(PCM) I recently had the chance to check out two brand-new songs from Concrete Blonde titled “Rosalie” and “I Know The Ghost” off the band’s latest double-sided 7″ white vinyl release.

Maybe it was a conscious, or perhaps an unconscious decision, to release these two songs together, but in my opinion they are the perfect way to showcase the very best of Concrete Blonde. “Rosalie” is a haunting, almost eerie ballad in which the breathy and pining vocals from Johnette Napolitano envelop the listener taking us on the lonesome  journey of a cowboy missing his long-lost love. Whereas, on the flip-side there is the song “I Know The Ghost” that has a vintage west coast punk vibe, with crunchy, speedy guitar riffs and an incredibly catchy call and response style chorus. It can best be described as showing both the darkness and light within Concrete Blonde’s music and definitely proves that Concrete Blonde can not be boxed into one particular genre.

The band has shot a video for each of the songs and plans to release them as a DVD in conjunction with an East Coast tour that begins at Boston’s Sinclair Music Hall on Dec. 12 and includes dates at N.Y.’s Irving Plaza (12/13), Asbury Park’s Stone Pony (12/14), D.C.’s 9:30 Club (12/17), Carrboro, NC’s Cat’s Cradle (12/18), Atlanta’s Variety Playhouse (12/19), Chicago’s Park West (12/21) and Minneapolis’ Variety Theatre (12/22). Concrete Blonde will perform on WXPN Philadelphia’s syndicated radio show “World Café Live” on Dec. 15. There is also the possibility of a New Year’s Eve show in L.A.

(PCM) We recently had a chance to check out electronic-based London group Heads Hearts new single “Fear” and I can say with certainty that 2013 is poised to be a big year for this group.  “Fear” takes the listener on a journey made up of hard-hitting beats paired with ethereal vocals, that seem to energize the body and rejuvenate the soul.  We absolutely can’t wait to find out where Heads Hearts plan to take us next, either way, we are ready to go!

A little about Heads Hearts:
Head Hearts offer up electronic soul like you’ve never heard before. Since entering the scene in 2008, the London-based group have been impressing crowds up and down the UK with their anthemic dance tunes. They’ve performed at festivals across the country, from L-Fest to a blistering set to over 4000 people at the Crystal Palace Festival, as well as sold out gigs at Cargo, Psychosocial, Monto Water Rats and the Dublin Castle. Heads Hearts are firmly establishing themselves as one of the best live acts on the electronic dance scene, performing alongside CHEW LiPS and the Freemasons and attracting fans like Maxi Jazz (Faithless). If you’re into soulful vocals, pumping beats and music that fills you with the need to dance, you know where to come.

The new EP is due out in early 2013!

To keep up-to-date:

• www.headshearts.com
• http://www.facebook.com/headshearts
• headshearts.tumblr.com
• Twitter: @headshearts

(PCM) I was recently able to check out the latest album release from Long Beach, CA quartet Rival Sons titled “Head Down”. The album was like a breath of fresh air with it’s vintage, almost blusey-tinged rock n’ roll vibe and soaring melodies. It was hard for me to believe that the album only took the band twenty days to write, record, and mix, which is certainly an incredible feat for even the most accomplished of bands.

The Rival Sons masterfully blend the nostalgia of the classic rock era together with a modern edge that is very much their own, creating an album that is sonically pleasing to both an old and new generation of rock fans. The superb guitar work of Scott Holiday paired with the soulful vocals from Jay Buchannan take the listener on a journey back to a time when music actually spoke to the audience and was actually able to invoke emotions, imagine that!

The band is receiving many comparisons to the likes of both Led Zeppelin and The Doors, so while I agree that Rival Sons do wear these influences on their sleeve, they still have put together an album and a sound that belongs to no one but themselves and it works. Stand-out tracks on the album include the first single “Keep Swinging”, the hard-hitting “Three Fingers”, and the hypnotic track “Jordan” to get a taste of this band.

For the latest information about Rival Sons please visit: http://www.rivalsons.com/

(PCM) Big congratulations for Grammy-nominated rock band Stone Sour who have the number one Active Rock track in the country with “Absolute Zero” which Billboard Magazine calls “A ruthless hard rocker, the track pummels the listener in the gut…” RollingStone.com premiered the video for the song on November 14, 2012. Stone Sour released House of Gold & Bones Part 1, the first installment of their two album series, House of Gold & Bones, on Roadrunner Records, October 22, 2012; it debuted in the Top 10 on the Billboard Top 200 album charts. House of Gold & Bones Part 2 will be released spring 2013.

Recorded at Sound Farm Studios just outside of the band’s native Des Moines, Iowa with producer David Bottrill (Tool, Muse) at the helm, the album has met with early rave reviews worldwide.

See PCM’s “House Of Gold & Bones Part 1″ Review Here!

Singer, songwriter and lyricist Corey Taylor, himself a bestselling author courtesy of last year’s Seven Deadly Sins, wrote the lyrics for the 23 tracks that make up House of Gold & Bones which follows the compelling story of a character created by Taylor. Music is just one of the mediums used to tell the story; Corey Taylor recently revealed details of the new project with Dark Horse Comics, House of Gold & Bones which follows, and expands on, the story contained within the albums. With stunning covers from Jason Shawn Alexander (Empty Zone, Batman, Abe Sapien), this limited four-issue series marks Corey Taylor’s debut in the comics genre.

Stone Sour confirmed the first leg of a massive global tour push to support House of Gold & Bones, playing shows on five continents so far, with many more to come including a U.S. tour beginning January 2013 which will be announced soon.

I recently attended the Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience show at the Grand Opera House in Wilmington, DE  and was in absolute awe of  both the musical and visual atmosphere from this show. The show was fantastic! There were many times throughout the evening where I felt as if I could close my eyes and just let the music take me away.

Jason Bonham does a tremendous job at putting forth an incredibly touching  tribute to both his father, the late John Bonham and the legacy of Led Zeppelin’s very timeless music. The show was a close as you could possibly imagine to seeing or hearing the original Led Zeppelin, certainly one of the best tribute band’s I have had the pleasure to witness.   The show was both an aural and visual treat featuring many classic Led Zeppelin tunes such as “Babe, I’m Gonna Leave”, “Whole Lotta Love”, “Stairway to Heaven” and “Kashmir” to name a few, along with a few of the more rare tracks such as “Moby Dick”  which was certainly a treat to fans. The music was set against a visual spectacle of lighting effects and iconic artwork along with footage and photographs from Jason Bonhams personal collection. It was such a sight to behold ,Jason playing simultaneously along side footage of  his father and much of Jason’s commentary about his father’s life and music were enough to nearly bring tears to my eyes.

I can not even imagine how very proud John Boham would be of his son and the fantastic band he has put together. The guitar work of Tony Catania is pheonminal and vocals from James Dylan are spot-on!  With only a brief 10-15 minute intermission, the band played their hearts our for over two hours and we were loving every moment of the show.

The tour will wrap up here in the States later this month with several Canadian dates on horizon.  Be sure to check out one of the few remaining dates as Jason Bonhams Led Zeppelin Experience, as the show is one experience you surely don’t want to miss!

To keep up to date with Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppellin Experience:
www.jblze.com or https://www.facebook.com/jblze