Tuesday February 1, 2011 Source:Big Hassle Media Location: New York City
Available at Bandcamp with donations going to benefit Wisconsin based charities including The Foundation for Madison WI, Public Schools.
Wisconsin born and bred, Locksley are always proud to let people know about their home state. They let that pride show through with the song “Oh, Wisconsin!” a tribute to the state and a rally cry for all Packers fans excited to see Green Bay in the Superbowl, be they young or old, big or small, or prefer their cheese curds fried or squeaky (un-fried for the uncheesucated). It’s something all Sconnies near and far can get behind, especially when considering donations made on Band Camp will go directly to Wisconsin based charities including the Foundation for Madison, WI Public Schools http://www.fmps.org/ among others.
Suppose you haven’t had the pleasure of living in or visiting the badger state, or don’t consider yourself a Packers fan? Well there’s still a lot to love about the song “Oh, Wisconsin!,” which is at its heart a story many can relate to. “Oh, Wisconsin!” is about growing up in small town America with dreams of big city lights, and missing home after you’ve left.
Fittingly, Locksley are a Madison, WI band who now call New York City home. Over the past few years they’ve built up a devoted fan base on the strength of their hook filled straightforward rock ‘n’ roll and dedication to perfecting their live act. This summer they will release their new album featuring the single “The Whip” which last week was unexpectedly picked up by select Top 40 stations.
Thursday November 11, 2010 Source:Last Crack Location: Madison, Wisconsin
Underground metal legends LAST CRACK have announced they will be broadcasting their upcoming November 13, 2010 concert in Madison, Wisconsin to the world on www.infernalrockradio.com. Listeners will be able to tune in and hear a 2+ hour concert featuring many of the songs from their critically acclaimed albums on Roadrunner Records “Sinister Funkhouse #17” and “Burning Time” plus a few new songs not yet released on an official album.
“it’s pretty cool to think we could be playing a show in Madison and our friend Tamme from Holland or Geert from Belgium could be drinking his morning coffee or driving to work while listening to us live,” says guitarist Paul Schluter, “it will be the first time Last Crack has ever done anything like this.”
“European fans lamented on not being able to attend the show on the Last Crack event page on Facebook,” Schluter continues, “But now we’ve come up with a great solution thanks to Infernal Rock Radio.”
Tune in to www.infernalrockradio.com starting at 8pm to hear the pre-show which will include interviews of the band, longtime fans and much more. Then at 11pm listen to the entire live concert simulcast live.
Find out more by signing up at the bands’ Facebook page at www.lastcrack.com/facebook
Tuesday December 29, 2009 Source:Blabbermouth Location: Los Angeles, CA
Southern Wisconsin quintet LUNA MORTIS has been dropped by Century Media Records, the label that released the band’s debut album, “The Absence”. The CD, which came out in in February 2009, was tracked at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida with producer Jason Suecof (ALL THAT REMAINS, TRIVIUM).
Comments frontwoman Mary Zimmer: “Does this mean LUNA MORTIS will not be releasing another album? No. It just means that soon, we will be label-less and have a few decisions to make about what our next move will be and what we’d like to do in regard to the future of the band.”
LUNA MORTIS will be the direct support for PRIMAL FEAR on a North American tour in May-June 2010. Zimmer states, “It’s going to be a great tour, covering more of the U.S. this time, including Texas and some southern areas we have never played before. We look forward to going out on the road with PRIMAL FEAR, who are an excellent band and terrific musicians.”
LUNA MORTIS’s “Forever More” video can be viewed below. The clip was directed by David Brodsky, who has previously worked with ALL THAT REMAINS, BLEEDING THROUGH, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER and KITTIE, among many others.
*** Read the Luna Mortis interview in Maximum Ink from 2008 - Click Here
New York, NY…August 13, 2009…Les Paul, acclaimed guitar player, entertainer and inventor, passed away from complications of severe pneumonia at White Plains Hospital in White Plain, New York, surrounded by family and loved ones. He had been receiving the best available treatment through this final battle and in keeping with his persona, he showed incredible strength, tenacity and courage. The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks for the thoughts and prayers from his dear friends and fans. Les Paul was 94.
One of the foremost influences on 20th century sound and responsible for the world’s most famous guitar, the Les Paul model, Les Paul’s prestigious career in music and invention spans from the 1930s to the present. Though he’s indisputably one of America’s most popular, influential, and accomplished electric guitarists, Les Paul is best known as an early innovator in the development of the solid body guitar. His groundbreaking design would become the template for Gibson’s best-selling electric, the Les Paul model, introduced in 1952. Today, countless musical legends still consider Paul’s iconic guitar unmatched in sound and prowess. Among Paul’s most enduring contributions are those in the technological realm, including ingenious developments in multi-track recording, guitar effects, and the mechanics of sound in general.
Born Lester William Polsfuss in Waukesha, Wisconsin on June 9, 1915, Les Paul was already performing publicly as a honky-tonk guitarist by the age of 13. So clear was his calling that Paul dropped out of high school at 17 to play in Sunny Joe Wolverton’s Radio Band in St. Louis. As Paul’s mentor, Wolverton was the one to christen him with the stage name “Rhubarb Red,” a moniker that would follow him to Chicago in 1934. There, Paul became a bonafide radio star, known as both hillbilly picker Rhubarb Red and Django Reinhardt-informed jazz guitarist Les Paul. His first recordings were done in 1936 on an acoustic—alone as Rhubarb Red, as well as backing blues singer Georgia White. The next year he formed his first trio, but by 1938 he’d moved to New York to begin his tenure on national radio with one of the more popular dance orchestras in the country, Fred Waring’s Pennsylvanians.
Tinkering with electronics and guitar amplification since his youth, Les Paul began constructing his own electric guitar in the late ’30s. Unhappy with the first generation of commercially available hollowbodies because of their thin tone, lack of sustain, and feedback problems, Paul opted to build an entirely new structure. “I was interested in proving that a vibration-free top was the way to go,” he has said. “I even built a guitar out of a railroad rail to prove it. What I wanted was to amplify pure string vibration, without the resonance of the wood getting involved in the sound.” With the good graces of Epiphone president Epi Stathopoulo, Paul used the Epiphone plant and machinery in 1941 to bring his vision to fruition. He affectionately dubbed the guitar “The Log.”
Les Paul’s tireless experiments sometimes proved to be dangerous, and he nearly electrocuted himself in 1940 during a session in the cellar of his Queens apartment. During the next two years of rehabilitation, Les earned his living producing radio music. Forced to put the Pennsylvanians and the rest of his career on hold, Les Paul moved to Hollywood. During World War II, he was drafted into the Army but permitted to stay in California, where he became a regular player for Armed Forces Radio Service. By 1943 he had assembled a trio that regularly performed live, on the radio, and on V-Discs. In 1944 he entered the jazz spotlight—thanks to his dazzling work filling in for Oscar Moore alongside Nat King Cole, Illinois Jacquet, and other superstars —at the first of the prestigious Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts.
By his mid-thirties, Paul had successfully combined Reinhardt-inspired jazz playing and the western swing and twang of his Rhubarb Red persona into one distinctive, electrifying style. In the Les Paul Trio he translated the dizzying runs and unusual harmonies found on Jazz at the Philharmonic into a slower, subtler, more commercial approach. His novelty instrumentals were tighter, brasher, and punctuated with effects. Overall, the trademark Les Paul sound was razor-sharp, clean-shaven, and divinely smooth.
As small combos eclipsed big bands toward the end of World War II, Les Paul Trio’s popularity grew. They cut records for Decca both alone and behind the likes of Helen Forrest, the Andrews Sisters, the Delta Rhythm Boys, Dick Hayes, and, most notably, Bing Crosby. Since 1945, when the crooner brought them into the studio to back him on a few numbers, the Trio had become regular guests on Crosby’s hit radio show. The highlight of the session was Paul’s first No. 1 hit and million-seller, the gorgeous “It’s Been a Long, Long Time.”
Meanwhile, Paul began to experiment with dubbing live tracks over recorded tracks, also altering the playback speed. This resulted in “Lover (When You’re Near Me),” his revolutionary 1947 predecessor to multi-track recording. The hit instrumental featured Les Paul on eight different electric guitar parts, all playing together. In 1948, Paul nearly lost his life to a devastating car crash that shattered his right arm and elbow. Still, he convinced doctors to set his broken arm in the guitar-picking and cradling position. Laid up but undaunted, Paul acquired a first generation Ampex tape recorder from Crosby in 1949, and began his most important multi-tracking adventure, adding a fourth head to the recorder to create sound-on-sound recordings. While tinkering with the machine and its many possibilities, he also came up with tape delay. These tricks, along with another recent Les Paul innovation—close mic-ing vocals—were integrated for the first time on a single recording: the 1950 No. 1 tour de force “How High the Moon.” This historic track was performed during a duo with future wife Mary Ford. The couple’s prolific string of hits for Capitol Records not only included some of the most popular recordings of the early 1950s, but also wrote the book on contemporary studio production. The dense but crystal clear harmonic layering of guitars and vocals, along with Ford’s close mic-ed voice and Paul’s guitar effects, produced distinctively contemporary recordings with unprecedented sonic qualities. Through hits, tours, and popular radio shows, Paul and Ford kept one foot in the technological vanguard and the other in the cultural mainstream.
All the while, Les Paul continued to pine for the perfect guitar. Though The Log came close, it wasn’t quite what he was after. In the early 1950s, Gibson Guitar would cultivate a partnership with Paul that would lead to the creation of the guitar he’d seen only in his dreams. In 1948, Gibson elected to design its first solidbody, and Paul, a self-described “dyed-in-the-wool Gibson man,” seemed the right man for the job. Gibson avidly courted the guitar legend, even driving deep into the Pennsylvania mountains to deliver the first model to newlyweds Les Paul and Mary Ford.
“Les played it, and his eyes lighted up,” then-Gibson President Ted McCarty has recalled. The year was 1950, and Paul had just signed on as the namesake of Gibson’s first electric solidbody, with exclusive design privileges. Working closely with Paul, Gibson forged a relationship that would change popular culture forever. The Gibson Les Paul model—the most powerful and respected electric guitar in history—began with the 1952 release of the Les Paul Goldtop. After introducing the original Les Paul Goldtop in 1952, Gibson issued the Black Beauty, the mahogany-topped Les Paul Custom, in 1954. The Les Paul Junior (1954) and Special (1955) were also introduced before the canonical Les Paul Standard hit the market in 1958. With revolutionary humbucker pickups, this sunburst classic has remained unchanged for the half-century since it hit the market.
“The world has lost a truly innovative and exceptional human being today. I cannot imagine life without Les Paul. He would walk into a room and put a smile on anyone’s face. His musical charm was extraordinary and his techniques unmatched anywhere in the world,” said Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar. “We will dedicate ourselves to preserving Les’ legacy to insure that it lives on forever. He touched so many lives throughout his remarkable life and his influence extends around the globe and across every boundary. I have lost a dear, personal friend and mentor, a man who has changed so many of our lives for the better.”
“I don’t think any words can describe the man we know as Les Paul adequately. The English language does not contain words that can pay enough homage to someone like Les. As the “Father of the Electric Guitar”, he was not only one of the world’s greatest innovators but a legend who created, inspired and contributed to the success of musicians around the world,” said Dave Berryman, President of Gibson Guitar. “I have had the privilege to know and work with Les for many, many years and his passing has left a deep personal void. He was simply put – remarkable in every way. As a person, a musician, a friend, an inventor. He will be sorely missed by us all,”
With the rise of the rock ’n’ roll revolution of 1955, Les Paul and Mary Ford’s popularity began to wane with younger listeners, though Paul would prove to be a massive influence on younger generation of guitarists. Still, Paul and Ford maintained their iconic presence with their wildly popular television show, which ran from 1953-1960. In 1964, the couple, parents to a son and daughter, divorced. Paul began playing in Japan, and recorded an LP for London Records before poor health forced him to take time off—as much as someone so inspired can take time off.
In the 1977, Paul resurfaced with a Grammy-winning Chet Atkins collaboration, Chester and Lester. Then the ailing guitarist, who’d already suffered arthritis and permanent hearing loss, had a heart attack, followed by bypass surgery.
Ever stubborn, Les recovered, and returned to live performance in the late 1980s. Even releasing the 2005 double-Grammy winner Les Paul & Friends: American Made World Played, featuring collaborations with a veritable who’s who of the electric guitar, including dozens of illustrious fans like Keith Richards, Buddy Guy, Billy Gibbons, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Joe Perry. In 2008, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame paid tribute to Les Paul in a week-long celebration of his life which culminated with a live performance by Les himself. Until recently Les continued to perform two weekly New York shows with the Les Paul Trio, at The Iridium Jazz Club in New York City, for over twelve years where a literal who’s who of the entertainment world has paid homage. It has been an honor to have Les Paul perform at The Iridium Jazz Club for the past twelve years hosting such luminaries as Paul McCartney, Keith Richards and others and is a tragic loss to owner Ron Sturm both personally and professionally. Iridium intends to celebrate Les Paul’s music and legacy every Monday night.
Les Paul has since become the only individual to share membership into the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the National Inventors Hall of Fame, and the National Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Les is survived by his three sons Lester (Rus) G. Paul, Gene W. Paul and Robert (Bobby) R. Paul, his daughter Colleen Wess, son-in-law Gary Wess, long time friend Arlene Palmer, five grandchildren and five great grandchildren. A private Funeral service will be held in New York. A service in Waukesha, WI will be announced at a later date. Details will follow and will be announced for all services. Memorial tributes for the public will be announced at a future date. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Les Paul Foundation, 236 West 30th Street, 7th Floor, New York, New York 10001.
Wednesday August 5, 2009 Source:Last Crack Location: Madison, WI
The five original members of Last Crack have agreed to perform their debut album, Sinister Funkhouse #17, live on November 14th in their hometown of Madison, Wisconsin. The concert will celebrate the 20 year anniversary of album’s release in 1989 on Roadracer records.
The event will mark the first time the original band has performed in concert since their break-up in 1991.
Band line-up: Buddo - vocals Don Bakken - guitar Paul Schluter - guitar Todd Winger - Bass Phil Buerstatte - Drums
Fans coming in for the show are encouraged to visit Last Crack’s myspace or Facebook group to find out more detailed information like hotel accomodations(Myspace.com/lastcrack or LastCrack.com/facebook). Tickets on-sale date will be anounced in early September.
Last Crack
20 Year Anniversary of Sinister Funkhouse #17
November 14, 2009
Scatz
Madison, Wisconsin
Last Crack from their 2002 reunion with drummer Chris Havey
Wednesday April 22, 2009 Source:MusicSales.com Location: Madison, WI
Let There Be Rock-The Story of AC/DC will be re-released on May 1, 2009 featuring a new chapter, an interview with Angus Young from November 4, 2008, new photographs and an audio CD of an interview done with all five band members (including Bon Scott) from their first American tour on December 4, 1977.
Let There Be Rock-The Story of AC/DC, originally released in October 2006, has now been printed in seven languages.
Let There Be Rock is the definitive story of Australian rock legends AC/DC’s rise to the pinnacle of rock ‘n’ roll’s stratosphere. Learn how this group of Australian mates became one of the truly legendary rock bands in history.
Author Susan Masino traces the band’s roots, from their beginnings in Sydney, Australia in the early 1970s to trailblazing the U.S. mainstream to the devastating death of lead singer Bon Scott in 1980. She chronicles their rebound to the top of the charts with their new front man, Brian Johnson and their watershed album Back In Black.
Compiled from over thirty years of interviews Susan did with the band, as well as dozens of new interviews with other musicians and friends of the band, the real story of AC/DC is revealed.
Let There Be Rock-The Story of AC/DC will be available at your local bookstore, or go to www.amazon.com.
Friday February 20, 2009 Source:Launchpad Location: Waunakee, WI
Area Bands Selected to Participate in Regional Competition at Waunakee High School
The countdown continues for Launchpad – a unique, statewide alternative music competition for high school students! Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) just selected fifteen (15) area garage bands to take the stage and compete in a regional concert extravaganza at Waunakee High School on Friday March 20 at 4 p.m. The event, which is open to the public for $6 admission, is designed to celebrate the reach of music education.
“Launchpad provides a great platform for students to take what they’ve learned in and outside the music classroom and apply it in their own way,” said Kevin Thays, WSMA director of communications. At least one member of each band must be in a school music program and all members must be currently enrolled in a Wisconsin school to qualify.
The competing bands, selected from more than 80+ statewide entries, include:
4:00 p.m. Populist Revolt - Madison East High School (Rock)
4:25 p.m. Stereocolor - Glacier Creek MS/Middleton High School (Pop/Reggae Rock)
4:50 p.m. Roman Grecos - Janesville Craig High School (Ska/Jazz)
5:15 p.m. The Desired Bonus - Delevan Darien High School (Ska/Punk/Alternative)
5:40 p.m. Skepsis - Monona Grove/LaFollette High Schools (Rock)
6:05 p.m. The Flow Banditz and the Organics - Middleton High School (Hip Hop/Funk)
6:30 p.m. Sleeping in the Stereo – St Maria Goretti MS/Madison West HS (Alternative)
6:55 p.m. Aspects of Eternity - Montello High School (Rock/Metal/Experimental)
7:20 p.m. Green County Border Patrol - Oregon High School (Garage Rock)
7:45 p.m. Shot 150 – Southwestern WI (Hazel Green) High School – (Rock)
8:10 p.m. Phaze 2 - Sun Prairie High School (Rock)
8:35 p.m. Pillbox 49 - Orfordville Parkview High School (Rock)
9:00 p.m. The Show - Arrowhead (Hartland)/ Luther Prep (Watertown) High Schools (Rock)
9:25 p.m. Village Idiot - Milton Middle School & High School (Rock)
9:50 p.m. Blindub - Middleton High School (Rock)
The bands are each slotted to play the three songs (covers or originals in virtually any style) from their audition recordings. They will be evaluated by music industry professionals on expression and creativity (dynamics, ability to connect with audience/inspire enthusiasm), technique (intonation, rhythmic clarity, dexterity, vocal clarity/diction), time (ability to play in sync and “feel” style together), blend (melody, inner notes, bass, listening) and synergy (overall effect, the “wow” factor). In addition to the written evaluations, this year’s bands will receive a private verbal critique.
The top three bands in each of the four statewide regional competitions (March 20 – Waunakee High School; April 24 – Chippewa Falls High School; May 8 – Wauwatosa East High School; May 15 – Appleton West High School) will advance to the state finals on June 20 in Madison. The bands will compete for the state title and grand prize package: a professional recording session in Madison, a 2009 Summerfest gig on July 4 and the Les Paul Launchpad Award.
WSMA has a strong history of providing programs and services (i.e., state solo and ensemble music festivals, state honors music project, state marching band championships, etc.) that help youth achieve excellence through music. The organization is headquartered in the Wisconsin Center for Music Education – first of its kind in the nation and located in Waunakee. Like the center, Launchpad is a pioneering initiative to help extend the reach of music education in Wisconsin.
Launchpad is funded by WSMA, corporate sponsorships and in-kind giving from people who believe in the benefits of music education and all that music has to offer. Sponsors for the Madison regional competition include Charter Communications, Madison Media Institute, Nicholas Family Foundation, SONY, Isthmus, Knupp & Watson, Maximum Ink, WJJO FM – 94.1, WPS Health Insurance, WMSN FOX 47, Yamaha, WTDY AM (1670 The Pulse), WJQM FM (Jamz 93.1), Culver’s, Courtier Foundation, Sticha Brothers Sound, Ward-Brodt Music Mall, Shell Lake Arts Center, Shure, Daisy Rock Guitars and Tall Guy Productions. The program is produced by Dennis Graham Associates.
“We have some very talented bands looking to perform in this Launchpad regional competition and cheering on the bands is a great way to show support for music and celebrate this one of a kind garage band competition that highlights the many ways that students can expand their musical skills,” said producer Dennis Graham.
For more information on Launchpad, including participation details, video footage of last year’s finals competition, all supporting sponsors, late-breaking news, etc., go to www.LaunchpadWisconsin.org. Also be sure to visit www.wsmamusic.org for more about WSMA.
