Headphone Discussion?

Can we have a bit of a different type of discussion today? I want some opinions on headphone brands. For the longest time I thought Bose offered the best in headphones and stereo sound. Now I'm thinking that Beats might be better? The last time I was at Best Buy, I looked at the Beats... and about fell over at the price. The earbuds are over a hundred bucks!

Then I see a commercial...you can get a laptop with Beats audio. I'm in the market for a new laptop (mine is a piece of crap) so I'm intrigued by this. For someone who lives and dies by music like me, I think having optimal sound would be a great luxury -- something I would really enjoy. Do any of you own any Beats products? I'm pretty sure you can get true Beats stereo speakers as well, but I'm not in the market for that. I don't have the space or the budget. But I'm thinking the laptop with Beats audio would be good... and maybe even the earbuds? I would like a real-life opinion here. If you have the Beats, are they worth the cost and how does the sound differ from iPod earbuds or other brands like Bose? Thank you in advance.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, here's a video. Then maybe you can benefit from the discussion too. I'm crossing my fingers that at least one of my readers has an opinion on this!

South Texas Rock Fest Is Back

Feel like the summer festival calendar is jam-packed? Well, South Texas Rock Fest is back, but this time in the fall. The fest will take place in San Antonio, Texas October 7 and 8.

So far, the bands announced are Quiet Riot, Moxy and Stephen Pearcy. Obviously, more bands will be added. The actual event location is the Sunken Garden. I've never been there, but the pictures show that it will be a great venue for a festival. Plus, San Antonio in October means great temperatures, too.

The official website is under maintenance, so I don't have information on ticket prices or anything of that sort. Keep checking back for information and band announcements.

Switchblade Scarlett Rocks!

So yesterday, we discussed Wildstreet. Then someone mentioned Switchblade Scarlett in the comments. And then a member of the band Switchblade Scarlett emailed me, saying I should check them out. So I did. And they rock!

Turns out, Switchblade Scarlett are from Ohio and they have that great Glam sound. The band's debut, White. Line. Fever will be out in July. Check them out. I'm sure when July rolls around, I'll be reviewing the album. I like what I hear so far!

Wildstreet, 'Poison Kiss' -- New Video

Wildstreet are bringing back glam! The band has just released a video for the song "Poison Kiss" off the new album Wildstreet II:...Faster...Louder.

The video is basically awesome. Everything about it screams "Look at me, I'm Glam! In your face, 80's inspired, big hair rules Glam!"

And I love it. I love it so much I wish I was in it! Wildstreet is a great band that doesn't hide their passions, allegiances or who they are: they want to be referenced in the same sentence as bands like Bon Jovi and Faster Pussycat, and hallelujah for that.

The opening of "Poison Kiss" sort of reminds me of Kix but once the song gets going, it is clear Wildstreet have carved their own sound into their niche of 80s-influenced metal. And that's the key, right? Be original, while still being true to your heroes? I wish Wildstreet were playing a show in Ohio, soon. Watch:

M3 2011 Set Times Announced!

Can you believe that this time next week, M3 will be over?! Since the event is this week, promoters recently released the official set times and stage breakdowns. Here are the times. Remember to print a copy if you are going to the fest so you'll know who is playing when and where. See you in Maryland!

AC/DC Ready to Tour Again?

Color me surprised. The guys in AC/DC are apparently talking about another world tour. Remember how long we waited for the Black Ice tour to finally happen? Well, now Angus Young says the band wants to tour again.

"We have such diehard fans, old and new. We've survived many changing fashions of music – we've outlived the lot of them,” Angus told UK paper The Sun.

AC/DC is currently celebrating the release of their concert DVD Live At River Plate.

With so many sold-out shows from the Black Ice world tour...can AC/DC do it again? Will fans – will you – be willing to pay insane prices for tickets again? I've got to be honest, if AC/DC suddenly announced a show in Ohio in the next six months or so, I'd have to think about plopping down the money again. For the Black Ice tour, it was a no-brainer for me...but now that I've seen them, I'm not sure I have the burning desire to see them immediately again. There are some bands I can – and want – to see over and over again, but for whatever reason, AC/DC isn't one of them. Maybe it is because I feel like I got 100% of the AC/DC experience during the Black Ice tour and those memories are good enough for me.

What do you think?



'Judas' - The Video

Have you seen the new Lady Gaga video for "Judas?" The video is just epic, no two ways about it. The song is off the forth-coming album Born This Way. I get that you might not like pop music, but seriously watch the video anyway. Mute it if you are afraid of pop tunes. Gaga is nothing short of a rock star and she's been making the best metal videos around for the past couple of years. There's a song on Born This Way called "Heavy Metal Lover." I hope it lives up to my expectations.

Watch. Gaga makes me happy.