By Andrew Gorder

Lately, it would seem that Canada’s exports include some of the best and most unique bands around, so it’s no surprise that the same is true of the hardcore genre. Rapid City showgoers will get a chance to see it for themselves tomorrow night (Saturday, March 1st) as Manitoba’s own Comeback Kid invades the Imperial Inn in Rapid City.

The Imperial will also host at least four (possibly as many as five) other hardcore/punk/metal acts including: Crime in Stereo, Daggermouth (also from Canada!), Dance Club Massacre and Blind Witness.

The show starts at 6:00 p.m. and costs $10 (roughly $2 per band). To look at the flyer, you can visit Love Less Booking’s myspace page here.

 

 

  

By Todd Williams 

A report released Tuesday shows that the CD may be soon going the way of the eight-track, the reel-to-reel and 78’s. (And if you don’t know what those are, ask your parents and grandparents.)

The report said that last year, nearly half of all teenagers failed to buy a single CD. Is it simply a lack of teen spirit for today’s music? Unlikely. Major music companies have bent over backward to find acts that appeal to pre-teen and teen audiences since the invention of corporate rock.

The far more sinister (in the record labels minds, anyway) is downloading, both legal and illegal. Apple and its iTunes music store, which sells only digital downloads, jumped ahead of Best Buy Co. to become the No. 2 U.S. music seller. Apple trailed only Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which mostly sells CDs.

Also on the rise: illegal downloading, which has marked just short of a decade of popularity, first led by the likes of Napster and followed by a legion of similar but decentralized programs that allow Internet users to swap files.

And of course, if you believe this trend is going to tunraround anytime soon, throw another album on the turntable and set your hi-fi system to HIGH. Tuesday’s report could be just another tick on the fast track to the end of the corporate music world as we know it: Napster, Limewire, iTunes and Raidohead going straight to the Net.

Which all brings me to the real question of the day: What is the last CD you bought?

I was trying to think of what was the last one I bought and I can’t really remember for sure. I know I got the Reddmen’s most recent release at Borders because it hadn’t gone up on iTunes yet (it’s there, now, by the way), but that was about a year ago, or more.

By Eric Lochridge

Maxim magazine has published a review of the new Black Crowes album without listening to it. The band complained on its Web site about the negative review, pointing out that advance copies had not been sent out.

According to the Associated Press story, which is below, “The Crowes’ manager, Pete Angelus, said the magazine explained that its review was an ‘educated guess.’” In other words, “we already think you suck, so we don’t need to hear it.”
This offends me both as a Black Crowes fan and as a journalist, even if it is just Maxim. Of course, the old marketing adage about any publicity being good publicity could kick in for the Crowes here. The band’s new album, “Warpaint,” comes out Tuesday, March 4.

In other news, tomorrow I’ll be reviewing the album the White Stripes will be releasing in 2015. Just kidding.
Maxim magazine apologizes for reviewing new Black Crowes album without listening to it
NEW YORK (AP) — Maxim magazine has apologized for publishing a negative review of the Black Crowes’ new album by a writer who hadn’t listened to the whole CD.
The review in Maxim’s March issue gives the Crowes’ “Warpaint” a rating of two-and-a-half stars out of five. The band posted an exasperated statement on its Web site last week saying the Maxim writer hadn’t heard the entire album because advance copies weren’t available. The Crowes’ manager, Pete Angelus, said the magazine explained that its review was an “educated guess.”
Maxim editorial director James Kaminsky responded Tuesday with this statement: “It is Maxim’s editorial policy to assign star ratings only to those albums that have been heard in their entirety. Unfortunately, that policy was not followed in the March 2008 issue of our magazine and we apologize to our readers.”
A spokeswoman for the magazine contacted by The Associated Press declined to say whether the writer would face disciplinary action.
“Warpaint,” the Black Crowes’ first album in seven years, is set for release March 4. The blues-rock group, fronted by Chris Robinson, has released only one song from the disc, “Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution.”
The band’s hits include “Hard to Handle” and “She Talks to Angels.”
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On the Net:
The Black Crowes:
http://www.blackcrowes.com/

By Eric Lochridge

Backroom Productions’ annual Guitar Masters show is tonight and Saturday, Feb. 23. This year’s players are Bobby Rasch, Gordy Pratt, Matt Berry, Dick Rausis and Randy Royer. My story from the Journal has the details.

The diverse backgrounds and styles of these players promises a great show.

By Andrew Gorder

Alt-country musician and Rapid City native Haley Bonar looks sad. Maybe it’s because her new album which was supposed to be released in March is now being released in May. The album, titled “Big Star” (Afternoon Records), is currently being mixed, and Bonar’s manager Andrea Toolin said producers “needed a bit more time to get it just right!”

So, fans of Haley’s music will just have to wait until May 20, but there is some good news. According to her website “a slew of touring” will follow the album release, and there’s a good chance she will be coming to a city near you (perhaps even Rapid City). Also, if you don’t feel like waiting, you can listen to the title track from the new album by visiting her myspace page.

Haley’s previous album “Lure the Fox” won numerous awards including 2006 Best American Roots Recording by the Minnesota Music Academy. She has collaborated with Alan Sparhawk and Andrew Bird, and she has shared the stage with the likes of Mason Jennings, Pedro the Lion, Neko Case, Mary Lou Lord, Richard Buckner and Arcade Fire.