Dropkick Murphys: 'We Aren’t Doctors, But We Can Play Music and Deliver a Message of HopeThrough Our Songs'

Much of the band's latest music directly addresses the causes closest to them including the rampant opioid epidemic ravaging New England and the recent presidential election

Dropkicks Murphys are a rare breed. Boston’s pride, the Celtic punk rockers are kicking off their third decade as a band, with their famous flame of passion showing no sign of dwindling to a flicker. It’s burning more fiercely than ever, frontman Al Barr and guitarist Tim Brennan tell me, as we slump into leather sofas surrounded by guitars in London’s Gibson Studios.

It’s impossible to separate this six-piece from their fans, so much so that new song “Blood” from their upcoming ninth album 11 Short Stories of Pain and Glory is a homage to the mutual respect and dedication they share. Unlike many contemporary bands, the Dropkicks do not rely on radio airplay to get their music heard. They have shifted over four million albums globally, fan favorite “Rose Tattoo” has racked up over 24 million hits on YouTube, and they are regularly drowned out on tour by crowds singing along to songs that have never been officially released. 

In Defense of Underground Music and Arts Venues

Every city needs an underground.

The first music event I attended after moving to Los Angeles took place in a warehouse. It was a psychedelic trance party thrown by a crew called Sixth Sense. The location was somewhere in pregentrification Hollywood, when many of its commercial districts were virtually derelict. Outside was an urban wasteland, but inside the party was filled with color, sound and life: loud, pulsating music, black lights, people in hippie/raver attire — phat pants, dreadlocks, fluorescent sneakers, T-shirts with mandalas printed on them. I made a lot of new friends and danced my ass off. It was fantastic.

In the years since — more years than I care to admit — I've probably attended hundreds of other underground events in various locales, from warehouses and lofts to deserts and forests. One event took place after hours in a gym, with a boxing ring doubling as a dance floor. Another happened at a paintball park. Soundstages, ranches, decrepit theaters, churches, abandoned storefronts, construction sites — anywhere you could set up a sound system and invite a few hundred of your closest friends, the underground was there.

Shows - All Things Hard, Harsh & Heavy - North Carolina

This is a list of all heavy shows, and events, across North Carolina. The list spans from Wilmington to Asheville, and includes music ranging from punk to hardcore, metal to metalcore, grind to doom and goth to industrial. 

We're hoping to bring more awareness to the scene, and share the events that are taking place across  the  our great state of North Carolina!

Please feel free to share and spread the word! 

Dec 29 - Rotton, Baasthyrian, Throne Of Bolts, KRVSADE, / The Milestone, Charlotte

 
Dec 30 - New Year’s Eve Punk Rock pregame: Born Again Heathens, 49 / Short, Raw Dog / The Maywood, Raleigh

 
Dec 31 - New Year’s Eve Show: Datura, Arghast, Horseskull /The Maywood, Raleigh            

             - New Year’s Eve Show: AuxiliA, No Anger Control, Green Fiend, Kairos, No Power No      Crown, Violent Gods / The Milestone, Charlotte

 
Jan 02 - Primitive Ways presents: Shadows, Enemy of the State, Life Alert / Slim’s Downtown, Raleigh

 
Jan 05 - Crank It Loud presents: Jesus Piece, Absolute Suffering, Vein / The DHP, Fayetteville

 
Jan 06 - Blind Path Booking presents: Polarity, To Live As Wolves, Vices & Vessels, Our Savior Remains, See Obsidian / The DHP, Fayetteville

 
Jan 07 - Primitive Ways presents: Chateau, Necroscythe, Bumfeeder, Basura / Slim’s Downtown, Raleigh
           - Winter Metalfest: Bone Shelter, Widow, Kinghitter, Elusory, Hayvyn / Lincoln Theatre, Raleight
           - Wretched, Auxilia, SkinKage, Kairos, Gruzer, Black Ritual, Shadows Of Deceit /Amos’ Southend, Charlotte

 
Jan 09 - Blind Path Booking presents: Second Death, Landfall, Broadmoor, Neglected, TBA / The DHP, Fayetteville

 
Jan 10 - The Toasters, Whimpy Rutherford & The Cryptics / The Pour House, Raleigh

 
Jan 13 - Johnny ‘Cutt Promotions presents: Saint Diablo, Fall River Massacre, Attracting the Fall, TBA / The DHP, Fayetteville

Rise Above: Will Donald Trump's America Trigger a Punk Protest Renaissance?

The underground hardcore punk movement – led by the likes of Black Flag, MDC and Minor Threat – flourished during the height of Reagan’s presidency in the 80s. Composite: Getty Images & Malcolm Rivera

Since the election, the Kominas have been getting the same curious request. The east coast punk band keeps being asked, by film-makers and documentarians, for a Donald Trump protest song. “People just assume we have an anti-Trump song already recorded,” says Basim Usmani, the group’s bassist.

In the weeks preceding and following the election, musicians, fans and critics have discussed and debated the idea that Trump’s impending presidency could inspire a new movement of politically charged protest music. So it’s no surprise that the Kominas, a South Asian American band whose discography includes provocative statements like Sharia Law in the USA, would be called upon for a musical reaction to the president-elect.

A Piece of New York City Punk History Just Sold for $30,000 at Auction

One lucky (and, apparently, either very dedicated or ultra rich) punk fan got their hands on a priceless piece of punk New York history after going to Sotheby's "A Rock & Roll Anthology: From Folk to Fury" auction on Saturday.

Any true punk fan knows about the CBGB, a club at 315 Bowery in Manhattan that changed the future of music. Former manager Drew Bushong got himself $30,000 for the awning: a piece of the '70s and '80s New York City music scene with one of the original awnings at the club, emblazoned with CBGB OMFUG ("Other Music for Uplifting Gormandizers") and the address of the club. As Sotheby's notes on its blog about the awning:

"[CBGB] quickly became the world's most celebrated venue and "underground" rock scene, welcoming legendary acts such as the New York Dolls, Blondie, the Ramones, Patti Smith, the Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, the Cramps, the Dead Boys, the Misfits, the Voidoids, the Runaways and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts."

The vinyl canopy covered the entrance of the famous club from 1988 to 2003. Another awning was supposedly stolen by punk band JFA, while a third one is currently in the Hall of Fame.

Bushong started working at the club in 2000 and has been caring for the awning. "In the beginning I was a door guy working two or three shifts a week," he told Sotheby's. "I was thinking about quitting, but then I got stabbed in the neck and handled it really well, so they promoted me to manager."

Well, he survived to see the awning in the trash in 2004, and he rescued it. Sounds like something that could only happen in the CBGB.

Mike Patton forms Metal Supergroup with Dave Lombardo

Faith No More frontman Mike Patton, who has one of rock’s most versatile voices, said on Monday that he was forming a new metal supergroup with Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo.

Patton wrote on Facebook that the supergroup called Dead Cross will release an album next year.
The 48-year-old Patton has a vocal range of six octaves — one of the greatest of any living singer, even in opera.

Faith No More, with its hard-edged rock and elements of funk and hip-hop, was at the vanguard of the alternative music boom starting in the late 1980s and returned in 2015 with its first album in nearly two decades.
The Cuban-born Lombardo often figures on lists of metal’s top drummers. He is best known for Slayer, a macabre thrash metal band, and has also played with Suicidal Tendencies and Misfits.
Lombardo and Patton previously joined forces for another supergroup called Fantomas.

They will be joined in Dead Cross by guitarist Michael Crain and bassist and vocalist Justin Pearson, who have both played in Retox, a hard-core punk band from San Diego.

First Embedded Anti-Theft Device For Musical Instruments To Be Introduced AT NAMM 2017

GearSecure, a newly launched company from Los Angeles, California, will introduce at NAMM 2017 patented technology designed to be the first embedded anti-theft device for musical instruments and other assorted gear.

The technology provides a bridge between RFID and GPS technology providing help in instant recovery of lost or stolen gear. Demonstrations and inquiries can be made by visiting Hall D, Booth 2382. The company's stated goal is "the end of lost or stolen."

The company was started by Adam Mandel, one of the producers of the long-running live music show Ultimate Jam Night. Mandel has enlisted the core team of musicians and others that turned Ultimate Jam Night into an internationally known program. That team includes Quiet Riot bassist Chuck Wright; drummer Matt Starr who has played with Ace Frehley and Mr. Big; Walter Ino of Survivor; Ira Black of Attika 7 and Westfield Massacre; and other musicians including Alex Kane of LSD and Antiproduct, and independent artist Brad Jurjens, among others. These musicians will work alongside key manufacturers in the installation of the first industry device designed to be embedded at the point of manufacturing. Additional applications are designed for professional luthiers and installers, tour management, and backline rental companies.

Myanmar Heavy Metal Crashes into the Open

Half a century of repressive military rule virtually silenced Myanmar’s heavy metal scene, but a growing coterie of die-hard metal-heads say the aggressive, rasping music gives them a unique release in a nation still struggling to come to terms with its own dark history

A young head banger displays his tattoos last month at a heavy metal gig in Yangon.

Moshing and sweating, the crowd of headbangers scream their angst into the sultry Yangon night, a rare glimpse of a defiant musical subculture now crashing into the open — though sex, drugs and religion remain off the song sheet.

Half a century of repressive military rule virtually silenced Myanmar’s heavy metal scene and today its musicians are still shunned by most people in the conservative Buddhist country.

But a growing coterie of die-hard metal-heads say the aggressive, rasping music gives them a unique release in a nation still struggling to come to terms with its own dark history.

“Listening to metal is the fucking best feeling. It is like freedom, it’s good for the soul,” 21-year-old mobile phone repairman Thaw Di Yoo told AFP at a recent gig.

“It’s different from other music, that’s why I am only a fan of metal,” he said, showing a tattoo depicting the logo of his local heroes — Nightmare Metal Band — on his arm.

Billy Don Burns Set To Release Brand New Album - Graveyard In Montgomery

• • • Every CD order will put you in the drawing to win the original art for the album cover. This only lasts for two weeks, up until the release of the album on Dec. 16th 2016. To be eligible, pre-order now. If you order one cd, its one entry. Two cd's equals two entries, etc. This does not apply to buying digital downloads though. The drawing for the winner will be held after the weekend Dec. 16th. • • •

Order your copy now

"I was on my way to do some gigs in Alabama and Florida, heading down I-65 through Montgomery. Once again I was telling myself, “Don’t stop at Hank’s grave.” After so many trips there over the years, I had the itch to stop in once again. Twenty times, at a minimum is how many times I have walked into that graveyard. While driving, I keep telling myself, “Don’t stop, This is crazy.” Then before I could even change my mind, I rolled right on into Montgomery, made the turn and there I sat in front of his grave.

A Collision of Quilting and Rock Music

Faith Salie introduces us to the work of a music-loving artist on what you might call the FRINGE:

“I like this machine,” said quilter Ben Venom, “because once it gets going, I liken it to shooting a machine gun.  When it’s at full throttle, like R-R-R-R-R!”

Sit down with Venom in his studio in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury, and it doesn’t take long to realize he isn’t quite like other quilters.

“There’s a right way, there’s a wrong way, and there’s the way I just decided to do it -- which is my way,” he said.

“You know, I’ll listen to music or try to watch movies, but ultimately the noise of the machine kind of drowns a lot out. Because my head’s right in it. So pretty much my world is right around here.”
His world is filled with arresting images on quilts.

“Every Tear Drop,” a quilt by by Ben Venom.

Order A Whiskeydick Box Set and It Includes A Pre-Sale For Vinyl Record

Order A Whiskeydick Box Set and It Includes A Pre-Sale For Vinyl Record

There is nothing quite as good as having something personally made by the folks you believe in. The Whiskeydick boys are without out a doubt one of the hardest working and touring bands in the good ol' US of Fucking A. So for the holiday season, they are creating a limited edition 2016 run of their boxed sets. Each one is cut, assembled, wood burned and then stained to be absolutely unique. They are currently down to 38 left of the 100 available and this box set also included a pre-order for their first 12" vinyl record which will be due out in the Spring of 2017. Get yours today at the Yeehaw Store!

Tomiko Dixon Keeping Alive Grandfather Willie Dixon’s Legacy

Tomiko Dixon, blues singer and granddaughter of late blues great Willie Dixon with R&B legends Marshall Thompson (left) and Gene Chandler. | James Foster/For the Sun-Times

It was a day after Marie Dixon, widow of blues great Willie Dixon, died, and several legends were gathered in a downtown hotel in support of a granddaughter, Tomiko Dixon.

There was R&B legend Gene “Duke of Earl” Chandler, who is Tomiko Dixon’s amore, and her godfather, Marshall Thompson, founder of the legendary Chi-Lites, credited with birthing a generation of R&B vocal groups.

New Album Art For Billy Don Burns - Graveyard In Montgomery

New Album Art For Billy Don Burns - Graveyard In Montgomery

Would like to say thank you to everyone who has really dug this illustration for Billy Don Burns new album cover, Graveyard In Montgomery and all the shares. We thought on it and realized that maybe we should give away the original art for the album as a way to say thank you to the fans for sticking by him through thick and thin. So this Friday, once we announce the pre-sale, every physical album order sold through our webstore will be entered into a drawing to win the original pen and ink sketch. Sure you can wait to stream it for free on Youtube or Spotify, but if you want something to live on past your next Appleoid Omega malfunction, purchase the album and maybe this art along with BD's story about his travels to that infamous graveyard and much more can potentially hang on your wall and reverberate from your speakers for years to come.

The Most Hyped Music Gear of 2016

All of the press and hype surrounding the music gear industry follows a similar pattern every year. New products get announced at NAMM in January, unleashing a wave of buzz that ripples through forums and YouTube channels, and ultimately into shopping carts of websites like Reverb.com.

Smaller brands often release gear later in the year to less initial fanfare, building their reputations on merit rather than marketing. You see this a lot with boutique pedals and guitars where an off-the-cuff artist endorsement or a single demo video can do as much for a product's popularity as any trade show press release.

Here is a look back at both the big releases and sleeper hits that generated the most buzz in the music gear industry in 2016.

Korg Minilogue

The Korg Minilogue was easily the most talked-about synth at NAMM this year, and a steady stream of praise has followed since. Analog synths are as en vogue as ever, and this portable keyboard strikes a perfect target zone in the broader market. It's analog, but not too expensive. Highly tweakable, yet extremely approachable.

Korg understands the blossoming affordable analog market better than anyone and brings a unified vision of how to lower the barrier to entry for these machines. While it may not sound as juicy as vintage Juno or any modern Moog, the Minilogue represents a major step forward for Korg and claims a definite spot as the new entry point into the realm of analog synths. As a testament to how well the Minilogue is doing, Korg has a already announced a smaller follow-up – dubbed the Monologue – set for release next year.

'A Fat Wreck,' Documentary Of Punk Label, Set To Come Out On VOD & Blu-Ray/DVD!

Fat Wreck Chords... The influential music label proud to say they've spent the past 25 years "ruining punk rock". A Fat Wreck tells the story of founders Fat Mike (of the legendary punk band NOFX) and his ex-wife Erin Kelly-Burkett, spanning the birth, growth, struggles, and survival of the Fat Wreck Chords label. 

Half inspirational story of chosen family and community, half debauchery and occasionally involuntary drug use...  A Fat Wreck blazes exciting new ground in the cinematic genre of puppet-driven punk rock music documentary filmmaking. If you only see one film featuring a dominatrix spanking a puppet in your lifetime... Make it A Fat Wreck!

To order "A Fat Wreck," visit: http://www.afatwreck.com/

Testament Return to the Heavy Metal Music Scene in Solid Form

When legends release new material, it can be quite disappointing. For instance, when Metallica released Load, most heavy #metal fans were let down immensely. The crunch was gone, the complexity was all but absent, and years of over touring had taken a toll on singer James Hetfield much sooner than his age would suggest. While the mighty Met have managed to redeem themselves since then, thankfully #Testament has yet to release a slab of sub par material, and thankfully their newest, “#Brotherhood of the Snake” keeps that tradition in tact. If anything, with guitarist Eric Peterson at the songwriting helm, they may have just released the most exciting metal album of the year, if not of their career.

Binghamton Musician Ships Cigar-box Guitars Around the World

                             Pinecone Fletcher talks about why he likes cigar-box guitars and what drew him to the craft. Andrew Thayer / Staff Video

Bluesman Pinecone Fletcher finds joy in re-creating instrument for 21st century

Back when cigars were plentiful and money was not — especially during the Civil War, for example, or the Great Depression — some musicians decided to work with what they had close at hand and built their own cigar-box guitars.

The concept was pretty simple: Cobble together a box, a stick and some strings, then tune it up and start playing. The raw, organic sound proved to be much different than what a store-bought instrument would deliver, giving a different twist to blues, country and folk tunes.

As Americana and roots music have undergone a revival in the last 15 years, led by the 2000 film “O Brother Where Are Thou?” and bands like Mumford & Sons, the interest in cigar-box guitars has grown, too. Ambitious do-it-yourselfers still prefer to put together their own, but a few companies have sprung up to fill the need.

Artist Transforms Old Farm Equipment into Incredible Animal Sculptures Like None You’ve Seen

Recreating the wild wild west out of discarded farm equipment, South Dakota-based artist John Lopez’s amazing metal sculptures will blow your mind! Check them out below:

Source: John Lopez Studio

Sculptor John Lopez is a product of a place. His people’s ranches are scattered along the Grand River in northwestern South Dakota—not far from where Sitting Bull was born and died. Not far from where thousands of buffalo were killed during the westward expansion of settlers and gold miners. In the bone yards of Tyrannosaurus rex and grizzly bears. Since farmers and ranchers populated this chunk of reservation land, real cowboys have been roping and branding and sheering and haying and harvesting.

Buzzoven - A West Coast Tour Story, by Kirk Lloyd Fisher

Photo by Chris Boarts Larson

From Buzzoven Kirk's blog on Google...

"So its been right at a week since our west coast tour with the mighty Bongzilla ended. Needless to say, we hit it off very well with the Bongzilla boys.Actually Dixie played on one of their albums and did a tour with them. Me and Michael (Pee Wee) really hit it off and i firmly believe i have a new brother in him for life. Touring with them,renting their back line and all around working together made life on this tour much easier. Bongzilla is still out there touring so get out and see them and buy some merch if you can to support this hard working band.

I have a few individual stories to tell but I'm just typing some thoughts and observations from this recent 8 day jaunt through the west. I want to be sure i tell the stories i have as they actually happened and get permission from all those involved so i don't step on any toes or piss anyone off. I never piss anyone off. HA!! While our first tours back, in 2011,after 10 years of doing nothing proved to be lucrative and full of hype, this recent leg of shows, which by the way was after another 4 year lull proved to be good but only part of the hype previously experienced was present. It's becoming painfully obvious that if we don't stay busy, tour and work harder we will slowly dwindle back to an unknown band of the past. Some musicians i feel get spoiled from certain things being a certain way and expect that every tour or show will be just as lucrative and also bigger venues with a consistent amount of crowd attendance. Which of course is not the reality of being in the music business as things change year to year and even day to day. 

Johnny Rotten opens the Reykjavik Punk Museum

Johnny Lydon, otherwise known as Johnny Rotten. mbl.is/Freyja Gylfa

Reykjavik has a new museum, the Iceland Punk Museum and, with a nod to anarchy it's actually located in the former public toilets in Bankastræti in the city centre. Who better to open a punk museum than the world's most famous punk - John Lydon- better known as Johnny Rotten from legendary UK punk band The Sex Pistols.
Lydon is a guest of the Iceland Airwaves festival and took part in the Airwords programme at Harpa where he read excerpts from his books.
The Icelandic Punk Museum offers a fascinating look at the history of punk in Iceland with photographs and objects related to the period around 1980. Iceland's music history is documented from early days to the punk and new wave revolution which in turn served to create some of Iceland's best known artists including Björk, The Sugarcubes and Sigur Rós.

Film Fest Biz Flicks: 'BANG!' is an Analytical, Unflinching Look at Music Industry

(This is part of a series of reviews of movies showing at the Nov. 2-13 Denver Film Festival that examine aspects of business.)

Film: BANG! The Bert Berns Story

Singer Neil Diamond and songwriters and producers Ellie Greenwich, Bert Berns and Jeff… more

Michael Ochs Archives

Show times: 4:15 p.m. Thursday, 9 p.m. Saturday and 11:15 a.m. on Nov. 13 at United Artists Denver Pavilions

Industry it spotlights: Music recording

The story: Bert Berns was a 1960s pioneer in the music industry, producing records ranging from “Twist and Shout” to “Hang On Sloopy.” This documentary recalls both Berns’ successes and challenges and focuses on his business dealings with both a cut-throat industry and with the mob.

Heavyweight 8 Ounce Leather Tool Bag For Your Motorcycle, from Rusty Knuckles

Heavyweight 8 Ounce Leather Tool Bag For Your Motorcycle, from Rusty Knuckles

For a long time we had been plotting on our own style of tool bag. We wanted a clean and classic design that could compliment any bike with flowing lines and choice style. Our concept is based on numerous sketches and going through our own tools to find the right dimensions and fork widths. These bags were made to fit wide glide, narrow glide, sissy bars, attached to the frame or a variety of other options due to the flexibility on how they are mounted with heavy duty zip ties.

The leather we use is a shoulder hide that comes in 8 oz weight and the options are currently for Chestnut Brown, Dark Brown, Black and Ox Blood Red. We do have some customization options on these bags, so get in touch with us. The D Rings are a great compliment to the bag as buckles tend to rattle and this is a quick cinch solution to strapping tight and rolling. Each bag is hand cut, riveted and sewn in our shop to insure the highest quality and made right here in North Carolina. If you ever have an issue with our bags ripping or tearing, send it back and we will fix for free as we stand behind our quality. 

Order one of our tool bags today

Custom Studded Denim & Leather Guitar Strap

The guitar strap is made out of 8 oz. leather that is tanned and softened to be an easily worn for hours upon end. The strap has screw holes cut out for a variety of mounting options and adjusts from 46" inches to 65" inches. If you are looking for a specific length, just let us know upon checkout and we can get the strap set up to your exact specs for a perfect right out of the shipping box.

For this guitar strap we use vintage black denim as the fabric, which is then glued and stitched to the heavyweight leather strap.

The guitar strap is 2.5" inches wide at full width and then tapers on both ends.

Check out this strap and more on our Etsy Store

Rusty Knuckles triple row studded Denim & Leather guitar strap

Rusty Knuckles triple row studded Denim & Leather guitar strap

Rusty Knuckles triple row studded Denim & Leather guitar strap

Details on our custom guitar with acid etched aluminum pick guard

Details on our custom guitar with acid etched aluminum pick guard

Rusty Knuckles Custom Leather Motorcycle Seat

Rusty Knuckles Custom Leather Motorcycle Seat

Creating a custom motorcycle seat is a lot of work and design ideas, but when it all comes together, there is no better feeling. Functional art is what drives us daily and make a seat that will reside on a custom motorcycle is one of our favorite endeavors. 

Want to buy this seat? Hop over to our Etsy page

Research and Racing On The Bonneville Salt Flats

The Bonneville Salt Flats are one of Utah’s most iconic landscapes, covering more than 30,000 acres of BLM-managed land in the Salt Lake Field Office. Since 1914, this majestic landscape has served as the racing grounds for generations of land speed racers from around the world. For decades, these passionate racers have tested themselves, each other, and their vehicles in an ever-escalating contest to go faster than ever before.

The area gets its name from the prehistoric Lake Bonneville that extended over 19,000 square miles and reached depths of over 1,000 feet. The salt flats are a remnant of this ancient lake – where evaporation left large concentrations of dissolved minerals in the surrounding soils. In the winter, groundwater and regional storms flood the Salt Flats – creating a salty, shallow lake. When temperatures rise in the summer months, the water evaporates, leaving behind the iconic white salt crust – sought after by landspeed racers for the hard and flat surface it forms. The salt is also influenced by changes in weather patterns. For example, mid-summer rains in 2014 and 2015 flooded the salt and forced cancellations of the late-summer land speed racing events.

Beyond these seasonal changes, there are additional and complex dynamics that drive this geological system, of which we have only scratched the surface on scientific understanding. Adding to the challenge is the complexity raised by a changing climate in the Great Basin. To help unravel the system, the BLM has partnered with Dr. Brenda Bowen at the University of Utah on a long-term scientific study.

BLMers, scientists, and landspeed racers are all “gunning” to preserve the Bonneville Salt Flats. These scientific studies will help the BLM in making challenging management decisions and will undoubtedly uncover further questions regarding the dynamics of this unusual geologic system.

Shunned By Radio, Hard Rock Is Still Alive And Well In America

Two hard rock bands, one young and one old, walk into a bar. The bartender asks to see the older band’s ID. “Welcome,” she says. “I loved your music when I was a college student in the 90s.” The younger band hands the bartender its ID. “Sorry,” she says, fiddling with the knob on her FM radio, “you’re far too young to be in here. Go get a few radio hits and come back in a decade or two.”

Ghost BC, a.k.a. Ghost, one of the few metal bands with songs popular at both Pandora and hard rock stations.

Such is the dilemma for young hard rock and metal bands. Radio has all but turned its back on the hard rock and metal stars of tomorrow. It’s a shame. Radio has remained the most common source of music discovery, according to numerous surveys over the years. The old-fashioned format is tied with friends/family at 68 percent, according to Edison Research and Triton Digital. Where do fans of metal and hard rock go for new music? Not commercial radio. Metal, and its umbrella genre, hard rock, has become a format for the middle-aged listener. People wanting to find new, hard music will find what they’re looking for at Pandora.

But hard rock and metal do well at Pandora, a democratic platform that rewards songs for their listeners’ positive reactions, not the decisions of radio program directors. Metal, a sub-genre of the more popular rock category, is tied for 13th in monthly time spent listening and currently gets over 6 million unique listeners per month. Rock, which includes hard rock and other types of rock music, has the most monthly listening hours on Pandora, ranks 2nd in monthly time spent listening and gets 50 million unique listeners each month.

The numbers show the severity of hard rock radio’s problem. According to Nielsen BDS data, only 10.5 percent of hard/active rock stations’ playlists are current tracks while 82.9 percent are legacy/golden tracks and 6.6 percent are recurrents (“active rock” stations have an emphasis on hard rock, “recurrents” are former current songs that still get spins). For comparison, current songs are 85 percent of music played at both pop and rhythmic (a catchall spanning upbeat rhythmic pop, hip hop and upbeat R&B) and 68 percent at country.

Introducing the Artiphon INSTRUMENT 1

Instrument 1 is a MIDI controller, a tool for generating the standard digital music file. But whereas most MIDI controllers are keyboards hooked up to inscrutable boxes, Instrument 1 is shaped like a purposefully vague string instrument.

Typing notes into software can’t capture the totality of writing and performing music. The physical act of hitting a drum or plucking a string or moving yours hands up and down piano keys, on stage or in a tour bus, is crucial to the experience. Instrument 1 wants to replicate that. Pressure sensitive buttons let you strum, press frets, or even hold the device up on your shoulder like a violin. And if you lay it on a surface, the neck acts as a piano/drum kit.

You can learn more on Artiphon’s site

‘We Are X’: Soulful Documentary of Japanese Heavy Metal Band

The band X Japan in the 1980s, as seen in the documentary "We Are X." Photo: Drafthouse Films

As a kid, Yoshiki always wondered if he were from somewhere else — like Mars.

A misfit child scarred by his father’s suicide, Yoshiki, trained in classical music, grew up to become a David Bowie-like man who fell to Earth. He revolutionized heavy metal music in Japan and, still going at 50, is trying to break into the American consciousness.

Stephen Kijak’s documentary “We Are X” is a broad but surprisingly personal portrait of Yoshiki and his band, X Japan, which formed in 1982, broke up in 1997 and re-formed in 2007. The band began a push into the U.S. market about five years ago, and interviews include American friends and fans such as Kiss front man Gene Simmons and Marilyn Manson.

10 Questions with Ryan Clackner and Lucy Cochran of Stump Tail Dolly, from First Order Historians

Read original post on First Order Historians

Ryan Clackner and Lucy Cochran (sometimes separately, sometimes together) have toured, performed or recorded with Bob Wayne, Fifth on the Floor, Shooter Jennings, JD Wilkes, The Legendary Shack Shakers, Sarah Gayle Meech, Red Simpson, Travis Harris and many others. They’ve opened for Social Distortion, Tiger Army, Hank III, George Thorogood, Unknown Hinson, Roger Clyne, JJ Grey, Scott Biram and more. Ryan has appeared in multiple music videos, including “Hush Hush” by The Pistol Annies. The purpose of Stump Tail Dolly is to mess your head up with an off-center mix of metal and country with other influences snuck in for good measure. We are thrilled to have Ryan Clackner and Lucy Cochran of Stump Tail Dolly as our guest today in 10 questions.

The Art of Moving Tattoos!

Have you ever imagined what an animated tattoo would look like? What if the black ink carved into your skin could suddenly materialize into a moving image? Well, say hello to Ink Mapping, Video Mapping on Tattoos. 

The Politics of Punk Tracks Populist Protest Music Far and Wide

DOA at Warehouse Live, 2014

In The Politics of Punk: Protests and Revolts From the Streets (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers), Houston Press writer David Ensminger probes the conscience of punk by documenting its ongoing activism and outreach. Creating a people’s history of the movement's social, cultural, aesthetic and political life, the book features interviews with members of Dead Kennedys, Dead Boys, MDC, Really Red, Scream, Minutemen, TSOL, the Avengers and many more. In doing so, Ensminger highlights punk's community involvement and its broad, long support for political action groups, gays and lesbians, the homeless, the disabled, environmental issues, health research and other causes. Reprinted with permission of the publisher, the following excerpt is from the chapter "Undead Legacies."

WhammyPhone is a Bendable Smartphone that Makes Music when Bent

Flexible phones aren’t exactly a new concept as they have been seen in demonstration and prototype form several times. The last flexible smartphone that Slash Gear talked about was from Lenovo and the flexible phones it showed off were cool. Over at Queen’s University’s Human Media Lab some of the researchers have developed a device called the WhammyPhone. It’s being called the world’s first musical instrument for a flexible smartphone.

Downloadable Flyers For Nashville Show Featuring Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump

What would Halloween be without a good mask. Be on the lookout around Nashville, TN for these flyers posted up by Stump Tail Dolly For their show with The Goddamn Gallows, Hillbilly Casino and Gallows Bound on 10.29 at the Exit / In. Click on images to download full size jpg file.

Hillary Clinton show flyer cut out Halloween mask

Donald Trump show flyer cut out Halloween mask

Mark Di Giuseppe's Stranierofono

Since 1986, Mark Di Giuseppe-"The Legendary Straniero", has been thrilling audiences around the world with his unusual inventions and music. Born in Chicago and now based in Italy, Mark has travelled to many countries and borrowed from many cultures. His musical styles range from Jazz to Rock to Classical to Folk to Reggae to Punk. He sings in English, Italian, Neapolitan, Spanish, Japanese, Swedish, Russian, Portuguese and Rom (Gypsy). In the show Mark sometimes not only changes musical styles, but his physical appearance thanks to a large selection of comical masks, wigs and props

In this video, he is performing "Dancing With the Bride" on his legendary invention.

Drywall Art Sculpture

This video features Bernie Mitchell from www.drywallnation.com

Bernie is an artist who takes a very unique approach towards his work using only drywall compounds to create wonderful works of art.

The Trailer for L7: Pretend We’re Dead Brings the Punk Rock

Even among the grunge-punk bands of the late ’80s/early ’90s, there was something foot-stompingly primal about L7. The band’s music was fuzzed-out, four-on-the-floor rock that didn’t earn the sobriquet “heavy” so much as prove why the term should be applied to music in the first place. People didn’t go to L7 shows for Rush-style technical wizardry; fans were there for the raw three-chord churn of distorted mayhem. And, as the trailer for a new documentary, L7: Pretend We’re Dead, reminds us, it kicked ass.

Buzzoven, Set To Release Violent Hits CD on November 4th

Buzzoven, Set To Release Violent Hits CD on November 4th

Buzzoven are releasing their latest collection of Violent Hits on cd and digital format November 4th. This album is a collection of their tracks, that is repackaged and featuring art from Christopher Parry / Sinister Illustration.

Harley Exhaust Pipes Change Colour

Heat reactive, and heat resistant compound, that allows you to apply THERMOX paints to super hot items like brake calipers, turbo housings and exhaust systems. See more about thermo heat reactive paints at http://www.thermox.com.au

“All Things Hard, Harsh & Heavy” - Show Listings, on the HEAVIER Side, Throughout North Carolina

Music ranging from punk to hardcore, metal to metalcore, grind to doom, and goth to industrial!

This is a list of all shows and events across NC, spanning from Wilmington to Asheville!

Oct 02 -Russian Circles, Helms Alee /Motorco(D)

            -Skankfest Sunday Matinee: Regatta 69, Konrad Kuechenmeister, The Spectacles, High & Mighties,

             SiBANNAC /Cat’s Cradle(CH/C)

            -Blind Path Booking presents: Fall River Massacre, Filth, Lordis, Hounds, Sustenance, From Wrath To Ruins

             /The DHP(F)

            -Crank It Loud presents: Alestorm, Nekrogoblikon, Aether Realm /Arizona Pete’s(G)

            -Coheed and Cambria, Saves the Day, Polyphia /The Orange Peel(A)

Oct 03 -Saint Vitus, The Skull, Witch Mountain, Demon Eye /Kings Barcade(R)

            -Crank It Loud presents ‘To Hell With the Devil 30^th Anniversary’ tour: Stryper /The Throne Theater(W)

            -5&10 Entertainment presents: Sevendust(rescheduled show), Crobot, AuxiliA, Halden Vang

             /Amos’ Southend(C)

            -The Noise presents ‘The Unbreakable’ tour: Parkway Drive, We Came As Romans, Counterparts

             /The Fillmore(C)

Oct 04 -Disturbed, Chevelle, Nothing More /Red Hat Amphitheater(R) 

            -To Hell With the Devil 30^th Anniversary tour: Stryper, Loretta Jett /Amos’ Southend(C)

            -Anthrax, Death Angel /The Orange Peel(A)

Oct 05 -Svetlands(RU),GASH, KIFF /The Maywood(R)

            -Bloodshed For All tour 2016: Wednesday 13, One Eyed Doll, Fractured Fairytales /Amos’ Southend(C)

            -Journeys presents ‘The Made To Destroy‘ tour: Pierce the Veil, Neck Deep, I Prevail /The Fillmore(C)

Oct 06 -Crank It Loud presents: Neck Deep, TBA / The Throne Theater (formerly Ziggy’s by the Sea)(W)

            -ANTiSEEN, Svetlanas, Hammerlock /The Milestone(C)

            -Legends Of the Fall tour: August Burns Red, ERRA, (silentplanet), Make Them Suffer /The Orange Peel(A)

            -Filth, Lordis /The Odditorium(A)

Oct 07 -Clutch, Zakk Sabbath, Kyng /Lincoln Theatre Street Stage(R)

            -Primitive Ways presents: Necrocosm, Deathcrown, Pathogenesis, Origin Of Disease /The Maywood(R)

            -Rubbish, Blackball, Essex /Sound Factory(C)

            -Fractured Fairytales, Betray Your Own, Take Heart, Decibel 9, A Breath Forgotten, Verrat /The Rock Shop(F)

            -AEG presents Legends Of the Fall tour: August Burns Red, ERRA, (silentplanet), Make Them Suffer

             /Amos’ Southend(C)

            -Birds In Row, Frameworks, Listener, Carbon, Violent Gods /The Milestone(C)