anything FUN!
hiking,biking,mountain climbing,whitewater rafting,sky diving,drinking,pretty much anything crazy outdoors,and behind closed doors,that gets your heart pumping!
Music:
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.................................................Snow Patrol
"There are swaggering bands, bands who are in your face. And then there are bands who get hold of you somewhere else. I think its a heart thing, an intimacy thing. Like you know them and they know you. I think we are one of those bands."
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.................CHEVELLE
How do you describe a year in which your band sold more than a million copies of its major label debut, scored three chart-topping singles, performed on The Late Show with David Letterman, played the Ozzfest main stage, garnered critical acclaim, racked up radio and MTV airplay and toured Europe with one of its favorite groups (Audioslave)? "I call that a pretty damned good year," says drummer Sam Loeffler, whose band Chevelle went super-nova in 2003 with Wonder What's Next. "It was one unbelievable experience after another. I remember playing Letterman and Jim Carrey, who was that night's guest, invited us to hang in his dressing room. He said to us, 'I hear you guys on the radio all the time. That song of yours-'The Red'- is great.' We had just performed in front of millions of people on national TV and here was one of the biggest stars in the world acknowledging our music. For a band that had been playing dive bars not that long ago, it was definitely a surreal moment." Fueled by "The Red" and follow-up blockbusters "Send The Pain Below" and "Closure," Chevelle toured endlessly, consistently whipping packed-house crowds into a frenzy with a set that was raw, sweaty and absolutely electrifying. When all was said and done, Sam and his brothers Pete (vocals/guitar) and Joe (bass) had played a staggering 400 shows, including dates with the Foo Fighters and a sold-out headlining jaunt of their own. On December 17th, 2003, they played the final show of a grueling tour at the House of Blues in their hometown of Chicago. They took a two-week break, and then entered their home studio to begin penning a new record. Or at least, that was their intention. "It was rough," laughs Sam. "It was January 2nd and Pete and I were sitting in the studio, just staring at each other. We were completely burnt from touring, had nothing written, and were under the gun to write the follow-up to an album that had just gone platinum-plus on the strength of three singles. After a couple of hours, Pete said, 'We deserve a break - let's take tomorrow off.' We came back the next day and still, nothing. So we'd take another day off. That went on for about two months (laughs). Then one day, everything just clicked and the songs came one after another." About dealing with writer's block and the pressure to outdo the previous record, Pete says, "Ultimately, you can't worry about it. You have to write to please yourself and we did that. Beyond that, we had no expectations." Seven months later, however, few were surprised when ther highly anticipated new album, THIS TYPE OF THINKING (COULD DO US IN), debuted on Billboard's Top 200 at No. 8 and quickly went gold. Chevelle had picked up where they left off, with lead single "Vitamin R (Leading Us)" blazing to the top of the rock charts while its eye-popping video blanketed MTV, MTV2 and Fuse. Road-tightened and focus redefined, the brothers Loeffler have raised the ante with this perfectly paced album of intoxicatingly tuneful melodies and raw, juiced guitars. Pete's richly hued voice illuminates the dark soundscapes of songs like "The Clincher" (about dealing with claustrophobia), "Still Running" (about the struggle to be positive during turbulent times) and "Tug-O-War" (about toeing the line between passion and packaging). Behind him, the rhythm section of Sam and Joe make tracks like "Breach Birth," "Emotional Draught" and "Another Know It All" swing and stomp with seductive flair, anchoring each track with thick, surging grooves. The band co-produced the album with Michael "Elvis" Baskette, whom they previously worked with on Wonder What's Next. "We knew exactly what we wanted the record to sound like," says Sam. "We'd already done a lot of pre-production work, so we asked Michael if he was comfortable with us having a co-production credit. He agreed, saying he'd engineer and oversee it. We trust him and his ideas and everything worked out great." As Sam tells it, the band worked fast and furious, but kept the mood. "Recording can be a really intense process," he says. "So there were certain things we did to take the edge off. For instance, we were recording 'Tug-O-War' and Pete was getting frustrated over a particular vocal passage. So I sent a runner out for a bottle of Petrone and told Pete we'd do a shot for every take that he got right. By the end of the session, we were completely ripped (laughs). Actually, if you listen to the song closely, you can hear the glasses clinking. Little things like that can make a big difference in keeping the process fun." Since the album's release, Chevelle has garnered heavy radio and video airplay, appeared The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and CNN, and contributed a track (second single "The Clincher") to EA Sports' top-selling video game Madden NFL 2005. The trio closed out the year with an arena tour opening for Korn and will break from the gate in 2005 with the headlining slot on the Winterfresh SnoCore tour presented by MTV2. "We've worked our asses off for everything that we've achieved," says Sam. "And at a time when everyone's focusing on lip-synching and fashion statements, we've done it without gimmicks and by writing our own music. That makes us prouder than anything else."
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....................................................Breaking
Benjamin's new CD, Phobia, hits stores August 8th! What are you afraid of? The Diary of Jane is no longer a secret. BREAKING BENJAMIN stormed onto the radio waves this week with their new single The Diary of Jane, the first release from their upcoming and third album PHOBIA, out August 8 on Hollywood Records. In its first week, the song was the ..1 most-added track at three formats--Modern Rock, Active Rock and Rock--and can now be heard on over 100 radio stations nationwide. Additionally, the song has been streamed from Myspace.com over 160,000 times in the last two weeks. The songs theme of romantic tormentAs I burn another page/As I look the other way/I still try to find my place in the diary of Janeis intensified by the bands mix of hard-charging rock, sharp hooks and soaring vocals. Look for a video for The Diary of Jane, which the band recently shot in NYC, to debut June 16 on Yahoo.com.
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..................................................Stone Sour is primed to capture the attention and the hearts of the rock ‘n roll masses. The band is a multi-faceted hard rock force of nature whose twisting melodies run the gamut of emotions. Stone Sour were the band to see at last summer’s Family Values Tour where they performed with Korn and The Deftones, and, more recently, the band toured with Disturbed to rave reviews. Their latest album, Come What(ever) May (Roadrunner), is certified gold and on its way to platinum.
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wningpool.com...............................................
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KornBand Members Jonathan Davis - Vocals
James Shaffer - Guitar
Reginald Arvizu - Bass
David Silveria - Drums...............................
career marked by a series of firsts, KORN have done it again. Got a problem with that? They’ve already revolutionized the heavy genre with their bold, unsettling music that defies categorization and presented it to their fans with unprecedented multi-media events. Now they’ve taken their music to astonishing new heights with SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE, their debut album via a partnership with EMI/Virgin Records. It’s a unique alliance that will enable KORN to be even more innovative in the way their music is presented to their fans, who constitute one of the most fiercely loyal followings in all of rock ‘n roll.Listening to such daring new songs as “Twisted Transistor,†“Politics†and “Love Song,†among others, it’s clear that KORN--JONATHAN DAVIS, JAMES “MUNKY†SHAFFER, FIELDY and DAVID SILVERIA--have opened the doors to even more creativity and disarray. And no one does “disarray†like KORN.“We were sitting there with one less member, and we decided to check out some other types of producers, experiment, and see what happens,†says DAVIS, referring to the departure of former guitarist Brian “Head†Welch (who left for spiritual reasons), and the band’s ensuing decision to switch things up in the studio following the self-produced release of 2003’s Take A Look In The Mirror. “It just came to the point where we had to reinvent--here we are, the four of us, let’s make some music that’s different, and music that people are going to flip the fuck out over. We can go in so many different directions as a band, why be closed-minded?â€Their decision was anything but closed-minded as KORN--who’ve already sold over 25 million records worldwide and encapsulated their body of work on 2004’s Greatest Hits, Vol. 1--entered the studio with a team of producers as different as night and day. The one constant is DAVIS. He handled the majority of the production on the band’s last album, and remains a producer on SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE, joining forces with The Matrix and Atticus Ross. “We knew we wanted to experiment and see what would happen, but we had no clue it would end up like this,†laughs DAVIS. “It really worked out—we may have lost a member, but we gained another two with Atticus and Matrix.â€The result is the most revolutionary KORN album since their debut, a barb-wired, bastard son of blinding musical fury, dark and twisted lyrical candor, and searing, sociopathic tendencies. It’s the culmination of everything KORN have come to represent musically, morphed with an industrial-strength alter ego that’s been suppressed—until now. SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE is more than the evolution of KORN, it’s an evolution of heavy. “There needs to be something more,†says DAVIS. “A lot of people are doing ‘heavy,’ and they’re doing it great, but we’ve always been about pushing the levels and coming up with some new shit. We ushered in a genre of music, and now we’re trying to stay ahead of that curve. This isn’t minimalist, old-school KORN--this is a natural progression for us, and we’re kicking it up a notch.â€Kicking it up a notch, with pulverizing effect. A hybrid funk and medicating, metallic shimmer radiates from opening track “Twisted Transistor,†steamrolling into the abrasive guitar attack of “Politics,†the industrial textures of “Throw Me,†and the military precision of the anthemic “Coming Undone.†While “Eaten Up Inside†and “Getting Off†don’t stray far from the decimated path KORN have left in their wake, the true gems are found in their more forward-thrusting manipulations. While DAVIS notes that “Love Song†is a song sure to impress “all my depressed, goth peeps out there,†his delivery is more in the style of David Bowie, than death metal Bauhaus.“When we listen to what we’re doing and look at each other with scared, fucked up feelings in our guts, that’s when we know we wrote something special,†says the singer. “That’s how we know we’re breaking down the boundaries and doing some new shit, because we’re scared about it.†Scary might be the best way to describe the epic “Seen It All,†which jumps from a sludgy, dark and droning intro, to purging, soul-shattering depths. KORN have always spoken directly to their fans through their music, and the new release is no exception. In fact, DAVIS found his co-producers to be the perfect collaborators to free even more of his inner demons.“I’ve written seven albums worth of shit, and I have my style, but I wanted something different, not the typical lyrics that I always write. I want to come out and say things in a different way, so getting those different people around me, with their different perspectives and different talents, really helped me a lot. I’ve always had a problem getting across what I’m trying to say, because I’m always limited to what I can do within the phrasing and melody of the lyric, but they helped me a lot with that, without losing our vibe.â€For evidence, look to closing track “Tearjerker†where the arrangement is ambient, spacey and soft, yet the emotional baggage is heavy. “That’s just inspired by some fucking bad times, like when I’m on the road and I get in a fight with my chick, and I feel like I can’t go anywhere or do anything, and I’m so alone that there aren’t even ghosts chilling with me. I know people can relate to that—maybe not in the same way I do, because everybody’s not out on the road, but everyone has shit happen in relationships, or they lose a loved one, and they’re like, ‘What the fuck am I going to do?’â€At a more global level, “For No One,†rings of adolescent rebellion, but isn’t limited by boundaries of age. “It is very adolescent rebellion, but I still feel that way now,†says DAVIS. “People try to label it as ‘teen rebellion,’ but I don’t think anyone ever really gets over feeling like that. There are times I just want to get in the car and fuck shit up... Then keep going and fuck more shit up, just rebel. That’s more about America, in general—I’m having a real hard time with how conservative the United States is. I love it here, but it drives me fucking nuts! A titty pops out, and the whole world stops—so what if a child see a breast, he’s sucked on one, for fuck’s sake!â€On a lighter note, though biologically similar, the frontman has other words to describe the rhythmic vocals and effervescent, techno bounce of “Open Up.†“Fieldy gets really funky on his bass with that one--that’s a titty-bar song.â€You think someone might have a problem with DAVIS’ inspirations, and off-the-cuff choice of words? If so, “Hypocrite†was written with them in mind. “That was straight from my heart,†he says, suppressing a laugh. “That’s my jab at organized religion, and the whole movement, in general--those same fools that are taking our money for God? You see them in titty bars all the time, they’re fucking hypocrites.†And it’s all served with a side-order of irony--if you think the chorus to “Hypocrite†sounds a bit like some twisted Broadway romp, you’re not wrong. “I’m telling a story, and it’s very fucking Broadway--I love that shit, it’s what I grew up on, and those influences have finally come out. The reason I got into rock ‘n’ roll was because of the Jesus Christ Superstar. Funny, huh? Of course, when that came out, because it was a rock opera, they though that was blasphemous.â€Blasphemous. The same has been said of KORN, but it hasn’t slowed them down one bit. The scariest part? They seem to only be getting stronger. If KORN’s first decade ushered in a new era in heavy music, brace yourself, because the next decade has been launched with their most unrelenting musical maelstrom to date..........................................
The FRAY.......It's been a whirlwind couple of years for The Fray, the Denver-based quartet whose earnest and melodic songs have been striking a huge chord with audiences. Formed in 2002 by Isaac Slade (vocals, piano) and Joe King (guitar, vocals), The Fray owe all of their early success to their organic, grassroots beginnings. In other words, they did it the old fashioned way: they earned it. Its a story you don't hear much anymore these days: local area gigs led to enthusiastic local press and local radio support.Joe and Isaac were former schoolmates who bumped into each other unexpectedly, and one thing led to another they started writing songs together. The songs were catchy enough to attract two of Slade's former band mates drummer Ben Wysocki and guitarist Dave Welsh who soon joined, completing the bands lineup.The groups organic rise to fame is key to their long range plans: "I think it's vital to the longevity of a band", Joe King says. " Of course Denver is where it all started, but word spread across the country via the internet even before radio stations were playing us. I remember on our first headlining tour, we would play cities where we weren't on the radio at all, and the venue would be full of people singing our lyrics." He adds, "Some people think we came out of nowhere quickly, but we had been working hard for four years before the mainstream public had heard about us."Dave Welsh adds, "The grassroots is where music lives and breathes, where it finds its energy and its passion. Music can still exist when it becomes mainstream, but only if it has firm roots with the fans at home. I think you become a musician at home, and simply refine that skill on the road as a touring, major label band."Over My Head (Cable Car) was inspired by Isaac Slade's temporary estrangement from his brother: "It is about a fight I got in with my brother, Caleb. After he graduated high school, we drifted apart and really hadn't spoken in a long time. One day we both realized that we needed to fight it out. We'd been friends for twenty years. That's a long time when you're only 23 years old. We fought it out, and he's one of my best friends today."The title track, How To Save A Life, was inspired by Slade's experience as a mentor to a crack addicted teen. I was a sheltered suburban kid when I met this guy. He was a recovering addict, coming out of a really tough teenage life. Thankfully, he was on his way out of that life, so he was able to really look back with some objectivity. The song is more of a memoir about his slow motion descent and all the relationships he lost along the way." The song has resonated with fans in some truly moving ways, which is humbling to the author: "Some people actually formed a non-profit organization called Save A Life. They lost their son to a tragic car accident and apparently How To Save A Life was the last song he downloaded."As a result of all of this, How To Save A Life has just been certified double-platinum, and the band has gone from playing small club gigs and opening slots to headlining larger venues. Ben Wysocki comments, "When you're the opener, you have 30 minutes, maybe 45, to prove yourself and in a way, it is hard to settle in. When you're headlining, you can take a little more ownership of the crowd, they're yours for an hour and a half or so and you gotta treat them right, take care of them, be responsible with them, do the best you can to entertain them. There is pressure either way, but definitely more satisfaction in a headlining show."If you haven't caught their shows yet, you can get a taste on their recently released iTunes exclusive live bootleg, Live At The Electric Factory, released July 18 (iTunes has also been good to The Fray: their album has been in the iTunes top 10 for six months straight, a feat not accomplished by many other acts). Of course, the live release is something of a tease: once you hear it, you'll no doubt want to catch them in person. Wysocki offers their plans for the rest of 2006: "We're taking August off. Then, we're going to travel the globe in September, tour the U.S. again later in the fall, play some random radio shows in December."And in 2007? We'll have to wait and see.........................................................
......Dashboard Confessional................................................
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Evanescence...............................CREED.............
.............SYSTEM
of a DOWN...................RED HOT CHILLY PEPPERSpretty much anything, with Great lyrics and a good beat.
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