Moody Blues Announce 2013 U.S. Tour

The Moody Blues recently announced dates for their U.S. Tour 2013 to coincide with the band's upcoming box set release called Timeless Flight. Read more here. 

Phil Lesh and Sons, Neal Casal Celebrate Memorial Day (A Relix Gallery)

Phil Lesh and Terrapin Crossroads hosted a Memorial Day barbeque on Monday.  Please follow the link to check our Stuart Levine's images on Relix.

Same Great Taste, Less Killing: Iron Maiden Alters Trooper Beer Label (Ultimate Classic Rock)

Follow the link to read more about the  Iron Maiden Trooper beer (not available in the United States...)

35 Years Ago: Joe Walsh Releases '...But Seriously Folks'

Please follow the link to take you to Ultimate Classic Rock to read more about Joe Walsh's landmark solo album....

Paul Stanley Doesn’t Need the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Ultimate Classic Rock)

Please follow the link to read more. 

On the turntable this Sunday...Days

Days is the second full length album from indie rock band Real Estate. On their "Top 50 Albums of 2011" lists, Pitchfork Media placed it at number 9, Q and Uncut placed it at number 24, and Paste placed it at number 47. A video for the lead track "Easy" was released through Funny or Die and directed by Tom Scharpling.

30 Years Ago: Iron Maiden Release ‘Piece of Mind’ (Ultimate Classic Rock)

Iron Maiden's 1983 classic, Piece of Mind recently turned 30.  Please follow the link to read more at Ultimate Classic Rock.

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers "Friend of The Devil" (Relix)

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers covered the Grateful Dead's "Friend of the Devil" last Saturday night.  Please follow the link to see the video from the Hangout Fest.

Album Review: Daft Punk's 'Random Access Memories' (Idolator)

Please follow the link to Idolator to read Patrick Bowman's excellent review of Daft Punk's new album, Random Access Memories. 

New Music Review: Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa 'Seesaw'

Joe Bonamassa, if you still have not yet heard his music, is a modern guitar master and blues-rocker with an understanding and eclectic taste in music.

Joe was a one-time child prodigy who opened for BB King when he was only 12 years old, and since then has developed an interest in blues-related music of all kinds.  Seesaw is his second collaboration with the extremely talented Californian singer Beth Hart.

The new album contains covers of songs made famous by Billie Holiday, Tina Turner, Buddy Miles, and Al Green.

The mood constantly changes, from a brash cover of Holliday’s “Them There Eyes,” to the rocked-out version of “Nutbush City Limits,” or fine bluesy vocals and guitar work on “Rhymes.” There is an outstanding reworking of an Etta James song, and even a daring rendition of “Strange Fruit.”

All in all, another solid effort from Hart and Bonamassa and one that you definitely need for your collection!

The Showbiz Kids Rating: 9.0 out of 10

-Will Fisher, The Showbiz Kids

RIP Ray Manzarek

Ray Manzarek, one of the founding members of the Doors, has died according to the band's official Facebook page.  Manzarek was 74 and passed away at the RoMed Clinic in Rosenheim, Germany after a long battle with bile duct cancer.  It's hard to state Manzarek's influence on modern music.  His contribution to The Doors made them one of the most iconic bands in the history of rock and roll.  Please read more at Ultimate Classic Rock. 

-Will Fisher, The Showbiz Kids

Beatles-focused show coming to Broadway

Please follow the link to read more about the Beatles-focused show coming to Broadway this summer...

Rush, Heart 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Highlights (Ultimate Classic Rock)

Please follow the link to check out Ultimate Classic Rock's highlights from this years' Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductions of Rush and Heart.

On the turntable this Sunday...Live from the Royal Albert Hall

Live from the Royal Albert Hall is the fourth live album by American blues rock musician Joe Bonamassa. Recorded on May 4, 2009 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England, it was released on September 22, 2009 by J&R Adventures.

Music website Allmusic gave Live from the Royal Albert Hall four out of five stars, with reviewer Steve Leggett describing the album as "simply wonderful, full of great guitar playing, solid singing, and with a horn section and double drummers on board, the sound is full and even majestic".

Rolling Stone's 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time

Please follow the link to view Rolling Stone's list of the 100 best debut albums of all time.

Vince Neil Says Film Version of ‘The Dirt’ Will Be the Beginning of the End for Motley Crue

Please follow the link to read more about Vince Neil's plans after Motley Crue retires....

Rod Stewart: Time (Ultimate Classic Rock)

Please follow the link to read more about Rod Stewart's first new album of original material since 2001. 

Black Sabbath to Debut New Song on CSI

Follow the link to read more about the new Black Sabbath song debuting on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation tonight....

Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis Tried to Form Supergroup with Paul McCartney

Read more about the supergroup that never happened at Relix... 

Vampire Weekend: Modern Vampires of The City

Please follow the link to read the Relix review of the new Vampire Weekend album, Modern Vampires of The City.

On the turntable this Sunday...The Ballad of John Henry

The Ballad of John Henry is the seventh studio album by American blues rock musician Joe Bonamassa. Produced by Kevin Shirley, it was released on February 24, 2009 by J&R Adventures and topped the US Billboard Top Blues Albums chart.

Music website Allmusic gave The Ballad of John Henry four out of five stars, with reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine claiming that "everything that [Bonamassa]'s dabbled with on previous albums is pulled together here, making for his most varied album and possibly his best, even if that heaviness means that it's not necessarily the easiest to enjoy".

Track listing:

1. "The Ballad of John Henry"   Joe Bonamassa, Mississippi John Hurt 6:26

2. "Stop!" (Sam Brown cover) Greg Sutton, Bruce Brody 6:48

3. "Last Kiss"   Bonamassa 7:15

4. "Jockey Full of Bourbon" (Tom Waits cover) Tom Waits 5:22

5. "Story of a Quarryman"   Bonamassa 4:59

6. "Lonesome Road Blues"   Bonamassa 3:08

7. "Happier Times"   Bonamassa 6:40

8. "Feelin' Good" (Cy Grant cover) Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley 4:44

9. "Funkier Than a Mosquito's Tweeter" (Ike & Tina Turner cover) Aillene Bullock 5:00

10. "The Great Flood"   Bonamassa 7:39

11. "From the Valley"   Bonamassa 2:24

12. "As the Crow Flies" (Tony Joe White cover) Tony Joe White, Tennessee Swamp Fox

OMD Marvel Over Synthpop's Growing Fanbase

Please follow the link to read more at Rolling Stone. 

New Music You Need To Know About...The Strypes

Sometimes artists wear their influences on their sleeves. Sometimes that rubs me the wrong way. And sometimes...it hits just right.

The Strypes have me in that second category.

Drawing from the songbooks of Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, and Slim Harpo, to name a few, they come on like The Animals, The Yardbirds, and The Stones, and they just kill it.

Like all good music, it's better heard than written and read about. There may be an ad up front. If so, I apologize, but stick it out - it's worth it.

Paul Weller and Jeff Beck are fans. Count Dave Grohl in, as well.

Oh yeah, if Wikipedia can be believed, these guys are between 15 and 17 years old. 

Just to put that in perspective, they are all younger than Justin Bieber.

Enjoy. 

-Shawn

Tom Waits Joins The Rolling Stones onstage in Oakland

Tom Waits joined the Rolling Stones on stage this weekend in Oakland.  Check out their rendition of "Little Red Rooster" here.

Happy birthday, Joe Bonamassa!!

Oh, you are still asking who Joe Bonamassa is?  Well, he's 36 years old today and one of the most talented musicians of the past decade...just stop what you are doing and check out some of the video clips below to get a taste of why he's easily one of our favorite touring artists.  

While you are at it, pick up a copy of his most recent and excellent live release, An Acoustic Evening at The Vienna Opera House. 

Happy birthday, Joe!!

-Will Fisher, The Showbiz Kids

Fleetwood Mac Release New Music

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/fleetwood-mac-extended-play-album-review/

Fleetwood Mac have released their first new music since Say You Will.  Please follow the link to read more. 

New ZZ Top Box Will Include Original Mixes of First 10 Albums (UCR)

The massive ZZ Top box set coming out in June will include original mixes of the bands' early material.  Read more at Ultimate Classic Rock.  

On the turntable this Sunday...Attack & Release

Attack & Release is the fifth studio album by American rock band The Black Keys. It was produced by Danger Mouse and was released on April 1, 2008. The sessions saw the band transitioning away from their "homemade" ethos to record-making; not only was it the first time that the band completed an album in a professional studio, but it was also the first time they hired an outside producer to work on a record.

Leading up to the recording sessions, drummer Patrick Carney wanted to change up the sound of his drums and envisioned two approaches to doing so. He said, "I had one of the Bonham reissue kits and I set that up in a live room. And then I knew I wanted a kind of '70s dead sound too, so I did the whole 'towels on the drums' thing."

Attack & Release debuted at number 14 on the Billboard 200. The album was ranked 83 on Rolling Stone's list of the greatest albums of the 2000s. The song "I Got Mine" was number 23 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008. In 2012, the album was certified gold in Canada.

The Black Keys in Atlanta

Pictures from The Black Keys concert in Atlanta on May 2, 2013.

Eagles 2013 Tour Could Be Their Last (Ultimate Classic Rock)

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/eagles-tour-could-be-their-last/

The Eagles are on tour this year...will it be their last?  Please follow the link to read more at Ultimate Classic Rock. 

Widespread Panic at Township Auditorium (A Relix Gallery)

Follow the link to see photos taken by Brad Kuntz at Widespread Panic's recent show at Township Auditorium. 

Apple's iTunes Store Turns 10

Apple is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the iTunes Store this week with a new look.
Located under the music tab in the iTunes Store, “A Decade of iTunes” details key moments from 2003 through 2013, and a listing of the top-selling downloads from each year that the iTunes Store has been open.

First launched on April 28, 2003, iTunes initially offered music downloads only. Other media content was eventually added, including podcasts in 2005, movies in 2006, and classroom content through iTunes U in 2008.

One of the most important dates in iTunes Store history was July 11th, 2008. On this date, the iPhone 3G went on sale and the App Store officially opened, changing the landscape forever, with only 500 Apps available initially.

Happy anniversary, iTunes Store!

-Will Fisher
The Showbiz Kids