Music News, Notes & Did You Know?

a very detailed account of some great album cover art No Limit Records

The Irrepressible Album Art of No Limit Records

In the world of late-1990s rap music, few figures could boast the success and popularity of Percy Miller, a.k.a. Master P. The New Orleans native began small, running his fledgling No Limit Records label out of a San Francisco suburb.


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Larry "Rhino" Reinhardt of Iron Butterfly & Captain Beyond Joins Forces With Great Southern

Larry "Rhino" Reinhardt has had a long history in rock music. He first recorded with the Georgia based bands The Load (1967-69) and The Second Coming (1969-70, with Dickey Betts & Berry Oakley) before joining Iron Butterfly to record their album Metamorphasis.



Read more: VintageVinylNews.com






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SONS OF SEASONS: New Album Details Revealed 

SONS OF SEASONS — the new progressive/symphonic metal band led by keyboardist/guitarist Oliver Palotai (KAMELOT, DORO) — has set "Magnisphyricon" as the title of its second album, due on April 1 via Napalm Records.

According to a press release, SONS OF SEASONS steps into the limelight once again to deliver a second album that is even more impressive than their debut. 'Magnisphyricon' is not a mere continuation of their chosen path, but rather a bold step into unexplored musical territories. Led by mastermind Oliver Palotai, the band performs the difficult feat of balancing technical prowess with memorable melodies. Some of the best examples of this gripping mix of musical complexity and headbanging quality are 'Soul Symmetry' and 'Tales of Greed'. The new songs also provide Henning Basse (METALIUM) a forum in which to prove his vocal talents and ennoble the album with sweeping renditions. Simone Simons (EPICA) again lends her captivating voice, making the track 'Sanctuary' one of the album's undisputed highlights. The powerful and lively production completes the listening experience and gives the tracks their crystal-clear quality. 'Magnisphyricon' is a profound and multifaceted melodic symphonic metal album that will whisk you away to a breathtaking sound universe."

Read more HERE

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AGNOSTIC FRONT: 'My Life My Way' Cover Artwork, Track Listing Unveiled

"My Life My Way", the new album from New York hardcore legends AGNOSTIC FRONT, will be released on March 4 in Europe and March 22 in North America on Nuclear Blast Records. The effort was recorded at Mana Recording Studios in St. Petersburg, Florida for a March 4 European and March 22 North American release via Nuclear Blast Records. The album features 13 new powerful and anthemic songs laid down by Erik Rutan (MADBALL, GOATWHORE, CANNIBAL CORPSE, etc.) under the watchful guide of producer Freddy Cricien of MADBALL. The record was mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Music (SEPULTURA, SUFFOCATION, UNEARTH) in New Windsor, New York.

The "My Life My Way" cover artwork was brought to life this time by artist Todd Hubber, who also works with vocalist Roger Miret on designing his street wear clothing line American Made Kustom.

Read more HERE



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METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX: 'Big Four' U.S. Dates To Be Announced Tomorrow


The dates for the U.S. leg of the touring rock festival featuring the "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal — METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX — will be announced on Tuesday, January 25 at 8 a.m. PST.

The two-disc DVD release of "The Big Four: Live From Sofia, Bulgaria", containing footage of the June 22, 2010 Sonisphere cinecast from the Sofia, Bulgaria leg of the "Big Four" tour has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments in excess of 100,000 copies. (Note: Due to the fact that the set consists of two discs, it was eligible for platinum certification after shipping 50,000 copies; platinum certification for a single-disc release is 100,000 copies.)

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BRET MICHAELS' 1969 Camaro Sold For $200,000 At 40th Annual Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction

According to FoxNews.com, POISON frontman Bret Michaels's personal 1969 Camaro snagged a whopping $200,000 — with a signature guitar and lifetime backstage pass to his concerts thrown in for good measure — at the 40th annual Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction on Saturday, January 22 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

An avid car and motorcycle enthusiast, Michaels was recently named People magazine's "Survivor of the Year" and Fox411's "Celebrity of the Year." In May 2010, he was hand-picked as Donald Trump's Season 3 winner on "The Celebrity Apprentice".

Read more HERE

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Travis Barker reveals album cover

Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker has revealed the cover art for his upcoming solo album

The illustration is by Pushead (Brian Schroeder), an artist and record label owner who specializes in the hardcore punk and heavy metal genres. In the past, he has created artwork for Metallica and The Misfits.










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a wonderful post over at the vinyl district: 

Record Store Spotlight: Origami Vinyl

By ashleyeliot | Published: January 24, 2011

In April of 2009, Echo Park encountered an incredible addition to the area: a vinyl record store that would feed the neighborhood with music knowledge and keep it hip. Origami Vinyl, founded by Neil Schield, is where you will find the best and latest local finds plus weekly live in-store shows and record release parties. If I lived close by, which might happen soon, I would probably camp out there every day, going back and forth between there and Two Boots, and then over to The Echo once the shop closes. That sounds beautiful. Anyway, the store just launched OnTheRecord.TV, which has videos of the in-store shows, and will present the Monday night residencies at The Echo starting in February.

I caught up with Schield and the store’s manager Sean Stentz. Here’s what they had to say…

Read the rest at TheVinylDistrict.com

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and even in the desert, vinyl continues to thrive:

Local record shops surviving in digital download age

By Kortney Tenaglia

The age of digital downloading has caused CD sales to sink, but despite the hardship, some local vinyl record and CD enthusiasts are keeping music appreciation afloat.

Revolver Records in downtown Phoenix has felt the impact of digital downloading, but isn’t ready to turn off the music just yet, said shop owner T.J. Jordan.

“It definitely affects us,” Jordan said. “Digital downloads and piracy have affected record shops as a whole.”

2010 marked the fourth consecutive year of CD sales falling nearly 20 percent, according to a Nielsen SoundScan report on music sales. In this same time, digital album downloads increased 13 percent.

Revolver Records, located on Second and Roosevelt streets, offers used and new vinyl records. The shop has become a jewel among those who still treasure traditional ways of listening to music.

Read more at Desert Vinyl

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and in the UK:

Vinyl junkies - the new generation keeping the record player alive

Mark Prigg, Science and Technology Editor

Vinyl was supposed to have died long ago, killed by the incredible march of the iPod and digital music. Yet in living rooms across London, the record player is fighting back as a new generation of music fans and musicians discover that vinyl really does sound better.

To prove the point, I've been promised a rare treat - a listen to one of the best recorded pieces of music in existence, on one of London's top hi-fi systems

Vinyl in the UK

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Did You Know?

Elvis Presley recorded "Teddy Bear" in 1957

The blistering guitar lead in George Harrison's song, "Taxman" is the exact same guitar part heard at the ending fade of the song. It was copied and re-recorded onto the end.

The song "Summertime Blues" was a US Top 40 hit in three different decades - in the fifties by Eddie Cochran (#8), the sixties by Blue Cheer (#14) and the seventies by The Who (#27).



Also in 1962 - Chubby Checker had four albums in the Top Ten of the Billboard LP chart. They were "For Twisters Only", "Your Twist Party", "Bobby Rydell / Chubby Checker" and "Let's Twist Again". The single, "The Twist" sat at the top of Cashbox Best Sellers chart.   Not sure if that has been duplicated...any thoughts?

All of the clocks in the movie Pulp Fiction are stuck on 4:20.  I wonder why...... (psst I know, do you?)

Almonds are members of the peach family.

The symbol on the "pound" key (#) is called an octothorpe.

In 1969, New Jersey state prosecutors issue a warning to record dealers that they will be charged with distributing pornography if they are caught selling the John Lennon / Yoko Ono LP "Two Virgins". The front cover of the album showed the pair frontally nude, while the back cover showed them from behind. The rather unflattering photo would later be described by Lennon as a picture of "two slightly overweight ex-junkies". Somehow "Two Virgins" still managed to reach #124 in the US, but failed to chart at all in the UK, where only 5,000 copies were ever pressed.

A Happy Birthday to Ray Stevens (72)

And in 1979 - The Clash released their first US single, an excellent cover of the Bobby Fuller Four's "I Fought the Law."