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System Of A Down have issued a collective band statement and call to action on all their social platforms regarding a current crisis occurring in their cultural homeland of Armenia and Artsakh. In the early morning hours of Sunday, September 27, forces in Azerbaijan began a large scale pre-meditated offensive attack on Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabagh), an independent and autonomous country that borders Armenia, populated with a vast majority of ethnic Armenians. International peace keeping powers are doing very little to dissuade Azerbaijan’s advances and the people of Artaskh are doing everything they can to defend their lives and homeland, where they have lived for thousands of years. For them, this a matter of survival, and nothing more as Azeri forces are trying to do little less than eradicate the 150,000 people that these lands are home to.
Artsakh gained independence in the early 1990’s from Azerbaijan after years of war and conflict beginning soon after the 1988 collapse of the Soviet Union, of which both countries were a part of. After gaining its own independence from the Soviet Union, Armenia has been a guarantor of Artsakh’s security. A cease-fire was agreed to between the countries in 1994, but over the past 2 decades, Azerbaijan has frequently broken this pact via mostly minor to moderate advancements and skirmishes along the line of contact.
This time, Azerbaijan with the aid of Turkey’s Recep Erdogan regime and military forces, launched a large scale offensive attack along the full eastern border of Artsakh and has launched attacks within the borders of Armenia as well. International calls for a stop to Azeri advances have gone ignored, and the leader of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev is attacking with impunity.
All four members of System Of A Down are of Armenian heritage, and since the band’s inception have brought awareness to many human rights issues, none more prevalent than that of the Armenian Genocide at the hands of the Turkish leadership of the Ottoman Empire during WWI, when more than 1.5 million Armenians perished in the first genocide of the 20th century. To the band members and other Armenians all around the world, the war being waged on the people of Artsakh now is a continuation of the Armenian Genocide as the Turkic Azeris along with the support of Recep Erdogan’s Turkey are trying to eradicate the Armenians of Artsakh and claim these lands for themselves.
Their statement posted on their socials is below. It includes various calls to action and online petition links to raise awareness and a call on world leaders to insist Azerbaijan and Turkey stop the attacks immediately.
System Of A Down Statement:
The world turned a blind eye during:
the Armenian Genocide in 1915
the mass killings and pogroms of the 1980s and ‘90s
Azerbaijan’s invasion of Armenia in 2016
Now the world is turning a blind eye to 150,000 landlocked civilians under attack by Azerbaijan and Turkey.
SOAD has always stood for justice and peace. This notion comes from the suffering and injustice done to our people over centuries. Erdogan’s denialist Turkey is continuing the work of its genocidal ancestors, and allied with petro-corrupt Azerbaijan, are firing American made F-16 missiles into Artsakh and parts of Armenia killing soldiers as well as civilians. The world seems too busy with Covid and politics to care, but we HAVE to do something as this is an existential threat for our people and the first Christian Nation.
Since it seems difficult for the media, international organizations, and world powers to call out Azerbaijan on its war mongering, ethnic cleansing, and killing of innocent civilians, let’s help them. We are calling on everyone to join our efforts. Here is how…
LAMB OF GOD has collaborated with Nightflyer Roastworks to create their first small batch single origin coffee, ‘Memento Mori’, grown in El Salvador and roasted in Charlotte, NC.
With a life on the road, members of LAMB OF GOD have found themselves frequenting coffee shops around the world and brewing from their own espresso machine on the tour bus. A longtime passion of guitarist Willie Adler, ‘Memento Mori’ brings to fruition years of home roasting and blending in a true collaboration with friend Paul Waggoner, owner of Nightflyer Roastworks and guitarist for Between The Buried and Me.
“Created in the aftermath of a long-term relationship, Old Flowers features Andrews’ most vulnerable writing to date on ten new songs that chronicle her journey through heartbreak, loneliness and finding herself again after it all.” — Amazon
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Andrews reflects, “Old Flowers is about heartbreak. There are a million records and songs about that, but I did not lie when writing these songs. This album is about loving and caring for the person you know you can’t be with. It’s about being afraid to be vulnerable after you’ve been hurt. It’s about a woman who is alone, but okay with that, if it means truth. This was my truth this year—my nine-year relationship ended and I’m a woman alone in the world, but happy to know herself.”
Chosen by:
Katherine Amy Vega
Owner, Manager, Concert Photographer, Media Artist
Osaka Japan rock band SCANDAL regretfully announces the postponement of its highly-anticipated 2020 “Kiss From The Darkness” North American WORLD TOUR, due to COVD-19.
The tour which was originally set to kick off on September 17 in Anaheim, CA has been rescheduled for FALL 2021. The updated 5-city run of dates includes a NEW show at Sony Hall in NYC on Saturday, November 13. See canceled and updated dates below.
While fans may have to wait a while longer to see the band, SCANDAL is excited to announce details for their FIRST-EVERWORLDWIDE LIVESTREAM CONCERT! The SCANDAL WORLD TOUR 2020 “Kiss From The Darkness” WORLDWIDE Livestream will take place live from Japan on Friday, August 21, 2020 (the band’s 14th anniversary) at 7:00PM JST (3:00AM PDT/6AM EDT, 11 :00AM UK). Tickets are $30.
For fans outside of Japan who are unable to stream the show live, the full set will be archived for 48 hours after.
In a statement to fans, the band says,
“We are very saddened by the fact that our World Tour that was supposed to take place this year has been postponed. However, we are very excited about our first worldwide livestream concert! Our tour was going to visit more than 30 cities in the world, so we are working very hard to put all of our energy and passion into this one night, so that we can bring you the very best of SCANDAL!! Even though the concept of a livestream concert is very new to us, seeing and hearing all of your positive comments, like “Everyone is in the first row!” or “Venue capacities are unlimited!” is so uplifting. We can’t wait to make some great memories with our fans from all over the world on August 21st!”
Canceled 2020 Tour Dates:
Sep. 17 Anaheim, CA- HOB
Sep. 19 Dallas, TX – Canton Hall
Sep 21 Atlanta, GA -The Masquerade
Sep. 23 Toronto, ON – Queen Elizabeth
New 2021 Tour Dates
11/11 (Thu): Queen Elizabeth Hall / TorontoBuy Tickets
11/13 (Sat): Sony Hall / New York (New additional show!)Buy Tickets
SCANDAL is an all-female Japanese rock band from Osaka, Japan. Formed in Summer 2006 by four high school friends, they played live street performances until they were noticed and signed to the indie label Kitty Records. Although all four members have provided lead vocals, their primary roles are Haruna on vocals and rhythm guitar, Mami on lead guitar, Tomomi on bass guitar, and Rina on drums. In 2008, they released three singles and a mini-album while simultaneously touring the United States, France, and Hong Kong. That October, Scandal released their major debut single, “Doll”, on Epic Records Japan.
With massive support radio and media support (Billboard, CNN, ABC, etc), and an energized international fanbase behind them, the band went on to perform the theme songs for several anime series, including “Shōjo S” and “Harukaze” for Bleach, “Shunkan Sentimental” for Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, “Pride” for “Star Driver” and “A.M.D.K.J.” for “GeGeGe no Kitarō”.
In 2019, the band founded their own label named “her” and has continued to release a steady stream of chart-topping singles and albums, while bringing their music to venues all across the globe. The band’s 9th studio album ‘Kiss From The Darkness’ was released in February 2020. The album peaked at number five on the Oricon weekly charts, extending Scandal’s streak of having all nine of their albums reach the top 5 of the charts upon release.
The band’s latest digital single “Spice” dropped earlier this month in collaboration with Xflag for their animated film “Xpice”, which was released on the official Xflag Anime YouTube channel the same day.
Today, Phoenix-based electronic music artist Raindust releases his powerful debut single “If Tomorrow Never Comes”. The song is the first of a series of three singles slated for release by Raindust. A downtempo dance track, it features bass-driven synths, overlapping melodies, and layers of vocal harmonies that lend themselves to an ambient connection to the song’s emotional theme. “If Tomorrow Never Comes” is available to order here.
“If Tomorrow Never Comes” Lyric Video
While many artists default to the cliche of love songs, Raindust wrote “If Tomorrow Never Comes” with the perspective of a father who, through divorce, loses his children. He struggles with grief, and the realization that his time with them had been taken for granted. He had been consumed with himself and his negative self-image, resulting in a deficiency of mental space for others — including his own kids.
Coming to terms with the fact that he had not given them the quality of relationship they deserved from their parent, and realizing that nothing could be gained from wallowing in self-pity, he dedicates himself to turning things around and taking advantage of the time he’s been given, ensuring that no matter what happens, his children will certainly know that he loves them.
“Instead of going, ‘If I’m going to die tomorrow,’” says Raindust, “I say, ‘If today is my last day, how can I make it better? Can I call them? Tell them I love them?’”
He continues, “I remember seeing a quote on social media that said “When children have a bad day, they don’t say, ‘Hey, can we talk?’ They say, ‘Hey, can you come play with me?’ When you ‘not right now’ them because you have too much going on… for all you know, they could be having as bad of a day as you’re having. No one really stops to think about it from the child’s perspective.”
Raindust’s musical arrangements surfaced after he had spent days locked away, outpouring his emotions, forming them into lyrics. Following the composition of the lines and the melody, the rest of the musical arrangement naturally flowed from him. Unlike many dance tunes, the song does not rely on speed or bass to ramp up the energy. Raindust spent years perfecting the instrumentals, arrangements, and production of the deeply personal, moving track. Heartache translates through the chords of the melody and vocals, making “If Tomorrow Never Comes” a riveting listen that tugs at the heartstrings.“
Raindust – the pseudonym of lyricist, multi-instrumentalist, and music producer Iain Greene – is an artist who flawlessly combines elements of pop and electronic music, along with highly personal themes, to promote positivity and global awareness.
Iain Greene, Raindust
Greene has a knack for extracting components from various genres and building upon them to create his own unique sounds. Inspired by artists such as Alan Walker, Lady Gaga, Demi Lovato, and Linkin Park, he composes compelling lyrics, creates “club music” while remaining in the shadows, and recruits captivating vocalists who add powerful, authentic emotion to the tracks. Being what might be referred to as an “empathetic musician”, he embraces being in the position to breed feelings within the listener and make a unifying impact in a divided world.
Raindust is the second solo project from Greene, its predecessor being music under his proper name. This gifted musician is able to pick up any instrument and instinctively play. The Arizona native has previously been a member of four local bands, ranging from pop rock to death metal. It was seeing Iron Maiden perform live that encouraged him to want to be amidst the energy and interact with others.
Quoting Hans Christian Anderson, Greene says “When words fail, music speaks” resonates with him. Raindust developed when he cathartically immersed himself in music while dealing with loss and hardship. Employing cinematic melodies and futuristic beats in musical compositions that combine darkness and light, Raindust reveals that through music, relief can be found in a seemingly desolate environment.
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KID DAD’s new track “Limbo” is a song that deals with feeling unsafe, hassled, or even abused. As vocalist and guitarist Marius Vieth says, it’s about being “caught between uncertainty and fear, searching for something real to hold on to, in search of hope.”
The band has chosen to convey this in a music video that tells the story of a child trying to escape domestic violence. Part of what initiated this concept was the fact that, due to Covid-19 and the regulations put in place to battle the pandemic, there has been a surge in cases of domestic violence worldwide. Being trapped at home, a place that should be a haven of safety, can turn into a living hell for far too many people with the detection rate for young victims being shockingly low.
Band Announces ‘SAFE In A Box’ Campaign to Raise Awareness Around Child Abuse / Domestic Violence
Says the band: “We address feelings of isolation and entrapment on our debut album ‘In A Box’ and feel obliged to call attention to this situation. We want to raise awareness of the prevalence of domestic violence cases worldwide and encourage people to donate to SOS-Kinderdorf & NSPCC in order to support the work they are doing in preventing such violence and supporting victims.”
Kid Dad has set up a website with information, donation links and merch items with 100% of the proceeds to be donated, here: www.kid-dad.com/safeinabox.
"After a lot of research and brainstorming on how we can actually help, we decided to produce some small merch articles of which 100% of the proceeds will be donated to SOS Kinderdörfer and NSPCC. In addition to this we will pay 100% of the producing and shipping costs so every single cent you pay will find its way to the organizations.We know we can’t change the world with this, but even if a single child will be helped, then this whole campaign will be worth it!If you have the means we deeply encourage you to make a donation directly to the organizations:
Help us to make a change here: www.kid-dad.com/shop. Please notice that all the donation items are marked with a little house!Thank you so much,Marius, Max, Michael & Joshua
Debut Full-Length In A Box To Be Released August 21
In A Box Cover Art
“Limbo” was written on a trip Marius took to London in collaboration with Welsh singer-songwriter Sarah Howells (Bryde). In A Box was fueled by these songwriting trips to England, as well as to China and Switzerland, and much time spent in Berlin. Regarding the experience of recording the album over a prolonged period of time, Marius says “I really enjoyed working with so many different setups. You absorb everything when you’re young – I want to take advantage of that.“
In A Box will be released 21 August via Long Branch Records. KID DAD hail from Paderborn in Germany and have played shows across the continent with the likes of Taking Back Sunday, Marmozets and Fatherson.
Just two days after sharing the Tommie Sunshine & MureKian Remix of his track “Overs”, The Guidance – properly known as Stefan Pruett – was found to have passed away peacefully overnight. Pruett was open about his lifelong heart condition — his pacemaker, his three open-heart surgeries, and one closed-heart surgery. He was formerly the lead vocalist of Phoenix electro pop group Peachcake, which was founded by him and vocalist/multi-instrumentalist John O’Keefe, who was most identifiable as the keytar player.
Nothing could have prepared me for the first time I was exposed to Peachcake. Considering the line-up, it was likely the May 18, 2005 “Suicide Prevention Show” at now-defuct Tempe, Arizona venue The Clubhouse; this would have made me 18 years old when I was introduced to them. I had ventured out to catch a band named My Darling Murder, after drummer Elias Mallin reached out to me on Myspace and sold me a ticket. MDM was influenced by industrial music — I recall Mallin (formerly of Opiate for the Masses) mentioning Nine Inch Nails in particular while chatting it up with him at The Graffiti Shop off of Mill Ave.
Peachcake was absolutely nothing like MDM whatsoever, and how these two acts were included in the same line-up that night is beyond me (probably the theme of the night), but in some odd way it worked. At this point in my life, I was still developing my identity and beginning to cross from goth into raver culture; you can thank my introduction to the movie Party Monster and the frequent spillover between cultures in the widely spread and yet surprisingly small city of Phoenix.
Peachcake brought mammoth-sized energy and a psychedelic atmosphere into the room from the moment they struck up their instruments. It looked like a party store had exploded all over the stage.
The impressively energetic performer was not an extraordinary vocalist, and it didn’t matter because that’s not what it was about; it was about the experience. He had an unapologetic, inherently confident stage presence — somehow very pure and innocent-feeling despite frequent thrusting and convulsing, sometimes wearing as little as little as pink satin boxer-briefs.
Looking back on all of the exhilarating dance parties, he was giving us permission to let our inner children run free amidst a society constantly pressuring us to conform to a conveniently capitalist idea of what being an “adult” looks like. Pruett had a gift for inspiring even the most timid in the crowd to leave their comfort zones, go nuts and participate in oddball activities.
2.16.2010 Peachcake performing with one of their signature props during “Welcome to the Party to Save the World!” at ASU Art Museum
Combining hippie and punk elements in both sound and lyrics, the artists cultivated a community that demonstrated a tone of universal acceptance and unconditional love while challenging the status quo. Many years later, I learned of The Flaming Lips, who had an unquestionable influence on the church of Peachcake, with a similar ethos.
3.28.2008 Peachcake performing “Hundreds And Hundreds of Thousands” during Tempe Music Festival at Tempe Beach Park
Making a great impact, Peachcake performed at countless interesting venues across the valley, continuously toured, played festivals, performed with noteworthy acts, released their debut full-length What Year Will You Have The World?.., held drum circles in downtown Tempe, and participated in political causes on topics such as demilitarization and opposing anti-immigration.
They cycled through a handful of live band members over the years. O’Keefe departed from the group in 2009, and Pruett continued on with Mike McHale (guitar, synthesizers, percussion, backing vocals), Henri Benard (drums, percussion), and David Jackman (programming, beats, production, soft synths, vocals).
They worked on retooling the band, their sound was refined with the help of producer/engineer Jalipaz Nelson (Audioconfusion), and the 2012 album Unbelievable Souls was released.
2.16.2010 Peachcake opening their show with “Don’t Panic It’s Organic” at the ASU Art Museum
“Everything’s out there, we’re climbing up these walls, Falling down the stairs laced with sweat and tears, It’s time to pick ourselves back up, show the world we’re tough Stop running on an engine of fear. Because something is out there waiting for you to find it, And when you do, it may hit you oh so blindly. Pick yourself back up, show the world you’re tough Stop running on an engine of fear.”
On April 13, 2013, Peachcake performed their final show at Crescent Ballroom. Unfortunately, after this show I never had the opportunity to witness the glory of Pruett and Peachcake again.
He went on to relocate to Los Angeles and start his new “Darkwave Pajama Pop” musical project, The Guidance — its Facebook bio currently reads:
“In an effort to escape the monotony of electro pop, Stefan Pruett moved from Phoenix, Arizona to Los Angeles to begin his solo project ‘The Guidance’. As The Guidance, Stefan wants to craft a reflective approach to making electronic music that he has termed “Future Grunge”. This aural concoction is the convergence of electronic synth sounds, driving beats, and dance elements representing the aesthetic and energy of 90s grunge, but all sequenced digitally instead of live instrumentation.”
When I learned of The Guidance late (thanks, Facebook algorithms) I was thrilled. I planned to see him perform at a show in Phoenix at the Valley Bar in 2016, which ended up being canceled. Pruett’s impressive energy was like a much-needed supplement for a deficient world. I feel that no words can properly convey how meaningful and refreshing the experience of Peachcake’s live performances was. It is wonderful that he continued to perform and uplift fans and strangers until the end.
Despite all of the light in a dark world that Pruett brought to countless individuals, on his Facebook profile mini-bio, he left us with the words, “I haven’t done shit with my life yet.” But beneath all of the layers of weirdness that he wore existed a profound musician with an insightful mind, a quirky sense of humor, and a big heart. I believe that those inspired and supported by Stefan Pruett’s music, performances, words, and deeds will always carry some of his light deep in their souls.
“They put us in little cubes and tell us how to do our jobs, Saying that there’s no more left for revolution. But I’m sorry sir, I’m going to have to stand and disagree , Cause no matter what, you’ll never ever ever ever get to me. I’ll always have my light, my will, my creativity, To shine bright upon you and all the world you see. What would happen if we spent out time creating harmony Instead of all the destructive, lost, calamity?
The clock is ticking away, what are you doing today?”
2.16.2010 Peachcake performing “Stop Acting Like You Know More About The Internet Cafe Than Me” at ASU Art Museum. This starts off as an a capella sing-a-long due to technical difficulties. MAGICAL!
Award-winning Italian vocalist / multi-instrumentalist NeroArgento is sharing with fans the new music video for the full length’s second single “Shed My Skin”, featuring singer/musician Brandon Ashley from The Dark and Caitlin Stokes from Corlyx.
‘Shed My Skin‘ is a more industrial-oriented song, based on heavy and low-tuned guitar riffs, plus huge and catchy layered vocals that give the song a killer radio attitude.
Watch the “Shed My Skin” Music Video
The music video was directed once more by Fabio Brunello (Director, CGI, FX, and editing).
Circles is NeroArgento‘s fifth studio album and it takes a step back to the original “industrial” roots as well as a step forward into a more mature and experimental sound. Known in the crossover scene as a solo artist, and founding member of the industrial metal act The Silverblack, NeroArgento has been involved in over 40 records to date including the Princess Ghibli compilation, a very well known collection in Japan that has sold several thousand copies along with performing multiple times at the New Years World Rock Festival, an event by Yuya Uchida.
NeroArgento’s tracks have also been featured in several official gameplay trailers, displayed on renowned websites as Warcraftmovies and Machinima plus his solo albums were released as special editions in Japan.
Among many collaborations as a producer, musician, and remixer, NeroArgento has worked with artists such as Dead By Sunrise, Vamps, Disarmonia Mundi, Rise To Fall, The Stranded, Massive Ego, Lady Faith alongside remixed songs for fan clubs of KORN, The Prodigy, Gorillaz.
Circles is set to be released via Rockshots Records on September 18th, 2020.
LOS ANGELES — TOOL has issued the following statement regarding their postponed concerts (original dates listed below):
“As so many music lovers have come to realize over the last several weeks, there is no playbook that artists, promoters and venues can pull from in these unprecedented times.
When we played what would be our final show of 2020, March 11 at Portland’s Moda Center, we believed we would be back on the road sometime this Fall. As we worked towards that goal we’ve come to realize that there is absolutely no certainty in re-scheduling dates for this Fall or 2021. State and local ordinances vary widely and no one can predict when high capacity events will safely return.
At the same time that we were working to reschedule this tour, we read your messages. Messages of job losses, illness, emotional and financial pain. We could continue to postpone or reschedule dates for some time into 2021 but ethically, we do not think this is the right course of action. In our opinion, tying up our fans’ money for months, if not a full year, is unfair. With that in mind, we have made the very difficult decision to cancel the tour so we can help support the people who have supported us for years.
Please know, we want nothing more than to return to the road, to play these songs for you and to celebrate our shared recovery. When the time is right, we will do just that.
In the coming days you will receive an email from the ticketing service you purchased tickets through notifying you of the event cancellation and when to expect your refund.”
Impacted Dates:
March 12 Eugene, OR Matthew Knight Center
March 14 Boise, ID Ford Idaho Center Arena
March 16 Salt Lake City, UT Maverik Center
April 16 Miami, FL American Airlines Arena
April 17 Orlando, FL Amway Center
April 19 Tampa, FL Amalie Arena
April 21 Charlotte, NC Spectrum Center
April 22 Charlottesville, VA John Paul Jones Arena
April 24 Baltimore, MD Royal Farms Arena
April 25 Uniondale, NY Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
April 28 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
April 29 Quebec City, QC Videotron Centre
May 1 Wilkes Barre, PA Mohegan Sun Arena
May 2 Buffalo, NY KeyBank Centre
May 4 Toledo, OH Huntington Center
May 5 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena
May 29 Tacoma, WA Tacoma Dome
May 31 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena
June 2 Edmonton, AB Rogers Place
June 4 Winnipeg, MB Bell MTS Place
June 6 Minneapolis, MN Target Center
June 7 Sioux Falls, SD Denny Sanford Premier Center
June 9 Madison, WI Kohl Center
June 10 Moline, IL TaxSlayer Center
June 13 St. Louis, MO Enterprise Center
June 16 Wichita, KS INTRUST Bank Arena
June 17 Oklahoma City, OK Chesapeake Energy Center
June 19 Colorado Springs, CO Broadmoor World Arena
Ice Cube’s Everythangs Corrupt was released on December 7, 2018. It was the first album from Ice Cube in 8 years (I Am The West was released in September of 2010 and peaked at #6 on the Billboard Top Rap Albums chart). Since then, he’s released the hit film, Straight Outta Compton, been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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Burning Hot Events will donate any commissions earned through the purchase of Everythings Corrupt on Amazon through our links during the month of June to Rights4Girls — a human rights organization dedicated to ending gender-based violence against young women and girls in the U.S.
Black Lives Matter
“Racism is everywhere in sexual exploitation.
Pornography is rife with racist material that celebrates the degradation of black women and girls. Commercial sex buyers are predominantly white while victims of sex trafficking are disproportionately women and girls of color. Predators prey upon the people society has marginalized, which means minority communities are a prime target. The list goes on.
Addressing sexual exploitation means addressing racism and the systems that allow oppression and marginalization to continue.” — The National Center on Sexual Exploitation
