Powerful Grooves and Restless Riffs
By Jenna Croyle

When one first hears the word "Metalcore", words such as "heavy" and "thrashing" come to mind. With the birth of such bands as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity in the early 1990’s, a new breed of music, Metalcore took form that combined extreme metal and hardcore punk. Metalcore places a significantly greater emphasis on melody rather than the sounds of the usually Death and Hardcore music with modern elements of punk and metal which tend to fuse melodic death metal and post-hardcore.

uplifting to anyone who hears it. Among the band’s many credits, Waiting For Never was the 2009 winners of the Rolling Rock Battle of the Bands and winners of the “Favorite Hardcore/Metal Band” category at the 2009 RockErie Music Awards.

Waiting For Never’s lead singer Eric Smith pumps out raw and commanding vocals that are amazingly inspiring as his voice echoes true emotion from the lyrics of every song, while still keeping the metal sound flowing.

The tremolo picking of Justin Dombrowski adds a bit of an exotic feel to the band’s music while it is always powerful and keeping the melody at the heart of each song though still maintaining speed and precession throughout all of the changing to different notes and strings. Dombrowski is without a doubt one of the most talented Guitarists in the scene today.

The band’s bassist, Nick Menist is truly fantastic, his bass lines are never overpowering while constantly pulse pounding and passionate. The low end on bass of Menist offers a crushing sound that seems to reverberate to your very soul.

Dale Davidson offers the perfect complement to this fearsome five-piece frenzy of Metalcore masterpieces. Davidson’s maintains perfect rhythm and harmony right through every song, never missing a beat, riff or note. The energy and excitement that Davidson adds to the overall package of Waiting For Never is astounding and indispensable.

Finally, the chops of drummer Tory Shatto are unmatched, supplying a fist-pumping backbone of the band and the show stopping force that Waiting For Never undeniably is.

Waiting For Never’s brilliant mixtures of sounds, vocals and instrumental proficiencies that range from heavy breakdowns to extreme harmonized guitar solos creates a unique sound, and intensifies not only the music, but the entire experience of the show itself.

Waiting For Never is a band that has certainly earned their place as an Erie musical legend through their Powerful Grooves and Restless Riffs and extraordinary combined talents of each member of the band.

For more information on Waiting For Never, show dates and latest news, please visit their Facebook Page.

BET Hip-Hop Awards' Cyphers: The MVPs and the Best Lines
By Daniel Kreps

The BET Hip-Hop Awards, like the American Music Awards, isn't considered among the most prestigious of music ceremonies, but the BET show does boast one feature that's better than anything their trophy-handing peers offer: Cyphers. For the past few years at the BET Awards, hip-hop's elite and the best up-and-coming rappers have teamed up to freestyle in segments called "cyphers." These long performances have become a favorite of rap fans, who are more likely to tune in to watch Ludacris and Busta Rhymes improv on a DJ Premier beat than they are to see who wins Best Rap Album. Knowing the popularity of the segments, last night's BET Awards featured seven cyphers. These are the best of the bunch:

MVP: Eminem. Each employee of Shady Records adequately showed off the talents that got them signed in the first place, but Eminem proved why he's their boss..

Gold medal line: "I be take the wine out of Amy's House," Joe Budden
Second medal line: "All these Olajuwons, this is the dream team," Joell Ortiz.

Bronze medal line: "When I unleash these beastly hordes on your CD stores. Wanna stop it? You're gonna need a priest, at least three swords, a 'License to Ill' from the Beastie Boys, three Ouija boards, and a squeegee," Eminem

MVP: Pill. Ross' Maybach Music Group all dropped spirited verses, but it was Atlanta rapper Pill, who previously earned the all-important OutKast seal of approval, that made the biggest impact.
Gold medal line: "See, there's a war going on and I'm the general, and I'm gonna speak it right at you, no subliminal," Pill
Second medal line: "Look around, we the largest in the game, all them other boys targets and I'm flawless with the aim," Rick Ross
Bronze medal line: "I kick it bumping Wu-Tang, trying to protect the neck from your boo thang," Pill

MVP: Big K.R.I.T. This is like watching the first ten picks of an NBA Draft. Most of rap's best emerging talents (noticeably absent: Freddie Gibbs) teamed up for this cypher. Each one is a potential all-star, but Mississippi's K.R.I.T. is our Number One pick..

Gold medal line: "Damaging how they televise Basketball Wives, but not tornadoes in the South and how we lost lives," Big K.R.I.T.
Second medal line: "Compton most wanted, I lived my life in a dungeon, came out a dragon, I can probably touch the sun with my bare hands," Kendrick Lamar.

Bronze medal line: "They say I got special needs. I'm talking Ritalin, maybe even Adderall. Four bars from me will probably kill your whole catalog," B.o.B

MVP: Busta Rhymes. An all-around fantastic cypher, but Busta's long freestyle caps a renaissance year for the rapper, thanks to amazing guest spots on Tha Carter IV, Raekwon's Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang, and Chris Brown's "Look at Me Now."
Gold medal line: "So many rings on both of my fingers, now they call me Ringling Brothers," Busta
Second medal line: "My credit card is black and proud," 2 Chainz
Bronze medal line: "She's the type to misrepresent a king, like LeBron's mom," Reek Da Villain

CD Baby Launches MusicStore for Facebook
The easiest way to sell music downloads and CDs on Facebook!

CD Baby, the largest digital distributor of independent music in the world, is proud to launch its new MusicStore for Facebook. This new, customizable store is the easiest way for musicians to sell downloads and CDs directly to fans on Facebook. With just a few clicks, the MusicStore integrates right into an artist's Facebook Band Page, allowing fans to listen to, purchase, and share their music. CD Baby then handles the rest automatically, including the transaction processing, music delivery, customer service, and artist payout.

For CD Baby artists, the MusicStore App is free and requires no additional uploading, as song files, metadata, and bio information are already stored in CD Baby's database. The MusicStore for Facebook shows fans all the relevant artist and product info. It also allows artists to choose between offering 30-second sample clips or full song streams when people click to hear the music before purchasing.

"I'm extremely proud of this release, which solves the problem of selling your music on Facebook," says CD Baby president Brian Felsen. "Because we have all necessary artist content and information in our database, our new MusicStore for Facebook literally takes just 5 minutes to set up. It's beautiful, seamless, and integrated. And I'm excited that artists are responding: in the first five days since our "soft" launch, without any promotion whatsoever, we've already deployed over 1,500 artist stores! It's direct to fan, and CD Baby handles all the logistics: the credit card processing, the delivery of downloaded MP3s, the warehousing and shipping of CDs, the customer service, and the accounting - so artists can focus on what matters: writing, recording, and performing."

The MusicStore for Facebook is FREE for existing CD Baby members. Artists can set up the MusicStore and start selling (and sharing) their music immediately on Facebook, simply by logging into their member accounts at www.members.cdbaby.com.

New artists interested in selling their music directly to their fans on Facebook can sign up an album on CD Baby for just $39, or a single for $9.95, and get the free MusicStore for Facebook at: www.members.cdbaby.com/sell-music-on-facebook.aspx 

CD Baby is the largest digital distributor of independent music in the world. CD Baby distributes over 3.5 million tracks to dozens of digital music retailers including iTunes, Amazon, Napster, Rhapsody, and Spotify, and pays artists weekly for their product sales. From their Portland, OR headquarters, they warehouse and ship over 360,000 independent CD titles to a customer base that spans the entire globe. The company also offers other services to musicians such as the ability to accept credit cards at shows, web hosting through their sister company Host Baby, and eBook distribution through BookBaby.

Cheap Trick lobbies Congress to Regulate Temporary Stages
By Greg Kot

The sky was falling on Cheap Trick when the band was playing the Ottawa Bluesfest in mid-July.

Most of the band scattered to the back of the stage to escape when a storm blew through the festival and brought the 50-ton roof crashing down on the temporary stage. Guitarist Rick Nielsen bolted to the front of the buckling stage. "I felt like I was in a Buster Keaton movie where the building falls down on him," Nielson said Monday in an unexpectedly dramatic Future of Music Summit panel with the band's manager, Dave Frey. "I ran forward looking for the equivalent of daylight" as the blackness descended.

Fortunately, the collapsing rig's fall was broken by the band's equipment truck, parked directly in back of the stage, leaving about a six-foot gap between the roof and the stage. "It fell 70 feet in a quarter-second," Frey said. Two crew members and several other people were injured, the band's equipment was destroyed, but no one died.

"I'm happy to be here," Nielsen said with a smile.

Nielsen's next stop Monday with Frey was to be Capitol Hill, where the two intended to urge congressmen to regulate temporary stages to prevent such an incident from happening again. Besides their own near-miss, they'll have plenty to talk about with legislators.

Cheap Trick's near-fatal incident was one of four last summer in which temporary stages were blown down amid foul weather during or just before musical performances, some with tragic consequences. In the following weeks, stages collapsed in Tulsa, destroying $800,000 worth of gear owned by the Flaming Lips but causing no injures; the Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis, resulting in seven deaths and dozens of injuries; and the Pukkelpop Music Festival in Belgium, where five people were killed and 140 injured.

"We want to make sure something like this doesn't happen again," Frey said. He and Nielsen hope that Congress will consider a "standard certification process as you would have with elevators or a Ferris wheel at a carnival."

"For whatever reason this never got done" in Ottawa, Frey said, and "that everyone got off that stage is unbelievable."

Folk Legend Bert Jansch Dies at 67

He was quiet, modest, uncomfortable in the spotlight — not looking for No. 1 hits or commercial ditties.

But when Bert Jansch picked up an acoustic guitar, people listened, often spellbound by his subtle innovation and mastery..

Jansch, who died of lung cancer Wednesday at the age of 67, was a virtuoso, hailed by the likes of Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, Canadian rocker Neil Young and Johnny Marr of the Smiths as a force to be reckoned with, and learned from..

He was at the center of the British folk revival of the late 1960s and early 1970s at a time when British music — led by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Who — dominated much of the pop world..

In an era of earsplitting supergroups like Cream, known for their volume and pounding drums, he was a founder of Pentangle, a nuanced, visionary mix of folk and jazz music that found a huge audience for its complex arrangements and stunning musicianship..

His solo career was bookended by the outstanding "Bert Jansch" album in 1965 — recorded on borrowed guitars — and the critically acclaimed "Black Swan" CD released in 2006..

Young, who earlier this year invited Jansch to open for him on an extended concert tour, said that Jansch created a new approach to the acoustic guitar much as Jimi Hendrix changed the sound of the electric guitar..

John Barrow, Jansch's U.K. concert booking agent, said Jansch remained an influential figure even when his music was out of fashion..

"I've been his agent for just over 10 years and when I met him he was at a low ebb and not really getting the recognition he deserved," Barrow said. "But it is a measure of the man that he had at that point continued playing in a pub in Carnaby Street in London. Even at that time Liam and Noel Gallagher from Oasis were turning up at that pub to listen to him.".

Jansch, who was born in Scotland, was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music in 2007 by Edinburgh Napier University. Guitarist Haftor Medboe, a musician in residence at the university, said Jansch had a distinctive sound that was difficult to define..

"Bert was a musician who was genuinely unique and was able to cross genres," he said. "He was a virtuoso player and could create incredible sounds from his guitar, but he was also very soulful and imbued the instrument with a passion and elegance on a par with any of the great guitarists. It is no surprise that so many great artists name check him as an influence. He was the quintessential musician's musician.".

Jansch was also a prolific songwriter. He has been recognized by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the top 100 guitarists of all time..

Pentangle was hailed by critics and fans for providing modern renditions of classic folk songs, helping to keep traditional music alive and vibrant, and also for innovative, jazz-inflected new material..

They attracted a substantial following in an era when Bob Dylan, Donovan, Fairport Convention and others were looking to traditional acoustic sounds for inspiration..

Jansch's final performance was at a Pentangle at London's Royal Festival Hall on Aug. 1, spokesman Mick Houghton said..

Houghton, who had known Jansch since his early days on the music scene, said the guitarist died at the Marie Curie Hospice in north London. Jansch had recently been forced to cancel several planned solo concerts because of his failing health..

"I don't know anyone who had less of a sense of celebrity. He was always very self-effacing and critical adulation was completely irrelevant to him," Houghton said..

Folk singer Eddi Reader called Jansch "a gentle, gentle gentleman." In a message on Twitter she said: "God speed, darlin' Bert — get us on the guest list.".

Jansch is survived by his wife, Loren, and son, Adam.

Music Review: Johnny Cash - Johnny Cash Bootleg Volume 3 - Live Around The World
By Richard Marcus

The history of popular music is filled with stories of artists whose lives ended before their time because they weren't able to control their excessive or otherwise destructive behavior. Thankfully some have managed to avoid such a fate. One of the most famous of those was Johnny Cash.

While we might never know the depths to which he sunk personally, the October 11 release of Johnny Cash: Bootleg Volume 3 - Live Around The World (Legacy Recordings), a collection of Cash's live performances from 1956 to 1979, provides a glimpse of how close to the edge he came at certain points in his career. You only have to listen to his behavior and demeanor on stage in the early-to-mid '60s compared to how he was from the late '60s on to appreciate the difference between the two stages of his life. In fact, one of the most amazing things about this new two-CD package is how it manages to capture the arc of his career:

From the early days, the Big D Jamboree in Dallas, Texas in 1956, when he was still young and caught up in the excitement and thrill of being a musician; the middle period, performances given at the New River Ranch, Rising Sun Maryland in 1962 and at the Newport Folk Festival, Rhode Island in 1964, when he was on the verge of losing control, to when he turned it around and began again, a 1969 concert in Long Binh Vietnam at an NCO club, a command performance at Richard Nixon's White House with the Carter family in 1970 and excerpts from concerts as far afield as Osteraker Prison in Sweden 1972 and as close to home as Exit Inn, Nashville Tennessee 1979.

While that distinctive voice never changes through the years, and he never makes any of those mistakes you would normally associate with substance abuse, there's something awfully uncomfortable and almost embarrassing about listening to Cash's performances in the middle period. Whether it's because he sounds like he's trying too hard to be the life of the party by doing his imitation of a record with a skip in it during the concert in Maryland or making bad jokes while playing "Rock Island Line" at the Newport Folk Festival or some underlying nastiness that comes through on occasion, he comes across like the drunk at the party who everybody spends the evening trying to avoid. These tracks are especially difficult to hear after listening to the opening three cuts taken from the Texas concert in 1956, where he comes across as happy and excited, just glad to be invited to the party.

So it's something of a relief to listen to the recording of the 1969 concert at the NCO club in Vietnam to hear the Johnny Cash we're all more familiar with. For while you won't notice many differences in the quality of his performance or in the sound of his voice, he's clearly no longer trying to prove himself the life of the party or acting the fool. Instead of being there for his own ego he's there for the audience - and it makes a huge difference. Cash's music has always spoken to people in much the same way Woody Guthrie's did because of his ability to put the things that matter to us to music. He can sing about everything from his belief in his savior to what it's like to be a dirt farmer, and on some level or another we all understand what he's talking about.

In those middle years when he was more concerned with showmanship and following a path of self destruction you can hear how the stories, while not lost, were certainly diluted. All you have to do is compare the way he sings the same songs at different points in his life in order to discern the difference. At first glance I was surprised to see how so many of the songs on the first disc were under two minutes in length, including ones I could have sworn were much longer. The reason is he was rushing through most of them and barely even listening to the words as he sang them. The contrast between those performances and the ones in later years, when he is taking the time this material requires, is so strong you can almost reach out and touch it.

While it's hard to listen to Richard Nixon introduce Cash for the White House performance in 1970, that concert is unquestionably one of the disc's highlights. First of all, there's the fact that he's joined by the entire Carter Family for all thirteen tracks, and whether or not you agree with their Christian message, you can't help but appreciate their music. It also represents a chance to hear a piece of American music history as you listen to America's first family of country music singing with one of the men who first started merging it with African American blues. Of course, the irony of hearing Cash singing "What Is Truth" to "Tricky Dick" is nothing short of priceless.


Needless to say the disc contains nearly all of everyone's favorite Cash tunes, including "Big River," "Give My Love To Rose," "Boy Named Sue," and "Walk The Line," to name but a few. However, I was personally more thrilled to see some of his covers of tunes like "Sunday Morning Coming Down" by Kris Kristofferson and "City Of New Orleans" by the late Steve Goodman included. Those are tunes, especially the latter, I've had a hard time tracking down recordings of Cash singing; to find them as well as a couple of others is a real bonus.

While the quality of some of the recordings isn't great - the two tracks recorded in 1976 at The Carter Fold are scratchy and the ones from the Exit Inn from 1979 sound like everybody, crowd included, are off in the distance - that doesn't depreciate this set's value. Most of the time collections of this sort shy away from casting the artist in a less than perfect light. Here though, intentionally or not, the producers have given listeners an incredibly accurate history of Cash's performance career. It's not always the prettiest of pictures, but it's an honest one, and it makes you appreciate the road the man travelled all the more. Cash himself might have winced upon hearing some of those recordings, but I'd like to think he was honest and brave enough to have been okay with them being released. He always wore his heart on his sleeve and was always honest about who he was, and this release carries on that tradition.

Music Review: Switchfoot - Vice Verses
By SteventheThorn

Switchfoot: The Dark Horses?

For the release of Switchfoot's last two albums, Hello Hurricane and Vice Verses , ESPN has aired Switchfoot's songs during college football broadcasts. Most recently, "Dark Horses," the single for Vice Verses, opened the broadcast of the Oklahoma vs. Florida State game.

For those acquainted with the San Diego-based band, Switchfoot are no Dark Horses. Founded in 1996, they enjoyed success in the Christian music world with their first three albums, The Legend of Chin , New Way to Be Human , and Learning to Breathe . Switchfoot's music was featured in the 2002 Mandy Moore film, A Walk to Remember .

In 2003, Switchfoot turned heads on the national scene with their breakout fourth album, The Beautiful Letdown . "Meant to Live" and "Dare You to Move" were two legendary singles from that record. Crowds still go crazy at concerts when the Switchfoot plays the opening notes to both songs.

"Meant to Live" was one of the first songs that I heard when my brother introduced me to the band eight years ago. It's become an anthem for me-and for all of my friends across America who have grown up listening to Switchfoot.

Today, Switchfoot continues to enjoy immense popularity in the Christian music scene. Youth groups across America purchase and celebrate each new album that is released. However, Switchfoot's audience is not limited to the American-Christian social circle. They have successfully established themselves around the world, in both Christian and secular realms.

Switchfoot does a wonderful job of making music for all audiences while still preserving their own Christian beliefs. Some Christians have criticized the band for straddling an imaginary fence between Christian and secular music. Personally, I've never understood what the fuss was about. I often compare Switchfoot's music to the work of C. S. Lewis .

The Chronicles of Narnia is enjoyed around the world by people of all beliefs, and yet Lewis wrote the series with heavy Christian allegory. Some fans enjoy the series as a fantasy, and others find deeper meaning. The same can be said of Switchfoot's lyrics-which are occasionally full of profound Christian truth, written as eloquently as Lewis' work. (Incidentally, Switchfoot wrote the song "This is Home" for Disney's film version of C. S. Lewis' Prince Caspian.)

With that long introduction to my love of Switchfoot, and to their success, I present my review of Vice Verses.

Vice Verses

Every time a band comes out with a new album, fans will naturally compare it to the previous work. The day that Vice Verses came out, my friends asked me if I thought it was as good as Hello Hurricane.

As good as? Yes.

Better than or worse than? Neither. I don't like the question.

I won't call one album better than the other, but I think that Vice Verses is the natural continuation of Switchfoot's musical style. This album rings true to my ears as a Switchfoot work, and it is a marvelous work at that.

"Afterlife" is an appropriate opening that sets up the album's themes of life, death, and eternity. The song is about living right now, not just waiting for the afterlife. Musically, distorted guitar, heavy drumbeats, guitar bends, and a Jon-Foreman-yell start Vice Verses out with high energy. Thematically, it echoes "Meant to Live," "Needle and Haystack Life," and "Burn Out Bright" among others. You're alive right now-so go live!

"The Original" speaks to the value of the human soul. You're the Original, and you have worth. Free yourself from the lies that weigh you down, your self-doubt and self-isolation. A catchy guitar-riff, and a classic Jon-Foreman-yell* set the pace for this energetic song. The guitar solo is nice too.

*I love that phrase, as you might notice.

"The War Inside" is a great song about internal conflict. The battle for character and righteousness starts on the inside. Thematically, it's similar to "Ammunition," "Mess of Me," "Free," and other Switchfoot songs that deal with how we struggle with our fallen nature. A steady drumbeat and distorted guitar build up tension that sets up the song's mood. Vocals tinged with static, and the occasional piano, make "The War Inside" a great listen. The chorus and the rhythm lend themselves well to crowd participation, so this should be great in concert.

"Restless" is about searching for meaning-traveling through life toward a final home. As I understand the song, it reflects Jon Foreman's belief that this world is not his home. There's something better out there-Someone he was made to know. The music picks up pace, the electric guitar picks up pace, and Foreman's vocals get stronger as he expresses his desire to find Who he was made for.

"The Blinding Light" expresses the search for something higher than crude naturalism. You have value. Girls are more than just sex objects. Be yourself. We need each other. Musically, the song reflects the lyrical themes very well. High-gain distorted guitar and bass contrast with tremolo and ethereal piano notes. Background vocals accompany a wonderful chorus that elevates the soul.

Selling the News is a social commentary song, like so many of Switchfoot's-"Ammunition," "Gone," "Adding to the Noise," "Easier Than Love," "American Dream ," and "Amateur Lovers," among others.

In "Selling the News," the verses are spoken more than sung. "Rant" may be too strong of a word, but Jon Foreman condemns an untrustworthy media and the naturalistic materialism of entertainment-crazed America.

My favorite line in the song is "When nothing is sacred, there's nothing to lose." This isn't the first track that you'll listen to when you play the album in your car, but it's a good thinking song.

"Thrive" focuses on internal conflict. Foreman bemoans his own frailty and self-isolation. "I want to thrive, not just survive." Haunting background vocals and piano, accompanied by a soft drumbeat, underscore the introspective atmosphere created by the lyrics.

"Dark Horses" is simply a cool song. High-gain, palm-muted power chords open up this driving single. If you like "Meant to Live," "Oh! Gravity," or "Mess of Me," then you should enjoy "Dark Horses." It's no wonder that ESPN chose this song to open the Oklahoma/Florida State game. We have problems, we get knocked down, and we rise up again. Don't count us out.

I'm not sure where "Dark Horses" fits with the over-arching themes of Vice Verses, but I'm not complaining. It's an excellent addition to the album. You will, undoubtedly, listen to this one a lot.

"Souvenirs" is a personal favorite of mine. It was the first song on the album to get me teary-eyed because it focuses on memory, mortality, and loved ones. It starts as a beautiful ballad about youth, when "life was just happening," and then the music swells to epic proportions as Foreman declares that "nothing lasts forever."

Keep a box of tissues handy as you listen to the perfect, haunting vocals. This song is sublime.

"Rise Above It" should be a great song in concert. I can envision audiences clapping and swaying to the catchy beat of the verses. The theme seems to be rising above the mundane and the empty in life. So turn it up loud and Rise Above It!

"Vice Verses" is a beautiful ballad reminiscent of "Twenty-Four," "Daisy," and "Let Your Love Be Strong." It's a very strong title track. Jon Foreman demonstrates his skill on the acoustic guitar as he sings of life and death, his own flaws, God and the Problem of Evil, and the human condition.

The chorus blew me away. I won't reprint it here, because I want you to listen to it. The polarity, the contrast, and the rhyme are stunning. This song is a great example of Foreman's lyrical talent.

"Where I Belong" is a powerful track to end a great album. The song reflects Foreman's search for meaning, and for a home, throughout his life. The setting is the shore. Foreman reflects on his last day on earth, on what he wants for the world, and on finally reaching a world where he belongs on the other side.

The declaration that neither this body nor this world is his home reminds me of "The Beautiful Letdown." The world is compared to Babylon, a Biblical reference to a place of corruption and sin.

"Where I Belong" is full of eternal perspective. It ends by repeating lines from "Afterlife" about living forever and being "here together now." I love it when bands end their albums the way they started. It provides great thematic cohesion and emotional value to the entire work. Switchfoot did this with "Needle and Haystack Life" and "Red Eyes," and I'm thrilled that they did it again with "Afterlife" and "Where I Belong." I hope it's a trend that continues.

Vice Verses lived up to my high expectations, and I give it five stars. Switchfoot is a world-class band, and I'll be in line to get their ninth album when it comes out.

Music Video Premiere: Betty White Raps for Luciana in "I'm Still Hot"

Cheesecake Meets Beefcake to Benefit the Los Angeles Zoo

Life settlement leader The Lifeline Program today released the music video for "I'm Still Hot" by Luciana featuring Betty White. Available for viewing on thelifeline.com and YouTube, the video features White rapping on Luciana's No.1 Billboard Dance Club track, along with bodybuilders, cheesecake, breakdancing and a boa constrictor. A portion of the song's iTunes net proceeds benefits the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association.

In addition to the online release, Lifeline hosted a launch event last night which featured a live performance by Luciana at The Abbey in West Hollywood where fans watched the video live for the first time.

"We originally started with the idea of a video to reach seniors through social media, but when we heard the song, the project snowballed and we decided to do the remix and have the proceeds benefit one of Betty White's favorite charities, The Los Angeles Zoo," said Stephen Terrell, co-founder of The Lifeline Program. "The project brings new exposure to Luciana, supports one of Betty's favorite charities and creates awareness for life settlements."

Rebranding itself to a younger audience, The Lifeline Program hopes America's most trusted celebrity's bold dance moves and catchy rhymes, re-mixed by Grammy nominated David Aude, will reach out to social media savvy boomer consumers. The 75 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964 constitute a sizable demographic, soon approaching retirement age with infamously lower retirement savings than previous generations. The market-leader in the life settlement industry offers settlements to holders of unnecessary life insurance policies; many times providing much needed financial security to seniors nationwide.

The Lifeline Program is a life settlement company based in Atlanta, Ga., and is a division of Wm. Page and Associates, Inc. Founded in 1989, The Lifeline program offers life settlement portfolio aggregation services and alternative investment opportunities to financial institutions, fund managers and other investment entities. The company partners with insurance agencies and broker dealers to establish life settlement business lines and assists seniors with retirement planning options. For more information on life settlements, contact Stephen Terrell of The Lifeline Program at 770-724-7300 or visit www.thelifeline.com. For the latest Betty White music video news, visit www.facebook.com/LifelineProgram.

The single is available on iTunes now -- with a portion of proceeds benefiting one of Betty's favorite organizations: The Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association.

Download the song here.

Not Every One of Us Has the Talent of Gumshen

Not every one of us has the talent of Gumshen. I especially like the lyrics and the creative use of word play in the song offered up here, the sound and rhyme work of lines like “I feel the click click clinking of the clock tick ticking / It’ll never stop dragging me down down down / Melt into nothing / But you’re right beside me on this merry go round”. The chorus that follows is a perfect measure of simplicity in an otherwise sophisticated song. Of course, it also has a great lyric and musical hook, which never hurts. The band reminds me of Steely Dan - a true compliment to Gumshen - but there is something more modern here, too. The musicianship, along with the songwriting, is superb, with great grooves and shining guitar riffs.

www.gumshen.com

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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:

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

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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