Joey Ramone – …Ya Know? (2012)

Joey Ramone – Ya Know (2012) This is Punk Rock, straight and simple, served… with serious delay, but this is surprisingly fresh, definitively genuine, not taste like plastic and sounds like fake. Probably Rock ‘n Roll Is The Answer.
BMG has scooped the worldwide rights to an unreleased posthumous solo album from former Ramones frontman Joey Ramone, who died 11 years ago aged 49. “…ya know?”, Joey’s second solo album, will be released in the US on May 22, in Continental Europe on May 25 and in the UK on May 28.
The album represents the very best of recordings Ramone left behind on his death which were later assembled by his brother Mickey Leigh, manager Dave Frey and trusted producer Ed Stasium. It features contributions from a stellar cast of Ramone’s friends and collaborators, including Joan Jett, Little Steven Van Zandt, former Ramones drummer Richie Ramone, Bun E. Carlos of Cheap Trick, Dennis Diken of the Smithereens, Patti Smith Group guitarist Lenny Kaye and members of the Ramones’ punk-era contemporaries The Dictators. Read more Joey Ramone – …Ya Know? (2012)

Celldweller – Wish Upon A Blackstar Pre-Orders and free download

Klayton is Celldweller. Personifying the sound of the iPod generation, he creates a hybrid fusion of digital and organic elements: intricately designed soundscapes constructed from Dubstep, Drum & Bass and Electro, woven together with aggressive Rock/Metal and Orchestral elements.
“Wish Upon A Blackstar”, the second album (third overall), by Celldweller is probably one of the most anticipated albums of the year.
Now you can listen & download “Unshakeable” on (and from) Soundcloud.

Contorted electronic with blowing Dubstep elements, grinding Rock and the unmistakable touch of Klayton strikes again!
Read more Celldweller – Wish Upon A Blackstar Pre-Orders and free download

Gossip – A Joyful Noise (2012)

This is a fucked-up world. Bitches are considered queens, morons are presented as geniuses, mediocre people are sold to the masses as leading artists. For any and each taste there is the right product to satisfy any and all of the needs. The difference between genuine and fake has been washed away.
A fabricated diva for ugly, health and weight troubled teenager girls?
Beth Ditto won the NME award in 2006 for “Coolest Person In Rock”, she won in 2008 the Glamour Awards for “International Artist Of The Year”, and believe it or not, but she was nominated in 2007 by NME for the “Sexiest Woman Of The Year” Award. Have nothing against of large women, but why I’m not surprised that Beth pretend she’s lesbian? Even through…. 😆 Fuck! I just blow my chances to win the remix contest! 😆 Fuck!
Gossip was formed in 1999 by vocalist Beth Ditto, guitarist Nathan “Brace Paine” Howdeshell and drummer Kathy Mendonca and they liking themselves and their music to post-punk bands such as The Birthday Party and Siouxsie And The Banshees, but well, Beth explained quite precisely what she consider being punk: not wearing deodorant or shaving under the armpits. What about the pubis? 😆 Read more Gossip – A Joyful Noise (2012)

Slash – Apocalyptic Love (2012)

The times when a Rock act sold 28 million copies of their debut album are long – and definitively – gone. But Saul Hudson, better known as Slash, are still doing fine. His previous solo album, imply titled “Slash”, debuted at No. 3 on the U.S. chart upon its release in April 2010, with 61,000 copies sold during the first week, pretty good figures for this digital era. It featured an all-star roster of guest musicians, including Ozzy Osbourne, Fergie of The Black Eyed Peas, Adam Levine of Maroon 5, Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead, Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters, and Iggy Pop. To promote the album, Slash embarked on his first solo world tour with Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge (band including guitarist Mark Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall, and drummer Scott Phillips, all of whom are also members of Creed) — on vocals, Bobby Schneck on rhythm guitar, Todd Kerns on bass, and Brent Fitz on drums. The album was produced by Eric Valentine and Eric is the producer of this new album as well. This time the band is consisting of vocalist Myles Kennedy, bassist Todd Kerns, and drummer Brent Fitz (collectively referred to as “Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators”) and it is set for release on May 22, 2012. Read more Slash – Apocalyptic Love (2012)

Ballister – Mechanisms (2012)

Ballister is a hard hitting trio having one foot at Chicago and the other one at Oslo and it’s comprised of Dave Rempis (Saxophones) Fred Lonberg-Holm (Cello & Electronics) and Paal Nilssen-Love (Percussion). Dave Rempis was a member of The Vandermark Five, and has developed many Chicago-based groups for which he is currently known. These include The Rempis Percussion Quartet, The Engines, The Rempis/Rosaly Duo, The Outskirts,The Rempis/Daisy Duo, Bishop/Rempis/Kessler/Zerang, and Wheelhouse. Past working groups include Triage, and the Dave Rempis Quartet. Many of these groups have been documented on the Okkadisk, 482 Music, Not Two, Solitaire, and Utech record labels. Rempis also performs and tours with Ken Vandermark’s Territory Band and Resonance.
Chicago based cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm has played and studied music in a variety of situations from the Juilliard School to the gutter. A former student of Anthony Braxton, Morton Feldman, Bunita Marcus and Pauline Oliveros, his primary projects are his Valentine Trio and The Lightbox Orchestra. He is also a member of a number of ongoing collective projects (The Boxhead Ensemble, The Friction Brothers with Michaels Zerang and Colligan, The Flatlands Collective, Keefe Jackson’s Fast Citizens) He also currently plays in groups led by Joe McPhee Peter Brotzmann, and Ken Vandermark. He has contributed cello sounds to numerous recording projects by rock groups including Califone, Freakwater, God-is-my-co-pilot, L’altra, Smog, Super Chunk, US Maple, Wilco and many others.
Paal Nilssen-Love has stated his position as one of the most profiled drummers in Europe today, he has made numberless performances at festivals and clubs in Europe and USA and participated on more than 50 recordings. He plays in several bands and project such as Atomic, Element, The Thing, Scorch Trio, School Days, Territory Band and collaborate with artists such as Pat Metheny, Peter Brötzmann, Ken Vandermark, Joe McPhee, Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, Terrie Ex (The Ex), John Butcher, Lasse Marhaug – along many others. He runs his own annual festival – All Ears – for improvised music in Oslo. Read more Ballister – Mechanisms (2012)

maQLu – Futureghosts, EP (2012)

Dark and strange, noisy and contorted, but with a secretly pulsing taste of mystery, Vancouver based noise-electro creep maQLu [aka Pyra Draculea] has just released her fourth EP, “Futureghosts”, on April 30, 2012, available through her Bandcamp page for free download (name your price). In the same location and on the same bases you can also grab two other previous releases, “The Maqlu Tarot” and “blood​.​black​.​haze”, a CD album which incorporates her first three EP’s.
maQLu named as her influences bands and artists such as Skinny Puppy, Chris & Cosey, ohGr, Nine Inch Nails, and Revolting Cocks, she reminded me mainly of Diamanda Galás and her dark, liturgical trips, she have that experimental thirst of Shikhee of Android Lust, but also she have roots back to minimalist No Wave and even further, back to Kraftwerk-like electro experiments and the nerve of The Stranglers. This music is about atmosphere and feelings, rather then about rhythms and dance, this go to your brain and soul, rather then driven your feet. Read more maQLu – Futureghosts, EP (2012)

John Zorn – Nosferatu (2012)

John Zorn – Nosferatu (2012) Over one hour of genius and madness. Zorn strikes again and by his side are guys like Bill Laswell on bass, Kevin Norton playing vibraphone, drums, orchestral bells, tibetan prayer bowls, Rob Burger on piano and organ, while Zorn killing his piano, alto saxophone, Fender Rhodes, and build some dark electronic layers.
Always full of surprises, Zorn delivered another masterpiece, “Nosferatu” is a pearl, a rare diamond, dark, deep, still shining and colorful album, I do my best to avoid to stick to it any label, although this is definitively Jazz, but it’s blended with million subtle shades of sound kicking off from furious Metal hurricanes (as in “The Battle of Good and Evil”) to mystic, charmingly strange and abstract moments of silence and disturbing noises (as in “Hypnosis”). Read more John Zorn – Nosferatu (2012)

Public Image Ltd. – This is PiL (2012)

Public Image Ltd. – This is PiL (2012) Horrible cover! Intentionally, I think, I know can not judge a book by its cover, didn’t lost my sense of humor, but still… On the other (bloody) hand, this is PiL!
John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten, and just for the kids, ex-Sex Pistols) never or rarely is mentioned as a genius, eventually a madman. Odd how people attach the genius label quite easily to guys (or gays?) like Rufus Wainwright, or considering morons like Dildo, sorry, Diplo as “influential music tastemakers”, while really valuable creations are constantly and totally marginalized by the almighty media. This is the Hell we’re in? Not really, not yet anyway, this is only a Lollipop Opera we’re living…. 😆
Their early work is often regarded as some of the most challenging and innovative music of the post-punk era. Their 1979 album “Metal Box” was ranked number 469 on Rolling Stone magazine’s 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The NME described PiL as “arguably the first post-rock group”.
Formed in 1978 by vocalist Lydon, guitarist Keith Levene and bassist Jah Wobble, with frequent subsequent personnel changes, the list of PiL contributors include among many others names such as Martin Atkins, Bill Laswell – producer and bass guitarist (Album), Steve Vai – guitar (Album), Ginger Baker – drums (Album), L. Shankar – electric violin (Album), etc. “Album”, the fifth studio album was released in 1986 and Lydon said that Miles Davis came into the studio while the album was being recorded and commented that Lydon sang like Davis played the trumpet. Lydon later said it was “still the best thing anyone’s ever said to me.” Read more Public Image Ltd. – This is PiL (2012)