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Compiled by Keavin Wiggins
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The Day in Rock - antiMUSIC.com's look at Today's Top Rock News Stories From Across the Web

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Danzig Road Plans
PR reports: Glenn Danzig will hit the road beginning in late October for a handful of live concert dates on both the East and West coasts. Joining Danzig on these dates will be bassist Steve Zing (Samhain) and guitarist Todd Youth (Danzig, Murphy's Law); former Misfits axe man Doyle Von Frankenstein and his new band Gorgeous Frankenstein, will support on all dates.

Glenn and Doyle have been in the studio recording Doyle's first solo album, "Gorgeous Frankenstein," which Danzig produced and will release on October 16 on his label, evilive. According to Glenn, he and Doyle recorded "eight blood-curdling tracks" that include "Man or Monster," "Devilgirl," "Reverse of God," and "Made In Hell." The two played all instruments on the album.

These Danzig dates are also in support of "The Lost Tracks of Danzig," the two-CD set that was released May 29, as well as Glenn's limited edition book "Drukija, Contessa of Blood," loosely based on the legend of 17th century vampire, Countess Elizabeth Bathory, and illustrated by long time collaborator Simon Bisley. - more on this story

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Modest Mouse Expand Tour Plans
Filter reports: Hot on the heels of yesterday's tour news that Man Man would be heading out for more dates with Modest Mouse, the Modest Mouse camp has confirmed that the MM and MM road show will be touring together into December, turning their Fall tour into a far more substantial Fall/Winter tour. Man Man support on the December dates is expected, but not confirmed.

Modest Mouse Tour Dates:

October
31 Spokane, WA - Big Easy Concert House *

November
01 Spokane, WA - Big Easy Concert House *
02 Calgary, Alberta - MacEwan Ballroom *
03 Edmonton, Alberta - Edmonton Events Centre *
05 Regina, Saskatchewan - Conexus Arts Centre *
06 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - Odeon Event Centre *
07 Winnipeg, Manitoba - Burton Cummings Theater *
- more dates

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Who the hell are Bunnyranch?
PR reports: Who the hell are Bunnyranch? Well, they aren't an easy group to pin down. This quartet hails from Coimbra Portugal, fed with R&B, Soul and Gospel fiber and Stax carbs. A primitive, coolness absolute, rock'n'roll mutant. But all that's virtually irrelevant when you see them live. 

Bunnyranch, live are a maximum burst of adrenalin, capable of matching some of the best live acts stateside. The synergy of the band live begins with Kalo, (ex-Tedio Boys) a frontman, drummer and singer who just might be the captain of Holland's 1974 World Cup soccer team. Furiously animated and seemingly possessed by the music. Kalo makes for a performance that's nothing but riveting. He is accompanied by guitarist André Ferrão, João Cardoso (organ, piano, vocals) and Pedro Calhau on bass, adding excitement that makes a hammer of experience.

In Portugal, Bunnyranch releases have been highly acclaimed, the band has appeared at all the major festivals, and toured Spain, England and France. Luna Dance is Bunnyranch's third release licensed to America and Canada by Elevator Music. - more including tour dates

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Dirty Rig Switch Singers
PR reports: New York City/Long Island rock act DIRTY RIG once featuring frontman Kory Clarke (Warrior Soul) have decided it was best to part ways as they couldn't see eye to eye on several important band issues. DIRTY RIG just returned home after their second UK tour supporting their Escapi Music (Ryko/Warner Brothers) release titled Rock Did It. 

"We wish Kory all the best in the world with his various projects. Kory is a champ and a lifer in the music scene. He has spent nearly his first 50 years rocking out and we are sure he will be rocking for another 50 years." states the band. 

Since returning from their UK Tour, DIRTY RIG have auditioned over 60 singers and they now feel they are back to their fighting weight with the new addition of Tom Morrissey as their frontman. "We are so f***ing excited to have Tom leading this band now. Tom can really sing his balls off and he writes some killer melodies. Its a true blessing." adds founding member and bassist Buckshot.- more on this story

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The Minor Times Tour
PR reports: Pennsylvania hardcore heavyweights The Minor Times are currently finalizing fall touring plans with Engineer. Encompassing much of October, the two bands will hit the East Coast before returning home. Continuing to support their latest record, 'Summer of Wolves,' this marks the first major touring stint for the The Minor Times since the album's release late in June.

In other news: "Relapse records is going to be releasing a limited edition 7" with us and our friends Rosetta," the band says. "The record will feature two brand new tracks from us not available anywhere else. If you're not familiar with Rosetta, head over to their page [http://www.myspace.com/rosetta], those guys are incredible. Needless to say, we're pretty floored to have a record coming out on Prosthetic and a 7" on Relapse with a great band."- dates

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Paul van Dyk Adds Dates
PR reports: Fresh off the heels of playing the MTV VMA afterhours party in Las Vegas on September 9th, Paul van Dyk has added the following dates to his "In Between" North American tour:

September 26 Warehouse Live Houston
September 27 Crystal Ballroom Portland
September 28 Seven San Francisco
September 29 Nocturnal Wonderland Los Angeles
October 25 Glow @ Ibiza Washington DC
October 26 Roseland New York
October 27 The Park Denver- more dates

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Kris Kristofferson Sets UK Unplugged Tour
PR reports: Legendary country singer songwriter and celebrated actor, Kris Kristofferson will tour the UK for the first time in 4 years during March/April 2008. Hailed by many as an artist's artist, the three-time Grammy Award winner has recorded 26 albums, including three with Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings as part of The Highwaymen. 

His forthcoming UK tour will consist of an intimate solo acoustic performance. His success as a songwriter brought him to Hollywood, and catapulted Kristofferson into one of the biggest actors of his generation. In 1977, he won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in A Star Is Born and also starred in the films Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore and Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid. - dates

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Thomas Dybdahl Sets Global Release
PR reports: On October 23, 2007 Norwegian break-through artist Thomas Dybdahl will re-release his critically acclaimed new album Science via Recall Records. Thomas Dybdahl has garnered numerous accolades throughout his homeland earning him a "Spellemann prisen" (Norwegian Grammy) for Best Pop Artist along with an "Alarm" (Alternative Grammy) award for Best Pop Album. And, he has just been nominated for the 2007 Spellemanpris in the category of Best Male Artist. The awards ceremony takes place on January 27, 2007.

Now, after achieving critical acclaim and platinum-selling status in his native Norway, Thomas Dybdahl is ready to share his emotive voice and intricate portraits in song with the rest of the world. At 27 years old, Dybdahl possesses a true strength and maturity in his songwriting that defies categorization. 

Thomas Dybdahl will perform alongside Grand National and other Recall acts at "Recall Nights" @ Blender Theater NYC on November 7. A North American tour is planned for the winter (dates to be announced shortly.)- more on this story

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Tim Williams Tour and Release Party
PR reports: Tim Williams will usher in the arrival of his Americana-laced indie pop gem, WHEN WORK IS DONE (Dovecote Records), with a show day of release, October 2, at New York City's Cake Shop. 

The Brooklynite's folky tunes are currently striking a chord with audiences up and down the East Coast while an intimate tour with Geert Van Der Velde of The Black Atlantic [formerly of Shai Hulud] is in the works for November. Williams will make a stop at indie rock pantheon Daytrotter studios mid-tour to record a session October 10. - more on this story

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Cosmosquad Hitting the Road
PR reports: Acclaimed Southern California-based hard fusioneers Cosmosquad, featuring acclaimed guitarist Jeff Kollman (GLENN HUGHES, UFO) and Canadian drummer Shane Gaalaas (B'Z, DIESEL MACHINE), have announced an exclusive Sunday, September 30 Chicago club date at The Note, 1565 N. Milwaukee Ave., located in the city's Wicker Park area. Tickets are 7 dollars in advance and 10 dollars at the door.

COSMOSQUAD will kick off their 2007 fall tour with a performance at the world-famous Baked Potato, followed by a string of performance clinics in the Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin area. - more on this story

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Kentucky Fried Cheese
Contact Music reports: The bosses of fast food chain KFC have made JENNIFER LOPEZ and MARC ANTHONY a tasty offer after the couple revealed fried chicken will be a tourbus treat when they hit the road together in November (07). 

In a TV interview with U.S. news show Access Hollywood earlier this week (beg17Sep07), Anthony revealed KFC is the only thing he eats after performing shows, explaining, "I can't eat anything else." Lopez revealed that she's also a fan - but she can't eat the amount her husband does: "I mean every single freakin' night with the Kentucky Fried Chicken." 

KFC President Gregg Dedrick saw the interview and has written to the couple, inviting them to host after-show parties at KFC restaurant locations. Dedrick writes, "We would like to offer you, your entourage and a few VIP guests an all access pass to the KFC location of your choice. [maybe they'll start offering tasteless buffaj.lo wings and extra large thighs?] - more on this story

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Mailbag: We Are Not For Sale And You Can't Be Bought!
antiMusic reports: The response to last Friday's mini rant about being approached to sell editorial content was overwhelming. We received hundreds of emails about this with only three negative responses and two of those from people that run sites that engage in this practice. We'll get to that in a minute. There were just too many email to respond to each one but know that we really appreciate every last one! We must also tell you that the CEO of that company sent out an apology and retraction the next day and called me personally to apologize. It may have just been an honest mistake by someone new to business that didn't really understand what he was asking editors to do. We'll take them at their word since, unlike some companies, they do not have a history of this but we also told them that we can not cover the releases mentioned in that email. Back to the emails. 

Jesus Schwartz writes: I've been a fan of your website for seven or eight years, and one thing that's been consistent has been the quality and integrity of your reviews. I've made purchases of new music by bands I've never heard before solely on the strength of your writer's opinion: Strapping Young Lad, the Dillinger Escape Plan, and Hank 3 come to mind right away, all of which have either expanded my tastes or simply added more choices to an already eclectic CD collection. 

I appreciate your article in Friday's edition, "We Are Not For Sale" because it re-enforces my opinion of your site: you don't suck-up to anybody's preferred artists or whoever is the "next big thing", you definitely take an outsider's stance at objectively seeing a musician's merits for as they are, and not as part of some hype machine. There are plenty of articles in your Day In Rock report that I simply pass over because they're either generic PR from the labels or they don't involve anybody I'm interested in, but I always read the ones that your site writes no matter who the subject may be; I love it that you'll print the smart-assed comments in an otherwise "duhh" piece, it's like the Best Week Ever Daily Edition, if there was one...

Response: Thank you so much for your email. It really is appreciated. Out of all of the emails that came in yours really stood out because you hit on the exact reason why we starting this crazy thing almost 10 years ago. The goal was to expose people to great music that they might not hear about anywhere else and it's always gratifying to hear from long time readers and fellow diehard music fans that tell us we helped them find some new music they love. It really keeps us going and focused on what is important and why it doesn't matter if we're not getting rich and are even forced to sacrifice to stay with it. If we help convert one person to a fan of an artist they may not have found without us that makes it all worth while. We really are lucky to have the dedicated, knowledgeable and passionate writers we do. I really can't say enough about them. But we are equally lucky to have readers like you because you get what we're trying to do and how we are a bit different than other publications because at the base level we're just passionate music fans that like to write about a subject we love. So thank you! 

Now about the Day in Rock stuff, glad you like the original stories and the humor. The sarcasm is just a natural reaction to some of what goes on in rock and a reminder that even though we all really really love music we really can't take it too seriously! Plus some "artists" are walking punch lines that are just asking for it. Now on the press releases, ideally there would be more hours in the day to write 25-30 original news articles each day but it's just too much. We average about half right now and that takes hours each day to research and write and we include the press releases because they are things we think some of the readers would be interested in. We include a pretty broad range of stuff that way and I wouldn't be too quick to skip all of them, because you'll find some great under appreciated music covered in those as well. But once again thank you again for your email, it really is appreciated! 

**
Now the negative emails. The basic premise of the emails we received from the two webmasters that engage in the ads for reviews practice was that they have no choice, if they do not do this they can not survive and our simple response is if you have to resort to this, then you do not deserve to survive. Readers count on you for an honest opinion and if you got into this simply as a way to make money without a real passion for music, then your readers need to know that so they can take that into account when deciding how much to trust your coverage. Like I said last week, if we are forced offline ourselves because we take the highroad then so be it. Earlier this week we asked our readers to boycott Disney because they have begun censoring metal concerts at venues on their properties. The next day I sent out an email to some of the PR companies we work with to explain why we would not be covering any Disney related releases while they continue this censorship. I included a few metal sites in that email and asked them to join us in that boycott. Sadly, with the exception of Talking Metal we heard nothing back from any of them and nothing appeared on their sites but when looking at a couple of those sites we may see the key to why they are not supporting the boycott, they currently carry advertising for a Disney owned record company. Censorship of metal seemed like a pretty important issue to us, so we took a stand even though we cover many genres, not just metal, but apparently censorship is fine with some metal site operators for whatever reasons. I'm not a crusader, though these past couple weeks might seem otherwise, but I also can't turn a blind eye to something I believe is wrong. Even if it costs me or the site. 

The other email questioned the difference of our running multiple ads with the practice of trading coverage for ads. There is a world of difference. We would love nothing other to run one small ad like we were able to do before the dot.com bubble burst but we rely on outside ad companies to sell our ads and unfortunately these ads are sold at a pretty low rate. Due to the amount of readers we have that means that we have to run dedicated servers to meet the demand. Those do not come cheap and neither does the added bandwidth of serving a popular site. Not to mention the cost of distributing 100 or so CDs a month to writers around the world for review and other office expenses. You get the idea, so advertising is needed to cover the costs of running the sites and yes most months it doesn't even cover that but running advertising is quite a bit different than trading advertising dollars for favorable coverage. On the other hand, if you think we run a lot of ads, pick up the leading rock magazine and count how many pages of ads you have to flip through to get to their table of contents. It's pretty eye opening. Plus you pay for that magazine on top of the ads!

Finally a lot asked how they could help us out and many mentioned donations. If it comes to a point where we would need to do that we'd probably do a antiThon with an auction etc but right now the best thing you can do to help us stay online is not to send us money but to keep reading and sending us your thoughts about our coverage, whether it's a complaint or a request for more coverage of a certain artists and ALSO tell your friends that are into music about us as well. That will help us out far more than a donation can. So no need to send us money, instead spend that money on a CD you discovered here that's the best payment we can imagine.

Sorry for the length of this Mailbag but there were a lot of issues brought up in the emails this week. If you missed last week's mini rant and therefore don't know what in the hell this was all about you can read that at the link following this post. Thanks everyone and keep rockin! - Keavin Wiggins antiMusic Editor
- We Are Not For Sale

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....The Biz: Trent Reznor - The Last Honest Rebel
This week's Biz deals with the veracious rebellion of Trent Reznor and his stand against the record industry and just how revolutionary his integrity is in the cynical corrupt enterprise that is the music business of the 21st century. His battle for truth has begun.- Read the full Trent Reznor: The Last Honest Rebel op/ed
 
....As I Lay Dying - An Ocean Between Us
While "An Ocean Between Us" isn't a departure from their past sound, As I Lay Dying continues to hone their musical craft and come closer to what could be described as a perfect metal album. (5 stars) - Read the full As I Lay Dying - An Ocean Between Us review
 
....The Cape May - Glass Mountain Roads
Those who've never watched a full David Lynch movie other than Wild at Heart because the rest are too strange and nonsensical will similarly struggle with The Cape May, which is surprising and wonderful. (4.5 stars) - Read the full The Cape May - Glass Mountain Roads review
 
....Great Northern - Trading Twilight for Daylight
Great Northern lean more toward the musical styles of bands like Iceland's Sigur Ros or The Coast or Madrid from Canada - more on the line of new age pop or ambient rock and have the talent to be around for the long haul. - Read the full Great Northern - Trading Twilight for Daylight review
 


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