Rockets to Ruin

Listen up, Glam fans: I have a new favorite band: Rockets to Ruin from Atlanta, Georgia. Their album Love, Drugs, Rebellion owns you. People, this is down n' dirty sleaze rock at its finest.

Rockets to Ruin are:

Cleveland Willis – Vocals

Mike Grimmett – Guitar

Chris Taylor – Bass

Rob Hammersmith - Drums

Now, the great part about Love, Drugs, Rebellion is that it is raw.  Rachel Bolan of Skid Row produced the disc, so you know it has Glam cred. Plus, I love how the bass has a unique tone on most of the tracks. I don't exactly know how to explain the tone except that it is sharp - but far from hollow.

Here's the track listing:

We Are The Drugs
Take A Ride With Me (Straight To Hell)
Devil Girl
Screamin' At Me
Burnin'
1 More Fix
Helpless
Gotta Go, Gotta Roll
Revolution
Nowhere To Go (No Time To Care)

Now, my favorite tracks are "We Are the Drugs,"  " Take A Ride With Me (Straight To Hell)" and "Gotta Go, Gotta Roll."

Rockets to Ruin remind me of Buckcherry - except I like them a lot better. This doesn't mean I'm turning my back on my promise to support all things Buckcherry - just that I think Rockets to Ruin deserve some damn respect.

Get these Southern boys to Rocklahoma - and shove them on the main stage. Watch them blow the competition out of the water!

Speaking of stages, Rockets to Ruin has a few live gigs coming up with bands like Hookers and Blow and Jetboy. Visit here for more info.  The cool news is that Love, Drugs, Rebellion is on iTunes - easy as pie.

Listen to this video clip, then download. Ladies, did I mention these boys have looks and talent?

Take Me to the Top

The other day I posted the lost video supporting the RATT track "Givin' Yourself Away." Today: the lost video for Motley Crue's "Take Me to the Top."

Before I get into the discussion I have a warning: the quality on this clip is terrible. You need to watch close and pay attention. Since this is "lost" footage, the scenes are really dark.

You'll notice straight away that the Crue are wearing the exact same clothes used during the "Live Wire" video. That's because both clips were filmed on the same sound stage, the same day. Since the clip for "Take Me to the Top" has "not for air" burned on the footage, my guess the director used this take as a sort of warm-up before the "Live Wire" shoot. After you watch the clip I think you'll agree the coolest part is Mick Mars' guitar solo - I mean, he does flash the devil horns for the camera.

I never considered "Take Me to the Top" the best of Too Fast for Love. I've always been partial to the title track, "Live Wire" and "Merry Go-Round." Still, seeing the video for "Take Me to the Top" is way cool for someone who loves Motley and enjoys music history.

So, what do you think of this lost video?

South Texas Rock Fest

If you don't care for the Rocklahoma 2008 line-up there is an alternative: the South Texas Rock Fest.

The San Antonio-based event is three days and features some great Glam bands. It is sponsored by Miller-Lite and Harley-Davidson.

Confirmed bands for the South Texas Rock Fest are:

Bang Tango, House of Lords, Stephen Pearcy, Jackyl, Helix, L.A. Guns, Faster Pussycat, Firehouse, Y&T, Queensryche, Dokken, Skid Row, Pretty Boy Floyd, Mad Margritt and more. Evidently there are several bands still to be announced...

Did I mention the South Texas Rock Fest is the exact same weekend as Rocklahoma? Exactly - it is July 11-13. Talk about a bummer. If the festivals were different weekends, I would go to both.

Here's something else you need to know: tickets for the South Texas Rock Fest go on sale today. V.I.P. seats are just $250 bucks and include beer and food. Here's the caveat: there are only 100 V.I.P. seats - so you better act fast. Camping is free with a paid ticket.

Just look at what you get with your V.I.P. ticket:

• VIP identification badge.
• Event T-shirt.
• Prime VIP seating on the stage.
• Private VIP tent with lounging sofas.
• Several VIP Receptions with food and drink.
• A meal all three evenings along with hors d'oeuvres all day.
• Meet & Greets with the bands when available.
• Massage therapist.
• VIP Games.
• Men or women's VIP gift.
• Private Party in the VIP lounge after the show.
• Free Beer, Sodas, Water, Red Bull

If funds are tight (and they always are in my household!) you can get a three day general admission pass for just $75. That's a deal.

For more information or to buy tickets, click here.

***What do you think of this festival competing with Rocklahoma? I think the promoters are brave to say the least.

Givin' Yourself Away

One of RATT's most underrated - and exquisite songs - is "Givin' Yourself Away." There was never a video for this song - until now.

Metal Sludge is down a lot these days, but every once in awhile I still get on and see what fellow rock fans are saying. Much to my surprise I found someone had discovered the lost video of "Givin' Yourself Away."

The song is featured on the Detonator album - definitely one of the band's best efforts. RATT released Detonator in 1990 and the album also features "Shame, Shame, Shame" and "One Step Away."

"Givin' Yourself Away" has always been one of my favorite RATT songs. The video is such a great find - it isn't slick and it shows the band toward the end of their prime era. For that reason, watching the clip is a little bittersweet. This video also shows just a few shots of a very happy Robbin Crosby.  

Here is the clip. Please watch and enjoy. I can't wait for your comments.

After the Rain

I believe I have found the single MOST Glam photo of the entire genre. Look at the hair! The clothes! The glowing chests! The hair! The guitar! The hair!

Seriously, though, I dare you to discover a more Glam photo. Nelson get a bad rap and people bitch and moan about their music, but one thing is for sure: those little twin boys had blonde locks so divine even Goldilocks was jealous. It's too bad both brothers hacked off their hair in an attempt to look "modern."

Oh yeah: I went to The Nelson Brothers Online and noticed the boys are selling merchandise. No big deal except you can buy shirts: one says Team Gunnar and the other Team Matthew.  My only quandary is how do I wear both shirts at one time without looking bulky? Tisk, tisk.

Happy Easter Glam fans!

Nitro Is Bonkers

By now you probably know that Glam queen Lita Ford will play during this summer's Rocklahoma festival in Pryor, Oklahoma. According to a press release, Ms. Ford hasn't performed live...in 15 years! Lita has kids with husband Jim Gillette. You might know that name...from Nitro.

What if Nitro played Rocklahoma? Good night, can you imagine? Talk about...nutty.

I wonder if ol' Jim can still hit the highest of the high notes? You know, some say he has a vocal range of six octaves (I think four is more realistic). At any rate, that's pretty impressive if you ask me.  

Nitro had some bonkers videos back in the day - the guitarist playing the four-neck axe...Jim breaking wine glasses with his screams...and the hair.

Seriously, Jim had better hair than Lita during the Sunset Strip days. I mean, 1) it was way more bleached and 2) it was so much fuller. I bet he used really expensive shampoo to get that kind of body and bounce out of everyday tresses.

Do you think Jim and Lita ever jam at home? You know, she grabs her six string, he grabs a microphone and they see how long it takes to shatter every piece of crystal in the house? Good times. I wonder if their kids can scream - er - sing like daddy?

Here's one of those bonkers videos I mentioned above: "Long Way from Home." The video girl looks familiar to me. I wonder if she's the blonde chick in Winger's "Headed for a Heartbreak" clip?

Don't Touch That Dial

Why is it always special to hear a song by a favorite band on the radio? I mean, if they are a favorite, you most likely own the song in question that is playing, right? Still, I guess it's a little magical to think that thousands (millions?) are listening and enjoying the exact same song at the exact same time.

Mass communication really changed the music business. Can you imagine a world without radio - let alone television? I've only had my satellite radio for a few weeks now and I have now idea how I went a lifetime without such a convenience.

If you have satellite radio, then you know you get a digital display of the song title and artist name right in your car - I love that! Anyway, I was listening to a CD on my way to work when I noticed that The Boneyard was playing Danger Danger. I have Danger Danger on CD and my iPod - and I had both in my car! Still, I stopped the CD I was previously enjoying and clicked on the radio. Suddenly, my car was filled with the happy sounds of "Bang Bang."

At that exact moment, millions of other Glam fans enjoyed a collective smile - it's very special to hear Danger Danger on the radio - even if you have to pay a premium to enjoy the experience.

Remember way back before Internet and satellite radio and you had to wait through commercials? Stations in the 80s and 90s were much better about playing more songs per hour. As broadcasting costs continue to spike, expect to hear even more ads on your traditional dial.  

Anyway, I remember listening to the radio when I would go somewhere in the car with my parents. I was young and addicted to MTV - so I could literally name every song and band that hit the air waves as long as the genre was rock or pop. I even remember one time when the Cincinnati-based DJ misnamed the title of a Poison song and I went a little berserk. The DJ said "That was Poison with your Momma don't Jive and your Daddy don't boogie." I corrected the mistake out loud, and my mom said it was just the same as saying "Your Momma Don't Dance." Thank you, but it was not the same! Still, I was listening to that song at the exact same time as thousands of other Poison fans. I was so inspired I went straight home and popped in my tape of Open Up and Say...Ah! I'll call that cyclical marketing.

Would you stop what you're doing just to listen to a favorite song on your FM dial?