THE SPOTLIGHT: DECEMBER, 2003
SPOTLIGHT: DECEMBER, 2003
MMC8 2004: http://musicconference.net
It's been quite an interesting year for me. I had the pleasure of meeting
and/or interviewing people like King Diamond, Kittie, Dokken, Warrant,
Bruce Kulick and Skid Row to name a few. The future is gonna bring an
interview with Bret Michaels and, the one I'm really looking forward
to...KISS! I've spent the past ten years of my life waiting for this moment
and to finally reach the level where I can get a member of Kiss on the
phone, well, that makes it all worth while and for those people who blow me
off or use me to get some press and then forget who I am, ask me if I care!
I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the greatest writer in the world.
But, I'm dedicated to what I do and I'm honest about it and that's all
that's important to me. I know I tend to get lazy from time to time. But,
every now and then, I need to take a step back and take a break from
everything. That's how I am and I'm not about to change. I thank those of
you who are patient with me. At the end of the day, they know I'll come
through for them.
We're gonna start 2004 off with the long overdue print issue of Spotlight.
This issue was completed only to be trashed, with my articles/interviews
being printed in other publications. If it's not one thing, it's something
else. Getting back into doing my own thing hasn't been as easy as I thought
it would be and, to be honest, I doubt that I will be satisfied with this
issue once it's finally printed up. But, the way I look at it, this will be
the foundation for which this publication will be built upon.
Now, before we get into this issue, there's an interesting little fact that
I'd like to mention. According to the Guinness Book Of World Records, the
record for the most swearing ever featured in an animated movie is held by
"South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut," which included 399 swear words during
it's running time. Despite its "uncut" label, it ran between 75 and 82
minutes, depending on which country it was released in. It also included
128 offensive gestures and 221 acts of violence. SWEET!!!
With that said, let's get into this issue, shall we?
You don't have to be a member to post or to view messages in the Spotlight
Yahoo group. But, I've been adding some stuff for the people who do sign
up. I recently added an image viewer for you to download and you can also
browse through my entire CD collection to see what I've got. I still have
about 300 releases that I need to add to the list, which I'll do within the
next few weeks. So, be sure to check it out.
THE SPOTLIGHT GROUP: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spotlight_magazine
Nolo Pins has a new website address. If you would like to get your band
logo on a pin, this is where you need to go. Great service at a good price.
You can't go wrong!
NOLO PINS: http://www.nolopins.com
Crunch Mob has a release that's rather easy to review, especially since I
can name drop, which will give you an idea of what they sound like. Think
Wendy O. Williams, The Runaways and that punk chick from the Tim Curry
movie "Times Square." They've got a sound that's a bit raw and rough around
the edges, which I believe is part of their charm. You could call their
musical style a combination of garage rock and punk music. They might not
be breaking any new ground here. But, they're taking an enjoyable romp
through some familiar territory and it's well worth a listen, especially
since they've got a cool, underground vibe flowing through their music.
CRUNCH MOB: http://www.crunchmob.com
Ricky Warwick is a former member of the British punk/hard rock band The
Almighty. His debut solo released was co-produced by Def Leppard vocalist
Joe Elliott. His influences include Johnny Cash, The Eagles, Bruce
Springsteen, Cheap Trick, Tom Petty and Steve Earle to name a few. Are you
thinking about what his music might sound like? Well, it's pretty good.
Check it out and see, or should I say hear, for yourself!
RICKY WARWICK: http://www.rickywarwick.com
Good news, bad news time. Singer/songwriter Priscilla is busy working on a
new release, which is something we're really looking forward to hearing.
The bad news is that she's moving to Los Angeles at the end of January with
the hope of taking her career to the next level. There's no doubt in my
mind that she's gonna succeed and we here at the Spotlight wish her nothing
but the best. Be sure to check out her website for more information and,
while you're at it, stop by the Ballbuster website to read the interview I
did with her earlier this year!
PRISCILLA: http://www.priscillarocks.com
Fantasy rock is a musical term that you don't hear too much in this day and
age, probably because there's not a lot of people out there who are doing
it. Luckily, Hobbit isn't afraid to carry the torch for this style of
music. Their current release, "All For The One," is, according to the back
of the CD, a 74 minute fantasy rock journey through Middle Earth. Hobbit
was influenced by Tolkien stories long before Peter Jackson brought 'em to
Hollywood. On this release, which is probably the greatest album the band
has done to date, Hobbit delivers a high quality performance that takes you
deep into the world of Tolkien and it has that same magical/epic vibe as
the Jackson films. A must have release indeed! Brilliant!
HOBBIT: http://www.hobbitcd.com
Exposure is what we're all about here at Spotlight. Our goal is to help you
get your name and music out to as many people as we can. To accomplish
that, we like to turn you on to other publications as well and this month,
I'd like to introduce you to NRR Music Zine. It's a quarterly publication
that features a little bit of everything...rock, alternative, metal,
progressive, hardcore, death, doom, punk, pop, trip, funk, blues, gothic,
industrial, techno and so on and so forth. But, they can't write about you
if they don't know who you are. So, be sure to get in touch...and when you
do, please be sure to mention the Spotlight sent you!
NRR MUSIC ZINE: http://hometown.aol.com/nrrmusic
If you happen to enjoy music that's pure and from the heart, allow me to
introduce you to Challenge. When I first wrote about 'em, it was for their
"Acoustic Universe" release, which was a stripped down version of their
sound. With their current release, "Spirit," they go back to a sound that
you might call rock 'n' roll. I'd say there's a rock element to their
music, as well as slight pop flavor. However, there's a different vibe
going on here. You might not be able to put your finger on it. But, when
you hear what they have to offer, you'll quickly realize that they have
something special to offer. It's not the same old, radio friendly music
that you're used to hearing. It's fresh, it's exciting and it's done rather
well! I've been into this band for about seven years now and there's a
reason for that. Buy a CD and find out just what that reason is. Can you
dig it?
CHALLENGE: http://www.officialchallenge.com
There is no secret recipe to create good rock 'n' roll. It has to come from
the heart. At least that's the way the members of M.O.B. think. If you give
their latest release, "White Trash Stomp," a listen, you'll hear for
yourself how they back up that thought. M.O.B. has a natural driving force
built on strong melodies and attitude. Now, I'm a huge fan of music from
the 80's. That was a great decade for rock 'n' roll. But, a lot of people
lost their direction in the name of growth. Instead of letting their music
grow in a natural way, they took the easy way out, got on a bandwagon and
tried to play whatever was popular at the time. M.O.B. is where 80's music
should be today. It still has that good time feel to it. But, it's a more
mature, more focused sound. I live for music such as this because you can't
go wrong with it. This is M.O.B.'s third release and it also happens to be
my favorite one. It's a solid, heavy album that doesn't lose that good time
feel. Gotta play it loud!
MOB: http://www.mobrockz.com
Before we end this issue, I'd like to once again mention a band that really
caught my attention this year...LUXT! The album, "American Beast," was a
release that blew me away from the moment I hear it and even now as I
listen to it, it's got a fresh and exciting feel to it and I simply can't
get enough. It's a heavy, aggressive album with a lot of groove and if you
didn't get it the last time I mentioned it, you should pick up a copy now
to see what you've been missing! Awesome album! Awesome band!
LUXT: http://www.luxt.com
On a final note, if all goes well, we should be moving AGAIN within the
next week or two. We moved because the people who lived next door had some
serious mental issues and I could no longer tolerate them. As luck would
have it, this situation wasn't any better. I got stuck with a landlord who
thought it was up to me to pay all the bills that he never bothered to pay,
like back taxes and stuff like that. No kidding! Needless to say, I wasn't
as free with my money as he would have liked me to be. We found a nice rent
to own deal and, hopefully, I'll be sending out the next issue from a new
house. Wish me luck!
See you next month!
SPOTLIGHT
PO Box 227
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