Search Results for: Like Roses

After witnessing this incredibly uneventful performance by “super group” Velvet Revolver, it’s safe to surmise that they’re getting by on history alone. Like many bands before them, they feed off of what their individual names used to mean and are entirely undeserving of the glory bestowed upon them. Now, before you start firing off hate emails, read on. Given the wealth of talent comprising Velvet Revolver and the obvious success of debut album Contraband, one cannot deny that this quintet is capable of writing a few solid tunes. The problem is that, aside from purely ego centric reasons, they’re just… Read more »

Nelly had a fair amount of success earlier this fall when he suckered his fans into buying not one, but two new albums on the same day: the party-pumping Sweat and the slow-jammin’ Suit. You’ve got to have some moxy to pull off the two separate albums released on the same day trick (Guns N’ Roses and Tom Waits – who’ve both pulled it off – aren’t exactly your typical artists). If anything, Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst has moxy. The indie rock heartthrob will not only release two albums on the same day (January 25), but he’s planning to launch… Read more »

For the first time, the No. 1 album in the United States is loaded with anticopying protections, marking a clear step into the mainstream for the controversial technology. According to figures released by Nielsen SoundScan, Velvet Revolver’s “Contraband” was the top-selling album in America last week, despite being prominently labeled on its cover as being “protected against unauthorized duplication.” The success of the album is likely to prompt more experiments from BMG, the band’s label, and other record companies, industry watchers said. “It’s too soon to tell whether the rest of the industry is going to be heartened by this,”… Read more »

Figures. Guns N’ Roses reunites and then things go kabooey. Axl Rose reteamed with original Gun mates Slash and Duff McKagan for the purpose of a lawsuit against Geffen Records. The trio was trying to halt the label from releasing a greatest hits collection. In their lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, the Gunners sought a preliminary injunction against Geffen, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, accusing the company of failing to consult with the band on the tunes, artwork and remixing of Greatest Hits. But a federal judge on Monday deep-sixed Axl & Co.’s call for… Read more »

The odds are stacked against Velvet Revolver. Their singer, Scott Weiland, is currently in drug rehab for the umpteenth time. Who knows if he’ll be a free man when it’s time to tour, and judging from his past history, it could be a struggle for him to stay clean when the band hits the road. As for his bandmates – ex-Guns N’ Roses members Slash (guitar), Duff McKagan (bass) and Matt Sorum (drums), and former Suicidal Tendencies guitarist Dave Kushner – they’re ready to rock, but there’s some question whether the rock community is ready to embrace them. Over a… Read more »

The Offspring has announced the name of their new drummer. He’s Atom Willard, formerly of the punk act Rocket From The Crypt. Willard will appear with the band on their fall tour, with dates to be announced soon. Original drummer Ron Welty departed the Offspring earlier this year to devote more time to other projects. The new Offspring album, titled Splinter, arrives on December 2. Welty left before the band began recording Splinter, so the drums on the album were handled by A Perfect Circle’s Josh Freese, who has also played drums on albums by Evanescence, Staind, Puddle Of Mudd,… Read more »

What everyone always wants to know is: who’s the worst? Meaning: which really famous person out there is a berk whose lack of personality is in inverse proportion to their abundance of fame? And the answer is, of course, all of them. No, it’s not. It’s Jon Bon Jovi. The next question – who’s the best, of course – is more difficult. The interviewees I like are the ones that turn out to be more than you expected, whether that’s more intelligent, or honest, or bonkers, or fun, whatever. And there are plenty of those. Madonna (sharper), Björk (wilder), James… Read more »

Anyone who even slightly follows ChartAttack’s music coverage should know by know that A Perfect Circle is probably one of the most impressive “super bands” this side of Blind Faith. Heh heh… Blind Faith being “super.” Now there’s a gag! So, with the introduction of ex-Smashing Pumpkin James Iha to the fold hot on the heels of Jeordie “Twiggy Ramirez” White taking up bass duties (as former APC bassist Paz Lenchantin moved to Billy Corgan’s Zwan… inbreeding?) how does APC brainchild Billy Howerdel feel the shift went? “I couldn’t have asked for a smoother transition,” he says. “And without trying… Read more »

Long an artist’s sanctuary, the commercial recording studio is becoming a virtual fortress, guarding against the potentially devastating consequences of theft. The thieves’ targets are the rough mixes, outtakes, alternative takes and finished masters that traditionally have been loosely handled, even by the artists themselves. Leaks of this material are nothing new, but the advent of unauthorized file sharing on the Internet has greatly increased the consequences of this phenomenon. Recent albums by Eminem, 50 Cent, Korn and Radiohead were all available online prior to release, because unauthorized copies were leaked to unknown parties. In such cases, marketing strategies are… Read more »

Tuesday night (July 15), the original ’80s Duran Duran lineup (singer Simon Le Bon, keyboardist Nick Rhodes, guitarist Andy Taylor, bassist John Taylor, and drummer Roger Taylor) celebrated their 25th anniversary by playing Los Angeles’s 450-capacity Roxy nightclub as a warm-up for their much-hyped brief U.S. reunion tour, which officially kicks off tonight at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, California. Not only was this the group’s first Stateside performance in 18 years, but it also marked another homecoming of sorts, as the Roxy was the first American venue Duran Duran ever played back in 1981. Although Duran Duran have… Read more »