Vacation Alert for AFGM!

Heads up everyone!  Unfortunately since this is a hobby and a solo mission, AFGM will not be posting regularly for the next week or so.  Like everyone else in the workforce, I am taking off on vacation!

Don't get bummed out though.  There are 800+ articles that you can feel free to check out in the archives for new bands, videos and tunes you probably haven't heard before.  This is also a chance to see if any readers out there can keep the music conversations going.  See you all back here in full swing on August 6th!

Beaches International Jazz Festival 2013

Another music packed weekend has come upon us here in Toronto.  As everyone is looking to solidify their last few weeks of vacation before we hit fall time (I know, still to early to talk about fall), myself and the other 50,000 fans will be descending upon Toronto's Beaches neighbourhood.  For the 25th year in a row, the Beaches and surrounding partners will be hosting their International Jazz Festival.

The 2km of Queen street will be packed with dozens upon dozens of live bands playing anything from standard jazz, to jazz fusion, R&B, funk, blues, and much more!  Personally, this will be my 5th time attending the festival and for some reason I feel it truly marks a point in summer.  With over 1,000 hour of live music at your ear's disposal there is something to be said about grabbing a drink with some friends/family and chilling out on a patio with some great tunes right on the sidewalk!

Friends that have visited the BIJF in the past have been reluctant to attend stating they tend to see the same bands year after year.  But then again, don't all music lovers see the same performances of the artists they enjoy?  When your one of your favourite bands comes to town, do you not go because you've seen them before?  Just face it, you're either bitter or old.  Even the seniors at the Jazzfest will tell you that as they sway back and forth to the tunes.

So who's playing this weekend?

Like I said, there is a lot of music to take in so if you are planning to hit up the festival, be sure to give yourself a fair amount of time to sift through the sea of people (it's really not that bad though once you're there) and the quantity of bands up and down the the strip.  I personally find myself heading out for some dinner in the nearby area, stop by the beach to walk along the waterfront and eventually make my way back and forth throughout the festival, which also occupies Kew Gardens, Woodbine Beach and the Beaches Boardwalk.


(Philips Westin Orchestra)

Toronto residents near the festival know time and time again that this means road closures.  But let's give the heads up for newcomers and out of town folks.

During Beaches Jazz Festival StreetFest, on the nights of Thursday July 25th, Friday July 26th, and Saturday July 27th, 2013, Queen Street E. will be closed from Woodbine Ave. to Beech Ave. from 6:00 pm to 11:30 pm nightly. The north / south streets of Waverley Ave., Wineva Ave., and Lee Ave. will remain open throughout the evening.

Hope to see you all there!

Music News and New Music For July 25th, 2013

So of course, when running your own blog solo it can be tough to keep up with the s**tload of stuff that comes across our ears over a weekend!  Some good, some bad, some not even worth mentioning.  I guess that's how I use AFGM in general.  These articles that I go through everyday from various sites (Blabbermouth,. CBC, National Post, AV Club, Exclaim, Music News, Rolling Stone, etc.) and sort of "filter" some of the nonsense news such as the latest fashion design, who's got beef with who and who ISN'T doing music...still.

These articles brought forth are for a few different reasons:

1. It is relevant music information that pertains to you as a reader, no matter the level of intent or the genre.

2. They are relevant to the music I would be currently listening to or a genre I have put some attention and focus on.

3. I am somewhat patriotic about my Canadian music, so that always comes as a first for me.  I enjoy music from all parts of the world respectively, but I still have to promote local if I can.  Canadian music rocks!

4. Because it's humourous and we can ALWAYS use a good laugh.  Rarely will it be at someone's expense...but then again I am just the guy talking about it.  They're the ones causing the comments.

So in closing, I trust you all will not read EVERY single article posted here.  But I hope you find something of use here and keep the conversation going by forwarding it onto someone else.  Click on each article heading for redirection to the full article.  Cheers!

Lac-Mégantic survivors invited to Paul McCartney Quebec show:

“We want to give them a break — a few hours of happiness that will allow them to not think about this tragedy that they’ve been immersed in for nearly two weeks.” -Daniel Gélinas (chief executive of E3)


TLC Sign to Epic for Greatest-Hits Record Featuring Lady Gaga and Ne-Yo:

"There is a whole 'nother generation who doesn't know who we are. We know when music sounds trendy. We don't want to go into the studio and create something that sounds like five other artists they have." -Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas


Surviving Members of Nirvana Join Paul McCartney Onstage in Seattle:




Rare Radiohead Demo from 1986 Goes Up for Auction:

The cassette includes nine tracks and dates back to 1986, when the band were still known as On a Friday. The songs included here are "Fragile Friend," "Girl (In the Purple Dress)," "Everybody Knows," "Mountains (On the Move)," "Lemming Trail" and "Lock the Door," plus remixes of "Fragile Friend," "Lemming Trail" and "Lock the Door."


Alzheimer Society's iPod Project offers music to soothe troubled souls:

“How do you get at what is there? How can you get at the life, the engagement, the consciousness? What will cut through this utter state of boredom and withdrawal from reality of life? Music has a way to do that because it is so distributed.” -Lee Bartel


Watch Alex Rudinger (The Faceless) perform a drum playthrough of Evan Brewer's "Microscopic Scale":




Sloan Reveal Plans for Solo-sided Double Album:

"I don't know if it sounds obnoxious but if there's any band out there that could do something like that, maybe ours could.  Our band has been around a long time and we could just keep making regular records, but it feels like you need a story with each record you put out, just to get some attention. Now feels like the right time to do it.

Maybe everyone will think, 'That was stupid.' And then we'll come back with a regular record where everyone's like, 'Yay, it's great!'" -Ferguson


Online music store:

“Looking at album cover art and perusing booklets that come with CDs is fun. But after more than 10 years of collecting CDs, they become clutter.  With digital music, I can put my library in a hard drive and take it with me everywhere.” -Barbie Almalbis


Coub Raises $1M For Its Gif-Like Looping Music Videos Service:

“We discovered this media format and now we are observing its evolution.  It already has traditions, own memes, genres and sub-formats. We made a tool that you can use in different ways. It could be an artistic tool, a way of self-expression and getting attraction. On the other hand, coubs also have a professional usage, for example, as an illustration in media, or as an animated photo on an online store.” -Anton Gladkoborodov


Mastodon’s Bill Kelliher Hopes To Release Solo Album And Revisit Early Butterslax Project:




Samsung Ditches Media And Music Hubs, Replaces Them With The Samsung Hub :

"The Samsung Hub made its first appearance on the Galaxy S 4, so this app – which is now available in the Play Store – brings older Sammy devices up-to-date in terms of content stores. The Store listing makes note of the Galaxy SIII and Note II in particular, though it may also be available to other devices."


SERJ TANKIAN: 'Act II - Oceanic Subterfuge' Video:




Canadian jazz musician Peter Appleyard dead at 85:

"Appleyard was also notable for his own work. He released 22 albums, the most recent of which – Sophisticated Ladies – came out last June and featured collaborations with a number of younger Canadian jazz chanteuses, including Jill Barber, Emilie-Claire Barlow and Elizabeth Shepherd."


AFI Unveil 'Burials,' Announce North American Tour:



"It's always a joy to me to reach away from that. But the themes and sentiments on this record are within that darker realm and that darker tone because I've always been honest in everything that I write. It's beyond me. I'm crippled. There's nothing I can do but be genuine in my writing, and that's what came out this time — without any sort of pointed effort." -Havok

AFI's North American tour is as follows:

09/12 Minneapolis, MN -Varsity Theater
09/13 Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall
09/15 Chicago, IL - Riot Fest at Humboldt Park
09/16 Cleveland, OH - House Of Blues
09/18 St Louis, MO - The Pageant
09/19 Lawrence, KS - Granada
09/21 Byers, CO - Riot Fest at May Farms
10/07 Boston, MA - Royale
10/08 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
10/10 New York, NY - Webster Hall
10/11 Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts
10/12 Sayreville, NJ -Starland Ballroom
10/14 Pittsburgh, PA - Club Zoo
10/15 Cincinnati, OH -Bogart's
10/17 Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
10/18 Austin, TX - Mohawk Outdoor Stage
10/20 Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theater
10/22 Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre
10/23 San Diego, CA - House of Blues
10/25 Pomona, CA - Fox Theater
10/26 Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues
10/28 Santa Cruz, CA - The Catalyst
10/29 Reno, NV - Knitting Factory
10/31 Portland, OR - Roseland Theatre
11/01 Seattle, WA - The Showbox at the Market
11/02 Vancouver, BC The Commodore Ballroom


NEWSTED - Audio Samples Of All Songs From Debut Album Streaming:




Monster Magnet Reveal 'Last Patrol,' Map Out North American Tour:

New Jersey's long time band Monster Magnet have announced they'll drop their next album, "Last Patrol", on October 15th, 2013 via Napalm Records.

Tour dates are as follows:

11/14 Grand Rapids, MI - Intersection
11/15 Detroit, MI - St. Andrews
11/16 Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge
11/17 Minneapolis, MN - Mill City Nights
11/19 Denver, CO - Marquis Theater
11/20 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
11/22 Seattle, WA - Neumos
11/23 Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theater
11/24 Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theater
11/26 San Francisco, CA - The Independent
11/27 Los Angeles, CA - House of Blues
11/29 Tempe, AZ - Club Red
11/30 Albuquerque, NM - Launch Pad
12/2 Austin, TX - Red 7
12/3 Houston, TX - Fitzgeralds
12/4 Dallas, TX - Trees
12/6 Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
12/7 Charlotte, NC - Amos Southend
12/8 Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Sound Stage
12/10 Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace
12/12 Boston, MA - Sinclair
12/13 West Chester, PA - The Note
12/14 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom


MERCENARY: Entire New Album Available For Streaming:




MOTÖRHEAD: 'Aftershock' Track Listing Revealed:

1. Death Machine
2. Heartbreaker
3. Coming Back To You
4. Going To Mexico
5. Courage
6. Queen Of The Damned
7. Lost Woman Blues
8. Crying Shame
9. Paralyzed
10. Dust And Glass
11. Coup De Grace
12. Silence When You Speak To Me
13. Knife

"Aftershock" is tentatively due in the fall.


PROTEST THE HERO Partners With RAZOR & TIE For Upcoming Album:

"We hope you are able to get your hands on at least one of these versions of our new album, regardless of where you are in the world. It's scary, but wonderful to say...this album absolutely would not have been possible without the generosity and support of those who contributed to the making of our new album. We will forever be in your debt!” -PTH


METALLICA: Full 'Through The Never' Theatrical Trailer:

Darkest Hour - The Human Romance

Why is it that once I hear a snippet of a Darkest Hour song I continue to sing their music for the rest of the day?  A band that has been ripping through the music scene for the better part of a 15+ year career and continue to make some amazing cutting edge metalcore.  A band I find has been under the radar for many years that easily has the ability to tour with some of the biggest names in the game.

First introduction to these guys came at a relatively early age into their career, and I still remember it to this day.  Almost 10+ years ago I had a fellow music lover enter the record shop I was working at.  He was looking to drop a few of the albums he has spun a few times and looking to trade up for some new music.  Fair enough and good for me since I was very willing to go through his stash and see what he had.  Going through the names like Leng Tch'e, Cult of Luna, Arch Enemy, and the newcomers Darkest Hour and their album "Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation".  I little on the heavy side for me but ultimately got into my regular rotation after hearing their instrumental track "Veritas, Aequitas".

So a lot has happened between the first encounter to the album I am discussing now.  "HHoaSN" dropped in 2003, with follow up albums "Undoing Ruin" (2005), "Deliver Us" (2007), "The Eternal Return" (2009), and the now the latest work of the five piece group "The Human Romance", released on February 22nd, 2011 via E1 Music.  Note that all other releases prior to THR were under their longtime label Victory Records.  This marked the first (and seemingly only) album from another label.  To those who follow the band, their latest album shall fall under Sumerian Records (sometime in 2014).  So let's move on with the album at hand.

1. Terra Nocturnus
2. The World Engulfed in Flames
3. Savor the Kill
4. Man & Swine
5. Love as a Weapon
6. Your Everyday Disaster
7. Violent by Nature
8. Purgatory
9. Severed into Separates
10. Wound
11. Terra Solaris
12. Beyond the Life You Know

Album credits go a few notable folks.  Production of the album goes to recognizable musician Peter Wichers, who not only has extensive recording and touring experience with Soilwork but also has produced some amazing albums from bands such as All That Remains, Nevermore, and Soilwork.  Album photography and design were taken care of by Paul Grosso (creative director), Andrew Kelley (art direction, design), and Tom Medvedich (photography).



"We have been working on these tunes ever since we left the studio last April. 'The Eternal Return' was written during a very dark, bleak time for the band and I think that record matches that in both tone and character. Our vision was for it to be an in-your-face, no-frills aggressive assault. The new material shares in that aggression and pushes Darkest Hour beyond the unknown." -Mike Schleibaum

So not diving into every track here since I'm sure you ca form your own opinion of the tracks, but earlier when I mentioned singing DH for the rest of the day, "Savor The Kill"  happened to be one of those tracks.  Intense drumming by Ryan Parish (who unfortunately left the band shortly after it's release), time conscious dueling guitars from Michael "Lonestar" Carrigan/Mike Schleibaum, Paul Burnette bringing the low end on bass (who also unfortunately left the band shortly after it's release), and of course the main man John Henry tearing it up on the vocals.  The combination equates to one hell of an album!



Recommended tracks for the album are "The World Engulfed In Flames", "Savor The Kill", "Love as a Weapon", and "Purgatory".  Yes, some of them are the singles for the album but sometimes you can't argue with what they chose to release and promote the album.  Same as people (probably) don't turn on the Metallica's Black Album to listen to "My Friend of Misery" (haha only joking).

Have at er and be sure to drop your own comments and thoughts about Darkest Hour.  Ever seen them live?  Own one of their albums?  Die hard fan?  Let's hear it!

Music Releases For July 23rd, 2013

So running around doing the day job stuff almost made me lose focus of yet another great release week here in North America.  Highly anticipated albums such as The Winery Dogs, Edward Sharp, We Came As Romans, Counterparts, and Misery Signals are all going to see the light of day (no pun intended for Misery Signals) as we dust off the shelves for another round of music releases.

A few other bands such as American Head Charge, Secrets, Fight or Flight, and Karnivool have personally caught my attention and will go under appreciated for their great work on these albums.  Either way, I'm sure you all will give some of these albums a spin and decide for yourself what works and what doesn't.

So, have you heard that bands need album sales for tours and profit (aka make back the money they invested)?  I don't expect you all to rush to your local record shop, online retailer or other legal source and drop a mortgage payment on all these albums but at least show some love and grab one or two.  Same as your hard work should be paid for, these musicians are no different.  Enjoy!

(The Winery Dogs - The Winery Dogs)

"The pristine production is powerful and crystal clear, still organic with a strong vintage feel but not muddy, in fact it sounds like how Classic Rock in its purest form should sound in 2013. Just unadulterated genuine Rock played by an exemplary bunch of extremely talented musicians and it’s an understatement." -Metal Temple


(Guy Clark - My Favorite Picture of You)

"That blunt autobiography, and the masculine sentimentality it contains, encapsulates Clark's distinctive gifts. A legend among fans of acoustic music steeped in country, folk and blues, the 71-year-old Clark hasn't been the most prolific recording artist over a nearly 40-year recording career. But he is among the most consistent, setting the bar for raw-boned, open-hearted, slow-rolling narratives." -Winnipeg Free Press

(Relient K - Collapsible Lung)

"I know I’ve used words like “change” a lot in this review, but don’t let that lead you into the thought that change is necessarily a bad thing. Things like this happen over the years to any artist. Creativity and versatility are great, but only when they’re done right. Collapsible Lung provides us with some of the most unique and best songs from Relient K, while forcing us to listen through a couple of their most forgettable and mediocre tracks in the process." -Under The Gun


(Edward Sharp & The Magnetic Zeros - Edward Sharp & The Magnetic Zeros)

"While the group is often lumped into the radio folk-rock revival genre, garnering more love from the mainstream masses than critics, and sometimes badgered for commonplace back porch anthems, the stomp-clap is merely this record’s backbone. Psychedelic San Francisco guitars and harmonies, along with a collection of intricate tambourines, horns, and whiskey chatter all prove a sound far more complex than that of, say, the commercial freight folk train Mumford and Sons." -Consequence of Sound


(Fight or Flight - A Life By Design?)

"A Life By Design? is musically and lyrically stimulating. Without aggressively pressing an agenda on the listener it clearing wants the listener to develop their own opinions. Going into the record you may have expected another Disturbed style band but you will be incorrect. The progression of the music is organic and more straight ahead rock. The combination of Chandler’s voice and Donegan’s guitar style works well together. It appears the two have a song writing chemistry and it shows in each track having a texture and unique quality side by side." -Cryptic Rock

(We Came As Romans - Tracing Back Roots)

"Metalcore and Post-Hardcore fans now need to rejoice and celebrate, for one of the legendries WE CAME AS ROMANS are back with a 3rd full length album and I assure you, it destroys everything you’ve heard so far by them and will revive that early euphoric passion we’ve had for the genre. That, is guaranteed." -Metal Temple

(*not sure how I feel about a 10/10, but the review did raise some good points)

AFGM: We Came As Romans - Tracing Back Roots

(Misery Signals - Absent Light)

"Stylistically, Absent Light is Misery Signals most rounded material to date in terms of the sonic punishment dished out on each track, while at the same time leaning more heavily on the tried-and-true breakdown than anything else in their previous discography. Keys and, at times, full orchestral arrangements are littered throughout the track list and while Misery Signals have used them sparingly in several moments in their career (“A Victim, A Target”, “Coma”, etc.), Absent Light brings them unabashedly to the forefront, whether it’s through taking center stage to monstrous breakdowns (“Ursa Minor”, “Luminary”), epic build-ups behind multi-layered strings (“Reborn (An Execution)”), or soft ballads to close out songs (“Shadows & Depth”) Misery Signals wholeheartedly adopts an almost Bleeding Through-esque sound that, when used correctly (as done on Absent Light), brings a whole new dimension to a band that still, after all this time, finds ways to reinvent their sound." -Sputnik Music

(Karnivool - Asymmetry)

"Asymmetry is certainly a crowning achievement, regardless of one small fluke which in the scope of things; becomes absolutely microscopic. While I don’t believe there’s a way to bargain the band into the removal of “The Refusal” as the discs have already been pressed and booklets printed; I will certainly revel in the joy that I can just skip right over that one and continue the fantastic voyage of mind let loose with this newest opus. Which leads me back to the point I made in the beginning: Let it be clear that Australian progsters Karnivool have yet to disappoint." -New Noise Magazine

 
(Secrets - Fragile Figures)

"SECRETS are a great band, and Fragile Figures is a great album, but there are many moments where it seems as if the band are constantly channeling what has come before, and because of this they bring very little that is new to their music. There are some good moments despite this though." -Kill Your Stereo

 (Counterparts - The Difference Between Hell And Home)

"If you really sit down and pick apart this record, you will notice how much more Counterparts put into this release and how much they progressed yet again. The Difference Between Hell and Home really is a display of the band at their absolute best – it's a melodic hardcore masterpiece. Old fans will absolutely love it, and so will the kids who choose teams between Prophets and The Current Will Carry Us like this is some damn Twilight movie. I feel that even those kids can mutually agree that this is Counterparts at their best." -Megusta Reviews

 

(Armed For The Apocalypse - The Road Will End)

"Hardcore forcefulness, pit-rousing groove, Helmet worship, and d-beat swagger put the meat on the bones of the living breathing weapon that makes up one of the flat out heaviest records of the year. As angry as the band sounds, the spirit of battle and perseverance resonate from the immensely powerful sludge of AforA. It all builds to a climax on “Happy Hour (Disciple of Death)” and finishes with the acoustic dénouement of “Ends Meet” leaving the listener beaten and sore but invigorated and yearning for more." -Scratch The Surface

(Baroness - Live at Maida Vale)

"Few bands deserve a victory lap more than Baroness in 2013. In 2012, they gave us the excellent double-record Yellow & Green, but they also survived a horrific bus crash while on tour (which would eventually cause two players to leave the band). Live at Maida Vale was recorded just a month before that accident and captures the band playing full-tilt four gems from Yellow & Green." -Pop Matters

EPs:

(American Head Charge - Shoot)

"I like Shoot a lot. It’s not tried to fit in by shoehorning in 8-string guitars or funny time signatures. It’s just a cool heavy rock record with pop hooks and big riffs. Heacock is still a star too, the world (still) just doesn’t know it yet. It could maybe do with sounding a bit denser and meatier, and another original song might have been preferable to a cover, but whatever.

I’m glad they’re back, and this is more along the lines of Earthtone9’s triumphant return than that… thing Soundgarden dribbled out. I hope they don’t implode before they do a new album too. God knows I’ll need something to drone on to everyone about in another 12 years time." -Thrash Hits

Box Sets:

(Smashing Pumpkins - The Aeroplane Flies High *reissue*)

Brain Scans Predict How Much You'll Pay For Music?

Have you ever wondered at why you pick certain albums and some will pass you by?  What factors go into making a decision to say "yes, I want to purchase that album."  Your first decision obviously is about the band that you see in front of you.  Dedicated fans will buy albums from their favourite artists without blinking an eye.  You've gotten this far into this band, so why stop now?

What about your first encounter with a new band?  Album cover looks good, record label backed, notable touring schedule, but what could be that remaining factor in which you pull out your cash, debit or credit?

Well, low a behold a clinical study was conducted to see if your brain wave patterns correlated with the amount of money you are willing to spend on music.  According to the study conducted by lead researcher Valorie Salimpoor, participants would browse through 60 tracks they had never heard before and were encouraged to use their own money to acquire the ones they wanted. These participants underwent MRI scans as they channeled the music selection and specified how much they were willing to spend on each song. Music was available either for free, 99 cents, $1.29 or $2.

"This is the part of the brain that's responsible for forming expectations over time.  This plays a big role in music because, as music is unfolding, we're forming a lot of expectations." -Valorie Salimpoor

So how did this research team come to the conclusion that music selection and price correlated with brain waves?  Salimpoor said the amount of neural activity originating in the nucleus accumbens was a very accurate predictor of how much the subjects were enjoying each individual song and what price they were willing to pay to obtain it.

"The fact that the nucleus accumbens is working so coherently with this area suggests that the predictions we're making while we're listening to new music are really stemming from the sounds we have heard in the past and these rules that we've internalized based on our culture, based on the music we listen to and the genres we prefer." -Salimpoor



Do you happen to agree with the findings?  Does it happen to be a series of events that seems to have a relation with the findings they pursued or can they actually use this information to predict future sales?  One has to wonder as well if this type of information can/will eventually lead it's way to top record labels and their marketing departments?  New type of R&D on the way?  I got some eggs in that basket for sure.

You can read the full article from CBC over here.

Now as much trolling as one could take, I am always interested in seeing what fellow article readers have to say about these types of journalistic endeavours.  Commentor "Crommunist" was one that seemed to catch my attention...

"Lots of people snarking this study, saying that it's useless. I beg to differ.

An emerging part of the area of research I work in has to do with finding ways to incorporate individual preferences into how we write and implement health care policy. Finding a rigorous way to measure what people prefer is actually incredibly difficult. Part of how we "weight" preferences is to ask people how much they would be willing to give up in order to get something they want - I should point out that NOBODY in my field (as far as I know) is looking to privatize health care. We can get an idea of how STRONGLY someone prefers something by how much they're willing to give up for it.

The study in this article is certainly preliminary, but having a way to measure preference that is consistent is actually a pretty big deal. It has lots of applications for private industry, yes, but also for public policy. This is the beauty of basic science - findings are often applicable to a wide variety of fields." -Crommunist (CBC commentor)

(photo courtesy of Vinceranda)

This seems to once again correlate with another similar study and article that Salimpoor has been conducting.  This time, she is examining your dopamine levels to certain songs and parts of a song.

In this study the researchers used only instrumental music, showing that voices aren't necessarily needed to produce the dopamine response they were hoping top attain. It will take yet further work and investigation to study how voices might contribute to the pleasure effect.

Salimpoor and the other researchers described brain-scanning experiments with eight volunteers who were chosen because they reliably felt chills from particular moments in some favourite pieces of music (aka music giving you goosebumps). That type of characteristic let the experimenters study how the brain handles both anticipation and arrival of a musical rush.

"The area linked to anticipation connects with parts of the brain involved with making predictions and responding to the environment, while the area reacting to the peak moment itself is linked to the brain's limbic system, which is involved in emotion." -Robert Zatorre

To assure there were multiple variables, the study volunteers selected from a wide range of genres — from classical and jazz to punk, tango and even bagpipes (huh?). The most popular selections for listeners were Barber's Adagio for Strings, the second movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and Debussy's Clair de Lune.

For more information on this study, you can read the remainder of that article here.  I personally am looking forward to seeing what science holds for music lovers in the future!

Evan Brewer - Your Itinerary

Evan Brewer made such an interesting impact on the music world when he released his solo bass project "Alone" back in 2011. A new twist on giving bass it's due credit, Brewer composed the entire album from nothing more than bass guitar sounds and tracks. Not bad for a single musician to make an album that people still find enjoyable, even if only bass.

(photo courtesy of Evan Brewer Facebook)

So when I got wind that Evan was working on his follow up album, one wondered how he would be able to hook, line and sinker fans into another album without boring them at the same time with a single instrument. Turns out that Evan had some wheels spinning in the back of his head that involved more than just himself. For his second album, "Your Itinerary", Brewer has joined forces with drummer Navene Koperweis (ex-Animals As Leaders) and keyboardist Jeremiah Abel to assist him with the tracks and give it a much more rounded sounding album.

So how about a sample? Better yet, how about an entire album preview? Like most of their album releases, Sumerian Records isn't scared with releasing band's albums via YouTube for extra promotion. Makes sense anyways; people will download it either way so maybe this way it's a chance to get a few extra folks to purchase an album after hearing how great it is.  Credits on the album are as follows:

Evan Brewer - Bass Guitar | Navene Koperweis - Drums | Jeremiah Abel - Piano, Keyboards (On all tracks except 5 & 7)

1. The Adjacent Possible



2. Microscopic Scale



3. Another World (featuring Robert Provine)



4. This Seems Familiar



5. A Little Goes a Long Way



6. Cause for Concern



7. Home Away from Home (featuring Paul Allen)



8. Full Circle



"Your Itinerary" was released on July 16th, 2013 via Sumerian Records.  Be sure to head your local shop and pick up a copy today!

Gym Music III

So, let's take a look this week and see what I have in my playlist for the gym.  As you have seen in previous articles, I am a firm believer in a good soundtrack to accompany your workout.  I am also a firm believer that the playlist should represent your mood, intensity and energy while in the gym.

Too often do I visit an established gym only to find the same EDM/Top 40 tunes that every clothing and shoe store already have playing 10x/day.  While that may reflect a certain number of gym goers, I think that there is a wide range of tunes that are missed.

I am a heavy music kind of guy, we've established that.  So what am I listening to in the gym that keeps my blood pumping and my endorphins lasting longer?  These are the selection I chose in order to keep me going when my body starts to call it quits.


1) Blessed By A Broken Heart - Feel The Power

Recommended track: "Shut Up And Rock"




2) Caliban - I Am Nemesis

Recommended track: "Memorial"




3) The Devil Wears Prada - Dead Throne

Recommended track: "Born To Lose"




4) Misery Signals - Absent Light

Recommended track: "Luminary"




5) Volumes - VIA

Recommended track: "Edge of the Earth"




6) The Warriors - See How You Are

Recommended track: "The War Unseen"




7) Soul Embraced - Mythos

Recommended track: "The Live, We Sleep"



At the end of the day, it's whatever keeps you healthy and going the extra mile for that last rep/set.  Anyone care to divulge their "gym music" or add some recommendations or thoughts then you know the deal.  Comment, message, email, etc.  Cheers!

Be sure to check out my other gym playlists.

AFGM: Gym Music

AFGM: Gym Music II

Music News and New Music For July 18th, 2013

So of course, when running your own blog solo it can be tough to keep up with the s**tload of stuff that comes across our ears over a weekend!  Some good, some bad, some not even worth mentioning.  I guess that's how I use AFGM in general.  These articles that I go through everyday from various sites (Blabbermouth,. CBC, National Post, AV Club, Exclaim, Music News, Rolling Stone, etc.) and sort of "filter" some of the nonsense news such as the latest fashion design, who's got beef with who and who ISN'T doing music...still.

These articles brought forth are for a few different reasons:

1. It is relevant music information that pertains to you as a reader, no matter the level of intent or the genre.

2. They are relevant to the music I would be currently listening to or a genre I have put some attention and focus on.

3. I am somewhat patriotic about my Canadian music, so that always comes as a first for me.  I enjoy music from all parts of the world respectively, but I still have to promote local if I can.  Canadian music rocks!

4. Because it's humourous and we can ALWAYS use a good laugh.  Rarely will it be at someone's expense...but then again I am just the guy talking about it.  They're the ones causing the comments.

So in closing, I trust you all will not read EVERY single article posted here.  But I hope you find something of use here and keep the conversation going by forwarding it onto someone else.  Click on each article heading for redirection to the full article.  Cheers!

Simple Minds Plot North American Tour with Stops in Montreal, Toronto:

"This will mark the band's first performances across the Atlantic for quite a number of years and will be something very special indeed!" -Simple Minds (press release)

10/15 Los Angeles, CA - Orpheum
10/17 Redbank, NJ - Count Basie Theatre
10/18 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
10/20 Boston, MA - Wilbur Theatre
10/21 Montreal, QC - Metropolis
10/22 Toronto, ON - Massey Hall
10/24 New York, NY - Roseland Ballroom


John Frusciante Explores "Modern Classical Music" on 'Outsides' EP:

"Outsides consists of a 10 minute guitar solo and 2 abstract “out” pieces of music. Here I use the word out in the same sense as the term was used in free jazz. It’s a modern approach to the concepts of harmony found in some late 50s/early 60s free jazz and some 20th century classical. I don’t employ any aspects of rock or pop harmony, and that was basically the approach, just to make music that is not reliant on the center that, on PBX, was provided by my songwriting style. I consider this to be working along abstract lines. Making forward moving, full sounding music without resorting to any familiar musical relationships of harmony to serve as a basis has been a goal of mine for quite a while. Both songs have my style of drums and guitar solos, but nevertheless I think of them as my version of modern classical music. They started as just orchestra, but I go wherever music takes me, and I use any instrument to express my feelings, just as I use aspects of any style." -Frusciante


Van Morrison's 'Moondance' to Receive Deluxe Reissue:

"Van Morrison's classic 1970 album Moondance will be released in expanded form through Warner Bros. on September 30th."


Rob Zombie Releases Lyric Video For Cover Of Grand Funk Railroad’s “We’re An American Band”:




Atoms for Peace to Offer High-Quality Audio and Video from Upcoming Tour:

"Part of the reason Soundhalo was interesting to me was that I found myself wondering why, whenever you go to a gig, the next day there are a million shaky, horrible sounding YouTube videos already online. But you go and look because you want to see something of your experience.  Soundhalo provides something really functional — an experience that you want to remember in front of you as soon as the concert has happened. To be able to relive that is a really great thing." -Nigel Godrich


International Cassette Store Day Set for September:

No longer the inadequate, younger sibling of Vinyl and CD, the humble Cassette has been making a resurgence of late. Proving that cassette tapes are not just for those of us who remember buying Nirvana's 'Nevermind' with birthday money, or making lovingly compiled mixtapes for the object of our teenage affections. International Cassette Store Day 2013 is a celebration of a physical product that is accessible, fun, cheap and still going strong in the turbulent current musical climate.

This event sees limited releases from it's organisers - SEXBEAT (Fucked Up), Kissability (tbc) and Suplex Cassettes (Fair Ohs, Proper Ornaments); as well as classic albums reissued in this fun format by Transgressive (At The Drive-In, Pulled Apart By Horses), Bella Union (The Flaming Lips), Domino (The Pastels), 4AD (Deerhunter), Wichita Recordings(Hard Skin), Burger Records and many more. Other labels involved spreading the Cassette love with limited releases are Jade Tree, Mirror Universe, Reeks of Effort, Art is Hard, Faux Discx and Tie Dye Tapes and more to be confirmed.


JON LORD: 'All Those Years Ago' Photobook Due Before End Of Year:

"At Rufus Stone, we always wanted to produce a large format, mostly photographic book of Jon Lord's incredible and respected career in the music industry. Jon's illness put this plan on hold but though he is no longer with us to contribute in person, it has been decided by [Jon's wife] Vicky Lord to produce a book, with the family, friends and musicians who worked with him throughout his life all contributing personal material and memories. The book is designed to be a massive photographic celebration of Jon's life and work and will contain much rare and personal material from his early days (before he became a professional musician), through the ARTWOODS, and, of course, DEEP PURPLE and beyond. His time in PAL and WHITESNAKE are also covered, and naturally his many orchestral projects. Recently discovered images taken by Jon himself during his touring days in DEEP PURPLE will also be included.

As well as the book, previously unreleased music from Jon is also being included, and one track in particular called 'All Those Years Ago' has inspired the title of the project. More never-before-released music, visuals and artifacts will be added to make this a true celebration of Jon Lord's life.  Although some of the material sourced for the book will be from professional photographers, it is appreciated that fans may wish to contribute memorabilia or images taken over the years at concerts and we will be happy to look at any material.

People interested in the book and the project can keep up to date with email newsletters by subscribing at www.jonlordphotobook.com, and receive pre-publication information.  Details of the final format for the book will be announced before long. It is currently hoped to launch the title at the end of this year.  Plans to have a blue heritage plaque unveiled on Jon's family home in Leicester are well advanced. In April 2014 a special memorial concert is being held at The Royal Albert Hall in London as a further celebration of Jon's music and life."


Music Video Posted For Serj Tankian, Ihsahn, Devin Townsend, Etc. Charity Track “We Are”:




Rock ‘n’ roll owes its evolution to surf music:

Surf music was the first 'indie' rebellion against the lame formula-bound pop the major record corporations were churning out. Pickup bands flocked to cheap independent studios, like Gold Star in Hollywood (patronized by the Beach Boys and Phil Spector) and Pal, in suburban Cucamonga, whose owner Paul Buff built a five-track recorder, a big deal back then. It also featured a natural reverb (or echo). Frank Zappa worked there as an engineer; his amp was used in the Surfaris’ classic Wipe Out. He eventually bought the tiny studio, renamed it Studio Z, charged a flat-rate $13.50 an hour, and put a sign on the door: 'Wipe Out Recorded Here.'


Study finds music can reduce pain for kids in ER:

"I think that as a mother, we naturally try to distract our children from potentially distressing or painful procedures. I think this really provides scientific evidence that music does, in fact, work." -Lisa Hartling


Bob Dylan / Wilco / My Morning Jacket Molson Amphitheatre, Toronto ON, July 15:

"Bob Dylan tends to pick his opening acts wisely. And while Wilco and MMJ are popular, potent bands with decent followings, they aren't going to provide the visceral punch of Dylan's finely-honed set. The opener of 'Things Have Changed' always ignites audience enthusiasm. A major improvement on this tour has been to move 'Love Sick' and 'High Water' into the two and three spots. The best song of the night, however, was the gorgeous "Soon After Midnight" off his last album Tempest."


Pussy Riot release first music video ("Red Prison") after their time incarceration:




Privacy Group Calls for FTC Investigation into Jay-Z's Samsung App:

"Samsung failed to disclose material information about the privacy practices of the App, collected data unnecessary to the functioning of the Magna Carta App, deprived users of meaningful choice regarding the collection of their data, interfered with device functionality, and failed to implement reasonable data minimization procedures." -Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)


Spector Signature Series Features CHRIS KAEL CK-4  Model:

-Neck-Thru the body construction.
-Rock Maple neck with solid maple body wings
-EMG® BT™ Tone Circuit and EMG® P/J™ active pickups
-This model is available in matte black or matte white with black hardware.
-Knuckle-Head/brass knuckle plate in black (white model) or chrome (black model) - this plate is removable.


Ministry/Revolting Cocks Members Reunite as Bells into Machines:




Sex Pistols frontman Johnny Rotten to be named Icon of music:

"John Lydon is a true icon whose influence on music, fashion and art has been felt around the world." -Del Bryant (BMI President and CEO)


Lazarus AD Working On New Music:

"So, we're sure you're all wondering what the hell has been going on with us.

'Where are you?!'
'Are you guys still alive?!'
'When is the new album going to be released?!'

Well... We are still here, and alive. We took some time off for personal reasons and have since been locked away putting together new music. As to when we will have the new stuff out for all you great people to enjoy, unfortunately, it is still unknown. Although, it will be sooner than later. We do have some bigger news that we will announce when the time is right. Until then, keep an eye out, and throw on The Onslaught and Black Rivers Flow as a reminder that we have not forgotten about you, and new music IS on the way.

To each and every Lazarus AD fan, thank you so much for your patience and loyalty. We can't wait for you all to hear it." -Lazarus AD


Black Label Society Release Official Live Footage Of “Suicide Messiah” From 2013 ‘Gigantour’:



(Side note: "Unblackened", the new live DVD, Blu-ray, and Digital Video from BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, will be released on September 24 by Eagle Rock Entertainment.)


Blackguard To Tour North America With Finntroll & Metsatöll:

11/04 West Springfield, VA – Empire
11/05 New York City, NY – Stage 48
11/06 Montreal, QC – Club Soda
11/07 Quebec City, QC – Imperial de Quebec
11/08 Ottawa, ON – Mavericks
11/09 Worcester, MA – The Palladium
11/10 Pittsburgh, PA – Altar Bar
11/11 Cleveland, OH – Peabody’s
11/12 London, ON – Rum Runners
11/13 Joliet, IL – Mojoes
11/14 St. Paul, MN – Station 4
11/15 Winnipeg, MB – The Zoo
11/16 Regina, SK – The Exchange
11/17 Calgary, AB – The Republik
11/18 Edmonton, AB – Pawn Shop
11/20 Vancouver, BC – Red Room
11/21 Seattle, WA – El Corazon
11/22 Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre
11/23 San Francisco, CA – Slim’s
11/24 Anaheim, CA – The Grove
11/26 Las Vegas, NV – LVCS
11/27 Tempe, AZ – Rocky Point Cantina
11/29 Salt Lake City, UT – In The Venue
11/30 Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater
12/01 Lawrence, KS – Granada
12/02 Dallas, TX – Trees
12/03 San Antonio, TX – Backstage Live
12/04 Houston, TX – Scout Bar
12/06 Tampa, FL – Orpheum
12/07 Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade
12/08 Louisville, KY – Diamond Pub And Billiards
12/09 Baltimore, MD – Soundstage


Ryan Adams Teams Up with Fall Out Boy to Record "Punk Rock" Songs:

"It was punk rock — the stuff that makes you want to kick the shit out of your bedroom at your parents' house.  It's impossible to deny the spirit of what was happening there." -Pete Wentz


5 must-see acts at the Vancouver Folk Fest:

"With over 60 acts on eight stages over the course of three nights, the Vancouver Folk Music Festival can overwhelm you with choices.  So that's why we asked CBC Music producer Jon Siddall to do the research for you!"


Asking Alexandria release "Killing You" single:

Lamb of God & Killswitch Engage - 2013 North American Tour

Folks, the time has arrived!

Rumors have been flying for some time now regarding the bypass of both Killswitch Engage and Lamb of God on their last string of North American tour dates.  I didn't fret about it too much since I was fortunate enough to catch both bands when they visited Montebello for the 2013 Rockfest.



It would only make sense that the two powerhouse bands had something in store for us here in the great white north.  Well everyone, the posters and tour dates have been made and comes with a great support staff.  Testament and Huntress will be picking the crowd up off their feet for the evening ceremonies.

Tue/Oct-22 Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus
Wed/Oct-23 Quebec City, QC @ Pavillon de la Jeunesse
Thu/Oct-24 Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
Fri/Oct-25 New York, NY @ Roseland Ballroom
Sat/Oct-26 Wallingford, CT @ Toyota Presents Oakdale Theatre
Mon/Oct-28 Columbus, OH @ LC Pavilion
Tue/Oct-29 Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit
Wed/Oct-30 Chicago, IL @ Congress Theater



Fri/Nov-01 Kansas City, MO @ The Midland by AMC
Sat/Nov-02 Grand Prairie, TX @ Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie
Sun-Nov-03 Socorro, TX @ Socorro Entertainment Center
Tue-Nov-05 Denver, CO @ The Fillmore Auditorium
Thu/Nov-07 Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theater
*Fri/Nov-08 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
(*Testament will not be on the Los Angeles show. Support will be announced in mid-September.)
Sat/Nov-09 Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
Mon/Nov-11 Kent, WA @ ShoWare Center
Tue/Nov-12 Vancouver, BC @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Thu/Nov-14 Edmonton, AB @ Shaw Conference Centre
Fri/Nov-15 Calgary, AB @ Big Four
Sat/Nov-16 Saskatoon, SK @ Saskatoon Prairieland Park



Mon/Nov-18 St. Paul, MN @ Myth
Tue/Nov-19 Milwaukee, WI @ Eagles Ballroom
Wed/Nov-20 Grand Rapids, MI @ Orbit Room
Fri/Nov-22 Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
Sat/Nov-23 Boston, MA @ House of Blues
Sun/Nov-24 Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
Mon/Nov-25 Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
Tue/Nov-26 Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore Silver Spring

All dates go on sale this weekend (July 19th-20th, 2013).  See you at the show!

The Safety Fire - Mouth of Swords

Sitting on my couch last night after a long day at my day job and trying to play catch up with some of my favourite bands.  Like many times in the past, I was scrolling through my music choices for the evening when once again my eyes locked onto The Safety Fire's "Grind The Ocean".  Thinking that I had some sort of disorder and remembering they were working hard on a new album, I jumped up and yelled to my girlfriend "S**T!  I forgot that TSF released their new single and I still have yet to listen to it!"

So for those who are not one of the 51,000+ fans following them on Facebook (3,500 if you're a Twit-head) The Safety Fire is:

Sean McWeeney - Vocals | Joaquin Ardiles - Guitars | Derya Nagle - Guitars

Lori Peri - Bass | Calvin Smith - Drums

"We all grew up together and would head over to Calvin's place and jam in his living-room after school, practically learning our instruments along the way. It took a few years and few different bands before The Safety Fire became what it is today. To be able to release our music worldwide with a label like InsideOut Music is a dream come true. We are all massively excited and can't wait to get our music out there across the whole world!"

So how about we take a look/listen at the first single TSF dropped back on June 12th, 2013.  Take a listen to "Red Hatchet" and let either the band (or us!) know what you thought of it.



Not a bad start to the album.  TSF did a great job (I feel) marketing themselves and hyping up the new album.  There were a few standards such as webisodes and teasers, but I really liked the choices for fans to guess at, such as this:

Black Dagger does sound like a good option as well.  Guns aren't really my thing so I would have to (personally) opt out of the Silver Magnum.  Red Hatchet does sound quite bloody if we are using these weapons in the context of violence (is "Huge Hammers" too passe?), but ultimately, it's what the band went with.  So how about any special guests for "Mouth of Swords"?  Well, it seems TSF have got that covered, as shown on their Facebook page on May 24th, 2013...

"So as some of you may have already seen, Tommy Rogers from Between The Buried And Me will be guesting on our new album. Happy Friday. Sweet." -TSF

So were now to the essentials.  Below, you can check out the album artwork and track listing for "Mouth of Swords", which will be released on September 2nd, 2013 (Sept. 3rd in North America) via Inside Out Music.

1. Mouth Of Swords
2. Glass Crush
3. Yellowism
4. Beware The Leopard (Jagwar) feat. Tommy Rogers
5. Red Hatchet
6. Wise Hands
7. The Ghosts That Wait For Spring
8. I Am Time, The Destroyer
9. Old Souls

The album artwork was handled by Kim Taylor - Design & Motion.  Click on the hyperlink and check out a few other pieces of artwork that he has done in the past, including The Safety Fire's debut album "Grind The Ocean".

AFGM: The Safety Fire - Grind The Ocean

"Since our first album we've all concentrated more on having awesome haircuts and facial hair. Does that go some way to explaining why Mouth of Swords is shit hot? Some may suggest so. But all I know is I'm on it and that's enough for most people. This album is pure gold, and will be priced accordingly." -Sean McWeeney

If you want a free download of the song you can head over to Inside Out Music's official website and download a copy for yourself.  In the meantime, be sure to check out their first music video for the single "Red Hatchet":


(Directed by Jamie Carter. Graded by Mark Meadows)

Not a bad video to boot.  Not much here but raw intensity of the band.  Give them a 360 camera view, a few lights, some instruments and these guy will do the rest.  Not to mention the funky outfits that McWeeney, Peri and Nagle are sporting (plus shorts!).  For those looking for a splash of colour, you're welcome (haha).  It seems others have caught onto the ensembles:

"On a different note, who else thought of Bert, from Sesame Street, when they saw Sean with that color sweater and the hair?" -DragonForce191

So how about round two already?!  Check out the new music video from TSF for track #3, "Yellowism".  I am torn between Derya and Sean as most entertaining (haha).


Stay tuned for more information and more tunes folks!  in the meantime, you can catch the band on their North American stint acting as support for Between The Buried and Me, The Contortionist, and The Faceless:

"I must have said "there is no topping Winger's 1988 classic 'Winger' " on a daily basis during the recording process. I've never been wrong about anything in my whole life, so it was a rather humbling experience to realise that what we were creating was in fact better than Winger's 1988 classic, 'Winger'. I felt like a bozo deluxe. After a while I came to accept that we had created the best album of all time, ever, in the history of known time. The burden of holding such musical gold was too much for us to handle and the band agreed to release it through InsideOut Music, on September 2nd. I'd like to think the music can speak for itself, but music can't speak, so I'll speak on its behalf. Hello. I hope you enjoy me." -Dez