Foregoing songs about masked serial killers, nightmares and mental asylums, Detroit Stories (earMUSIC), the twenty-first solo album from shock-rock legend Alice Cooper, has been written expressly as a tribute to his hometown of Detroit. Forget about guillotines, spiders, Vincent Price and Frankenstein. This is a more down-to-earth, less twisted and surreal version of Alice, even if the record does occasionally touch base with the likes of From the Inside.
During this time of self-isolation and quarantine, we are all just looking to keep entertained and our minds busy. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame thankfully is answering the call, sharing their treasure trove of content from their history. They have shared their Punk and New Wave Collection to watch their YouTube playlist and archival stories from Ramones, Talking Heads, Blondie, Patti Smith Group, The Clash, The Stooges, The Sex Pistols, Lou Reed, and Green Day. The Rock Hall also has history lessons on the genre for rockers of any age!Continue reading
A lot of artists have been doing covers to pass the time thanks to quarantine due to coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Watch Mike Portnoy (Sons of Apollo, The Winery Dogs, Neal Morse Band, BPMD) cover The Ramones classic ‘We’re A Happy Family’ on vocals and all the instruments. Extra points if you catch where he changed the lyrics to his own happy family!
For years, metal and hardcore have been regular bedfellows but that wasn’t always the way. Back in the ’80s, metalheads regularly ran the risk of getting beaten up if they attended hardcore or punk shows. Skins and Mohawks did not take kindly to long-hairs stepping onto their turf, and vice versa. It wasn’t until the emergence of more popular bands like Slayer who, by straddling both genres, showed that the two sets of fans were capable of co-existing without confrontation.
I’ve written about this before, but given the huge response of a recent Bacon’s Bit on the topic, I wanted to re-address it. Your band should have a cover song or two in your back pocket. If you are able to do this then you are going to be able to differentiate yourself and more importantly have your band be remembered. When it comes down to it, as an unsigned band trying to break it in the underground having your band be remembered is the most important thing. If people can’t recall who you are you are fucked. But if you can give them a reason to recall you – you’re in the clear. So I wanted to address all this and get into why covers aren’t corny, how they help to cement you in the fans’ mind, how to choose a good song to cover and of course some of the additional benefits that covers bring to the table. Continue reading
Ministry has announced Ministry: Prescripture, a visual history book with exclusive details shared via Rolling Stone. The book includes ling notes, never before seen graphics and photos, and anecdotes from members of Smashing Pumpkins, ZZ Top, Cheap Trick, NWA, Ramones, Nine Inch Nails and more. Plus it comes with ‘(Every Day Is) Halloween (Acoustic)’ 7-Inch. Released December 6 with Pre-Orders are live today! Headline dates and Slayer’s final Farewell World Tour. Continue reading
Spider-Man Far From Home came out in theaters this week on July 2nd. The sequel to Spider-Man Homecoming and the final movie in Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe not only has an amazing score by Alan Silvestri, but it also features a ton of Rock and Punk music. Notable songs that highlight themes in the move include sAC/DC’s ‘Back In Black’, Ramones’ ‘I Want To Be Your Boyfriend’, and The Go-Go’s ‘Vacation’ among other tracks! Continue reading
Connecticut based photographer Tom Hearn was fortunate enough to document The Ramones at the height of the burgeoning Punk scene in the mid-1970s. This weekend in New York a new exhibition of his photography, The First Time I saw the Ramones, a solo exhibition by Hearn opens at 72 Gallery in New York City. The collected photos are from July 22 1976 when Tom was asked by his friend Legs McNeil (Please Kill Me) to see the Ramones play at the Arcadia Ballroom in New Haven. The exhibition runs until June 6th and the gallery is typically open Tuesday through Sunday, with details below.
Punk, a new documentary series made its debut on the EPIX channel tonight. Produced by Iggy Pop and designer and music mogul John Varvatos, Punk is a four-part series that explores the birth of Punk Rock. A huge assemblage of stars has come together including Pop, Varvatos, John Lydon (Sex Pistols, Public Image Ltd), Henry Rollins (Black Flag), Marky Ramone (Ramones), Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters/Nirvana), Duff McKagan (Guns n’ Roses), Donita Sparks (L7),director Penelope Spheeris (The Decline of Western Civilization), Joan Jett, Danny Fields, Legs McNeil, Wayne County, Keith Morris (Black Flag/Circle Jerks/OFF), Debbie Harry and Chris Stein (Blondie), Wayne County, Flea and many more. It may become a recurring series since the listing on EPIX refers to it as “Season 1”. You can watch the trailer below and click the link to sign up for a free trial to watch episode 1 on your phone on the EPIX NOW app or mobile device if your cable provider doesn’t feature the channel. Continue reading
