Riot Fest 2021 Lineup Finalized

Posted on September 2, 2021 by philspicks

The official lineup for this year’s Riot Fest has been finalized.

The 2021 Riot Fest is scheduled to take place Sept. 16-19 at Douglass Park in Chicaco, IL. The whole thing kicks off the evening of Sept. 16 with performances by the likes of Alkaline Trio, Patti Smith and her Band, and Morrissey.

Sept. 17 is the first, full, official date of music for this year’s festival. It features performances from a wide range of acts, such as Smashing Pumpkins, NOFX, and Anti-Flag.

Dropkick Murphys, Rancid, and Living Colour join the likes of Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Run The Jewels, and Gwar for the second day of this year’s Riot Fest lineup.

Sunday will see just as many and varied acts taking the stage. Among the most notable of the performances planned to close out this year’s festival are those from the likes of Slipknot, Simple Plan, and Body Count. The Flaming Lips will take the place of Pixies following that band’s recent announcement that it was halting its tour plans due to concerns about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The full lineup for this year’s Riot Fest is noted below.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
MORRISSEY, ALKALINE TRIO, PATTI SMITH AND HER BAND, JOYCE MANOR (performing S/T), WDRL, KRISTEEN YOUNG

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
THE SMASHING PUMPKINS, COHEED AND CAMBRIA, LUPE FIASCO (performing The Cool), NOFX, DIRTY HEADS, SUBLIME WITH ROME, CIRCLE JERKS, DINOSAUR JR., MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK, THRICE, CIRCA SURVIVE, MEG MYERS, THE LAWRENCE ARMS, BEACH BUNNY, ANTI-FLAG, LIVING COLOUR, FISHBONE, ENVY ON THE COAST, THE SOUNDS, AMIGO THE DEVIL, EYEDRESS, BEACH GOONS, MEET ME @ THE ALTAR, SERATONES, RADKEY, KISSISSIPPI, JACKIE HAYES, OXYMORRONS, GIRLPUPPY, SEŃOR KINO

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
RUN THE JEWELS, FAITH NO MORE, DROPKICK MURPHYS, RANCID, TAKING BACK
SUNDAY, VIC MENSA, GOGOL BORDELLO, MAYDAY PARADE, BAYSIDE, STATE CHAMPS, THE MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES, ANDREW W.K., BEST COAST, BIG FREEDIA, GWAR, HEPCAT, LES SAVY FAV, THE BRONX, FOUR YEAR STRONG, CITIZEN, FUCKED UP, JOYWAVE, NIGHT MOVES, MAN ON MAN, THE BOLLWEEVILS, ACTION/ADVENTURE, GANSER, JUST FRIENDS, THE ORPHAN THE POET, BEARINGS, SPIDER, DEVON KAY & THE SOLUTIONS

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
SLIPKNOT, MACHINE GUN KELLY, THE FLAMING LIPS, DEVO, MR. BUNGLE, NEW FOUND GLORY, SIMPLE PLAN, THE GHOST INSIDE, BODY COUNT, THURSDAY, K.FLAY, KNUCKLE PUCK, HEALTH, THE BLED, MOTHER MOTHER, 3OH!3, ALEX G, FEVER 333, KENNYHOOPLA, BLEACHED, THE GORIES, FACS, RATBOYS, BLACKSTARKIDS, THE CLOCKWORKS, PET SYMMETRY, MELKBELLY, GYMSHORTS, THE WEAK DAYS, AIRSTREAM FUTURES

Tickets for Riot Fest 2021 are available here.

More information on this year’s Riot Fest is available along with all of the festival’s latest news at:

Website: https://www,riotfest.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RiotFest1

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Version 5 Debuts New Single, ‘Close My Eyes,’ Companion Video

Posted on February 23, 2021 by philspicks

Independent hard rock band Version 5 recently debuted its latest single and video.

The band debuted its new single, ‘Close My Eyes‘ Feb. 12 along with the song’s companion video. The song exhibits a musical arrangement that harkens back to the sounds of the 90s. At some points, the use of the guitars and vocals hints at influence from the likes of Living Colour while at others it presents influence from The Union Underground and Gravity Kills. The contrast in such distinctly polar opposite acts’ influences seems like it would not work, but surprisingly does.

The lyrical theme that accompanies the song’s musical arrangement will generate its own engagement. While no information has been provided as to the song’s lyrical theme, it can be inferred that the message might be a familiar rumination on a broken relationship.

The song’s video takes place in a 1920s setting, which band member Andy Olsen discussed.

“For the video, I thought it would be cool to “bring back the roaring 20s” for the 2020s,” said Olson. “Spencer, AJ and I liked the idea of being a jazz trio- because this song was a heavy rock song, we wanted to avoid the cliches and have an image that isn’t necessarily associated with a rock band. We lucked out, because we were able to rent out an actual speakeasy bar in Minneapolis.”

More information on Version 5’s new single and video is available along with all of the band’s latest news and more at:

Website: https://www.version5music.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/version5music

Twitter: https://twitter.com/version5music

Gears Debuts ‘Stronger Than Pain’ Lyric Video

Posted on May 6, 2020 by philspicks

Courtesy: TAG Publicity

Independent hard rock band Gears debuted the video for its latest single over the weekend.

The band debuted the lyric video for its new single ‘Stronger Than Pain‘ Sunday. The video features live footage of the band over which the lyrics for the song are superimposed. The band originally debuted the video for ‘Stronger Than Pain’ online through The Noise on May 1.

The song’s musical arrangement will appeal, much like its past works — ‘End This‘ and ‘Tango Yankee‘ and its cover of Living Colour’s ‘Cult of Personality‘ — to fans of Sevendust.

The song’s lyrical content delivers a theme of perseverance through life’s obstacles, according to a statement from Gears drummer Jimmy Wooten.

“We’ve actually been sitting on this song for a while now,” he said. “With everything happening in the world today, it just seemed that now would be a good time to unleash it. It’s meant to be a battle cry that empowers us and says, ‘We will overcome anything that comes our way. We are stronger than everything we face.’ I think it’s more fitting now than we would like to admit. We all hope everyone is staying safe, healthy and strong.”

‘Stronger Than Pain’ is scheduled for release May 8 on all digital platforms. Audiences can pre-order/pre-save the song here.

Gears was founded in February 2014 by Trip 6, Eli Parker, Tommy Herres and Jimmy Wooten. After its founding, the band released its debut EP Set In Motion in May 2014. Some time later, the band parted ways with Parker, who had played guitar with the band, and replaced him with Bobby Thomas.

June 2015 saw work start on the band’s sophomore EP Pride Comes Before The Fall. the band teamed up with guitarist Corey Lowery (Stuck Mojo, Saint Asonia, Stereomud, Dark New Day) and Troy McLawhorn (Evanesence, Seether, Dark New Day) for the EP along with Thomas and fellow new member Chris Dorame.

Following a run on the Riser Tour with I-Exist, the band debuted the lyric video for the EP’s lead single ‘Face Down.’ Its debut was followed by the EP’s release on Nov. 10, 2015.

Gears wasted little time releasing new music from there, debuting the video for another new single, ‘King,’ on Feb. 23, 2018.

Gears’ current lineup is composed of Trip Six (vocals), Jimmy Wooten (drums), Josh Routt (bass) and Jack Andred (guitar) according to information on its official Facebook page. The band is in the studio now with Lowery, working on more new music.

All of the band’s latest news is available online at:

Website: http://www.gearsofficial.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gearsofficial

Twitter: http://twitter.com/OfficialGears1

To keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Disciples Of Verity Debuts ‘Worthy’ Lyric Video

Posted on August 25, 2019 by philspicks

Hard rock/metal outfit Disciples of Verity debuted the video for its new single this week.

The band — Corey Glover (Living Colour, Bowie Experience), George Pond (ex-Negative Sky), Danny Puma (Negative Sky) Corey Pierce (ex-God Forbid) and Mark Monjoy (Sekond Skyn) — released the lyric video for their song ‘Worthy’ Thursday through Revolver magazine.

The song is the lead single from the group’s forthcoming album Pragmatic Sanction, which is scheduled for release later this year through The Label Group and INgrooves. The album’s exact release date will be announced soon. Pre-orders are open now.

‘Worthy’ features guest guitar work by Jeff Loomis (Arch Enemy, Nevermore). Loomis’ Nevermore influences are clear in this song alongside Glover’s vocals. Glover said in a recent interview, the song is lyrically a work that presents a message of overcoming feelings of personal adversity.

“No matter what you’re going through as long as you’re breathing and still here to see another day, it is another chance,” he said. “Being worthy though, that is the rub you are always trying to figure out. The heart and mind play against each other. Your mind says you aren’t good enough, but your heart knows you are worthy. That said, I am here for a reason. I am ‘WORTHY!'”

Courtesy: The Label Group/INgrooves/TAG Publicity

More information on Disciples of Verity and the band’s new lyric video is available online now at http://www.facebook.com/Disciplesofverity.

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Audiences Will Enjoy John 5’s New LP In Every “Season”

Posted on May 4, 2017 by philspicks

Courtesy: 60 cycle hum records

Early this past March, guitarist John 5 released his new solo recording Season of the Witch. The famed guitarist’s now ninth overall solo instrumental recording, Season of the Witch proves from start to finish that it belongs on any critic’s list of the year’s top new rock albums. That is due in part to the album’s songs. This will be discussed shortly. The arrangements at the center of each song are just as important to note as the songs themselves in examining the album’s overall presentation. The record’s sequencing rounds out its most important elements. Each element is important in its own right to the album’s overall presentation. All things considered, Season of the Witch proves to be a record that rock fans will enjoy in every season.

John 5’s latest solo instrumental record Season of the Witch is a record that rock fans will enjoy in every season. That is due in part to the songs that are featured in this recording. While the guitarist, whose real name is John William Lowery, is known largely for his work with the likes of Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie and David Lee Roth, this record displays his versatility as a musician once again. Lowery reaches liberally into the rock realm throughout the course of the record’s 13-song, 39-minute run time. But it is not the only realm into which he reaches as is proven in the likes of ‘Behind The Nut Love,’ ‘Hell Haw’ and ‘Ode To Jasper.’ The first of the group is a country-western style song while the second is a fun, up-tempo bluegrass/rockabilly style work that even incorporates a touch of jazz at the same time. ‘Ode to Jasper’ is a beautifully tragic work that will tug at any listener’s heart strings even while it clocks in at not even two minutes. Getting back on the matter of the album’s rich rock reachings, listeners will be impressed at the amount of ground Lowery covers in that realm. From the industrial leanings of the album’s title track/closer to the almost Joe Satriani/Living Colour-esque sound of ‘Now Fear This’ to the prog-rock sound of ‘Here’s To The Crazy Ones’ and beyond, this record displays great diverse talent from Lowery and his fellow musicians. That diversity forms a solid foundation for this new offering from the famed guitarist. The arrangements at the center of the songs build onto that foundation, strengthening it even more.

The arrangements at the center of the record’s featured songs are so important to note in examining the album’s presentation because they exhibit just as much diversity as the songs themselves. Yes, there is a lot of high-velocity guitar playing throughout the record. However, Lowery also proves that he can play just as expertly in more contemplative moments as he can in wilder moments. That is proven throughout the record as he goes from full-on riffs to other elements and back time and again. ‘Guitars, T**s, and Monsters’ is one of the songs that supports this statement. This song mixes Jimi Hendrix-esque riffs with a touch of Eddie Van Halen fluidly for a song that clearly exhibits his (and his band mates’) ability to handle such quick shifts in style. The whole thing winds down with a rather reserved arrangement that gently places listeners, albeit breathless, on another musical shore. ‘Hell Haw’ is another example of the diversity presented in the songs’s arrangements. This song takes the classic jazz tune ‘Who Could Ask For Anything More’ and crosses it with a touch of rockabilly and bluegrass, clearly showing Lowery’s ability to handle all three genres in one whole. The same can be said of his fellow musicians. It is, in fact, one of the moments that allows them to really put their talents on display. Very much the same can be said of the simplistic arrangement in ‘Ode To Jasper.’ This song’s arrangement only calls for a small handful of notes to be played throughout. Yet even with so few notes being played by any of the band members, the gentility in those notes and their gentle flowing nature creates a massive emotional impact. Considering this it is one more arrangement that proves the arrangements in the album’s featured songs are collectively just as diverse as the songs themselves. Keeping that in mind, that diversity—which is shown just as much through the album’s other arrangements not noted here—proves to be just as important to this record’s presentation as its songs. It is not the last of the record’s most important elements either. The record’s sequencing rounds out its most important elements.

The diversity in SOTW’s songs and their arrangements are both key pieces of the record’s whole. Each element ensures in its own way listeners’ engagement. They are not the record’s only important elements. Its sequencing rounds out its most important elements. The record opens and closes with a nod to Lowery’s industrial roots. In between, Lowery and company take listeners on quite the musical ride. The transition from ‘Black Grass Plague’ and ‘Guitars, T***, and Monsters’ eventually makes way for the more controlled riffs of ‘Now Fear This’ before the band really pulls back in the country-western ‘Behind The Nut Love.’ From there, the energy picks back up shortly in ‘Making Monsters’ and ‘Here’s To The Crazy Ones’ before pulling back again in ‘The Macabre,’ which despite its name, sounds anything but macabre. If anything the harmonics incorporated into the mid-tempo ballad style song makes for an interesting emotional impact. The record’s energy rises again from there before reaching that already noted deeply emotional ballad that is ‘Ode To Jasper.’ The final powerful punch of the record’s title song makes for the ideal ending to the album. When it is considered along with the rest of the record’s crests and troughs, the whole picture is one is even more certain to keep listeners engaged. When this consideration is joined with the notes on the record’s songs and their arrangements, it becomes clear that much time and thought was put into crafting this album. That time and thought resulted in a record that deserves a spot on any critic’s list of the year’s top new rock records.

John 5’s new instrumental solo record Season of the Witch is a work that deserves a spot on any critic’s list of the year’s top new rock records. That is evidenced through the diversity in the record’s songs and their arrangements. The record’s sequencing provides its own share of diversity, too. That diversity across the board makes this record one that is certain to entertain not just rock loyalists but music lovers in whole. It shows that this record deserves a spot on any critic’s list of the year’s top new rock records and potentially the year’s top new albums overall. It is available now in stores and online. More information on Season of the Witch is available online now along with all of John 5’s latest news and more at:

Website: http://www.john-5.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/john5official

Twitter: http://twitter.com/john5guitarist

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Ellefson Partners With Pro Tone Pedals To Release New Pedal

Posted on March 4, 2017 by philspicks

Courtesy: Pro Tone Pedals

Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson does not rest easily on his laurels.

The musician turned entrepreneur announced this week a new partnership with Pro Tone Pedals to create a new guitar pedal. The pedal, dubbed the “Dawn Patrol Chorus,” came to being after Pro Tone Pedals representatives approached Ellefson and proposed the idea.

Ellefson stressed the new, signature pedal will be a welcome addition to any bassist’s resources, adding he already used the company’s “Chorus” pedals when the organization’s representatives came to him with the idea.

“When Pro Tone approached me with the idea of making some signature pedals,as a bass player, Chorus is one of my go-to effects live, an ace weapon in my arsenal, and in many regards, helped me transition to my signature tone from studio to live on classics like ‘Dawn Patrol,’ Ellefson said. “So the idea of developing a great chorus pedal was really a no brainer. Dennis and the Pro Tone team are technical wizards and developed the Dawn Patrol to my exact specifications, and together we’ve developed a high quality, hand-built stompbox pedal that I’m positive will find a special place in any bassist’s rig.”

Ellefson’s new partnership with Pro Tone Pedals makes him just the latest name to make the company live up to its name. Animals as Leaders bassist Tosin Abasi and Reeves Gabrels use the company’s signature pedals. Jeff Loomis, Fear Factory, Alice in Chains, Prong, Deftones, Living Colour, Overkill, 30 Seconds to Mars and many others also use the company’s products.

Pro Tone Pedals was founded in 2004. The company, now based in Charleston, South Carolina, has developed its reputation from making custom designed pedals. Its employees’ dedication to customer service has garnered it affiliations with the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, Arch Enemy, Whitechapel, the Cure, Fear Factory, Ministry, Prong, Overkill and others.

The Dawn Patrol Chorus will be available at an introductory price of $189.99. More information on the new pedal is available online now at:

Website: http://www.protonepedals.com/ellefson

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/protonefans

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