Alive and Rocking: Part 2

This is the second part of this round-up review/label profile so let me repeat:

Let me tell you, I get a decent bit of music in the mail thanks to this gig right here and although every day brings a package with a little bit of melodic lovin’ inside, there are days where the bounty is just so fucking cool it makes me glad I decided to become a music writer. The day I received this fat package of music from the Alive label was one of those great days. Alive is one of the few labels left which is dedicated to keeping rock and roll…ahem…alive in many ways, but most importantly in spirit. The label is a throwback to the days when substance meant more than anything else and sticking by your bands while they grew and matured was more important than milking them for one monster hit. I mean, while I am sure Alive would love to sell a ton of records and have a huge fat hit on their hands, they seem incredibly loyal to their bands and are nurturing their roster as each band builds their own reps and fanbases which will eventually help the label as a whole. As it is, the label has one of the best young rosters out there and will soon be able to compete with any other label out there is the discs contained in this package is any clue. Since they sent me so many wonderful releases, I am splitting this article into two parts so I don’t hit you with too much good stuff at one time. This is, of course, the second part!

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Rock and Roll is Alive! Part 1 – An Alive Records Natural Sound’s Round-Up

Let me tell you, I get a decent bit of music in the mail thanks to this gig right here and although every day brings a package with a little bit of melodic lovin’ inside, there are days where the bounty is just so fucking cool it makes me glad I decided to become a music writer. The day I received this fat package of music from the Alive label was one of those great days.

Alive is one of the few labels left which is dedicated to keeping rock and roll…ahem…alive in many ways, but most importantly in spirit. The label is a throwback to the days when substance meant more than anything else and sticking by your bands while they grew and matured was more important than milking them for one monster hit. I mean, while I am sure Alive would love to sell a ton of records and have a huge fat hit on their hands, they seem incredibly loyal to their bands and are nurturing their roster as each band builds their own reps and fan-bases which will eventually help the label as a whole. As it is, the label has one of the best young rosters out there and will soon be able to compete with any other label out there is the discs contained in this package is any clue. Since they sent me so many wonderful releases, I am splitting this article into two parts so I don’t hit you with too much good stuff at one time.

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GEARHEAD RECORDS LADY LUCK CONVENTION PARTY

Gearhead Records is once again hosting the official After Party of the 8th Annual Lady Luck Tattoo Convention (Circus Circus in Reno, NV, March 12-14). Tickets are $10 in advance http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/96184 and $15 at the door and each ticket purchased receives a free Sailor Jerry Rum Drink and a Free Party Poster. Hear rockabilly, hardcore and rock & roll from Hellbound Glory, Vomit, Thee Merry Widows, the Tattooed Love Dogs and the Cowbelleros, held at Tonic Lounge. More details about the Lady Luck Tattoo Convention: http://tattoopgh.com/ladyluck.html.

Gary Pig Gold wonders WHO PUT THE BOMP? Why, GREG SHAW, Of Course!

Personally speaking, I can solidly claim that the very first record ever released on the Bomp! label, the Flamin’ Groovies’ 1974 seven-incher “You Tore Me Down,” actually caused the sonic earth to move beneath me in ways matched only by, I kid you not, you-know-who on The Ed Sullivan Show, my first discovery of Elvis’ Sun sessions, and my pal John’s bringing the first Ramones record home to our innocent little Canadian turntables via the Bowery, very very late one long-lost Friday ago.

Yessir, that little Groovies record, and the joyous singles (and albums) (and magazines) Bomp faithfully sent my way throughout the Ford and Carter administrations – while those less fortunate amongst us were stuck listening to the Cars and pondering the fate of J.R., just to put things in their improper hysterical perspective – duly inspired this here Rock and Roll Report-er to start my own fanzine. Then my own band. Then even my own record label! You could say, then, that “You Tore Me Down” single-in-handedly spared me from a life of University study and squarely set me down the road to where I type today.

And then, when Bomp founder / mastermind / domo-major Greg Shaw Himself actually blew my way in early 1978, his raw, unbridled enthusiasm instantly swept aloft all of us riding the then-new Toronto punk wave, in turn inspiring such things as, oh, off the top of my once-buzz-cut scalp, Teenage Head (the band), SCTV (the television show), and possibly even Maggie and Ronnie (the weekend that almost brought down a Canadian Prime Minister, via that guy in the once-Rolling Stones).

So! Just who was this Greg Shaw fella then, you might well be asking?

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Versailles Records Announces Plans for Metal Tribute to Rocky Horror Picture Show

For Immediate Release:

In the late spring of 2010, Versailles Records will release ‘Time Warp: A Metal Tribute to the Rocky Horror Picture Show’, which will feature metal renditions of the full film soundtrack, featuring current/former members of Lillian Axe, Fuel, Mountain, Steelheart, Megadeth, Alice Cooper Band, Black Sabbath, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, Pigface, Macabre, Ozzy Osbourne Band, L.A. Guns, Warrant, the Cro Mags, Kiss, Badlands, and others to be announced. The Tribute will additionally include a bonus CD entitled ‘Horror Rock Vol. 1/2′, featuring original bands whose sound could include any variety of Industrial Metal, Death Metal, Goth Metal, Rocky Horror-esque tribute band (with original music), Black/Progressive Metal, Rocktronica (i.e. Rob Zombie, etc), Punk-Rock, Post-Punk, or any other genre of hard rock or metal with a darker theme to the song/sound. Interested groups in the bonus sampler should email a myspace link to horrorrock09@yahoo.com.

Versailles Records Releasing Buckcherry, Stone Temple Pilots Tributes on Aug. 11!!

On August 11th, Versailles Records will return to stores with the release ‘Lit Up: A Millennium Tribute to Buckcherry’ and ‘Wicked Garden: A Millennium Tribute to Stone Temple Pilots,’ collectively featuring current/former members of Megadeth, Black Sabbath, Kiss, Badlands, Fuel, Matt Fink of Prince and the Revolution, Metal Church, Alice Cooper Band, Europe, Mountain, Ratt, Steelheart, LA Guns, Dokken, Steelheart, Slash’s Snakepit, W.A.S.P., the Circle Jerks, Warrant, Lizzy Borden, Racer X, Quiet Riot, and others. Both Tributes will include a 2nd Free Bonus Disc, Buckcherry’s titled ‘Anthem Rock Vol. 1/2′, and STP’s a free bonus sampler featuring unsigned, Millennium bands influenced by STP. On the same day, the label will issue Katet’s ‘Quantum Journey,’ which features a guest appearance by Stryper/Boston frontman Michael Sweet. Visit www.versaillesrecords.com for further release information.

The Rock and Roll Report Cool Indie Record Labels Feature is on Perris Records

In this installment of our Cool Indie Label spotlight we talk Tom Mathers of Houston-based record label Perris Records, the only label with their own newspaper and TV show!

RRR: How long has the label been around?

The first Perris Records release was my band CHERRY ST. 1992. The band broke up in 1993 and I started doing Perris Records full time as a job.

How did it get started?

It started because of me doing the band business and I set up distro through Important/Relativity records distroed our Cherry St. 3 song tape that sold over 8000 tapes. So we started our own label to release our music to have 100% control over the business.

Once the band broke up I just started signing bands and it grew from there.

RRR: What kind of music does the label release?

Hard rock and melodic rock and glam.

RRR: How many bands call Perris Records home?

I’ve had well over 150 bands since I started.

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The Rock and Roll Report Cool Indie Record Label Feature is on Mohawk Bomb Records

In this edition of the Cool Indie Record Label feature we talk to Ivan Pena of Tamby Bay, Florida’s Mohawk Bomb Records as he pumps out some amazing music while attempting to give Austin, Texas a run for its money!

Rock and Roll Report: How long has the label been around? How did it get started?

Ivan Pena: I formed MBR in March 2008 out of need. I got tired of waiting for a label to come discover my band, so I put my business and marketing knowledge to work.

RRR: What kind of music does the label release?

IP: So far our releases have been Alternative and Rock mostly, but we hope to expand into Jazz and Hip Hop soon. It is my opinion that a label should never limit itself to a genre. I try to keep a Tony Wilson in “24 Hour Party People” approach in that MBR is an experiment in human nature and creativity. But we have contracts.

RRR: How many bands call Mohawk Bomb home? Name some of the best-known bands on the label.

IP: We have 2 types of bands: roster bands (Soulfound, The Redlight Stare, Rise of Saturn, Ascending to Avalon) and compilation bands (among them 900 Pound Gorilla, Drew Street Mary and Bull Lee). We are mostly working with local bands trying to build up the profile of their music scenes.

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Versailles Records to release ‘Rock & Roll Train: A Tribute to AC/DC’ this Fall!

For Immediate Release:

Versailles Records is excited to announce the release of ‘Rock & Roll Train: A Millennium Tribute to AC/DC,’ due in the fall of 2009 in stores nationwide. The record will feature current/former members of the Alice Cooper Band, Guns N’ Roses, Dangerous Toys, Lillian Axe, Circle Jerks, Fuel, Steelheart, Heart, Michael Shanker Group, Warrant, LA Guns, White Lion, MC5, Slash’s Snakepit, Mountain, and others to be announced shortly. The tribute also features a bonus CD Sampler featuring millennium rock/metal bands influenced by AC/DC who sound derivatively alike or similar to AC/DC in some manner (be it songwriting, vocal range, riffs, etc) performing an original song. Interested bands should email acdctribute09@yahoo.com with a myspace or related web link.

CD Reviews: Ronny McNeir – self-titled & Johnny Pate – Outrageous (Dusty Groove America)

Those who have been following my writing over the years probably know that I am a big fan of obscure soul music. I grew up listening to a lot of blues music thanks to my brother Robert, who was always a huge fan of artists such as B.B. King and Muddy Waters and many other blues artists of their vintage. I think he picked it up the way I did: through The Rolling Stones. Robert was a huge Rolling Stones fan and introduced me to the band by constantly playing their records until I had memorized just about all their lyrics, even the ones I couldn’t understand (and there were lots of those). Though we both loved the Beatles as well, The Stones were it as far as he was concerned, and, being the dutiful and older-brother worshiping little dude that I was, I agreed with him. Read more

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