AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: MORCHEEBA/BLAZE AWAY

One of the most attractive features of the Trip Hop genre was it’s haunting quality. While closely associated with the Downtempo and Chill movements, the best Trip Hop provided beauty with an unsettling edge. Listening to Trip Hop should be like walking into an ancient mansion – you are wrapped in beauty but you can feel the presence of something else. The Chill is replaced by chills. And THAT is what makes Trip Hop special. And Morcheeba continues to be the genre’s most consistent and beloved bands – they put the ‘trip’ in Trip Hop.

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AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: THE MYSTERY OF THE BULGARIAN VOICES/BOOCHEEMISH

While many musicians can wring emotion out of their instrumental weapon of choice, there’s no denying that the most emotional instrument of all is the human voice. The song’s melody and lyrics mean nothing if the voice does not connect with the listener. A notable example would be Gospel Music – the soaring voices of a church choir can melt the heart of the most hardened atheist. However, the best example belongs to The Mystery Of The Bulgarian Voices, a female choir that has mastered the art of the voice… and I don’t use the word ‘art’ lightly here. The sounds these voices make are soul-stirring and heartbreaking in equal measures.

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AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: FATOUMATA DIAWARA/FENFO

Fatoumata Diawara is a highly acclaimed singer, songwriter, guitarist and actress from Mali. Her journey began when she was born in the Ivory Coast and has included stints in her father’s dance troupe, as an actress on stage and screen, as a singer in Paris night clubs and as a show-stealing performer at a star-studded tribute concert at Carnegie Hall. All of these experiences inform her sophomore effort FENFO, an album born from tradition yet entirely modern and unique. The long-awaited follow-up to her 2011 debut full-length, FATOU, FENFO lives up to the promise of that debut… and then some.

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FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH returns with AND JUSTICE FOR NONE!

 

Five Finger Death Punch has unleashed “When The Season’s Change,” marking the most massive, melodic song in their repertoire yet, the new song is off the group’s album AND JUSTICE FOR NONE, due out May 18.  A brash bloodletting of airtight riffs, muscular grooves, and seismic melodies, AND JUSTICE FOR NONE’s 13 tracks see Five Finger Death Punch maintain their signature intensity, all while pushing themselves into new territory.

On AND JUSTICE FOR NONE, the quintet—Ivan Moody [vocals], Zoltan Bathory [guitar], Jeremy Spencer [drums], Jason Hook [guitar], and Chris Kael [bass]—fuel the beating bloody heart of 21st century hard rock. Once again, the group hunkered down in its home base of Las Vegas with longtime producer Kevin Churko [Ozzy Osbourne, Disturbed] behind the board a year after GOT YOUR SIX. In the studio, they collectively stepped up their game as a unit. “We just understand each other so well,” says Jeremy Spencer. “There’s a huge level of respect on both sides. He gets the best out of us.”

Five Finger Death Punch’s current single, “Gone Away” (their own rendition of The Offspring’s 1997 hit single) has received over 27 million streams in the U.S., is currently charting #2 on Active Rock and topped the iTunes rock and metal charts globally. Earlier this month, the group released “Fake” (out 4/6) which generated just under 1 million streams in the U.S. during its first week and made the viral chart on Spotify in multiple countries.

5FDP will be hitting the road for a massive series of co-headlining North American dates with Breaking Benjamin this summer, along with special guests Nothing More and Bad Wolves. The summer amphitheater tour, co-produced by Live Nation and Frank Productions, kicks off on July 16, 2018 in Seattle, WA and will make stops in 32 North American cities.

FIVE FINGERS DEATH PUNCH

AND JUSTICE FOR NONE

5.18.18

 

Catch Five Finger Death Punch on tour in the following cities:

5FDP Spring Festival Dates 

5/5/18 – Carolina Rebellion – Concord, NC

5FDP/Shinedown Spring US Tour Dates

5/6/18 – Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN

5/8/18 – Rupp Arena – Lexington, KY

5/10/18 – BOK Center – Tulsa, OK

5/11/18 – Westfair Amphitheatre – Council Bluffs, IA

5/12/18 – Eagles Ballroom – Milwaukee, WI *

5/14/18 – Salem Civic Center – Salem, VA

5/16/18 – Legacy Arena – Birmingham, AL

5/17/18 – Ford Center– Evansville, IN

5/18/18 – Mark of the Quad – Moline, IL

5/20/18 – Alerus Center – Grand Forks, ND

5/30/18 – Casper Events Center – Casper, WY

Five Finger Death Punch

5/29/18 – Red Rocks Amphitheater – Morrison, CO

6/1/18 – Deadwood Mountain Grand Hotel – Deadwood, SD

6/2/18 – KQRC Rockfest – Kansas City, MO

6/14-6/16– Montebello Rockfest – Montebello, SC

Five Finger Death Punch + Breaking Benjamin Summer Tour Dates:

* – 5fdp & Bad Wolves only/ ** – 5fdp, Breaking Benjamin & Bad Wolves only

7/16/18 – White River Amphitheatre – Seattle, WA **

7/18/18 – Spokane Arena – Spokane, WA **

7/20/18 – Taco Bell Arena – Boise, ID

7/21/18 – USANA Amphitheatre – Salt Lake City, UT

7/24/18 – Shoreline Amphitheatre – San Francisco, CA

7/25/18 – Mattress Firm Amphitheatre – San Diego, CA

7/27/18 – FivePoint Amphitheater – Irvine, CA

7/29/18 – Isleta Amphitheater – Albuquerque, NM **

8/1/18 – Austin360 Amphitheater – Austin, TX

8/3/18 – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion – Houston, TX **

8/4/18 – Starplex Pavilion – Dallas, TX

8/6/18 – BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove – Southaven, MS

8/7/18 – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – St. Louis, MO

8/9/18 – Heritage Park Amphitheatre – Simpsonville, SC

8/11/18 – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre – Tampa, FL

8/12/18 – Verizon Amphitheatre – Atlanta, GA

8/14/18 – KeyBank Pavilion – Pittsburgh, PA

8/15/18 – BB&T Pavilion – Camden, NJ

8/17/18 – The Pavilion at Montage Mountain – Scranton, PA

8/18/18 – Xfinity Center – Boston, MA

8/20/18 – Budweiser Stage – Toronto, ON

8/22/18 – Lakeview Amphitheater – Syracuse, NY **

8/24/18 – Jiffy Lube Live – Bristow, VA

8/25/18 – PNC Bank Arts Center – Holmdel, NJ **

8/28/18 – Riverbend Music Center – Cincinnati, OH

8/29/18 – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – Chicago, IL

8/31/18 – Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center – Indianapolis, IN **

9/1/18 – DTE Energy Music Theatre – Detroit, MI

9/3/18 – Darien Lake Amphitheater – Darien Center, NY

9/6/18 – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater – Wantagh, NY **

9/7/18 – XFINITY Theatre – Hartford, CT

9/9/18 – Blossom Music Center – Cleveland, OH **

About Five Finger Death Punch

Confidently leading heavy music in the 21st century, Five Finger Death Punch continue to make the impossible a reality at every turn. Since their emergence in 2007, the hard rock band has achieved six consecutive RIAA Gold-certified albums, three of which have gone Platinum since, as well as a Platinum single culminating in their 2015 #1 album GOT YOUR SIX, while at the same time being one of the top rock streaming acts with over 2 billion global streams to date. In 2016, the band also received the prestigious “Soldier Appreciation Award” from The Association of The United States Army. 5FDP frequently play all major festivals globally from Download to Rock Am Ring to Rock on the Range and sell out arenas around the world to countless screaming “Knuckleheads.” Their 2017 Greatest Hits album A DECADE OF DESTRUCTION, boasts two new singles, amongst them “Gone Away”, a cover of the 1997 song by The Offspring which is currently storming the rock charts. 5fdp’s forthcoming seventh full length album, AND JUSTICE FOR NONE, to be released on May 18, 2018 will undoubtedly raise the bar again. The band will emerge on the biggest North American amphitheater rock tour of 2018 from July through September.

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: SOFI TUKKER/TREEHOUSE

Although there is a dark side lurking beneath the surface, the music of Electronic duo Sofi Tukker is upbeat, fun and adventurous. While the duo’s music is aimed for the feet, there’s certainly a lot to wrap our head around. But before we get ahead of ourselves, let me introduce you to Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern AKA Sofi Tukker. Their name may evoke the spirit of legendary stage/screen/radio icon Sophie Tucker, but this duo’s music is world’s away from the original Sophie’s bawdy burlesque. Sofi Tukker’s two-year journey to their debut album, TREEHOUSE, has included a Grammy nomination, loads of great press and a coveted iPhone 7 commercial spot. Other artists toil away in obscurity for years, anxiously awaiting their time in the spotlight. However, Sofi Tukker’s combination of Pop smarts and luck have put them on the fast track to the front of the line.

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AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: RITA COOLIDGE/SAFE IN THE ARMS OF TIME

Rita Coolidge has been an important piece of Rock’s tapestry for nearly 50 years. She’s been a muse, a mover and shaker, a songwriter, a performer, a humanitarian, an artist, an author and an icon ever since she was ‘discovered’ by Delaney & Bonnie all those years ago. From backup singer to uncredited songwriter of one of Rock’s greatest songs (she co-wrote the piano coda for Derek & The Dominos’ “Layla,” yet has never received proper credit) and from solo artist to wife of Kris Kristofferson, Rita has been a part of nearly every important musical movement since her arrival on the scene in 1969. She even scored many solo hits including her warm and wonderful interpretation of Boz Scaggs’ “We’re All Alone.” When she stepped away from the solo spotlight, she formed Walela, a Native American trio with her sister Priscilla and her daughter Laura Satterfield.

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THE TOY DOLLS: The Chancellor reviews the 5CD set, THE ALBUMS: 1983-87

Looney tunes, indeed!

The chaps in The Dickies have a wicked sense of humor and The Adicts know how to have fun as well… but The Toy Dolls are the true court jesters of Punk Rock. So, if you are looking for a good time, you can either call one of those phone numbers written on the bathroom wall or you can do the right thing and hustle on down to your local Pop shop and grab THE ALBUMS: 1983-87, a delicious five CD box set that gathers together the first four albums by The Toy Dolls as well as a fifth disc of rarities!

Led by the always excitable Olga (AKA Michael Algar), The Toy Dolls has gone through several line-up changes over the years but they’ve never lost the spunk ‘n’ spittle that made them so fun when they released their debut album DIG THAT GROOVE BABY in 1983. While some may have thought of the band’s music as a parody or a humorous homage to Punk, there’s no doubt that Olga and the boys are true Punk rockers. However, they just chose to take Punk – and everything else for that matter – a lot less seriously than everyone around them. This debut includes classic tracks like “Glenda And The Test Tube Baby,” “Dougie Giro,” “Up The Garden Path,” “Stay Mellow”, the title track and “Nellie The Elephant.” While some may be put off by the over-the-top goofiness of the band’s approach to Punk, their catchy melodies and exceptional musicianship cannot be denied.

Two years later, the band released A FAR OUT DISC, another hook-filled Punk fiesta. Highlights include “My Girlfriend’s Dad’s A Vicar,” “We’re Mad” and so many others.  IDLE GOSSIP was released in 1986 followed a year later by BARE FACED CHEEK. On both albums, Olga leads his crew through some thrilling and entertaining Punk nuggets. No matter what, The Toy Dolls’ music was always refreshing, exciting and inspiring. The first album may be their most popular full-length but the band are always reliable when it comes to making great records and each and every one of these albums needs to be experienced.

The fifth disc here is chock full of non-album tracks including 7” version, songs from compilations and so much more. This final CD includes the ‘hit’ version of “Nellie The Elephant” that received the most airplay over here in the U.S. There’s more fun involved including the smile/dance/sweat-inducing “Everybody Jitterbug.” Crazy, cool and fun, The Toy Dolls may never get the same respect as bands like The Clash, but they certainly deserve your attention!

Look, if you prefer your Punk political and/or pretentious, go elsewhere.  If you want some hook-filled, shout-along Punk anthems with a sense of humor, then THE TOY DOLLS will satisfy all of your cravings. Ten fold. Captain Oi and Cherry Red have given us yet another set that should occupy a very sacred place in your collection!

(NOTE: The first four discs in this set represent the original albums when first released. They do NOT contain bonus tracks. However, all the bonus tracks from previous CD reissues of these albums are gathered on Disc Five).

Keep on truckin’,

Stephen THE CHANCELLOR Schnee

AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: TOM RUSH/VOICES

With this 2018 release, Tom Rush doesn’t hesitate to get back to business. Now 56 years into his career as a Folk and Blues legend, Tom may not be prolific but he sure hasn’t lost any of his passion. Like a comfortable pair of overalls or a warm blanket on a chilly night, Tom’s music may be comforting but that doesn’t mean that he plays it safe. On VOICES – the first album in his career consisting almost entirely of originals – Tom Rush presents an album that embraces the spirit of his early recordings with the maturity that time has graced him with.

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AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: GUS G/FEARLESS

Konstantinos Karamitroudis is one of Rock’s hardest working musicians. However, you may not know him by that name. Konstantinos has wisely chosen to operate under the much-easier-to-pronounce stage name of Gus G as he makes his way through the Hard Rock universe. Formerly a member of Ozzy Osbourne’s band and the leader of Greek Power Metal band Firewind, Gus G was inspired to play guitar by listening to the classic live album FRAMPTON COMES ALIVE and the rest, as they say, is history.

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AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: SNOOP DOGG/220

Snoop Dogg is a pop culture icon. He’s a Hip Hop pioneer with a distinctive style and three decades of hits.  No longer thought of solely as a rapper, Snoop has dipped his toes into every aspect of the entertainment business. He is one of the most recognizable figures in the music business and his reputation -if not his music – is known by pre-teens and grandparents alike. He’s topped the charts and sold millions of albums. He’s been nominated for Grammys, starred in motion pictures, logged in many TV appearances and invested in many business ventures (and not all of them marijuana- related!). However, just because Snoop has become a man for all seasons doesn’t mean that he’s playing it safe these days – far from it! From Reggae to Gospel, Mr. Dogg has expanded his musical vision and has successfully tackled a variety of styles yet he hasn’t turned his back on his Rap roots.

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