Search Results for: rise records

Anyone who thought that Epitaph Records passed their heyday when Rancid and NOFX split for new pastures would have been wide-eyed surprised on this evening. Kudos to the keepers of the punk rock flag for progressing with the times and developing – yet again – into a leader of the pack. They used to lead the way in the likes of skate-punk and crust, but as the plethora of pre-teens proved, punk rock still hasn’t kicked the bucket. It’s just changed boots. Kicking off the show, new label additions Scatter The Ashes dealt a relatively heavy blow with their brand… Read more »

New York – It’s been a stunning year for Brian Wilson. The former Beach Boy released his rerecording of the group’s “SMiLE” album to critical acclaim, and staged a worldwide tour chock-full of standing ovations. The original “SMiLE,” recorded more than 37 years ago, was never released officially. The Nonesuch Records release bowed at No. 13 on The Billboard 200. The set, whose full title is “Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE,” has sold more than 300,000 units, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and has been nominated for three awards at the Grammys on Feb. 13. Two nights before that, he will be… Read more »

With the recent trend of films based upon successful Marvel comics, the use of today’s most popular modern rock acts for the comic-flick soundtrack has become almost cliche. The use of catchy yet mildly dramatic rock hits to accompany the depressing emotions often felt by the superheroes has already been played out with both Spiderman soundtracks as well as in movies like The Punisher and Daredevil. As Jennifer Garner returns to the big screen as the heroic Elektra, director Rob Bowman (Reign Of Fire and The X-Files) opted to stick to the original template. Elektra The Album, which is set… Read more »

New York, Ny – The 47th Annual GRAMMY Awards nominations were recently announced and hard rock quintet Skillet were among the nominees for Best Rock Gospel Album in conjunction with their best-selling, current album Collide. Upon hearing the news of their nomination, lead singer John Cooper said, “First off we were really surprised since this was our first GRAMMY nomination. I think it is super cool and an honor to be in such great company with the other nominees.” “We are ecstatic about Skillet’s nomination,” remarked Andy Karp, Senior Vice President of Lava Records. “The band’s sound musicianship and broad… Read more »

Wrap your head around this – you’re in a rock band that has been relatively ignored for about three years, despite having a couple of albums and a ton of singles under your belt. And then suddenly, out of the blue, people start hearing about you – but only because no one knows about you. Weird? Yeah. But that’s basically how things transpired for Scottish rockers Idlewild just a few years ago, flipping their world topsy-turvy in a sadistic twist of ironic fate. Idlewild: “I guess it started with SPIN Magazine naming 100 Broken Windows (the band’s 2000 release, it’s… Read more »

It seems only fitting that after six months, 7,000 bands and more than 100,000 votes, the winner of the Takeover Records “Sign My Band” contest would be determined by mere percentage points. And so on Christmas Eve, when the Internet polls closed and Pennsylvania’s Strike Fire Fall defeated the New York band Silhouette by the slimmest of margins – 52 percent to 48 percent – no one was really surprised. “People don’t realize how many bands there are out there, how many kids there are in garages out there. And we’d like to think that this contest communicated to those… Read more »

Los Angeles – Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz continued their reign on the year-end Top Independent Albums chart for the second year in a row. The self-proclaimed “Kings of Crunk” finish the year with two of the top five titles on the indie chart. After breaking through in 2003, the Atlanta-bred party-rap trio of Lil Jon, Big Sam and Lil Bo remained steady sellers throughout 2004. The act’s BME/TVT release “Kings of Crunk” has spent more than 100 weeks on the Top Independent Albums chart, and has now led the chart two years running. To date, the album… Read more »

Las Vegas – Maroon 5’s members cannot wait to begin work on the follow-up to their multi-platinum debut, “Songs About Jane,” but guitarist James Valentine told Billboard.com, “We just can’t beat the life out of this record yet.” Since its early 2003 release, “Jane” (J Records) has sold 2.9 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and spawned the hit singles “This Love” and “She Will Be Loved.” “As long as there are opportunities to go out and play, we’ll do that,” Valentine said. “But we’re tremendously antsy to get in the studio. We’ll be in there… Read more »

Los Angeles – None of the Grammy nominees was more surprised than Chris Morris, who was taking notes along with the rest of the press corps Tuesday morning when he heard his name announced among the luminaries. Morris, who joined The Hollywood Reporter as music editor in September, was nominated for the liner notes he wrote for “No Thanks! The ’70s Punk Rebellion.” That Rhino Records compilation of various artists gives an overview of the genre’s early days by gathering 100 songs in a four-CD boxed set. Morris contributed a definitive context for the music in a thoroughly researched 116-page… Read more »

Just like in professional wrestling, a band’s entrance music provides a pretty good forecast of what’s to follow. When Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” filled an arena, Hulk Hogan’s irrepressible fortitude wasn’t far behind. The sound of glass shattering typically prefaced a Stone Cold-style beat-down. And this past summer, when Joe Esposito’s “You’re the Best,” off “The Karate Kid” soundtrack, rained down upon an unsuspecting rock club, it meant that one of the most immodest bands around was about to deliver its musical equivalent of a jump-front kick to the head. “We thought it was the funniest thing,” explained Fall… Read more »