MK Magazine News 2008

Cheap Trick tell Billboard their June 23rd album The Latest sounds “like 2009.” The band is selling the disc on their Website and Amazon, and also have plans to do a release documenting its 2007 performance of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band at the Hollywood Bowl.

The band start taking pre-orders for the 13-track set, which it recorded during the past year mostly in Los Angeles with producer Julian Raymond,  TODAY via its official web site, www.cheaptrick.com.

for the whole story see:

www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/cheap-trick-preps-the-latest-1003977727.story

The Sgt Pepper performances, which took place on August 10 and 11 2007, were accompanied by the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra as well as special guests Aimee Mann, Joan Osborne, Gomez’s Ian Ball, Ministry’s Al Jourgenson, and singer-songwriter Rob Laufer.

For the George Harrison-penned “Within You Without You,” an Indian instrumental ensemble also joined in.

For the encore, all participating musicians (even the black-clad, normally scouling Jourgenson) came onstage and linked arms to sing “All You Need Is Love”–a most fitting finale to this feelgood evening.

The first half of the concerts featured the following handpicked Fab Four classics :

“Magical Mystery Tour” (with Cheap Trick, orchestra)
“Strawberry Fields Forever” (with Ian Ball, orchestra)
“Norwegian Wood” (with Rob Laufer, orchestra)
“Blackbird” (with Aimee Mann)
“Eleanor Rigby” (with orchestra)
“Lady Madonna” (with Joan Osborne, orchestra)
“The Long And Winding Road” (with Joan Osborne, orchestra)
“I Want You/She’s So Heavy” (with Cheap Trick, Al Jourgenson, orchestra)
“Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/End” (with Cheap Trick, orchestra)

The recreation of the Sgt. Pepper album was performed during the second half of the concerts, with the following setlist:

“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” (vocals by Cheap Trick’s Robin Zander)
“With A Little Help From My Friends” (vocals by Robin Zander)
“Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” (vocals by Joan Osborne)
“Getting Better” (vocals by Robin Zander)
“Fixing A Hole” (vocals by Aimee Mann)
“She’s Leaving Home” (vocals by Robin Zander)
“Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite” (vocals by Ian Ball)
“Within You Without You” (vocals by Rob Laufer)
“When I’m Sixty-Four” (vocals by Ian Ball)
“Lovely Rita” (vocals by Aimee Mann)
“Good Morning” (vocals by Robin Zander)
“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band - Reprise” (vocals by Robin Zander)
“A Day In The Life” (vocals by Robin Zander)

According to the web site of music industry tip sheet HITS, the new album from Marilyn Manson, entitled “The High End Of Low”, is on track to sell between 50,000 and 55,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release.

Marilyn Manson’s previous album, “Eat Me, Drink Me”, opened with 88,000 units to debut at position No. 8 on The Billboard 200 chart.

That marked a significant drop from the 118,000 first-week tally registered by its predecessor, “The Golden Age Of Grotesque.” [So he has basically lost half of his fans.]

Not so, as this is VERY typical in the current trend of retail music sales.  As far as first week sales are concerned, this is actually really good.

And this is in defense of all sales not of MM because I’m not even interested in giving this thing a listen after that last platter he shat out. Every song vocally sounded like he’s still grunting to take that monumental bowel movement he’s been trying to squeeze out of his guts since 1994. - az

VH1 Classic’s “That Metal Show” hosts Eddie Trunk, Jim Florentine, and Don Jamieson will head to this year’s Download festival — set to take place June 12-14 at Donington Park, United Kingdom — to give their viewers an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at one of the bigger heavy metal/hard rock events in the world.

The “Download Festival” special will be aired on VH1 Classic in two parts on Friday, July 17 at 8:00 p.m. The first part will feature a special edition of “That Metal Show” where Jim, Don, and Eddie will deliver exclusive backstage interviews and the second show will feature performances by some of the top headliners of the festival.

The Download festival continues to take place at Donington Park, which has established itself as the original and “spiritual” home of all things rock since the first Monsters of Rock festival in 1980.

The benefit of Download festival at Donington Park in its seventh year is that it has enabled festival organizers to confirm some changes to the site layout, improving the festival experience of everyone attending this year. With the Download festival renowned worldwide for its excellent on site facilities and 24-hour entertainment, this year’s event will more than ever reflect the recommendations from its fan base to make the festival bigger and better than ever.

“I spent Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and then my birthday entirely alone, except for (my cat) Lily.” –Marilyn Manson

The shock rocker proved he’s human after all, opening up about his 2008 split with silver-screen beauty Evan Rachel Wood.

In December 2006, Evan Rachel Wood met Marilyn Manson and the two began dating. People questioned the age difference, but Evan and Marilyn made it work. Engagement rumors even followed the couple for a little while, but they never panned out. The romance lasted nearly two years before they decided to break up in October 2008.

A French novel is the inspiration behind Iggy Pop’s new album

Iggy Pop doesn’t usually do things by the book. But then, the book in question usually isn’t Michel Houellebecq’s The Possibility of an Island.

The controversial French author’s 2005 novel — which loosely inspired the 62-year-old punk icon’s new song cycle — is about “death, sex, the end of the human race, and some other pretty funny stuff,” quips Pop in a press release.

More specifically, it chronicles the final years of a provocative, cynical and misanthropic entertainer and libertine named Daniel, whose yearning for a more meaningful existence leads him to a Raelian-like cult where he (along with his loyal dog, Fox) eventually achieves virtual immortality through cloning.

Provocative? Cynical? Misanthropic? Dogs? Sound like anyone you know?

Thing is, Preliminaires — in stores June 2 — doesn’t sound like typical Iggy. Supposedly “sick of listening to idiot thugs with guitars banging out crappy music,” Pop embraces blues, Francophone balladry, bossa nova and New Orleans ragtime jazz here, producing his moodiest, quietest work since 1999’s introspective Avenue B.

Given the reception that received, much of Iggy’s fan base will probably hate this. And while the disc does have its flaws — some songs are underdeveloped, the connection to the book is slight, it’s a tad repetitive, and it never quite coheres into a unified whole — you have to applaud Pop’s refusal to pander or even cater to his audience.

After all, it takes guts to admit that not every story has a happy ending.

Thursday, May 28, 2009 at 8:00pm-2:00am
The Spot 
 
The Oona Tramps have the recipe to turn this economic downturn into a ECONOMIC FROWN-TURN with THE GREAT RECESSION DIGESTION!

That’s right! on Thursday, May 28th, at the Spot, 4437 N. Broadway, starting at 8pm and going to ???, the Oona Tramps will be hosting an event of TRAMP-ICK proportions.

for the ASTRONOMICALLY LOW PRICE of $10, you get:

* FREE DRINKS from 8 - 9pm!
* LAUGH HYSTERICALLY as the Oona Tramps perform some of their favorite scenes!
* TWO TANTALIZING BURLESQUE DANCERS, Lady Jack and Vicky Sin!
* DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY after the show!
* SECRET GUEST ACTS! (Like Michelle L’amour, shhhh…)

All this and MORE awaits you and your friends on Thursday, May 28th, @ 8PM at the Spot!

What: The Great Recession Digestion
When: Thursday, May 28th, from 8pm - ??? (House Bar from 8 - 9pm)
Where: The Spot, 4437 N. Broadway
Cost: $10 per person
Why: Cause You Deserve a Good Time!

www.oonaproductions.com
www.myspace.com/oonatramps

May 29, 2009 – 10:00pm & 1:00am

Exit - 1315 W North Av, Chicago IL 60642

People always say “You get what you pay for.” We respectfully submit that you get a whole lot MORE than what you pay for when you come to the premiere FREE burlesque show in Chicago – “BROADZILLA!”

Check out all the stuff you get for NO COVER!

TWO totally different burlesque shows in one night! Come early for our 10:00 show and stay late for our 1:00am show

TWO sexy and sassy hosts: Vaudezilla’s very own Red Hot Annie and Wham Bam Pam keep the shows fast, funny, and ferocious with the help of the prettiest pickup girls in town, the Vaudezilla Vixens!

TALENT! TALENT! TALENT! Where else can you see this roster of the most appealing peelers in the Windy City: Red Hot Annie, Donna Touch, Wham Bam Pam, Maria May I Violet Vogue, Siren Jinx, Backdoor Aly, Bizarre Sally, Apple Venus, Coo d’Twat, Miss Teddy Bare, MsPixy, Jolie Roberson, Lula Houp Garou, Dolls of Doom, The Flaming Dames, boylesque by S.I.R. and so many more!

SWAG BAGS! That’s right. You get free stuff! Magnets, pens, candy, tee-shirts, and all kinds of fun stuff from Vaudezilla and sponsor PBR.

Cheap, cheap, cheap booze - $2 PBR cans – the big ones!

www.vaudezilla.com/events.htm

 Ministry’s Al Jourgensen may have unpacked his road cases for good, but he’s sure not kicking back, smoking cigars and drinking bottles of red wine. Uh, well, hold on now…

Nevertheless, Uncle Al is keeping his fingers in all sorts of pies, such as having three of his Ministry songs make up the Ministry Three Pack soon to be made available for the Rock BandT Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft on and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. Starting May 26 for Xbox 360® and May 28 for PLAYSTATION 3, you’ll be able to download the Ministry Three Pack which includes the Grammy-nominated songs “The Great Satan” and “Lieslieslies” from Rio Grand Blood, and, from The Wicked Soundtrack, “Cuz U R Next.” The pack will retail for $5.49/440 Microsoft Points, or you can download the individual songs for $1.99/160 Microsoft Points each.

And if you just can’t get enough of Al and the gang, be sure and pick up a copy of Adios …Puta Madres, a double-DVD set that documents the band’s 2008 final world tour, “C U LaTouR,” that will be in stores May 26. Adios…Puta Madres features 15 live performance tracks and a 45-minute on-the-road “rockumentary” that follows the band from rehearsals all the way to their final shows in Europe.

The Rock Band Music Store has more than 670 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/music). Rock BandT2 is available for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system, PlayStation 2 system and Wii system.

Here we go again, summer #11 in Chicago!!! 

After a year in cold-storage, Seattle industrial-rock mainstays Sounds of Mass Production are alive, well and ready to hit the road.

And this time, they’re not alone.

Starting August 28, SMP will be tearing up freeways along with industrial hardcore outfit Stiff Valentine (Vancouver, Canada) for the Blood Trails Tour.

Hitting 14 cities across the West Coast, Blood Trails will bring audiences anger, empathy and electronics, mixed with heaps of crunchy guitars and percussion.

Sure, the economy’s in the toilet, the music industry is a cratered moonscape and we’re all left wondering if the next paycheck will be the last. But what are you gonna do, hide under your bed?

We’re not, and neither should you.

BAND BIOS:

SMP, aka Sounds of Mass Production, is a Seattle based industrial-rock band, with heavy rap and punk influences. Their most current record, “The Treatment” was produced by Wade Alin of Christ Analogue.

Stiff Valentine is four-piece industrial punk juggernaut that calls Vancouver, B.C. home. Led by “Loud” Chris DeMarcus, SV tackles dance floors and mosh pits alike with heavy riffs, thumping beats, throat-tearing vocals and its not-so-secret weapon: a sense of humour.

Stiff Valentine’s 2009 album, Industrial Metal Disco, weaves stories of rage, frustration and sadness at a 21st Century choking to death on its own boredom.

TOUR DATES:

Aug. 28, 2009 – Seattle, Washington - TBA
Aug. 29, 2009 – Portland, Oregon - TBA
Aug. 30, 2009 – Eugene, Oregon - TBA
Aug. 31, 2009 – San Fransisco, California - TBA
Sept. 1, 2009 – Las Vegas, Nevada - TBA
Sept. 2, 2009 – Phoenix, Arizona - TBA
Sept. 3, 2009 – Albuquerque, New Mexico - TBA
Sept. 4, 2009 – Denver, Colorado - TBA
Sept. 5, 2009 – Salt Lake City, Utah - TBA
Sept. 6, 2009 – Idaho Falls, Idaho - TBA
Sept. 7, 2009 – Boise, Idaho - TBA
Sept. 8, 2009 – Vancouver, British Columbia - TBA

Promoters can contact Trafik Records Booking via contact@trafikrecords.com or 604-916-1441

Important sites:

www.stiffvalentine.com
www.smphq.com

SMP is generally described as industrial-rock or coldwave. However, elements of punk and rap can be heard as well.