An Erie Troubadour
By Jenna Croyle

Through the centuries, troubadours have dedicated themselves to the power of words and the emotion of music. Troubadours today, are musicians who travel the highways and byways performing in coffeehouses, living rooms and intimate clubs before audiences of devoted fans.
 

troubadour alive and popular here in Erie.

Giving wings to words, Matt Texter writes all of his own music and lyrics, which seem all too natural and timeless, always keeping true to traditional Americana music.

Inspired by legendary musicians such as Bob Dylan, Damien Jurado, Hank Williams Sr., Johnny Cash and Bill Mallonee, Texter writes and performs songs of traditional folk, bluegrass, country, blues, gospel and mountain music.

In addition to coffeehouses and clubs, Texter has performed at many music festivals, entertaining thousands of people over the years with his gruff, soul-soaked voice that seems to set everyone at ease, drawing the listener as deeply into the music almost as though it were a hypnotic trance.

With straightforward and honest delivery, Texter shows a side of the music that is soul touching and heartfelt, piercing the veil of true musical odyssey.

There are many famous guitarists, but so many more that go without fanfare, publicity, or acclaim, Texter is certainly one of these guitarists. With guitar work that is simply stellar, Texter can easily stand toe to toe with the great likes of Dave Alvin, Chuck Prophet and Kelly Joe Phelps.

Texter’s music is a delightful blend of up-tempo and tranquil rhythms with a sometimes-laid back yet bluesy feel that seems to have a vibe all of its own that are complemented by the contemporary and straight ahead elements of his finger picking and voice.

While so many of today's new breed of guitarists are either trying to forge their individuality into some “been-there-done-that” formula or regurgitate the sound or style of a guitar idol of the past, Texter strives to take guitar playing back to the place of creativity and invention.

Texter leads from the front but never overplays his hand, demonstrating a touch and technique reminiscent of the likes of modern masters. His guitar chords range from being beautifully bowed, to bouncing vigorously and reveling with dance-funk like grooves.

Texter is a truly gifted songwriter, bringing in the traditions of blues, Country and Americana while retaining a remarkable voice that is honest and powerful that brings something really fresh and special to the Erie music scene.

For more information on Mat Texter, show dates and general information, please visit his Facebook Page.

Sammy Hagar Claims New Van Halen Record Is 'All Old Stuff'

Last week, Van Halen released a picture that proved beyond any doubt that they had signed to Interscope. The photo showed them at an "undisclosed venue" in Los Angeles, but according to the Van Halen News Desk, it was at the Roxy in Los Angeles. They supposedly shot a video there. We've been hearing for months that their first LP with David Lee Roth since 1984 is practically finished, but confirming anything when it comes to Van Halen is extraordinarily difficult. Needless to say, none of them are jumping on the phone for interviews. Luckily, we happened to be checking in with Sammy Hagar last week – and he was more than happy to share his thoughts on the situation.

We're hearing that Van Halen signed to Interscope this week.

What? VH? Van Halen? I don't think . . . How long has it been since they did a record? And that last one doesn't count. You have to go back to 1995. For them to take that long to make a record, I don't think it's ever going to happen. If it does, it better be good. Oh man. It actually might be. I'm not dogging them. I don't understand why they couldn't do something by now. [Laughs] Though I kind of do understand.

This seems legit. I think they actually, for real, signed to Interscope.

I thought they signed to Sony. Hmmm . . . Interesting. I'll be the first guy waiting in line at the record store, if I could find one anymore. I'll be really curious. I think they owe the fans that. I would love to see them make a great record. They have some of the most loyal fans in rock, and they've been treated so, so bad these last 20 years. I'm a real fan friendly guy.
The fans aren't too happy that they threw Michael Anthony out of the band.

It didn't bother me when they threw me out. I'm a solo artist. I can start a new band. But Mike? He's the most loyal guy, and the best bass player in the world – and the best background singer on the planet. His vocal sound is as much a part of Van Halen as anyone's. When they threw him out, I just thought "WHY? This is so wrong. This is so damned wrong!" Then to go back to Dave, FINALLY – but they threw Mike out first. Once again, it's not a fan friendly band. Eddie could have played a solo album with Wolfie. He could have produced it and gone on tour and played theaters with him. He could have done so many different things. He did not have to make Wolfie the bass player in Van Halen.

I find it interesting that David Lee Roth has barely made a peep in public since he rejoined the band. Before that, he wasn't exactly a press shy guy.

Yeah, this isn't very Dave-like. Obviously, he's trying to make it work. Look, I've been there. It's not an easy camp. It's gotten crazier and wackier, every day. I think that Dave has just learned that if he wants to make it work, he needs to shut up and hang in there and do what he can, and do what they say. It's a very strange situation.

Look, back in the day, Dave was the boss. He was running the damn show. When I came in, I was the boss. I was running the show, but I didn't want that job. It was always, "Well, what do you guys want to do?" They'd be like, "I don't know. What do you want to do?" Then all of a sudden, it became this wicked, freaking dictatorship – and nothing has happened since.

I think nothing would be more fascinating than a Some Kind of Monster-style documentary about the making of this new record. Can you even imagine?

I'd be curious to be a fly on that wall. I heard this record is old outtakes from the old days. I mean, stuff from before I even joined the band. I heard this five years ago though. Michael Anthony was curious if his background vocals would wind up on the album. I don't think it's a bad idea. It's kind of interesting. Bob Seger did it, and so did the Rolling Stones. I think it's an interesting thing to do in your old age if you can't come up with fresh, good stuff – or you can't get along. Because from what I heard, they aren't working with new material. Ed and Dave didn't actually write new songs. They took old stuff from previous sessions, and then maybe Dave had to go in and add vocals because they just had scat vocals, or even no vocal part at all.

That's bizarre, because in the few interviews that he does, Ed is always talking about how many great new guitar parts he's written.

Ed talks really weird about all that stuff recently. He goes, "I have all this music! So much music . . . " Well, they really aren't songs [laughs]. They're really not. It was always easy for me to write songs with Ed. He had all these parts, and I had these ideas. I'd be like, "Oh, go to B over there for a bridge – write a bridge, Ed." He'd do it, and it would be some bad ass shit. But it wasn't like he wrote instrumentals and I just had to write lyrics over them, like I do now with Joe Satriani. Joe writes friggin' instrumentals. Ed doesn't have any songs. I'm sorry. I love the guy's guitar stiff, but play me a song, will you?

Rock Biopic News: Yet Another Clash Film Planned and Kurt Cobain Movie Hits a Snag
By Daniel Kreps

There are so many rock biopics currently loitering in the Hollywood studio system that it's almost impossible to keep track. Currently, in various forms of production and pre-production, reside biopics for Michael Jackson, Elton John, Keith Richards, Ol' Dirty Bastard, B.B. King, James Brown, Janis Joplin, the Beatles' Apple Corps., plus two Jeff Buckley biopics, a Brian Wilson film and a Dennis Wilson film on top of that 'Mamma Mia'-style Beach Boys movie. We're probably forgetting two or a dozen. Essentially, anyone who ever recorded a note has Hollywood eager to produce their life story. With so much going on, here are updates on three such music biopics.

First up, there's the film about Joe Strummer and his desire to disappear after the dissolution of the Clash. The biopic is called 'The Right Profile', which is the second song on the second side on 'London Calling'. Good title, unlikely director: Julie Delpy, the actress/screenwriter best known for 'Before Sunset' and 'Before Sunrise', will helm the film, Variety reports. However, don't get this confused with the other Clash film in the works, the one called 'London Calling' that's about the making of 'London Calling'. As if there weren't enough music movies in the works, now the studios are doubling up. It's like 'The Avengers' at this point; Hollywood should just cast one actor as Joe Strummer for continuity's sake, and then have that actor show up in all the Clash films and any overlapping rock biopics, like the inevitable Sex Pistols movie. If one of the films decide to show Strummer's "Redemption Song" duet with Johnny Cash, they can get Joaquin Phoenix involved again, etc. It's bad enough there are two actors running around pretending to be Jeff Buckley, two Strummers is overkill. It makes us want to smash our guitars while surrounded by green and pink letters.

Next, it's the music biopic that opened the floodgates for all these other music biopics: Sacha Baron Cohen in the role of Queen's Freddie Mercury. Cohen and producer Graham King first announced the project in late-2010, but there hasn't been much news on the Mercury film since as the 'Borat' actor has kept busy with 'Hugo' and 'Django Unchained'. However, King talked to Cinemablend about the film and promises that the Queen movie will go into production next year with Cohen still attached to portray Freddie. Considering the Mercury biopic was the first film announced, by the time its actually made, it might itself being released well after this fad has ended.

Finally, and this is good news for Nirvana fans weary of the Courtney Love-produced Kurt Cobain film: Director/screenwriter Oren Moverman revealed to the Playlist that he is no longer the creative force on the Cobain movie. Don't get us wrong, Moverman is a great director -- the performance he coaxes out of Woody Harrelson in 'Rampart' is generating Oscar buzz — but The Amp approves of anything that keeps this long-gestating biopic on the shelf, because the last thing we want is another Cobain movie. The producers of the Kurt film didn't approve of Moverman's script, even though Love herself was a fan. With the Cobain flick off his schedule, Moverman can now focus on his other music project: The screenplay for the Brian Wilson movie.

Country Artists Cover McCartney For Cancer Charity
By Wendy Geller

What's better than a bunch of country artists performing stellar renditions of tunes by none other than Sir Paul McCartney? Well--if that former sentence didn't stop you in your tracks (sounds pretty intriguing, right?)--what is actually better is that these renditions actually exist, you can purchase an album of them today, and they benefit a worthy cause.

McCartney, whose late wife Linda was a victim of cancer, gave his "wholehearted blessing" to Let Us In Nashville--A Tribute To Linda McCartney--which features such artists as SHeDAISY, Chuck Wicks, Steel Magnolia, Phil Vassar, Ricky Skaggs, and Jeff Daniels, among others. Each artist chose a McCartney-penned tune to cover (ranging from "I Saw Her Standing There" to "No More Lonely Nights"); and all proceeds from the album will benefit the Women And Cancer Fund, a charity established in the memory of Linda McCartney. The organization promotes prevention and awareness tactics, as well as advocates for cancer research.

Let Us In actually started things out with a bang at the beginning of November, when the artists involved held a concert at the historic Ryman Auditorium hosted by actor/musician Jeff Daniels. Proceeds from the show also benefited the Fund.

Interested in which specific Macca songs are covered? The complete tracklisting is as follows:

1. SHeDAISY - "With A Little Luck"
2. Timothy B. Schmit, Mark Hudson, Laurence Juber , Denny Seiwell - "Every Night"
3. Sarah Darling - "Blackbird"
4. Steel Magnolia - "Maybe I'm Amazed"
5. Phil Vassar - "Lady Madonna"
6. Blue Sky Riders (Kenny Loggins, Georgia Middleman and Gary Burr) - "Junk"
7. Cheyenne Kimball - "Mull Of Kintyre"
8. Juliana Cole - "Bluebird"
9. Ricky Skaggs - "Listen To What The Man Said"
10. Jeff Daniels - "Heart Of The Country"
11. Nikki Shannon Fernandez - "I Saw Her Standing There"
12. Jordyn Shellhart - "I Will"
13. Chuck Wicks - "No More Lonely Nights"
14. Nancy Siranni - "Calico Skies"
15. Samantha Landrum - "Pipes Of Peace"
16. Tommy Emmanuel - "She's A Woman"

You can get more information on the Women And Cancer Fund here, including other options for donation.

Rare Music Videos, for a Price
By Ben Sisario

How do you sell something people can get free? That is a central question in the music industry today, particularly when it comes to music videos, which are abundantly available on YouTube, Vevo and other sites.

But record companies sell videos on iTunes for $2 that fans can watch free elsewhere, and a handful of companies have specialized in archival footage, betting that collectors and connoisseurs will pay a dollar or two for a high-quality download.

One such company, The Speek, has built a collection of about 100 videos of classic moments in rock and rhythm and blues, like Bob Dylan playing an electrified “Maggie’s Farm” at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. Now the company — named after the Speakeasy, a storied London nightclub of the 1960s and ’70s — has released its biggest and rarest find: three short films made by the Big Bopper a few months before his death in 1959.

“Music videos are a good part of the business,” said Matt White, one of the four music and technology executives who run The Speek, formerly known as Digital Video Singles. “There is a whole music video section on iTunes, and some of them can have very high numbers.”

The films include “Chantilly Lace,” the sole Top 10 hit by the Big Bopper (whose real name was J. P. Richardson), and are rudimentary by contemporary standards. But according to the singer’s son, Jay Perry Richardson, who performs as the Big Bopper Jr., they were part of a plan by the Big Bopper to develop a business that would not become common for two decades: creating promotional music videos for television.

“In a lot of ways Dad was a visionary,” Mr. Richardson said in an interview. “People think of him as a one-hit wonder, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.”

Music video downloads represent a sliver of the music business, and sales have been declining. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, video download sales peaked in 2008 with $41 million, and were $36 million last year, the first full year of operation for Vevo, the free music video site owned by Universal, Sony and others.

Inevitably, many videos sold by The Speek are available in lower quality versions on YouTube. But through deals with archives worldwide, The Speek, which is based in Britain, also sells plenty of films that cannot be seen elsewhere.

“We have enough of an indication,” Mr. White said, “that there are serious collectors who are going to appreciate a major discovery being liberated from the archive.”

The Muppets
By Chrysta Cherrie

For the 2011 film The Muppets, our fine felted friends partnered with Disney, raising the question of and hope that the collaboration would usher in a new era of Muppets mania and a creative renaissance for the franchise. Arriving a few months ahead of the flick, Muppets: The Green Album rounded up alt-pop/rock hitmakers of the day to put a fresh spin on the Muppets songbook, offering mixed results and more queries about whether the gang could recapture the magic of decades past. Happily, the soundtrack to The Muppets thoughtfully blends reimagined classics with new tunes (and Muppet performances with live action singing, plus dialogue bits from the movie and a couple of classic non-Muppet radio hits), effectively reinvigorating the franchise for established fans and younger audiences alike.

Much of the success of The Muppets’ soundtrack can be attributed to Bret McKenzie, half of the musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords, who penned the lion’s share of the new compositions, skillfully interpreting the irreverence and emotional range that make the Muppets music of yore so enduring. He sets the stage with the buoyant, soaring opening and closing number “Life’s a Happy Song,” introducing listeners to Muppets fans Mary (Amy Adams) and Gary (Jason Segel), who travel to Los Angeles to try helping the troupe save their theater from oil tycoon Tex Richman (Chris Cooper). Alongside the track’s guest performers Mickey Rooney and Feist, Adams is charming and whimsical, recalling her star turn in Disney fairy tale musical Enchanted, and Segel is unabashedly enthusiastic (befitting considering his role as composer of a puppet-driven musical in Forgetting Sarah Marshall). McKenzie also shines on “Me Party,” a get-her-groove-back disco anthem in which Adams and (naturally!) Miss Piggy proclaim “one is the new two,” and the moving Segel-centric tune “Man or Muppet”. Similarly rewarding is new piece “Pictures in My Head”, by Disney hitmakers Jeannie Lurie, Aris Archontis and Chen Neeman, finding Kermit the Frog reflecting on the state of affairs (“My green is feelin’ gray/Sometimes even frogs have rainy days”) in a ballad worthy to stand alongside “It’s Not Easy Bein’ Green” and “I’m Going to Go Back There Someday.” The other factor that makes The Muppets such a treat is its ability to pack in tons of surprises without sacrificing narrative flow: eccentric indie singer/songwriter Joanna Newsom’s divisively Muppet-esque vocals are right at home in a new recording of The Muppet Show theme; rough-edged Cooper plays a Yosemite Sam-Cowboy Troy hybrid on the swaggering, goofy rap “Let’s Talk About Me”; Green Album favorite Andrew Bird returns with another carefree whistling session on “The Whistling Caruso”; and Muppet-ized takes on contemporary classics “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Forget You” are perfectly absurd but would make their original performers proud (and not make parents blush). In just 40 minutes, The Muppets offers all the silliness and sentimentality longtime fans have loved and new audiences will embrace, as smart as it is surprising.

Six Questions With Dierks Bentley
Singer Talks About His New Album, Playing The White House, And Jumping On A Trampoline With His Daughter
By Phyllis Stark

Dierks Bentley checked in with One Country on Friday to talk about his involvement with the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), performing at the White House tonight, his upcoming album, and what he plans to do with a couple of months of downtime now that his tour has just wrapped up for the year. (Hint: his plans include getting his pilot’s license up to date.)

As part of his awareness-raising campaign for WWP, Bentley has been meeting with wounded vets before his shows every night, and even invited one on stage with him in Texas, as you can see in this moving video. The group’s goals include providing programs and services to assist injured service members.

Meanwhile, Bentley’s new album, “Home,” will be released Feb. 7, 2012, and he tells One Country he’ll be turning the masters over to Capitol Records on Wednesday. Tonight, he’ll be performing his current single, “Home,” at the White House as part of PBS’s “Country Music: In Performance at the White House” special, which will be broadcast on the network this Wednesday.

One Country: Are you excited about performing at the White House?

Dierks Bentley: This opportunity came up, and I just felt like with the single, ‘Home,’ it really was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. It is a special song. It’s really my view of our country from getting a chance to travel it every day of my life. But also, the song is tied into the military, and with it being Thanksgiving, and all the troops coming back from Iraq and a lot of troops coming back from Afghanistan, it just seemed like a really great time to sing that song and get to express my appreciation for those families, and what better place to do that than at the White House, on PBS?

[‘Home’ is] a song that gets some reaction from people. It’s a really positive song, and a really honest song about our country and the ups and downs, the good and bad. Hopefully it’s inspiring that there’s better days ahead for folks that are going through tough times, [whatever] it might be. [With lyrics like] 'It's been a long hard ride/Got a ways to go/But this is still the place/That we all call home,’ it resonates with a lot of different Americans on different levels, and to get a chance to perform it at the White House is pretty special.

Did you have the Wounded Warrior Project in mind when you wrote the song, “Home,” particularly the lyrics “Red, how the blood ran red/We laid our dead in scared ground?”

I did not. [After] we wrote the song, we started talking about what we could do, and the WWP came up, and it was just a perfect fit. I’ve really been inspired by the WWP. It’s kind of given me a way to put action into my beliefs. We all support the troops. We all talk about the troops, and country music’s probably the best at really recognizing the troops and playing for them. [But] the WWP gives you a chance to actually take some action.

It’s one thing to support them when they’re in battle, to give them a pat on the back and say ‘thanks,’ but now is the time to actually put those beliefs in action and help these guys out that are coming back with missing limbs and head injuries, and even beyond that. They’ve been away for four or five years, and they’re coming back and are not prepared for the job market. The economy’s in a terrible place right now. They have health problems. They’re trying to reconnect with their families. They could use a little help from fellow Americans that haven’t made that sacrifice.

How personally inspiring is it for you to meet with these veterans before you go on stage every night?

It’s unbelievable. It just makes you feel so small. These guys are coming through that have lost a limb or two and telling you if they could do it, they’d go right back over again and continue to serve. It’s very humbling. That’s what’s great about our country is these guys who are willing to sacrifice for us. For a lot of them, it’s just hard to even make it to the show, and [yet] here they are in your crowd giving up their time to be at your show, and you want to just make it the best night of their lives.

Now that your tour is wrapping up for the year, it looks like you’ll have about two months off the road. What do you plan to do with the down time?

(Laughs) I haven’t been off the road in so long I have to have someone remind me of what I do. I don’t know . . . But I think I’m just going to hang. I just want to be with my wife and my two girls. When you’ve been this busy and [touring] this much, honestly just sitting on the couch with a cold beer and watching a football game would be, like, my island getaway. I can’t wait. I’m so excited.

I know I’m going to miss the tour the second it’s over, and it’s actually a great experience, lots of energy. I’m really loving this tour. I don’t want it to end. At the same time, I am looking forward to diving back into a little bit of obscurity for a couple of weeks and just hanging with my girls—jumping on a trampoline with my daughter Evie, crawling around with Jordan, and just hanging out with my wife. It’ll be fun. I’ll play [with] my men’s hockey [league] a little bit. I might do a bit of flying. I have my pilot’s license, but I’m trying to get it current again after 10 years.

Is the new album completely finished?

The songs have been chosen. The sequencing is still being sussed out, but I’m checking out the final mixes.

What can fans expect to hear on this next album?

I love this record. I think we pushed the boundaries in a couple of different ways. Coming off a bluegrass record, I wanted to get some songs that were edgy and kind of leaned on electric guitars and the kick drum and the bass a little bit so they have a little bit more of a . . . I hate to use the word ‘rock,’ but it’s more of a heavier country sound. There’s also a little bit of a bluegrassy thing on there, and there’s some songs of substance. I think ‘Home’ is a great example. I think if you look at the two singles, ‘Am I The Only One’ and ‘Home,’ like the A side and B side of an old school record, that’s reflective of the album. There are party songs, but also songs that have some substance and, hopefully, will make somebody cry. At the same time, I hope there’s some songs on there that make people just have tears of joy, of laughter and [help them] have fun partying with their friends.

It kind of has all that in there, but I’m really proud of the record and the work that’s gone into it and can’t wait to get it out there.

Your New Favorite Band: Spiders
Retro hard rock/garage rock/metal from Sweden. Where else?
By Adrien Begrand

I’d first heard of Spiders earlier this year when they put out the scorching “High Society” single on Kemado Records, and throughout the year that tune stuck around to the point where it ranks as one of my favorite hard rock tunes of the year. So what do they sound like, you ask? Well, they’re from Sweden, they were formed by members of Witchcraft (guitarist John Hoyles) and Graveyard (drummer Axel Sjöberg), and they’ve recorded with Don Ahlsterberg, who’s best known for working with fellow Swedes The Soundtrack to Our Lives. In other words, they’re firmly rooted in the heavy/psychedelic rock on the late-‘60s and early-’70s, with a knack for gritty garage rock alongside the heavier riffs that sets the band aside from Witchcraft’s proto-doom and Graveyard’s more blues-drenched jams. What knocks this particular project out of the park, however, is the presence of singer Ann-Sofie Hoyles, who boasts a powerful voice that feels like a cross between Grace Slick and Mariska Veres, with a little Suzi Quatro attitude thrown in, adding a great amount of personality to tracks that so faithfully mine the sounds of The MC5 and the Nuggets compilations.

So far Spiders have a total of six songs released. The US releases of “High Society” (b/w “Gracious Man”) and “Nothing Like You” (b/w “Long Gone”) actually come from the band’s self-titled debut 10” EP, which was released in Sweden back in January. Most recently, the band issued a new 7” single on Denihil Records out of Sweden, and it’s a good one, featuring the hard rocker “Fraction” as well as a fun cover of Alice Cooper’s “Under My Wheels”. I’ve yet to hear any word about a forthcoming full-length album yet, but the buzz around Spiders has been growing all year - Sjöberg’s commitment to Graveyard resulted in his being replaced by Ricard Harryson - and they’ll be performing at the prestigious Roadburn Festival next April. What started off as an interesting retro curiosity has turned into one of the bands to watch in 2012.

Here’s the recent new video for “Fraction”:

Sting, Vince Gill Team up for 'Crossroads' Thanksgiving Show

If you ever see Vince Gill shirtless at one of his concerts, you can likely place the blame on Sting.

Bare-chested singing is a regular affair for the rocker, and when Gill was asked if he'd go shirtless for the pair's CMT "Crossroads" special, Sting chimed in: "He will tonight. I'm going to encourage him."

"What a thought. You know I haven't eaten in six weeks preparing for this gig because of this yardstick over here," said Gill, looking at Sting before laughing: "Going to look like Laurel and Hardy up there."

"I've never been described as a yardstick. Is that a compliment?" asked Sting, joining in the laughter.

The good vibes between the two translate onstage during the special, which will air on Thanksgiving at 8 p.m. and was pre-taped in September. The rock and country veterans had worked together once before, at the 2004 Grammy Awards in tribute to the Beatles. Both said linking up musically was easy because they have "similar registers.

"That's always appealing — to find guys with guts enough to sing like girls," said Gill, laughing again.

The "Crossroads" series has featured collaborations from James Taylor and the Dixie Chicks to John Mayer and Keith Urban. This one-hour concert will have Gill and Sting performing hits like "Shape of My Heart," "Every Breath You Take" and "Don't Let Our Love Start Slippin' Away."

While the singers — who own a combined 36 Grammy Awards — say the collaboration was a comfortable one, they admit there were some challenges, too, when it came to covering the other's songs.

"When you immerse yourself in somebody else's work and the more you get to know the song, you recognize these little inflections in the melody, which you hadn't noticed the first time," Sting said. "It demands a lot of respect, a lot of care and attention."

Gill knew it would be tough to cover Sting's material, and he told the rock singer he'd need him to step in during some moments.

"I'm meat and potatoes, you know, but once I . went in there and spent the time, I started to understand how it all worked," he said. "There's like a couple lines that I've tried to learn and I just said, `Sting, you gotta sing these `cause they're so off-the-hook great I don't want to screw them up.'"

They also said their temporary duo was drama-free.

"We haven't had a fight yet. Not one," said Sting.

Gill chimed in with a laugh: "If we get into a fight, I'll choke you with heel dust (and) run away. I'm not much of a fighter."

Katy Perry Brings Stevie Nicks to Tears
By Theo Spielberg

"The past is like a handful of dust, it filters through your fingers disappearing little by little." So goes Stevie Nicks' narration to the video for Katy Perry's latest single 'The One That Got Away.'

If that sounds depressing, that's because it is -- most especially for Nicks herself. According to Jam, the singer broke down in tears because the song reminded her of her lost love with former bandmate Lindsey Buckingham.

"About a minute in, I just began to cry. It reminded me of my own life and losses, and of the last fight that Lindsey Buckingham and I had," Nicks said of her experience the first time she saw the video.

The clip centers around an elderly woman looking back on a past relationship. For Nicks, the current state of affairs with her past flame are bittersweet. Both Nicks and Buckingham just dropped solo albums: Nicks' seventh studio album, 'In Your Dreams,' was released in May while Buckingham's 'Seeds We Sow' was released in September. The possibility of a reunion seems likely, but is still up in the air.

"Yes, Fleetwood Mac will do something in the future" Buckingham said of the band's reunion to NME. "There's just nothing on the books right now. This is a time for me to take stock all of the things I've done in my life, all the people I've been down the road with, and all the things I've experienced and just appreciate them. When you revisit them, you want all of these things to be in a place where they have dignity."

Until then, the unhealthy intra-band romances will just have to remain a cherished thing of the past.

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Band Hungers for Guitarist

Requiem For Oblivion is still seeking a guitarist. If you have the madness or know someone who does send them to these animals to feast upon. We must bring Requiem For Oblivion back to life with the blood of a young virgin & bow down at their feet as they hypnotize us with their lyrics.

Steve-814-392-2321

***Passing on Message From  E Lisa Froncillo-Bower ~ Please Contact Her if Interested**

I have openings in October and November for radio interviews on COOL 101.7 fm. Thursday mornings. You would need to be in studio (Meadville) by 7:45 am, out by 8:30 am. (Catching the driving to work listeners and businesses) It's a great chance to promote your upcoming gigs, cds and more. Family friendly, we need to keep within the studio's programming guidelines. Cover bands/artists welcomed as well as original. Metal bands must be not too heavy... no gutterals, etc. Rock/classic is fine. One band member can come with a CD, or bring everyone and do something live. COOL 101.7 supports local music and reaches from Erie to Slippery Rock (and below on a good day) west into Ohio, and also includes a new Cory station, and more. Good exposure. PLUS you can listen live via your computer anywhere!

Message me with links to your:

Facebook

Reverbnation

Website

YouTube

music.

Contact Lisa on her Facebook Page or email her Lisa@dirtydoglive.com

ERI Jams' Featured Musician

of the Week

Dekan

Ron Yarozs & the Vehicle

Diesel Houdini

Smoke & Mirrors

60 Inch Slick

Drunk in Memphis

Rick & the Roadhouse Rockers

Thirst 'n Howl

M-80s

Chrome

Eric Brewer & Friends

Kristen & the Cosmonauts

Pick Up Band

Ray Lanich

Shag Nazty

Open Island

Scarwork

Sudden Impulse

The Faded Fallen

Hello Kitty Death Squad

Doug Phillips

Waiting for Never

Duke Sherman Band

X7

Otis

Rodger Montgomery Blues Band

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2012 Nominees

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced the nominees for its 2012 induction class on Tuesday, Sept. 27. Leading the way this time around are such worthy first-time nominees as Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Heart, the Cure and Guns N' Roses. Other artists appearing on the ballot for the first time include Rufus with Chaka Khan, British rockers the Faces (aka the Small Faces) featuring Rod Stewart, '60s R&B group the Spinners, bluesman Freddie King and hip-hop duo Eric B. and Rakim. The ballot also includes several artists who have been previously nominated but never inducted: the Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, War, Donovan, Donna Summer and Laura Nyro.

To vote on who you think should be inducted from this year's class, visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website.

Shelagh Delaney, Morrissey Muse and Playwright, Dies at 71

The theater community lost an icon on Sunday, Nov. 20, when Shelagh Delaney, who wrote the acclaimed play "A Taste of Honey" when she was a teenager, died at age 71. She had been battling cancer.

"A Taste of Honey," which was made into a film in 1961, was a provocative play when it opened at the Royal Stratford East in London in 1959. The story of a young woman who becomes pregnant by a black sailor and her gay friend who becomes the baby's surrogate father, the play would be Delaney's only great success.

Delaney was also known for being a muse for Morrissey and the Smiths. She was featured on their "Louder Than Bombs" album cover in 1987, and their song "This Night Has Opened My Eyes" was based on "A Taste of Honey." It includes a line from the play: "The dream has gone but the baby is real." Other quotes from the play can be found throughout the Smiths' music.

"I've never made any secret of the fact that at least 50 percent of my reason for writing can be blamed on Shelagh Delaney," Morrissey once said of her.

Depeche Mode Founders Regroup for Techno Album Project

Depeche Mode founders Martin Gore and Vince Clarke have reunited to record a new album as VCMG.

The project marks the first time the former bandmates have worked together since 1981. In a press release, Gore reveals Clarke came up with the idea and put it to his old pal in an email. He says, "Out of the blue I got an email from Vince just saying, 'I'm interested in making a techno album. Are you interested in collaborating?'"

Prior to an album release in 2012, the pair will release their EP "Spock" next week. Clarke quit Depeche Mode in the early 1980s and has since enjoyed success as a member of duos Yazoo and Erasure.

Rolling Stones Tribute Set for Carnegie Hall

Musicians including the Mountain Goats, Steve Earle, Roseanne Cash and Glen Hansard will pay tribute to the Rolling Stones at a fundraiser for musical education programs for underprivileged youth at Carnegie Hall. The concert, which will feature 21 artists playing the 21 tracks from the band's hits collection Hot Rocks 1964-1971, will take place on March 13th. More artists will be added to the lineup closer to the event.

This night of Stones covers will be the eighth installment in philanthropist Michael Dorf's series of fundraising events at Carnegie Hall. Previous concerts have honored the music of R.E.M., Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Elton John and the Who.

Willie Nelson Fights Discrimination – Against Dogs

Willie Nelson wants the state of Ohio to repeal its law condoning one form of discrimination: canine profiling. The singer is speaking out in favor of Ohio House Bill 14, which would remove from the books a law that declares certain dog breeds inherently vicious and would strengthen associated laws targeting irresponsible dog owners.

Nelson, a dog lover who lends his famous name to the Best Friends Animal Society, has published a letter asking Ohio residents to contact their state senators to voice support for the bill, which has already passed in the House of Representatives. By current state law, pit bulls and pit bull mixes are automatically categorized as vicious, regardless of their behavior. "There are countless dogs deemed 'pit bulls' but actually are of unknown heritage who make wonderful family pets," Nelson writes. "Dogs, like people, are individuals and should each be judged on his/her own merits."

Occupy Musicians Website Launches

Today marks the official launch of Occupy Musicians, a resource for musicians who support the Occupy Wall Street movement and its affiliated protests. Among the first signers: Tom Morello, Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson, Saul Williams, Talib Kweli, Jello Biafra, Amanda Palmer and Ian McKaye and Guy Picciotto of Fugazi.

Organizers of the site will help coordinate performances at protest sites and host creative work by some of the artists. Occupymusicians.com  is a companion project to Occupy Writers, Occupy Filmmakers and Occupy Comics, other virtual gathering places for creative-economy workers who wish to express their support of the protest movement.