Porcupine Tree Film To Premiere At London’s Leicester Square

Anesthetize, a new live film from Porcupine Tree is to be premiered at a special screening in the Prince Charles Cinema at London’s Leicester Square on Thursday May 20th at 7pm.
The screening will be introduced by the band and filmmaker. Members of the band will also be available to sign copies of the film, which is being released on Kscope as 2disc set (DVD +
Blu-Ray), following the screening.
A limited number of tickets for this special evening are available to purchase from the cinema
(www.princecharlescinema.com / 0870 811 2559) for only £10 (plus 75p
booking fee).

Anesthetize follows the band’s latest album The Incident which was released last year to massive critical acclaim. The album marked another step forward in the incredible journey of the band from a solo studio project created by Steven Wilson in the late eighties to a grammy nominated act and one of the world’s most revered live bands, currently selling out arenas across the globe and wowing fans with their incredible performances.

This 130 minute film captures the power of band’s live show. Directed by long-time collaborator
Lasse Hoile, the film was recorded in high definition on multi-cameras over two nights at 013
venue in Tilburg, Holland in October 2008. The concerts featured tracks from throughout the band’s career until that point including a complete performance of the Fear Of A Blank Planet album.

Anesthetize collects the highlights from the two shows and presents them on both DVD and on Blu-Ray. It is only the band’s second DVD release and will be available on Kscope in May 2010 as either a 2-disc set (DVD + Blu-Ray) or as a single disc (DVD) release.
A limited 4-disc (DVD, Blu-Ray + 2CD) special edition version will also be available exclusively
through the band’s website (www.porcupinetree.com).
The special edition will take the form of a cloth bound hard back 120 page book featuring
live photography of the band taken over the last 5 years. The CDs of the soundtrack also include one bonus track not featured in the film.

More info and a preview of the film is now online at www.kscopemusic.com/porcupinetree

RUSH Frontman Talks Upcoming Album, Tour

Greg Prato of RollingStone.com recently conducted an interview with RUSH bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee. An excerpt from the chat follows below.

RollingStone.com: Will you release some new songs to coincide with the tour?

Geddy Lee: I'd imagine — because we don't have time to do more than two at the moment — we'll probably release one as soon as it's ready, before the tour starts, and then probably release the second one as the tour starts. But our hope was to really get something down on tape, so we could play these songs live and road test them in a way. We're still kind of throwing titles back in forth, but one is called "Caravan".

RollingStone.com: Why tour in the middle of recording an album?

Geddy Lee: Everybody was kind of itching to get on the road and try and get in "peak playing form" before we recorded the bulk of the record, just to see what that effect is. In a way, we have this tendency to take a long period of time off, and then we kind of get our chops together and then go record. We thought it's kind of ass-backwards really, because when you finish a long tour, you're in such amazing playing shape that really, that's the time you should go in and start laying down tracks. But of course, you're exhausted by then, so we're trying to figure out if there's another way of attacking it.

We thought it would be fun to put together a tour that was sort of "future/past," because those are some of the themes that are floating around the lyrical content and visual content that we're using for these new songs. So we thought, "Let's go out and do this 'Time Machine' tour, where we can go mine our past, and at the same time, point to the future, try some new songs, and get us in shape.

RollingStone.com: Do you think playing "Moving Pictures" in its entirety may influence the new material?

Geddy Lee: It's hard to say, I think it's going to be an interesting challenge to play some of those songs, especially "The Camera Eye", a song we haven't played in years and years. Obviously, we'll probably do a slightly newer take on it. You never know what effect bringing older songs back has on you. There are times in the past that we thought, "There is no way we can make this song work," and then you get into rehearsal, you start playing it, and you're really pleasantly surprised how much you're enjoying it. And sometimes it takes on a whole new life. I think we've stopped being kind of cynical about our past in a way, and sometimes having a second look at an older song gives it a whole new story.

Source: Rocknrollcola

Vanden Plas To Release A New Concept Album

German progressive metallers VANDEN PLAS will release their new concept album, "The Seraphic Clockwork", on June 4 in Europe and June 22 in the U.S. via Frontiers Records.

Highly anticipated by fans and critics alike, "The Seraphic Clockwork" is a fascinating concept album, which not only shows the quintet's exceptional technical skills, but also highlights their impressive development as songwriters. The new album sounds more multi-layered, progressive and metal-oriented than any previous VANDEN PLAS release. "I think that my penchant for music of the tougher persuasion shines through more than ever before on this album," comments guitarist Stephan Lill, who — along with keyboardist Günter Werno and vocalist Andy Kuntz — makes up the group's creative triumvirate. He adds: "Hard riffs, elaborate keyboard and orchestral arrangements plus catchy hooklines come together in a perfect symbiosis which marks VANDEN PLAS' own style. I feel that we were much more adventurous on with 'The Seraphic Clockwork' than ever before."

A perfect example which substantiates this statement, is the 13-minute track "On My Way To Jerusalem", a little masterpiece within a homogeneous, self-contained album. The song takes the listener on a haunting, adventurous journey which comes full circle musically towards its end. From soaring piano sounds through hard riffs and versatile arrangements to atmospheric parts, the whole range of expressive forms which the progressive metal genre has to offer are present. On the other hand, "Heal The World" with its melodic intro, subsequent heavy riff and catchy chorus, reveals the band's affinity to theatre music and all its complexity, and is classic VANDEN PLAS.

The band's fascination with classical history has left its mark on "The Seraphic Clockwork", particularly in terms of lyrics: the dramatic science fiction story of the concept album was penned by vocalist Andy Kuntz and chronicles a journey in place and time from 16th century Rome to Jerusalem in the year 33 A.D. The protagonist, after an apocalyptic vision, has come under the spell of an Old Testament prophecy and must travel back through the centuries to face his God-given destiny. "It's about being unable to escape fate," explains Kuntz, a master at making complex subject matter both fascinating and accessible to contemporary audiences. "Working for the theatre has definitely influenced the story's depth. When you realize or reproduce your own projects on a stage, you learn a lot about dramaturgy."

"The Seraphic Clockwork" was exclusively presented to the journalists in a press showcase held in Koln, Germany on April 9.

"The Seraphic Clockwork" track listing:

01. Frequency
02. Holes In The Sky
03. Scar of an Angel
04. Sound of Blood
05. The Final Murder
06. Quicksilver
07. Rush of Silence
08. On My Way to Jerusalem

Source: Rocknroll Cola

RUSH Confirmed For CISCO OTTAWA BLUESFEST

Canadian rock trio RUSH will perform at the 2010 Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on Sunday, July 11. Tickets go on sale this coming Saturday, April 24 at 10 a.m.

Named one of the top 10 festivals in the world by Billboard magazine, Bluesfest has been many years in the making, Bluesfest executive and artistic director Mark Monahan told MetroNews.ca. Now in its 17th year, the festival, which will feature 250 acts and 2,000 musicians on six stages, is known worldwide.

More than 400,000 people are expected to attend the event, held at LeBreton Flats Park July 6-11 and July 13-18. In addition to 13 days of programming at the main site, the festival is bringing back Bluesfest in the ByWard, six nights of free programming.

While 30 per cent of attendees will come from outside Ottawa, most concertgoers are local.

"It's a chance for people to support music locally," Monahan said. "We have 60 local bands this year. There is a huge commitment to the local scene. This is a great opportunity to show how much talent there is in Ottawa."

source: Rocknrollcola

Bob Moog Foundation Announces Moogus Operandi

The Bob Moog Foundation Announces “Moogus Operandi” Fundraising Event featuring Synthesizer Virtuoso Erik Norlander and his Massive Wall of Doom Modular Synthesizer.

The Bob Moog Foundation is proud to announce Moogus Operandi, a concert event honoring the pioneering work and legacy of synthesizer maverick Robert Moog, to be held on May 27, 2010 at the Orange Peel in Asheville, North Carolina. The event will be a celebration of the Moog legacy through music, art and mulitmedia entertainment. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door the night of the event.
Northern California based synthesizer virtuoso Erik Norlander (ASIA featuring John Payne, Rocket Scientists, Lana Lane) will headline the evening, performing songs from his new album, The Galactic Collective. Norlander, an accomplished rock, electronic and symphonic keyboardist known for his command of vintage and cutting edge synthesizer technology alike will bring the Moog legacy alive with his synth-heavy instrumentals and his “Wall of Doom” modular synthesizer (so named by his roadies). The Wall of Doom, a massive analog modular synthesizer with restored 1967 Moog modules at its heart, will grace the stage of the Orange Peel as the musical and historical representation of Bob Moog's legacy of pushing the boundaries of sonic reality. This marks Norlander's first performance in Western North Carolina.

Norlander states "I have been a fan of the Moog instruments since I was kid, and I had the great privilege of knowing Bob Moog in his later years. Moog is, without a doubt, the most iconic name in synthesizers, and to many, the word Moog is synonymous with the word synthesizer. I am really looking forward to this stellar event for The Bob Moog Foundation in Asheville where we will celebrate the legacy of Bob Moog through music using his wonderful, timeless instruments."

Norlander will be joined on stage by a host of Asheville's top musicians including percussionists, brass and string players as well as a choral group of four vocalists. The exact lineup of will be
announced in the coming weeks.

Opening for Norlander and accompanying musicians will be Asheville street musician sensations Blind Boy Chocolate and the Milk Sheiks featuring Dwight Hawkins (Saw, Guitar, Vocals), Nicky The Squirrel (Mandolin, Harmonica, Kazoo, Vocals), Tony Costa (Guitar, Kazoo, Vocals), Alex Brady (Gut Bass) performing ragtime, jug band, early blues & country. Furthering the spirit of celebrating musical genres and technologies, the Bob Moog Foundation is proud to feature this group whose sound incorporates the musical saw, an instrument whose sound is much like the theremin, an early electronic musical instrument upon which the Moog legacy was founded.

In addition to fantastic music, Moogus Operandi will explore the Moog legacy through visual art. The Bob Moog Foundation has issued a call to Asheville artists to donate original works of Moog-inspired art to raise funding for the Foundation through an online auction. In the week leading up to the celebration, the foundation will hold an eBay auction featuring the unique pieces of Moog-inspired art. The eBay format will be used to provide an opportunity for the local artists to have their work showcased to a multi-national audience. It will also give the worldwide community of Moog enthusiasts a chance to bid on one-of-a-kind pieces of art created in the pioneer's hometown.
The auction, which will begin on May 20th, is scheduled to close at the end of the May 27th Moogus Operandi event at 10 pm; attendees will be able to participate through bidding stations set up by CityMac. Artists can register their pieces of art through May 1, 2010 at www.moogfoundation.org/artist-registration/.
Submissions must be received by May 15 at 2pm. More information about the auction can be found on the Foundation's website. Additionally, visitors will be treated to a multimedia presentation by Gene Felice, the graphics artist who created the Moogseum 3D conceptualization for the Foundation's hallmark project, the Moogseum. Felice will be highlighting the profound impact of Moog’s inventions on the music industry and on the musicians who have taken his instruments far beyond Bob’s wildest expectations. Felice will be using media directly from Bob Moog's archives, such as vintage photos, schematics, movie clips and more.
Attendees of the event will be able to participate in a raffle, with generous prizes given by Asheville area businesses. Raffle prizes include an Ipod Touch courtesy of CityMac ($250 value), an Mp-201 Multi-Pedal from Moog Music, Inc. ($499 value) and a chance to lay down some tracks and pull shapes in a day session at the world-class facility of Echo Mountain Recording ($1000 value).
Finally, guests will be able to explore the sonic boundaries of the Moog sound in the Foundation's MoogLab interactive experience. Theremins and synthesizers will be set up in the back of the Orange Peel, with BMF volunteers standing by offering instructional advice. Moogus Operandi promises to be a unique opportunity to be immersed in a rich musical experience that blends musical genres and showcases musical technology from its most primal form to its most cutting edge. The combination of talent that will be found on the Orange Peel stage on the 27th will be as unique as the Moog Legacy itself.
As a small non-profit, the Bob Moog Foundation creates unique fundraising events to fulfill its mission and to raise much needed funding for its three projects. The funding supports the Foundation's staff and many volunteers who are painstakingly working to carry Bob Moog's legacy forward to future generations.
Moogus Operandi is being sponsored by Asheville Brewing Company, CityMac, Echo Mountain Recording, Gould Killian CPA Group, Moog Music Inc, the Mountain Express and RBC Centura Bank . Without their support, this event might not be possible.
Erik Norlander is a self described “keyboardist, composer, producer and engineer”, but despite his humble admission, he is a prolific artist. With 32 albums under his belt over the last 15 years, he has embodied the sound of Moog and his works are a great testament to the beast that is securely encased within the heart of his levethian “Wall of Doom” analog synthesizer…a 22 oscillator custom 1967 Moog Modular. Keyboard Magazine describes Erik's work this way:
“From lightning-fast, Bach-like synth leads and arpeggios to thunderous rhythm beds and sci-fi lyrical themes (2003’s Music Machine chronicles the rise and fall of a genetically-engineered rock star, for example), Norlander’s solo work gleefully summons the operatic spirit of ’70s prog. At the same time, it displays the kind of originality, virtuosity, and cohesion best achieved by one artist taking a vision from conception to final mix.”
Erik has been a valued contributor to the foundation as well as a musician who speaks through the vessel of Moog and thus, the sound that Bob created over 50 years ago will continue to make waves through him for many years to come.
The Bob Moog Foundation is a 501 c (3) non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and inspire people through the intersection of music, science and innovation. The Foundation's goals include creating a MoogLab interactive educational experience and curriculum that teach children science through electronic music, preserving a fast decaying collection of electronic music memorabilia contained in Bob’s archives, and creating a Moogseum facility where
its educational and preservation efforts will come alive in an innovative, interactive experience for people of all ages.
An important aspect of the Foundation's work is to embrace the local and international communities to which Bob was so deeply dedicated. In this spirit, the foundation works to promote the cultural richness of the local artists and musicians and to act as a converging force for musicians around the world. Moog believed strongly in the music as a unifying force. He wanted people to get out from behind the confines of their garages and home-studio headphones to bring their music to the world. He felt strongly that music is meant to be performed and art is meant to be seen. He was fond of working in his garden in his spare time, and the key to a healthy garden is fertile soil and tending. Part of the Foundation’s goal is to help create fertile minds in young people and adults with exposure to the convergence of music and science. In this time of economic crisis, when arts and music are being eliminated from the schools, the Bob Moog Foundation aims to fill a void and elevate the level and quality of music and science education; the foundation seeks the support of the local and international communities to bring this project to fruition.
TICKETS
For ordering information please call the Orange Peel at 1-866-468-7630, visit their website or visit their box office at 101 Biltmore Ave. in Asheville. Hours are from Wed-Sat 12 noon to 5:30pm.
For more information, contact Michelle Moog-Koussa at 828.215.8414 or michelle@moogfoundation.org