Strahov Stadium has had it all – communist rallies, anti-globalization protests, gymnastics exhibitions, drive-through movies and, now, Ozzfest. The crumbling structure, which stands as the largest stadium in the world per square foot, lent itself well to Ozzy Osbourne and his latest touring comrades, who hit the venue Thursday night for the seventh stop on the metal tour. With their stage parked in the middle of the field, the hard rockers used only half of the 200,000-capacity stadium, carving out an almost cozy cradle for Bohemia’s metalheads within the concrete monolith. While the tour got off to a less-than-grand beginning… Read more »
You know you’re a long way from home when Groove Armada and Faithless play for wilder crowds than the godfather of heavy metal. “I can’t f-ing hear you!” is Ozzy Osbourne’s standard concert rallying cry, but it took on a new urgency Friday night at the kickoff of the three-day Rock Im Park festival in Nuremberg. As the 53-year-old showman peered out at the half-full Frankenstadion, his famous baffled expression – mouth agape, black-lined eyes open wide, arms extended as though desperately soliciting a hug – looked a bit more confounded than usual. Of course the metal madman delivered, leading… Read more »
The seventh edition of Epitaph Records’ “Punk-O-Rama” compilation series will be released June 25 and feature 19 tracks from the likes of Rancid, Bad Religion, NOFX, Pennywise, the Hives, and Bouncing Souls. Following the series’ modus operandi, “Punk-O-Rama Vol. 7” will be specially priced at $5.98. Epitaph says the first six volumes have collectively sold 1.7 million copies worldwide, and the most recent four volumes have reached The Billboard 200. “Vol. 6” debuted at No. 80 on the tally in June 2001. “Vol. 7” features songs from many Epitaph artists’ recent releases, but also includes four previously unreleased tracks: Guttermouth’s… Read more »
The inspiration for “She Loves Me Not,” the first single from Papa Roach’s upcoming album, Lovehatetragedy, didn’t come easy to frontman Jacoby Shaddix. The track is about his sometimes-turbulent relationship with his wife, Kelly, who recently gave birth to their first child, Makaile Cielo Shaddix. The chorus, which includes the lines, “I don’t know if I care/ I’m the jerk/ Life’s not fair/ Fighting all the time/ This is out of line/ She loves me not,” illustrates the stress of trying to juggle your relationship and your band. “I feel like anything I do is just not enough,” Shaddix, formerly… Read more »
KOCH International, a leading distributor of music, video and DVD, announced today an exclusive distribution agreement with the independent punk-rock label Epitaph Records. Epitaph Records was founded in 1981 by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz and has become one of the world’s leading independent labels specializing in punk and punk-influenced music. Since its formation, the label has developed an eclectic repertoire of imprints which include Hellcat (street punk), Anti (all styles) and Fat Possum (blues). Epitaph is located on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. Fourth quarter releases will include new titles from the (International) Noise Conspiracy ‘New Morning, Changing Weather’,… Read more »
Clear Channel has identified 150 songs that are considered to be “lyrically inappropriate” for airplay in the wake of the terror attacks carried out in the U.S. on Tuesday, September 11. A Clear Channel spokesperson has confirmed that the list has been circulated among its stations across the country. The lyrical content targeted by the list includes any references to death, flying, September, or general destruction. The popular (and highly political) band Rage Against The Machine received the dubious honor of having their entire catalogue on the list. Pam Taylor, a spokesperson for Clear Channel stations in the San Francisco… Read more »
With the passing of Joey Ramone on Sunday, music fans lost a genius who changed the world, according to the many artists – from Blink-182 to the Go-Go’s – who were influenced by the lanky, leather jacket-clad godfather of punk rock. “I wish I could have met him and told him what a huge influence he had on my life, and what an inspiration his music was, and what a genius he really was,” Blink-182 singer/bassist Mark Hoppus said. “The Ramones came out at a time when music wasn’t being done like that, and they came out with three-chord pop-punk… Read more »
Despite it being the basis of their latest single, Good Charlotte don’t need much motivation these days. Twin brothers Joel and Benji, whose “The Motivation Proclamation” is getting increasing spins at radio and video outlets, didn’t have to be asked twice to appear as prom entertainment in the upcoming comedy “Teen Movie,” nor did it take much prodding to get them to accept an invitation from the Vans Warped Tour. Lately, Good Charlotte’s drive and enthusiasm rivals even the most ambitious up-and-comers, however that wasn’t always the case. “There was a point, especially before we got signed, when there was… Read more »
On Friday, August 2, the official Waterparks Instagram account detailed that the band is canceling their album INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 2: LOST IN THE PROPERTY. However, the band is set to release one new track tomorrow, Saturday, August 3, “GUILT.” Their Instagram statement notes, “I no longer feel good about INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 2: LOST IN THE PROPERTY and will be canceling the release. The sheer amount of unprecedented mishaps, bureaucratic red tape, and bizarre things that have gone wrong truly has me believing the universe is working against this project and I’m tired of fighting it. It sounds dramatic but without… Read more »
God is real, and her name is Taylor Swift. Whether or not you’re on board with Swiftie mania, it’s impossible to deny that the record-breaking artist is an industry-changing champion. From country to pop and rock to indie, she defies genre and definitely has a streak of emo running through her veins, as she’s noted Pete Wentz as a major songwriting inspiration in the past. After all, her vault tracks from Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) include collaborations with Fall Out Boy and Paramore’s Hayley Williams. You also can’t forget “Two Is Better Than One” with Boys Like Girls or… Read more »
