If the 6 million fans who made Avril Lavigne’s first album, Let Go, among the best-selling records of 2002 think they know what makes the 19-year-old rocker tick, they’re just scratching the surface. As her second album’s title, Under My Skin, suggests, Lavigne’s about to show them what lies beneath. “There are some songs that are really deep,” she said. “I have this song called ‘How Does It Feel.’ It’s just a very mature song. Just me stepping back and looking at my life, talking about how I am small and the world is big. I’m a deep person and… Read more »
Evanescence lead singer Amy Lee has told Australia’s UndercoverNews website that former Cold guitarist Terry Balsamo is now a permanent member of Evanescence. Balsamo stepped in as a temporary replacement late last year for founding axeman Ben Moody, who abruptly departed in the middle of a European tour last October. Lee said that Balsamo and her band “just clicked” the more they played together. “[It is] better than I ever expected…Terry’s an insane guitar player with awesome stage presence. He has a good personality and he’s down to earth and on top of all that stuff, he’s a great writer… Read more »
Since Ben Moody’s departure from Evanescence in October, many have wondered about the guitarist’s whereabouts. Three months after he quit the band without so much as a “Dear John” letter, Moody has resurfaced as a part of Avril Lavigne’s Moody, who co-wrote all of Evanescence’s Fallen, including the hits “Bring Me to Life” and “Going Under,” is among the songwriters working with the 19-year-old pop star on her second album, the follow-up to her 2002 debut,Let Go. The collaboration was hatched when Moody contacted Lavigne’s A&R rep and volunteered his talents, according to Lavigne’s spokesperson. Lavigne’s guitarist Evan Taubenfeld and… Read more »
“You may know this song,” Evanescence singer Amy Lee uttered demurely nine songs into the group’s headlining set Tuesday night at the Congress Theatre. “It’s the song that got us here.” Understatement of the year. Without “Bring Me to Life,” the ubiquitous rap-rock confection featured on Fallen, the Little Rock, Arkansas, troupe would be far more concerned finding people who can pronounce “Evanescence” than finding wall space for their double-platinum album. Now, only five months after the release of Fallen, Evanescence are headlining the Nintendo Fusion Tour, a 20-date excursion that has the band performing after Cold, the group that’s… Read more »
After weeks on the festival circuit, Evanescence are set to embark on their first large-scale headlining tour. Amy Lee, Ben Moody and company will top the marquee on the Nintendo Fusion Tour, a multi-band music-and-gaming fiesta promising to visit 25 North American cities, according to a Nintendo spokesperson. Although an itinerary has yet to be solidified, the trek gets rolling August 4 in Los Angeles and is expected to wind down in late September in the Northwest. After playing a handful of shows in Spain and the U.K. last week, Evanescence were forced to cancel a run of shows in… Read more »
Score one for the grotesque over the gangsta. “The Golden Age of Grotesque,” the newest album by Goth rocker Marilyn Manson, topped the album sales charts in the past week, selling about 118,000 copies in the week ended May 18, industry tracker Nielsen SoundScan said on Wednesday. Gangsta rap artist 50 Cent was No. 2 with his major label debut, “Get Rich or Die Tryin’,” which sold 107,000 copies, taking its cumulative sales to 4.7 million. The newest release by Manson, the self-proclaimed “Antichrist Superstar,” features songs with headbanging riffs including “Use Your Fist and Not Your Mouth.” Opening at… Read more »
Despite all the territory they’ve covered in their near-thirty tenure, AFI retains an impressively conspicuous identity. It’s the Tim Burton condition in which, despite rejecting the confines of any categorical genre with each new release, they have an innate flair that renders them instantly recognizable. But that’s not to say that they exist outside the realm of reasonable comparison. We scoured the alternative underground to prove that point. And while we can’t promise the recreation of that first magical moment you first heard Sing The Sorrow, we did pluck a handful of new music recommendations from the AFI ethos. Representing… Read more »
The living legend John 5 has released his newest song, “A Hollywood Story,” with an accompanying music video cataloging his life and career. From his first notes at the age of 7 to touring with renowned musicians and bands, John 5 captures every moment of his musical journey on this track. It’s the kind of story only he could tell, and not a single word is uttered! Opening with a few dreamy, reflective chords you can feel the tenderness in how John feathers his strings. A few measures later the emotion pours out onto the frets as he lets out… Read more »
It’s the most wonderful time of year once more. Eurovision is back, and it continues to get bigger and more prominent worldwide. Though it is known as the institution that turned ABBA into superstars and showcases the wildest and weirdest creations that Europe has to offer, there is still room for some rock ‘n’ roll in the ranks. Over the years, pop has been the predominant genre in which countries project their entries. Though guitars have been making their way slowly but surely, they sometimes take the whole competition by storm. From masked monsters and nu-metal stalwarts to glam-rock superstars,… Read more »
Hailing from Rio Grande Valley, TX, the emerging three-piece Riley!, comprised of vocalist/guitarist Ryan Bluhmm, bassist Kris Gallardo, and drummer Cesar “Izzy” Izaguirre, has issued their latest offering, “Keep Your Cool, Man.” The song acts as the lead single pulled from their forthcoming 10-track album, Keep Your Cool, which is scheduled to arrive courtesy of Counter Intuitive Records next month on April 19. “Keep Your Cool, Man” emerges through a cacophony of masterfully dreamy instrumentation, heart-on-your-sleeve lyricism, and commanding vocal runs interwoven with distressed screams. Spanning three minutes, the track encapsulates layers of emotions and experiences with remarkable depth and… Read more »
