The Scoop

Updated 7/3/2008 23:05 EST

Music News

New / Recent Releases: Recently Released Alanis Morissette: Flavors of Entanglement Ashlee Simpson: Bittersweet World Barenaked Ladies: Snacktime Coldplay: Viva La Vida Death Cab For Cutie: Narrow Stairs Gavin DeGraw: Gavin DeGraw Genesis: When In Rome (DVD) Jakob Dylan: Seeing Things Jason Mraz: I’m Yours Jewel: Perfectly Clear Madonna: Hard Candy Mudcrutch: Mudcrutch My Morning Jacket: Evil Urges Portishead: Third R.E.M.: Accelerate Rush: Snakes & Arrows Live Steve Winwood: Nine Lives The Cure Weezer: The Pure Sounds of Weezer Weezer: Weezer (red album) Wolf Parade: Kissing The Beehive June 24 Motley Crue: Saints of Los Angeles Liz Phair: Exile in Guyville (15th Anniversary Ed.) July 01 My Chemical Romance: The Black Parade Is Dead July 15 John Mellencamp: Life, Death, Love and Freedom July 18 Billy Joel: The Stranger (legacy edition) July The Hold Steady: Stay Positive Courtney Love August 19 Staind: The Illusion of Progress Coming Soon The All-American Rejects Bad Brains Extreme Franz Ferdinand Peter Gabriel: I/O Gina Gershon: In Search Of Cleo Guns N' Roses: Chinese Democracy (hahaha) The Hives I Nine: Heavy Weighs The Crown Courtney Love: How Dirty Girls Get Clean Metallica Sum 41 Visit Billboard's New Release Page for a complete list of upcoming releases.

What's going on here? - posted 19 April 2008 Long story short, I've not had much time to devote to this site lately. I'm still updating the CD releases and concert listings on this page fairly regularly. I'm also attempting to post band links as they are sent to me, but I'm a bit behind on that at the moment, so apologies if you've been waiting for awhile. It's difficult to predict what will become of this site in the future. The plan for now is to try to keep my head above water with the updates, and hopefully to one day overhaul the site in such a way that it can be kept more current with minimal effort from me. As always, thanks for visiting, and I hope you find some useful information here. Rock on! MMC11 - posted 04 February 2007 The 11th Annual Millennium Music Conference is scheduled for February 15-18 at the Radisson Penn Harris in Camp Hill, PA. As always, the conference features four days of showcases (i.e. local band performances) at various Harrisburg-area venues. Some of these shows are listed on the Club Schedules page here at Rockinpa.com, but you'll want to visit MMC11.com for the complete list (and lots of additional information about the conference). This is a great opportunity to go out and show your support for original local music in PA. Y-Rock on XPN - posted 30 August 2006 Some great news for everyone who's been saddened by the lack of alternative music on the airwaves in Philly: The Internet-only station formerly known as Y100Rocks.com (which rose from the ashes of Y-100 WPLY-FM) is now known as "Y-Rock on XPN" and can be found on 88.5 WXPN-FM Philadelphia Wednesdays 8pm-11pm, Thursdays 8pm-11pm and Fridays 7pm-11pm! The station can also be heard online as a 24x7 stream at YRockOnXPN.org. Congrats to the good folks at Y-Rock on XPN, and a big thank you to WXPN for bringing alternative music back to the Philly airwaves! Clove Reunion Show! - posted 08 August 2006 Yes, I'm fully aware I've been neglecting the News and CD Spotlight sections on this page. Stay tuned for some new CD reviews in the not-too-distant future. In the meantime, a major announcement regarding the band CLOVE. Clove will be playing a reunion show on Sunday, September 3, 2006 at Pepper's Grill & Night Club, in Berwick, PA!!! See peppersnightclub.net for details and directions. This is sure to be a great time for those of us who miss Clove so dearly. Don't miss it! Clove will also be playing a reunion warm-up show with The Bennett Brothers on Friday, August 18, 2006 at "On The Rocks" in Berwick, PA. This is a benefit for the family of Kevin Stalega, a local musician and supporter of local bands who passed away this summer. Clove will be playing one set at this show. I don't have a web site for On The Rocks, but the address is 131 W 2nd St., Berwick, PA, and the phone number is (570) 752-7702. See you there! Happy New Year / New Featured Local Bands - posted 08 January 2006 Hey everyone - Happy New Year, and apologies for my latest long-term disappearance. Have no fear, all is well in Rockinpa.com-land, and I'm constantly making updates to various parts of the site. Unfortunately, those updates have not included any new news, CD Spotlights, or Featured Local Bands in quite a while. Ah, but there is some good news: Hot off the presses are blurbs for The Drama Club, Livewyre, Outta Line and Zelazowa - four great bands, I might add - in the Featured Local Bands section. Enjoy! And stay tuned for more updates in the coming weeks. Seriously! I promise! :-) New Featured Local Bands - posted 04 September 2005 Check out the Local Bands page for new writeups on Tommy Eichmann, Kairos, R.A.W., Straitlaced, and T-4's RockaFolkaBluesBand. And don't forget to visit Rockinpa GigZone while you're here! Wow, updates! - posted 26 July 2005 Yes, I do occasionally get around to updating this site! Check out the Featured Local Bands section on the Local Bands page for new writeups on David Fiorenza, 14 Mile Drive, Ignarus, Steve Laret, Joshua Moyer and Jay Young. Also, take a gander at my brand spankin' new Rock Autograph Collection page. I think it's kinda cool, and hope you will, too! Rockinpa GigZone - posted 06 May 2005 Have an announcement to make, or want to know what exciting local music events are coming up? Trying to get a gig, or need to find bands to play your venue? Want to buy or sell used gear? Just looking for a place to chat with other local folks about the local music scene? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, head on over to Rockinpa GigZone! Rockinpa GigZone is a forum for musicians, promoters, industry professionals and music fans to get in touch with one another. It's great to see people getting some use out of this forum. Many thanks to everyone who has posted or browsed. I'd love to hear some success stories, if anyone can offer any. Who knows, maybe the future members of next year's "next big thing" band will find each other here. :-) Spread the word! Y100Rocks.com - posted 17 May 2005 Y100Rocks.com continues to broadcast an impressive mix of tunes on their Internet radio station. We're talking about stuff you're not hearing on Philly radio anymore (not to mention some great stuff you've never heard on any radio station, anywhere). If you haven't already checked 'em out, what the heck are you waiting for??? You probably can't listen in your car (unless you're far more technologically-advanced than I am), but there's no reason why you can't tune in while you're playing solitaire at "work" or surfing those questionable web sites using that nifty broadband connection you have at home. Seriously, do it! And sign the petition to bring modern rock radio back to Philly, while you're at it! Music News Archive

CD Spotlight

Green Day: American Idiot March 21, 2005 Ouch - 7 months since my last CD Spotlight? Sorry 'bout that. Sometimes life gets in the way of these things. Anyway, I hope there's at least a person or two out there who hasn't yet picked up Green Day's latest disc, American Idiot. Otherwise I guess I'll basically be preaching to the choir in this review! Since its release last September, American Idiot has earned critical praise, tons of radio airplay, and an overwhelmingly positive reaction from music fans like you and me. When Green Day gained popularity in the early '90s, they were not my cup of tea. My distaste for them probably had something to do with the fact that they weren't "alternative", and I was preoccupied with all the great alternative albums of the time. Through the years I've grown to enjoy their hits, but never purchased any of their albums before American Idiot. It seems natural to be skeptical about a "punk-opera" featuring two 9+ minute songs and characters/songs with names like "Jesus of Suburbia" and "Whatsername". But I decided to give the album a chance (not a difficult thing to do, considering the lack of good albums over the past few years), and I was absolutely blown away from the very first listen! The first song and first single, "American Idiot", is just under 3 minutes of pure air-guitar-inducing energy. "Jesus of Suburbia" is the album's first long song, and may also be the best song on the disc. It is really made up of 5 short parts (in various time signatures) cobbled together with seamless transitions, some killer guitar solos, and even a little piano! At the risk of discrediting their punk cred, songs like this one put Green Day squarely in the "rock" category (and that's fine by me!). "Holiday" is next, followed by the second single, the sing-along "Boulevard of Broken Dreams." Just when you finish singing along, it's time to drum along to the cool grooves of "Are We the Waiting," which seamlessly morphs into the purist-punk of "St. Jimmy." "Give Me Novacaine" finds Green Day back in acoustic territory for the verses, with an explosive, plugged-in chorus (and another guitar solo!). "She's a Rebel" is next, followed by "Extraordinary Girl", another likely single. "Letterbomb" unleashes the fury, only to give way to the extremely catchy and beautiful "Wake Me Up When September Ends" (complete with concert bells and tambourine - no kidding!). "Homecoming" is the album's second 9-minute tune, and like "Jesus of Suburbia", the 9 minutes really fly! Surprises in "Homecoming" include chimes in one section, and a 50's-rock-style sound, complete with saxophone, in another! The album wraps up with the rockingly upbeat "Whatsername", and I'm usually left wanting another listen from the top! As for the concept behind this concept album... I must admit, I expected much more Bush-bashing, and I think that theme may have been a bit exaggerated in early reviews of the album. But there is definitely a general theme to the album, perhaps best summed up on Green Day's web site by reviewer Tony Hicks as the story of "a suburban kid becoming self-aware and going through the accompanying range of emotions." Of course there is much more to it than that, and like all good concept albums, quite a bit of interpretation is left to the listener. The great thing about this album is that it should please people who like to interpret lyrics and people who just enjoy rockin' tunes. If American Idiot isn't already in your collection, I strongly suggest that you give it a try. You won't be disappointed! Official Green Day web site: http://www.greenday.com

Past CD Spotlights: Alter Bridge: One Day Remains Alanis Morissette: Unplugged Audioslave: Audioslave Avril Lavigne: Let Go Avril Lavigne: Under My Skin The Beatles: 1 Big Wreck: In Loving Memory Of... Big Wreck: The Pleasure and the Greed Black Sabbath: Reunion Chevelle: Wonder What's Next Chris Cornell: Euphoria Morning Clove: Go Clove: Absolutely Nothing Collective Soul: Dosage Collective Soul: Blender Courtney Love: America's Sweetheart Darcie Miner: Down To Earth D'Arey October: Fighting The Moon D'Arey October: Guide To Teenage Glamour Evanescence: Fallen Eve 6: Eve 6 Eve 6: Horrorscope The Exies: Inertia Foo Fighters: There Is Nothing Left To Lose Foo Fighters: One By One Fuel: Something Like Human Fuel: Natural Selection Garbage: Beautifulgarbage Gas Giants: From Beyond The Back Burner Hole: Celebrity Skin Jane's Addiction: Strays Julian Fist: Pushing Audio Platinum Lennon: 5:30 Saturday Morning Live: The Distance To Here Live: V Liz Phair: Liz Phair Mary Prankster: Blue Skies Over Dundalk Mary Prankster: Roulette Girl Michelle Branch: The Spirit Room Moodroom: Hung Up On Breathing Muse: Showbiz Nina Gordon: Tonight and the Rest of My Life No Doubt: Return of Saturn Our Lady Peace: Gravity Pearl Jam: Live On Two Legs Pearl Jam: Live in State College 5/3/03 Pearl Jam: Lost Dogs Puddle Of Mudd: Control Republica: Speed Ballads Silverchair: Neon Ballroom Stone Temple Pilots: Thank You The Cranberries: Bury The Hatchet The Jellybricks: Soap Opera Thornley: Come Again Tonic: Head On Straight Tony Iommi: Iommi U.P.O.: No Pleasantries Velvet Revolver: Contraband Veruca Salt: Resolver Zwan: Mary Star of the Sea

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