Win A Queensrÿche Autographed Guitar

Enter for your chance to win a Queensrÿche Autographed guitar signed by the entire band. The ESP LTD MW-600 is a perfect 'skulls on black' replica of the guitar you've seen Michael Wilton play on tour with Queensrÿche, and heard on their albums. The MW-600 is a high-performance guitar with professional hardware and awesome custom skull-and-bones graphics, designed precisely to Michael's specifications, only from ESP Guitars!

ENTER @ AMERICANSOLDIERALBUM.COM

Check out a Michael Wilton interview on CHOP SHOP radio

Queensrÿche's American Soldier Is Available Now! Check Out An Exclusive Listening Party

Queensrÿche's much-anticipated new album AMERICAN SOLDIER was released today. This heralded concept album finds the band returning to their classic sound. It's an epic journey. Listen now to the back-half of the album:

7. Middle Of Hell
8. If I Were King
9. Man Down!
10. Remember Me
11. Home Again
12. The Voice

QUICKTIME
WMA
REAL

AMAZON (CD or MP3 album is $9.99)
ITUNES

Watch the powerful video for the 1st single IF I WERE KING

A Jane's Addiction Cabinet of Curiosities Listening Party!

We were fortunate to be guests of C3 at an old abandoned Safeway in Austin last Thursday during SXSW to witness a renuited Jane's Addiction kick off their middle-of-the-night Playboy party set with a towering version of Three Days.

And now, we're passing it forward in the form of a special 6-song listening party culled from tracks from the upcoming April 21st Rhino Records release of the Jane's Addiction A CABINET OF CURIOSITIES box set.

JANE'S ADDICTION
A CABINET OF CURIOSITIES

Listening Party Track List:

MOUNTAIN SONG (RADIO TOKYO DEMO)
CLASSIC GIRL (DEMO)
BEEN CAUGHT STEALING (12" REMIX)
L.A. MEDLEY [The Doors “L.A. Woman” X’s “Nausea” & the Germs “Lexicon Devil”] (LIVE)
AIN'T NO RIGHT (LIVE)
OCEAN SIZE (LIVE)

QUICKTIME

WMA

REAL

MORE INFO

Stream The Entire Queensrÿche American Soldier Album At VH1 Classic

Queensrÿche's AMERICAN SOLDIER releases next Tuesday March 31. Anxious to hear it? Head over to VH1 CLASSIC to listen to the entire album now through Monday.

Black Bug Trapped In A Cabinet of Curiosities

Reliable sources indicate that there's a "black bug" trapped in a flash version of Jane's Addiction A CABINET OF CURIOSITIES.

CLICK HERE to let the bug loose. In doing so, you'll also discover a veritable cabinet of curiosities set to a selection of tracks from the upcoming Jane's Addiction box set; due April 21st on Rhino Records.

World Premiere Of New Queensrÿche 'If I Were King' Video At Military.com

The video for "If I Were King," the first single from Queensrÿche's highly anticipated new album AMERICAN SOLDIER, will receive its worldwide debut on Monday, March 23 at Noon EST on Military.com, home of the largest military and veteran membership organization. The military community site, 10 million members strong, will also feature a podcast interview with lead singer Geoff Tate as well as an op-ed column that he wrote exclusively for the site.

The video for "If I Were King" was directed by J. Andrew Colletti and Jonathan Williams and addresses the same themes of loss and healing that are the focus of the track. The song was written based on an interview Tate conducted with Sean Lenahan, a veteran of U.S. conflicts in Somalia and Kosovo.

"Military.com is the perfect place to premiere the 'If I Were King' video and we are proud to be involved with the site," says Tate. "I hope their members can find a connection to the song and video. The whole album is a tribute to the soldiers, told in their own words, sometimes using their own voices, and I hope it will spark discussion within this community."

AMERICAN SOLDIER features a dozen songs inspired by numerous interviews with veterans conducted by Tate, who was intent on telling their story using their words. After speaking with soldiers who served in various conflicts from World War II to Iraq, Tate turned their firsthand experiences from the frontlines into an unflinching musical examination of war from the soldier's perspective.

WATCH IF I WERE KING

SXSW 2009 - The Reventón Top 10; Bottom 5

To quote Metallica; "We are scanning the scene in the city tonight." SXSW 2009 is in the books and the diluted memory banks. What a haul it was! It's getting to be more and more like a grand circus with each passing year. I've learned a few things in the last 9 years; one of which is keeping my schedule lean so as to immerse in each microcosm fully. With a whopping 1900 bands / artists, I barely saw more than 1% but what a glorious 1%.

TOP 10:
1) Metallica at Stubb's - James Hetfield sarcastically acknowledged their "surprise" SXSW appearance as "the best kept secret in rock 'n roll". The jig was up when a couple of 18-wheelers pulled up early Friday morning to start load-in. Truly, a once in a lifetime event...and for a little staggering perspective (as chronicled by the local paper), Metallica has probably sold more albums than all other 1900 bands combined.

Mic / line checks took about an 1/2 hour but then the animated heroes of Guitar Hero Metallica took to the stage and played an 80+ minute show for 2100 Metal Maniacs & various celebs including Perry Farrell & his wife Etty. The band made the occasional mistakes (Hefield played out of tune for two songs) but systematically ripped through (in order):

Creeping Death
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Harvester of Sorrow
One
Broken, Beat & Scarred
Cyanide
Sad But True
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
Master of Puppets
Blackened
Encore:
Breadfan
Whiplash
Seek & Destroy

Killer set list and I personally was very happy to not have to hear Enter Sandman. I did however make the mistake or joining the aggro mosh pit...my newly sprained ankle was a memento.

2) Jane's Addiction @ the Playboy/C3 party - Took place in an old abandoned Safeway grocery store. Venue reached capacity quickly and there were some initial sound problems because of a faulty cable that almost derailed the show but by 1:45AM a reunited Jane's Addiction were rocking. They fired up Three Days to open the set and killed it. Navarro twittered about it after the song ended. It was awesome to see/hear the original incarnation as Eric Avery adds a lot to their sound / stage presence. He's the glue that will cement their upcoming NIN|JA tour as the most revered of the year.

3) Deadmau5 @ La Zona Rosa - As always happens at SXSW, this showcase was a recommendation. In this case, it was transformative. Hitting the stage donning a huge mouse costume (his moniker is pronounced Deadmouse), this DJ set laced with live mixing was explosive. The beats and bass were ridiculous. The pulsating vibrations rifled through your feet to your knees. He's done some tracks with Kaskade; and Tiesto has used his tracks on his comps. The new guard is upon us.

4) Chicken Tortilla Sopa and a delicate Argentinian Malbec Riserva at Manuel's on Congress. Throw in some fresh avocado and a heap of white cheese and this dark brown spicy molasses is a well-spring of soul replenishment.

5) The Crystal Method @ La Zona Rosa - Though I didn't get into the living room set on Friday night at the Ticketmaster 508 House; TCM's set on Saturday night was a crash-course in the power of tag-team DJs wielding maximum power. They rocked the Big Beat like only Ken & Scott can. La Zona was a rockin', we can't hear you knockin'.

6) Shiny Toy Guns @ Vice - This showcase ended up being my final of the conference. Due to an exaggerated time to set up the band's sound, STG didn't hit the stage until 1:30AM (with a 2:00AM sound ordinance). Armed with alcohol, attitude and the bass-heavy sound system of Vice (typically a dance club...Junkie XL rocked it last year), Shiny Toy Guns unleashed a raucous set of heft and sweat. New vocalist Sisely Treasure alternated between bass and lead vocals as the band pound out their electronic modern rock. 2AM came too soon but the band played on and at 2:15AM the Austin police had mgmt cut the band's sound. Lead singer Chad Petree (who was wearing a leather aviator's cap) said "Do what you gotta do" and without sound the band lead the crowd through ther final number with only drums and clapping as instrumentation. A true rock 'n roll moment (you can't stop rock 'n roll) and a fitting end to my 96 hours in Austin.

7) Maiko & Kenichi sushi - Sure BBQ and Tex Mex are good ways to soak up the booze and dull the munchies but good sushi can actually be consumed in a land-locked city known for copious amounts of meat. The Toro & Aji at Kenichi were tender & the Salmon and Hamachi at Maiko tasted superb with a dab of fresh ground wasabi.

8) Sam's BBQ on East 12th - A short cab ride out of downtown to the "other" side of town will put you at Sam's BBQ, an old Stevie Ray Vaughn haunt. Housed in an actual old house, this is the real deal...no offense to Stubb's or Iron Works, (I ate at both of those places as well) but if you want meat that's been simmering for days and sausage bursting with flavor (even without sauce), then Sam's is the the only choice. We sat out on the back porch with our styrofoam plates, flimpsy plastic utensils and cold cans of red soda and savored every bite. So damn good that Stevie Ray used to have Sam's Fed Ex orders to him while he was in NYC. SRV also donated money to refurbish the place after a fire.

9) Custard Records party at Lenai - Linda Perry's label held a mixer on Thursday; early evening. Catered by Pink Avocado, the appetizers were delicious and the free booze was plentiful. While a breeze slithered through this open-air 2nd floor bar overlooking downtown Austin, hipsters chatted with Ms Perry and listened to Custard artists such as Big Elf. The universe was momentarily in alignment.

10) SXSW badge access - For all the money one must throw down months in advance, the badge is finally doing what it should. There were some problems a few years ago but in the past two years having a badge has actually expedited entrance to nearly every showcase. For Metallica, there was a line down the block 2 1/2 hours before they took the stage but with a badge I walked in immediately with no waiting. Ditto for several other crowded showcases. Bravo!

Bottom 5:
1) Intercontinental Hotel - Great location and not the center of bombast like the Driskill. But for the money and supposed prestige, this hotel needs a severe update.

2) SXSW swag bag - I know it costs companies some coin to insert their product and propaganda and that we're in a brutal recession but come on, badges run $600 to $700. There should be more than a bunch of magazines, flyers and a few samplers. I opted to not even take this bag.

3) The overall circumference of showcases...6th street may be the anchor point but every year its radius gets wider and wider...seeing a showcase at Mother Egan's at 700 W 6th and then going to the Perez Hilton party at an old abandoned Safeway at 11th & I35 to see Kanye West is about 2 miles away. And definitely not nearly enough bike rickshas to accommodate demand.

4) Traffic on 6th street. Not talking about cars; that's on the periphery. 6th street is so packed, it's like being at the mall during Christmas in 1999. It's impossible to even move through the thoroughway...gone are the days of club hopping...you can't move through the lingering stoners and stumbling drunks quick enough.

5) Cell phone coverage. Guess the networks were jammed with too many Tweets and Texts (which are the ONLY way to communicate at SXSW). iPhone users had it the worst.

Well, that Big Mac Wraps it up (yes, a new menu item). Until it's time for March Madness again; sayonara señores y señoritas.

Queensrÿche's Geoff Tate Pens Op Ed For Military.com

Thank A Soldier
Geoff Tate | March 17, 2009

Over the last few tumultuous years, things have become very political. War brings that out. People agree and disagree, and we Americans find it comfortable to debate politics with clever bumper stickers. One sticker slogan that pushed my buttons was one that declared, "I support our troops!" For months I asked myself what it meant. Was I missing something? Wasn't this statement obvious? Isn't this one thing that most of us can agree on?

The more I thought about it the more I thought of my own meanings for this ambiguous statement. Of course I support our troops … or do I? What is it that I do support? What do I even know about our troops? Even though I was raised in a military family I had never been a Soldier and I've certainly never been in combat.

I felt compelled to understand what a Soldier is. Just what is the soldier's perspective? What does the Soldier experience before, during and after war. The only way to do this was to ask them and to listen to what they had to say.

I started by asking my dad who is a veteran of Korea and Vietnam about his experiences. This was new territory for us as we had never talked about such things and as he spoke about the challenges that he had faced as a young man I began to understand him differently and see how he became the person he had become. As we were talking, I grabbed my video camera and filmed our time together so I could share his thoughts with my wife and children.

After seeing the taped conversation with my dad, my wife said, "You need to write a song about this. You need to share this with other people." As we spoke further about it we both realized that with more interviews with more Soldiers from different conflicts, we might then begin to understand the meaning of supporting the troops.

I didn't realize the depth of the journey I would take and how much I would learn. Throughout hundreds of hours of conversations with soldiers from WWII to the present conflict in Iraq, I found myself humbled and awed by their dedication, loyalty and supreme willingness to give everything and anything for our way of life. They lay their lives on the line and live through things that most of us can't even imagine. They stand in the "Gap" so that the rest of us can live our lives and pursue our dreams. We sleep easy because they are watching our backs.

As one of the Soldiers states in the opening line of the song "Unafraid" on Queenryche's new album, "People sometimes lose the vision of where it all came from … they're living in the laps of luxury in a country that was built on over three and half million deaths. "Our military men and women make sacrifices, and I for one never stopped to realize just how enormous these sacrifices are. I took it all for granted.

"How can you know me until you've walked in my boots?" This is a very old saying and I think a very appropriate description of this album of music. These are Soldier's stories, their words and even their voices. This hour of music is a walk in a Soldier's boots.

As you listen to the record and hear these songs and stories, I hope you will be moved. I urge you to not stop there but to talk to the people in your life, the people you know that have served our country. Ask them to share their stories. Then thank them.

AMERICAN SOLDIER releases on March 31

Cage Match - Gene Simmons Vs. Bob Lefsetz (Leaflet)

Many in the music biz know Bob Lefsetz and his pointed daily emails/rants about the industry and its hits n' misses. Last week, while attending the CMW (Canadian Music Week) conference in Toronto, he sent out his thoughts after hearing a Gene Simmons address (or as he called it 'an advertisement'). By the end of the day, it had made the rounds and Mr. Simmons responded in kind or in this case in unkind.

Here's the blow by blow:

From: Gene Simmons (via email to Telma Costa at Universal Music)

Before we start this review of my Keynote Speech at CMS from a guy who's blog was forwarded to me, I'm going to take the liberty of telling everyone I'm going to comment as we go along.

First, the name LEFSETZ. I would tell him to his face. That name's gotta go. It blows. If this guy was in a band and wanted to sign with us, he'd have to change his name. Or, sign with someone else.
Otherwise, have no clue who this fellow is or what he does.
Let's see.....

"Imagine you're stranded on a desert island and you stumble upon a member of the opposite sex. You're thrilled! You're gonna have someone to talk to, you're gonna make love until the Coast Guard finally figures out your ship sank and rescues you.

And this person may not be a beauty queen, but hey, he or she is all right. At least that's what you think at first. Maybe you even have sex and forget your plight for a moment or two. But then, even though you're exhausted, your partner just won't give up. Insists on having sex every hour, being coddled, all the while telling you how fucking hot they are. It would almost be enough to get you to jump back into the water and swim to your death.

That's what listening to Gene Simmons is like."

THANK YOU.

"He's not a dumb dude."

THANK YOU.

"But it's a full time commercial."

CORRECT.

"And why? Doesn't he have enough money?"

WELL, RESPECTFULLY, IT'S NOT UP TO THIS AMATEUR TO DETERMINE IF I HAVE ENOUGH MONEY. I'LL LET HIM KNOW IF AND WHEN I DO. UNTIL THAT TIME, IT'S BEST TO PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR OWN MONEY.

"Isn't this like an ex-President buying time on television to give us his opinion on the budget? Running for an office he can't be elected to? Hey Gene, you were a star once, can you let it go? Can you stop trying to convince us that not only is your music great, but that KISS is the biggest act in the world?"

NO.

"I mean if we really want to get down to it, don't we have to give credit to Bob Ezrin?"

YES. ALWAYS.

"The producer of "Destroyer", containing the KISS klassics "Detroit Rock City", "Shout It Out Loud" and the band's biggest hit, "Beth"? Not only did Ezrin produce those tracks, HE CO-WROTE THEM! I'm thinking without Ezrin, KISS is a footnote."

PERHAPS.
OH, I FORGOT TO MENTION, KISS STARTS THE SOUTH AMERICAN LEG OF THE 35TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR AT BUENOS AIRES STADIUM - 90,000 PEOPLE. LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT A TICKET.

"Ezrin went on to further greatness, producing one of the biggest albums of all time, Pink Floyd's "The Wall", as well as the critically lauded debut of Peter Gabriel. KISS? They took the makeup off and put it back on, reunited with the original members, kicked them out again and kept dunning us with endless product promotions."

ALL OF THIS IS TRUE. AND YOUR POINT IS..."?

"And that's what this "keynote" address at CMW was. A product promotion, for the latest iteration of Simmons Records."

CORRECT.
I HAVE A FIDUCIARY DUTY TO UNIVERSAL MUSIC CANADA AND I HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN SIMMONS RECORDS. TO DO OTHERWISE AT CMW, WOULD BE STUPID. I KNOW HE'S NOT INFERRING I'M STUPID. QUITE THE CONTRARY.

"Just because you're a big musical act, that doesn't mean you're a decent executive, that you can run a record company."

SAYS WHO. YOU? AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MAKE THESE ASSESSMENTS. WHAT'S YOUR QUALIFICATION, IN FACT, FOR SAYING ANYTHING...

"That's like saying a great football coach has to have been a star quarterback. They're different skills. One that Mr. Simmons has yet to master. Sure, he made that demo tape with Van Halen, but the band ended up on WARNER BROTHERS!"

THIS MORON DOESN'T KNOW DETAILS AND BEHAVES AS IF HE DOES. FACT ONE: AFTER SEEING THE BAND AT THE STARWOOD CLUB IN LA IN 1977, I SIGNED VAN HALEN TO MY PRODUCTION COMPANY, "MAN OF 1,000 FACES" AND PRODUCED THEIR 24 TRACK DEMO, 15 SONG DEMO AT ELECTRIC LADY STUDIOS. KISS WAS GOING OUT ON TOUR, AND I DIDN'T WANT TO KEEP VAN HALEN TIED UP, SO I LET THEM SHOP THEIR OWN DEAL, WITHOUT INSISTING I KEEP A SLICE.
WHAT HIS POINT ABOUT ALL THIS, IS BEYOND ME.

"Truly, it was relentless. Gene with that bizarre hairdo sponsored by Brillo"

NOW, NOW...NO NEED TO BE JEALOUS, BABY.
JUST BECAUSE I REMEMBER YOUR MOMMY BACKSTAGE AND THEN AT THE HOTEL IS NO REASON TO BE ENVIOUS OF MY GOOD LOOKS.

"maintaining that 360 deals are good for artists and that Canada can be the new Ireland."

CORRECT. I "DO" BELIEVE CANADA POSSESSES ALL THAT.

"U2 came from Ireland, what does that country possess that Canada does not? Isn't that like saying Mutt Lange came from Rhodesia, therefore Lithuania should be able to produce the best record producer on the planet?"

NO. NOT REALLY. AND, I'M NOT SURE ANYONE READING THIS HAS A CLUE WHAT THE RHODESIA/LITHUANIA THING MEANS.

"Really, it didn't have to be 2009, it could have been 1009. With a huckster up on stage, trying to convince us to buy from him".

NOPE. NEVER SAID YOU SHOULD BUY FROM ME. DON'T LIE, HONEY.

"Sure, there's salesmanship involved in becoming a successful musical act, but that's not ninety percent of the equation."

SAYS WHO, BITCH. YOU? AND, WHAT'S THE NAME OF YOUR BAND. AND WHAT'S YOUR QUALIFICATION FOR SAYING OR DOING ANYTHING?

"But with KISS, it is! The music is just the vehicle to make money. I don't excoriate this, I just don't REVERE IT!"

NO PROBLEM. GO FIND ANOTHER BAND.

"Gene showed a five minute promotional film that was such an assault, the guy in front of me put his hands over his ears."

I THINK YOU MISUNDERSTOOD. THAT WAS YOUR GIRLFRIEND. AND YOU WERE TALKING TOO LOUD. SHE WANTED TO SEE AND HEAR GENE SIMMONS. NOT YOU.

"Didn't Pete Townshend sing "A Little Is Enough"? Obviously, Gene's never heard that track, otherwise he would stop telling us how great he is and let us come to our own conclusion."

NO. I WON'T STOP TELLING YOU HOW GREAT I AM. FIND SOMEONE ELSE FOR THAT.

"It was sad."

NO, IT WASN'T. EVERYONE HAD A GREAT TIME AND EVERYONE ENJOYED THEMSELVES.

"Although Gene paid lip service to the Internet, it was like he wanted to jet back to the seventies, when the label was king, when record companies were flush with cash that they'd blow on a bunch of new acts."

THAT'S TRUE. I WANT RECORD COMPANIES TO BECOME POWERFUL AND FLUSH WITH MONEY AGAIN. I WANT BANDS TO REALIZE THAT ANY ENTITY THAT GIVES THEM MONEY (ADVANCES) AND NEVER FORCES THEM TO PAY THE RECORD COMPANY BACK, WHEN AND IF THEIR RECORD BOMBS (AND THEY ALMOST ALWAYS DO), IS THEIR BEST FRIEND. I KNOW OF NO OTHER BUSINESS THAT GIVES YOU MONEY AND NEVER ASKS FOR IT BACK. EVEN YOUR MOM WILL WANT YOU TO PAY BACK HER LOAN.

"Those days are through. Shit, imagine trying to get money from Simmons' company. That'd be like sucking quarters from a parking meter. Gene's notorious for not parting with his own money. Shit, I'm stunned he doesn't require new acts to pay HIM to be signed!"

THIS IS A SMALL PERSON, WHO'S NEVER DONE ANYTHING, NEVER BEEN IN A BAND AND DOESN'T KNOW HOW THE RECORD INDUSTRY WORKS. HE DOESN'T KNOW ME AND I DON'T KNOW HIM. AND HE WOULDN'T KNOW, IN EITHER CASE IF I "DO" OR "DON'T" PART WITH MY MONEY. AND IN ANY CASE, IT WOULDN'T BE HIS BUSINESS, OR MY GARBAGE COLLECTOR'S.

"I only went because the last couple of times Gene's spoken he has said some truly heinous things, blasting the audience, that he told us today to respect, for stealing his music. I figured he'd come out with a few clunkers that would crack you up.

But all I got was a damn advertisement."

THAT'S CORRECT.
I AM ADVERTISING SIMMONS RECORDS. THAT'S WHY I'M UP HERE TALKING ABOUT IT. THIS GUY IS A GENIUS.
AND I STILL CONSIDER FREE DOWNLOADS AND FILE SHARING STEALING. AND I WANT YOU TO PAY FOR MUSIC...AND FOR ANYTHING. IF A BAND WANTS TO GIVE AWAY THEIR STUFF FOR FREE...I HAVE NO PROBLEM. MY ONLY QUESTION IS, HOW DOES THE RECORD COMPANY, WHICH PAID GOOD MONEY UP FRONT, GET ITS MONEY BACK, IF THE MUSIC IS FREE"?

"I know Gene loves that I'm writing this."

SURE. I LOVE ANYONE WHO TALKS ABOUT ME.

"Almost to the point where I considered not writing about his speech at all. But I've got to. Because in order for music to ascend to its rightful position at the top of popular culture's leader board,"

(I CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS LEADER OF POPULAR CULTURE TO TELL ME HOW TO POSITION THINGS).

"it's got to be more about its intrinsic value than the sell."

YES, AND NO. IT "SHOULD" BE ABOUT MUSIC, BUT IT'S ALSO GOT TO BE ABOUT BUSINESS. IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED, IT WAS NEVER JUST CALLED "MUSIC." IT WAS, AND STILL IS CALLED THE "MUSIC BUSINESS."

"It's got to be more about music than showmanship. It's got to be more about creativity than expediency."

NO. HES GOT IT ALMOST RIGHT. IT'S GOT TO BE ABOUT BOTH.

"KISS had a gimmick. It's served the band well. A gimmick can get you noticed, but soon thereafter it becomes about the music. KISS took off its makeup and few cared."

HE'S RIGHT. ABOUT 10 MILLION.

"The Beatles gave up their suits, messed with their hair, even gave up playing live and the band got bigger and bigger."

I LOVE THE ANALOGY. KISS AND THE BEATLES. THANKS.

"The problem is, Gene Simmons thinks there's a handbook."

YES. MY HANDBOOK.

"Listening to him is like watching a bad version of "Glengarry Glen Ross"."

NO. NOT REALLY. I DIDN'T LIKE THAT FILM MUCH. I'M MUCH MORE FASCINATED BY ME.

"It's like going to a training session for Kirby vacuum salesmen. It's always interesting to hear how another person made it, but if you want to be successful in the future, you're better off ignoring everything Gene Simmons has to say."

THIS STATEMENT MADE BY A GUY WHO'S STILL LIVING IN HIS MOTHER'S BASEMENT.

"Unless, of course, you love money more than music."

ACTUALLY, I LOVE BOTH MONEY AND MUSIC.

"But since you're reading this, I doubt that..."

GOOD LUCK TO THIS GUY.
WE LOVE HEARING THE GOOD AND THE BAD.

AND WE HOPE YOU GET OUT OF MOM'S BASEMENT SOON.>>

Since they were both still in Toronto it then escalated to a verbal cage match on Friday afternoon. Lefsetz' written response after it happened began with..."What an asshole". Judge for yourself...



Subscribe to the Lefsetz newsletter

Check out Simmons Records

It Slices! It Dices! The All-In-One Queensrÿche American Soldier Widget. Nab Yours Today!

Nabbr.com

Geoff Tate Salutes 1888 Media

Some days are simply cooler than others as evidenced by a recent day in which Queensrÿche's Geoff Tate gave us a virtual shout-out. Thank you Geoff!

We're very excited about the band's new AMERICAN SOLDIER album as well as Rychin' N Rollin' with them at upcoming shows in Seattle and Southern California as RAGE FOR ORDER in the EMPIRE shall converge and Operation AMERICAN SOLDIER shall commence.

3/31/09 is the new abum release date. First up from this opus is IF I WERE KING. Check it out and then call Queensrÿche at 206.260.1215 to leave them a shout out.

Jane's Addiction Finally Unlocks The Cabinet

3-CD/1-DVD Boxed Set, A CABINET OF CURIOSITIES, Offers Extensive Collection of Never-Before-Heard Demos, Live Performances and Rarities, Plus Unreleased and Hard-To-Find Videos

Limited Edition Set Available April 21 From Rhino

Jane's Addiction aggressively melded avant-garde, funk, metal, and punk sounds with raw sexual energy and became an incomparable force. On April 21, Rhino celebrates the legacy of Jane's Addiction and unearths A CABINET OF CURIOSITIES; a 3-CD/1-DVD Jane's Addiction boxed set of demos, live performances and rarities that includes 30 unreleased tracks. The set will be available from Rhino in stores and at rhino.com in a striking, limited-edition wooden cabinet for a suggested price of $74.98. A digital version will also be available at all digital retail outlets. Audiophiles and vinyl geeks take note that on April 18, to celebrate this year's Record Store Day, Rhino will release 180-gram vinyl versions of the seminal Jane's albums Nothing's Shocking and Ritual De Lo Habitual for a suggested price of $17.98 and $24.98 respectively.

The CABINET collection focuses solely on the band's original incarnation of vocalist Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, bassist Eric Avery and drummer Stephen Perkins. Last year, this founding foursome played together for the first time in 17 years and has since raised eyebrows with a trio of celebrated secret underground shows in tiny clubs around Los Angeles. Now, with 43 tracks on CD, A CABINET OF CURIOSITIES offers a comprehensive look at the band from demo recordings of key tracks from Nothing's Shocking (1988) and Ritual de lo Habitual (1990) to live recordings of the band roaring through its best songs onstage.

The set opens with five songs recorded in 1986 during a session at Radio Tokyo studio in Venice, CA, including an unreleased version of "Jane Says." The remaining 12 songs on disc one are unreleased demos from 1987 that feature futures Jane's classics including "Three Days," "Ocean Size," "Classic Girl," "Summertime Rolls," and "Stop!"

The second disc contains more unreleased demos ("Ted, Just Admit It") along with a recording of the band rehearsing "My Time" and a 12" remix of "Been Caught Stealing." The disc also rounds up stray songs from various compilations (Grateful Dead cover "Ripple," "Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey" with Ice-T & Ernie C) as well as rare and unreleased live cuts including roaring covers of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" and The Stooges' "1970" as well as the live staple dubbed "Bobhaus," which features lyrics from Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" sung over the music of Bauhaus' "Burning From The Inside."

Jane's Addiction made great albums, but it's the band's live shows that cemented its legacy. All of the darkness, soul, aggression, and musical zealousness came pouring out night after night as the foursome gelled into a thunderous and dangerous machine. The third disc features a complete live show from December 19, 1990. This performance was the second show from the band's legendary three night run at the Hollywood Palladium and features a number of fiery, unreleased performances including "Mountain Song," "Whores," and "Ocean Size," and "Been Caught Stealing."

The DVD included with A CABINET OF CURIOSITIES begins with Soul Kiss, previously available only on VHS, which features the video for "Mountain Song" that was banned by MTV, a video for "City" and candid home movies of the band. The DVD also brings together six additional music videos as well as a trio of unreleased 1990 performances taped in Milan for MTV Italy.

The wooden curio cabinet that houses the limited edition set looks like a shrine to the band made by an adoring fan. The box opens to reveal recreations of early concert fliers, ticket stubs, a set list and other memorabilia.

For additional information, please visit janesaddiction.com.

A CABINET OF CURIOSITIES
Track Listing

Disc 1
1. "Jane Says" < Radio Tokyo Demo *
2. "Pigs In Zen" < Radio Tokyo Demo
3. "Mountain Song" < Radio Tokyo Demo
4. "Had A Dad" < Radio Tokyo Demo
5. "I Would For You" < Radio Tokyo Demo
6. "Idiots Rule" < Demo *
7. "Classic Girl" < Demo *
8. "Up The Beach" < Demo *
9. "Suffer Some" < Demo *
10. "Thank You Boys" < Demo *
11. "Summertime Rolls" < Demo *
12. "City" < Demo *
13. "Ocean Size" < Demo *
14. "Stop!" < Demo *
15. "Standing In The Shower...Thinking" < Demo *
16. "Ain't No Right" < Demo *
17. "Three Days" < Demo *

Disc 2
1. "Ted, Just Admit It..." < Demo *
2. "Maceo" < Demo *
3. "No One's Leaving" < Demo *
4. "My Time" < Rehearsal *
5. "Been Caught Stealing" < 12" Remix Version
6. "Ripple"
7. "Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey" < with Ice-T & Ernie-C
8. "L.A. Medley: L.A. Woman/Nausea/Lexicon Devil" < Live 1989
9. "Kettle Whistle" < Live 1987 *
10. "Whole Lotta Love" < Live 1987 *
11. "1970" < Live 1987 *
12. "Bobhaus" < Live 1989*

Disc 3
1. Drum Intro < Live 1990 *
2. "Up The Beach" < Live 1990
3. "Whores" < Live 1990 *
4. "1%" < Live 1990 *
5. "No One's Leaving" < Live 1990
6. "Ain't No Right" < Live 1990
7. "Then She Did..." < Live 1990 *
8. "Had A Dad" < Live 1990 *
9. "Been Caught Stealing" < Live 1990 *
10. "Three Days" < Live 1990
11. "Mountain Song" < Live 1990 *
12. "Stop!" < Live 1990
13. "Summertime Rolls" < Live 1990 *
14. "Ocean Size" < Live 1990 *

Disc 4 (DVD)
Soul Kiss: The Fan's Video
1. "Mountain Song" < Unedited Version
2. "City"
Music Videos
3. "Had A Dad"
4. "Ocean Size"
5. "Stop!"
6. "Been Caught Stealing"
7. "Classic Girl"
8. "Ain't No Right"
Live at the City Square, Milan, Italy (for MTV Italy) (10/11/90)
9. "Whores" *
10. "Then She Did..." *
11. "Three Days" *

* previously unreleased

PRE-ORDER @ AMAZON.COM

Queensrÿche’s "If I Were King" Is Available Now!

"If I Were King," the first single from Queensrÿche's highly anticipated new album AMERICAN SOLDIER, is now available for download from all digital retailers. "If I Were King" was written based on an interview lead singer Geoff Tate conducted with Sean Lenahan, a veteran of U.S. conflicts in Somalia and Kosovo. Some chilling sound bites from Tate's interview with Lenahan can be heard at various points in the song. The song is also streaming at myspace.com/queensryche.

"This is a song about loss and healing," says Tate. "A soldier who lost his friend in a firefight and spent a lot of time afterwards struggling with his feelings, wishing he could have done more to save his friend. The song is saying if I were king, if I could do anything, I'd have you back in my life again, back by my side. I thought that was a very interesting and inspiring viewpoint."

Queensrÿche has also set up the phone number (206) 260-1215 for fans to call and get updates on the new album and tour directly from Tate himself. The number also has an option where fans and soldiers can leave a message for the band. Every day starting on March 20, a new 30-second preview clip of one of the songs from AMERICAN SOLDIER can be heard by calling the number, leading up to the March 31 release of the album.

AMERICAN SOLDIER features a dozen songs inspired by numerous interviews with veterans conducted by Tate, who was intent on telling their story using their words. After speaking with soldiers who served in various conflicts--from World War II to Iraq--Tate turned their firsthand experiences from the frontlines into an unflinching musical examination of war from the soldier's perspective.

Queensrÿche will launch an extensive tour of the U.S. on April 16 at the Snoqualmie Casino outside of the band's hometown of Seattle. The shows will be presented in three suites, with the band performing sets from AMERICAN SOLDIER, Rage For Order, and Empire.

Listen at Lala

Buy at iTunes

Buy at Amazon