Black Star Riders tease first track

Classic sound: Black Star Riders, formerly Thin Lizzy

The Black Star Riders, formerly Thin Lizzy, have released a brief video clip that offers a hint to the sound of their new album. View it below.

The band are mid-way through recording sessions with producer Kevin Shirley. Frontman Ricky Warwick says: “We’re doing it old school, which is basically having your shit together, coming in, playing as a band, recording as much stuff as you can and keeping overdubs to a minimum.

“The vibe’s great, everyone’s playing great and Kevin is a phenomenal producer. We’re having a lot of fun.”

Warwick hints at the storyline of their track Kingdom Of The Lost, calling it a “Celtic folk-rock song” about “trying to find yourself while you’re wandering the world. Being Irish, being away from home, then this character gets home and realises it wasn’t what he wanted.”

The band’s as-yet unnamed album should be tracked by the end of next week.

Classic Rock

Rihanna Scores Her First US #1 Album With “Unapologetic”

Congratulations are in order for Rihanna and her team.

After seven years of dropping solid albums and countless hit records you’d think RiRi would have long since scored the top spot on Billboards 200, but that hasn’t been the case.

Well that’s now over, In at #1 this week with a commendable 238,949 sold this week, ‘Unapologetic’ surpasses sales of every other US release, marking the singer’s first time atop the Billboard 200.

In light of her competitors this isn’t a major feet, she is still yet to match even the worst sales scored by many of her closest rivals.

That being said Rihanna’s current reign certainly points to rising even further into super stardom. There’s also the fact that Unapologetic is currently being carried by one single, “Diamonds.”

The whole is packed with many other records that could become hit singles, which will surely carry Unapologetic into platinum status.

Congrats to Rihanna.

The post Rihanna Scores Her First US #1 Album With “Unapologetic” appeared first on iHipHopMusic.

Related posts:

1. Rihanna – Unapologetic (Artwork)
2. Rihanna – Unapologetic Tracklist
3. First Week Album Sales For Jim Jones & Keri Hilson

iHipHopMusic

Albums Of The Year So Far (pt.1): Featuring Brian Jonestown Massacre, Mighty High, Mid-day Veil, First Aid Kit and more…

Kevin Overdose and (background) Jesse D'Stills of Mighty High: one of Sleazegrinder's top choices

We asked various members of the Classic Rock team to come up with their Top Five Albums Of The Year So Far. First up it’s the sultan of sleaze, aka Sleazegrinder, with a quintet of surprisingly un-sleazy choices…

5. Brian Jonestown Massacre – Aufheben (A Records)

Frisco trip-rockers BJM, as I call ‘em when my typewtriting fingers hurt, were major contenders in the 90s psychedelic wars. As documented in the engaging and frequently hair-raising documentary Dig!, their chief nemeses were the Dandy Warhols (who, coincidentally, also have a spiffy new record out!).

While Jonestown had/has a druggy death-guru upfront (Anton Newcombe) and the willingness to take ‘experimental’ to Amon Duul-ish heights of foolishness, the Dandies had a hit song (Bohemian Like Me), nicer faces, and they didn’t prematurely end their shows in a flurry of fists nearly as often. And really, once the Flaming Lips found that hamster ball, it was all over anyway. So, Anton and co gave up the fame game and went underground. Deep underground. Like, Berlin.

That’s where they’re based now, and anything goes over there. Just ask Bowie. There have been sporadic releases in the past decade, but this is the first one in awhile that Anton seems willing to push, and it’s well worth the (erm) dig.

Essentially, it’s a series of ragas, buzzy and hypnotic, suggesting disco snakecharmers and the sweat and blood of metaphysical 70s westerns like El Topo and I Will Walk Like A Crazy Horse. Plus there’s lots of bird calls. I haven’t had anything heavier than an aspirin for decades, but this is one loopy, woozy, sofa-sinking horsepill of a record. Way groovy.

Classic Rock

De La Soul Presents First Serve – @@@1/2 (Review)

De La Soul’s new concept album, First Serve, follows a rap duo starting out in the late 90s, as they rise to stardom, flame out and then get back together again. At this point in their career, with a deep catalog of classic and quality releases, it seems like the right time for the legendary group to look backward. It also takes off the pressure of making a hit for today’s market–not that De La has ever been too concerned with commercial success.

Musically, First Serve, is much what you would expect from a De La album–spirited beats, clever rhymes and an off the wall, wink and a nod sense of humor. All the things that have allowed them to endure since their groundbreaking debut, 3 Feet High and Rising, in 1989. French DJ duo Chokolate and Khalid, who provide First Serve’s musical backdrops, are welcome partners on this go-round.

The chemistry between Posdnous and Dave (the group’s third member Maseo is absent from this release) is evident. These two (also known as Plug 1 and Plug 2) have worked together for so long, it seems as easy as breathing for them to trade the mic back and forth, as they do on stand-out tracks like “Pushin’ Aside, Pushin’ Along” and “Clash Symphony,” which finds their fictional characters at odds, but musically the two emcees kill the track together.

What almost ruins “Clash Symphony” and really the whole album, is the “comic” skit littered behind this and other songs, as the overbearing mother of one of the group’s members screams in the background.

This mother character, who chastises them at the beginning of the album for pursuing rap rather than a traditional job, is obviously being voiced by a man, probably Pos or Dave, and is so embarrassingly unfunny it makes you cringe.

Part of this wackiness is to be expected from De La, but it’s so brutal it makes your skin crawl, impeding your enjoyment of the rest of the album.

It’s a shame because it takes some of the air out of yet another very credible, consistent De La Soul album and defeats the believability of a fairly compelling hip-hop concept album.

When the fictional group in First Serve reunites on “Tennis” and “The Top Chefs” it sounds as if they’ve never been apart. The same can be said for the real life artists.

No related posts.

HipHopSite.Com

First Bands Confirmed For Hard Rock Hell VI

It’s not happening until the end of the year, but seven bands have already been confirmed for Hard Rock Hell VI…Fistful Of Rock.

Held at Pontin’s in Prestatyn, this year Hard Rock Hell will have a Western theme, and run from November 29 to December 3. And the first acts to be announced are:
Ace Frehley (who was due to play last year, but had to cancel because of a broken wrist)

Blackfoot

Dogs D’Amour

Electric Mary

LA Guns (the Phil Lewis version of the band)

Molly Hatchet

Skinny Molly

Find out more at www.hardrockhell.com

Classic Rock

First Music Loss of the New Year – Gerry Rafferty

Please visit “Gone But Not Forgotten” for my thoughts on this loss.  His voice was always so soothing to me for some reason.  He may be gone, but his music lives on and is still played on the airwaves regularly.

This may seem like a morbid question, but many of our Rockers are getting up their in age.  I sometimes wonder who will go next.  I hope all my favorites live well into their 80′s.  Isn’t Mick already in his 80′s?

Layla’s Classic Rock

And After Light There Was House – First episode with Jesse Fex

Guest on this first episode 2nd hour of “And After Light There Was House” is none other than Toronto’s own, Jesse Fex. Jesse Has played all over Canada and has earned the ears and the respect of the thousands of clubbers who have listened to him. His unique style and creative blends and colorful selections in house music make him ideal as the very first guest on this brand new show. Jesse has released many tracks on beatport on labels such as Ometra Records, Honeywell Recordings, 4Play Traxx and many others. His growing support and acceptance in the music industry has brought out a new and unique side of Jesse that will surely be relayed into this one hour mix.

Stay Tuned for one of the best mixes to grace your speakers

ENSONIC-RADIO

Gene Simmons Makes First Signing

Gene Simmons has made his first signing to the reactivated Simmons Records label.

The band are The Envy, a Toronto five-piece who’ll release their debut album early next year. It was co-produced by Desmond Child and Gavin Brown.

Find out more at www.myspace.com/theenvymusic

Classic Rock

MUDVAYNE Release New Album In December, First track avalable on streaming

“Beautiful And Strange”, a brand new song from MUDVAYNE, is available for streaming on the band’s MySpace page. The song will appear on the group’s new self-titled album, which is due on December 22 via Epic. The artwork for the CD will be printed entirely in blacklight-reactive ink (see video below), making it only visible under a black light (a source of light whose wavelengths are primarily in
Modern Rock living

Blink-182 Play First Night Of Reunion Tour

If any Blink-182 fans attending the opening show of the band’s tour had been wondering whether the band had matured during their five-year breakup, they quickly had their answer. After the group’s second song, “Feeling This,” guitarist Tom DeLonge announced, apropos of nothing, “Motherfuck fuck shit.”“Good point,” agreed bassist Mark Hoppus.Playing the Joint at the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas
Modern Rock living