Away Team

March 29, 2012 — To get fans ready for the May 22 release of their fourth album, BENEATH THE SCARS (Executive Music Group label via Fontana/Universal), 12 STONES is hitting the road with Saliva and Royal Bliss starting April 18 in West Springfield, VA.

For  BENEATH THE SCARS, the New Orleans band joined forces, once again, with producer Skidd Mills (Saving Abel, Skillet, Saliva), who had previously worked with 12 STONES on 2007’s ANTHEM FOR THE UNDERDOG.  The first single, “Infected,” mixed by Johnny K (3 Doors Down, Disturbed, Staind), is spinning on Active Rock stations nationwide and is available for download on iTunes and Amazon.  Fans who pre-order the album from band’s official website  will have early download access to six songs.  The rest of the album will then be made available on May 22.

A lyric video for “Infected” can be seen below.  As singer Paul McCoy explains, “The song was written about the messed up state of the world.  It speaks about how crazy these times are, and about being fed up with the chaos and hatred.”

Check out 12 STONES at any of the following stops, with more dates being added in the coming days.  Fans should check any of the band’s websites for updated information.

DATE        CITY            VENUE

With Saliva and Royal Bliss:

Wed 4/18    West Springfield, VA    Empire

Fri 4/20        Vienna, WV        YellowBeards Tavern

Sat 4/21    Maggie Valley, NC    Stingrays

Sun 4/22    North Charleston, NC    Market Street Saloon

Thu 4/26    Mt. Clemens, MI    Emerald Theatre

Sat 4/28    Flint, MI            Machine Shop

Fri 5/11        Broussard, LA        The Station Bar and Grill

For More 12 Stones visit their official website or click here.

February 22, 2012 – 12 STONES will release their fourth album, BENEATH THE SCARS, May 22 on the Executive Music Group label via Fontana/Universal.  The band joined forces, once again, with producer Skidd Mills (Saving Abel, Skillet, Saliva), who had previously worked with 12 STONES on 2007’s ANTHEM FOR THE UNDERDOG.  The first single, “Infected,” mixed by Johnny K (3 Doors Down, Disturbed, Staind), is currently being serviced to Rock radio and will be available for download on iTunes and Amazon on February 28.

Fans who pre-order BENEATH THE SCARS from the band’s official website will have early download access to six songs starting March 6.  The rest of the album will then be made available on May 22.

A lyric video for “Infected” recently premiered on Loudwire.com and can be seen below.  As singer Paul McCoy explains, “The song ‘Infected’ was written about the messed up state of the world. It speaks about how crazy these times are, and about being fed up with the chaos and hatred.”

Early buzz for BENEATH THE SCARS surfaced last year as the track “Bulletproof”—which was mixed by Mike Shipley (Green Day, 30 Seconds To Mars)–made its way onto Rock radio stations across the country, including SiriusXM’s “Octane,” WIIL (Chicago), WBSX (Wilkes-Barre), KDJE (Little Rock), WRXW (Jackson), KFRQ (McAllen) and KHTQ (Spokane).  It reached #1 on the CMW “Rock” chart, where it lived for eight consecutive weeks.

As singer Paul McCoy explains, “The album title comes from knowing that we all eventually fall short of our expectations regardless of financial, emotional, physical well being.  But in the same breath, we all strive to find a way to better ourselves.  That’s human nature.  There are always two sides to people.  It’s all about realizing that we all bleed the same.  We are ALL human.  Lyrically, the songs capture the essence of life’s challenges.  As an example, the song ‘I’m With You’ is about the impact a friend’s suicide had on all of us in the band.  It’s a song of hope for those that are going through the trials we all face and the hardships that are a part of life.”

A new partnership with the Executive Music Group and a recording that is the realized vision of a decade of finding their voice in BENEATH THE SCARS has delivered a renewed passion for the future of 12 STONES.  “Thanks to EMG,” says McCoy, “we have found a new love for this industry.  I think that people forget how hard it is to succeed when you don’t have the right people in place.  We think that we are finally poised to break through the mold.  I have never felt stronger about what we are doing and I think that this is only the beginning for this band.”  Guitarist Eric Weaver added, “EMG, and their partners in Fontana/Universal, are all supporting the vision that we have for the band.  We’ve always wanted to reach out to our fans that are all over the world, and finally we’re getting to do that.  Our first tour in support of BENEATH THE SCARS will be in the U.S., and the opportunity to tour globally is something we have been waiting years for.”

12 STONES’ previous albums and singles have sold over one million copies in the U.S., in addition to singer Paul McCoy winning a Grammy® Award for “Best Hard Rock Performance” for his contribution on Evanescence’s “Bring Me To Life” smash hit single which went on to sell over 14 million albums worldwide.  The band has also garnered multiple GMA Dove Nominations for their singles “Broken” and “Lie To Me.”

Here’s the complete track listing of BENEATH THE SCARS:

1. Infected

2. Bulletproof

3. For The Night

4. Worlds Collide

5. That Changes Everything

6. The One Thing

7. Blind

8. I’m With You

9. Bury Me

10.        Psycho

11.        Only Human

12.        Someone Like You

13.        Shine On Me

14.        Pretty Poison

Carolina Rebellion returns Saturday, May 5 bigger and better than ever and boasting a solid rock lineup for the multi-stage festival, including Shinedown, Korn, Evanescence, Staind, Five Finger Death Punch and Slash (see below for full lineup).

2012 marks the debut of Carolina Rebellion at its new home at the legendary Rockingham Speedway in Rockingham, NC, conveniently situated between Charlotte, Raleigh/Durham, Columbia and Greensboro. Also new in 2012: weekend RV and Tent Camping and the Friday Night Campground Party presented by Jägermeister, featuring performances from Foxy Shazam, Lez Zeppelin, One…The Only Tribute to Metallica. Full details are available at www.CarolinaRebellion.com.

The current lineup for Carolina Rebellion is as follows: Shinedown, Korn, Evanescence, Staind, Five Finger Death Punch, Slash, Chevelle, Volbeat, Halestorm, P.O.D., Adelitas Way, Paper Tongues, Weaving The Fate, Redlight King, Red, New Medicine and Ghosts Of August. The festival will once again feature the two Monster Energy main stages and the Jägermeister third stage.

Jonathan Davis of Korn says: “We’re excited to bring Korn‘s new show to North Carolina and we fully intend on blasting out the loudest set of new dope sh#t ever at the Carolina Rebellion!!!”

“It is an absolute honor to be the headliner at such an amazing festival. It’s been a minute North Carolina…It’s good to be back. We can’t wait to see the masses at the Rebellion!” comments Brent Smith of Shinedown.

“Along with AEG Live, Right Arm is beyond excited to unleash the Carolina Rebellion lineup,” says Gary Spivack, co-executive producerof the festival for Right Arm Entertainment. “Like last year, it was our goal to make sure the 2012 lineup was stacked from top to bottom. Three stages of non-stop rock ‘n roll and a Friday night party to kick it all off…The ultimate rock festival in the Carolinas. Let the Rebellion begin!”

General Admission tickets for Carolina Rebellion go on sale to the public on Friday, February 17 at 10am EST at www.carolinarebellion.com and www.ticketmaster.com. To get access to the internet pre-sale, which will be held from Wednesday, February 15 at 10am EST through Thursday, February 16 at 10pm EST, go to the festival’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/CRebellion) or www.carolinarebellion.com and sign up to receive the Rebellion newsletter. A limited number of early bird tickets will be available for only $59.50 plus fees.

This year, Carolina Rebellion–which was called “this generation’s Woodstock” by Examiner.com–will also feature an extensive selection of Camping Packages, as well as a VIP Lounge ticket option to invite the ‘Rebels’ to spend the weekend on-site in Rockingham and create an unforgettable party. The packages will be available via the internet pre-sale as well as the public on-sale. With every purchase of a Camping Package comes FREE TICKETS to the inaugural Friday Night Campground Party! Details for all Camping Packages and VIP Lounge tickets can be found at www.CarolinaRebellion.com.

Based on 2011 attendee feedback, Carolina Rebellion organizers have implemented various upgrades and vast venue improvements to provide a premier concert experience at the multi-stage rock festival. The new centrally-located site provides plenty of space to expand, including more food and beverage stands, merchandise stands, restrooms and parking, and also offers more traffic routes to and from the event.

“When our fans speak, we listen,” commented Joe Litvag, co-executive producer of the festival for AEG Live. “We personally responded to every person who sent us comments, and because of that important feedback, our motto this year is ‘Let’s double it!’ Double the number of entrance points into the festival, double the number of concession stands, double the number of merchandise stands, and double the number of locations for free water…We’re taking the steps to make Carolina Rebellion an upgraded experience for everyone.”

In addition, all ticket prices will include parking to ensure quicker access to the parking areas, and earlier entry into the parking areas and will be allowed, along with earlier door times, to better alleviate the traffic and lines. The inclusion of the new Camping Packages will encourage fans to arrive on Friday starting at 10am and stay until Noon on Sunday, thereby relieving traffic congestion on Saturday.

Further improvements to amenities include: a larger box office area for will call pickup, shade locations in public areas and the Hangover Recovery VIP Lounge area inside the festival grounds to allow those with VIP Lounge tickets to have a special place to enjoy the event.

“Our sponsors mean as much to us as our fans do,” added Litvag. “And without the support of music-centric companies like Monster Energy, who present our two main stages at Rebellion, we couldn’t put a festival of this size and scope on for the people.”

Carolina Rebellion is also proud to be sponsored by Jägermeister, Hangover Recovery, and f.y.e. – for your entertainment (which will be on site selling CDs and DVDs and will host band autograph signings throughout the festival day). Carolina Rebellion is produced by Right Arm Entertainment and AEG Live, the same team that produces the highly successful Rock On The Range in Columbus, OH. Tickets for the 2011 inaugural Carolina Rebellion sold out more than one month in advance and attendance exceeded 30,000.

Rockingham Speedway is located at 2152 N US HWY 1, Rockingham, NC, less than two hours from Charlotte, Raleigh/Durham, Columbia and Greensboro.

For more info on CAROLINA REBELLION click here.

Fellow New England platinum rock bands, Staind and Godsmack have announced they’ll be doing a co-headline tour, which their fans voted to name, THE MASS CHAOS TOUR. It will kick off April 13th in Augusta, Georgia at James Brown Arena. Opening the show will be hard rock quartet, Halestorm.

“Going on tour with Godsmack was a no-brainer,” says Staind singer/guitarist / songwriter Aaron Lewis. “Our fans are in for one hell of a rock show.” Godsmack frontman and songwriter Sully Erna says, “We’re very excited to get back out with our Massachusetts brothers again. It’s been a pinch too long, and all hell is about to break loose!” Lzzy Hale of Halestorm said, “I am stoked to be supporting Godsmack and Staind on this tour! To be touring with the two bands of my generation that paved the way for modern rock is an honor! This line up will crush your skulls!”

The bands are giving fans the chance to design a tour poster for The Mass Chaos Tour via Creative Allies. The winning designer will receive $500 and a prize pack. For contest details and entry, go to: http://bit.ly/xzpcAx

Pre-sale opens up for the fan club at www.godsmack.com on Wednesday 1/25 with the public on-sale Friday, 1/27. The password for the pre-sale has been sent out to all Godsmac.com members via our newsletter.

Exclusive pre-sale tickets for Staind’s Dysfunctional fan club members: http://www.dysfuntionalstaind.com starts on January 25th – 2 days before they go on sale to the public on January 27th.

GODSMACK / STAIND w/ HALESTORM TOUR DATES:
April 13 Augusta, GA @ James Brown Arena
April 15 Estero, FL @ Germain Arena
April 17 New Orleans, LA @ UNO Lakefront Arena
April 18 Lafayette, LA @ Cajundome
April 19 BOSSIER CITY, LA CenturyLink Center 99 X Fest
April 21 Lubbock, TX @ Lone Star Amphitheater
April 22 Belton, TX @ Bell County Expo Center
April 24 Beaumont, TX @ Ford Pavilion
April 25 Laredo, TX @ Laredo Energy Center
April 28 Phoenix, AZ @ Quail Run Park 98 KUPD U-FEST
May 1 Corpus Christi, TX @ Concrete Street Amphitheater
May 2 San Antonio, TX @ Illusions Theater
May 4 Lexington, KY @ Rupp Arena
May 6 Evansville, IN @ Ford Center
May 9 Battle Creek, MI @ Kellogg Arena
May 11 Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
May 12 Huntington, WV @ The Big Sandy Superstore Arena
May 15 Syracuse, NY @ Oncenter
May 16 Manchester, NH @ Verizon Wireless Arena
May 18 Bangor, ME

Sunday, November 27, 2011 – Rams Head Live, Baltimore, MD

Photos by Marcy J Royce

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Setlist:
Spleen
Falling
Right Here
Eyes Wide Open
Fade
Crawl
Failing
So Far Away
Throw It All Away
Country Boy(Aaron Lewis song)
For You
Paper Wings
Outside
Not Again
It’s Been Awhile
Mudshovel
Encore:
Something to Remind You

On the heels of their self titled and seventh release in September 2011, STAIND kicked off their current headlining tour just 2 days before they pulled into my area in Baltimore, MD. I own several STAIND cd’s, but it’s beyond my comprehension as to why I had not yet caught them live. Other things in life keeping me busy I guess. So here was my chance.

I learned it was a sold out show a few weeks earlier so I just knew Baltimore was licking its chops to dig into STAIND on the Rams Head Live stage. One of the BEST places to catch a live, intimate performance. Albeit the place holds around 1600-1700, so it’s not too intimate but not a arena. We arrived just 30 minutes before Egypt Central jump started the night. (Read Egypt Central’s show review under their photos). Next was Adelitas Way. And finally at 9:45pm, STAIND took the stage to a crowd frothing at the mouth. The energy was high and the screams deafening. I was anxious to see new drummer, Sal Giancarelli, but not my luck from the pit. The drum riser was too high for this short gal. But I would get my chance later during the set. But before the band came out I was entranced by Aaron’s mic stand and the plethora of picks on both sides. See my first photo. Pretty cool, and entertaining to see what some of them had to say. Ha Ha!

STAIND dove right into the night with Spleen, followed by Falling, and then Right Here. Fairly good choices to start the set. I was okay with it. I snapped off quite a few photos in the pit during those first three songs. Interesting LEDs had me waiting for the good light. Red is not a good color for photos, as I tell my husband all the time since he’s an LD himself. I was captivated my Mike Mushok, that man can groove. And he’s really feeling the music he plays. And I thoroughly enjoyed Johnny April. Loved his bass and the way he played with the crowd and me. He smiled for me a time or two and I captured that. BONUS! Next I made my way to higher ground, in the stadium seating area. From there I FINALLY got to witness new drummer Sal. Not bad, he’s still getting used to his new shoes though. I will wait and see what he does in his future with STAIND before I have a full opinion of him. I do have a thing for drummers and will follow what he does in the coming months.

As I finished off my last photos from the second floor, I decided it was time to place my camera in my bag and go back down to the first floor and enjoy the show as a fan. I really enjoyed Throw It All Away, Paper Wings, Eyes Wide Open, Not Again and Failing from the newly released album. I need to listen more to this cd. It takes me about a dozen times to truly give a cd a fair assessment. So Far Away and Mudshovel were perfect for the set. But I do question why Mudshovel was not the encore. Seems to me it would be a better fit than Something To Remind You. But this is just my opinion. The band has its reasons. I respect that. But I hope they do give some thought to changing it. All in all the show was fabulous. So glad I had the opportunity to catch it this time through my area.

Special thanks to Kymm Britton of 60 Cycle Media for making it all happen for me and the Away-Team.

As I sit here trying to preface one of the best interviews I have conducted in a while, I am met with an eerily familiar foe… writer’s block.  Perhaps it is because there are no words to describe the remarkable success RAINS has achieved sans the help of a major label.  Perhaps it is the fact that the stories behind the “Stories” are impactful beyond words.  Or maybe it’s just that I’ve consumed one too many Captain and Cokes.  Whatever the reason is, you’re probably asking yourself “What the fuck kind of title is that?”.  Well sit back, pour your own damn cocktail, and relax as we delve into the mind of a remarkable talent who, next time we talk, will undoubtedly need no introduction.  Join me as we talk with Jeff Rains about everything from panhandling-to-pirating music-to-you guessed it, eating shit. [EDITOR'S NOTE: Neither artist, nor author have ever taken part in eating shit.  No shit was harmed during the making of this interview.]

AWAY-TEAM:  First I’d like to congratulate you on the success of your album, which by the way is fantastic…

JEFF RAINS:  Well thank you!

AWAY-TEAM:  …also the current single “Look in My Eyes”.  As we speak now, you’re on the current leg of the Share the Welt Tour with Five Finger Death Punch, All That Remains, and Hatebreed.  How’s that been going thus far?

JEFF RAINS:  It is phenomonal.  Ya know, we were a little bit nervous about it because, you’ve heard our album, and all of the other bands on the tour are so much heavier than us.  So we got offered the tour, and we had alot of reservations about it.  We weren’t sure if we should take it or not, but we did alot of research and basically everybody that we talked to said ‘That’s the tour that you need to be on.  That’s THE tour!’  So we ended up taking it, and it was a big risk, but we’ve been accepted and it’s going great.  The bands are all phenomonal to us, the crew is great to us, and it’s just awesome.

AWAY-TEAM:  Very cool!  So when di you first decide that you wanted to write and record music for a living?  And what was the driving force behind it?

JEFF RAINS:  I was, I think 16 years old, I was brought up on the whole 70′s music scene.  My dad was big into Led Zeppelin, CCR, all that stuff, so I grew up listening to that, and then I also grew up listening to alot of Country music.  And first Woodstock ’94 happened, and my brother and I were not allowed to watch MTV but we had this little 10 inch TV in our bedroom, and when our parents would go to bed we’d turn it on and turn on MTV and they’d be showing clips from Woodstock, like Green Day and the mud fights and all that stuff.  We were like “What in the hell is this?”  It was amazing, we’d never seen anything like it.  So then I started looking into it a little more, and I stumbled across, well I guess you wouldn’t say stumbled across because it was right in my face the whole time, but the whole Seattle, ya know Alice in Chains-Pearl Jam grunge scene.  Right then it was like, it wasn’t even a choice, it was just ‘This is what I’m doing’ ya know.  If you listen to the album, I’m just so influenced by that whole Seattle scene, and I still am.  I mean, everyday before we go on stage, on the bus we’re listening to either Alice in Chains, or Soundgarden, or Pearl Jam.  Then our intro to our show is “When the Levee Breaks” by Led Zeppelin, ya know, so all of those influences are still there and I really like that.

AWAY-TEAM:  You mentioned earlier that you’re band is a little bit different sounding than the other bands on the tour.  You’ve been compared alot to bands like Default, Nickelback, and I’ve even heard Staind.  If you had to describe your sound to someone that has never heard your music before, what would be your answer?

JEFF RAINS:  I’ve been asked this question alot, and the best answer I can come up with is I think it’s a modern day, 90′s Seattle grunge scene sound.  The record’s called “Stories” and I really got sick of the cookie-cutter BS that was on the radio.  Bands singing about drugs, and drinking, and whatever they sing about.  I just wanted to do something real, and something honest, and tell some real stories.  I think it’s paying off for us, and people are connecting with it.  It’s really cool to see.

AWAY-TEAM:  Now you mentioned the album is called “Stories”, the story telling aspect of your songwriting has more of a direct approach than the average artist, I know we touched on it a little bit earlier, but who are some of the artists that influenced that aspect?

JEFF RAINS:  I think the story telling part comes from listening to Country music.  I mean, I listened to alot of Garth Brooks, Brooks & Dunn and stuff like that.  I don’t know, as I’ve said I’ve been obsessed with that whole Seattle scene, I don’t know if that had anything to do with the story telling or not, but I would attribute it mostly to listening to Country music.  Because Country music, I don’t know what it is now because I don’t really listen to it anymore, but back then it was story telling.  All these Country artists would tell these amazing stories during their songs and I thought that was so cool.  So, yeah I think that’s where it mostly came from.

AWAY-TEAM:  That’s actually one of the things that I love about your album.

JEFF RAINS:  Right on.  And I think that’s one of the things that people connect with the most, ya know.  People are so used to the current music scene and where it’s at, and they’re just expecting these cookie cutter songs where ‘We’re up all night partying..’  Whatever.  It is what it is.  So I think when people hear us for the first time, they’re more taken aback than anything, like “Wow, this is actually real music for once.  Real stories, about real people.  This is cool!”  I actually read a really cool article the other day, I don’t even know where I found it, I didn’t interview with them or anything, they just wrote it about us, and the subject said “RAINS-The Band That’s Bringing Back True Rock n’ Roll”  I was like “Holy crap! That’s awesome!”  That’s what I feel like I’m trying to do.

AWAY-TEAM:  Being that the songs on the album are a collection of stories, what song on the album had the most profound meaning in your personal life?

JEFF RAINS:  I think the song “Hurricane”.  “Hurricane” was really cool, because I was in Austin, TX, before I was really pushing the music thing I was working for another company.  And I was walking down the street, and some homeless guy came up to me and asked me for $3.96.  I didn’t have any cash on me, and I said “I don’t have any cash on me.” and he was like “Yeah, I get that all the time.  Whatever.”  I said ‘Well, what do you need it for?” and he said “I need to buy a 40, and one cigarette.”  I said “OK, thanks for being honest with me” and I sat down with him and I said “Can I hear your story? I don’t wanna impose or anything, but do you mind filling me in a little bit?” and he told me his whole story.  As soon as he was doen, I went to the ATM, took out $20, handed it to him, and said “Buy whatever you gotta buy, but make sure you at least get some food too.”  The song “Hurricane” is his whole story, and it’s a very sad song, but in that song I felt like I finally hit where I wanted to hit in the songwriting.  I felt like that was where I finally told a story the way I wanted to tell a story.  It was awesome, I was just in Austin like two days ago, and that’s all I kept thinking about the whole time.  I was like “This is the place.”  I actually stood right where I talked to the guy, it was really cool.

AWAY-TEAM:  Wow.  That is awesome!  Many of the songs on the album seem to also be almost interconnected as part of a bigger story.  Can you kinda briefly take us throught the album and give us sort of an abridged version of that story?

JEFF RAINS:  Well, I’ve been married for almost 8 years, and during the writing for the album my wife and I seperated for a bit, and the majority of the songs on the album are about that.  I think every song with the exception of “Hurricane” is a song directly from my own life.  I mean, I wrote about what I was going through every day.  Ya know, it’s great to be able to put yourself out there, and put your life out there, people respond to it.  Luckily the response has been great, so.  Yeah, if it seems like there is a story within the “Stories” record, that’s what it is.  It’s the story of that time period in my life, and everything I was going through.

AWAY-TEAM:  And you’re still married now?

JEFF RAINS:  Oh yeah.

AWAY-TEAM:  So how’s that work when she hears a song like “Hate”? (laughs)

JEFF RAINS:  (laughs) That’s been a bit of a sore subject.  She’s over it now, but when I first wrote it… yeah, didn’t go over too well. (laughs)

AWAY-TEAM:  Well, I’m glad to hear everything worked out for ya.

JEFF RAINS:  Yeah, everything worked out great.  Like the song “Liar”, I don’t know how people interpret that song, but… that song is completely referring to myself.  I just wasn’t doing the right thing in my marriage at the time.  So alot of that stuff is completely personal reference.  It’s basically me dogging myself the whole record. (laughs)

AWAY-TEAM:  (laughs)  Hey, that’s what makes it genuine.

JEFF RAINS:  It worked, so. (laughs) It is what it is.  It was definitely a sore subject for a while though. (both laugh)

AWAY-TEAM:  The way this album was written reminds me alot of Sixx A.M.’s “The Heroin Diaries”, in the respect that it could easily be a sountrack to someone’s life.  If you could write the soundtrack to the biography of any one musician’s life, who would it be?

JEFF RAINS:  Oh man, that’s a tough question.  Probably Layne Staley, or Scott Weiland, or Maynard from Tool.  Or even Phil Collins, I don’t know, I have alot of artists that have influenced me alot, so that list could go on for days.

AWAY-TEAM:  Your day job at one time was actually as a tattoo artist?

JEFF RAINS:  Correct.

AWAY-TEAM:  What’s the funniest, weirdest, or coolest tat you’ve ever done?  Cuz I’ve seen some funny shit out there.

JEFF RAINS:  I tattooed a piece of shit on someone once…

AWAY-TEAM:  (Laughs hysterically)

JEFF RAINS:  ..and here’s the fucked up part.  I tattooed a piece of shit on them because they supposedly won a bet.  The bet was if he ate shit, he got paid $100.  So he ate the shit, got paid $100, and then came and spent the $100 on a tattoo of shit!

AWAY-TEAM:  (laughing) What the fuck?

JEFF RAINS:  (laughing)  I’m not kidding.  I’m not kidding you.

AWAY-TEAM:  Oh my God!

JEFF RAINS:  Yeah.  And another weird one, this guy was… I’m not even worried about him reading this, I’m not gonna say his name, but if he ever learned what the internet was, he’d know it was him.  But, every Friday the 13th, our tattoo studio was called Studio 13, so every Friday the 13th we would do $13 tattoos.  We’d just have these sheets of little 2″x 2″ tattoos, nothing crazy, but one of the tattoos one day was, you know the “Calvin” cartoon pissing?

AWAY-TEAM:  Yeah, yeah.

JEFF RAINS:  So this guy had his ex-girlfriend’s name tattooed right behind his ear, so then on his neck he had me tattoo the “Calvin” cartoon pissing on his ex-girlfriend’s name.

AWAY-TEAM:  (laughs)

JEFF RAINS:  (laughing) And when I did it I said “Do you really want this on your neck forever?”, and he was that type of guy.  He was like ”Hell yeah dude! This is gonna be fucking awesome!”  I was like “Ok, whatever.”  (laughs)  But yeah, that’s why I stopped tattooing.  I hated it.  I hated that part of it, because people are, I don’t know how to put this diplomatically.  Some people don’t follow your recommendations as a tattoo artist, and they’ll get the dumbest shit in the history of the world tattooed on them.  And I just got so jaded, I was like “I didn’t sign up for this.”  I signed up to make art, not a Calvin cartoon pissing on a girlfriend’s name, ya know?

AWAY-TEAM:  (laughs)  Your success, has been found thus far through the independent release of your album.  There’s been a recent trend of bands trying to get out of their major label deals and back to basics.  Does that sometimes deter you from seeking the support of a major label?  Or do you kinda take the approach that it works for some and not for others?

JEFF RAINS:  From day one, I have said that I wanna be independent.  It’s gonna take a hell of alot for me to sign with a major label, or with any label.  We’re on our own label, we handle everything ourselves, we have our own PR team, we have our own radio team, we have our own distribution, so.  With the record industry the way it is right now, the only way you’re gonna make, and I don’t give a shit what any other band says “Yeah we wanna do it for the music”  What the fuck ever, you wanna get paid!  You start out wanting to do it for the music, but then when you’re $400,000 in debt, it’s like “OK, I kinda need to get paid at some point.”  The only way to get paid these days, is to be independent, and be your own record label.  So, I guess to answer your question, at no point in the immediate future or the far future will I be seeking out label support.  And I’m very proud of that, and all of the bands we’re on tour with are on major labels and they’re just astounded that we’re doing this on our own.

AWAY-TEAM:  That blows my mind too.  The success that you guys have had being an independent band, it’s really kinda refreshing to see.

JEFF RAINS:  Well I thank you for that.  I’ll take that as a compliment.  It’s refreshing to be in this position, to be honest with you, because we aren’t getting screwed out of evey penny we make.  We make every penny we make, it goes straight to the band. So we’re able to be on a tour bus, we’re able to be on these big tours, we’re able to finance the things we’re able to finance because, believe it or not it takes a hell of alot of money to be in the music business.  It’s not like, your playing some crappy bar and some A&R guy is gonna find you and sign you that night on a paper napkin.  That’s not how it works.  this business is so much about numbers now, and I’m just so happy to be where we are.  Being independent and not having to depend on anyone else, and not have to pay everything we make to everybody else, ya know.  It’s a really good feeling.

AWAY-TEAM:  Speaking of the record industry, there’s been recent rumor of the demise of the CD.  Do you think that’s a good thing for the industry?  What are your thoughts on that?

JEFF RAINS:  I’ll give you an example, last night we played a show, I think there was 5,000 people there.  One guy came up to me and he said ”I’ve been listening to you guys for two years straight.  I’ve been obsessed with you guys.  I’m gonna be honest, I downloaded your CD off the internet.”  But he had 5 copies of the CD in his hand that he had just bought from the merch table.  My approach is, if people want free music, let ‘em have it.  The whole goal is to spread the word right?  So it they’re still coming out to concerts, and still paying for those concert tickets, and still buying our merch, what the hell do I care?  It served it’s purpose, I mean the guy was standing there with 5 CD’s.  So he downloaded one for free, great, he paid it back to us ten times over at that show last night.  And that’s normally how it goes.  Alot of bands aren’t like this, but I encourage people.  If you can find my CD for free, download it.  Don’t even call it stealing, call it my gift to you.  I just want people to hear it, and hopefully they like it.  It will pay off at the end of the day, whether the record labels say it will or not, I know personally that it will.

AWAY-TEAM:   Well hey Jeff, thank you so much for your time.  It’s been a great pleasure.

JEFF RAINS:  Right on. Thank you man!

AWAY-TEAM:  Best of luck in everything you do, and hopefully I’ll catch up with you next time you guys make your way through Florida.

JEFF RAINS:  Definitely.

AWAY-TEAM:  Alright man, we’ll talk soon.

JEFF RAINS:  Alright, thanks alot man!  Bye.

For more  RAINS including, music, merch, and tour dates visit the bands official website here.

Special thanks to Jeff Rains for so graciously giving me his time, and also to Doug Weber at New Ocean Media for making it all happen.

 Digital Summer- Counting the Hours

 Victim Entertainment

 Rating:  10 out of 10

 Reviewed by: Jay Rybak

As many of our loyal readers already know garnering a perfect score from this critic is a rare task, but this year I have managed to dole out more perfect scores than Metallica’s “Lulu” has fans. (That’s two if you’re counting.)  The most recent being the latest offering from Arizona based rockers Digital Summer.  Filled to the brim with active rock deliciousness, this 16 track monster is the perfect recipe of Staind-meets-Deftones sprinkled with a dash of Cold that is sure to satisfy your eardrum’s appetite.

Highlights of this aural entree include the single “Just Run”, an up-tempo rocker which has a slight Sevendust feel to it.  Speaking of Sevendust, I would be remiss not to mention the fact that Sevendust skinman Morgan Rose lends his talents on three tracks, including what is hands down my favorite track on the album, “Playing the Saint”, where Morgan’s signature scream adds the perfect finishing touch to an already killer song.  “Shallow” (Closer Than the Angels) follows up with a sound that could’ve easily been mistaken for a long lost Cold song.

Remember when I said I gave out two perfect scores this year?  Well, “The Thrill” could’ve easily fit right in on the first perfect 10, the sound is a perfect compliment to “The Drug” off of Egypt Central’s White Rabbit.  Now let’s take that EC sound and mix in a little Sevendust and you have another favorite, “Not Even God”, if this track isn’t enough to make you run out and buy the album then ‘not even God can save you’!

The monster sound on Counting the Hours would be a shadow of itself if not for the lyrical brilliance of frontman Kyle Winterstein.  The album abounds with metaphorical mastery, complimented by killer musicianship, and is a MUST HAVE!  This album comes Very Highly Recommended!  So what are you waiting for?  Get off your ass and “Just Run” to your local record store to pick it up, or if you’re a lazy piece of shit like me you can head here and learn more about the band while you’re at it.

Pazzo Records

Fans get ready! POP EVIL will finally be able to release their second album, War Of Angels, on Tuesday, July 5 with new label Eone Music. The delay had nothing to do with the band, it was their former label, Universal, that was holding up the deal. I talked last month with Matt DiRito and Tony Greve and they were as frustrated as the rest of us that their 2nd release has been pushed back for months. “But I’m pissed that it ended up affecting the fans with the release date of the new album and everything. That’s what makes me mad. It’s everywhere we go, it’s every night, everyone’s asking us when the album is going to be released.  And I have to say I’m sorry. They sometimes get mad at us.” said Matt DiRito. But the wait is now almost over! YES!!!

War Of Angels is the follow up to their 2008 freshman release, Lipstick On The Mirror. It’s been a frustrating ride the last few months but finally the band will be coming to your town rockin’ with the new release. War Of Angels was produced by Grammy Award nominated producer/engineer Johnny K, who has worked with the Disturbed, 3 Doors Down and Staind.

Since the fall 2010 release of the single, Last Man Standing, the band has enjoyed success early on and the song peaked at #5 on the active rock charts. POP EVIL is more than ready to start this new chapter in their career and reward those loyal fans who have so patiently rode the storm out. The band even went so far as to tear up the band’s Universal recording contract while on stage at Rock on the Range festival a weeks ago to the cheers of thousands. It gave me tingles to watch it. And fierce pride to know these very talented musicians are finally going to get the recognition they deserve as contenders for the coveted belt of their genre.

Check out all that is going on with POP EVIL at their site: http://www.popevil.com

Also check these sites:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/popevil

Myspace: www.myspace.com/popevil

And for really cool stuff: www.evil-nation.com

POP EVIL is: Leigh Kakaty (lead vocals), Dylan Allison (drums), Dave Grahs (guitar), Tony Greve (guitar) and Matt DiRito (bass).

Continue reading on Examiner.com Pop Evil signs with eOne Music and prepares for release of War of Angels – Detroit Live Music | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/live-music-in-detroit/pop-evil-signs-with-eone-music-and-prepares-for-release-of-war-of-angels#ixzz1Oby6OJuN

If you want to catch the teaser video for the tracks on the album, see below.

The 2011 daily performance lineup has been announced for ROCKLAHOMA, the three-day camp and rock festival that will feature a mix of the best classic bands and today’s top active rock artists. America’s biggest Memorial Day Weekend party kicks off summer May 27-29 at “Catch the Fever” Festival Grounds in Pryor, OK.

The daily performance lineup for ROCKLAHOMA is as follows:
Friday, May 27
Whitesnake, Hinder, Skillet, Sick Puppies, All That Remains, My Darkest Days, Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights, Texas Hippie Coalition, New Medicine, Bad Things, Wildstreet, Loveblast, D’Molls, Alias, Blue Tiger, Firststryke, Chuck Cooley and the Demon Hammers, Signum A.D., Silverstone, Return to Custody

Saturday, May 28
Staind, Sebastian Bach, Drowning Pool, Rev Theory, Cavo, Pop Evil, The Gracious Few, Hail the Villain, Taddy Porter, Electric Touch, Gypsy Pistoleros, Cutlass, Mock Star, Aura Surreal, Aska, Strikeforce, Siva Addiction, A Good Fight, Bait, Rocker Lips, Sweatin Bullets

Sunday, May 29
Mötley Crüe, Poison, Papa Roach, Seether, Black Label Society, Saving Abel, Escape The Fate, Crooked X, Art Of Dying, One Less Reason, Bad Things, The Glitter Boys, Black Tora, New Cool World, Pretty Little Suicide, Diemonds, Brandon Clark Band, David Castro Band, Desi and Cody

The official ROCKLAHOMA pre-party on Thursday, May 26 will feature performances from Fist of Rage, Tiranico, Aformatic, Floodlyne, Blackwood, and Stun.

New to ROCKLAHOMA 2011 is the AXiS Campground Stage. Since the camping experience is one of the most memorable parts of ROCKLAHOMA for many fans, event producers have added this special performance area to enhance the campground. Anyone holding festival and camping tickets will be able to experience the sounds of the country’s finest new rock bands performing on this stage, located next to the General Store in the main campgrounds. Camping tickets may be purchased by calling the ROCKLAHOMA Camping Office at (866) 310-2288, where fans can choose their exact campsite.

Single day tickets for ROCKLAHOMA go on-sale Friday, April 15 at 10am CST at all Ticketmaster outlets and at www.rocklahoma.com.

Fans are encouraged to buy tickets early as prices will increase as of Friday, April 15 at 10am CST and again the week of the event. General Admission 3-day ticket prices are now available for only $119 plus service fees and VIP Reserved 3-day tickets, which include unlimited beverages and catered meals as well as access to the air conditioned VIP tent, are just $320 plus service fees. As of 10am CST April 15, prices will be $139 plus service fees for General Admission and $350 plus service fees for VIP Reserved.

Doors to the main ROCKLAHOMA festival area and stages will open at 3pm each day. Campgrounds will open on Sunday, May 22 and remain open until Tuesday, May 31.

For more ROCKLAHOMA click here.

The daily performance lineups have been revealed for the Fifth Anniversary of ROCK ON THE RANGE–America’s premier destination rock festival–May 21-22 at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

A limited number of ROCK ON THE RANGE Saturday and Sunday single day Stadium GA tickets will be available for only $59.50 beginning March 28 at 10:00 AM EST. In addition, as a way to honor those who serve their country, ROTR will again offer a $30 single day Stadium GA ticket to members of the military. To qualify for the $30 ticket, concertgoers must present a photo ID with military ID to the Columbus Crew box office Monday through Friday from 9am-5pm between May 1 and 21, 2011. Two-day weekend Stadium GA festival passes (which include entrance to the Friday pre-party) start at just $99.50 plus service and transaction fees.

The daily artist lineups for ROCK ON THE RANGE are as follows:

Friday, May 20 Pre-Party (doors open at 6pm):
Steel Panther, Danko Jones, Lez Zeppelin

Saturday, May 21 (doors open at 11am):
*Monster Energy Stage: Avenged Sevenfold, Korn, Staind, Alter Bridge, Hinder, Sick Puppies, Rev Theory, Finger Eleven
*The f.y.e. Stage: Danzig, Escape The Fate, My Darkest Days, Crossfade, Asking Alexandria, Trust Company
*Jägermeister Stage: P.O.D., Black Veil Brides, 2 Cents, Egypt Central, Bad City, Downplay

Sunday, May 22 (doors open at 11am):
*Monster Energy Stage: A Perfect Circle, Disturbed, Stone Sour, Bullet For My Valentine, Black Label Society, All That Remains, Saving Abel, 10 Years
* The f.y.e. Stage: Hollywood Undead, A Day To Remember, Trapt, Cavo, PopEvil, Hail The Villain
*Jägermeister Stage: The Damned Things, Fu Manchu, Evans Blue, Art Of Dying, Red Fang









For more ROCK ON THE RANGE click here.

Rocklahoma returns May 27-29 to kick off summer with the nation’s biggest Memorial Day Weekend party at Catch The Fever Festival Grounds in Pryor, OK! 2011 marks the 5th Anniversary of the three-day camp & rock festival that will feature a mix of the best classic bands and today’s top active rock artists. Rocklahoma is proud to be presented by Bud Light.

The initial Rocklahoma lineup includes: MÖTLEY CRÜE, STAIND, WHITESNAKE, SEETHER, PAPA ROACH, SAVING ABEL, SKILLET, SICK PUPPIES, SEBASTIAN BACH, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, DROWNING POOL, MY DARKEST DAYS, REV THEORY, ALL THAT REMAINS, ESCAPE THE FATE, CAVO, THE GRACIOUS FEW (FEATURING MEMBERS OF LIVE AND CANDLEBOX), HAIL THE VILLAIN, JONATHAN TYLER & THE NORTHERN LIGHTS, TADDY PORTER, POP EVIL, CROOKED X, TEXAS HIPPIE COALITION, NEW MEDICINE, ART OF DYING, ELECTRIC TOUCH, ONE LESS REASON, GYPSY PISTOLEROS, ALIAS, WILDSTREET, THE GLITTER BOYS, GUNNER SIXX, BLACK TORA, MAD MAX, AURA SURREAL, FIRSTRYKE, ASKA, PRETTY LITTLE SUICIDE, ARENA, BLUE TIGER, BAD THINGS, CUTLASS, MOCK STAR and more special guests to be announced.

“2011 promises to deliver the biggest Rocklahoma punch to date!” says Joe Litvag, Senior Vice President of AEG Live and Co-Executive Producer of Rocklahoma. “Not only have we stepped up our game with the top active rock artists on the charts this year like Seether, Papa Roach and Sick Puppies, but we’ve also taken the classic artists to a new level of insanity with the likes of Mötley Crüe, Whitesnake, and a few surprises yet to come! The Rocklahoma loyalists asked for it, and we heard them loud and clear…This is the perfect balance of talent that will give something to every rock fan in the region!”

General Admission and VIP packages for Rocklahoma go on sale Friday, February 18 at 10am CST at all Ticketmaster outlets and www.Rocklahoma.com. General Admission 3-day ticket prices start as low as $99.50. Fans can save by buying early as ticket prices will increase in the coming weeks. Camping tickets may be purchased by calling the Rocklahoma Camping Office at (866) 310-2288, where fans can choose their exact campsite.

The VIP tickets and packages for the 2011 festival are sure to please the most rabid rock fans. This year’s VIP packages include:

Groupie Package (1 Person)
- VIP Reserved Ticket
- Access to air-conditioned VIP Catering Tent
- Private Backstage Lounge Access
- Weekend Pit Access

Roadie Package (1 Person)
- VIP Reserved Ticket
- Access to air-conditioned VIP Catering Tent
- Private Backstage Lounge Access
- Private Restroom Access
- Weekend Pit Access
- VIP Deck Access
- Event Poster, T-Shirt and Festival Mug
- Commemorative Laminate

Rockstar Package (2 Person)
- All amenities from Roadie Package
- Three Night Stay at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa
- Shuttle Service to and from festival
- Best Seats in the House

For a detailed list of amenities included in the 2011 Rocklahoma VIP ticket packages, visit Rocklahoma.com.

“We’ve always tried to offer the greatest experience to our Rocklahoma VIPs,” comments Mark Nuessle, President of Catch the Fever Festival Grounds and Co-Executive Producer of the festival. “This year we’ve brought back the air-conditioning to our VIP catering tent and backstage lounge, by popular demand, and we’ve expanded our packages to include Pit access, Best Seats in the House, and even hotel accommodations and transportation this year! For those who want to be pampered, Rocklahoma will take good care of you!”

Rocklahoma is located just 45 minutes northeast of Tulsa, in Pryor, OK. The Catch the Fever Festival Grounds is a premier destination for a multi-day festival and includes on-site camping with access to restrooms and shower house, a general store for campers, VIP reserved seating, hospitality areas and much more.

Established in 2007 as a classic rock destination festival with the motto “life, liberty and the pursuit of rock,” Rocklahoma was revamped for 2010 as organizers teamed with AEG Live to create an event encompassing a much broader mix of classic, current and up-and-coming rock artists.

For more ROCKLAHOMA click here.