Deftones Bassist Chi Cheng Dies at 42

There is no doubt that alternative rock fans are in mourning after hearing of Chi Cheng’s passing. The former Deftones bassist passed away today of currently unknown causes. Cheng was in a very serious car accident in November 2008 and sustained nearly fatal injuries. Four and a half years later, Cheng never fully recovered. He has remained in a semi conscious state for years and has fought through many complications. While he was able to emerge from his…

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Green Day “Oh Love”

Breaking news! Green Day released their first single in two years! Okay…maybe this news isn’t exactly breaking, but I just got around to listening to “Oh Love” off of Green Day’s upcoming album ¡Uno! the other day. The fact that I didn’t even listen to the song, released on July 16th, until mid August really says something. When I tried to think of a few words to describe “Oh Love”, ‘average’ and ‘meh’ immediately came to mind….

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The Jersey Bore

I guess GTL must have gotten really boring and barely any girls were DTF. What other reason would Jersey Shore juice head Ronnie Ortiz-Magro take a crack at the rap game with “How The F%#K We Gettin’ Home?” Definitely not for publicity…no…reality stars never do stuff like that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Anm6166lQNQ The production courtesy of The Extraordinary Gentlemen is not terrible, maybe tolerable at absolute best. The entire song, on the other hand, sounds like something off…

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Musical Ladder: Mike Dirnt to Bessie Smith

mike

It may be hard to believe, but Green Day’s Mike Dirnt turns forty years old today. In honor of the iconic bassist hitting the big 4-0 I decided to construct a “ladder” connecting Mr. Dirnt to 1920’s blues powerhouse Bessie Smith. I mean hey, why not have some fun to celebrate a milestone in the life of a member of one of the most fun bands on the planet? Mike Dirnt  Any punk fan, or even any serious music fan for…

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Haley Reinhart- “Free”

This is probably one of the most outlandish things I’ll say for a very long time: I like an American Idol alum, plain and simple. In fact, I just may like her a lot. For those who didn’t tune in to the tenth season of the show, which features perennially unoriginal talent (but talent nonetheless), Haley Reinhart, a Chicago native with an edge, finished third to charming country teens Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery. On Idol, Ms. Reinhart left…

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Matthew Beer’s Stunning Tribute

Since her sudden death of July 23rd 2011, Amy Winehouse has been the focus of more tributes than can be counted. From Bruno Mars at the VMAs to Green Day at their secret show, quite a few high profile artists have thrown their musical hats into the ring of Amy tributes. Not to say all of these aren’t sincere, but the truth of the matter is that most of these artists had most likely never been…

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Green Day Remembers Amy Winehouse

Green Day (bottom) paid homage to the late Amy Winehouse (top), who died in late July.

It’s not everyday that Green Day plays an intimate show for 250 superfans. It’s not everyday that anyone would expect punk rock powerhouse Green Day to be associated with the late jazzy bluesy Amy Winehouse. Obviously it’s not everyday that Green Day does the expected. After a rockin’ set of unreleased material at Tiki Bar in Costa Mesa that left…

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Warm Up With Mineo!

 

Mineo may be clowning around, but their music is for real.

As of September 21st, summer is officially over. Who cares if it’s getting darker earlier and that the blistering cold is right around the corner? Not me. I have Mineo to keep me in summer mode all year round.  A Floridan band, Mineo obviously knows what summer is all about. One listen of their new album devoted to their tropical home state,…

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Gaga Is Not All Show

From the beginning, it was extremely clear that Lady Gaga was a unique addition to the music world; what wasn’t clear was if there was any talent behind the crazy costumes and makeup. I was one of the many people who believed that her fame was only due to her over the top demeanor. The club beats of her music immediately made me associate her with being autotuned, so I was the first person to bash Gaga and…

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Yellowcard and Good Charlotte June Tour!

Yellowcard fresh off their four year hiatus. From left, bassist Sean O'Donnell, lead guitarist Ryan Mendez, violinist/backup vocalist Sean Mackin, lead singer/rhythm guitarist Ryan Key, drummer Longineu "LP" Parsons

Yellowcard has gone through more adversity in their decade long career than many people would realize. From the humble image of a group of Florida kids to celebrity status in Hollywood and beyond, these guys have literally experienced a transformation from rags to riches….

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