Filter back in action

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 1 month ago.]

The Filter MySpace page had a little announcement today** via some weird phone message doodad from Richard Patrick. Anyway, a new Filter album in the works to be released in the Spring- the only announced participant being Rae Dileo, not to be confused as another DeLeo brother, coming on as a producer. No band members have been announced, and no telling what this means for Army of Anyone. This would be the first release since 2002.

**apparently this has been mentioned back in May, but this one seems to be a bit more official.

Genre(s): Just Announced

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How people get here

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 1 month ago.]

I keep a close eye on my stats, since this is a growing entity, and I try to figure out what works and what doesn’t.

For instance, I pride myself on being one of the top read sources of info on Velvet Revolver setlists, the Guitar Hero Championship, Metallica’s Bridge School performance, and M.I.A.’s Rickshaw Stop. I’m a top source of info about Mickey Avalon, The Dyslexic Speedreaders and The Inevitable Rise and Fall of Niggy Tardust. My two best performing Top 5 lists are, of all of my well thought out ones- The Top 5 Stripper Songs and The Top 5 Musicians Who Have Bared It All. It’s the porn and internet thing- it’s like peanut butter and chocolate!

Well, there are some interesting and strange ways that people end up here. Namely, ladies, maybe men- who knows, searching for Trent Reznor’s and Aaron North’s girlfriends. Now, I wouldn’t know anything about that. Lots of people are searching for rock chick porn…none here! And the more bizarre- ‘cheerleader tights’, ‘dirt chick’, ‘free hinta porn’, and ‘boobs japanese karate’. And there are some I won’t even list.

The best one: ‘hard rock chick bares all for the crowds’. I do. Every time.

Well, regardless of how you are getting here, I hope you’re enjoying what you’re getting.

Genre(s): HardRockChick

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the vanity label

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 1 month ago.]

What’s a vanity label? The vanity label was a cog in the recording industry that reached its peak in the ’90s. Basically, it was a record label created by an artist, but falling under the umbrella of the parent record company of the artist. This would allow for an artist to sign and promote artists that they felt passionate about, thus ideally giving the vanity label artists a built in audience. Many of the vanity labels have met their demise with the recording industry shake up, were reabsorbed by their parent labels, or are still profitable.

Sinatra, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin all had them, with Sinatra’s Reprise now being a major label and The Beatles Apple Records being the main ones still existing today.

The Cure’s Fiction Records still exists without The Cure as the record label for Snow Patrol and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Madonna’s Maverick Records was dissolved after a lawsuit that ended up in Madonna being bought out, and it in essence becoming Warner Bros., but until then was the label for Alanis Morisette, Deftones, Michelle Branch, The Prodigy, and Candlebox. Quite a lineup.

Of course, of most interest to me was Trent Reznor’s label, Nothing Records, which was used up until With Teeth’s release in 2005. The most famous thing besides NIN to come from Nothing was Marilyn Manson. Even after Reznor and Manson had their falling out, Manson’s records through 2004 were released on Nothing.

Some of the vanity labels that are still alive and well are Jack Johnson’s Brushfire Records, Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy has Decaydance (how emo…), and some of the Linkin Park guys have Machine Shop Records. Notice that the last two are some of the only mass market bands still in existence.

Fortunately, the benefits that we received from vanity labels are somewhat migrating to indie labels, where the financial backing that the vanity labels had received is now replaced with virtual word of mouth driven by things like MySpace.

Here’s an old NYT article on the subject, from 1992.

Genre(s): Rock Themes

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NIN in the NYT today

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 1 month ago.]

There’s a decent article on western bands touring the East today, and Nine Inch Nails is given as an example of one of the bands. In fact, there’s a picture of Trent as the crown of the piece:

The article describes the East as being starved for Western music, not having access to many records that, while government regulations are relaxing, are still difficult to obtain. The allure for the artists appears to be that the fans are desperate for their music, maybe more so than the fans here in the states that are going to an increasingly large number of shows and are more difficult to impress. Perhaps it is also lucrative, as sponsors apparently pick up the slack leftover from the mandatory low ticket costs. However, as this article mentions, and I’ve also read it on the NIN boards, the quality of the local crews can frustrate the bands.

Funny that, as our bands seek new audiences in the East, a startling number of bands have been denied access to the U.S., causing tour cancellations: Klaxons, Happy Mondays, M.I.A., The Pipettes, Amy Winehouse…

Genre(s): Nine Inch Nails, Rock in the News

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Top 10: The Hard Rock Chick’s favorite modern day guitarists

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 1 month ago.]

Some of them are technically amazing, some of them are really fun to watch, and several are both…and many of them are highly underrated. These are all post-Slash era guitarists.

Tom Morello/Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave, The Nightwatchman

Jerry Cantrell/Alice In Chains

Kim Thayil/Soundgarden

Robin Finck/NIN, GNR (the video is proof that he should keep playing the guitar and never, ever open his mouth)

Zakk Wylde/Black Label Society, Ozzy

John 5/Manson, Zombie

Tim Skold/KMFDM, Manson

Aaron North/The Icarus Line, NIN

Dean DeLeo/STP, Army of Anyone

Wes Borland/Limp Bizkit, Black Light Burns

Genre(s): Top 5

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Ticket insurance

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 1 month ago.]

When I went to buy my tickets for the Goon Moon show at Great American Music Hall, I noticed something new…they offer ticket insurance.

What is ticket insurance? (from GAMH website)

Ticket insurance is an option offered at checkout from a third party insurance provider. The Great American Music Hall does not provide refunds or customer service for the insurance option. Event ticket insurance is purchased directly through Access America® when you buy tickets.

The most frequently asked questions about Access America® Event Ticket Insurance protection are answered here. If you have additional questions regarding coverage, please contact Access America by phone at 1-866-456-3102 or by email at service@accessamerica.com. Representatives are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to assist you.

Please Note: Event Ticket Insurance coverage will only refund prepaid, non-refundable payments if you have to cancel for a covered reason. Covered reasons include sudden medical emergencies, death of a family member or traveling companion, mechanical breakdown on the way to an event, felonious assault, traffic accident while in route to the event, being called for jury or military duty, or having your home rendered uninhabitable. No benefits will be extended for cancellations due to simply changing your mind.

Fuck! That’s what I wanted it for. What if a better show come around (that wouldn’t happen for Goon Moon…)? So, don’t be tricked into paying the extra money if you just want to get your money back if you change your mind.

Genre(s): Rock Out SF, Rockin' You Soon

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Top 5: Thanksgiving songs

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 1 month ago.]

The Thanksgiving Song, Adam Sandler

Ya’ll Some Turkeys (actually, it’s the album title), The Gray Kid

Thank You, Led Zeppelin

Hungry Like The Wolf

Zombie, The Cranberries

Genre(s): Top 5

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Ch-ch-ch-changes! MySpace Player

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 1 month ago.]

MySpace finally got a clue and fixed their standalone player. Now I can go to an artist’s page and it will transition from song to song without forcing me to manually do it. This was one of the most annoying things ever. Thanks, Tom!

Genre(s): Rock in the News

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rockin’ you soon

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 1 month ago.]

On sale Sunday @ 10a:

Black Mountain @ The Independent, 2/2/08

Explosions in the Sky @ GAMH, 3/21+22/08

Genre(s): Rockin' You Soon

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rock out SF

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 1 month ago.]

Just because it’s Thanksgiving holiday doesn’t mean the music stops…

Thursday/Nov. 22: This Charming Band @ popscene
Friday/Nov. 23: Enslaved @ Slim’s
Saturday/Nov. 24: Bus Driver @ GAMH
Sunday/Nov. 25: MC Frontalot @ Cafe du Nord
Monday/Nov. 26: As I Lay Dying @ Slim’s
Tuesday/Nov. 27: Supagroup @ Rickshaw Stop
Wednesday/Nov. 28: U.S.S.A. @ BOTH

Genre(s): Rock Out SF

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