they sounded a little more post grunge—kind of like a slightly heavier Smile Empty Soul.

Everclear Swims Through Set At Speed Street 2011

I admittedly don’t give a racing rat’s ass about NASCAR or the Coca-Cola 600, but I always go out to the Food Lion Speed Street festival and walk past the racing mumbo-jumbo on my way to the free concerts. Over the last three years, the rock stage headliners have gone from disappointing to just downright sad, and this year takes the cake. As a former fan of Everclear’s from my glory days as an angsty teen, I thought I might recognize some songs and enjoy some nostalgia from their three-chord, angry-at-my-dad brand of alternative rock, but I had no idea how tough it would be to recognize my old favorites. Everclear was meant to headline Speed Street last year, but the rain caused the festival coordinators to call off their set. This year, another substance made many of us wish they’d been rained out again—alcohol. At least that’s all I hope it was. Art Alexakis belted out what should have been familiar tunes with all the articulation of a drunken hobo with Tourette’s. His pitches stumbled all around the notes they aimed at, with his vocal quality akin to a dying pit bull. As I chatted with the members and friends of the previous band, Fusebox Poet, we all wondered during the first couple of songs what the hell was wrong with the guy—was he sick? Drunk? Old and out of practice? Either way, he sounded awful. Luckily after a couple of train wreck-esque songs, the sound engineer behind the knobs and dials had enough mercy to dial back the volume on the lead vocals and add some serious reverb, making the vocals ambiguously murky instead of, “Wow, that singer’s wasted!” I guess from a band named after pure grain alcohol, I shouldn’t be too surprised. Apparently Art Alexakis fell off the wagon. Mingling with the other rubberneckers (fans, that is), I started asking some people for their reactions to this sad spectacle. “As a fan of this band, this is just sad,” and, “If I’d paid for tickets to this concert, this is when I’d be asking for my money back,” were pretty much the consensus. Standing there chatting with people about how embarrassed for Art and the band we were, I was amused at the “A-Ha” moment when one fan realized that the murky, unfamiliar song we’d been listening to for at least a minute was “Everything to Everyone.” Yes, it was that bad. People were leaving in disgust. A similar realization of my own during “Wonderful” gave me a new, ironic picture of the sad-but-peppy tune that has forever ruined that song for me. This is what we should expect from last call at a karaoke bar—not from the man with a major label record contract who wrote the music. I was disappointed, sickened, even. Not only did I leave the show without the normal afterglow of a great, free concert, I left with a knot in my stomach, feeling like I’d just witnessed a bus crash. I hope that next year the festival booking agents will choose a more stable headliner for the rock stage—and I really hope Art Alexakis goes back to rehab before he ruins the legacy of a very popular band. (Originally published at shutter16.com)

“Science In The Cave EP” Leads Into The Dark…

Originally Published Here: http://shutter16.com/wp/2011/06/28/cd-review-science-in-the-cave-ep-leads-into-the-dark/

Published Tuesday, June 28, 2011 By amanda_caines. Under CD Review, Editor : Amanda Caines, Writer: Amanda Caines Tags: alternative rock, Amanda Caines, CD Review, indie rock, Science in the Cave

“Science In The Cave EP”

The band Science In The Cave dishes up some ’90s-style rock with their “Science In The Cave EP.” Think Bono from U2’s mid-eighties days singing for Radiohead in the early ‘90s. The quality isn’t the best I’ve ever heard, but it’s clear and decently-mixed. The reverb-saturated vocals are pleasant enough and the guitar sound is good, but they dominate sonically over the bass and drums, leaving them so far in the background, they’re almost unnoticeable on the first listen-through.

Stylistically, repetition is the thorn in the side of the songs on “Science In The Cave.” That’s not to say that all the songs “sound the same,” because they don’t; but there are some stylistic elements in the vocals and the guitar that are a little over-used throughout the course of the entire CD. There’s a little too much ascending/descending octave stuff in the guitars, and it’s pretty repetitive rhythm-wise and note-interval-wise in a lot of places, vocally. I’d love to see some more experimentation in the vocal lines and the bass lines and some expansion of the almost surf rock feel and arpeggio techniques on guitar like in “Death Haunted World,” which stood out big-time and is by far my favorite track on the CD. “Virus” is my second-favorite because of the driving rhythms and ominous guitar slides from the beginning up to the verse—reminds me of Coldplay-gone-doom.

Speaking of doom, I think they’re clearly obsessed with death and disease, judging by their song titles. “Cancer,” “Virus,” and “Death Haunted World,” … see what I mean? I really dig the dark, mysterious vibe of the tunes, though, so I’m not complaining. By the time the last track “1910” rolls around, I’m not anxious to grab it out of the player, so that’s a very good sign.

This is the kind of CD that makes incredibly groovy music to go in the background while something else is going on. It’s got the grooves to put you in a good mood, but if it’s your sole thing to concentrate on, you might get bored with the repetition within each song. Unless you like techno or new wave, in which case these tunes are incredibly dynamic in comparison. A song or two at a time, like in a play list or mix CD, it’s not glaringly noticeable. I can see myself popping this whole album into the player on a road trip, too—a definite “win.”
CD: “Science in the Cave EP”
Band: Science in the Cave
Reach: Local to Carolinas
Genre: Doom Indie—haha—or Alternative Rock
Sounds like: Radiohead, Coldplay (early), U2 (early)
Tracks: 8
Strongest Track: 3. “Death Haunted World”
Weakest Track: 5. “Insect”
Best Feature: Doomy Grooves
Listen Again: Yes
Rating: 7.5 out of 10

S.I.Q. Says, “I Used To Play In My Church’s Youth Band… Then I Found The ‘Devil’s Music’ And Never Looked Back.”

Originally Published Here: http://shutter16.com/wp/2011/06/27/interview-s-i-q-says-i-used-to-play-in-my-churchs-youth-band-then-i-found-the-devils-music-and-never-looked-back/ Published Monday, June 27, 2011 By amanda_caines. Under Editor : Amanda Caines, Interview, Podcast, Writer: Amanda Caines Tags: Amanda Caines, charlotte, interview, Podcast, prog metal, progressive metal, S.I.Q.

Grown Up Avenger Stuff: The Unsung Heroes Of Charlotte FemmeFest 2011

Anyone who has ever heard of Charlotte FemmeFest probably pictures a few stages full of angry lesbians with acoustic guitars and most of my rock-oriented friends avoid those sorts of concerts like a bad case of herpes. I can’t say that I am much different. I can express adamantly that I love the concept of FemmeFest and its mission: “FemmeFest aims to reach, inspire, and strengthen our cultural community with the work of underrepresented female voices throughout the region and beyond.” However, as one of the many female rock artists who has tried and failed to break through the ironclad stereotype of FemmeFest, I must say I was delighted to see Grown Up Avenger Stuff make it on the bill this year with their quirky amalgamation of rock, pop, grunge, punk, and metal. Too bad it only took them three years of begging (and the prestige of landing a record deal last summer) to get them into the FemmeFest fold. They are the only reason I decided to actually go to the festival this year for the first time. I went into FemmeFest with an open mind, because I do, from time to time, enjoy listening to some good ol’ folk music—but don’t tell my metal band friends. A lot of the artists were what I expected but I did find a couple of gems nestled in with the onslaught of acoustic emo-babble. By far, the best solo acoustic performance at FemmeFest was not the headliner but Reeve Coobs, who truly blew me away with her powerful choruses and excellent guitar-work. Even my husband, the guitar snob who I dragged along for a male perspective, was impressed with her playing. Her sweet-yet-mighty voice ran the gamut from self-effacing, light folk to robust, head-bobbing blues. I missed her full-band set since it coincided with Grown Up Avenger Stuff’s time slot but I am eager to find another opportunity to see Reeve with her band. The remainder of the lot of solo acoustic performers, on the other hand, canvassed the territory from boring to homogenous to downright cliché. With my show schedule in hand and hoofin’ it among Neighborhood Theatre, The Evening Muse, and Green Rice Gallery (Dolce Vita was a tease—no music there at the scheduled time!), I managed to catch a few songs from Natalie Royal, Elizabeth and the Catapult, Shana Blake, and Charlotte Parrott, but none of them presented anything I found noteworthy. The headliner, Jennifer Knapp, not only did not impress me, but also approached unprofessionalism with her persistent references to the copious amounts of Scotch she’d been drinking and playing songs she didn’t quite remember how to play. She was certainly the Lilith Fair poster girl with an acoustic guitar and a chip on her shoulder, but at least the girl can sing on key when she’s drunk. Outside the realm of regurgitated granola riffs lay a few hit-or-miss acts like HuDost, Donna Duncan, Chasing Pedestrians, and Stella Rising, I had been eager to hear StellaRising as they were the only band besides Grown Up Avenger Stuff whose name I had heard in the local music scene, but they disappointed me in performance. Each of their original songs smacked of a cover song I’ve heard too many times, but lacked the excitement of the real thing. When they finally did do an actual cover, it was Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy,” and vocalist Kristi Ormand choked the life out of it. The vocal ornamentations of the song were completely lacking, and Kristi didn’t quite have those high notes. It sounded almost as if this were the original version of the song from the early 80’s that Gnarls Barkley decided they could remake into something better. Chasing Pedestrians was enjoyable, overall, though singer/pianist Michaela Amato was the only standout performer, belting out their bluesy pop in one juggernaut of a voice with a timbre similar to that of Nelly Furtado or Natalie Merchant. The horn section in cheesy, blue, 50’s-style tuxes was an interesting choice that added some musical dimension and visual whimsy to the set. HuDost indubitably had the most eclectic mix of sounds in their set, using a sitar, cello, 12-string guitar with an “e-bow, “ and a harmonium, which I’d never seen in person before. I found myself profoundly mesmerized by their Eastern ethereal three-piece band. Their sonic profile displayed a continuum from new age/world meditation chanting to three part harmonies that could easily have come from a country station. Despite a glowing recommendation as a rockin’ lady I should check out, Donna Duncan brought nothing but worn out southern rock with stage moves that belong more in a strip club than at an all-ages festival. One could easily find a band like this in any biker bar in the Carolinas. By this point in the festival, my ears ached from too much of the same thing without enough variety—especially since granola folk music is not my first choice of sonic cereal. Granola is great for breakfast; I just don’t want to eat it all day long. When midnight rolled around and Grown Up Avenger Stuff finally took their places on the side stage in Neighborhood Theatre, they were truly a breath of fresh air to my rock-deprived lungs. Too bad their performance was so late, after most of the crowd had bought their souvenirs and headed home. I lamented that they didn’t have a better time slot so they could’ve shared their oscillations from charming sweetness to screaming bad-ass with a larger crowd. Vocalist Deirdre Kroener seasons her vocals with one part 50’s housewife, one part Broadway star, and one part Courtney Love on a bender. The musical styling of the band behind her goes toe-to-toe with her, boasting an arsenal of assorted tempos, moods, and genres anywhere from the likes of The White Stripes or The Beatles all the way to Hole or Weezer. If you don’t like the style they’re playing right now, wait five minutes—it’ll change. Every song is a new adventure, and even some songs within themselves are pretty bipolar, such as “Disagreements with Gravity,” where it’s calm and psychedelic one minute and thrashing pop-punk the next. One of the funniest changes comes at the end of their new song “Too Cool,” which remains firmly in the alternative rock pigeon-hole with a sugary chorus of, “too cool, too cool, too cool for me,” that sounds a little like a cuckoo clock—and then there’s the surprise ending. After a brief pause where the audience thinks the song is done, the Avengers come back in with a hardcore metal-style rebuttal to the song subject’s cockiness. Brilliant. Humor is an oft-heard tool of Grown Up Avenger Stuff’s, but that is hardly to suggest that all of their songs are silly or funny. Songs like “Static” and “Wish” round out their aural portfolio with a little bit of straight-up alternative rock that delicately bares the fragile faces behind the rock-hard avenger masks. John Thomsen’s dynamic guitar riffs meld together with a solid rhythm section that fortunately possesses the sensitivity to lift up the beautiful agony of Deirdre’s soaring vocals. As many times as I’ve seen Grown Up Avenger Stuff, I could see this was definitely not their best show. New bassist, “Mr. Red,” had some trouble getting his sound dialed in and it came across a bit clanky, some songs didn’t have quite the confidence to them that I’ve come to expect from the Avengers, and John broke a guitar string on the last song. After seeing them headline at Amos’ Southend with hundreds of adoring fans, I hated to see them close out their set at FemmeFest to a roaring crowd of… um… TEN. I hope to see them play the event again next year with better placement in the show’s lineup. All in all, FemmeFest was significantly more entertaining than I expected, and I did come home with a couple of new and different CDs for my music arsenal, even if I had to run around like a headless chicken to find all the music I wanted to hear. Maybe next year they’ll have each stage representing one loosely categorized genre so it’s not such a trail mix strewn about everywhere. A rock stage would be nice. To those who have yet to see Grown Up Avenger Stuff show their stuff: this band is a must-see. There are many upcoming opportunities on their calendar including June 17th at Charlotte’s own Amos’ Southend. To see their complete calendar that includes shows in Fayetteville, NC, and Charleston, SC, or to hear their tunes, visit their website at GrownUpAvengerStuff.com or on their Facebook Page. They also have a CD for sale, so definitely grab one if you like what you hear. For more information on FemmeFest, visit CharlotteFemmeFest.org. (article originally published at shutter 16.com)

The Monkees And Nirvana Had A Baby, And Its Name Is “The Spiveys.”

Originally Published Here: http://shutter16.com/wp/2011/06/20/show-review-the-monkees-and-nirvana-had-a-baby-and-its-name-is-the-spiveys/

Published Monday, June 20, 2011 By amanda_caines. Under Editor : Amanda Caines, Photographer: Stephanie Moore, Show Review, Snug Harbor, Writer: Amanda Caines Tags: Amanda Caines, Nirvana, Snug Harbor, The Beatles, The Monkees, The Spiveys, Weezer

The Spiveys at Snug Harbor

Surrounded by a plethora of pirate plunder at Snug Harbor, I settled in with the set of spectators for The Spiveys in anticipation of a good time. I’d never been to Snug Harbor before, and, though it wasn’t what I expected, it was still pretty cool. The Spiveys weren’t too shabby, either.

I’ve been a fan of Adam Middleton’s unique attack on writing vocal lines ever since I first heard him perform with The Stellas, and his new band, The Spiveys, takes that even further. Adam and drummer Jacob Worden (also formerly of The Stellas) got together with guitarist Jesse Reaves (You Tonight), and what began as a summer side project for these guys clicked into place as a more permanent fixture in the Charlotte indie rock scene.

To say that The Spiveys are just another indie band would be to ignore some of the eclectic other stuff going on in their music. It’s like an orgy of bands from the 60s and the 90s: Nirvana, The Monkees, Weezer, and a little reach-around from The Beatles’ experimental side. They even tried out their cover of “Happiness is a Warm Gun” that they had prepared for the Tosco Beatles Tribute show the following night. It was a little out of tune, guitar-wise, but, not being familiar with the song, I wasn’t completely sure if it was intentionally de-tuned or not—apparently it wasn’t. That, and the scariest feedback sound I’d ever heard right at the beginning of “Can’t Stay Here” were really the only bad points of the show. Everything else was thoroughly enjoyable.

Tempos of their originals span from the slower, chillin’-at-the-soda-shop-style “Oh My God,” to the funky, mysterious and rhythmic “Modest Mannequin” that borders on disco at times, all the way to channeling Kurt Cobain’s bold angst in “Shut the Fuck Up,” which Jesse dedicated to Jacob for the night. Further cementing the Nirvana connection, Adam played a blue Fender Jag-Stang, Kurt’s custom guitar invention. As a rocker chick who cut her teeth on Nirvana, I have a soft spot for anybody who can rock out grunge-style.

Regardless of what style they’re entertaining in any given tune, The Spiveys are tight in their rhythms, catchy in their songwriting, and energetic in their musical execution. Adam is one of those people who likes to do crazy things on stage, and Jesse dives right in with him with power-slides and pop-rock bounces. These guys are truly fun to experience live, and I will definitely catch them again in the near future. I advise all fans of grunge or bubblegum pop to do the same. More Photos Here:http://www.flickr.com/photos/shutter16mag/sets/72157626884365799/

The Jupiter Tide Bellows, “WAKE THE F*CK UP, CHARLOTTE!!” (Among Other Things)

Originally Published Here: http://shutter16.com/wp/2011/06/15/interview-the-jupiter-tide-bellows-wake-the-fuck-up-charlotte-among-other-things/

INTERVIEW: The Jupiter Tide Bellows, “WAKE THE F*CK UP, CHARLOTTE!!” (Among Other Things)

Published Wednesday, June 15, 2011 By amanda_caines. Under Editor : Amanda Caines, Interview, Podcast, Uncategorized, Writer: Amanda Caines Tags: Amanda Caines, Audio, Burger King, Charlotte Music, comedy, El Pollo Loco, interview, Jagermeister, metal, Podcast, rock, The Jupiter Tide, The Money

Fernandina Brings Indie Rockabilly to McHale's

The Deal: Fernandina, a rock/alternative/country trio from the York County suburbs of Charlotte, brought some catchy indie rock with a rockabilly twist to a disappointingly small crowd at Fort Mill’s McHale’s. Surrounded by an ambiance from artifacts of an Irish-American person’s den, musical multi-tasker Amy Coccia stepped up to the lead mic with a guitar and a harmonica. Following her were drummer Dan Viands and bassist Jason Poore. I knew Amy and Jason at least were high-quality musicians since I played with each of them in various high school band ensembles, so I was willing to take a chance on a not-my-cup-of-tea genre on the basis of well-written music’s defiance of the boundaries of stylistic pigeon-holing. Several songs into their extra-long set, I patted myself on the back for taking that gamble. The Good: Every song had a charm to it that made it unique from every other. Though I often find that going to see a band in an unfamiliar genre tends to make all the songs sound the same to me, Fernandina was an exception. I thoroughly appreciated the multitude of journeys through the genres in their music. Amy’s vocals are clear and bright, showing excellent control of the scoops, slides and flips that display her full utilization of her vocal instrument. Her guitar work wasn’t too shabby either. On some songs she reminded me of a female Tom Petty; on others she channeled more of the Dixie Chicks, but both the rocker chick and the country girl have a home in her chords. Bass master Jason Poore tore up the bass lines like a Victor Wooten, Jr., adding interest and intrigue beneath the soaring voices of Amy and her Stratocaster. Even though Jason certainly enjoyed grabbing the spotlight for a few bass solos and the like, he played fair and traded solo time with Amy. The two harmonize as well vocally as instrumentally, singing in tandem for most numbers, including a breathtaking duet accompanied by a lone guitar. The Bad: Through the entire first set, I tried to find my typical points of conflict so I could find some way to keep my reputation of being a hard-nosed music critic. Um… the bass was too loud sometimes from where I was sitting and the venue was as dark as a tomb so it was impossible to photograph. That, and the full parking lot gave the lion’s share of its occupants to the classic rock cover band playing tired tunes on McHale’s back porch. I didn’t go check them out, but I would bet Fernandina’s covers of “Proud Mary” and “Walk Like An Egyptian” put their slapdash Skynyrd to shame. That’s all I’ve got — they really were that good. The Verdict: While the genre of this band is hard to classify without a lot of slash marks—the closest I could attempt would be “indie rockabilly”—the level of quality is readily apparent: fantastic. If toe-tapping tunes and superb singing aren’t enough to get people out to a Fernandina show, it’s worth the trip just to watch Jason play the bass like it was the lead guitar. Tags: Live Reviews, Rock Hill, McHale's, Fernandina(read more at qcvibes.com)