Americans like their guitar-based blues-rock to have some sort of geographical identification. Whether it’s New York’s underground, Los Angeles’ club scene, the Jersey shore or even Chicago’s house music–these are all places that can easily be located on the map. Lately, though, bluesy guitar rock has started pouring out of places not normally associated with those that are part of the cultural mainstream, cities like Seattle, Athens, GA, and Shreveport, LA, to name a few. The latter of which, to be sure, is an unlikely place to find any type of major trend (that is, unless you consider places like the Mall Of America a relevant and major trend in today’s society.) In general, though, most guitarists tend to think of the traditional places like LA, New York or even Austin as the strongholds of good old, guitar-driven, blues-rock.

After a brief hiatus and a one-off project, Mötley Crüe have returned with their original lineup and are ready to defy the odds. The LA natives have not only packed S.R.O. crowds into small clubs across the country for live listening parties of their new album, but are also receiving weekly sales orders for Generation Swine to the tune of over 120,000 copies in the first two weeks. From his home in Malibu, California, bassist Nikki Sixx spoke candidly about their live listening parties, the return of Vince Neil, a battle royal with Mancow, their fans and the new album.

Fame and fortune do not always equal happiness, hard as it is for the average working person to realize. For Cry Of Love, the rise from obscurity to chart topping success has not been the smoothest of rides. It might be tough to conjure up a real level of sympathy for those whole earn their living by playing music in front of thousands of screaming fans, traveling the world and having anything they desire at their fingertips, but as Audley Freed, songwriter and guitarist for the North Carolina based quartet, Cry Of Love points out, musicians are people first and are hardly impervious to pain. Fame does not insulate – in fact, it tends to decimate our lives and emotions, regardless of the consequences. Clearly a mixed blessing, Diamonds & Debris demonstrates that there are no exceptions to that rule.

Various Rock Format Song Reviews - Mötley Crüe, Scorpions

Various Rock Format Song Reviews - Paul Rodgers, INXS, Sexpod

Various Rock Format Song Reviews - Sammy Hagar

Is there an archetypal locale in this great country of ours from which hardcore rock bands are formed? First responses might be Los Angeles, New York, Detroit or maybe even Washington D.C. But wherever this mecca of aggressive rock may lie, the humble and quaint surroundings of San Francisco, most probably don’t pop up very often in hard-edged comparisons. After all, the bay area is the home of the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane and Journey to name a few. Although most of the members are involved in various side projects, a team sense of pride is deeply rooted within the band. It is a fierce energy that has bonded these men together for a career that has spanned fifteen years and seven albums to date. But this is not a happy band. The members of Faith No More feel they have not fully realized their potential nor have they received the attention they deserve.

Everyone has a different concept of what reality is. On the surface, it would seem, by definition, reality would be an absolute constant in any situation. As always, truth is never easy to come by. Everyone has his or her own interpretation of what is real and what is not. Those who share a similar outlook on what is reality we call our friends and comrades and those that don’t we tend to avoid. Such is the case of Sammy Hagar. Where the “Red Rocker” used to count his friends on one hand, he now counts them on the other.

From seemingly out of nowhere, Seattle, WA punk/popsters, The Presidents Of The United States Of America (now that’s more than a mouthful) seem poised to once again capture the imaginations of America’s youth. Although no bet is entirely safe, in this instance, the best way to endear one’s self to the mainstream is to completely cut across it; to turn one’s back to the establishment and create your own musical vein. That is exactly what The Presidents have done. Fresh from their 1995 Grammy nomination for “Best Alternative Music Performance,” and a certified double platinum debut release, the (other) boys from Seattle are ready for another term, with their sophomore release II; after all, this is an election year!

What’s in a name? Well, for starters, a name gives you identity. It describes who you are. And for some, it even gives a glimpse at what’s inside. For recording artists, a name not only represents who you are as a group, but also as musicians. A name can either be so intriguing that you immediately want to hear more of what the band has to offer or it can completely turn you off. In the case of Los Angeles rockers Egodog, there’s a lot in name!