We have been working around the clock lately, sleeping about 3 hours a night (no joke!) all in the efforts to promote the abundance of artists that are blessing the Combat Rock Promotion stable. We are truly thankful for all of the clients we work with and are equally thankful for the stations that support them.

 

Here is a brief rundown with what's happening with each:

 

Salvador Santana Band- On Over 50 stations! On tour now!

Kevin Elliot & The Broken- On over 150 stations! Tour announcement soon!

Late Nite Access- On over 20 stations! Playing SXSW!

Idiot Pilot- On over 15 stations! On Taste of Chaos Tour now!

Honey Honey- Video Channel online now! On Tour with Lifehouse now!

Billy Boy on Poison- Impacting now! Touring soon!

CRUNK !!! Energy Drink- Setting up giveaways at SoCal stations!

 

 

 

Honey Honey Youtube Video Channel can be seen here. (Looks great on the iPhone for those of you who have one)

 

Off to SXSW next week... stay tuned for the recap!

Congratulations to my former Intern Jason Reitman who was just nominated for an Academy Award for Best Directing this year for his excellent film "Juno"! Jason was a star even back in 1997 when I had the pleasure to have him in my office, but I like to think that a little bit of me rubbed off on him as he rose to the top. I have a simple code that I live by: Accomplish goals, kick ass, live life, have fun; and I have expressed those ideals to everyone I have worked closely with my entire life. Apart from Jason, my other former interns have gone on to get jobs at various labels (Warner Bros, Universal, Maverick), some have started clothing lines, and one other fine example, the lovely and talented Kristy Kruger, has gone on to become a critically acclaimed singer-songwriter. Yes, people... dreams can come true. I see it happen! Kudos to all my fine former interns wherever they may be. Keep living the dream...

Happy New Year! The Holidays really charged up my batteries and now I’m off and running... Hope everyone else out there had a happy and safe holiday season.  Already this year is looking amazing with some great new music and some awesome success stories:

 

Late Nite Access  A Combat Rock Promotion IMPORT from Australia. Consisting of 2 guys and 1 crazy chick, this power trio combines elements of the Hoodoo Gurus, the Wonderstuff, Midnight Oil and AC/DC. US tour starts March 2008. More to come…

 

Kevin Elliot and the Broken  With the first leg of his US tour in the can, Kevin is ready to hit the road again, starting with three impressive shows in and around the Sundance Film Festival…. Live on air appearance at KWCR in Ogden, UT on Jan 22… Sales approaching 1000 units. US distro deal just secured with Burnside Distribution. More to come…

 

Via Audio  These guys are STARS! Led by lovely and charismatic Jessica Martins, this band is going straight to the top…. short East Coast/Midwest tour starting Jan 20… More to come…

 

Oslo  Currently charting at #98 on the CMJ charts! Shipping soon to Commercial radio… US Tour starts Feb 20….This record will sell 10,000…More to come…

 

Grooove vol 1  This band is really making headway! With strong spins at WMNF/Tampa, KOOP/Austin, and a current #1 record at KRCC/Colorado Springs (even beating out Radiohead on the charts!) More to come…

 

Salvador Santana Band  US tour starts mid-Feb. Nine shows opening for John Popper in Colorado is thisclose from being confirmed. Slowly picking up stations with current EP. Full CD in stores and Adds at College Radio Feb 26. More to come…

 

Ron Armstrong  Amazing Roots rock…Spinning at WWOZ/New Orleans and KZMU/Moab, UT… Live shows to be announced soon in 2008… More to come…

 

Billy Boy on Poison  Brand new band made up of five energetic youngsters (only 2 of which are finished with high school!) flying the glam flag in an homage to early Bowie. New EP Exclusively available at CIMS stores nationwide. More to come…

 

Is that enough bands for ya? OK, back to the phones now.  In the words of Daft Punk (via Kanye West): "Work it harder make it better, do it faster makes us stronger, more than ever, hour after hour work is never over..." Amen!

Well then... just a few short days left til we put 2007 in the history books. What a year it's been! Let's take a quick look at where we're at with our fine bands:

 

Kevin Elliot and the Broken- album released in September, garnished airplay at almost 100 college stations thus far, building slowly and steadily, toured like crazy, touring will continue in the new year. This guy will be as big as Dave Matthews someday- Mark my words!

 

The Rentals- What more can be said? A very successful Fall Tour, airplay at over 50 commercial stations, 3 full rotation adds, #1 Specialty Show record, live on air appearances everywhere. New material in 2008....can't wait!

 

 

Oslo- Currently at #115 on the CMJ charts, airplay at over 100 college stations, Strong early sales, touring in the new year.

 

 

Salvador Santana Band- Album out Feb 26, EP at radio now, building new believers. Just completed 50 city Myspace tour with B-Side Players. New tour next year. Yes, it's Carlos Santana's Son. Yes, Sal is totally cool. And Yes... it's great music! Sounds like Ozomatli.

 

Tokyo Rose- Airplay at over 20 commercial stations, sold out tour, and strong sales. Any band from New Jersey has to be cool!

 

Via Audio- With props from Spoon's Jim Eno and Death Cab For Cutie's Chris Walla, this band can only be successful. On West Coast tour right now (LA show is tomorrow night!) and they are enjoying airplay at over 40 commercial radio stations.

Ron Armstrong- This guy plays Roots-Rock, Blues, and Americana like no other. Story building, touring in the new year.

 

Grooove Vol 1- Amazing music project of instrumental downtempo electronica from Los Angeles musicians Tal Bergman and Ron Dejesus. Touring in the new year.

 

2008 will see a new release from Australia's Late Nite Access. Keep your eyes open. 

 

Finally, a big heartfelt note of thanks goes out to everyone involved with Combat Rock Promotion this year.  Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all. We'll keep it rockin for you in the new year.

 

Rock update: Oslo has shipped! Let the games begin! In a few days you will all receive the amazing new Oslo album The Rise & Fall of Love & Hate. This will be a campaign lasting well over a year and the band will sell 10,000 records. The band has some dates set:

 

Nov 14 2007   Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell's
Nov 15 2007  NYC @ The Cutting Room
Nov 16 2007  Philly @ World Cafe Live (Upstairs room)
Nov 29 2007  Los Angeles @ The Viper Room
Nov 30 2007  San Diego @ The Beauty Bar

 

 

Kevin Elliot and the Broken keeps making new fans constantly!  With just under 40 gigs under his belt now and some great new touring plans in the new year to be announced soon, we are witnessing the birth of a brand new artist! You heard it from me, first! Here are his curret tour dates:

 

4-Nov   Nashville, TN @ The End
6-Nov   St Louis, MO @ Cicero's (Playback:stl night)
9-Nov   Indianapolis, IN @ U of Indianapolis
13-Nov   Charleston, SC @ Cumberlands
15-Nov   Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
27-Nov   Philly, PA @ The Khyber
29-Nov   Asbury Park, NJ @ The Saint
4-Dec   Baltimore @ 8x10
6-Dec   NYC @ Knitting Factory
   
Via Audio has been garnishing praise everywhere from Spin.com to Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla, who proclaims them his favorite new band.  Produced by Spoon's Jim Eno this album contains many indie pop gems.  Getting spun now at: WXRT/CHICAGO, WLZX/Springfield, MA, Woxy.com, KSWI/Des Moines, IA, KFMA/TUCSON, AZ, WCNR/Charlottesville, VA, WHHZ/Gainesville , FL, WBTZ/Burlington, VT, KJEE/SANTA BARBARA, KUCI/Irvine, CA, WFNX/BOSTON, WOCL/Orlando, KPFT/Houston, KEDJ/PHOENIX, KQRA/Springfield, MO & KKCK/Marshall, MN. On the road now:

 

Nov 3 2007 Millvale,PA (pittsburgh) @ Mr.Smalls
Nov 4 2007 State College, PA @ Chronic Town
Nov 6 2007  New York City @ Great Scott
Nov 7 2007  New York City @ Great Scott
Nov 8 2007  Westport, CT @ Toquet Hall
Nov 9 2007  Washington DC @ Rock N Roll Hotel
Nov 19 2007  Hamden, CY @ The Space

 

Also- West Coast Dates Coming Soon!


Tokyo Rose is also on the road and are getting radio airplay! Spins at: WFNX/BOSTON, KUPD/Phoenix, Q101/CHICAGO, WPBZ/West Palm Beach, FL, KRZQ/RENO. WHTG/Monmouth Ocean, NJ, KUCI/Irvine, CA. KDJE/Little Rock, KPPC/Idaho Falls, ID, KACV/AMARILLO, TX.  Be sure to catch them here:

 

11/02 - Manchester, NH @ Legion 79
11/03 - Asbury Park, NJ @ Saints and Sinners
11/04 - Asbury Park, NJ @ Saints and Sinners (Day Off)
11/05 - Pompton Lakes, NJ @ Mainstage
11/06 - Springfield, VA @ Jaxx
11/07 - Allentown, PA @ Crocodile Rock
11/08 - Raleigh, NC @ The Brewery
11/09 - Wilmington, NC @ The Soapbox
11/12 - Orlando, FL @ Island Oasis
11/13 - Tampa, FL @ Orpheum
11/14 - Jacksonville, FL @ The Pit
11/15 - Baton Rouge, LA @ The Darkroom
11/16 - Houston, TX @ Java Jazz
11/17 - San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit
11/18 - Lewisville, TX @ Fat Daddy's

 

Also just arriving to you is an advance copy of the Salvador Santana Band.  Full release coming in February 2008. The band is wrapping up some dates now with the B Side Players and Cipes and the People. Here are the last dates of those:

 

November 2nd, 2007   Austin @ La Zona Rosa
November 3rd, 2007  Lubbock, TX @ Bash Riprocks #2
November 4th, 2007  Albuquerque @ Launch Pad
November 6th, 2007  Tucson @ Club Congress
November 8th, 2007  Flagstaff, AZ @ Orpheum Theatre
November 9th, 2007  Los Angeles @ The Roxy Theatre
November 10th, 2007  San Diego @ House of Blues

 

Coming soon: Late Nite Access... Musica,  musica,  musica!

So yes, I think we all agree that the new Radiohead album In Rainbows is pretty awesome, and the way in which they are rolling out the marketing of it is revolutionary indeed.  I won't say anymore that's already been said to death, but I will make a note of something just because no one else has thus far. (Which kind of surprised me).  Did anyone notice the orchestral sample of theWings song "Silly Love Songs" at the tail end of the seventh track of In Rainbows: "Reckoner"? Investigate and discuss. You heard it here first. And oh yeah, in case you didn't know, Radiohead take their name from track 6 of this album.  We now return to calling, uh, radio.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Rentals July shows at Spaceland was a huge success! All told, they sold almost 2,000 tickets to all four shows. That's almost 500 per show...and the place only holds 250..hey, how does that work ?!? Guess they sold extra tickets to more people as others left early.  Why not, eh? The shows were a lot of fun, and the band even blasted out a cover of the Weezer b-side "I Just Threw Out the Love of My Dreams" with Rachel Haden covering the Rivers Cuomo vocal duties. The Rentals tour starts today in San Francisco. Go see them. You MUST see this show.  Be listening to your local station to hear the band on air.  They will be on air everywhere out on the road.  In other news, arriving this week is the new release from Jersey boys Tokyo Rose.  Track 3 ("We Can be Best Friends Tonight, But Tomorrow I'll Be..." ) is a little different sound for them and the stand-out track.  Check them out on the warped tour all summer! Dates below. Finally, on a personal note, checked out Godsmack here in LA last night, and they definitely brought the rock. The capacity crowd at the Wiltern Theater knew every word to every song. Great show! Props to the two Gary's (Gary Marella and Gary Spangler) at Universal who hooked me up.

 

 

1-Aug Orland Park, Illinois  @  Mojoes w/Bedlight for BlueEyes, Sound The Alarm
2-Aug La Crosse, Wisconsin  @  The Warehouse w/Bedlight For Blue Eyes, Sound The Alarm
3-Aug Madison, Wisconsin  @  The Loft w/Bedlight For Blue Eyes, Sound The Alarm
4-Aug Kansas City, Missouri  @  The Torn Curtain w/Bedlight For BlueEyes, Sound The Alarm
5-Aug Saint Louis, Missouri  @ Creepy Crawl w/Bedlight For Blue Eyes, Sound The Alarm (EARLY SHOW)
7-Aug Greensboro, North Carolina  @  Greene Street w/Bedlight For Blue Eyes, Sound The Alarm
8-Aug Virginia Beach, Virginia  @  Peppermint Beach Club w/Bedlight For BlueEyes, Sound The Alarm
10-Aug Wilmington, Delaware  @  Harmony Grange w/Bedlight For Blue Eyes, Sound The Alarm
15-Aug Kansas City, Missouri  @  Warped Tour-Verizon Wireless Ampitheatre-Kevin Says Stage
17-Aug Boise, Idaho  @  Warped Tour- Idaho Center-Kevin Says Stage
18-Aug Seattle, Washington  @  Warped Tour-Gorge Ampitheatre-Kevin Says Stage
19-Aug Portland, Oregon  @  Warped Tour-Columbia Meadows-Kevin Says Stage
22-Aug Fresno, California  @  Warped Tour-Selland Arena-Kevin Says Stage
23-Aug Sacramento, California  @  Warped Tour-Sleep Train Ampitheater-Kevin Says Stage
24-Aug San Diego, California  @  Warped Tour-Coors Ampitheater-Kevin Says Stage
25-Aug Los Angeles, California  @  Warped Tour-Home Depot Center-Kevin Says Stage
26-Aug Anaheim, California  @  Chain Reaction w/The Fold
7-Sep Phoenix, Arizona  @  One Place
10-Sep El Paso, Texas  @  Lucky Devils
11-Sep San Antonio, Texas  @  Rock Bottom
13-Sep Dallas, Texas  @  House of Blues
19-Sep La Crosse, Wisconsin  @  The Warehouse
22-Sep Cleveland, Ohio @  Agora Theater&Ballroom

This Rentals project is going like gangbusters! Here's a brief rundown:

 

The Rentals have taken over the #1 spot on the MediaGuide Specialty Show Singles chart with their hit "Little Bit of You in Everything."  They are also #1 on the FMQB album and single chart.  Good music will prevail. US tour starts Aug 1. Go see them live.

What an amazing month this has been! Started out with a night at the Museum courtesy of Indie 103. They took over LA's Museum of Natural History for their First Fridays series, and had a couple of bands play in the African Mammal Hall. I met up with the guys from Oslo and we caught Deerhoof and Autolux jamming right near the stuffed elephants. It was wild! In other news, The Rentals new EP "Last Little Life" ships this week and we already have 3 spins at KROQ and a spin at the aforementioned Indie 103. This one is going to be MASSIVE folks! Be sure to hit me up for tix to the tour that starts August 1. (See below for dates). Took a brief jaunt to Wine Country a couple weeks ago for a few days off, but leave it to me to mix business and pleasure, so I had to jump over to San Fran's Live 105 to say what's up to Aaron and play him the new Rentals, which he did indeed like. (NICE!) New project I have taken on is the annual Corndog-o-Rama Festival in Atlanta, which is happening this year from July 12th through July 15th. Tons of bands will be there, making the event a veritable who's who of indie rock (such as The Winter Sounds, Snowden, etc).  Check out the schedule here. We've already got them a nice promotional push from Atlanta's powerhouses 99X and WRAS, so this should be a big hit. LA's very own Ride On Rides will be performing there, so go check them out! And the icing on the cake? The club this is being held at this year is called... I kid you not: Lenny's Bar. Yes, I swear. Perhaps that is synchronicity. Finally, the end of June brings two noteable events: my birthday, which oddly, happens once every year (imagine that, eh?) and a screening of the new Joe Strummer flick "The Future is Unwritten." The show will also feature Epitaph's The Aggrolites playing Clash covers, so all in all it looks like as perfect an evening as you can get. In case you are new to this site: the Clash are my favorite band and I named my company after them in homage. In case you are new to music: the late, great Joe Strummer was the frontman/genius behind the Clash. In case you are new to the world: the Clash are the greatest punk rock band ever. OK, class dismissed! Coming soon: new albums from Oslo and Kevin Elliot and the Broken.

Combat Rock Promotion is proud to announce that we will be promoting the Summer/Fall tour for the Rentals! What a story here!  Last year Matt Sharp and Rachel Haden put together the Rentals after a six year hiatus and had a wildly successful tour that brought them all over the globe.  This year, they are doing it again…this time with NEW MUSIC.  That’s right… an EP of new music will be released on August 14^th on Canadian indie Boompa Records thru Caroline/EMI here in the States. This will be supported by a 47 city tour (!!!), of which Combat Rock Promotion will handle the commercial radio promotion.  This is going to be a lot of fun… Music coming soon, tourdates below. Come check out the band as they pass through your town!

 

 

26-Jun  The Dome, Bakersfield, CA

27-Jun  Downtown Brew, San Luis Obispo, CA

28-Jun  The Belmont, Fresno, CA

29-Jun  Club Underground, Reno, NV

30-Jun  Art Bar, Las Vegas

7-Jul     Spaceland, Los Angeles

14-Jul   Spaceland, Los Angeles

21-Jul   Spaceland, Los Angeles

28-Jul   Spaceland, Los Angeles

1-Aug  Great American Music Hall,  San Fran, CA

3-Aug  Hawthorne Theatre, Portland, OR

4-Aug  Neumos, Seattle, WA

5-Aug  The Big Easy, Spokane, WA

7-Aug  The Big Easy, Boise, ID

8-Aug  Club Sound, SLC, UT

9-Aug  Gothic Theatre, Englewood (Boulder), CO

10-Aug            Slowdown, Omaha, NE

11-Aug            First Avenue, MN

12-Aug            Pabst Theater, Milwaukee, WI

14-Aug            Metro, Chicago, IL

15-Aug            Pop's, Sauget, IL (St Louis)

16-Aug            House of Blues, Cleveland, OH

17-Aug            Madison Theatre, Covington, KY (Cincinatti)

18-Aug            The Majestic Theatre, Detroit, MI

19-Aug            Newport Music Hall, Columbus OH

21-Aug            Mr Smalls Theatre, Millvale, PA

22-Aug            Sonar, Baltimore, MD

23-Aug            Nokia Theater, NYC

24-Aug            Middle East, Cambrige, MA

25-Aug            TOA, Philly, PA

26-Aug            9:30 Club Washington, DC

28-Aug            Ziggy's, Winston Salem, NC

29-Aug            The Orange Peel, Ashville, NC

30-Aug            Amos Southend, Charlotte, NC

31-Aug            City Hall, Nashville, TN

1-Sep   Masquerade, Atlanta, GA

2-Sep   Free Bird Live Jacksonville, FL

4-Sep   House Of Blues, Lake Buenevista, FL

5-Sep   Revolution, Fort Lauderdale, FL

6-Sep   Jannus Landing, Saint Peterburg, FL

7-Sep   Beta Bar, Talahassee, FL

8-Sep   House of Blues, New Orleans

9-Sep   Warehouse Live, Houston, TX

10-Sep House of Blues, Dallas, TX

12-Sep Emo's, Austin TX

14-Sep The White Rabbit, San Antonio, TX

15-Sep Club 101, EL Paso TX

16-Sep Albuquerquee, or Tuscon

18-Sep House of Blues, Anaheim, CA

20-Sep House of Blues, San Diego, CA

21-Sep Henry Fonda, LA, CA

CRP has come across some amazing new talent recently and we’d like to be the first to tip you off: Kill the Complex from Los Angeles is like watching the best parts of AFI, My Chemical Romance, and Tool (complete with Cello player accompanying the rock…yes!).  Australia’s Late Nite Access is kind of like a combination of Midnight Oil, the Hoodoo Gurus and the Wonderstuff.  The Early Strike, from San Antonio, is picking up where Cheshire Cat-era Blink 182 left off, and with Blink on permanent hiatus there seems to be a void for this sound right now that TES are happy to fill. CRP clients The Lift have completed an amazing new album called “It is What it Is.” Touring to follow. The punk rock/hip hop hybrid of Hollywood's Lexicon continues to tear it up live, as was evidenced by their recent set at the Roxy. The band now features my old buddy DJ C-Minus on turntables and making the beats for them in the studio as well.  Their cover of The Ramones classic "I Wanna Be Sedated" is truly inspired.  You can find it on the very hard to find soundtrack for the movie Rising Son: The Legend Of Christian Hosoi. Well, actually it's not that hard to find.  You can get it right here. More great new music I'm digging is from San Diego’s The Stranger’s Six  who have just released a great punk rock record on the studly Orange Peal Records label and will also tour throughout the summer. Finally, Kevin Elliot is a fresh new artist recently transplanted to Los Angeles from Kentucky.  He and his band, the Broken, deliver a strong set of songs and show real promise. It will be fun to see him grow in his career.  Remember, with all these bands… you heard about them here first!

So much has been happening here at CRP HQ lately.  Here is the brief rundown:  April saw two back-to-back music events: Coachella and Musexpo. What more can be said about Coachella that hasn’t already been written? To anyone who still doesn’t know, this 3-day festival takes place in Indio, CA (just outside of Palm Springs) and the experience of seeing bands in a festival setting is melded with a weekend in the desert. In layman’s terms, that means you lay out by the pool in the day and then go check out the bands in the afternoon. There are many festivals all over the world (Fuji Rock in Japan, the Roskilde Festival in Denmark, the Reading Festival in England to name but a few)  but none of them can boast that kind of experience. Awe yeah…. Only in California!  The bands were a treat as well, and I caught stellar performances by the likes of: Interpol, a reunited Jesus and Mary Chain, the Arcade Fire, the Decemberists, Peter Bjorn & John (with the Concretes' Victoria Bergsman singing backup on their hit single), the also reunited Rage Against The Machine, Willie Nelson, the Roots, Crowded House, Explosions in the Sky, Lily Allen, and Against Me! The greatest set had to have been by the Happy Mondays, who were introduced by the still-kicking Tony Wilson of Factory Records fame. Somewhat shocking were the two twenty-somethings who came up to me asking who this band was (?!?!) It was great seeing many old friends at Coachella like Warner Bros' Xavier Ramos and Sonya "Skincare to the Stars" Dakar's Yigal Dakar. WB CEO Tom Whalley threw a post-Coachella get together at his hotel suite and saw a lot of friendly faces there like manager extraordinaire Mark Kates who's band the Cribs just signed to Warner Bros. All around, another fun Coachella... Then, with no rest for the wicked we hit the road back to Los Angeles and went straight to Musexpo which was held at the fabulous Bel Age Hotel on the Sunset Strip. Now three years strong, this music convention continues to be, in my humble opinion, one of THE best out there. I like to describe it as "the flip side to South By Southwest" in that South By gives you QUANTITY and Musexpo gives you QUALITY.  It is a smaller event (about one tenth the size of South By) and offers an intimate setting for networking and live music showcases.  This year the bands we saw at Musexpo were amazing, and as always were the cream of the crop from all over the world: Denmark’s Dune, Australia’s Pete Murray, Sweeden’s The Teddybears, Finland’s Rubik, France’s SoShy, and Germany’s Super 700 all put on great sets. With many of the bands gearing up for summer releases, it is already looking like a lot of great music will be released this summer. Can’t wait!

Another South By Southwest is in the history books, and all I can say about that is:  it was excellent, as usual.  What more can be said about the biggest, friendliest, sweetest, and dare I say most fun music festival out of all the annual festivals there are.  The weather is always right, the people are all smiles, the food is fantastic, the bands are amazing, and you always end up seeing lots of friends and associates. Combat Rock clients Oslo played about sixteen shows and rocked every single one of them (including an oddly booked gig at a frat bar on 6^th Street, but even a few UT co-eds couldn’t hold back the mighty Oslo; as the band soon had the college kids rocking out to their hypnotic sounds). Side note: much thanks to all the unsung heroes of the festival- the soundmen, who somehow kept all the bands sounding great.  More fun from SXSW 2007: caught a pre-opening night show by the reunited Toadies (and a kick-ass dinner to boot at Stubbs), who blazed through all of their hits from the ‘90s, saw some buzzing indie pop from the Drew Barrymore approved Peter Bjorn & John, saw some cute girly songs from singer-songwriter Meiko, heard some ska friendly tunes from Lily Allen, stoner rock from Dim Mak’s the Willowz, disco-rock from the Rapture, Canadian indie pop from Mother Mother, a cool stripped down set from Rocco Deluca, and a tight soul set from the Cold War Kids (they were like the Blues Brothers!) who also did a sweet Sam Cooke cover. Also saw the “Geddy Lee meets New Order” sounds of the Hourly Radio, heard a tight set from Hip Hop legends Public Enemy, heard the garage-rock mavens and “the song from the itunes commercial” from the UK’s Fratelli’s, caught an intense show from the lovely Ms Peaches, Caught Clash alum Paul Simonon and Blur alum Damon Albarn doing their thing in the new outfit The Good the Bad and the Queen, saw indie pop from LA’s Ride on Rides, heard a great set by Greenland’s charismatic Tunesmith Simon Lynge, and saw an amazing alt-country set by Warner Brothers artists The Films (who’s A&R man Perry Watts-Russel was holding court in the back).  Saw some classic artists giving it their all this year: as sixties Brit Pop legend Donnovan proved that he’s still got it by performing a set of all of his hits (in a CHURCH no less!), then 70’s multicultural rock n soul innovator Garland Jeffreys gave an equally impressive set of his hits as well (Jeffreys originally wrote “Wild in the Streets” which was most notably covered by punk kings the Circle Jerks), and punk legends the Buzzcocks and the Stooges gave very impressive shows (even though Iggy Pop’s pants kept falling off).  Also saw: The Black Angels, Apostles of Hustle, the Whigs, The Dears, Bloc Party, Eastern Conference Champions, the Horrors, The Bravery, Chromeo, AM, Mew, Aqualung, Robert Shields, and Duncan Sheik.  Notable parties included: HD Radio Alliance, Ioda, the Fader Fort, the Filter Cedar Street Experience, the Fontana Distribution party, the Village Voice party, and, as always, the Vice Party (which ended early this year due to a balcony falling apart! Luckily, no one was hurt). Ate BBQ just about everyday (hence the 75% more meat), got free ice cream from the Ice Cream Man (check out this guy’s story here- VERY cool), ran into Kid Beyond, and I told him how great his show in LA was last year, and he instantly added me to his LA email list right there on his Treo.  That guy’s got it together! Also ran into Combat Rock pal Anya Marina at the bar of the Driskill Hotel (which is the new spot to hang out- move over Four Seasons!).  Finally, I’d like to once again extend a heart-felt thanks to the people of the city of Austin who continue to be the gracious hosts to a bunch of wild Rock n Rollers.  As one local put it: “That’s Southern Hospitality, man.”  Indeed! See y’all next year…

Just about 12 hours until I board the plane for SXSW 2007.... yee haw! This is the festival that never disappoints, and I am happily anticipating good food, good friends, and great music once again this year. This year the festival is BIGGER than ever, as it has taken me sveral DAYS (no joke!) to compile my schedule of shows, panels, and meetings.  This year, the Combat Rock Promotion family proudly presents FOUR shows by the mighty Oslo:  Wed Mar 15, at 9pm at Waterloo Icehouse, Thurs Mar 16 at 3pm at the Convention Center, then later that day at Midnight at Waves (upstairs), and finally on Friday Mar 17 at 3pm at the Dirty Dog Bar.  Make a note to come see Oslo -- see them now before they blow up so you can say you saw them first! Looking forward to seeing you all out there. Travel safe, y'all...

Happy New Year to you all!  We started the year off with a bang when the mailman brought dozens of Thank You letters from soldiers stationed in Iraq for the care packages we sent out for Christmas.  The letters touched my heart as they expressed thanks and love from overseas. “It really means a lot to us knowing we have people like you back home” was the consensus. Our packages truly “Rocked the Casbah” as Combat Rock Promotion sponsored over 300 Marines, who received gift bags of snacks, CDs and DVDs from kind donations courtesy of: Warner Brothers Records, Capitol Records, Astralwerks, Epitaph, Interscope Records, Sony Music, Roadrunner Records, Matador Records, Island Records, and EMI. In total, over 17,000 Marines received Christmas care packages as part of the Operation Santa USMC.  I was very proud to be part of this project as the gratitude from our brave troops poured in. We all hope the troops come home soon….Moving on to the Rock n Roll we have an amazing new CD from Oslo to be released this Spring. It will ship to radio very soon, and you will truly flip for this.  The band has taken it to the next level as they have grown by leaps and bounds from their self-titled debut two years ago. BEST set of lyrics from the album: "So many different people/too many seperate walls/I find it just amazing anyone gets along at all..." HOT! Also a big priority: MTV’s The Hills: The Complete First Season, out on DVD in February. Touring in January/February: The Randies.  Click here for dates. When you ring in the new year with The Killers at Paramount studios, you know 2007 is going to be great! Talk to you all very soon.

November 2006 marked my eleventh (YES!) trip to the annual CMJ Music Marathon, and as always the rock was brought.  Highlights were many, but here’s a brief rundown: The sold-out Knife show was packed to the gills with hipsters, as was the Cold War Kids at the Bowery Ballroom. Although I missed the best named band ever (Duran Duran Duran), I did manage to catch the sold-out Shins show that night which had the entire sweaty crowd singing along. Caught a panel with my dear friend, Bug Music’s Mara Schwartz, on TV Synching 101, and rocked it every night at the Vice Party and the Pure Volume Loft, which was a new addition this year, and a favorite to me since it was two blocks from my hotel the SoHo Grand, and featured unlimited Red Bulls…NICE!  Saw the Black Keys rip it at the Nokia Theater. They seem to have taken up many of Phish’s fans. Took a train to Brooklyn for the AAM Party at North 6 where I caught a brief set by Portastatic and chatted with many friends. I later caught a brief few minutes with Live 105’s Aaron Axelson at his radio panel. It really WAS only a few minutes as he kindly talked to EVERYONE who came up to him after the panel. He's a great guy like that. Caught up with the crew at We Put Out Records at their showcase where I saw a kick-ass set by their stars Patent Pending. Thats's a great label! In their first official year they've cumulatively sold over 100,000 records. Not too shabby! Later that night I hit the Narnack Records showcase where I saw the Chuck P from Indie 103 recommended The Oshees (who were like an indie rock version of Nancy Sinatra!) and my Manchurian buddies the Fall. (Who have “Blindness” from the recent killer LP “Heads Roll” featured in a current Mitsubishi Commercial!) And, as if there wasn't enough rock already, late after midnight on the last night of the festival I caught a packed sweaty show by hip hop greats The Clipse.   All told, another successful CMJ!...And, since no one can ever get too much New York, I flew back to the Big Apple in December for the Radio Tag Holiday party. New York hotspot APT was ablaze with cocktails and laughter. Awee yeah!  While in New York I took the opportunity to attend the premiere of Popscene SF's monthly NYC residency.  Big ups to Jeremy Goldstein and the Popscene crew for spinning the killer jams. Here's hoping everyone out there has a safe and Happy Holiday season!

Yes, it's Fall. The season, not the band. Although the band is cool, too. Mark E Smith, mastermind of the seminal UK post-punk outfit, is lovingly my new best friend. As the season changes from warm to chilly I think back fondly of the time Mark and I spent on the road this past summer as his band invaded the USA. He's got a rep for being difficult, but really he's a softie. A good man. Has it really been a year since his killer CD "Heads Roll" was released? Wow! If you haven't peeped it yet, check it out here. First off, I must give a solid plug to a charity that I personally am spending my free time with this season: the USMC Operation Santa.  Check out the link to the right of this blog. If you have some free time, perhaps you can get involved as well. What this is, basically, is putting together Christmas care packages for our men & women stationed in Iraq. It doesn't matter how you feel about our political situation in the Middle East, no one can deny that our men & women in service are doing a kick ass job, and any little thing we can do to make them feel loved is definitely good. So check out the link and think about getting involved.  OK, now on to the music.... Randies, Randies, Randies! It's ALL about the Randies this Fall.  Their new, amazing CD, "Saw the Light" is burning up the airwaves right now with Spins at KACV/Amarillo, KRXQ/Sacramento, KTEG/Albuquerque, KUPD/Phoenix, WEDG/Buffalo, and WKZQ/Myrtle Beach. Hit up their blog, and go check them out on tour here. This band is FUN! Also on tour this Fall with killer headliner Blue October is the mighty Oslo.  They have a new album coming out next year and I've heard the demos... they are AWESOME.  Out now is the underground Oslo DVD, which contains all their videos and a live show from the Key Club in Los Angeles. Email me if you'd like a burned copy... Also keeping the flame burning out there this fall is Anya Marina.  Her CD "Miss Halfway" is quite simply one of those albums where every single song is great. No Lie.  With her songs being heard on the hit tv show "Grey's Anatomy" and an amazing live show, this is definitely an artist to watch. Other projects keeping us busy here at CRP HQ: Mario Vazquez, Christina Aguilera, Rod Stewart, Carlos Mencia, Flavor of Love, Over the Hedge, Butterfly Effect 2, and, (YES!).... Kiss! On the personal tip, spent some time in Cape Cod and Vegas recently and got another trip coming up to the Napa Valley. Travelling RULES. So, as we head into fall, and start sipping hot cider, please keep in touch. Visit the Myspace page, and, definately, if you can, give some of your time and/or money to a charity of some sort. There's nothing more punk rock than being a good person.  And that's the truth, Ruth!

What a hot summer it has been! And I ain’t talking about the weather. It’s been a hot summer of rock n roll. Hit a few LA shows in early July with a new band on Kirtland Records called The Hourly Radio.  Reminiscent of early New Order, these guys tore it UP! New record coming your way in the fall. Watch for it!  Got to hang with Kirtland goddess Tami Thompson who was in town from Dallas for the festivities. Tami is good people.  Also in July was a month of Thursday shows at the Hotel Café with San Diego sweetie Anya Marina. She wowed em with her kick ass songs and funny in between banter. Celebrity citing: Andy Dick.  Actually, I had met Andy years ago. He was dating a friend of mine for a couple weeks and she & I had plans to see a Billy Bragg show at the El Rey and when I went over to her house, there was Andy hanging out playing with the cat.  So we invited him along to the show and we hung out by the bar.  This was, like 1996. Ah… the good ol days.  Anyway, Anya kicked ass, and, truth be told, when you go to shows in Hollywood, you see actors all the time, so despite me hyping this up, it really wasn’t that big of a deal to see an actor there.  Switching gears a complete 180 degrees I ran across town to see Jive Recording hip hop artists The Pack kill it to a, um, packed, house.  Good seeing old friends there: Jive’s Roze Braunstein and KROQ’s Christine Fung.  Their new joint “Vans” is an ode to the punk rock sneaker and they are single-handedly bringing punk fashion to the hip hop nation, as evidenced by the slew of Vans in the house. Nice! Finally, just this week I hit an AMAZING solo acoustic set by Zero Seven’s Tina Dico at Largo. Man, it was like seeing the Dead.  Talk about fan-atical fans! This is every artist’s dream in the Brave New World of the music biz: do your thing, stay under the radar, play to your audience, and screw the rest of the world.  The post show line to buy merch/shake hands/take pix was just about everyone in the sold-out club. It was like being at a wedding! Be sure to check out her available-only-on-itunes track “Magic” which tells the story, in the way that only a singer-songwriter can do, about a post concert rock n roll one night stand. That’s sexy hot. And so it goes… the dog days of summer continue. Hope you’re all having a blast.