Tom Morello Expands ‘Fabled City’ Trek

Politically charged guitar hero Tom Morello, a.k.a. The Nightwatchman, has nearly doubled his “Fabled City” tour itinerary since last check.

The Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave co-founder is set to play 20 North American cities over the next couple of months, starting with a Nov. 1 gig in San Francisco. Recent additions to the schedule include Detroit, Toronto, Baltimore, the Boston area and Seattle, where Morello will play the Nov. 3 “Get Out the Vote” rally alongside members of Pearl Jam. The musician is currently scheduled to wrap with three December shows in Southern California. Details are listed below.

Fellow political activist Boots Riley of the Oakland, CA-based hip-hop group The Coup will open the tour. Morello will also play with Michael Franti Nov. 20 in Philadelphia and Steve Earle Nov. 22 in Chicago.

The outing is Morello’s first round of live performances to support his new solo album, “The Fabled City,” which broke into The Billboard 200 last month. The set offers up more complex electric arrangements than The Nightwatchman’s 2007 debut, “One Man Revolution,” and is said to bridge the gap between Morello’s guitar-god persona and his folk alter ego. The tour reflects that.

“On ‘The Fabled City Tour,’ I will be playing both acoustic and electric guitar,” Morello said in a statement. “I want to start off with the darker acoustic songs and then build to some of the wildest electric guitar playing I have ever unleashed on stage in my career. The idea is half-Dylan/half-Hendrix. I have been practicing my ass off and can’t wait to rock.”

Music from the new album is streaming at Morello’s MySpace page, as is a new song, “Shake My Sh–,” which the Grammy winner recorded with Perry Farrell a few months ago. Proceeds from iTunes sales of the single will go to the Kenyan Red Cross to help families in need following the recent violence in the African country, according to a blog posting at Morello’s MySpace page.

In between gigs with his rock bands, Morello has performed as The Nightwatchman at coffee houses and political events for about five years. The singer/guitarist graduated from Harvard University with honors as a Political Science major and has been a widely recognized political activist throughout his career. In 2006, he was the recipient of the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award.

Along with System of a Down’s Serj Tankian, Morello is a co-founder of the non-profit Axis of Justice, which aims to bring together musicians, fans and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice.

November 2008
1 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
2 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
3 - Seattle, WA - Showbox at the Market
5 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom
7 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
8 - Aspen, CO - Belly Up Aspen
9 - Boulder, CO - Fox Theater
11 - Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line Music Cafe
12 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall Ballroom
13 - Indianapolis, IN - The Vogue
15 - Detroit, MI - Majestic Theater
16 - Toronto, Ontario - Opera House
17 - Cambridge, MA - Middle East
19 - Baltimore, MD - Sonar
20 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
21 - New York, NY - The Fillmore NY at Irving Plaza
22 - Chicago, IL - Vic Theatre

December 2008
9 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre
11 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern
12 - Anaheim, CA - House of Blues

Slipknot Bassist Paul Gray To Release “Behind The Player” DVD

Paul Gray is the Grammy Award-winning bassist of Slipknot. His crushing technique and songwriting skills have made him one of metal’s most influential bass players.

In his IMV “Behind the Player” DVD, Gray gives an intimate behind-the scenes look at his life as a professional musician — including rare photos and video footage.

Gray then gives in-depth lessons for how to play “Duality” and “Surfacing” by Slipknot on bass and jams the tracks with Stone Sour drummer Roy Mayorga.

“Video Tab” shows exactly how Gray plays the two tracks. The video-game-style animated tablature is similar to Guitar Hero, but shows how to play the tracks for real.

Get your copy at Guitar Center or www.IMVdvd.com on November 1, 2008.

The producers of the IMV series donate $.25 from the sale of each DVD to Little Kids Rock, an organization that gets instruments in the hands of underprivileged kids.

A trailer for Paul Gray’s IMV “Behind the Player” DVD can be viewed below.

SCOTT WEILAND: ‘It’s Time To Put America Back On The Road To Unity…

Stone Temple Pilots/ex-Velvet Revolver frontman Scott Weiland has released the following statement:

“Patriotism is a word that has been thrown around a lot this year, but I believe we have failed to define patriotism. McCain calls himself a renegade and patriotic, but is he really? This country was founded on patriots who were also radicals. They had to be in order to stand up against a government that was oppressive, a government that didn’t allow personal freedoms, a government that ruled and controlled by force. Does this sound familiar? Does this sound like McCain is part of the solution, or part of the problem?

“Don’t get me wrong. I’m not advocating a violent revolution. However, this country was born out of revolution and the concept of freedom. These promises are part of our constitution, written as doctrines with checks and balances within the triumvirate of the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of our government. One branch should not have more power than the other, but that position has either been forgotten, or tossed out the window. As a result of this, our voices, power, and personal liberties have grown smaller because of it.

“A good example is the constitutional breakdown that now allows the government to secretly wire tap and spy on just about anyone, anytime, anywhere, without any checks and balances, all in the name of patriotism. I’ve looked up the word ‘patriot’ in Webster’s and nowhere could I find a reason for a government of the people by the people and for the people to freely intimidate or spy on an American family, no matter who that American family is.

“In our public schools American history is no longer a priority. It’s no wonder, then, that each generation has lost its sense of natural pride, knowledge and sense of civic duty, which shows up most in simple acts such as voting or volunteering.

“We have gotten ourselves into an economic mess. We are the part of the dynamic that is creating this financial avalanche. We have bought and sold the concept of consumerism, which has only benefitted the top one percent. We’ve turned into a buy, sell, and disposable society. We are now seeing the end of a financial myth, the end of the Reagan era. The days of America being a disposable society are coming to an end.

“A good economic example is real estate. Two years ago my wife and I bought a house that was on the market for two days. Being told we’d make a profit, we put it back on the market six months ago. The bottom fell out of the housing market, and it sat for six months. Now we’re looking at a loss. A family member, a successful real estate broker, has had to retire due to negative income.

“Politics infiltrates everything while the art, TV, film and mostly music audiences turn a blind eye. We once were a country built on light, a light that illuminated the dreams of millions. Sometimes that meant venturing on perilous missions; sometimes that meant living on nothing but a promise and a hope. Those promises and hopes are slowly fading and turning us cynical.

“America is a beacon, but it has been tainted by promises not kept. We shouldn’t fool ourselves into thinking that in a world that is changing so rapidly, modifications or ratifications can’t or shouldn’t be made, especially for the good of the people, the dream, the miracle that became this nation which I believe was Godly inspired.

“Now that I’ve turned 41, I’m seeing things in a far different light. I’ve witnessed the cold war between the Soviet Union and the United States and its recent renewed flexing of muscle. I’ve seen countries such as North Korea, Iran, Pakistan, India and of course, China, the fastest growing economy in the world, grow stronger and wiser after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

“There was something strikingly different between when I was 22 compared to the youth I observe today. One of the main responsibilities of a citizen is to be aware and active. We have become so celebrity obsessed, and reality TV exposed that nothing is shocking anymore. Nothing of value matters. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t just about a generation, it’s also partly about the media and its relationship with education, American history, pop culture, and art. It doesn’t help that younger generations know more about celebrities than about the three branches of government or true patriots.

“Therefore, we need to ‘educate.’ And not ‘The Simpsons’, although a smart parody, is not real, NEITHER IS reality TV, US Weekly. Lights on…wake up…this is REALITY! The light is dimming the dream is fading. We ought not be a country that randomly marches off to war to flex our muscle, yet we are a country that was built on honoring our commitments. We are a country that honors our soldiers who have answered its call because that’s how we won our independence, and because that is how dreams and freedoms are forged. Once again in so many ways these are dire times and hope seems to be on the brink of slipping away.

“Traveling 18 years for a living, I’ve seen the changes in attitudes of people around the globe. I’ve seen our country go from one that everyone admired to the brunt of jokes. Obviously, that hurts. ‘We the People’ can’t allow it any longer; it’s time for change. It’s time for hope and dreams to be fulfilled. It’s time to put America back on the road to unity, prosperity, and respect.

“We need a leader who believes in that dream and has that hope. More than that we need a leader to lead us back to our country’s moral principles, a leader who has the creative courage to take us forward into the future and into a better place. I feel it, I believe it, Barack is that man, that president who can and will.

“I see Barack Obama as a natural patriot because he is not afraid to attack what is wrong and has the strength to make it right. I see Obama as a natural patriot because he has the intellectual, emotional and verbal skills to inspire. He makes us want to learn; he makes us want to grow; he makes us want to change. Obama can take us from fear to faith, he can help us redefine America in a way that our country once again becomes a beacon of hope to pride-to ourselves and to those the world over.

“After looking at all that’s wrong with the economy, world politics, education, and other problems that will test our new president, I don’t see John McCain as the renegade and patriot he claims to be. Instead, I see Barack Obama as the patriot, that man, that president who is ready to lead, and who can and will.

“Please act, please be involved, even if what I have written has inspired you to move in the other direction (I hope that I’m not that poor a persuader). However, when you look deep inside, don’t you want to feel proud about saying ‘I am an American’ again?”

Munky of KoRn Gets a DVD, Too!

James “Munky” Shaffer is the groundbreaking guitarist for the Grammy Award-winning band KoRn. His crushing dissonant sound has made him a guitar hero to millions worldwide.

In his IMV “Behind the Player” DVD, Munky gives an intimate behind-the scenes look at his life as a professional musician including rare photos and video footage. Munky then gives in-depth lessons for how to play “Blind” and “Falling Away From Me” by KoRn on guitar and jams the tracks with KoRn drummer Ray Luzier.

“Video Tab” shows exactly how Munky plays the two tracks. The video-game-style animated tablature is similar to Guitar Hero, but shows how to play the tracks for real.

Get your copy at Guitar Center or www.imvdvd.com on November 1, 2008.

The producers of the IMV series donate $.25 from the sale of each DVD to Little Kids Rock, an organization that gets instruments in the hands of underprivileged kids.

A trailer for Munky’s IMV “Behind the Player” DVD can be viewed below.

Metallica’s Lars Ulrich Interviewed In Mexico; Video Available

El Universal México conducted an interview with Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich at the “Los Premios MTV Latinoamérica 2008” event, which was held on October 16, 2008 in Guadalajara, Mexico. Watch the five-minute chat below (includes translation/commentary in Spanish).

Metallica performed “The Day That Never Comes“, the first single from its new album, “Death Magnetic“, at the “Los Premios” awards, which were held inside the Auditorio Telmex and aired live on MTV Tr3’s.

Metallica got the largest number of votes in the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s ninth annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame poll, which asked both print and online readers to pick which nominees on the latest Hall of Fame ballot are the ones they feel most worthy of induction. More than 250 ballots were cast, with Run-DMC, War, The Stooges and Little Anthony and the Imperials rounding out the picks. Only five acts are inducted each year, with this year’s list of hopefuls also including Jeff Beck, Chic, Wanda Jackson, and Bobby Womack.

Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich told the Plain Dealer about the results, “That’s really nice to hear,” adding, “It’s been a great year for Metallica. There’s a lot of love and goodwill from the fans, from the critics, from the peers, from all the sixth-graders over at my son’s school. There’s a lot of love everywhere I look. It’s amazing to be able to say 27 years into your career that you actually feel like you’re on top of your game.”

The inductees will be announced next month, with the ceremony scheduled for the Hall of Fame in Cleveland next spring.

Metallica is currently on the road in support of “Death Magnetic”, which entered the Billboard chart last month at No. 1.

The California-based heavy metal quartet next plays on Saturday (November 1) in Portland, Oregon.

Ex-KoRn Guitarist Brian ‘Head’ Welch: New Video Interview

ARTISTdirect.com editor Rick Florino recently conducted an interview with former KoRn guitarist Brian “Head” Welch. Watch the chat at this location.

Welch’s solo album, “Save Me From Myself“, sold 7,800 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 63 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released on September 9 through Driven Music Group (distribution by Ryko/Warner Music Group), the label Welch co-founded with music execs Greg Shanaberger and Mark Nawara.

“Save Me From Myself” was produced by Head, who recorded the music off and on for the past two years in Phoenix, Arizona. It features renowned musicians Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel, David Bowie) and Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle, Nine Inch Nails), and was mixed by Ralph Patlan and Bob Clearmountain. It’s a testimony of Head’s life as he battled with drug addiction and leaving KoRn, and finding spirituality.

Disturbed Extends ‘Indestructible’ Tour

Nu-metal rockers Disturbed continue their world tour behind their latest No. 1 album, “Indestructible,” with a new slate of North American dates in November and December.

The band, which is currently in Europe, will kick off the next leg of the outing Nov. 23 in Rochester, MN, and visit more than a dozen cities in the US and Canada through mid-December. Special guests Egypt Central and Art of Dying will come along for the ride. North American dates are included below and details about Euro performances can be found at Disturbed’s website.

Over the summer, the rockers showcased their new material on the inaugural Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival and made trips to Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

The self-produced “Indestructible” debuted at the top of The Billboard 200 in June and remained in the Top 10 for five weeks. The set is the band’s third consecutive No. 1, following 2002’s “Believe” and 2005’s “Ten Thousand Fists,” making Disturbed one of only six rock bands in history to score three consecutive chart-topping studio-album debuts, according to a press release. So far, the new record has spawned the mainstream- and modern-rock hits “Inside the Fire” and the title track, both of which are streaming at the group’s MySpace page.

Disturbed also recently released a digital-only EP titled “Live & Indestructible,” which is currently available at all digital retailers.

The metal quartet formed in Chicago in 1996 and has gone on to sell 10 million albums worldwide, according to a press release. Disturbed’s 2000 debut, “The Sickness,” was recently certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

November 2008
23 - Rochester, MN - Mayo Civic Auditorium
25 - Brookings, SD - Swiftel Center
26 - Bismark, ND - Bismark Civic Center
28 - Great Falls, MT - Montana ExpoPark
29 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory
30 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Queen Elizabeth Theatre

December 2008
2 - Edmonton, Alberta - Shaw Conference Centre
3 - Calgary, Alberta - Calgary Stampede
5 - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - Prarieland
6 - Winnipeg, Manitoba - Burton Cummings Theatre
8 - Grand Forks, ND - The Club at Alerus Center
10 - Keamey, NE - FirsTier Event Center
15 - Indianapolis, IN - Murat Egyptian Room

Dave Grohl and Wife Expecting Second Child

Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl and his wife, Jordyn, confirmed to People Magazine that they are expecting their second child together.

“We don’t talk about how much we drank last night [anymore],” Grohl said of parenthood to the mag in 2007. “[Now] it’s how much sleep we got, how much sleep the baby got, diaper rash, formula. We used to go on the road for three months at a time. It’s a struggle for me to leave for even 12 days. I realized the life I always imagined beginning once the band ended has to begin now.”

Grohl and his wife already have one daughter, Violet Maye, who was born in April 2006.

Earshot

Looking beyond the status quo of the modern rock music of today, EARSHOT’s third studio album, aptly titled “THE SILVER LINING”, marks the start of what some believe is sure to be the beginning of a new and changing modern rock world of tomorrow. No doubt, that in the 48 minutes of listening to the bevy of infectiously memorable tracks, one can only describe this 11 song collection as a very cleverly crafted, re-defined and re-designed approach to their genre with a plethora of sonically raw and defining moments.

EARSHOT signed with Warner Brother’s Records in 2001 and in 2002 released their debut album “Letting Go” which yielded their first anthemic singles such as “Get Away” (which peaked at 4 on the charts and stayed in the top 100 for over 60 weeks), and “Not Afraid”. In 2004 the band released their sophomore effort entitled “Two” which bore the bands breakout single “Wait” (9) and their follow up single “Someone.”

In early 2005, EARSHOT returned from the road in support of their second release when the panicked state of the recording industry turned its ugly head towards the band. “No one expected another EARSHOT record after that” says vocalist Wil Martin. “We were essentially counted out by many. Our departure from Warner Brothers Records only added to our determination not to let corporate decisions determine our artistic and creative voice. After all, THAT’s what rock music is really all about…believing in yourself, overcoming adversity and taking that chance when the odds are against you.”

In early 2007, EARSHOT signed with InDeGoot / Fontana/ Universal Recordings. Produced by Brian Garcia and co-produced by Wil Martin, the band began the long and tedious task of putting together their nearly 2 yearlong gestations of song ideas. Tracks such as “MisSunderstood”, “Closer”, “Pushing To Shove”, “Wasted”, “Don’t Hate Me” and “Sometimes” are sure to please the EARSHOT faithful, and will undoubtedly serve to quickly convert new fans by songs with a penchant for massive hooks and loud guitars.

Linkin Park Working On Concept Album

Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington has told Billboard.com that the band is planning “a concept record” for its fourth album, which the group will start recording in early November. Bennington said, “[we] never envisioned ourselves doing a concept record, but we see an opportunity to do something really cool so we jumped on it, and we’ll see how it comes out. I think it’s a challenge and we’ll see if we can rise to the occasion.”

According to the singer, Linkin Park has already started writing music for the follow-up to last year’s “Minutes to Midnight“. “If we’re writing a song with a specific purpose you’re allowed to step out of the realms of commercialism a little bit,” he explained. “You don’t want to dilute that purpose with something that doesn’t have anything to do with it, which is really interesting.”

Read more from Billboard.com.

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