03.31.06 (RockAndMetal.com) THE SMALL FACES' "Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake" is being reissued by Sanctuary Records ina special Deluxe Edition on June 5th. Originally issued in mid-1968, "Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake" was a truly groundbreaking album in so many ways. Apart from containing some of The Small Faces' finest moments, it was one of the first Rock "concept albums" - side 2 featuring a novel narration from comic Stanley Unwin which punctuated songs following the quest of Happiness Stan to find the missing half of the moon. In packaging terms, it broke new ground as well - housed in a lavish foldout circular LP sleeve, inspired by an old tobacco tin. Sanctuary is now set to release a new 3-CD Deluxe Edition of "Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake" featuring the stereo mix, a companion mono version (previously unavailable on CD) plus an additional bonus disc of BBC Radio 1's "Classic Albums" documentary on the making of the band. Originally broadcast in 1989, the bonus disc features interviews with all four band members: singer/guitarist Steve Marriott, bassist Ronnie Lane (along with Marriott, the band's songwriting backbone), keyboardist Ian McLagan and drummer Kenney Jones. An important enough release in the 1960s to rival The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" or The Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds," "Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake" broke musical ground and put The Small Faces where they belonged - at the pinnacle of British music. Indeed, the album did knock The Beatles off #1, remaining there for five weeks. Across the Atlantic, the album had a similar impact in the U.S. where it debuted at the much coveted #1 position. From the perennial hit single 'Lazy Sunday' to rockers like 'Song Of A Baker' and 'Rollin' Over' and the ambitious instrumental title track, "Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake" is considered a masterpiece by many. In 2006, both The Small Faces and the "Ogden's Nut Gone Flake" album have continued to exert a strong influence on popular music. Acts such as The Ordinary Boys, Blur, Paul Weller, Oasis, Kaiser Chiefs and Hard-Fi have all been known to cite the album as an influence, and The Small Faces as providing an elementary role in the creation of their music. As a matter of fact, over the last ten years, no other band from the '60s has been subjected to such a major re-evaluation of talent and reputation as The Small Faces. Several books, two TV documentaries, countless articles and an avalanche of reissues have finally allowed the band's undoubted talent and power to be recognized. Today, the Small Faces are now spoken of in the same breath as contemporaries like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, etc. Chief singer and guitarist Steve Marriott had been on the stage since he was a child, starring in Oliver (famously captured on vinyl) as The Artful Dodger and playing roles in a succession of TV programs and B-movies before signing to Decca as a would-be Buddy Holly soundalike in 1963. By 1964, he was fronting his own band, The Moments, and in early 1965, he founded The Small Faces ("small" as in stature; "faces" as in the coolest Mods) with bassist Ronnie "Plonk" Lane. With drummer Kenney Jones and original keyboardist Jimmy Winston, fellow East Enders, they were a band. Still only boasting rudimentary musical skills but already demonstrating plenty of energy with a miniscule set of R&B covers, the band were, within weeks of forming, signed up by music industry hustler Don Arden to his company, Contemporary Music, and subsequently, Decca Records. The arrival of R&B coincided with the creation of Britain's most enduring youth cult, the Modernists, a.k.a. "Mods" - young, sophisticated teenagers destined to create a twenty-four hour lifestyle based on clothes, attitude, scooters and attention to detail.

03.31.06 (RockAndMetal.com) Late April will see the release of a new album from Metal veterans SODOM. The trio consisting of Tom Angelripper (vocals, bass), guitarist Bernemann and drummer Bobby Schottkowski recorded a dozen new tracks for the self-titled release. From the rigorous opener 'Bibles And Guns' to 'Wanted Dead', the toughest and fastest number on the album, Sodom display all the strengths that have marked the band for over twenty years - including a critical lyrical analysis of western forms of society and the errors of numerous political rulers. "I've always written about things that go on in the world, the injustice and mistakes that happen everywhere. I know that you can't change anything politically, but I would at least like to make clear where I stand and raise people's awareness of those deplorable states of affair," Angelripper explains. Probably the most typical Sodom song, 'Lords Of Depravity,' and 'Nothing To Regret' -- which already enjoyed a trial run during the band's most recent U.S. tour -- also document the musicians' determination. "We wanted to prove to the world what we can do, that's why we decided to roll up our sleeves and pool our strengths." Simultaneously, they show themselves from their experimental side on 'Buried To The Justice Ground,' combining a verse reminiscent of Motorhead with a chorus that is redounded to Venom's honor. "Sodom" was recorded and mixed at the premises of an old friend: Andy Brings. The former Sodom guitarist produced the new album at his Midas Twins studios in Hagen, Germany, together with sound engineer Haan Hartmann, bringing out the best in the musicians. "Andy did a great job and really lured the optimum performance out of me. Our new album proves that you don't necessarily have to go to an American studio to get a good sound." "Sodom" was mastered by Eroc, drummer with German cult Rock band, Grobschnitt. Coincidentally, the Angelripper/Bernemann/Schottkowski line-up are celebrating an anniversary these days: the current Sodom team has proved the most consistent in the whole band history. "We've been together for ten years," explains Tom Angelripper, who will tour Eastern Europe with Sodom as early as April, promising an extensive tour of Germany and Europe in the Fall of 2006: "It's high time we celebrated a real thrash metal party again with our fans." Sodom's origins date back to 1980. Be it their early demo tapes, the "In The Sign Of Evil-EP" (Steamhammer) or their 1996 debut album "Obsessed By Cruelty," Sodom have intimidated the world at large from the very beginning. Two years and one album later, the band toured Europe with the likes of Whiplash, recording the live cut 'Mortal Way Of Life' at the legendary Tor 3 in Dusseldorf, Germany in the process. With 1989's "Agent Orange," the band from Gelsenkirchen in the Ruhr area unleashed a milestone of the genre. Sodom toured all over the world, traveled Europe repeatedly, and played a number of successful gigs in Japan and South America. Albums like "Better Off Dead" (1990) or "Tapping The Vein" (1992) manifested the success of the band, who -- despite a number of personnel changes -- managed to maintain their characteristic sound, mainly thanks to Tom Angelripper. Throughout the Nineties, Sodom lost none of their authenticity on albums like "Masquerade In Blood" or "'Til Death Do Us Unite," remaining firmly grounded and never losing touch with their roots. With their 1999 release, "Code Red" -- a title that refers to the U.S. Marines' infamous punishment code -- the trio proved as politically committed as ever. This tradition was continued in 2001 with a journey to the Far East, namely two shows in Bangkok and Saigon and the explosive subject matter of their album, "M 16." Subsequently, Angelripper threw himself into the preparations for Sodom's first DVD, "Lords Of Depravity Part I" (the band are already busy working on a successor), presenting a long-awaited new studio recording with the likes of "Sodom."
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03.30.06 (AP) Growing up near Indiana University, JOHN MELLENCAMP couldn't help but become a big college basketball fan. So big, in fact, that as part of the NCAA's Final Four weekend here he's headlining a free outdoor concert Sunday - one expected to draw up to 100,000 people. Mellencamp, whose "R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A." is featured in commercials promoting this year's NCAA tournament, agreed to perform largely because of his relationship with former IU president Myles Brand, who now heads the NCAA. "Myles asked me for the last three or four years ... and I've always had something scheduled, or you know - somethin'- so Myles, kind of, he made the game in Indianapolis. I can't say no!" Brand said he had been hoping for a few years to get Mellencamp, who donated $1.5 million to IU for an indoor sports facility, to play on Final Four weekend. "It always seemed like a good idea," he said. "And it turned out this year, it worked." Indianapolis' Monument Circle will be transformed into an outdoor concert arena, with massive video screens that will show the concert and the games between Florida and George Mason and Louisiana State and UCLA. "I've never really seen an event like this, other than Simon & Garfunkel playing in Central Park for free," Mellencamp said. "So I'm kind of excited about it." The day-long event also will feature last year's American Idol winner, Carrie Underwood, Rock group Collective Soul, Pop singer Michelle Branch and teen R&B singer Chris Brown. But it's Mellencamp, the small-town Indiana rocker who got his start 30 years ago as "Johnny Cougar," who'll likely pack in the crowds. Sunday's show will be the third stop on a 15-date Midwest and East Coast tour for Mellencamp. The tour is an offshoot of last year's Words & Music tour. "I didn't really intend to go out and play this spring at all," he told The Associated Press. "But when this NCAA thing came up a couple months ago, I said, 'Look, if we're gonna have to go to all the trouble of rehearsing, just book us more shows.'" The concert and tour will keep John Mellencamp busy into April. Then he'll turn his focus to his first new album in four years and finding a director for the Broadway musical he and horror mogul Stephen King collaborated on. It's a long way from the days when he was panned as "the poor man's Bruce Springsteen." "I'm 54 years old and feel every minute of it," said Mellencamp, who had a heart attack in 1994. "But I'm still smokin', and my attention span's still real short, so I guess not much has changed."
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03.29.06 (RockAndMetal.com) "Dumbing Up," the album that only received a partial UK release four years ago, has been remastered and repackaged with two new tracks, new graphics and a DVD of intimate WORLD PARTY action for a fresh new release on May 2nd. Five World Party albums in 20 years might not be a great record... but every one of them was a great record, and now the party is starting all over again. 4 years ago, Karl Wallinger's World Party fell apart. He had terminated his long deal with Chrysalis Records because of their handling of the Egyptology CD release (which included the hit 'She's The One'). Without his knowledge, most of his band and his former label manager produced a near identical version of his song to win Robbie Williams the Brits "Single Of The Year;" his manager and mentor, Steve Fargnoli, died of cancer; and then Wallinger had an aneurysm. It seemed like Karl Wallinger's 20-year-old "Ship Of Fools" was scuppered, taking with it one of Britain's finest musical treasures. Now, despite feeling like his head's been sawn in half, (which, incidentally, it has) Wallinger and World Party are back on the campaign trail. He's regained control of his voice, his legs, his warped sense of humor and his music catalog. He's launched Seaview Records and recentlyplayed South By Southwest in Austin, Texas. There may even be life for the bizarre comedy concept, Seaview TV. World Party? A social-democratic ideology? A good time for all? A better name than "The Karl Wallinger Band"? In the mid-eighties Wallinger walked out of cult heroes The Waterboys and launched World Party with a surprising hit album and U.S. hit single, 'Ship Of Fools.' "Private Revolution" charted in America, proving that 20th century philosophy could be set to good tunes and sell. It was never a prolific project, but through five educational and entertaining albums, World Party carried the torch for intelligent pop and outstanding live musicianship. Eclectic in every sense of the word, World Party took its leads from The Beatles, Dylan, The Beach Boys, The Stones, Junior Walker, Neil Young, Prince, and made the music their own. It was Wallinger's ability to turn his fanaticism for great '60s music into fresh material that persuaded Ensign Records' Nigel Grainge to sign him up and give him total creative freedom and his own studio. "I was looking for a place to record Private Revolution and ended up in this eight bedroom Georgian rectory in Woburn," he remembers. "The estate agent said an artist named Eddy was caretaking the place for the Woburn estate but that he might let me use it. I gave him a bit of rent and it was fantastic. I was 28 and making my first record, with my own band. There were these 12 white doves living in the roof, like the spirits of the nuns who lived there long ago. Their presence had a dualistic nature. On the one hand, there was the beauty of watching them fly together in circles over the house and neighbouring fields. But on the other hand, these doves just shit everywhere, blocking up the drains. Eddy and I were always running around trying to stop leaks." With the success of "Private Revolution," the World Party estates grew to include Seaview, an ironically named loft space in a Victorian warehouse with a panoramic view of London. Always the chief architect, Karl drew on the talents of engineers and producers such as Prince's "Paisley Park" engineer, Joe Blaney. "It was like having my own Abbey Road," he says animatedly. "It was always an apprenticeship, and I got these guys in so I could learn from them as well as benefit from their work." A yet more accomplished second album resulted. "Goodbye Jumbo" won the first ever Q "Album Of The Year" award in 1990, was nominated for a Grammy and had... [full story]
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03.28.06 (AP) Call it the curse of the post punk-rock band in the Internet era: Play sold-out shows to die-hard fans; create buzz in the blogosphere; snag a huge record deal; land the coveted slot on "Saturday Night Live"; feel scorn from indie rock hipsters accusing you of selling out overnight. The story could pertain to any number of bands: Franz Ferdinand, Arctic Monkeys, Jet. But this is the tale of a band that paved the way for the aforementioned groups: THE STROKES. Ah, The Strokes. How the mighty have fallen. Or have they? If The Strokes believed all the hype stoking their flames and listened to all the criticism beating them down, they'd likely lock themselves in a small room, frozen about what to do next. But, instead, the "saviors of rock" continue to make music and tour at their own pace, not buying into any of the noise around them. "I don't care what people think or what they expected. It's what (critics) said, not us," Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas said earlier this month from Atlanta on a day off from touring. "I always had a simple motto or goal, which was to always move upwards." But upward isn't necessarily the direction the band has gone of late, at least not by traditional music-industry standards. "Things happened so fast," Casablancas said. "In some ways, it's better to come in second at first because it humbles you and you end up being focused and work harder." When the band's first album, "Is This It?" debuted in the fall of 2001, it was hailed as a liberator from the bubblegum pop then dominating the charts and went on to sell more than two million copies worldwide. The press labeled The Strokes -- Casablancas, Fabrizio Moretti, Nick Valensi, Albert Hammond, Jr. and Nikolai Fraiture -- "The Coolest Band On Earth." There was major buzz for the second album, "Room on Fire," which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard charts, but quickly cooled. The group's latest album, "First Impressions Of Earth," which came out in early January, debuted at No. 4 on Billboard and No. 1 on iTunes, but, again, didn't compare with "Is This It?" in terms of sales or critical praise. A mere bump in the road, they feel. "It's a learning process, like growing up," Moretti said, moments after purchasing a new computer so he could keep in touch with his girlfriend, actress Drew Barrymore, while on the road. "The third album is only the next step - who knows what will come next." That third album, while not a commercial smash, shows considerable growth in both songwriting and musicianship. "First Impressions Of Earth" emits The Strokes' signature sound, but in a more polished construction. That confidence is shining through on their current North American tour, according to reviews - and Casablancas' own opinion. "A tour is the most intense, stimulating way to hear music; it's the best form to receive it," said Casablancas, who has said he'd rather play in a half-full bar than a huge sold-out stadium. "There's genuine excitement from people. I feel like we've stepped up a level." Stepping up is the way The Strokes like it - a slow, steady approach. "(Even) if this record bombs, it's just another obstacle we have to get over," said Moretti. "Maybe we'll never reach that perfect zenith you imagine in your dreams, but I sure as hell will die trying."
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03.27.06 (RockAndMetal.com) Capitol Records will be releasing END OF FASHION's self-titled debut in the U.S. on June 6th. The band has already received much acclaim in Australia. "I wrote 'O Yeah' for a bet," says EOF frontman Justin Burford of the band's anthemic first single. At the time, he was playing with another Perth band, The Sleepy Jackson, alongside End Of Fashion guitarist Rod Aravena. "A friend bet me that I couldn't write a song at the drop of a hat. Of course I can't, and I was going to look like an idiot, but my mate was egging me on and I was high on life that day. He said, 'Go on then, write one right here right now.' And I did. It's the only time I've written a whole song in one sitting! To shut him up..." With its thumping bass line and stick-in-your-head chorus, 'O Yeah' sits between ten equally punchy and unforgettable tunes that make this foursome from Perth, founding members Justin and Rodney, Nick Jonsson on drums and Tom King on bass one hell of an item to look out for. End Of Fashion spent the start of the year in Sweet Tea Studios in Oxford, Mississippi recording their first long-player. "Oxford is a college town. People outside of the studio seemed a bit bemused," laughs Jonsson, "that a band would come all the way from Australia to this small town they all wanted to get out of. But it was cool. There's a good feeling there and great music." Aravena reckons if you listen hard you can hear Mississippi on the record, though clearly End Of Fashion don't sing the Blues. Producer Dennis Herring, a veteran who's worked with Elvis Costello and Counting Crows, and produced the Modest Mouse album last year, is Mississippi-born and bred. "Some producers can be grumpy old opinionated men, but Dennis is the opposite. He's a musician's musician and an artist in his own right," says Burford. Aravena adds: "In some ways he's pretty radical in his thoughts because he's worked with such eminent musicians who are known for certain ways of doing things - Dennis had to be the guy to go in there and shake things up. He made us really think about what we were playing and not get hung up." Your first songs tend to wear the influence of where you come from. And you can hear everything from old-school guitar solos to wall of noise crescendos and straight-up Garage Rock on "End Of Fashion." Sometimes Burford sounds a shade like Freddy Mercury ("I'm still a huge Queen fan. You can like anything, even Fleetwood Mac, when you're in a band called End Of Fashion"), sometimes like John Lennon in his "White Album" phase. There's no trace of Jean Michel Jarre (Aravena's favorite as a kid), Sisters Of Mercy (Burford went through a Goth phase at the age of 10) or Nirvana - though every band member sites the latter as a formative influence. "We're not really an angry band," grins King. Boil it all up and End Of Fashion simply sound like themselves.
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03.27.06 (RockAndMetal.com) Legendary Swiss Metal band CELTIC FROST have announced seven weeks of North American tour dates supporting their forthcoming May 30th release, "Monotheist." Commencing Sept. 11th and running through November, the extensive tour will reintroduce the band's mesmerizing live performance to their ravenous fanbase. Also scheduled are European festival performances throughout the summer. Their first studio album in 13 years, and four years in the making, "Monotheist" is an extremely dark, inventive, and radically heavy release. When asked what fans can expect from the tour and the new album, vocalist/guitarist Tom Gabriel Fischer said, "Celtic Frost are very proud to announce their most extensive tour ever of the North American continent. In anticipation of Century Media's May 30th, 2006, release of our darkest and heaviest manifest to date, the Monotheist album, we are preparing a collection of truly morbid old and new Celtic Frost music. Join us at these special services of worship and be part of the reappearance of one the world's most fervent and passionate visions. We will be honored to welcome you." Co-produced by Peter Tagtgren (Hypocrisy, Dimmu Borgir) and with guest vocal appearances from Lisa Middlehauve (Xandria), Satyr (Satyricon), and Ravn (1349), "Monotheist" is a testament to why many metal bands performing today owe allegiance to Celtic Frost. Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison says: "I have been a die-hard Frost fan since Morbid Tales. If you had written them off, think again. This is the next essential Celtic Frost purchase since To Mega Therion. Horns up!!!" Tour Dates: 09/12 Springfield, VA [Jaxx] • 09/13 Springfield, VA [Jaxx] • 09/14 New York, NY [B.B. King's] • 09/15 New York, NY [B.B. King's] • 09/16 Montreal, Canada [Medley] • 09/18 Toronto, Canada [Opera House] • 09/19 Pittsburgh, PA [Rex Theatre] • 09/20 Cleveland, OH [House Of Blues] • 09/22 Detroit, MI [Harpos] • 09/23 Chicago, Ill [Vic Theater] • 09/24 Minneapolis, MN [First Avenue] • 09/25 Winnipeg, Canada [Royal Albert Arms] • 09/27 Calgary, Canada [Warehouse] • 09/28 Edmonton, Canada [Starlite Room] • 09/30 Victoria, Canada [Sugar] • 10/01 Seattle, WA [El Corazon] • 10/02 Portland, OR [Roseland] • 10/03 San Francisco, CA [Fillmore] • 10/04 San Diego, CA [House Of Blues] • 10/06 Anaheim, CA [House Of Blues] • 10/07 Hollywood, CA [House Of Blues] • 10/08 Phoenix, AZ [Marquee Theater] • 10/09 Las Vegas, NV [House Of Blues] • 10/11 Englewood, CO [Gothic Theatre] • 10/12 Albuquerque, NM [Sunshine Theater] • 10/13 El Paso, TX [The Zone] • 10/14 San Antonio, TX [Sunset Station - Lone Star] • 10/16 Kansas City, KS [Bottleneck] • 10/17 St. Louis, Missouri [Pop's] • 10/19 Ft Worth, TX [Ridglea Theater] • 10/20 Houston, TX [Warehouse Live] • 10/21 New Orleans, LA [House Of Blues] • 10/23 Tampa, FL [State Theater] • 10/24 Ft Lauderdale, FL [Culture Room] • 10/25 Orlando, FL [House Of Blues] • 10/27 Atlanta, GA [Masquerade] • 10/28 Myrtle Beach, SC [House Of Blues] • 10/29 Fayetteville, NC [Jester's Pub] • 10/31 Charlotte, NC [Tremont] • 11/02 Norfolk, VA [The Norva] • 11/03 Poughkeepsie, NY [Chance Theatre] • 11/04 Worcester, MA [Palladium]
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03.03.06 (AP/RockAndMetal.com) A Vietnamese court Friday sentenced former British Rocker GARY GLITTER to three years in prison for obscene acts with two young Vietnamese girls, and a melee erupted in the courtroom when Glitter shouted "I'm innocent" after the verdict. Reporters and onlookers, allowed into the courthouse in southern Ba Ria-Vung province to hear the verdict following the closed two-day trial, pressed toward Glitter in a scene of pandemonium as police fended them off and escorted him out of the building. "I haven't done anything. I'm innocent. It's a conspiracy by you know who," Glitter shouted, apparently referring to British tabloid newspapers that had tracked down his presence in Vietnam. GARY GLITTER, 61, whose real name is Paul Francis Gadd, was convicted of committing obscene acts with two girls, ages 10 and 11, at his rented seaside villa in southern Vung Tau last year. He was then sentenced to three years in prison, followed by deportation from Vietnam. The court, in its verdict, cited graphic testimony from the girls that Glitter had fondled and molested them and took showers with them naked in his rented home and in nearby hotels. "Caring for children is to care for our future ... but Gary Glitter's acts went against this," said Judge Hoang Thanh Tung. "He sexually abused and committed obscene acts with children many times in a disgusting and sick manner." Glitter has 15 days to appeal his sentence. His attorney, Le Thanh Kinh, said GARY GLITTER would be eligible for parole in a year, after he serves one-third of his time. The former Glam rocker, a 1970s pop icon in Britain famed for his sequined jumpsuits, platform heels and bouffant wigs, sported a more conservative look for his trial: black clothes and a red bandanna on his head. Glitter, who looked visibly thinner since his arrest, has been held at Phuoc Co prison outside Vung Tau since November. He has been in police custody since November 19th, when he was caught at the Ho Chi Minh City airport trying to board a flight for Bangkok. Police confiscated his laptop computer, which police say had hundreds of pornographic pictures on it. GARY GLITTER, who hit his musical peak in the mid-1970s, had hits with 'Leader Of The Gang' and 'Do You Wanna Touch,' but is perhaps best known for his crowd-pleasing Rock anthem, 'Rock And Roll (Part 2),' which is still played at sporting events. Police had obtained statements from five girls about their sexual involvement with Glitter, including a 12-year-old girl, and compiled medical evidence of potential abuse. During questioning sessions, Glitter "admitted he had intercourse with a lot of Vietnamese women," Lt. Col. Nguyen Duc Trinh had said, who is deputy head of the police investigation department in southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau province. Under Vietnamese law, sexual contact with a minor under the age of 18 carries varying penalties, depending on the charge. Child rape carries the maximum penalty of death before a firing squad. The 12-year-old girl claimed she had sex with Glitter at his home in the seaside resort town, with the official English-language Vietnam News reporting she had told police Glitter had promised to teach her English and to help her to study overseas. The singer's fall from grace began with a conviction in Britain in 1999 for possessing child pornography, for which he served half of a four-month jail term. GARY GLITTER later went to Cambodia, and in 2002 was expelled from that country. However, Cambodian officials did not specify any particular crime or file charges against the singer at the time. In 2004, GARY GLITTER filed a lawsuit against government deportation order there, when local police said Glitter had been living for nearly a year in Phnom Penh's southern outskirts, where he apparently had bought a house.

03.02.06 (RockAndMetal.com) Castle Music has announced a May 1st double-disc album release of "Kornerstoned: The Alexis Korner Anthology 1954-1983," a deluxe slip-cased set laced with copious rarities and material which debuts on CD here for the very first time. ALEXIS KORNER's role in the development of UK Blues, R&B and Rock cannot be overstated, as the upcoming anthology pays homage to this legendary musician. Featured sidemen/guests include THE ROLLING STONES' Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Paul Rodgers, Chris Farlowe, Davy Graham, Long John Baldry, LED ZEPPELIN's Robert Plant, Cyril Davies, Peter Thorup, Zoot Money, Duffy Power, Dick Heckstall-Smith, and many more. For the collector, the album inlay for "Kornerstoned: The Alexis Korner Anthology 1954-1983" also features photos and memorabilia drawn from the ALEXIS KORNER family's archives, with comprehensive liner notes by Neil "Mr Blues" Slaven. "Kornerstoned" is the first in a series of a major ALEXIS KORNER reissue program by Sanctuary Records; the artist's catalog has recently been acquired by the label, with all those really rare albums such as "Blues From The Roundhouse," "R&B From The Marquee," "At The Cavern" and "Sky High" currently in the process of being remastered with bonus tracks, which will start seeing their release later this year. The remastered collection will be stickered with the "Godfather Of British Blues" icon, which will appear on all forthcoming ALEXIS KORNER output from Sanctuary Records. With his gravelly, instantly-identifiable, cigarillo-furred voice, ALEXIS KORNER carved out a mighty reputation for himself, not only as a singer, but also as a radio presenter. But his most important role was perhaps that of a catalyst, discovering and encouraging emergent talent - as the cast list of sidemen playing on this compilation confirms. Korner first recorded in 1954 with Ken Colyer's band, THE KEN COYLER SKIFFLE GROUP, before forming his own combo with Cyril Davies in 1956. They made their first recordings in 1957 for a tiny collectors' label, billed variously as ALEXIS KORNER'S BREAKDOWN GROUP and ALEXIS KORNER'S SKIFFLE GROUP, before adopting the infinitely hipper-sounding BLUES INCORPORATED identity in 1960. Over the years, BLUES INCORPORATED underwent numerous line-up changes, so by the late 60's ALEXIS KORNER was trying out new brand names, such as FREE AT LAST. After his next band, NEW CHURCH, had begun to make waves in Europe, another of his projects, CCS, unexpectedly charted in the UK with their chunky, big band arrangement of LED ZEPPELIN's 'Whole Lotta Love.' But within a couple of years, Korner was on the move again, alternating an increasingly eclectic solo career with further group projects like SNAPE and BACK DOOR, literally continuing to record with as many different musicians as was humanly possible. "Kornerstoned: The Alexis Korner Anthology 1954-1983" is the first bona fide in-depth study of ALEXIS KORNER's career, starting with 'Midnight Special' from his earliest recorded session with THE KEN COYLER SKIFFLE GROUP and ending with the semi-autobiographical 'Mean Fool' from his very last, a live set for the BBC. ALEXIS KORNER died of lung cancer on January 1st, 1984. Ten years later, a memorial concert was held at Buxton Opera House to raise funds for the Beechwood Cancer Care Centre.

03.02.06 (RockAndMetal.com) HAMMERFALL guitarist Oscar Dronjak has posted the following message on the group's official web site: "The Winter Olympics 2006 are over, and it ended on a high note for us: Sweden beat Finland 3-2 in the ice-hockey final, in a very exciting and nerve-racking game. Actually, the Finns were the most impressive team in this tournament, winning every match decisively until the final round and easily beating the second best playing team this year, Russia, in the semi-finals. But the Swedes played a beautiful game on the ice, cutting the Finns short on almost every occasion. I know our neighbors in the east (or west, for that matterÉ) won't agree with me, but it was a most fitting end to the XXth games, with Sweden winning their seventh (!) gold medal. Congratulations to everyone who made this the by far most succcessful Winter Olympics for our nation. And thanks for the great memories! I have only one question: what am I supposed to fill my days with now? :-) Well, maybe writing a little music would be a good start. Actually, we have more or less completed half the songs for the album, scheduled to be released at the end of October of this year. I have a very good feeling about this, the music so far is very varied and, I think, of high quality. My gut tells me we will be building on the foundation of 'Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken' and expanding the horizons of what is Hammerfall even further. You all will find out eventually. I will post more news on this as we go, with some song titles and such in the coming months. The new issue of Sweden Rock magazine features an extensive eight-page tour diary I wrote on the Stratovarius/Hammerfall tour last fall, and Anders [Johansson, drums] have written something as well which will be published in various Metal Hammers around Europe. Look them up if you want an insight in life on the road, I think you'll find the reading both amusing and interesting." When you talk about today's Heavy Metal scene, you have to talk about Sweden's HAMMERFALL. Founded by Dronjak in 1993, he enlisted friend Jesper Stromblad and later Joacim Cans to create the songs for and record the classic "Glory To The Brave" album. Since Stromblad and two more members decided to concentrate on their other bands, Cans and Dronjak were left to replace the entire lineup even before the album was released. Regardless, "Glory To The Brave" became the album the Metal scene needed and was waiting for: straight, hard-hitting songs that instantly became hymns, getting everybody to talk about the band. Although it was a quiet period for Metal at the time, HAMMERFALL entered the German charts at position #38 and made everybody feel the power of Heavy Metal music once more. "A metal heart is hard to tear apart," the band sang, and it rang true. HAMMERFALL soon became one of the the most successful newcomers ever on the European Metal scene, and made two more excellent albums in "Legacy Of Kings" and "Renegade," which were followed by 2002's "Crimson Thunder" and the band's current "Blood Bound" album (released this past October), on which producer Charlie Bauerfeind did a fantastic job to help create HAMMERFALL's heaviest album to date.
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03.01.06 (RockAndMetal.com) Columbia Records will release BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN's 21st album, "We Shall Overcome - The Seeger Sessions," on April 25th. The album features Springsteen's personal interpretations of thirteen traditional songs, all of them associated with the legendary guiding light of modern American Folk music, Pete Seeger, for whom the album is named. Speaking of the origins of the new music, Springsteen says: "So much of my writing, particularly when I write acoustically, comes straight out of the folk tradition. Making this album was creatively liberating because I have a love of all those different roots sounds... they can conjure up a whole world with just a few notes and a few words." BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN recorded the album with a large ensemble. The musicians on "We Shall Overcome - The Seeger Sessions" are Springsteen (guitar, harmonica, B3 organ and percussion), Sam Bardfeld (violin), Art Baron (tuba), Frank Bruno (guitar), Jeremy Chatzy (upright bass), Mark Clifford (banjo), Larry Eagle (drums and percussion), Charles Giordano (B3 organ, piano and accordion), Ed Manion (saxophone), Mark Pender (trumpet), Richie "La Bamba" Rosenberg (trombone) and Soozie Tyrell (violin). Lisa Lowell, Patti Scialfa, Springsteen, Pender, Tyrell, and Rosenberg contribute backing vocals. "We Shall Overcome - The Seeger Sessions" will be released in DualDisc format, with the full album on one side of the disc and DVD content on the other side. The 30-minute video side of the DualDisc is slated to contain extensive behind-the-scenes footage of the recording of the new album. In addition, the DualDisc package will contain two bonus tracks and a special booklet including some notes from BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN. Springsteen is planning a short tour in the U.S. and Europe to accompany the release of the album. He will reportedly be appearing with most of the same musicians who appear on "We Shall Overcome - The Seeger Sessions." Tour information will be announced separately at a later date. According to BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN's long-time manager, Jon Landau, "'We Shall Overcome - The Seeger Sessions' has a lightness and ease to it, a sheer joyfulness, that makes it very special from top to bottom. Bruce has taken a core group of classic American songs and transformed them into a high-energy, modern and very personal statement." "We Shall Overcome - The Seeger Sessions" Track Listing: 1. Old Dan Tucker • 2. Jessie James • 3. Mrs. McGrath • 4. Oh, Mary, Don't You Weep • 5. John Henry • 6. Erie Canal • 7. Jacob's Ladder • 8. My Oklahoma Home • 9. Eyes On The Prize • 10. Shenandoah • 11. Pay Me My Money Down • 12. We Shall Overcome • 13. Froggie Went A-Courtin' • 14. Buffalo Gals (Bonus Track) • 15. How Can I Keep From Singing (Bonus Track)
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[Rock News: February 2006]
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