Music Worth Buying Classic Episode #1: Band of Skulls, Bright Blue Gorilla

Back in 2009 TJR and Robert Kinsler taped their first episode of MUSIC WORTH BUYING, an album review series still going strong. We have just reposted that original episode where TJR celebrated the release album from English rock band Band of Skulls while Robert championed the genre-defying indie duo Bright Blue Gorilla.

Watch the episode HERE.

Sights and Sounds: The Doors, Band of Skulls, Dawes

This EXCLUSIVE "Soft Parade" bundle includes a hand-numbered 36x18 lithograph of the interior gatefold artwork, limited to 500 copies.

In addition to the Apollo 11 moon landing, the New York Mets winning the World Series, the staging of the Woodstock music festival and the final recording session featuring all four of The Beatles, 1969 saw the release of The Doors' The Soft Parade. Now comes word that an expanded, deluxe edition of the masterwork is coming out later this year.

Check out Rhino Records' official announcement, and details how to purchase this highly-anticipated, but limited release set for release on Oct. 18, 2019.

Band of Skulls' debut 'Baby Darling Doll Face Honey'

To mark the ten-year anniversary of acclaimed U.K. rockers Band of Skulls’ debut album, Baby Darling Doll Face Honey, the group will release a limited edition vinyl and book on September 27, 2019. Included in the deluxe package will be a 12” padded case bound book featuring 60 inner pages all housed within a rigid slipcase, a 12” milky-clear vinyl of Baby Darling Doll Face Honey as well as a 10” transparent red vinyl of B-Sides and bonus tracks. In addition, the band will include four CD’s comprising of their debut album, live recordings at The Troubadour, The Viper Room, Fingerprints Record Store and sessions at Daytrotter and The Village LA. The book is available for pre-order now at bandofskulls.com. 

Additionally, the band is set to tour North America this fall with stops at New York’s Webster Hall, Los Angeles’ The Mayan and Chicago’s Thalia Hall where the band will be perform Baby Darling Doll Face Honey in its entirety. See below for a complete list of dates.

Earlier this year, the band released their Richard X-produced album, Love Is All You Love, which is out now on So Recordings. Classic Rock proclaims the “British blues rockers’ fifth is prowling pop perfection…the most harmonious clash of muck and melody in recent history,” while KCRW adds, “[‘Cool Your Battles’ is] full of swagger—this anti-war song tells us to stop spending energy fighting and do something positive.” Glide Magazine furthers, “In response to depressing and anxious times, the band decided to provide with its music the kind of euphoria that is in short supply in society. The result is the poppiest Band of Skulls album to date, and although Love Is All You Love doesn’t have the same rock edge as its predecessors, it is not lacking in hooks.”

Since 2009, Band Of Skulls has released four studio albums while building a reputation as a phenomenal live act. They have since performed on “The Late Show With David Letterman,” “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and “Last Call with Carson Daly” and have toured with the likes of Muse, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Queens Of The Stone Age and The Black Keys.

Dawes set to release deluxe 10th Anniversary Edition of 'North Hills'

Today, Dawes confirm the release of North Hills: 10th Anniversary Edition, a deluxe vinyl reissue commemorating a decade since the release of their celebrated debut album, via ATO Records on September 6, 2019. Upon its release in 2009, the Jonathan Wilson produced album was hailed by Rolling Stone for its “twangy folk rock a la Gram Parsons and Neil Young” and “sweet, Byrds-ian harmonies.” Said bassist Wylie Gelber, "this album is dedicated to my first car, she gave her life for a modest insurance payout, which funded the recording of these songs.”

The 10^th anniversary edition of North Hills will include two LPs on translucent red vinyl, a gatefold jacket with gold foil-stamped cover, and a 7” vinyl with two unreleased b-sides, “All My Failures” and “Wilderness.” “We figured at the time that Wilderness and All My Failures didn’t fit with the rest of the tunes,” Taylor Goldsmith reveals, “but now it’s hard to remember why we thought that. Listening back now, these recordings of these songs seem to share the same North Hills DNA as the original 11 and it feels good to get them out into the world.” Also included will be the album’s original 2009 promo poster, newly expanded artwork, and a digital download.  A portion of proceeds will go to Silverlake Conservatory of Music, facilitating dynamic music education across communities and providing scholarships to children whose families would otherwise be unable to afford lessons.

North Hills: 10th Anniversary Edition is available for pre-order here.

Dawes will also perform the album in full at this weekend’s Newport Folk Festival on Saturday July 27 at 5:30 p.m. on the Quad Stage. “North Hills: Dawes and Friends, the 10 Year Celebration,” will feature an incredible group of unannounced special guests sitting in with the band and can be streamed live on Newport Folk Radio here.

The band is currently on the ‘An Evening With Dawes: Passwords Tour.’ Each night on this tour will feature two sets of music by the band with no opener, and The Houston Press says of their live show: “Whether it’s by means of modest love songs, or outright rock & roll, the band’s mix of charm, musicality, and unmistakable joy in doing what they’re doing, make it nearly impossible not to buy into every note that’s in front of you.” Dawes have also confirmed a European tour with performances in cities including London, Madrid, Berlin, and Zurich (full dates below). Tickets for all dates are available here.

In the decade since Dawes first emerged from Southern California, the band, consisting of guitarist/singer Taylor Goldsmith, drummer Griffin Goldsmith, bassist Wylie Gelber, and keyboardist Lee Pardini, has evolved and electrified, developing into a forward-thinking, boundary-pushing band for the 21st century.  Passwords, their most recent release, is an album for and about the modern age: the relationships that fill it, the politics that divide it, and the small victories and big losses that give it shape. “We’re living in such a unique moment in history,” says lead singer and songwriter Taylor Goldsmith, “Many of these songs are an attempt to come to terms with the modern world, while always trying to consider both sides of the story.” NPR Music says that with the album, Dawes “returns to its greatest specialty: smooth and ingratiating California folk-rock that never bothers to hide its big, beating, bleeding heart” Passwords is available for purchase on all formats here.

North Hills: 10th Anniversary Edition Track Listing:
1.         That Western Skyline
2.         Love Is All I Am
3.         When You Call My Name
4.         Give Me Time
5.         When My Time Comes        
6.         God Rest My Soul    
7.         Bedside Manner      
8.         My Girl to Me
9.         Take Me Out of the City      
10.       If You Let Me Be Your Anchor
11.       Peace in the Valley

 North Hills 7” B-Sides 
Side A: All My Failures
Side B: Wilderness

Dawes Tour Dates–Tickets at https://dawestheband.com

July 25 – East Hampton, NY – Guild Hall # [SOLD OUT]
July 26 – Camden, NJ – XPoNential Music Festival ^
July 27 – Newport, RI – Newport Folk Festival ^ [SOLD OUT]
July 30 – Wilkes-Barre, PA – F.M. Kirby Center #
July 31 – Grand Rapids, MI – Frederik Meijer Gardens @
August 2 – Maquoketa, IA – Codfish Hollow Barnstormers # [SOLD OUT]
August 3 – Maquoketa, IA – Codfish Hollow Barnstormers # [SOLD OUT]
August 4 – St. Charles, IA – Hinterland Music Festival ^
August 6 – Washington, DC – Lincoln Theatre #
August 7 – Rocky Mount, VA – Harvester Performance Center #
August 8 – Wilmington, NC – Greenfield Lake Amphitheatre #
August 10 – Littleton, CO – On Tap with KBCO at Breckenridge Brewery +
August 12 – Ridgefield, CT – Ridgefield Playhouse #
August 13 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground #
August 14 – Toronto, ON – The Danforth Music Hall #
August 16 – Chautauqua, NY – Chautauqua Institution #
September 13 – St. Johns, NL – Iceberg Alley %
September 14 – Halifax, NS – Rebecca Cohn Auditorium #
September 15 – Ottawa, ON – City Folk Festival ^
October 3 – Huntsville, AL – The Mercantile #
October 4 – LaGrange, GA – Rockweave Festival ^
October 12 – Charlottesville, VA – The FESTY ^
October 24 – Barcelona, Spain – Razzmatazz
October 25 – Valencia, Spain – 16 Toneladas
October 26 – Madrid, Spain – El Sol
October 27 – Bilbao, Spain – Kafe Antzokia
October 29 – Zürich, Switzerland – Zukunft
October 31 – Berlin, Germany – Kantine am Berghain
November 1 – Cologne, Germany – Artheater
November 2 – The Hague, Netherlands – Crossing Border ^
November 4 – London, United Kingdom – Electric Ballroom
November 5 – Manchester, United Kingdom – Gorilla
November 6 – Glasgow, United Kingdom – Oran Mor
February 27 – Punta Cana, Dominican Republic – Avett Brothers at the Beach ^

# An Evening With Dawes
^ Festival
@ Co-headline with Margo Price
+ Co-headline with Moon Taxi
% Support = Matt Mays


http://dawestheband.com/
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Album Reviews: Band Of Skulls' "Himalayan" & 'Looking Into You: A Tribute to Jackson Browne'

Listen to more and get Himalayan here






Listen to more samples and get Looking Into You: A Tribute To Jackson Browne here

MUSIC WORTH BUYING: Band of Skulls and Please, Please, Please: a tribute to The Smiths

On the latest episode of Music Worth Buying, TJR celebrates Band of Skulls’ epic Sweet Sour while I champion the ambitious 2-disc Please Please Please: a tribute to The Smiths. For any of you heading out to Coachella this weekend, make sure you check out Band of Skulls when they perform on Sunday afternoon (April 22) on the Coachella Stage.

Sights and Sounds: Paul Weller, Bob Dylan tribute

Before I get ready to get on my freeway survival gear and get set to make the long trek up to Los Angeles to catch The Cure at The Pantages tonight, I wanted to share a few highlights that arrived in my inbox today. Enjoy!

Paul Weller set to release 'Sonik Kicks' on March 27, 2012


Special London shows scheduled for March, with shows in the U.S. to follow

First Single “Around The Lake” Available On iTunes Next Week

Enjoying a constant critical high and a never ending creative peak, Paul Weller continues to push the boundaries with his forthcoming new album Sonik Kicks, scheduled for release on March 27, 2012 on Yep Roc Records. The album is the follow up to the Mercury Prize Award nominated Wake Up The Nation and is also Paul’s eleventh solo album. Once again, it's his best yet.

For fans eager to hear a taste of what’s to come, RollingStone.com will be previewing the first single “Around The Lake” beginning today. The song will also be available for purchase on iTunes beginning next week.

Sonik Kicks features fourteen brand new tracks: “Green,” “The Attic,” “Kling I Klang,” “Sleep of the Serene,” “By the Waters,” “That Dangerous Age,” “Study in Blue,” “Dragonfly,” “When Your Garden’s Overgrown,” “Around The Lake,” “Twilight,” “Drifters,” “Paperchase,” and “Be Happy Children.” Both Noel Gallagher and Graham Coxon appear as special guests on the album.

Since Weller isn’t one to wait 20 years to be invited to perform his “classic” album, he has decided to do so now. Sonik Knicks will be performed in full at The Roundhouse in London, England on March 18th & 19th. Tickets go on sale 9 a.m. on Friday Nov 25. US shows are in the works for Weller and will be announced at a later date.

2012 will also mark two important anniversaries for Paul Weller. In 1977 (35 years ago) The Jam burst on to the music scene with their debut album In The City, which without question was one of the most important punk albums to ever be released. Since then Weller consistently changed and evolved his sound through his work with The Style Council and as a solo artist. It was 20 years ago in 1992 when Weller released his self-titled first ever solo album.

With Sonik Kicks Paul Weller once again shakes up his palate and stirs his influences anew. He mixes pop art punch with soulful communication; jazzy explorations into psychedelia and dub with razor-sharp melodies and abstract soundscapes with clear-eyed forest-folk.


Chimes of Freedom - 75 Newly Recorded Bob Dylan Songs by Over 80 Artists Scheduled for January 24, 2012 Release -- Salutes Amnesty International's 50th Anniversary and Life-Saving Human Rights Work




The Collection Features Songs By

* Adele * The Airborne Toxic Event * Joan Baez * Natasha Bedingfield * Jackson Browne * Cage the Elephant * Elvis Costello * Darren Criss * Miley Cyrus * Dave Matthews Band * K'NAAN * Ke$ha * Mark Knopfler * Diana Krall * Lenny Kravitz * Kris Kristofferson * Ziggy Marley * Maroon 5 * Tom Morello * My Chemical Romance * Joe Perry * Queens Of The Stone Age * Raphael Saadiq * Seal & Jeff Beck * Silversun Pickups * Patti Smith * Sting * Sugarland * Pete Townshend * Lucinda Williams * Evan Rachel Wood


Two iconic forces that have impacted the past 50 years - the life-saving human rights activism of Nobel Peace Prize-winning Amnesty International and the incomparable artistry of Bob Dylan - are being saluted by 80 musicians who contributed new or previously unreleased recordings to Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International.



Chimes of Freedom is Executive Produced by legendary music executive Jeff Ayeroff and Julie Yannatta, who spearheaded Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur - a 2007 collection of John Lennon solo compositions performed by major artists including U2, Green Day and R.E.M.

The collection is scheduled for physical (4 discs) and digital release in North America on January 24, 2012 through Fontana Distribution. It will be distributed internationally through Fontana International, a Universal Music company, on January 30.



Chimes of Freedom features a stellar and diverse group of artists across the generational and musical spectrum. The performers, including many of Amnesty International's longtime supporters, range in age from teenage pop star Miley Cyrus, 19, to folk music legend Pete Seeger, who, at 92, records Dylan's poignant "Forever Young," with a children's chorus.



The diversity of the musicians and musical genres - from rock, rap, hip-hop to pop, folk, country, jazz and blues -- attests to Amnesty's depth of support in the music community, the universal appeal of the core message of human rights, and the breadth of Dylan's impact on culture. Almost every track on the album is being released for sale for the first time* - except for the title song, Dylan's original 1964 recording of "Chimes of Freedom." Seventy songs were recorded especially for this release - with the addition of a few previously unreleased recordings.



"This album is a powerful fusion of the music community's respect for Amnesty's life-affirming work and for Bob Dylan's enduring brilliance," said Ayeroff and Yannatta. "We are proud to have worked with Amnesty to produce this remarkable project."


In 1962, Amnesty International evolved from a one-year campaign to free political prisoners into a worldwide movement fighting for justice, freedom and human dignity; today the organization has more than three million supporters in 150 countries. In March of that same year Bob Dylan's debut album was released, launching an unparalleled recording career.

"Over the half century, Dylan's art has explored and expressed the anguish and hope of the modern human condition," observed Sean Wilentz, the noted historian, in the album liner notes.


"Bob Dylan's music endures because he so brilliantly captures our heartbreak, our joy, our frailty, our confusion, our courage and our struggles," said Karen Scott Amnesty International's Manager of Music Relations. "His words convey a depth of meaning that few artists can equal, inspiring us and always moving ahead of our expectations. We at Amnesty International are deeply grateful to this legendary musician and to all of the artists who have contributed to this project."



All of the artists, session musicians, arrangers, engineers, producers and recording studios worked pro-bono to support the human rights cause. Almost 30 tracks on the album were mixed gratis by famed engineer Bob Clearmountain. Bob Ludwig and Adam Ayan of Gateway Mastering donated their mastering services. The album cover illustration is by Grammy Award winning artist Mick Haggerty. Eight tracks were produced or executive produced by Martin Lewis, who as co-creator/producer in the 1970s of Amnesty's ongoing "Secret Policeman's Ball" benefit series, instigated Amnesty's outreach to rock musicians by recruiting and producing Pete Townshend, Sting, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Bob Geldof and others. Executive Producers for Amnesty International are Helen Garrett, director of special projects, and Karen Scott, manager of music relations.



Through Chimes of Freedom, Amnesty International seeks to enlist support for its fight against censorship and attacks on free speech - whether involving artists, writers, musicians, political activists or bloggers. In this campaign, Amnesty is fighting for people such as the imprisoned Nobel Prize winner Liu Xiaobo in China, a scholar and human rights defender imprisoned since 2009 for writing about corruption and criticizing China's political system. In addition to purchasing the album at www.amnestyusa.org/chimes, supporters will find actions they can take to help individuals whose freedom of expression is under threat.

The tracklisting for Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International is as follows:


DISC 1


Raphael Saadiq
Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat

Patti Smith
Drifter's Escape

Rise Against
Ballad of Hollis Brown

Tom Morello The Nightwatchman
Blind Willie McTell

Pete Townshend
Corrina, Corrina

Bettye LaVette
Most of the Time

Charlie Winston
This Wheel's On Fire

Diana Krall
Simple Twist of Fate

Brett Dennen
You Ain't Goin' Nowhere

Mariachi El Bronx
Love Sick

Ziggy Marley
Blowin' in the Wind

The Gaslight Anthem
Changing of the Guards

Silversun Pickups
Not Dark Yet

My Morning Jacket
You're A Big Girl Now

The Airborne Toxic Event
Boots of Spanish Leather

Sting
Girl from the North Country

Mark Knopfler
Restless Farewell






DISC 2


Queens Of The Stone Age
Outlaw Blues

Lenny Kravitz
Rainy Day Woman # 12 & 35

Steve Earle & Lucia Micarelli
One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below)

Blake Mills
Heart Of Mine

Miley Cyrus
You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go

Billy Bragg
Lay Down Your Weary Tune

Elvis Costello
License to Kill

Angelique Kidjo
Lay, Lady, Lay

Natasha Bedingfield
Ring Them Bells

Jackson Browne
Love Minus Zero/No Limit

Joan Baez
Seven Curses (Live)

The Belle Brigade
No Time To Think

Sugarland
Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You (Live)

Jack's Mannequin
Mr. Tambourine Man

Oren Lavie
4th Time Around

Sussan Deyhim
All I Really Want To Do

Adele
Make You Feel My Love (Recorded Live at WXPN)






DISC 3


K'NAAN
With God On Our Side

Ximena Sariñana
I Want You

Neil Finn with Pajama Club
She Belongs to Me

Bryan Ferry
Bob Dylan's Dream

Zee Avi
Tomorrow Is A Long Time

Carly Simon
Just Like a Woman

Flogging Molly
The Times They Are A-Changin'

Fistful Of Mercy
Buckets Of Rain

Joe Perry
Man Of Peace

Bad Religion
It's All Over Now, Baby Blue

My Chemical Romance
Desolation Row (Live)

RedOne featuring Nabil Khayat
Knockin' on Heaven's Door

Paul Rodgers & Nils Lofgren
Abandoned Love

Darren Criss featuring Chuck Criss and Freelance Whales
New Morning

Cage the Elephant
The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll

Band of Skulls
It Ain't Me, Babe

Sinéad O'Connor
Property of Jesus

Ed Roland and The Sweet Tea Project
Shelter From The Storm

Ke$ha
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right

Kronos Quartet
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right




DISC 4


Maroon 5
I Shall Be Released

Carolina Chocolate Drops
Political World

Seal & Jeff Beck
Like A Rolling Stone

Taj Mahal
Bob Dylan's 115th Dream

Dierks Bentley
Senor (Tales of Yankee Power) (Live)

Mick Hucknall
One Of Us Must Know (Sooner Or Later)

Thea Gilmore
I'll Remember You

State Radio
John Brown

Dave Matthews Band
All Along the Watchtower (Live)

Michael Franti
Subterranean Homesick Blues

We Are Augustines
Mama, You Been On My Mind

Lucinda Williams
Tryin' To Get To Heaven

Kris Kristofferson
Quinn The Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)

Eric Burdon
Gotta Serve Somebody

Evan Rachel Wood
I'd Have You Anytime

Marianne Faithfull
Baby Let Me Follow You Down (Live)

Pete Seeger
Forever Young

Bob Dylan
Chimes Of Freedom






DIGITAL ONLY


Outernational
When The Ship Comes In

Silverstein
Song To Woody

Daniel Bedingfield
Man In The Long Black Coat

Sights and Sounds: Band of Skulls, Twisted Sister, 'Led Zeppelin IV' at 40

Band of Skulls delivered a powerful, hard rocking set when I caught the trio at Coachella in 2010. Today's hard rock-minded post kicks off with a press release dated today detailing the band's forthcoming sophomore release and a related tour. I'm also hoping the band is back rocking out in Indio in April 2012!

Band Of Skulls To Release Second Album 'Sweet Sour' On February 21 2012


Band of Skulls to kick off U.S. tour in Austin on the Eve of SXSW 2012

First U.S. Single 'Sweet Sour' To Be Released In December

November 8, 2011 - Band of Skulls will release their highly anticipated second album Sweet Sour on February 21, 2012 via their own label, Electric Blues Records under exclusive license in the U.S. to Vagrant Records. Sweet Sour is the follow-up to their debut album Baby Darling Doll Face Honey which was universally embraced by the U.S. media with early supporters at Entertainment Weekly naming them "Your Next Favorite Band."

Following the success of Baby Darling Doll Face Honey, the band retreated to a studio in Norfolk UK to begin writing Sweet Sour. They returned to their home studio in Southampton to start the recording which they completed in Wales at Rockfield Studios. Sweet Sour was produced by Ian Davenport (Supergrass, Badly Drawn Boy) and mixed by Nick Launay (Grinderman, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arcade Fire). Please see below for the complete Sweet Sour tracklisting.

On March 13, 2012, the band returns to Austin, TX on the eve of the SXSW Music Festival with a show at Antone's to kick off their first U.S. tour in support of Sweet Sour. The band's live show has been a constant highlight at previous festivals by the likes of SPIN (Best of Coachella) and Rolling Stone (Best of SXSW) amongst many others.

This past summer the band play the Bonnaroo Festival in Tennessee as well as two sold-out shows in Los Angeles and two sold-out shows in New York City. Nylon Guys was front and center at the first sold-out NYC gig and weighed in on the new album "based on the new tracks they played at Mercury Lounge last week, the Skulls want to show the alt-kids how real music should sound." Please see below for complete tour itinerary.

In December, the band will release the first U.S. single 'Sweet Sour' off of the new album which will be available as a download at iTunes and other digital download stores. Fans can click here for a first look and listen of a track from the new album 'The Devil Takes Care Of His Own.' The band created the unique kung-fu themed video to accompany this first listen from Sweet Sour.

Band Of Skulls are: Russell Marsden (guitar & vocals), Emma Richardson (bass & vocals) & Matt Hayward (drums).

BAND OF SKULLS 2012 TOUR DATES:
13-Mar TUE Austin, TX Antone's
16-Mar FRI Houston, TX Fitzgerald's
17-Mar SAT Dallas, TX Granada Theater
19-Mar MON Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
20-Mar TUE Nashville, TN Cannery Ballroom
22-Mar THU New York, NY Webster Hall
23-Mar FRI Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
24-Mar SAT Washington, DC 9:30 Club
26-Mar MON Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
27-Mar TUE Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg
28-Mar WED Providence, RI The Met
30-Mar FRI Toronto, ONT Phoenix Concert Theatre
31-Mar SAT Montreal, QC Corona Theatre
2-Apr MON Detroit, MI St. Andrew's Hall
3-Apr TUE Chicago, IL House of Blues
4-Apr WED Minneapolis, MN Fine Line
6-Apr FRI Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
7-Apr SAT Salt Lake City, UT The Complex (Grand Room)
9-Apr MON Seattle, WA Neptune
10-Apr TUE Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
11-Apr WED Portland, OR Dante's
12-Apr THU San Francisco, CA The Fillmore

* We Are Augustines Support All Dates

Sweet Sour Tracklisting

1. Sweet Sour

2. Bruises

3. Wanderluster

4. Devil Takes Care Of His Own

5. Lay My Head Down

6. You Aren't Pretty But You Got It Going On

7. Navigate

8. Hometowns

9. Lies

10. Close To Nowhere



EAGLE ROCK ENTERTAINMENT TO RELEASE THE ULTIMATE TWISTED SISTER BOX

TWISTED SISTER FROM THE BARS TO THE STARS: THREE DECADES LIVE

New York, NY (November 8, 2011)— Eagle Rock Entertainment will celebrate Christmas early this year with the release of Twisted Sister From The Bars To The Stars: Three Decades Live, a 5-DVD boxed set, on November 8 [MSRP $59.98]. The lavish package comes complete with curios such as a Twisted Sister Christmas ornament, an official “New York Steel” backstage pass, a classic two and a half-inch Twisted Sister pin and a reproduction of the first-ever SMF Fan Club letter.

Over eight hours long, From The Bars To The Stars has to be considered the ultimate Twisted Sister boxed set. One of the five DVDs, Twisted Xmas: Live In Las Vegas, is a total exclusive, having never before been released in any format. This 2009 concert showcases the band performing such beloved holiday fare as “White Christmas” and “Come All Ye Faithful” next to “Burn In Hell” and “Deck The Halls” as only Twisted Sister can. In fact, Jay Jay French, Dee Snider, Mark Mendoza, A.J. Perro and Eddie Ojeda, have made this holiday merriment a metal tradition for the past few years.

Live At Reading was filmed in 1982 at England’s biggest rock festival. A bonus 2011 band interview is included.


Double Live juxtaposes an early Long Island, New York show (North Stage ’82), filmed just prior to the band breaking internationally, and NY Steel ’01, the New York City 9/11 benefit they headlined.

Live At Wacken documents the band’s 2003 Wacken Open Air Festival reunion appearance in Germany. Complete with behind-the-scenes backstage footage and band interviews about their 1980s rise to world domination, break-up and reunion, it also contains their entire set on the big stage at this most prestigious of European Heavy Metal festivals.

Any SMF would agree – This is one boxed set no Twisted Sister fan can do without!


Finally, I got the following item from Rhino Records. I can't believe it has been 40 years since Led Zeppelin issued its fourth album (we won't even go into how long since the quartet's debut was released!)

Led Zeppelin IV at 40 - On Sale This Week on iTunes


40 years ago today, the greatest rock band of all-time released the greatest rock album of all-time, Led Zeppelin IV. A powerhouse from the legendary opening vocal intro of "Black Dog" to the final notes of the hypnotic Mississippi blues-infused "When The Levee Breaks," IV contains eight radio classics including "Rock And Roll," "The Battle Of Evermore," "Misty Mountain Hop," "Four Sticks," "Going To California," and, of course, the ultimate rock anthem, "Stairway To Heaven." "Hats Off" to Jimmy, Robert, John Paul, and John for creating a true work of art that only gets better with age.

For more details on getting the remastered masterpiece via iTunes, click here.