Cinderella Plans Warm-Up Shows -- Chat Tonight!

According to a post on Metal Sludge, Cinderella has two warm-up shows planned for next month: in Denver (at the Grizzly Rose on March 19) and in Salt Lake City (at The Depot on March 20). If this all pans out, I think it's great news -- and just another sign that we're getting closer to summer! Come in to the chat tonight to discuss all things Glam, including Cinderella, the new RATT single and the upcoming super bowl! Chat here tonight at 10 pm EST.

New Melodic Rock Concerts Podcast

Monday night, I was a guest on the new Melodic Rock Concerts podcast. It was very fun chatting with Melodic Rock Concerts owner Matt about all things Glam. You can check out the podcast here. That said, I'm terrified of my own voice, so I haven't even listened to the playback. I'm the type of girl who is horrified by such things.

RATT's new single 'Best of Me' is Basically Awesome

By now, you should know RATT's new album Infestation is due 4/20 on Roadrunner. "Best of Me" is the first single and yesterday, the song debuted on Roadrunner's website. If "Best of Me" is any indication, Infestation is going to be a phenomenal glam album!

There's no mistaking Warren DeMartini's guitar tone. From the first five seconds of the song, you know you're listening to RATT. "Best of Me" is very slick, and there are polished sing-along choruses, but don't worry: this is still RATT. Stephen Pearcy's voice sounds great on the track and makes me look forward to hearing the song live. It was time for RATT to release new music and changing up the set list will be welcomed by fans like me. Like many, I was also curious how Carlos Cavazo's guitar work would blend with Warren's. Hearing the old songs live versus new stuff is totally different. I gotta say, I'm loving Carlos in RATT. Bottom line: April needs to hurry up and get here because I need Infestation now! What say you? Listen below.

UK Metal Heads Demand Census Attention

While Americans will find census forms in mailboxes beginning in March, our friends in the UK won't fill out their questionnaires until next year. According to The Independent, the UK census is expected to be the most in-depth in the region's history and one group is being very vocal about formal recognition. We often consider metal a religion. Well, some outspoken UK music fans are demanding metal be formally recognized on the census as a real religion. Tell me that doesn't rule?!

While it's unlikely, it's an interesting concept. After all, census data is pretty important when later allocating tax dollars for government programs and the like. I'd imagine having heavy metal recognized as a religion would eventually equate to more music in schools. That's never a bad thing. The Office for National Statistics says meeting everyone's aspirations is basically impossible. Still, we can dream.

Evidently, this go 'round, social networking is making census data interesting for officials. A Facebook group has already collected a lot of "fans" demanding metal be regarded as religion. The editor of Metal Hammer is quoted as saying it's all in good fun. I'd tend to agree.

Check out the entire article.

Guitar Center Presents Your Next Record with Slash: A Once In A Lifetime Opportunity for Unsigned Artists

I just received this press release and it seems pretty interesting - especially if you're a budding guitar superstar: 

Westlake Village, CA, February 1, 2010 - Continuing its support of aspiring artists, Guitar Center (www.guitarcenter.com), the world's largest musical instrument retailer, today announced Guitar Center Presents Your Next Record with Slash a first-of-its-kind, unsigned band competition that provides emerging artists the chance to win the ultimate career-altering opportunity: record a 3-song EP with legendary producer, Mike Clink (Guns N' Roses, Mötley Crüe, Megadeth) and have Slash write, record and perform on the winning artists' single. Starting today, through April 30th, 2010 bands across the United States are invited to submit their music at YourNextRecord.com (www.yournextrecord.com) for a chance to win the aforementioned prize package, which also includes: 

A management development deal with "The Collective" (Linkin Park, Slash, Avenged Sevenfold) · Feature of winning artists' single on iTunes · Worldwide distribution of winning artists' music through Tunecore · $10,000 Guitar Center Shopping Spree · New gear and endorsement deals from Ernie Ball Music Man · An opening slot on Slash's Monster Energy Bash · An editorial feature on the winning band in Guitar World Magazine

A Guitar Center Presents Your Next Record with Slash teaser can be viewed here at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWOluHHoccE.

"The formula that used to work for discovering new artists has been decimated and the opportunities for really talented bands to be heard is extremely limited," said Slash. "That's why it's so important to me and Guitar Center to provide a situation where new talent can be discovered. This is an incredibly interesting way to find and help launch a really great band that hasn't been able to get their foot in the door otherwise."

Guitar Center commissioned leading entertainment platform developer, FameCast, adopting its proprietary contest management technology, known as "Buzz Factor," to collect and present each band's submissions and rank them using a variety of metrics such as online fan voting and community engagement, ensuring that the best bands standout. In addition, all bands will be armed with digital tools to help encourage their fans to vote for their submissions as well as other great unsigned artists. After the three-month submission and voting period the top bands will be personally evaluated and selected by Slash and Mike Clink.

Guitar Center is also a primary partner of Ernie Ball's Shred with Slash promotion which offers musicians the chance to win over $50,000 in prizes, including a private master class with Slash, upon finding one of five custom, limited edition Slash guitar picks in select packs of Ernie Ball electric guitar strings sold exclusively at Guitar Center between February 1st and April 30th. Picks and corresponding prizes are as follows:

Gold Pick: (20 winners) A private 2-hour Master Class with Slash
Silver Pick: (10 winners): A custom Ernie Ball Music Man guitar or bass of winner's choice
Red Pick: (20 winners): A $500 Guitar Center shopping spree
Black Pick: (100 winners) Signed copy of Slash's new solo album
White Pick: (1,000 winners) Free pack of Ernie Ball electric guitar strings

The opportunity coincides with what will be Slash's first true solo album. Slash announced today his CD, SLASH, will release in April 2010. The album features an all-star roster of guest musicians including Ian Astbury, Chris Cornell, Rocco DeLuca, Fergie, Dave Grohl, Myles Kennedy, Kid Rock, Lemmy Kilmeister, Adam Levine of Maroon 5, Duff McKagan, M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold, Ozzy Osbourne, Iggy Pop, and Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother.

Guitar Center Presents Your Next Record with Slash is just one of many Guitar Center initiatives created to foster growth and success within the music community, including its annual King of the Blues, Drum-Off and On-Stage competitions, among others. Guitar Center's King of the Blues is a nationwide amateur guitar skills competition with the goal of finding the next great undiscovered blues guitar player. Drum-Off is an annual drumming competition that, now in its 21st year, has been a launching pad for many drummers, including Cora Coleman-Dunham and Tony Royster Jr, two Drum-Off winners who have gone on to become highly acclaimed professional drummers (with Prince and Jay Z respectively). Guitar Center On-Stage is a musical competition judged by Mötley Crüe. The winning band, The Last Vegas, has since gone on to open for Mötley Crüe on tour and subsequently topped iTunes critics' 2009 "Rock Singles of the Year List" with their hit single "I'm Bad."

Congrats to Judas Priest and AC/DC - Grammy Winners!

Judas Priest won the Best Metal Performance Grammy for "Dissident Aggressor" from A Touch of Evil-Live. Slayer, Megadeth, Ministry and Lamb of God were also nominated in this category.

Hard rock icons AC/DC also won a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance. They got the statue for "War Machine" from Black Ice. They beat Nickelback, Alice in Chains and Linkin Park. It's only fitting to post a couple vids to celebrate.I just wish these awards were on the main broadcast and not during the special awards in an afternoon ceremony. Oh well, I guess. We'll take what we can get.

"Dissident Aggressor"

"War Machine"

By the way, you can check out all the Grammy winners online.

White Trash UK - Greatest Hits Due Soon

Want some gritty glam? You might like White Trash UK -- especially if you're into collecting obscure albums. Check out the tracks online. The greatest hits album is out April 26th via Bad Reputation (and digitally February 19).

WHITE TRASH U.K - The Birmingham (UK) underground super group that features two progressive rock legends, a thrash drumming legend and a rock n' roll suicide, has the lost and never released 1996 Noise International album released! Sounding like a cross between Faith No More, The Offspring, Queen & Motley Crue? This is one for the music connoisseur!

Lee Pistolero ( Gypsy Pistoleros)-Vox
Mark Westwood ( Shadowlands, Neo, Caamora, Martin Orford Band) - Guitars
John Jowitt (Ark, I.Q, Frost,Arena, Jadis, Neo)-Bass. Prog Rock legend, who has been awarded the British Classic Rock Society's award for best bass player nine times, each year between 1993 and 1998 and again between 2002 and 2004.
Paul Brookes ( Benediction, Bolthrower, Marshall Law) -Drums

Here's the track listing:

1) Changeling*
2) Astro Zombies
3) Dead Hillbilly*
4) Nightmare Land*
5) Baby's Got A Bomb
6) Woman*
7) Thrill Kill Killers*
8) King Of The Mad
9) Freakshow
10) Crowman*
11) Woman (Acoustic)
12) Baby's Got A Bomb (Live)

You can keep up with Lee Pistolero's main band - the Gypsy Pistoleros - via their Myspace.