HIGH VOLTAGE MAGAZINE

Verona Grove - Summerfest - Milwaukee, WI

noreply@blogger.com (High Voltage Staff) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 16:30:00 +0000

Verona Grove Photo Gallery
Summerfest (Milwaukee, WI)
July 30th, 2008
Photography By: Alison Krick

MySpace | Official Site

Cinematic Sunrise - EP

noreply@blogger.com (High Voltage Staff) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 02:53:00 +0000

Cinematic Sunrise
A Coloring Storybook and Long-Playing Record
(Equal Vision Records)
Reviewed By: Naimah Holmes

With fans bombarded with 100 new bands a day, bands find it even harder to prove themselves day after day.You'd think things would be easier when you have a built in fanbase. For Craig Owens and Bradley Bell of Chiodos, along with Bryan Beeler (guitar), Marcus VanKirk (bass) and Dave Shapiro (drums) this comes as a welcomed challenge. Owens fronts while Bell takes to the keys in this upbeat, happy go lucky band. It's that light-hearted/good time approach that sets Cinematic Sunrise apart in a landscape of bands that are more into playing up the gloomy side of life. (read more)

MySpace

Black Gold - "Detroit" Video

noreply@blogger.com (High Voltage Staff) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:13:00 +0000

Introducing Black Gold, your new favorite band from Brooklyn, and their music video for "Detroit." Check it out!

MySpace

Jonas Brothers - Summerfest - Milwaukee, WI

noreply@blogger.com (High Voltage Staff) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 20:30:00 +0000

Click the photo below to check out the High Voltage Magazine Jonas Brothers photo gallery from July 6th, 2008 at Summerfest in Milwaukee, WI.

MySpace | Official Site

Kill Hannah - El Rey Theatre - July 19th

noreply@blogger.com (High Voltage Staff) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:43:00 +0000

Check out the High Voltage Kill Hannah Photo Gallery from their Los Angeles performance at the El Rey Theatre on July 19th! Click the photo below to see more images.

MySpace | Official Site

HYPE IT UP: And Then There Were None

noreply@blogger.com (High Voltage Staff) — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 02:18:00 +0000

High Voltage introduces the launch of our newest section, HYPE IT UP. Just a little taste of our latest discoveries. First up, And Then There Were None!

AND THEN THERE WERE NONE
Hyped By: Naimah Holmes

New Hampshire produces Techno/Dance/Club banging bands? Apparently so, and their name is And Then There Were None (to be known hence forth at ATTWN). This is more than that cutesy, danceable, overly eager stuff your BFF sent you via sendspace. THESE are quality jams with heavier lyrics than those synth-loving tweens are ready to handle! ATTWN is Matt Rhoades (Vocals/Programming), Sean Sweeney (Guitar/Vocals),Nick Massahos(Guitar/Vocals), Ryan Manning (Drums),and Matt McComish (Synths). All of that manpower behind songs such as "Action is the Anecdote," with it's booming chorus and bridges covered in hand-claps, the cautionary "John Orr the Arsonist" and the dizzying "Occam's Razor" you will dance 'til you drop. Or at least brace yourself halfway through so you can enjoy the guys' rendition of "Heaven." So make room in your basement or bedroom, passenger seat space is required for the dance party ATTWN will create.

MySpace | Facebook

The Sort - Resentment, Despair, & Other Amusements

noreply@blogger.com (High Voltage Staff) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 23:36:00 +0000

The Sort
Resentment, Despair, & Other Amusements
(Black Bag Records)
Reviewed By: Izzy Cihak

While "Mean Nouns" is most likely the hippest song title of 2008, The Sort are probably not going to find themselves on the pages of Vice Magazine, sharing bills with Girl Talk, or partaking in any other cliché sponsored by American Apparel. Instead, the sound of the Richmond-based five-piece's debut album, Resentment, Despair, & Other Amusements, hearkens back to the mid-90s, a time when girl-fronted bands were allowed to kick ass, a time when something had to be more than ironic to be cool, and a time when teen angst was shouted, not pouted. (read more)

MySpace

Peter Murphy in Philadelphia

noreply@blogger.com (High Voltage Staff) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:51:00 +0000

Peter Murphy
@ The Trocadero
Philadelphia, PA
June 29, 2008
Reviewed By: Izzy Cihak

Well, it seems as though Ziggy and the Spiders are fighting again. After nearly two years back together and their first studio album in 25 years Bauhaus have broken up for the third time. With this, Love and Rockets are now playing some of this year's biggest festivals and Peter Murphy, who's looking more and more like John Waters as Caligari's Cesare every day, is bringing his "Retrospective" tour to half-capacity clubs across America. (read more)

MySpace | Official Site

Sunset Strip Music Festival 2008

noreply@blogger.com (High Voltage Staff) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 21:05:00 +0000

This past weekend saw Los Angeles' first Sunset Strip Music Festival. An attempt to remember and bring back the vibrant Sunset Strip rock n roll (and well, music in general) history. Opening night started by honoring former club owners Lou Adler, Mario Maglieri, and Elmer Valentine. Then the evening continued throughout the strip with performances by Soul Asylun, LA Guns and more. Friday was just as spectacular as Slash joined B Real at the Whisky A Go Go, but it was probably the hip hop violinist beforehand that stole the show. Saturday brought about a free parking lot concert featuring Camp Freddy, Pop Noir and more that ended up emphasizing how much the music industry really is suffering as people won't even show up for a FREE show. All-in-all the festival was quite successful for its first year and I'll definitely return to see what the strip brings next year. ~ Chelsea Schwartz

High Voltage Magazine's SSMF Photo Gallery

Slash introducing Mario Maglieri:

Tommy Chong introducting Lou Adler:

Soul Asylum live at House of Blues:

LA Guns live at the Whisky A Go Go:

Camp Freddy live at 8755 Sunset Blvd:

MySpace | Official Site

Nashville Star 6: Pop Goes Country?

noreply@blogger.com (High Voltage Staff) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 19:51:00 +0000

This week on Nashville Star 6, get ready as the 10 remaining contestants perform songs by such artists as Madonna, Michael Jackson and Cyndi Lauper...

POP GOES COUNTRY AS THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT "NASHVILLE STAR" CONTINUES WITH A TWO-HOUR EPISODE FEATURING APPEARANCES BY SALT N PEPA, DANITY KANE AND AN ALL SING BACKED BY A 50 PERSON CHOIR -- BILLY RAY CYRUS HOSTS -- Ten acts remain all competing be named the next "Nashville Star." Special guests Salt n Pepa add a little spice in week three of the competition and the sexy girl group Danity Kane heats things up when pop goes country. Hear cross-over versions of your favorite top 20 hits interpreted by the competing artists topped off with an all sing featuring a 50 person choir. This is the biggest episode yet! Host Billy Ray Cyrus ("Hannah Montana") joins celebrity judges/mentors, singer-songwriter and acclaimed producer John Rich, multi-platinum singer-songwriter and three-time Grammy nominee Jewel and acclaimed industry heavy weight and BMI Songwriter of the Year (2006) Jeffery Steele in the search for a true artist.

And here's some exclusive rehearsal video of last weeks eliminated contestants, Third Town, performing Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody - the song they were talked out of performing live on the show by mentor Jeffrey Steele during rehearsals the previous week.

Tune in Monday on NBC, 9/8c.

MySpace | Official Site

High Voltage: June 19th

noreply@blogger.com (High Voltage Staff) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:38:00 +0000

Hola LA! Our newest night is just around the corner. Mark your calendars to come out to MotionLA on June 19th. It's all ages and only five bucks to get in. You won't want to miss this fantastic night of music. Plus Bliss Tea is sponsoring the night which means tons of free tea! What could be better?!

The Arma Mirage & The Current State of Music

noreply@blogger.com (High Voltage Staff) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:33:00 +0000

The Arma Mirage
When The Quiet Sounds Alarm EP
Reviewed By: Kim Johnson

When I first found I loved music more than anything else this world had to offer, I used to study albums. I’d sit in my room for hours and attempt to teach myself what a work of art sounded like and what a piece of shit sounded like. I’d sit and admire the grace and vulnerability of Circa Survive’s Jurturna, or the melodic metalcore of Underoath’s They’re Only Chasing Safety. (read more)

MySpace

The Vacation - Get Used

noreply@blogger.com (High Voltage Staff) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 00:01:00 +0000

Get Used, by Los Angeles' own The Vacation, will instantly become one of your favorite rock albums of 2008. Released digitally on May 20th, Get Used is the answer to our rock n roll resurrection prayers. From the dirty ballads to the raging guitar solo's, The Vacation know what rock n roll is about and High Voltage recently got to spend a few minutes with frontman Ben Tegel... (read more)

MySpace

Phantom Planet - Raise The Dead

noreply@blogger.com (High Voltage Staff) — Fri, 23 May 2008 21:47:00 +0000

Phantom Planet
Raise The Dead
By: Mai Huynh

Ten years and a handful of albums later, Phantom Planet, is making a strong comeback. But did they ever leave? Not really. Their new album, Raise the Dead, is definitely resurrecting old Phantom Planet fans. Raise the Dead is far from the Phantom Planet I remember listening to as a teenager. It’s more rock and less clean cut, with heavier guitars and bass lines and more howling from lead singer Alex Greenwald. (read more)

MySpace | Official Site

Does It Offend You, Yeah? review

noreply@blogger.com (High Voltage Staff) — Sun, 04 May 2008 19:28:00 +0000

Does It Offend You, Yeah?
You Have No Idea...
reviewed by Kim Johnson

I've come to the conclusion that if Daft Punk, Muse, Justice and PlayRadioPlay had a baby at a rave, it would come out sounding exactly like DIOYY! Weird analogy I know, but let me explain. I swear it makes sense. (read more)

MySpace | Official Site

Select Start - The Rotary

noreply@blogger.com (High Voltage Staff) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 03:46:00 +0000

Select Start
The Rotary [EP]
reviewed by Naimah Holmes

Nowadays every band has some kind of synth influence to them. The problem with this is that too many of said bands overuse this element of manipulation. Select Start however has found a way to structure their sound around that tool, not the other way around. (read more)

MySpace | PureVolume

Tom Morello's Justice Tour

noreply@blogger.com (High Voltage Staff) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 07:01:00 +0000

Click to view more images from Tom Morello's Justice Tour stop in NYC featuring Wayne Kramer, Perry Farrell, Slash and more.

For more information on Road Recovery, click here.

Primavera has arrived!

noreply@blogger.com (High Voltage Staff) — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 07:27:00 +0000

I only know of California via TV, movies, and the internet. Lame I know! Recently I found out about a band called Primavera and I'd like to thank California for not birthing yet another generic rockband. So, thank you California! Even better thank you to Jessica De Grasse for the etheral vocals, Lyle Tilo Reust (guitar), Thomas Teal (bass), and Randall Wagner (drums) for making rock music interesting again. It's more than just your run of the mill rock. There's substance here! Melodies! Sky-scraping bridges to take you from here to there, and believe me you want to be there. Go take a listen! A few hours will go by before you notice you've had their MySpace page up the entire time. — Naimah Holmes

Primavera in Spanish means "spring time," how appropriate!

UPCOMING DATES
Jun 1 @ TBA --- Los Angeles, CA
Jun 3 @ TBA --- San Diego, CA
Jun 4 @ TBA --- Santa Barbara, CA
Jun 5 @ TBA --- Fresno, CA
Jun 6 @ TBA --- San Francisco, CA
Jun 7 @ TBA --- Sacramento, CA
Jun 8 @ TBA --- Portland, OR
Jun 10 @ TBA --- Tacoma, WA
Jun 11 @ TBA --- Seattle, WA
Jun 13 @ TBA --- Spokane, WA
Jun 14 @ TBA --- Twin Falls, ID
Jun 15 @ TBA --- Salt Lake City, UT
Jun 16 @ TBA --- Provo, UT
Jun 18 @ TBA --- Casper, WY
Jun 19 @ TBA --- Denver, CO
Jun 20 @ TBA --- Colorado Springs, CO
Jun 21 @ TBA --- Kansas City, KS
Jun 22 @ TBA --- Wichita, KS
Jun 23 @ TBA --- St. Louis, MO
Jun 25 @ TBA --- Chicago, IL
Jun 26 @ TBA --- Indianapolis, IN
Jun 27 @ TBA --- Louisville, KY
Jun 29 @ TBA --- Nashville, TN
Jun 30 @ TBA --- Little Rock, AR
Jul 1 @ TBA --- Oklahoma City, OK
Jul 2 @ TBA --- Amarillo, TX
Jul 3 @ TBA --- Albuquerque, NM
Jul 4 @ TBA --- Tuscon, AZ
Jul 5 @ TBA --- Pheonix, AZ

MySpace | Official Site

Kiros - A Single Strand

noreply@blogger.com (High Voltage Staff) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 20:25:00 +0000

Kiros
A Single Strand
(Torque Records)
reviewed by Kim Johnson

Ticket-less and pretty much stranded, a friend and I strolled around a gas station near the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine, CA where day one of the second annual Bamboozle Left festival would be held. (read more)

MySpace

Dear And The Headlights

noreply@blogger.com (High Voltage Staff) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:57:00 +0000

Dear And The Headlights
Small Steps, Heavy Hooves
(Equal Vision Records)
reviewed by: Naimah Holmes

There's something so fresh and alluring about Dear And The Headlights. You notice it the first time you listen to Small Steps, Heavy Hooves. The warmth of Ian Metzger's voice accompanied by the melodies from both guitars and bass, and the pulsing of the drums. Every song could be the soundtrack to your life, weaving in and out of memories as if you were flipping through an old photo album. (read more)

MySpace | Official Site

Cruefest 2008, The Loudest Show On Earth

noreply@blogger.com (High Voltage Staff) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 22:37:00 +0000

Eighties' hair rockers, Motley Crue are back with a vengeance. Not only are they releasing a new album, Saints of Los Angeles, on June 17th, but yesterday at 4 PM PST, Motley Crue announced their summer touring plans to bring rock back! That's right, starting July 1st Motley Crue will embark on their 41 date summer festival, Crue Fest, commencing in West Palm Beach, FL. Joining headliners Motley Crue will be rockers Buckcherry, Papa Roach, Sixx: AM, and Trapt. Check out some photos we took at the press conference yesterday, ROCK IS BACK!

UPCOMING DATES
JULY
07.01.08 - West Palm Beach, FL - Cruzan Amphitheatre
07.03.08 - Tampa, FL - Ford Amphitheatre
07.05.08 - Charlotte, NC - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Charlotte
07.06.08 - Virginia Beach, VA - Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach
Amphitheater
07.08.08 - Wantagh, NY - Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
07.09.08 - Buffalo, NY - Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
07.10.08 - Sarnia, ONT - Bayfest
07.12.08 - Philadelphia, PA- Susquehanna Bank Center
07.13.08 - Washington, DC - Nissan Pavilion
07.15.08 - Detroit, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre
07.16.08 - Chicago, IL - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
07.18.08 - Indianapolis, IN- Verizon Wireless Music Center Indianapolis
07.19.08 - Milwaukee, WI - Marcus Amphitheater
07.20.08 - St. Louis, MO - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater St. Louis
07.22.08 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
07.23.08 - San Antonio, TX - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
07.24.08 - Dallas, TX - Superpages.com Center
07.26.08 - Albuquerque, NM - Journal Pavilion
07.27.08 - Denver, CO - Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre
07.29.08 - Salt Lake City, UT - USANA Amphitheatre
07.31.08 - Phoenix, AZ - Cricket Wireless Pavilion

AUGUST
08.01.08 - Las Vegas, NV - Mandalay Bay Events Center
08.02.08 - Los Angeles, CA - Glen Helen Pavilion
08.05.08 - Sacramento, CA - Sleep Train Pavilion
08.06.08 - Mountain View, CA- Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountain View
08.08.08 - Seattle, WA - White River Amphitheatre
08.09.08 - Portland, OR - Rose Garden
08.11.08 - Vancouver, BC - General Motors Place
08.13.08 - Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
08.14.08 - Calgary, AB - Pengrowth Saddledome
08.15.08 - Saskatoon, SK - Credit Union Centre
08.17.08 - Winnipeg, MB - MTS Centre
08.19.08 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Amphitheatre
08.20.08 - Cleveland, OH - Blossom Music Center
08.22.08 - Boston, MA - Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts
08.23.08 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center
08.24.08 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
08.28.08 - Toronto, ONT - Molson Amphitheatre
08.29.08 - Albany, NY - Saratoga Performing Arts Center
08.30.08 - Scranton, PA - Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain
08.31.08 - Pittsburgh, PA - Post-Gazette Pavilion

MySpace | Official Site

New York Dolls - Live At The Fillmore East

noreply@blogger.com (High Voltage Staff) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:04:00 +0000

New York Dolls
Live At The Fillmore East
(SonyBMG)
reviewed by Izzy Cihak

Recent, and not exactly scientific, evidence has proven that punk's authenticity can be proven not with a specific number of safety pins in one's shirt, but when one has at least three times as many live releases as studio albums. (read more)

MySpace | Official Site

SXSW 2008, Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (High Voltage Staff) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 18:40:00 +0000

SXSW 2008
reviewed & photos by Mai Huynh

SXSW 2008 came and went bringing plenty of sleepless nights, tired feet, and amazing music. I left Boston with a plan on how to tackle the thousands of bands that would be performing in Austin but by Wednesday night that plan was out the door. I basically saw all the bands I did because of chance. And sometimes, that’s the best way of experiencing SXSW.

Here's my recap of Day 1, Wednesday, March 12th:

City and Colour (fronted by Dallas Green of Alexisonfire) - Here’s a band that I had no intention of seeing since my only knowledge of Alexisonfire is that they’re a post-hardcore band, which isn’t really my thing. However, my best friend’s boyfriend Tom, actually works for the label that Alexisonfire is on and brought us to watch City and Colour play at the Canadian BBQ Party. The moment I saw Dallas on stage I knew I was already in for a surprise because he resembled an “indie hipster” more than he did the singer of a screamo band and was equally shocked when he strummed his first chord and sang his first lyric. He opened up with a song called ‘The Girl’ from his upcoming release, Bring Me Your Love. The sound is completely opposite than his work with Alexisonfire and is more folk oriented, mellow, lyrically driven and just plain sad. The album features harmonica and banjo but they all play secondary roles to Dallas Green, his voice, and his guitar. He may have stood on stage alone with an acoustic guitar but honestly commanded the entire operation. Few musicians have ever captivated me on first impressions alone and Dallas did so within the first 10 seconds. The way he sings and plays highlights his vulnerability, his passion and that is endearing to see. One of my favorites from the entire festival.

MySpace

Grande ‘Ole Party - Lead singer, drummer, female. Three things that may seem like separate entities but in GOP, three separate entities happen to be one thing, Kristin Gundred. I stumbled upon this band by chance and stayed because of curiosity. Gundred’s drumming is not complicated but neither is GOP’s music. It is hard to pinpoint exactly what GOP sounds like but Gundred has a really interesting voice and their sound is a mix of Rilo Kiley meets Janis Joplin meets Bessie Smith. What may seem like a strange combination actually works for this band because they already break any molds on what traditional lead singers do, play, and sing. If you like soul songstresses than GOP is the band for you, every emotion Gundred sings about can be seen in her face and heard in her voice.

MySpace

Corto Maltese - I saw this band outside the open window of BD Riley’s while waiting to get into The Duke Spirit and couldn’t help but wander over and listen. To be honest, the band was pretty boring to watch live but the guitar riffs were really inspiring and the only way to really describe it was ‘fun.’ Listening to them is like a musical rollercoaster because immediately they remind you of many different bands, but not in a bad way. Mostly, their music reminds me of Wolf Parade; I guess because their music is also just as fun and they have similar sounding keyboard loops that just change the dynamic of entire songs. I don’t have too much to say about them because I only made it for a handful of songs but what I did see, I liked. Corto Maltese is a local Austin band with a lot of potential and I can’t wait to experience their full sound.

MySpace

Dorian - I wish I could have understood at least one word they sang, but unfortunately there’s a language barrier with this electronic/pop band from Barcelona. On my way home across the S. Congress bridge to the Embassy I walked by a near empty Copa lounge where it was ‘World Music’ night. Dorian was the last band of the night and they made me stop in my tracks. After discovering their name I was intrigued even more since Dorian is also the name of my boss’ son. What I was able to understand was that this band was really interesting and I guess music really does allow people the opportunity to overcome whatever language barriers there may be. There were certain songs which might have been better for me if they had been in English, like ‘El Futuro No Es De Nadie,’ which roughly translates to ‘The future is not anyones.’ Musically the song was weak and not as catchy as their other ones but there seemed to be a deeper, stronger message in the lyrics that I wish I understood. However, there were plenty of songs which didn’t require words at all. Overall, this international band experience just helped me understand how beautiful music can be, words or no words music really can transcend verbal or physical boundaries and it was a great way to end the night.

MySpace

Counting Crows - Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings

noreply@blogger.com (High Voltage Staff) — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 20:49:00 +0000

The Counting Crows
Reviewed & Photographed By: Chelsea Schwartz

When I was a little girl I remember waking up to the sounds of August and Everything After by the Counting Crows blasting through the house stereo on Sunday morning as my father would cook up a massive brunch and the smells of bacon, eggs, and bagels consumed the house. It’s such a pleasant memory to relive and every time I hear that record I think about those weekends. Needless to say, over the years, I have become a huge Counting Crows fan following them from one record to the next. (read more)

Photos Taken at The Grove, Los Angeles, CA on April 3rd, 2008

MySpace | Official Site

Alternative Press Tour 2008

noreply@blogger.com (High Voltage Staff) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:34:00 +0000

Alternative Press Tour 08
reviewed by Kim Johnson

As eager kids piled into the Glasshouse in Pomona, California, you could steadily see the venue becoming submersed with adrenaline pumped teens ready for the taste of a powerpop/pop punk rock filled night. The room bustled with conversations and chatter only seized by the arrival of the first band up. (read more)

AP Tour MySpace