New Ten Thousand Video
I was just about to write “Ten Thousand are one of my favourite Melbourne bands…” but that’s not quite true. “One of my favourite Australian bands” is probably a bit more accurate. These guys have a killer live reputation and they have a knack for great sonic production too. They’ve just released the video for their song When I Get You and aside from the song being kickass, the video is great too. It’s on the YouTubes or you can get to it from their website, tenthousandofficial.com.
Aimee Francis Lands P!nk Gig
She may spend most of her time in Sydney now, but Melbourne’s own Aimee Francis has just snagged a support slot for P!nk at Allphones Arena in Sydney on September 2, 4 and 5, 2013. Aimee is putting together a new live band for 2013, including a bass player, lead guitarist, drummer and possibly a keyboard player, so if you think you have what it takes email [email protected] with details, a photo of yourself, any links and info on your gear. Must be Sydney-based (or willing to move there, I’ll assume).
New Shinobi Video
Check out Stitches, the second single by Shinobi off their debut album Against The Brave, produced by Darren ‘Jenko’ Jenkins. The video is on YouTube and the song is available on iTunes now.
A Whole Bunch Of Sidewaves Announced
With Soundwave 2013 edging ever closer, a whole bunch of Sidewaves have been announced. They include Bullet For My Valentine, Cancer Bats and Miss May I on February 22 and 27 in Sydney and Brisbane respectively (hey, no Melbourne date? C’mon! Oh well. Road trip!), Cypress Hill on Thursday February 28 at The Forum, and Tomahawk at Billboard on Wednesday February 27.
Alice In Chains Debut New Track
Alice In Chains will debut their new track Hollow on December 18. That’s the US date, so for us it’ll likely be in the early hours of December 19 – which means if you pick up your copy of Beat first thing on Wednesday morning, get to the interwebs now and check it out! It’ll be posted on the band’s official website. The new album doesn’t have a release date yet, but it’ll be the band’s second with William DuVall on co-lead-vocals (really, Jerry Cantrell had been bumped up to co-lead-vocals by Dirt, which is probably why Alice In Chains have been able to get away with reuniting after the death of Layne Staley).
Emilie Autumn Fights At The Espy
Emilie Autumn is bringing her unique blend of burlesque circus of mayhem back to Australia in March 2013. She recently released Fight Like a Girl, the highly anticipated sequel to the impressive Opheliac. She’ll be at The Espy on Friday March 29.
Coheed & Cambria Back For More
Coheed & Cambria return to Oz in support of their double concept album The Afterman: Ascension and The Afterman: Descension. Circa Survive have snagged the support slot. They’ll be at The Palace on Sunday April 21, and tickets are on sale Thursday December 20 at 9am.
Guitar Player Writers Ride Again
Remember the glory days of Guitar Player magazine? I do, because I collect old guitar mags and I kind of look up to a bunch of those writers as my journalistic heroes. I’m a nerd like that. Well the old gang is getting the band back together, as it were: Guitar Player alumni Jas Obrecht (the first person ever to interview Eddie Van Halen), Tom Wheeler, Tom Mulhern and Joe Gore, along with several other luminaries, all write for the newly launched pureguitar.com, and it’s a continuation of that readable-yet-informative style seen during what I’d personally consider the golden age of guitar journalism. The site is currently featuring a 1990 interview with Jason Becker, a huge piece on Eric Johnson and much more.
The Aristocrats Do It Live
In heavy rotation at Casa Del Crunch this week: Boing, We’ll Do It Live! by The Aristocrats. It’s a 2-CD/1-DVD set by this already-legendary instrumental supertrio featuring Bryan Beller (Dethklok/Mike Keneally/Steve Vai/Z), Marco Minnemann (Paul Gilbert, Mike Keneally, nearly Dream Theater) and Guthrie Govan (Asia). And if you’re a guitar nerd like men, Jam Track Central (who recently helped Guthrie re-release his amazing solo album Erotic Cakes) have just released bass/drum-only backing tracks from The Aristocrats’ debut album, with full transcriptions of all Guthrie’s guitar parts, both composed and improvised. The band will play some shows on the US west coast in January (hopefully I’ll be able to check them out when I’m in California for the NAMM Show) where they’ll debut some new material from their second album, which they’ll start tracking next month.
Cold Divide, Apocalypse Date Clash
Now, being a skeptic and science nerd I don’t particularly believe the world will end on Friday December 21, but if it does, make sure you buy Cold Divide’s new EP, Weaponized, that morning. If the world ends, you’ll go out on a high. If it doesn’t, you’ll help these industrial electro-rockers to score a sweetass chart debut. It’s available on iTunes on that date, as well as on Bandcamp in physical and digital formats.
