Sohodolls, The Academy Is.., The Matches, Butch Walker and Hanson are ON THE VERGE. Coming in early '09 from Planet Verge & Ambush TV!

Sunday, November 30, 2008

The All-American Rejects sleep late.




Planet Verge caught up with close personal friend Nick Wheeler of the All-American Rejects, who discussed their new album, When the World Comes Down, a day in the life, and why he hates new lineups of classic rock bands.

How's New York treating you?

It's awesome! We're taping the Today Show tomorrow. That's gonna be fun, except soundcheck is at 6:15. In the morning. I'm going to bed by like, 5 p.m. tonight.

That's a lot earlier than you're used to.

Yeah, but it's cool 'cause we don't have a show tonight, so I'll be able to rest a little bit.



You guys have been touring for a while. What's a typical day like? Any fun debauchery?

No, no real debauchery... We're actually kind of boring. We'll sleep til around 12... Or 1... Or 2. Then we usually have to soundcheck by around 3. We have meet and greets daily, then it's showtime. But we do enjoy, as the British call them, "pints." We drink pints and watch a lot of movies on the bus.

Nice. What are your most-played DVDs?

We just finished Kickin' It Old School, and then there's the classics--your Big Lebowski, your Walk Hard and as always, your Kung Pow: Enter the Fist.

You were slated to play the Stone Pony. Isn't that small for you guys?

Yeah, we were gonna play there until they decided two days before that they felt like remodeling the roof. We like that we're playing smaller clubs and bars this tour. We haven't done that in a while. It feels good to get back to that.




What's the weirdest experience you've had at a meet and greet?

Some girl brought us Jell-o shots the other day. We didn't drink them, though. We didn't trust them. So we gave them to the opening band.

You gave the Jell-o shots to Jet Lag Gemini?

I'm just jokin'. I actually like those guys. I wouldn't do that to them, they're so nice.

You wrote your album all around the continent. What was your favorite or most inspiring locale?

We had the most fun in this random cabin in the woods in Georgia. We were there for 12 days and it was pretty insane. We'd wake up around 3 p.m. and drink wine til around 5 or 6. Then we'd drink beer til around 11 or 12. Then we'd write until around 4 or 5 a.m... Then do it again the next day.




Do you guys have any political songs on this record? Move Along had "Top of the World," which seemed like a poetic "fuck you" to George Dubya.
We don't have anything too overt. We feel like since we're in a position where a lot of our younger listeners can be influenced by what we say, we want to be careful about it. We don't think it's our place to tell people what or how to think or vote or what to believe. We do, though, have a sort of an apocalyptic love song--"Mona Lisa"--and a song called "Real World" that kind of examines the world a little. One of the lines in "Mona Lisa" is, "You can sit beside me when the world comes down." And "Real World" is like, "This can't be the real world now." As in things can't suck nearly this badly, can they?" Except, you know, not in those words. Tyson's a lot more poetic than I am--there's a big, huge reason why he writes the lyrics and I don't.

What's on your iPod lately?
This is gonna sound bad, but I really hate most new music that's out. I'm just generally unimpressed by almost everything that's being churned out recently.

You know, there's a new Guns n' Roses album out...
I do know, Jessica, and you know what else I know? And I know you know it too: We know it's a piece of shit. I mean, we waited, what? 17 years for that? Really? And you know what else I refuse to listen to? The new Queen. I can understand going on tour with a new singer since your old one is dead, but recording?

It's not Queen without Freddie.

Exactly! This is why we get along.





I'll let you get your rest in just a minute, but first: Butch Walker complained that no one asks questions like "What's your favorite color?" anymore. What's your favorite color?

You know, some other girl in New Jersey actually asked me that yesterday. I told her "11" and she yelled at me because that's a number and not a color. She didn't get it. But when someone asks something that dumb, how can you not give a smartass answer?

That's not a color. That's a number.

I'll tell you what it really is so your answer is different than hers.

Oh yeah?

Yup. My favorite color is... Zebra.

Hey man, at least that's a pattern.

See? I knew I liked you.





*By Jess, who first interviewed this goon back in early 2003, then stood in the cold November rain at 5 a.m. almost six years later to watch his band perform on
Today.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Lostprophets Sneak Peak New Album

I am so freakin' excited I had to post this footage for you all below. Can't wait to hear the new lostprophets album! Fingers crossed that they tour America really soon because they are just amazing. And really, America needs to wake up and realize the hit-o-licious tunes this Welsh band creates.

(and now a mild rant....)

It's so sad mainstream rock radio over here is consumed by Avenged Sevenfold (nothing more than guidos with tattoos), Nickelback and I don't even know what else because it's so bad I never turn on the radio. OH-- but have you seen commercials for that totally corny band Thriving Ivory? For real, who in their right mind would sign those guys???? Ick.

(back to our feature presentation...)

Check out this video: LOSTPROPHETS studio blog 1



PS-- lostprophet recruited drummer Ilan was just announced as the new drummer for Nine Inch Nails. Read all about it: www.myspace.com/lostprophets



*By Joelle, who loooooooooooooooves lostprophets and has stolen the name of their second album (Start Something) as a segment name for the upcoming Planet Verge web-TV show, On the Verge. Just you wait and see what it's all about!

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Fast Times, Good Times With The Academy Is


Last night I caught The Academy Is show at Roseland for their NYC stop for the Bill & Trav's Bogus Journey Tour. The Academy Is' 80s-themed tour name goes along well with their newest album name, that plays off the 1982 Cameron Crowe film as well, called "Fast Times at Barrington High." Barrington High is where Adam Siska (Bass) and William Beckett (Vocals) went to high school.

Adam and William shared some high school memories with me earlier that day in an exclusive video interview for On The Verge. While they sometimes felt like outsiders in high school, they warmly remember tapping into their love for music and allowing that to help them cruise through their years at Barrington High. Well that, and for Adam, cutting class helped too. I had to agree with him there.

After a long day of interviews with the likes of us, Sirius Radio, MTV and Seventeen, the guys went on to play an adrenaline-rushing hour-plus long set at Roseland. I recalled when I sat with William for On The Verge that day he was collected, insightful and dare I say... sweet. When I finished the interview, my impression of both William and Adam was that they were incredibly down to earth, smart, sweet guys. When I saw them on stage last night, they were rockstars: animated, sexy and fully playing off the crowd. There was but one moment of the show that reminded me of the guys I had met earlier that day: William is gearing up to play Winter Passing on acoustic guitar and gets hit by a full-cup white bra. While a typical rockstar (think 80s metal) might've picked the bra up and checked it out before draping it over his guitar neck, William instead tossed the bra to the back of the stage and said, "What are you gonna do now? You threw your bra on stage..." I laughed.

Back into rockstar-mode, William seemed to have down a perfectly choreographed mic-flipping, swinging and throwing routine that drove the fans crazy. All this while passionately belting out hit after hit - from the new loves like, About A Girl to old favorites (and apparently Butcher's favorite song to play live), Classifieds.

Enjoy the photos below (for you Butch fans, notice his old guitarist Michael sporting one of the new Butch Walker tees from the Sycamore Meadows tour). And of course, get ready, On The Verge is coming soon...











Tuesday, November 18, 2008

The Matches Make Getting Lost on the Way to a Show Worth It

Dearest readers,

I had the pleasure of interviewing one of the most intriguing, multi-talented and alluring frontmen in music -- Shawn Harris (The Matches)-- for On the Verge this past weekend. I must say, it was one of the most relaxing interviews I've ever conducted. He is so laid back and fun, it's like talking to a friend- A swave friend who efficiently manages to plug all his passions and projects before you even get a chance to ask about them.

There's some inside scoop for you. The rest, you'll have to watch On the Verge to find out.


And if you have yet to.... Read my review of A Band in Hope and more about why we love The Matches: http://planetverge.blogspot.com/search/label/the%20matches


*By Joelle, who is posting these videos for Shawn. You'll know why once you watch On the Verge







ENJOY THESE PHOTOS FROM THE SHOW!






























Dying to know what Joelle talked to Shawn about? Then tune into On The Verge and watch the interview! Details on our debut on the way...

Butch Walker -Sycamore Meadows Tour

Listening to Butch Walker is like taking your first bite into a freshly baked cupcake, swimming in the Caribbean and walking through the park on a crisp fall day. You feel blissful, exhilarated and free.

Sometimes though, it's like getting a flat tire on the highway in the midst of a three hour drive or watching one of those Sarah McLachlan commercials for the ASPCA. It's life in all its ironic, tragic and timeless moments bottled up into three-minute unforgetable melodies.

From his glam-rock Marvelous 3 fronting days that launched him to semi-stardom with the hit "Freak of the Week," to his heart wrenching sophomore solo effort, Letters, and the get-the-party-started disc o'fun- The Rise and Fall of Butch Walker and the Let's Go Out Tonites- Walker has proved he's the underground Elvis of modern times. A living legend if you will. Sure, he gets the most recognition as a mega producer for Pink, Avril Lavigne and other chart-toppers, but the magic's in his own music.

His new album, Sycamore Meadows, is out now. It's arguably his most personal effort to date. "The Weight of Her" keeps the old fans happy and tracks like "Here Comes The..," and "Passed Your Place, Saw Your Car, Thought of You" are the heart wrenchers that will be stuck in your head. One of the standout tracks is now doubt the jazzy "Ponce de Leon Ave," along with "Going Back/Going Home," Walker's life story in three minutes.

Planet Verge had the pleasure of filming our upcoming Web-TV show, On the Verge, with Walker this past week. It was a splendid time. Here are some photos from his NYC and NJ shows. This was a quiet an intimate tour and I must say the damn drunk fools and WHOO HOO girls rained on the NYC show. But if they stick around, they'll learn and bow their heads in shame at their old ways. Guess that's what happens when the radio starts to play your music (FINALLY) and mainstream press catches on to what's cool-- the unappreciative newbie folks come out. Oh well, at least NJ showed Butch the respect he deserves!

















Listen: www.myspace.com/butchwalker.