So I guess I was a little confused over SLAMM! I was thinking that Carmine Appice's SLAMM! was more of a straight rock outfit - not exactly a show like Stomp.
I have to admit, I am sort of excited. SLAMM! is playing the M3 Festival in Baltimore this weekend (!) and I'll be there to check it out all out. Apparently SLAMM! uses a bunch of drummers and guitarists to create a unique, choreographed show. I think this might be something different from your regular gig. SLAMM! created a promo video for NASCAR. You can check that out below.
As you most likely know by now, Drowning Pool with join Motley Crue, Godsmack, Theory of a Deadman and the Charm City Devils for Crue Fest 2. This means we all better study up on our Drowning Pool! The band has a new video for the song "Shame" from the album Full Circle. That album was produced by Nikki Sixx, DJ Ashba and Ben Schigel. I love "Shame" - and I bet you'll be pleasantly surprised. Like it? Hate it? Let me know.
Should Adam Lambert front Queen? Brian May is thinking about it. Rolling Stone interviewed the Queen guitarist about Adam and his singing chops. Personally, I'd rather see Adam front an entirely new rock outfit, but certainly doing a gig or two with Queen wouldn't hurt him.
You can read the article via Blabbermouth here.
The Ending are a Canadian rock band featuring Sergio Galli of Platinum Blonde. That band was a mix of Glam and New Wave. Theses days, Sergio plays guitar in The Ending - a more straight ahead rock band. Listen to "Freakshow" below.
A few months ago, we had "Make Rock History" thanks to Motley Crue and Guitar Center. Now, Myspace and Toyota are teaming up for their own competition. Here's the release:
MySpace, the world’s premiere social portal, in partnership with MySpace Records and Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), USA, Inc., today announced the official launch of Rock the Space, an exclusive competition encouraging unsigned bands or solo artists to submit an original song for the opportunity to score a recording contract with MySpace Records, the company’s full-service independent label. Beginning today through July 1, 2009, aspiring artists across the country can enter to win the chance of a lifetime by visiting Toyota’s MySpace Music profile for submission details and contest rules http://www.myspace.com/toyotamusic.
To enter the Rock the Space competition artists must submit an original mp3 demo. All entrants will have the opportunity to create a viral music widget with an easy embed code to help them spread their music across MySpace and the web. MySpace users can share in the experience by adding the music widgets to their profiles and posting comments on the Toyota Music profile. In July, MySpace Records will select five finalists who will be featured prominently on the Toyota Music profile and the MySpace community will vote to select the winner. The five finalists will receive a media allocation to promote themselves with My Ads targeted advertising throughout MySpace.
“Rock the Space allows the MySpace Music platform to do what it does best - enable new music and new artists to be discovered,” said Jeff Berman, President of Sales and Marketing for MySpace. “MySpace is excited to offer these artists a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and to take part in their journey from the very first step.”
The Rock the Space winner will be announced in September and will receive a recording contract as well as a $10,000 musical instrument prize package provided by Fender, the world’s leading guitar manufacturer. The winner’s song will also be available for download on the MySpace Music Home Page. The four runners-up win a MySpace Records Development Deal friends package.
You know what this means, right? That contests such as this one, "Make Rock History" and even American Idol are the new "showcase." Bands no longer need to play the same dive club 30 nights in a row for labels. Thanks to social media, bigger and more affluent opportunities exist to try and get bands hooked up with labels which can then generate sales. Pretty crazy when you think of all the changes in the industry - but really, mass marketing is the only way to succeed these days.
I’d like to say that Adam losing the title of American Idol shocked me – but it doesn’t. After all, this is America: the land of the free and home of the brave. If you are middle of the road “normal” you’ll be embraced. In America, mediocrity is king.
Kris Allen, often referred to as “that other guy” by every legitimate artist in the business will have a fine career. He’s not without talent: the guy can sing in his own, laid back style. He’s not a star, he’s not a super talent, he’s safe.
A lot of people were surprised at my enthusiastic support for Lambert. There’s no denying the guy can out sing anybody – but he’s so much more than that. For everyone that thinks Adam is a phony or cocky, I disagree, but that is neither here nor there. I don’t know Adam and neither do you – so really such arguments have no merit. Since American Idol has evolved to the largest popularity contest in the world, we need to look at both Allen and Lambert as the entire package: excellent vocal chords aside.
So much has been written about Lambert over the past three months. In short, Adam became a media darling, thanks in large part to his immense talent, but also for his good looks and interesting back story. See, Allen is a cheerful newlywed from nowheresville USA. Lambert is an over-the-top androgynous creature from Los Angeles. What a lot of casual fans don’t know about Lambert is that he’s been trying to make it in music for years – and that includes singing in off-Broadway productions, in cabarets, at Bar Mitzvahs and in a band on the Sunset Strip. Yep, Adam is the lead singer for a band called The Citizen Vein and he’s played in some of the same clubs as our beloved Glam heroes.
Moreover, Adam didn’t need to be styled for the stage. What you see is what you get: a man who likes to experiment with stage persona, to match song to performance. Sounds like a star to me. That voice certainly doesn’t hurt anything.
A lot of people will immediately point to Adam’s sexuality as to why he lost the prize. I don’t discuss a person’s sexual orientation on this site, but I will say this: I’ve never understood why straight people would want to keep others from the same rights and happiness? Why is it better for a straight person to get married and divorced six or seven times, but Glam forbid someone else from choosing one life partner and being happy. I guess unhappiness is next to godliness in some people’s eyes.
But maybe that’s the point. Maybe America really is just a backward nation, where the ones with the loudest voices and biggest platforms – and Bill O’Reilly, I’m looking at you here – always prevail. I think America made a giant step forward electing Obama to the presidency – but please believe he benefited a lot from the anti-Bush vote. You know, the “anyone but another Republican” mentality – and that isn’t great either. Republicans are not the enemy, any more than Democrats are a bunch of freewheeling baby killers. It’s all perspective. I have no doubt in my mind Kris won because of the Christian “anyone but a gay Jew” vote. I also wholeheartedly believe Kris has millions of fans who genuinely prefer his voice. Is he a better singer than Adam? No, not by a long shot. Then again, American Idol has never been about the voice: it’s always been about the most popular kid in school.
The real contest begins in a few months when Adam and Kris hit the studio to record their debut albums. There’s no doubt both will be on the opposite end of the rock spectrum, with Kris sounding exactly like Jason Mraz and Adam sounding like...well, no one knows what Adam will do. That’s the endgame right there: far too many people would rather go with what they know instead of the unknown.
Being different is always, undeniably, METAL. Good luck Adam!
Kiss with Adam Lambert - American Idol Season Finale
Michael Schenker is back with a new, acoustic album. It's sort of a different sound for the guitar god. Gipsy Lady is a new collaboration between Schenker and Gary Barden. Barden goes way back to the One Night at Budokan Days, so I'm sure you're familiar with his voice. At any rate, you can read my review and interview with Michael Schenker here.
I'm giving away a copy of Gipsy Lady. If you're a Schenker fan, this contest is for you! To enter the drawing, send an email to allyson@bringbackglam.com. Write "Gipsy Lady" in the subject line. In your email, please tell me your real name and mailing address. Enter by 11:59 pm ET on May 22. Good luck.
Monday, May 25, 2009 at 12:01AM 
