Chelsey Austin- Sheer Emotional Force

One of the perks I get writing for the Internet Radio Station www.ilike2rock.net is hearing new artists and music. As I continue to write reviews about the wonderful indie bands, I am blessed to hear new artists like Chelsey Austin and many others.


Chelsey Austin



When famed Grammy-winning engineer Phil York first heard nineteen-year-old “Chelsey Austin,” and was smitten by her young Pat Benatar-Debbie Harry sound, her high energy, style and her natural charisma, he felt that this true voice and sound should be heard by a larger audience. And so, with the release of her debut CD called “Download This,” that is exactly what is happening.

With the cut entitled, “Touchy Situation,” one cannot only hear, but actually feel the sheer force Austin exudes. With her angel-like voice blended perfectly with brutal guitar shrapnel, you can tell this young songstress wears her emotions on her sleeve.

Austin adroitly switches gears with the sweet tenderness and the crisp acoustics on the song called “No Reason Why.” Decidedly sophisticated, and augmented by flawless classical-like guitar work and interwoven strings and harmonies, it makes you wish all her songs sounded this good.

But, the ballsy-rocker entitled “Rock Star Queen” only proves that this versatile artist is quite adept at singing a hot romp, self-parody and as a music fan, this is all one can ask from the budding star songstress.

The spacy-reggae-like pop sounds of “I Guess You Know By Now,” takes the term eclectic music to a new level and shows this impeccable talent has so much more to offer her audience. So, as this down-home, small-town Texas gal shows off her passion and diverse musical flavors, you can’t help but get the feeling that you will be hearing her seductive pop-rock all the way to the top of the charts.


Stop by for a visit: http://www.ilike2rock.net/bands/a/chelsey_austin.html

VinylCollective.com sales for Oct 2007

Virgil Dickerson over at www.vinylcollective.com has just released the Top 30 records sold October 2007:


1 BEN WEASEL “These Ones Are Bitter” LP clear light blue vinyl

2 MINUS THE BEAR “Planet of Ice” dbl LP clear w/ gold splatter

3 Say Anything - Is a Real Boy/Was a Real Boy 2xLP black / green vinyl

4 NORMA JEAN 4 x LP Vinyl Box Set colored vinyl set A limited to 400

5 MINUS THE BEAR “Highly Refined Pirates” LP Gold with White and Blue vinyl

6 Me First And The Gimme Gimmes “Cash” 7″ Ring Of Fire Red vinyl

7 MINUS THE BEAR “Interpretaciones Del Oso” LP mystery colored vinyl

8 Me First and the Gimme Gimmes “Dolly” 7″ alfalfa green

9 THE PLAYING FAVORITES “I Remember When I Was Pretty” LP pink/blue color in color

10 EVERY TIME I DIE “The Big Dirty” LP leapord print vinyl

11 MINUS THE BEAR “Highly Refined Pirates” LP White with Blue and Black vinyl

12 Jimmy Eat World “Chase the Light” LP

13 BLACK CROSS “Severance Pays” LP Pink Vinyl

14 Modern Life Is War ‘Stagger Lee’ 7″ red/black haze vinyl

15 BEN WEASEL “These Ones Are Bitter” LP clear brown

16 MARITIME Heresy & The Hotel Choir #d COLOR VINYL LP+7”

17 Bomb the Music Industry! / O Pioneers split LP 10″ all 4 colors (VC MB special)

18 MINUS THE BEAR “highly refined pirates” / “interpretaciones” all 5 colors

19 THE PLAYING FAVORITES “I Remember When I Was Pretty” LP all 3 colors

20 DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL “The Shade Of Poison Trees” LP Pumpkin vinyl

21 New Bruises - Goodbye Middle Class 7″ white vinyl with silk-screened covers

22 SPARTA “Threes” dbl LP peach w/ black splatter

23 mewithoutYou Brother, Sister LP

24 Gaslight Anthem “Sink or Swim” LP white with red splatter

25 New Bruises - Goodbye Middle Class 7″ yellow vinyl with silk-screened covers

26 MINUS THE BEAR “Planet of Ice” dbl LP solid white vinyl

27 Modern Life Is War ‘Stagger Lee’ 7″ white/black haze vinyl

28 POLYPROPYLENE 12″ Record Jacket SLEEVE with 1-1/2″ RESEAL Flap

29 Portugal the Man Waiter: You Vultures LP clear w/ gold

30 THE BLED “Silent Treatment” dbl LP Blue Vinyl

30 DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL “The Shade Of Poison Trees” LP Mustard vinyl

30 Bane “The Note” LP orange/black vinyl

Thanks for being the definitive collectible record supplier for Indie collectibles!

www.ilike2rock.net-New Artist Reviews

As I continue to write band bio's/reviews for the Internet Radio Station www.ilike2rock.net, I have posted a couple for you below. Be sure to check out ilike2rock.com, indie music all the time!

Five Star Iris

Like the bands that influence the Atlanta-based rock band “Five Star Iris,” (including U2, the Foo Fighters, Collective Soul and Train) the crew uses real-life situations and emotions to beautifully create melodic and conceptual alternative pop-rock.

The lead single entitled “Let It All Out,” from the band’s debut release (Hooptyville), essentially captures the emotion of communication (or lack thereof) and why it is an imperative element of every individual.

“My father used to say that communication makes friends and a lack of communication makes enemies,” explained lead vocalist Alan Schaefer.

With well-defined acoustics and a U2-meets Morrisey vocal delivery and augmenting this with exceptional background vocals and smart lyrics, the band has no problem communicating their views with the simple, sturdy melodic tune. “Let It All Out” is a tune that should be on any Modern Rock radio play list and is a Modern Rock classic.

The cut “Is There Something I Can Do,” complete with sweet, passionate lyrics asks the helpless question and emotion that we have all faced in life at one time or another when faced with the loss of a loved one. With irenic and painfully confessional lyrics, the band adeptly mixes lush melodies, crisp acoustics and clusters of harmonies to create their signature ballad.

Mischievous lyrics and a tongue-in-cheek infectious refrain encompass the soulful bass lines of the cut “What The Hell’s Your Problem Now.” The song pretty much tells you to get off your ass and do something about whatever sad situation you fall into and does it with musical splendor.

The cut “Starry Eyed” mixes deep flowing rhythms with pure rock and roll combined with a spacey drawl and a lead guitar solo that is an air guitarists dream. Other songs include the full-bore rocker called “Follow You Down,” that is filled with the angst of a broken relationship and the cut “World Needs Now,” an infectious social commentary anthem that shows off the band’s compelling array of musical soundscapes.

All in all the band gets an A+ for their originality, impassioned vocals, persistent creativity and musicianship and is certainly one of the untapped talents of Modern Rock.


Five Star Iris :

Alan Schaefer - Lead Vocals, Guitar;
Alex Winfield - Lead Guitar, Vocals
Rob Schaefer - Bass, Vocals
Dan Fishman - Drums, Vocals

Stop by and visit with the band at and tell them you heard them at ilike2rock.net!

http://www.ilike2rock.net/bands/f/five_star_iris.html



Another up and coming band is also from the Atlanta area and are also burning up Internet Radio:


State Of Man


After listening to the alternative rock band “State Of Man’s” CD entitled “Both Sides of the Story,” it is easy to see why the Atlanta-based band has the reputation of being one of the East Coast’s premier rock and roll bands.

The band combines crushing guitars, blended in with sweet acoustics and sheer rock and roll to formulate their own powerful and expressive sound. The cut “Be Still (My Heart),” is a perfect example of this formula. Sounding a bit like a cross between Sevendust and 3 Doors Down with an element of the Goo Goo dolls sprinkled in, the song is a unique high-voltage rocker.

The piano and acoustics of the cut “Bound In Chains” is full of impassioned vocals, steady and exploding guitar work and would be right at home being on the play list of any alternative/modern rock radio station. “Swallow Your Fears,” complete with impassioned vocals that are abruptly mixed with the pounded-and-sawed caution of tight metal riffs, completely captures the essence of the introspective lyrics.

The cut, “Never Forget,” exemplifies State Of Man’s persistent creativity by adroitly weaving their hard-edged rock with the powerful pipes of vocalist John Stringer’s boisterous, yet refined, voice, to craft their distinctive blend of soulful modern rock.

Combine all these elements and you have “one of the East Coast’s premier acts” (XM Satellite Radio). One of the strengths of State Of Man is their explosive live sets, and it is no wonder that they have opened for such major acts such as Kid Rock, Live, Stone Temple Pilots, No Doubt and Hoobastank. After an incredible year of topping the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart for eight consecutive weeks, one can only imply that the best is yet to come.

State Of Man are:

John Stringer- vocals, acoustic guitar
Thomas Panza- guitars
James Beale- bass
Chris Love- drums

Visit the band here and listen to their great sound!
http://www.ilike2rock.net/bands/s/state_of_man.html

JazzWax.com- Refreshing and current news about Jazz

I've recently discovered a jazz music site at jazzwax.com that I hope you will find interesting. Marc Myers is a New York writer who listens to jazz CDs and LPs throughout the day. His thoughts and recommendations appear here daily. Keep up with the latest in jazz music and jazz vinyl records with this fascinating site.

ClassicBands.com- A Pleasant Look At Rock And Roll's Classic Music

Want to read about a classic rock band? I suggest www.ClassicBands.com where you can find rock and roll trivia, rock and roll biographies, rock and roll interviews, rock and roll record charts, this week in rock and roll history, how bands got their names, the best selling records, the history of banned rock, fascinating facts, unsolved mysteries rock and roll heaven and much, much more. Spend an afternoon reading about your favorite stars from yesteryear!

Vinyl Record Collecting Will Never Go Out Of Style

Vinyl Record Collecting Alive and Well

By Robert Benson



According to a recent report from eBay, the online auction giant, they sell more than three million vinyl records each year. It is also reported that eBay users buy and sell six vinyl records every minute (or an average of one every ten seconds). It seems the vinyl record, just a few years ago an afterthought as an audio format, is alive and well. So what is all the fuss about?

First and foremost, if you ask any record collector, it is the sound quality they love the most about vinyl. The music isn’t compressed into ones and zeros or “binary sound.” Then of course, there is the element of “collectibility,” people may buy vinyl as an investment, in hope that, over time, the records will appreciate in value.

Furthermore, people collect vinyl because they may want a piece of their past, so nostalgia is also an important element for the record collector. People are also drawn to actually owning a physical product and may enjoy the ritual that is involved in listening to the records. And a new generation has discovered the special allure that vinyl records have, the limited editions, colored vinyl, picture discs, “audiophile” records (a 180-220 gram), the album cover artwork and the sound have all lured youngsters in the hobby of collecting vinyl records.

But, there are more reasons people collect vinyl. Besides the aforementioned elements, it is also big business. The old vinyl records on the auction sites, as well as the hundreds of other vinyl related web sites, are not selling their collectible vinyl for rummage sale prices. In fact, at any given moment, there may be more than six thousand collectible Beatles’ albums for sale on eBay. Some have sold for thousands of dollars and it is reported that the album that is bought and sold the most in vinyl format is the Beatles’ “White Album.” But it is not only the Beatles that sell well and are highly collectible. Artists such as the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, James Brown, Madonna, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Elvis Presley and even newer artists like Nirvana, Radiohead and many more are all highly sought after. There is also a keen interest in “Northern Soul,” Motown records, old blues recordings as well as jazz, punk and indie vinyl records.

Furthermore, recording artists themselves are reported to own vast and eclectic record collections. Just as creating music is their passion, finding rare and collectible vinyl is sometimes just as important. It is reported that John Lennon was an avid collector of all the Beatles’ bootlegs he could find. Peter Buck, of the rock band R.E.M. is an avid collector as well and there is a long list of musicians who get the same thrill as all collectors get when they find a specific vinyl record at an estate sale that may have eluded them for years.

However, it is not just the garage sales, rummage sales, estate sales, record conventions that carry collectible vinyl. The online community has responded as well, and besides the auction sites, there are literally hundreds of web sites that sell vinyl exclusively, in any musical genre that a person may have an interest in.

People also collect vinyl for the album cover art or the 45-rpm record sleeve and some may be more valuable than the vinyl record that they hold. There are many businesses that frame these marvelous pieces of art and audio history for display and preservation.

So just as there has been a resurgence in the sale and visibility of vinyl records, along with this is an increase in the hobby of vinyl record collecting and album cover art. This hobby is as old as the format itself, and a wonderful hobby that will continue to thrill its participants for decades to come.

ebay vinyl record sales figures

Here are the results from the top five ebay sales as reported at http://ccdiscoveries.blogspot.com/ as of 10/13/2007

An impossibly rare (and possibly impossible) Beatles Yesterday and Today butcher LP topped eBay sales at $10,000.00, receiving only 1 bid. Someone was rapacious. The messages in this listing were an interesting read of history, opinions and possible apocryphy. Who did what at what factory? Who had the only sealed copies? Truth is the truth doesn't matter. Some records are to collectors like prostitutes to a horny coal miner.

Next, a Blues 78 RPM by Jay Bird Coleman on the Gennett "Ah'm Sick And Tired Of Tellin' You (To Wiggle That Thing)" / "No More Good Water - 'Cause The Pond Is Dry" sold for $4,522.00, receiving 14 bids from a starting bid of $99.99. In the #3 spot, a signed Elvis Aloha from Hawaii LP from the estate of Jack Lord sold for $2,827.00, receiving 18 bids from a starting bid of $800.00.

A private press Psych 45 RPM from The Human Expression "Love At Psychedelic Velocity" sold for $2500.00, receiving 5 bids from a starting bid of $500.00.

And last, a Northern Soul 45 RPM from Jackey Beavers "I Need My Baby" / "Love Can Never Grow Old" sold for $2,247.22, receving 4 bids from a starting bid of $0.99.

Site Offers Fresh Insights to The Music World & The Arts

Music, Arts, People & Ideas-

http://manuelmarino.com/

“Manuel Marino is a former mp3.com artist who decided to strike out on his own after mp3.com’s copyright scandal in 2000. His studio, Marino Sounds, provides audio for game, television and multimedia projects at as low a rate as possible in order to actively encourage business from the indie scene. Projects such as Derek Smart’s Universal Combat and the X-com inspired UFO: Alien Invasion gave Marino a certain kudos, and his current work on the Morrowind ITP (Italian Translation Project) comprises a further step towards the mainstream. “Being ‘indie’ is like being in a big family. I feel that other independent musicians and designers are my brothers, and that they deserve my help,” he told me. He’s enjoyed the game experience so much that he’s planning to establish a full-time dev team.” (Paul Taylor, Music4Games)

Salazar-obsessed to deliver great rock'n'roll

As I continue to review bands for the Internet radio station www.ilike2rock.net, I have selected two bands that I thought you would be interested in hearing about. I will have more band reviews to come!


Salazar


Hailing from New York, New York, is a unique rock band called Salazar. With infectious melodies and poignant lyrics that are perfectly blended in with the band’s total affliction and obsession for melody, mystery and passion, the CD is a must have for any fan of great rock and roll.

The band’s debut CD, “Cinematocracy,” reveals just how professional and complete their music is. The cut entitled “Don’t Fade,” is an infectious and expressive song, a song that you will pleasantly hear in your head hours after listening to it. With its James Blunt-Shannon Hoon like delivery, it is just the type of seductive pop that listeners clamor for and this acoustic rock song has “hit” stamped all over it.

Another cut called “Shake It Off,” is a pleasant, slow-tempo number with delicious strings complimenting the engaging vocals and piano work. The song takes you on a musical journey and mesmerizes the listener, as the acoustic setting is expertly transformed into a piano/strings and guitar masterpiece.

“Dark Corners” embellishes the band’s persistent creativity and is a profoundly rich ballad that is delicate, yet strong. The cut, “Electric Apology,” is easily digestible, with tight and structured guitar riffs; a sure toe-tapper.

Drawing from their influences such as Bowie, the Band, Wilco, the Allman Brothers and many, many more, Salazar’s debut CD, “Cinematocracy,” is full of creative melodies, musical passion and a delicious catchiness that will have the group’s fans eagerly awaiting more.


The Brothers Salazar:

Drums & Vocals - John Federico
Bass & Vocals - Jesse Greendyk
Vocals & Guitar - Nate Gowtham
Piano & Keys - Michael Kester

Visit the band at: http://www.ilike2rock.net/bands/s/salazar.html

Seminole County-review

Seminole County



Having already finished a highly successful European tour, the rap-rock duo called “Seminole County” focuses on their sights on capturing audience’s ears with their impassioned rock-rap repertoire. This rocking duo, female rapper/singer JJ and her highly skilled band mate Byron J, have definitely gelled by mixing their unique talents in the release “Reasons.”

With cuts like the rapid-fire vocal delivery of the song “Memories”, which is perfectly blended with straight forward rock and roll and awe inspiring backing vocals, the song is a pivotal step for the up and coming duo. Complete with lush soundscapes, electronica and flat out rock, the band certainly captured exactly what they intended to with the cut. The song, “it’s okay,” is a perfect example of how two voices and introspective lyrics strike out at any love that’s gone bad.

“Simple Dark”, with its rap verses, gloomy guitar riffs, smart boy-girl lyrics and heavy rock chorus is bruised, yet in its own way, tender. The acoustic setting for the song “Playin’ Me” is the perfect prelude to the Evanescence-like rocker it ultimately becomes.

All in all, this is a rare collection of fresh rock melodies that is played with obvious zest, daring ingenuity and is the optimum vehicle to present the talents of both members of the duo. Already with an invitation from the Official Grammy Foundation and a performance for the official Grammy Showcase, Florida chapter, supporting the Backstreet Boys on their “Never Gone Tour,” and gigs at the Orange Bowl in Miami (2005 BCS Championship Game) as well as opening for John Legend, Seminole County is certainly headed for bigger and better roads ahead.


Seminole County are:

JJ- vocals
Byron J- keyboards

Radiohead- the new music distribution path?

Radiohead-Blazing A New Digital Trail

By Robert Benson

With the British art-rock band Radiohead releasing their new album entitled “In Rainbows” as a digital download and sold it for whatever their fans volunteered to pay, is this going to become a new trend in the methods that bands supply their music to the public?

With CD shipments to retailers down 13% from last year, this innovative way to eliminate the middle man, the record label, has proved exactly where the music industry is headed. But there is a catch, the release is only available via the web site (www.InRainbows.com) and cannot be purchased in retail stores. The band will also offer fans a deluxe-edition box set that includes vinyl and CD copies of the release, plus a CD of bonus tracks and a lyric book on December 3.

Will this technique catch on? One can only guess, but given the restraints that some record companies have on their artists, early reports suggest that most consumers are actually paying for the release. This release may have made the band more money than previous releases by eliminating the “manufacturing” costs of a CD, including promotion, marketing, distribution and the record label’s cut.

An interesting element to this is that the release is getting more “word of mouth” promotion and publicity than most albums. People are intrigued and are talking about it and large web sites (mostly corporate) are not discussing it mainly because the record company(or lack thereof) is not asking them that they do so.

Now is this a one-time phenomenon or are Radiohead blazing a new musical distribution trail? It could be a bit of both, really. This release is a record label’s nightmare, a band can actually release it’s own material without jumping through the proverbial “corporate” hoops and record label red tape, and actually make money in the process. It also shows an impending trend, where music can be released without the aid of the “hard media” like CDs or vinyl records. There are predictions that in the coming years a lot of bands and artists will follow this lead and may offer album downloads as a market tool to promote their tours as well as sell other merchandise.

In fact, Trent Reznor, of the hard-rock band Nine Inch Nails has stated that they do not have a recording contract with their record label and may follow a similar path of not having a record label to support their next release. Other artists such as Madonna have already followed suit.

So this may be the direction music is heading. Bands have also taken note of the “singles” market, where a consumer can pay for just one or two downloads, and the artist will not necessarily have to have an album release to support the singles. Yes, the digital download is here to stay, much to the chagrin of the record labels as well as vinyl enthusiasts. There is a whole new digital world out there for musicians and one they are running to grab by the horns.

Frame your album covers

Once you have obtained your treasure vinyl, you can now "frame" the wonderful album cover art with an award winning business called Rock Art Picture Show. Check them out!

The Record Album Frame is the choice of Graceland, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Smithsonian. Turn your LP's into Art, simply and easily!

U2- The Joshua Tree

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of its release, U2 are to re-release "The Joshua Tree" on 20 November.

Billboard reports that the album will be available as a remastered single CD, a double CD, a double CD and DVD collectible box and a double vinyl package.

The members of U2 are contributing new liner notes to the album.

Popsike.com - gauging the true value of vinyl

One of the most informative and helpful sites on the Internet of gauging what a specific vinyl record is selling for is to look at past auction results. The best way to do this is by visiting www.popsike.com

Popsike.com provides an archive of past auctions. Most of the records have been auctioned at ebay, certainly the largest auction house for rare vinyl records.

Online auction houses are a very popular method for buying or selling records. At popsike.com, you can check the final auction price that a certain record has brought. Although this might not be a true indication of the record's real value, it does show what collectors are paying for rare items.

There is no fixed price for a second-hand record, no matter how rare it is. The price of a rare record is purely determined by what people are prepared to pay for it.

So with this in mind, you can truly gauge the interest as well as what the specific record may be selling for and even if there is a demand for it. Here is the grading system that Popsike.com utilizes:

Standards for the condition of vinyl records

MINT The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.


EXCELLENT The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and/or creasing.

VERY GOOD The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

GOOD The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.

FAIR The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents will be torn, stained and/or defaced.

POOR The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing.

BAD The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler.

Source: RECORD COLLECTOR, London

So stop by for a visit today!

A fantastic audio presentation about the evolution of album cover art, the tactile experience of the medium and the future of cover art in the digital age. With unique perspectives by Gary Freiberg (www.RockArtPictureShow & www.VinylRecordDay.org), Professor Rich Shelton (Otis College of Art and Design) and Eliot Van Buskirk of Wired Magazine.

www.kpbs.org/radio/these_days;id=7756