Month: October 2009

Kestrels, Primary Colours

Maybe it was just where I grew up, but in high school, every band sounded the same. They were hookey alright, but their remotely relevant brand of pop-punk never sat well. There was something missing. Even in a sea of bands all playing at the same venue (The Dungeon, if you must know) not one…

Japandroids, Post-Nothing

Buzz bands walk a very, very fine line. More often than not, the first thing your average music consumer hears is the hype before any substance. Immediately then, said listener adopts Grand Canyon-sized expectations. Especially when proliferated by a few certain tastemakers, the hype becomes so unmanageable that the artist risks imploding, often before a…

Rich Hope, Is Gonna Whip It On Ya

Where do the blues come from? Is it a persistent hole in one’s soul that’s only filled by dirty jams in smokey bars? And if so, are the blues really that simple of a vocation? On Rich Hope’s debut LP, Rich Hope Is Gonna Whip It On Ya, the answer is a resounding no. There…

SKOPE EXCLUSIVES: Kill Hannah “Tokyo”

We at Skopemag.com get hundreds of exclusive tracks via various vendors on a daily basis. The goal for us is to share with our readers as many tracks that come in. Please note that some of these links expire so you got to get it while it’s hot! Kill Hannah “Tokyo”: SKOPE IT HERE!

PAUL MCCARTNEY LIVE IN NYC DVD COMING NOVEMBER 17

Paul McCartney’s historic three-night musical christening of New York’s Citi Field, witnessed by 120,000-plus attendees and universally hailed as a concert experience for the ages, will be immortalized November 17 when Hear Music/Concord Music Group releases Good Evening New York City.   This momentous musical experience will be available in two formats: a 3-disc (2…

SKOPE EXCLUSIVES: FIEND “TRAP SPOT” (Clean)

We at Skopemag.com get hundreds of exclusive tracks via various vendors on a daily basis. The goal for us is to share with our readers as many tracks that come in. Please note that some of these links expire so you got to get it while it’s hot! FIEND “TRAP SPOT” (Clean): SKOPE IT HERE!

TAKING BACK SUNDAY SET TO RELEASE ‘LIVE FROM BAMBOOZLE ’09’

Taking Back Sunday has announced, via takingbacksunday.com, the release of Live From Bamboozle ’09. The digital album will be available exclusively on iTunes starting October 6, 2009. Live From Bamboozle’09 captures the band playing to a crowd of over 30k fans at the 2009 Bamboozle Festival, which took place in Rutherford New Jersey on May…

METALLICA TO OFFER SINGLE-TRACK DIGITAL DOWNLOADS

Launched in March 2004, www.livemetallica.com has enabled fans to purchase and download full live sets of Metallica’s concerts, often within hours of the final encore. After more than 300,000 downloads (and no two set lists the same since the site’s launch more than five years ago), the fans began to clamor for the ability to…

STEVE VAI, WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

First off, there are hordes of great, eye-popping guitarists roaming the stages across the globe.   Steve Vai is in the upper echelon of these real life guitar heroes.   Steve is a technical guitar savant, in the same vein as Jeff Beck.   Steve always adds a little touch of something live, to make…

THE BEATLES, RARE AND UNSEEN

This release is a documentary, featuring rare glimpses of the Fab Four, and dialogue by many of their associates like Tony Barrow (former press officer), Tony Bramwell (former roadie), Sam Leach (former tour manager), and noteworthy fans like Jerry Marsden (Jerry and the Pacemakers), and Phil Collins.   A booklet is included with some early…

PEARL JAM TOPS BILLBOARD ALBUM CHART

Pearl Jam debuts at number one on the Billboard album chart this week with their ninth studio album, Backspacer, which sold over 189-thousand copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan numbers.   Last week’s number one album, Jay-Z’s The Blueprint 3, slips to number two moving 134-thousand units, bringing its three week sales total to over 908-thousand…

KANYE SPAZZED OUT OVER CHICKEN

Vibe.com reports during Common’s benefit show last weekend in Los Angeles, Kanye West exploded after he wasn’t offered food while in the dressing room backstage. West blurted, “Why wasn’t I offered chicken? You want me to perform for free, [and] everyone is eating… why am I not eating?” When he finally received his food he…

SHINS SINGER AND DANGER MOUSE FORM BROKEN BELLS

According to Pitchfork.com, Shins frontman James Mercer has formed a new band with Danger Mouse, and they call themselves Broken Bells.   Their debut album is expected out early next year. The Shins singer and the Gnarls Barkley member are committed to the project promising more music past the debut record.

TAYLOR SWIFT TO APPEAR ON JOHN MAYER ALBUM

According to CountryMusicIsLove, Taylor Swift will be featured in a song on John Mayer’s upcoming album, Battle Studies. Mayer started tweeting last March about wanting to record with Taylor and now her voice will be heard on the track “Half Of My Heart.” Mayer says this album is different from his most recent release because…

SKOPE & ALICE IN CHAINS GIVING AWAY A NEW GUITAR

To celebrate the release of Black Gives Way To Blue, Alice In Chains and Skope Magazine are giving one lucky fan a chance to rock out with a brand new guitar. Enter now for your chance to win a G&L Rampage Jerry Cantrell Signature model signed by the band.

WEAVER NAMED EVP OF ATLANTIC RECORDS

Kevin Weaver has been promoted to Executive Vice President of the Atlantic Records Group, it was announced by Atlantic Records Group Chairman/CEO Craig Kallman and Chairman/COO Julie Greenwald.   The Los Angeles-based Weaver, who began his music career with Atlantic in 1994, was most recently Senior Vice President of the company.   In his post,…

RANDOM STABBINGS & ARTLESS CRITIQUE, OCTOBER 2009

Infected Mushroom, Legend Of The Black Shawarma (Adrenaline Records) Lot of blah-de-blah on the blogs and such about this not being (as expected in keeping with this Israeli electro duo’s original pigeonhole) psy-trance, probably owing to all the drum n bass that goes on (if you’re not a walking Wikipedia, DnB involves a lot of…