a-ha

The biggest thing to come out of Norway since the Vikings. Considered a one hit wonder in the US, a-ha are still big in Europe and other parts of the world. In 1993 they broke the attendance record at Rio's Maracana Stadium in South America with an audience of 195,000. It just goes to show you how much our radio stations here in the US are controlled by big corporate companies. Alot of great artist are swept under the rug here. The general public are only being exposed to what the record companies want them to hear. There's a whole world of music outside of the United States just waiting for you to listen to it. Show your independence and tell your local radio stations that you're tired of corporate companies deciding what kind of you music you should listen to.

Update: On August 27, 2005 they played to a crowd estimated between 120,000 to 150,000 people in Oslo. This is the largest concert event ever in Norway! After all of these years, these guys can still draw in a crowd. Trust me...there's alot more to this band than just one hit! Make sure you get the latest cd release Analogue. You'll be glad you did!
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BIG COUNTY

Some called this band from Scotland the greatest live band of all times. I never had the opportunity to see them live on stage, but there is a great live DVD that is now available. Another band considered a one hit wonder in the US. Try telling that to someone from Europe and they will laugh! Big Country scored over 17 hits throughout the world, all in the top 30 or better. They created their own unique sound that would set them apart from all others. Their music will always be timeless. Great stuff!!! Check them out.

R.I.P. Stuart Adamson
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CD BABY

A great way to find independent musicians. Reminds me of the old days when you could walk into a record store and listen to whatever you liked. You can even browse album art. How cool is that? Old school with the modern technology of today! This is the way all online record stores should be.
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HARD ROCK CAFE

No matter what city I'm in...if there is a Hard Rock Cafe...I'm there! I'll admit, the food is a little over priced. Who wants to pay $10 for a cheeseburger? But on the other hand, you can't beat the atmosphere. It makes it worth every penny (especially for a music lover like me). Each time I'm there I can't help but to try and recall each Hard Rock that I have visited.....Hmmm...lets see...there's Dallas, Destin, Fort Lauderdale, Gatlinburg, Honolulu, Houston, Key West, London, Memphis, New Orleans, New York, Niagra Falls, Orlando, Paris, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, Toronto...and uhh...I think that's all. At any rate, no matter what location I am at, I always have a great time at the Hard Rock Cafe. More importantly, I always leave there with a great looking t-shirt!

Update: Sad to learn they closed the Dallas location (The Courthouse of Rock N Roll).

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HOUSE OF BLUES

Great food! Great venue! What more could you ask for? Probably one of my favorite restaurants. Some of the best cajun food on the planet, and you don't have to be in New Orleans to experience it. If you ever saw the Blues Brothers movies, then you probably already know that Dan Aykroyd is part owner of this restaurant. Every time my family and I are in Orlando, we always make sure we eat at the House Of Blues. They have locations all over the place. I'm always amazed by the concert schedule they have. Alot of great bands play there. You should check out the HOB website. Make sure you check out their gift shop as well.
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INXS

With a career spanning 25 extraordinary years, INXS are undoubtedly one of the world's great bands. With more than 30 million records sold worldwide, countless awards from their peers and fans, platinum certifications, and a history peppered with outstanding achievements, the band are arguably Australia's most successful rock export. From their first gig as the Farriss Brothers in Sydney's Northern beaches in August 1977, Michael Hutchence, Kirk Pengilly, Garry Beers, Tim Farriss, Andrew Farriss, and Jon Farriss quickly won Australian then international acclaim.
Over their career INXS have toured the world with numerous highlights such as playing to 250,000 people at the US Festival in California, with Queen at Wembley Stadium, headlining the huge HFS-Tival, performing for Prince Charles and Princess Dianna in Melbourne 1985, 100,000 people at Rock In Rio and their own sell out show to 75,000 people at Wembley Stadium.
The death of Michael Hutchence in November 1997 had a profound impact on the members of INXS, who had been close friends and collaborators for more than two full decades. In 1999 with guest vocalist Terence Trent D'Arby, they returned to the concert stage before 90,000 and a vast television audience to officially open Sydney's Olympic Stadium with a blistering performance. With guest vocalist Jon Stevens, INXS performed at the closing ceremony of the Sydney Olympic Games in September 2000, broadcast to an estimated television audience of several billion people.
By the middle of 2002 INXS returned to the international concert arena with the band playing in South, Central, and North America on a full scale tour with an overwhelming response and the band re-igniting interest from fans and media. Shows throughout Europe followed and multiple trips to Latin America which included headlining the huge Vina Del Mar Festival in Chile in 2003, broadcast to a global audience of 180 million.
Currently, in conjunction with Mark Burnett Productions, the band will search for their new singer using an "unscripted drama" TV series (INXS-Rock Star). The global search will take in 20 cities across 6 continents. Check out the INXS website for more information.

Update: The new album titled Switch featuring new lead singer J.D. Fortune is now available.
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R.I.P. Michael Hutchence

Michael Hutchence
1960-1997

Visit the official memorial website @ www.michaelhutchence.org
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KING'S X

Possibly the hardest working band in Rock N Roll history. The Texas trio from Houston. They don't get a whole lot of airplay here, but still some how manage to always make MTV and VH1's top 100 rock bands of all times. Ty Tabor (the most under-rated guitar player ever), Doug Pinnick (plays the 12 string bass like nobodys business), Jerry Gaskill (if there wasn't a Neil Peart...then Jerry would be the man). They are currently on tour now and usually hit all the big spots. I was at the show on September 24th (2004) at Juanita's in Little Rock. Here are some photos from the show.

Update: Doug's solo album Emotional Animal is now available, as well as, KING'S X brand new studio album Ogre Tones. Watch for '06 tour dates to be posted at kingsxonline.

Update '08: XV the lastest cd release from KING'S X in stores May 20th.
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RUSH

My number 1 favorite band! The awesome trio from the Great White North recently celebrated their 30th anniversary. I've been following these guys since I was in the 8th grade back in 1981. The first band to ever captivate me. I was blown away by the lyrics. No other musicians probably know as much about their instruments as do Alex, Geddy, and Neil. They are true masters. They aren't afraid of change. Each album different from the one before. They are not interested in what is popular or main stream, they are very unique. Everything they do, they do it best. From the sound on stage, to the lighting, all the way to the t-shirts they sell. They want their fans to have the very best. Even their website was awarded best band website. Their live video release RUSH IN RIO won a Juno award for best music DVD. I could go on and on about RUSH. So it's best I stop now. Visit their website and learn more about them. Check out all their albums (some of the greatest album art ever). Last year they were nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance, but were beat out by Brian Wilson (go figure). If you don't already have it, go out and get the brand new R30 DVD (their 30th anniversary concert recorded live in Germany). Awesome stuff!!!

Update: If you didn't get to see RUSH on their 30th anniversary tour, here's your chance. The new R30 DVD is now available. This concert was recorded in Frankfurt, Germany in front of a sold out crowd. There are two versions available. One is the 2 DVD Regular Edition, and the other is a 2 DVD and 2 CD Deluxe Edition with limited edition guitar picks and a souvenir backstage pass.

Also available on DVD...Neil Peart's Anatomy of a Drum Solo.

The latest release Snakes & Arrows is now on sale. I caught the tour in Dallas on 08/11/07 and another show in St. Louis on 08/24/07. Make sure you grab a copy of this cd and also check out the new t-shirt designs while you visit the RUSH STORE.

2008 Snakes & Arrows Tour Dates

more news
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SAGA

Another band from Canada. A very talented group of guys. They just got through celebrating their 25th anniversary. Like RUSH, their music too is diverse and complex. How I became a fan of SAGA is really a strange story. I, along with the rest of America, had heard their hits "On The Loose" and "Wind Him Up" from their 1981 World's Apart album. I remember seeing their video for the first time at a friends house down the street. I remember liking the song but it never went any further than that. A couple of years later I had a dream that I was at a RUSH concert. I dreamed RUSH had a new album out and in my dream they performed a song called "Cat Walk". I remember waking up excited, thinking somewhere in my brain I just wrote a song that sounds exactly like RUSH. If only I could remember it! A week or so later I was at the local record store (called Peaches). I use to wonder the isles there for hours on in. Checking out every single piece of vinyl they had. As I walked into the store that morning, I saw a promo poster for SAGA. They had just released a new album titled Heads or Tales. In big letters the poster read, "includes the brand new single Cat Walk". I thought to myself, how weird is that. What if their song sounds exactly like the song I had dreamed about? Did I have ESP? It's a different band, but if the song is the same...that's really strange! At the time I didn't want to spend my money on a album I knew nothing about. Days later I was sitting in the front seat of a classmates new car. The year was 1983, I was a junior in high school. Brad Ennis had just gotten a Toyota Supra (a very sweet car at the time). In his stereo was the 1981 World's Apart cassette. The solo on track #5 "Framed" was playing. I was blown away. When Brad told me who they were, I remembered seeing their poster in the store just days earlier. He was kind enough to let me borrow the cassette tape for a couple of days. I listened to it over and over again. Memorizing it word for word, I fell in love with it. I went out and picked up my own copy and purchased Heads or Tales along with it. Turns out I didn't have ESP. The song on that album was nothing like the song I saw RUSH perform in my dream. But I liked it none the less. I've been a fan ever since. As with all the other groups I'm crazy about, I got rid of the cassettes and now have every single album that they've released on cd. Their latest album Network is now available and lead singer Michael Sadler just released his solo album. I hope you will check them out.

Update: 2007 marked the 30th anniversary for SAGA.  Front man, Michael Sadler has stepped down to pursue other interest.  Rob Moratti has been appointed as the new lead singer.
Visit their website for more details!
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SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO
(Pronounced: Serious)

I haven't listen to FM on my car stereo ever since I had the satellite radio installed over 8 years ago! The DJ's here know their stuff. They don't try to be funny. They actually like the music they play. I got so fed up with the FM stations (talk, talk, talk....and very little music). If you are a true music lover, you will love Sirius. It's worth every penny to not have to hear another commercial in your car again!

Get Sirius!
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TEARS FOR FEARS

Remember the 80's? Back before terrorist were attacking America, these guys were bombarding US air waves with their back-to-back chart topping singles 'Everybody Wants To Rule The World' and 'Shout'. The video for 'Head Over Heels' is among one of my favorites of that era. When you think of Tears For Fears, these are the songs that come to mind. They have continued releasing albums over the years. Roland and Curt each have had their own solo projects as well. I have never been disappointed with anything that they do. If you've never heard anything but their hits, I would like to invite you to check out their other works. You can sample songs from just about anywhere now. Be sure to check out the TFF album Elemental and also Roland's solo album Tomcats Screaming Outside. They also have a brand new album titled Everybody Loves A Happy Ending, and songs can be sampled from their website.

Curt Smith's Official MySpace Page
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ZEBRA

I've seen these guys live a couple of different times. Once in Dallas at the Hard Rock Cafe and last year in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. They are AMAZING! Another great power trio. If you like Led Zepplin you will love Zebra. If Zepplin where still around today, this is what they would sound like. Check out the new Zebra IV album (Great Stuff). Make a point to see these guys perform live on stage. Bands like this are a dying breed. They played a couple of dates again this year at Mardi Gras 2005. One of the shows was at the House Of Blues. I had planned on seeing them, but we had our kids with us and they were having way too much fun catching beads at all the parades. So we made it a family night instead.

Update: ZEBRA The DVD is now available!