Today I bought My Chemical Romance’s new DVD, The Black Parade is Dead (the band’s final announcement of the end of the tour) at Hot Topic while shopping for my outfit to wear to the Pumpkin’s show tonight.

Yes, I am a My Chemical Romance fan.  They are one of the very few pop/rock bands that I dig.

This DVD features two full-length concerts, the last show of their amazing Black Parade Tour in Mexico City and an intimate special club show they did in their hometown - Hoboken, NJ.

What I love about MCR is the theatrics and MEMORABLE INCREDIBLE voice of frontman Gerard Way and the Frank and Ray’s dueling metal guitars.  The Hoboken show uses two different types of camera effects - one being a grainy one - nothing too spectacular production-wise.  For being in such a small venue, the camera crew really captures the tightness of the space.  G Way (Gerard Way) has quite the comic personality.  The ironic thing about that is that Gerard originally wanted to be a cartoonist.  Returning to their roots in Hoboken, NJ the band finishes a highly successful tour.

A few hot tracks include, “Teenagers” and “I’m Not Ok.”

The second DVD, the arena show, is the reason why I love this band and is the show I saw when they came to the DCU Center.  This DVD is so different compared to the first DVD.  If really thought about, MRC started off playing small clubs like the first show and has grown into the huge success of their second DVD.  Their black military style jackets and tight black pants are cooler than Coldplay’s new garb.  Gerard rolling out on a stretcher with a white face is how MCR opens the tour.  These kind of theatrics don’t happen much anymore and I LOVE theatrical rock.

My favs include of course “The Black Parade,” and Gerard’s beautiful ballad “Cancer.”  He beats any American Idol.  Haha.  “Mama” is AMAZING complete with pyrotechnics.  The show gets more intense as it progresses with Gerard Manson-like screaming at the end.

For anyone who hasn’t checked them out yet, it’s definitely worth it.  Their ROCKSTAR LOOK and pop sound is much more accessible than their first DVD.

AngieZ’s Final Score = 4 STARS.

I’m off to see the Smashing Pumpkins (first time seeing Billy since Zwan) tonight at Mohegan Sun and I couldn’t be happier.

The newly reformed Smashing Pumpkins DVD, Live at the Fillmore is an intimate portrait of the groups’ fantastic residencies in Asheville, NC and San Francisco, CA.  The 2-disc set includes a documentary and full-length (15 songs!) concert of this incredible rock piece of music history.

The Fillmore, a historic venue for 1960s psychedelic music couldn’t be a more perfect choice for Billy Corgan, Pumpkins founder and frontman to show the world his artistry.  The point of holding a residency is for the music to evolve as the shows continue.  A pretty scary venture, I’d say.  In the documentary we are taken with Billy and the band throughout both residencies.  The movie is so intimate we see Billy composing previously unrecorded songs (that he will play during the evening’s show) in his bedroom wearing a Victorian style nightgown!  Billy later tells us that the current state of America right now reminds him of the Victorian era because people closed their eyes to the filth around them and still dressed up in stylish clothing.  Hollywood anyone?  Nice humour.

I told you it was intimate!… A very intimate look at the genius behind the Smashing Pumpkins.  The look at Billy might come off a bit self indulgent at first but if you give them the chance they WILL BE AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE.  From Zero to World Peace, the Pumpkins (Billy’s) evolution is apparent.

THESE DVDs ARE FANTASTIC and a MUST HAVE for anyone who appreciates geniune artistry, as Billy displays it all through his poetry, musicianship (guitar, piano, harmonica!), and visual art.  The evolution of the music is completely incredible!  Not only is the content, music and psychedelic light show perfect, so is the actual production of the DVDs.  The direction, cinematography, lighting and PACKAGING (designed by Linda Strawberry) are so cool they rival Martin Scorsese’s Shine A Light.

Billy struck gold when he literally “found” his soul/bandmates after his seven year hiatus, he must be one of the luckiest musicians on earth because they R O C K ! I’m completely obesessed with rock guitar nowadays, and Billy’s is one of the best I have EVER heard.

Previously unreleased track, ROCK EPIC (37 minutes!) “Gossamer” is one of the greatest rock compositions EVER WRITTEN.  Another gem is, “The Rose March,” (also on the American Gothic EP) Billy’s professed culmination of his Fillmore residency AND ELEGY- the reason why Billy crawls into our hearts- his songwriting genius.  99 Floors and Peace and Love are also so beautiful and such a laid-back hippie change for Billy.  I love how we can watch the new songs being recorded in the studio at the end of the DVD.  (Mp3s Anyone?)  Smashing Pumpkins have evolved into the Pink Floyd of our generation.  The most beautiful mix of metal/rock/goth/psychedelia out there… VERY INTERESTING MUSIC, and you all know that it takes a lot to impress me nowadays.

SUPPORT A REAL ARTIST.

BUY IT NOW.

Tori Amos’ latest interview with Out Magazine was completely depressing to me.

I can’t believe she called Perez Hilton a HUGE mastermind and compared him to Brian Warner [Marilyn Manson], GIVE ME A BREAK!!

Saying he’s HIGHLY INTELLIGENT is sooo stupid.  Yeah “Mylie Cyrus was seen at a Coldplay concert”, what’s so fuckin’ intelligent about that?

Hahahahaha!

I really thought this woman was smart. Now I know she’s ALL business.

Thanks to Robbie from the phorums we now have an excellent quality vinyl rip of the Running Up That Hill instrumental! It sounds sooo AWESOME with backing vocals included! They sound wild!

** A BIG THANKS TO ROBBIE! **

Angie’s BACK!

This is far too monumental for me to pass up!

One of my favorite bands, Nine Inch Nails gave away their brand new LP, “The Slip” for FREE early this morning on nin.com.

Trent [Reznor] writes from LA, “thank you for your continued and loyal support over the years - this one’s on me.”

As a thank you to our fans for your continued support, we are giving away the new Nine Inch Nails album one hundred percent free, exclusively via theslip.nin.com.

The music is available in a variety of formats including high-quality MP3, FLAC or M4A lossless at CD quality and even higher-than-CD quality 24/96 WAVE.

What a great way to stick it to the record companies NIN! Thank you very much!
I’ve only heard it once and here are my initial thoughts on the record-

This is the best Halo yet.
The band worked REALLY hard on this one.
For only 10 tracks, it’s a congruent atmospheric piece and I love that.

He’s composing a symphony!
“Corona Radiata” is my favorite track.

I hope there’s a lithograph of something like this for our walls.

The Slip is strangely beautiful.
Like a dark angel fallen from Hell.
It’s out of this world.

LYRICS ANYONE?

Enjoy!

You can download a demo version of Sarah’s new single, Get Home from her forthcoming album if you sign up for her mailing list here.

I am loving the song and can’t wait to hear the album.
I’ve been reading Sarah’s blog on MySpace and it’s very exciting.
Sarah’s sound has matured! The lyrics are nice too.

I know this is old news but this album is the best album I’ve heard in a while!!
Nine Inch Nails’ Year Zero remix album.
I like music that not only moves me but makes me move.

Trent Reznor wins ANGIEZ.’S BEST ARTIST OF 2007.

Check it out here.

The new Hot Chip album, Made in the Dark, is VERY VERY good, sexy even.
Thought that was noteworthy. I’m a supporter of their unique sound. I wish they’d tour the US.

The album is out there, FIND IT! Today.

From THE GOLDEN COMPASS–
Right here!
You will need RealPlayer to listen.

“Lyra” starts at 44:26 minutes. Scroll forward.
Please send me the mp3 if anyone can rip it!

[coolplayer width="420" height="360" autoplay="0" loop="0" charset="utf-8" download="0" mediatype=""]
Kate Bush - Lyra
[/coolplayer]

[Thanks to Menro at The Homeground]

FIRST THOUGHTS-
Sooo beautiful and fantastic! The sound just looms.
Imagine this being played over the end credits of the film.
Wow.
Don’t pay any attention to the daft DJs that is definitely the Magdalen School College boys choir, I LOVE the wind sound she’s been using lately!

LYRICS:

Lyra
by Kate Bush

Where are our lives?
If there is no dream
Where is our home?

We don’t know how
There will be a way
Out of the storm
We will find home

And her soul walks beside her
An army stands behind her
Lyra… Lyra…

And her face full of grace
Two worlds collide around her
The truth lies deep inside her
Lyra… Lyra..

And the stars look down upon her
As darkness settles on her
Lyra… Lyra…

Who’s to know what’s in the future
But we hope we will be with her
We have all our love to give her
Oh Lyra… Lyra…

And her soul walks beside her
An army stands behind her
Lyra… Lyra…

And her face full of grace
Two worlds collide around her
The truth lies deep inside her
Lyra… Lyra..

I am completely aware that the forum is not working.
Nothing has been touched and it just decided to stop working yesterday so I am doing all I can to figure this out.

I am hoping it will be fixed soon but our tech person is on vacation right now.
There is nothing more I can do but wait for some help. :(

Have a great Thanksgiving!

“What’s a Puscifer? It’s fer pettin’ and breedin’, duh,” said Maynard in a recent mp3.com interview.

Maynard James Keenan’s latest creation is very interesting indeed. Puscifer, also a clothing line that you can purchase from the band’s website, displays yet another facet of Keenan’s creative mind. “V” is for Vagina offers a comedic exploration through manhood and life, a subject Keenan enjoys satirizing, hence the name of his famed band TOOL. Keenan describes Puscifer as “simply a playground for the various voices in my head,” “a space with no clear or discernible goals,” and “where my Id, Ego, and Anima all come together to exchange cookie recipes.”

“V” is for Vagina’s ten tracks are all completely unique with layered vocals and sounds creating a lush atmosphere that encapsulates Keenan’s signature tribal elements as well. This record works best played through some sweet (expensive) headphones or speakers. Keenan, also a winemaker, can proundly compare his music to his wines, he just gets better with age. This record is meant to be enjoyed with a fine bottle.

01. Queen B. - background vocals say it all, “who-re.” Ha!
02. Dozo (Version 3) - check out the wiki entry about the Dozo hunters. This track combines a Western atmosphere with tribal rhythmns and sexy lyrics regarding guns and pistols.
03. Vagina Mine - the percussion in this track is most like 10,000 Days, TOOL’s last record. The vocals on this track are incredible. Wow!
04. Momma Sed - I think the sound of good music represents what it’s about and Puscifer achieves this in this track. An inspiration for all men.
05. Drunk With Power (Version 2) - Another Western atmostpheric track about pining for lost love. Quite interesting sounds in this epic track including a fretless bass.
06. The Undertaker - The album takes a turn to industrial rock with this track! The intensity builds…
07. Trekka (Sean Beaven Mix) - Maynard uses a deep prophetic whisper thoughout the record, here we hear it well in this tribal pot anthem. “So climb I will, or crawl. A warning- never stray just move ahead. Left, right, left. Hooah!”
08. Indigo Children - My favorite track on the album! Interesting. I love New Age stuff. Check out the wiki here. A very groovy atmospheric track, sonically reminds me of NIN.
09. Sour Grapes - An amazing song that literally preaches that Heaven is HERE and NOW. Female backing vocals in this one are beautiful and Floydesque.
10. Rev 22:20 (Dry Martini Mix) - A swingin’ jazz number about a femme fatale. Features some very nice piano work.

Highly anticipated by many TOOL fans, “V” is for Vagina is a very strong debut from Puscifer. The creativity and uniqueness of this album leave us music connoisseurs hungry for more.
Standout tracks include– Queen B., Dozo, Momma Sed, and Indigo Children.

[coolplayer width="420" height="360" autoplay="0" loop="0" charset="utf-8" download="0" mediatype=""]http://youtube.com/watch?v=BY5in8JY0ao
[/coolplayer]
Puscifer performs “Cuntry Boner”

COURTESY OF PARKER ON THE TORIPHORUMS–

11-14-07 Atlanta, GA Soundcheck
Tori Amos American Doll Posse World Tour

Hoochie Woman
The Power of Orange Knickers
Black Dove
Bouncing Off Clouds
Hotel
Raspberry Swirl
CARNIVAL

Nice!!
Looks like Santa’s in Atlanta.

Here we go!

First and foremost-

- KATE BUSH my favorite artist of ALL TIME is working on a new song called “Lyra” for the movie The Golden Compass!! Could there be an Oscar in Kate’s future? I sure hope so!

- Radiohead sheds the record label shackles by going independent and giving their the latest LP, “In Rainbows” away for free! Get it here. Try to pay for it too because we all know Thom is WELL worth it. I read in a recent interview that Trent Reznor [NIN] paid $5,000 for the record! It’s refreshing to know that TR is a patron of the arts and actually gives a sh*t about stuff. He has also recently gone independent. I cannot WAIT to hear the rest of the Year Zero trilogy and whatever else he has up his sleeve. He is ON FIRE! When is he coming to the States with the Year Zero tour? We’ve waited long enough!

- Tori Amos’ American Doll Posse tour is well underway here in the States. The only doll I didn’t get to see was Santa and out of all of the shows I attended- Albany, Wallingford, Boston 1&2, Boston 1 wins. I didn’t get to hear any super exciting debuts and was pretty bored the whole time. I met Tori at the Boston VIP M&G and it was really a pointless encounter. I tried to tell Tori how I appreciated her songs that made political and religious statements over songs such as “Hoochie Woman,” and barely got an iota of interest from Ms. Amos. I told Tori that she promised to play Muhammad My Friend at a show for me last tour and never did and she said she’d try to learn it. Well it hasn’t happened yet and probably never will. Then I got my picture and autograph which came out really cool, I had her write “We Both Know It Was A Girl <3 Tori Amos" on the Choirgirl poster with her wearing the leopard dress and making the peace sign. I am pissed now that she didn't have time to personalize it before I was rushed out so I won't be getting it framed/dry mounted without it saying "AngieZ - We Both Know It Was A Girl <3 Tori Amos." I'm not planning on going to anymore shows this tour so I don't know WHEN this will happen. This all happened in probably about 3 minutes, I was then rushed on by Smitty. whatEVER. The VIP bag and hat are NOT nice either with a totally generic logo. I read on my phorum how someone said they are awesome, they are ugly and cheap!

Tourwise, I'm not too crazy about her use of props, I was at the show where she debuted Isabel with the lamp and snickered. Honestly I felt more moved on The Beekeeper tour where there was actually someone that kind of resembled Tori Amos on the stage who played intricate songs. The Beekeeper has some great songs on it, I wish she’d play more of these with the band rather than her tour staples like Siren, Crucify and Scarlet’s Walk songs. OSW was my first tour and I played it out so much that I’m OVER that era. None of the debuts have moved me because she’s already done them. I’ve already heard She’s Your Cocaine, Raspberry Swirl, and Cruel with the band. I want something totally new from her and it’s just not happening.

- Other decent albums that have come out recently include Siouxsie’s Mantaray, The Smashing Pumpkins Zeitgeist, Seal’s System, Puscifer’s [TOOL] V is for Vagina, Duran Duran’s Red Carpet Massacre and believe it or not Britney Spears’ Blackout.

- I’m going to see Bright Eyes for the first time on Sunday night at the Worcester Palladium and I can’t f’in wait! Conor Oberst is brilliant.

I’ve been watching Al Gore’s Live Earth concerts all day. THIS IS AMAZING!!

[coolplayer width="420" height="360" autoplay="0" loop="0" charset="utf-8" download="0" mediatype=""]http://youtube.com/watch?v=26hOTHoQ1Cw[/coolplayer]
[coolplayer width="420" height="360" autoplay="0" loop="0" charset="utf-8" download="0" mediatype=""]http://youtube.com/watch?v=o96S6G3VPu4[/coolplayer]

I have the album and it is AWESOME of course! I love the water sounds. Volta has a beautiful atmosphere. My favorite track is probably Wanderlust.

I finally got around to listening to Tori Amos’ ninth album AMERICAN DOLL POSSE and this pretty much sums it up– Tori has become the newborn American QUEEN OF ROCK -N- ROLL!!

This is HER BEST ALBUM EVER!! I F’IN LOVE EVERYTHING about it including the DOLLS/GODDESSES concept. It is VERY THEATRICAL! Almost like a rock opera! I AM SERIOUS HERE. Different huh? It is VERY DIFFERENT from Tori’s past works. Tori utilizes a wide variety of sounds and styles on this record. From goth rock to glam rock to solo piano ballads to horns… ADP is REALLY fun and grows on you more with each listen. This record is so diverse it’s got a little bit of something for everyone, like a Beatles album. Once you get the album you will see what I mean. There is more electric guitar than she has ever used but the piano is still present. From the 30 second clips I wasn’t really digging on the guitar, but I love it now! It gives her music and voice the rawness it’s needed for a while now– an edge. Every single track is fierce!! I am so happy she’s learned how to incorporate guitar that doesn’t make her music sound so adult contemporary. My favorites include Secret Spell [I think this should have been the single plus it's sung by my fav doll SANTA], Fat Slut [brace yourselves!], and the Venus-esque Code Red. Do not judge this record by the clips alone, there is so much more to discover.

You can give some of the full tracks a listen for yourself over on the truly amazing yessaid Radio [playlist 3] on my kickass forum, the t o r i p h o r u m s. We’ll be adding new tracks everyday, so be sure to keep checking in.

Don’t forget to pre-order your special edition copy here. US Release date is May 1st.

“Icky Thump” will be released on June 19th in the US.
The tracklisting will read as follows:

1. Icky Thump
2. You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You’re Told)
3. 300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues
4. Conquest
5. Bone Broke
6. Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn
7. St. Andrew (This Battle Is In The Air)
8. Little Cream Soda
9. Rag And Bone
10. I’m Slowly Turning Into You
11. A Martyr For My Love For You
12. Catch Hell Blues
13. Effect And Cause

Amazon link.

AWESOME! I can’t wait to hear this album. Jack White is one of the most talented guitarists alive.

[coolplayer width="420" height="360" autoplay="0" loop="0" charset="utf-8" download="0" mediatype=""]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdD3VMouqKs&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Ftoriphorums%2Elivejournal%2Ecom%2Ffriends%3Fskip%3D40
[/coolplayer]

This was found on iTunes today.
Very interesting.

Singer Joanna Newsom is much more tolerable and fun with a band than solo. If you haven’t heard her new EP entitled Joanna Newsom & the YS Street Band, you should check it out. It is very fun! I love her songwriting style and lyrics. Her poems are very epic and Medieval.

Tracks–
01. Colleen 06.41
02. Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie 04.02
03. Cosmia 13.23

Amazon link.

Another exciting addition to my iPod is Bjork’s new single Earth Intruders. The beats are so interesting! You can purchase it over on iTunes. This version is different from the radio edit that has been circling around. Volta may be her best album to date. Her new look is HOT too! Facepaint is awesome.

Amazon link for her new album Volta.

We’re raffling off three sealed copies of the SPECIAL EDITION CD/DVD version of Tori Amos’ new record, American Doll Posse + MORE on the forum. Every person who joins the Doll Posse on the forum gets their name entered in the raffle.

[ Click the banner for more details - Remember you must REGISTER to view the forum ]

If you have any questions feel free to contact me.

ENJOY YOUR MEMBERSHIP UPGRADES AND GOOD LUCK!!

I had the pleasure to preview Nine Inch Nails’ incredible new record Year Zero today.  It was a great experience hearing how this all this media tied together sonically.  Trent Reznor mixes his art with politics brilliantly with this new record. 

Angie’s Track-by-Track Review of Year Zero–

“Hyperpower!”
The opening song is a short instrumental that sounds like a big crowd of people chanting something; either a rally or a riot that ends with screaming and gunfire.

“The Beginning of the End”
The beginning of what is to become.  Trent’s prediction is about to happen…

“Survivalism”
We learn that Trent’s perception is that Americans do not care about the planet or about spirituality.  All people do is survive, they do not care about anything beyond themselves.  I LOVE THIS SONG!  It was a great choice for the first single. 

“The Good Soldier”
This song has a great beat.  It is VERY different for NIN.  The person in the song feels as if the life they are living is just a dream but it isn’t.  The world they live in is SCARY. 

“Vessel”
This track is HOT!  “Get Down Make Love” for 2007.  The person in the song’s body is a vessel for the people running the society to fill with bullshit like religion.  The person realizes this and recognizes the divinity within.  This is another amazing track, musically.  It could perhaps be the next single.  It is very “noisy” as Trent said, but it is noisy in a pleasant way.  It is very different sounding from The Downward Spiral’s version of noise.  This is my FAVORITE track on the album.

“Me, I’m Not”
This song is electronically groovy.  I’ve never heard anything like this before.  The song is a reflection on addiction or obsession.

“Capital G”
Another very original sounding track.  This one sounds silly, but not in a cheezy way.  It is obviously about George Bush, who “signs his name with a Capital G.”  i.e. God  Clever!

“My Violent Heart”
By this point the album is getting epic.  We’ve almost reached the middle.  Another noisy track.  The battle cry against the government!  “Our blood our bones we will not let you win!”  The spectrometer image that went with this track from the USB was the “presence” image of a hand reaching down the sky.  We find out that the noisy part of the leak was not included on the album version. 

“The Warning”
It is no coincidence that this track starts out with “I was standing right there | When it came down from the sky.”  The hand could possibly represent America intervening in Iraq.  This song is sung from the point of the US Goverment.  Now I know why the art that went with this album looked the way it looked.  The music is a sonic representation of this art.  This is an amazing concept and it’s nice to see it as a whole now. 

“God Given”
This song is sung from the point of view of the Evangelical Christians who make up about 44% the American population.  This is one of my favorite songs.  IT ROCKS!

“Meet Your Master”
At this point in the story the Evangelicals have taken over and are now controlling our society completely.  “Right around the bend is a coming disaster.  Count down to the end… it’s time to meet your master.”  Trent is fortelling what will happen to the US if we continue along this path of destruction.  I really think this album will be an American rock classic.

“The Greater Good”
I think this was the track played on the phone clip, please correct me if I’m wrong.  The instrumental of this song is on the Survivalism single.  Both versions are incredible.  “Breathe–a sin… slowly.”  This is another SCARY track.  This song is hypnotic both lyrically and musically.  It hypnotizes like religion hypnotizes those who believe it literally.

“The Great Destroyer”
This song is about a fascist leader like Hitler.  The person who wrote this song believes that the future society will be lead by a totalitarian leader, “The Great Destroyer.”  This track sounds like you’re playing a futuristic video game.  It is UNIQUE and Queen-esque!  Weird huh?  Trent is definitely channeling Freddie with this one.  This is something I love about this album, each track is so different yet so good as a whole.  I love it when musicians achieve this.  It is not a simple task and it differentiates great music from mediocre music.

“Another Version of the Truth”
The album’s second instrumental track.  It is a prelude to the next track.  It is very pretty and not noisy at all a la typical Reznor ballads.

“In This Twilight”
I love this song too!  It is a new way of writing a ballad for Trent.  The whole album has this very futuristic sound to it.  I believe this track is about America being bombed.  We see the sun for the final time on this day.  This is so dark yet so beautiful.

“Zero-Sum”
To “sum” the story up, when looking back on everything all we can see are “zeroes and ones” because no one was worth anything that meant something to anyone.  No one cared. Trent really wants people to stop being apathetic and to start caring about our world.  He fears this story might become a reality.  His message comes across as very geniune to me.  Honesty always makes music better too. 

Overall, Year Zero is a really strong album.  I love concept albums.  Like this one, they are usually very dramatic and original.  It’s safe to say BELIEVE EVERYTHING you’ve heard about this record.  It is Trent’s BEST album ever and it is like nothing you’ve ever heard before.  Trent really writes great music when he’s sober.  I can’t wait to see what else his sober brain is capable of creating.  It is a very fresh sound and I can’t wait to hear how it translates LIVE!  I believe that this album WILL go down in history as one of the top political rock albums of all time.  At 26 years old, it is the most overtly political album I’ve ever heard at least.  THANK YOU Trent for creating something amazing for me listen to.  FINALLY America gets interesting, intelligent, and honest rock music.  After all these years Nine Inch Nails are still one of the best bands out there today.

PREPARE TO HAVE YOUR PERSPECTIVES CHALLENGED AMERICA!

You too can listen here and read the lyrics here.  Just type in the song title and scroll down to “lyrics.”

[Pre-order your copy here and get a free Year Zero lithograph while supplies last!]

I’ve gotten heated more than once over the ignorant assessments of Tori Amos’ new album concept by various bloggers and diehards.  I’m also growing tired of the comparisons to Strange Little Girls and basically how we are not going to enjoy the new album.  Certain infamous bloggers don’t even know what they are talking about and are just making stuff up to get attention.  There’s no mistake in the fact that some members of this community are creating very bad reputations for themselves as hypocrites and morons. 

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking/researching about the American Doll Posse concept tonight.

First of all, any Tori fan knowns that she is famous for making over her sound.  She does this consistently with each release.  NONE of the tracks [Big Wheel, Bouncing Off Clouds, and the rest of the clips on the yessaid Radio] we’ve heard so far sound like anything she’s ever done before.  Whether or not you dig them is another story and up for discussion, but they are originals.  Therefore, any comparisons to Strange Little Girls are unfounded. 

The Doll Posse itself is nothing like the Strange Little Girls except for the fact that Tori wears different costumes to create the characters [duh!].  Saying something like this leads me to believe that these bloggers have not read any of the interviews or even understand the concept behind the Doll Posse.  For reference, here are the interviews– Paul Tingen, Starpulse & MOJO.  The clips don’t sound like SLG either.  Are these fans that musically ignorant? 

The concept behind this record needs to be fully understood before you can intelligently form such opinions about the music.  Keep in mind when you read this stuff, that most of these people have not even heard the record more than one time or at all, and how much do they really know about Tori?  There’s more to her than just her sound.  From the information that we have so far, here is my interpretation of the American Doll Posse concept–

The Doll Posse was created by Tori to visually represent the archetypes that each woman possesses– the dolls are our inner Goddesses.  Tori believes that these ancient facets of the feminine based on Greek mythology are being lost in our right-winged Christian sociey here in America.  From what I’ve read, the album is her most political and feminine record ever, it is also her most extrospective– the culmination of her soul searching through writing these songs about women.  Tori is standing up to the patriarchy once again [Yo George!].  Anyone who thinks this is schizophrenic is one of the women Tori is trying to reach through this concept.

From the Starpulse interview [AWESOME!]-

SANTA (SanaTORIum) relates to Aphrodite and is the sensualist of the quintet. Through songs like the shimmery pop of “Secret Spell” or the wonderfully wicked “You Can Bring Your Dog” or the delightfully retro “Programmable Soda,” “Santa is somebody who’s a girl’s girl,” Amos says. “She understands her fellow sisters and she believes that there is enough love and passion out there for everyone. But she won’t accept that there is something perverted about being very sensual and she won’t drink shame with her sensuality.”  [You can read her blog here.]

ISABEL (HisTORIcal), a photographer, is a reflection of Artemis and is the most outwardly political of the bunch. She opens the album with “Yo George,” a shout-out to our commander in chief, questioning what horribly dark road he and his crooked cronies have led us down, and closes the CD with the anti-war anthem, “Dark Side of the Sun.”  [You can read her blog here.] 

Then there’s CLYDE (CliTORIdes), who draws from Persephone. She wears her emotional wounds on her sleeve, but remains idealistic. “She is looking at the effects of not being a whole person. She is trying to figure out what she believes in and she is dealing with having been disappointed in her life,” Amos says. Clyde is a little girl lost on the string-laden, gorgeous “Girl Disappearing” and on the heartfelt ballad “Roosterspur Bridge.”  [You can read her blog here.]

PIP (ExpiraTORIal), who represents Athena, swaggers her way through the driving “Teenage Hustling” and duets with Santa on the rollicking “Body and Soul.”  

“Pip, being the warrior that she is, does confront issues and sometimes it’s explosive, but I really love her energy and her casual approach to rubber,” Amos says.  [We have not yet found her blog.]

And, of course, there’s TORI (TerraTORIes), who, surprisingly, was one of the hardest characters for Amos to get her head around.   “She was Demeter and Dionysus, so she was really holding and channeling the male, as well as Demeter, who was the mother, the creator of this,” Amos says. She is front and center as the M-I-L-F on “Big Wheel” and on the dreamy, Lennon-esque married with the Mick Ronson guitar inspired “Digital Ghost.”  [You can read her blog here.] 

This album was inspired by some female fans encouraging Tori to “tell it like it is” at a Meet & Greet and here is what the plight of the American woman is according to Tori–

Tori, the “warrior woman,” through the creation of this posse is attempting to combat the way other countries view American women.  Sorry guys, this album is not about you.  She said in the MOJO interview that we are viewed as “vulgar” and “willing to get their lives excavated.”  That is American women are portrayed as either a mother OR a whore figure, there is no variety in our personality.  We are being presented this way to the world by the American media.  Think Anna Nicole, Paris, and Britney.  The right-winged Christian patriarchy that runs this country is also to blame for this incorrect portrayal of women.  Tori [Demeter-Mother + Dionysys-Whore] has been struggling with this within herself for a long time now.  Remember Icicle?  The new single, Big Wheel is written about this same conflict.  “Get off the Cross we need the Wood | MILF Don’t You Forget!”  She thinks this is unacceptable and says that women are more than just these two “black and white” [piano] archetypes. 

Every woman possesses the complete Posse inside herself and through Tori’s record she should be able to fully understand who she is.  Tori wants to inspire women [as well as men] of their potential.  She is doing this through her songs, the “girls.”  Each girl being sung by the Posse member [girl] that visually represents the female archeype the song is about.  This concept came to her while at the piano writing the new record as well as playing her old songs too, which will come out on the tour.  If she achieves this goal with the record then it will be the culmination of her work as a whole and her person [as well as our own] as balanced people who recognize our multi-faceted selves. 

After learning this, how can these people spew this garbage?  Putting the music aside, what she is attempting to do for us girls in the political arena is glorious.

The over-analyzing of the blogs has bothered me too.  These are for marketing purposes, an extra something to make this record even more cool.  This is a new form of internet marketing that Trent Reznor of NIN is also implementing for his new album too.  I personally like the blogs and think they are a great idea.  They make discovering each character more fun and personal.  Who cares about the quality of the sites or even the writing on them?  I’ve seen/read them and they look fine to me.  Each copy of the special edition comes with five cards too.  Each copy has different cards.  More great marketing.  It’s no coincidence that for Easter Tori sent us on a “Doll Hunt” instead of an “Easter egg hunt,” the entire concept of the record is about discovery and freeing ourselves of the chains of the Christian patriarchy.  Clever indeed.

I spoke with Tori last night in my dream [yes I do listen to and analyze my dreams!] and I asked her if she was ready for this and she told me in a very modest manner that she is going to ROCK!  Tori also expressed to me that she knew how successful our reaction to the Plugged ‘98 Tour was.  We’ll see.  Tori told me that we won’t see a repeat of that tour but a more evolved version.  i.e.  No crossed eyes and grinding the bench!  A lot has happened in Tori’s life since then and she is at a different place now.  Created out of Tori’s life experiences, each doll [each facet of her] has different songs to sing, stories to tell, and a different persona to display.  Will it be confessional?  Yes.  Emotional?  Definitely.  Psychological?  Yup.  Interesting?  It already is!  Basically everything that attracted you to her music in the first place.  If executed correctly this will be the best album/tour ever.  This is all I’m going to say right now, all we need to do now is wait.  I’ll write more after I hear the album.  Until then, don’t listen to these bogus hypocrites.  Think for yourself.  Tori obviously does. 

I have created our own little Doll Posse over on my forum at yessaid.com.  If you understand what Tori is saying come on over and show your support!

[You can pre-order a special edition copy of American Doll Posse here and the regular edition here.]

[coolplayer width="420" height="360" autoplay="0" loop="0" charset="utf-8" download="0" mediatype=""]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yo7rmajxxnc
[/coolplayer]

Read Al’s Blog

Today is the last day to sign Al Gore’s Climate Change Proclamation. 

HELP SAVE OUR PLANET!

This is VERY SERIOUS!  25% of our world’s polar bear population is already in danger of becoming extinct!  Learn more about this devastating subject here.

Sign Al’s Climate Change Proclamation here.

Dolores O’Riordan will be releasing her first ever solo album on May 15th in the US.  It is entitled Are You Listening.  Reminiscent of another Irish songstress, Sinead O’Connor (her earlier recordings), the album offers a refreshingly mature balance of feminine power and sensitivity.  The stunning 12-track album will be her first release in four years, “we didn’t rush it.  In total, the writing and recording was a four-year period” says O’Riordan.  “Ultimately, the CD was a process inspired by personal experiences, both light and dark.”  Light and dark indeed.  Standout tracks include the dramatic Black Widow, written when her Mother-In-Law passed away from cancer and In The Garden, another magical tune.

Are You Listening could quite possibly be my top album from a solo female for 2007, it’s that good.  You can preview Black Widow and In The Garden on the yessaid Radio.  [must be a member to listen to tracks]

You can order a copy here.

Trent’s people are handing out USB drives like candy at the NIN gig in London.  This means a leak may follow shortly!  It could be the Survivalism video. 

Christo writes on Echoing the Sound:
“I’m at the gig.  So far 12-13 usbs have been found.  I have one!  Will upload after the show.”

Stay tuned fans…

Here’s a video of Trent performing Survivalism live to hold you over.

[coolplayer width="420" height="360" autoplay="0" loop="0" download="hide"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9rmcWCGrEg[/coolplayer]

UPDATE:  The Survivalism video was found and has leaked in both low and high resolution.

320 kbps mp3s [all semi-shitty quality, better ones should surface soon]

TA - BW [clip] aka MILF

TA - BOC [clip]

NIN - This is the Beginning of the End [KROQ rip]

You’re Welcome.

I’m not completely commenting on the T yet based on these two clips, well, I don’t know what to think of the music, the clips sound alright, but I don’t like the lyrics that much.  They aren’t standing out in my mind.  I do like the snarky girl power though (Big Wheel).  PLEASE people STOP comparing her to KaTe, there is NO COMPARISON!  As for the NIN, this is my favorite so far, they just keep getting better and better.  The lyrics are great and so is that hot beat!  Shake yer asses.

EDIT:  We now have a better version of the new NIN track, thanks to shagg_187 on the Echoing the Sound forums.

Two track previews can be heard on the yessaid radio [playlist 3] on my message board.  The tracks are called Big Wheel and Bouncing Off Clouds.  Enjoy!

You can also discuss the tracks with other fans here.

[EDIT-- If you are having trouble registering please email toriphorums@gmail.com]

The band led by frontman Jonathan Davis, have remade eleven of their career-spanning hits that include a spectacular cover of Creep by the English band Radiohead, and guest appearances by Amy Lee of pop-goth rock band Evanescence and the gothic legend Robert Smith of The Cure.

MTV Unplugged features Davis joined by an acoustic guitar, piano, bongos, and strings!  The music adds a totally different dimension to his distinctive voice.  The songs are performed just as dramatic as the original studio tracks.  The acoustic sound gives the first track on the cd, Blind, that is similarly the first track off their 1994 self-titled debut, a unique flamenco flair.  Amy Lee adds her equally distinctive voice on an intense version of the album’s second track, Freak on a Leash.  The third track is an emotionally charged performance of Radiohead’s Creep, a definite hit.  

Another nice addition to the album is the string section on Twisted Transistor and Coming Undone.  If you thought these tracks rocked on See You On The Other Side wait until you hear these!  They are very atmospheric.  The best track on the album though is the duet- Make Me Bad/In Between Days between Davis and Robert Smith of The Cure.  The song is very raw and emotional.  These two very different voices surprisingly mesh together wonderfully.  The album closes with another hit off 2005’s See You on the Other Side, Throw Me Away.  This is the only remake on the album I don’t like.  The addition of the theremin instrument (sounds like eery wind whistling) that Davis later imitates with a ghostly howl is too over-the-top for me.

You can now preview a few of the tracks on the yessaid radio playlist 3 on the message board!

Korn MTV Unplugged will be released on March 6th.  Get your copy here.  This is a must-have for all fans of good rock music. 

Bright Eyes’ [Conor Oberst] unreleased EP Four Winds is fantastic.  It is a preview to his new full length record Cassadega, set to be released April 9th in the US.  This EP is so impressive it sets Bright Eyes at the top of the American young artists charts.  You can pre-order a copy here.  They are currently on tour as well.

ANGIE Z.’s TRACK by TRACK REVIEW:

01.  Four Winds - A bold opening track.  Good old American rock -n- roll.  Don’t take my word for it but I think it features a nice banjo line.

02.  Reinvent The Wheel - An epic folk rock song.  Another upbeat song, a great follow-up to the title track.  Complete with choir, piano, harmonica and strings.

03.  Smoke Without Fire - A poetic melancholic ballad la Bob Dylan Nashville Skyline.  This song features very nice reverb on Conor’s vocals and a guest artist, M. Ward.  This is a very eerie, ghostlike song.

04.  Stray Dog Freedom - Full band with a nice keyboard line and Conor’s sizzling electric guitar.  “It’s the same old sh*t, it’s how you deal with it | it’s the glove that fits that you wear.”  This one reminds me a lot of Pink Floyd with it’s epic dreamy sounds.  What a nice flow this record has.  By this point, I’m thinking that I really cannot believe he is only twenty-six.

05.  Cartoon Blues - Each song sounds so different.  This track is cowboy blues rock with more banjo.  His lyrics are very poetic throughout the album.  The middle section has a wild effect on the vocals that sounds like aliens!  Conor defines modern American rock n roll and sets a precedent!  This record is so unique.

06.  Tourist Trap - A beautiful country ballad.  Whistling and walking.  Picture cowboys riding off into the sunset after an adventure.  A gorgeous closer to a brilliant EP.

EDIT– You can now preview a few of the tracks on the yessaid radio playlist 3 on the message board!

In the midst of all this Oscar excitement, another NIN song leaked tonight on a USB pen drive in the Manchester UK toilets.  Included on the pen drive was a “Hollywood” jpg image titled “invitation” and a scary Oscar related website was found too.  This is WILD, Trent has officially entered the freak zone once again with this shocker.

http://www.hollywoodinmemoriam.org

More discussion can be found here.

The Oscar’s are going AWESOME so far, this is my favorite year yet.  I am VERY PLEASED that my favorite animated film ever HAPPY FEET won!!  And LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE for best original screenplay!!  Now all that needs to happen is for HELEN MIRREN to win best actress, the legendary PETER O’TOOLE to win best actor (but WHITAKER will take it home), SCORSESE to win best director (although I want FREARS to win), and LMS to take home picture of the year…

Did anyone catch the Barbara Walters interview with JENNIFER HUDSON?  Jennifer has got to be one of the sweetest people I’ve ever had the pleasure to see on TV.  She is very inspirational, intelligent, and charismatic.  Meryl Streep’s outfit was great too.  She looked very natural and COOL.  She has said in the past that she doesn’t believe in the “glamour” part of her career, I think this is such a respectable point of view!  Meryl is a geniune star.

In This Twilight [320 kbps mp3 + jpg image zip]

Lyrics–

watch the sun,
as it crawls across a final time
and it feels like,
like it was a friend
it is watching us,
and the world we set on fire
do you wonder,
if it feels the same?

and the sky is filled with light
can you see it?
all the black is really white
if you believe it
as your time is running out
let me take away your doubt
you can find a better place
in this twilight

dust to dust,
ashes in your hair remind me
what it feels like
and I won’t feel again
night descends
could I have been a better person
if I could only do it all again

and the sky is filled with light
can you see it?
all the black is really white
if you believe it
and the longing that you feel
you know none of this is real
you will find a better place
in this twilight

The 79th Annual Academy Awards are tomorrow night.  I will definitely be watching all of it at my own little party complete with the Red Carpet and after parties!  I’ve seen most of the movies nominated.  I’m REALLY EXCITED, I <3 MOVIES!

Here are my picks:

Best Actress - Helen Mirren, THE QUEEN  <3  I ADORE HER!  I’d be happy if Meryl Streep won for THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA as she is one of my favs too!

Best Actor - Forest Whitaker, THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND, I wouldn’t mind seeing it go to Ryan Gosling either, he was great in HALF NELSON.

Best Supporting Actress - Jennifer Hudson, DREAMGIRLS although I want Abigail Breslin to win for her amazing debut in LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE!  <3

Best Supporting Actor - Eddie Murphy, DREAMGIRLS– it’s about time Eddie wins, he is BRILLIANT!  <3  I’d be happy to see Djimon Hounsou win for BLOOD DIAMOND too, he is a very passionate actor!

Documentary - AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH by AL GORE– hell yeah and I PRAY he announces his run for the Oval Office when he gives his acceptance speech!  He is THE MAN and WILL WIN THIS TIME AROUND!  <3

Animated Film - CARS, although I hated Cars and want HAPPY FEET to win!  :D

Best Director - Martin Scorsese, THE DEPARTED :P  He’s old and it’s about time… for some reason I don’t like him.  He is a great director though.  I would like to see Stephen Frears win for THE QUEEN.  <3

Picture of the Year - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE!!!!  <3  THE DEPARTED (although favored) won’t win.

Other categories I’m interested in–

Makeup - APOCALYPTO– Even though I thought it was a boring film, it did LOOK amazing.

Costumes - THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA *or* MARIE ANTOINETTE  <3 

Art Direction + Cinematography - PAN’S LABYRINTH– Hands down!  <3

Visual Effects - PIRATES *or* POSEIDON

Adapted Screenplay - BORAT

Original Screenplay - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE

For more Oscar talk please visit my message board here.

Another track leaked tonight via USB in the women’s toilets at the Barcelona show.  [OMG!]  This is by far one of the best NIN song’s EVER!! The music is brilliant.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/qb6990

well it’s happening
never planned on this
you’ve got something I need
kind of dangerous
and I’m losing control
I’m not used to this
what you want from me
I’m not used to this

I can’t shut it off
this thing I’ve begun
and it’s hard to tell
just where it’s coming from
and it’s hard to see
what I’m capable of
and it’s hard to believe
just, what I’ve become

hey, can we stop
me, I’m not
hey, can we stop
me, I’m not
hey, can we stop
me, I’m not
hey, can we stop
me, I’m not

I can swallow it down
keep it all inside
I define myself
by how well I hide
I feel it coming apart
well, at least I tried

I can win this war
by knowing not to fight
if I take it all back
someway, somehow
if I knew back then
what I know right now

hey can we stop
me, I’m not
hey can we stop
me, I’m not
hey, can we stop
me, I’m not
hey, can we stop
me, I’m not

Phone number to call for giggles–
(216) 333-1810

More discussion here.

It’s TRUE!!  You can view the Press Conference here.

Satrina will be updating us with all the Year Zero history on my message board.

Here’s her amazing thread.  This is music history in the making people!

It was to my surprise that “Survivalism,” Nine Inch Nail’s first single of off their upcoming release Year Zero was debuted this morning on KROQ.  I’m digging ”My Violent Heart” more.  I can imagine the concerts with the whole audience flailing their fists and singing along.  This is a very political year for the artists.  They are speaking for the people, unlike the politicians.  It seems as if Trent is lea