Category: Newswire

The final night of Megadeth’s historic month-long <em>Rust In Peace</em> 20th anniversary tour has been captured for the upcoming <em>Rust In Peace Live</em> Blu-ray, DVD and CD, due out September 7 on Shout! Factory. On March 31, 2010, at this incredibly special show at the legendary Hollywood Palladium, not far from where Dave Mustaine formed the band in 1983, Megadeth played their landmark, genre-defining 1990 <em>Rust In Peace</em> album in its entirety, in addition to other Megadeth favorites. <em>Rust In Peace Live</em> also marks the return of original bassist David Ellefson (Megadeth 1983-2002) to the iconic multi-platinum group after eight years. Ellefson (bass), joins Mustaine (lead vocals, guitar), Shawn Drover (drums) and Chris Broderick (guitar).

<em>Rust In Peace Live</em> features the entire <em>Rust In Peace</em> track listing, including all-time classics "Holy Wars…The Punishment Due" and "Hangar 18" along with bonus fan favorites from various other Megadeth releases such as "Symphony For Destruction," "Peace Sells," and "Skin O’ My Teeth."

Megadeth founder/frontman/guitarist Dave Mustaine explains, "We are pumped to be able to share the RIP Live concert with you all around the world. The anniversary and David Ellefson coming back was better than a facelift and a bottle of Viagra for old Vic."

The 80-minute <em>Rust In Peace Live</em> DVD (5.1 Dolby Surround 16:9 Widescreen) and Blu-ray (5.1 DTS Master Audio 1080p High Definition) were directed by Kerry Asmussen (Green Day, Jay-Z, Coachella). The DVD and Blu-ray will also include behind-the-scenes footage, including a rare glimpse of the band rehearsing in their dressing room as they prepare to take the stage.

<em>Rust In Peace</em> is considered one of the best metal albums of all time by fans and critics and debuted at #23 on the <em>Billboard</em> Top 200 Album Chart in the U.S. and #8 in the U.K. The album showcased a much tighter sound, with Mustaine’s writing style adopting a rhythmically complex progressive edge, prompting <em>All Music Guide</em> to cite <em>Rust In Peace</em> as "Megadeth’s strongest musical effort." The album received Grammy nominations in 1990 and 1991 for "Best Metal Performance." Emphasizing the massive impact of <em>Rust In Peace</em> in the July 2010 issue of<em> Guitar World</em>, writer Richard Bienstock calls it "one of the pinnacles of the first wave of thrash metal." He continues, "A defining quality of Megadeth’s sound-and the one that perhaps most sets them apart from their ‘Big Four’ thrash brethren, Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax-has always been the band’s fiery mix of speed-metal ferocity and progressive instrumental virtuosity…nowhere has this combination been displayed better than on <em>Rust In Peace</em>."

Guitar Notes Master is a new software application that promises to help guitarists rapidly learn essential fretboard theory, scales, arpeggios and chords in an enjoyable way. Guitar Notes Master takes the student from the very basics of the guitar fretboard, through learning to find notes and to build scales, arpeggios and chords. Lessons go from the most basic chords and scales up to many of the more complex chords and scales in common usage.

Guitar Notes Master incorporates interactive lessons, building knowledge of guitar fretboard theory from the ground-up rather than relying simply on rote learning of chords and scale patterns. Thousands of practice questions are included so that students can practice the topics learned in the lessons using a virtual fretboard – so users can practice without a guitar! Finally, customisable and printable guitar exercises can be generated for the patterns to help the user to get the patterns they’ve learned "under their fingers".

Graham Pett of Pett Software comments "As a guitarist, I found that the books that aim to teach guitar fretboard theory tended to be very dry and confusing, and lacking in information on how to incorporate building the knowledge into your practice routine. Existing software tools seemed to concentrate only on rote memorisation of the position of notes on the fretboard rather than true understanding of the fretboard. I wanted to build something that would give guitarists the fretboard knowledge they really need and do it in an enjoyable way, so Guitar Notes Master was born."

Guitar Notes Master includes lessons and practice exercises covering the following topics:

Open Strings
Root Shapes
Note Names and Finding Notes on the Fretboard
Diatonic Scales (Major and Minor Scales)
Pentatonic Scales
Pentatonic Lead Patterns
Intervals
Triads – Arpeggios and Chords
Seventh Arpeggios and Chords
Other Chord Types – Extended (e.g. 9th, 11th), Suspended Chords, 6, 6/9, Add9, Slash Chords and Power Chords
Modes – Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Locrian
Other Scales – Blues Scales, Harmonic and Melodic Minor, Phrygian Dominant Mode, Whole Tone and Diminished Scale

No previous knowledge is assumed, so it is suitable for beginners, but the lessons progress to advanced topics so nearly all guitarists will find valuable information in the lessons. Guitar Notes Master also provides MIDI playback of examples, customisable display and support for left-handed guitarists.

Learn more at guitarnotesmaster.com.

It’s been 10 years since John McVey released his second solo album, Jigsaw, but the singer/songwriter has been plenty busy during that time, working as a producer and engineer at Coupe Studios in Boulder, Colorado, while volunteering his time and music to both local and national charities. He never stopped writing, though, and now the Princeton, New Jersey, native is set to release his new album, <em>Unpredictable</em>, on July 20.

"I like taking time with my songs," McVey says of the span between Unpredictable and Jigsaw. "My process includes a lot of thinking and a lot of free writing. But when I get an idea that I really want to chase down, I’m relentless. I’ll fill pads with all of the writing that isn’t the song — like Michelangelo chipping away all of the stone that wasn’t the David." The end result of all of that chipping is Unpredictable, an album McVey is especially excited about because he’s donating a portion of every album sale to Kids Food Basket, a charity that provides bag lunches to underfunded kids and schools in Grand Rapids, MI. "I want this CD to be about something other than my own ego," he says. "It’s fun to watch sales when I know it’ll go toward something other than me."

Once named The National Academy of Songwriters’ "Artist of the Year," McVey has also won the Kerrville "New Folk" contest while taking home top honors in the Best of Boston’s Singer/Songwriter showcase. Meanwhile, Jigsaw and his debut album, Circle of Friends, have impressed fans and critics alike. "Combining well-crafted originals with well-considered covers, Circle demonstrates McVey’s writing, arranging and performance talents," writes Matthew S. Robinson from the Boston Globe. "A native of New Jersey, it is no surprise that McVey is often compared to the Philly Soul sound of artists such as Daryl Hall."

For as much as McVey enjoys the writing process, Unpredictable offered an entirely new challenge. "I’ve been working as a producer/engineer for the last dozen years, and I wanted to try and do this for my own songs," says McVey, who’s worked on hundreds of albums during his time with Coupe Studios. Producing Unpredictable, though, was a unique experience that McVey won’t soon forget. "I had the luxury of doing this CD completely on my own time, with no one to please, no one to answer to and no expectations on it at all. It was a work of complete art and passion."

For more, visit johnmcvey.com.

The Scorpions kicked off the North American leg of the "Get Your Sting and Blackout" farewell tour June 18 in Holmdel, NJ.

Throughout their 40-plus-year career the band has brought the enthusiasm, passion and in-your-face energy and Friday night was no different. They performed new songs off their latest album <em>Sting in the Tail</em> including "Raised on Rock" and title track and new single, "Sting in the Tail," which has just impacted radio this week. In addition, the band reached into their vast catalog of hits with "Wind of Change," "Send Me An Angel," and capped off the unforgettable night with the classic rock anthem "Rock You Like A Hurricane." Full set list is below.

<em>Sting in the Tail</em> brought the band a #1 hit at classic rock radio with the anthemic first single "Raised on Rock" and landed the highest Billboard Top 200 chart debut in over 20 years at #23. Adding to their already impressive reputation for their powerful and full-energy live arena performances and having sold over 100 million records worldwide, KLAUS MEINE (vocals), MATTHIAS JABS (lead guitar), RUDOLF SCHENKER (guitar), JAMES KOTTAK (drums) and PAWEL MACIWODA (bass) were recently honored at the World Music Awards and Hollywood’s "Rock Walk" for their positive impact and contribution to rock music across the globe.

The "Get Your Sting and Blackout" farewell tour continues onto major cities across the U.S. including Detroit, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Atlanta, Miami, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Denver and many more as the SCORPIONS celebrate their career accomplishments as the ambassadors of rock. Special guests on the tour will include Vince Neil, Cinderella, Great White, Dokken, Ratt and Tesla. Learn more at the-scorpions.com.

The new EVH Wolfgang Special guitar based on the U.S.-made EVH Wolfgang guitar designed by Eddie Van Halen.

The Wolfgang Special is a pro-level signature guitar, handmade in Japan, featuring many of the same exclusive custom appointments as its U.S.-made counterpart for less than half the price.

Some of these unique features include a basswood body with maple veneer flat top and single ply body binding, and a quartersawn maple neck complete with an AA birdseye maple compound radius fretboard and 22 vintage-style stainless steel frets.

Additional features it shares with its U.S.-made counterpart include custom-designed "EVH Wolfgang" humbucking pickups, an EVH branded Floyd Rose locking tremolo system with D-Tuna, a 3-position toggle switch, two Bourns&reg; low-friction controls (1 x 250k, 1 x 500k), EVH tuning machines, and a custom SKB molded striped case. Available in Vintage White, Tobacco Burst and Black polyurethane finishes.

For more, go to evhgear.com.

HardWire’s new TR-7 Tremolo/Rotary Pedal offers effects ranging from traditional tremolo to a highly detailed rotary cabinet simulator. It also features true stereo I/O, allowing for complex connections and sounds with extreme flexibility.

The TR-7 features seven effects including; Tremolo, Opto-Tremolo, Bias Tremolo, Duo Tremolo, Rotary, Vibrato, and VibroPan. The TR-7 also includes HardWire’s standard extreme performance features like true bypass and high-voltage rails.

Each HardWire pedal also features an assortment of tour-worthy accessories, including green gaffer tape common to pro pedalboards, Stomplock knob guards to maintain pedal settings and a hook &amp; loop pad to fasten the pedal to a pedalboard. Learn more at harman.com.

Taylor Guitars new GS Mini is a scaled-down version of the company’s Grand Symphony body shape and has new Taylor-designed pickup accessories.

It has a scale length of 23½" and a deeper body than the Baby Taylor, especially in the lower bout. To add to the guitar’s "pick up and perform" appeal, Taylor also wanted to offer an acoustic pickup for the Mini, but one that could be purchased after-market and easily installed by anyone. Designed exclusively for the Mini, the ES-Go is a proprietary magnetic soundhole pickup inspired by Taylor’s award-winning Expression System. Part of the ES-Go’s design simplicity is that each Mini is pre-fitted for easy installation of the pickup, and can be plugged in with the guitar’s discrete, snap-in interior clip. Another accessory that was designed to make it easy to plug in and play is the Taylor V-Cable: a quarter-inch cable with a built-in master volume control. Because the Mini was designed without tone or volume knobs, The V-Cable gives players a volume control where it plugs into the guitar, putting volume control at every player’s fingertips any time they plug in. "It’s brilliant and simple," shares Bob. "It allows anyone with a guitar but no volume knob to add volume control. You can find it in the dark, you can turn your cable off to unplug noiselessly, and you can use it on any guitar you have."

The GS Mini has a solid Sitka top, a back and sides of sapele laminate, an ebony fretboard and bridge, and a tortoise shell pickguard. The Mini comes ready to go anywhere in a specially engineered Taylor GS Mini Hardbag and will be available at domestic Taylor dealers starting in late July.

Go to taylorguitars.com.

Fender has introduced two new acoustics – the Dirty Donny Franken-Bucket and T-Bucket 400CE.

Fender has now upgraded all of its acoustic guitar preamp systems to Fishman, the leading U.S. manufacturer of acoustic pickups and preamps. Among these instruments, the Sonoran SCE models now have preamps with built-in tuners thanks to their new Fender Fishman Isys III™ systems.

Frankenstein’s monster himself glowers from the custom-pinstriped top of the green-sparkle "Dirty Donny Franken-Bucket" guitar, straight from the twisted but talented psyche of San Francisco hot rod artist extraordinaire "Dirty" Donny Gillies. Fender recently invited Gillies, who is well known for his graphics work with cars and skateboards, to work his monster magic on a single-cutaway dreadnought, and the resulting guitar was dubbed the "Franken-Bucket."

It’s not only cool looking, but also solidly built. The Dirty Donny Franken-Bucket features a laminated spruce top with scalloped X bracing, laminated mahogany back and sides, ivory neck and body binding, a laminated mahogany neck with a 20-fret rosewood fingerboard and dual-action truss rod, pinstripe inlay motif on headstock and rosette, a Fender Fishman&reg; Presys™ preamp with a built in-tuner, rosewood bridge with compensated saddle, black bridge pins with white dots, chrome hardware, die-cast tuners and a green-sparkle gloss polyurethane finish.

The new Hot Rod Design series T-Bucket 400CE model boasts some of the most beautiful touches yet seen on a Fender acoustic guitar. Most notably, the T-Bucket 400CE features a gorgeous natural finish flame maple top, back and sides. A closer look reveals an inlaid Fender "F" and pinstriping motif at the 12th fret, designed by noted graphic artist and rockabilly musician Vince Ray. Fender fans will note that Ray was the creative force behind the 2008 "Unlucky 13" limited edition acoustic guitar model. The T-Bucket 400CE also features an elegantly inlaid pinstriping motif on the headstock and rosette, and ivory neck and body binding.

Structurally, the guitar features scalloped X bracing, a dual-action truss rod, all-solid rosewood bridge with compensated saddle, side dot position inlays, factory-mounted forward strap button with internal block reinforcement, chrome end pin, white bridge pins with black dots, and a Fender Fishman Isys III preamp with built-in tuner.

See more at fender.com.

Lynyrd Skynyrd was honored this week by the U.S. Congress by Florida Congressman Connie Mack, and Alabama Congressman Spencer Bachus along with recognizing the achievements of the band during a reception at the U.S. Capitol.

The congressional honor for the group, who are performing in Birmingham tonight, came during a visit to Washington including stops at both the Capitol and the White House.

"The Lynyrd Skynyrd band is a true voice of the South and a legend in the music world. ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ is one of the best advertisements for my state and we now even proudly display the words on our license plates. We deeply appreciate the fact that the band does a lot to entertain our troops and support military families. They bring enjoyment to their many fans and it’s a pleasure to welcome them to our nation’s capital," said Bachus, who is dean of the Alabama House delegation.

After a hosted tour of the Capitol by Bachus’ staff, Representatives Bachus and Mack presented a Congressional Record tribute to the band members, including Johnny Van Zant, Gary Rossington, and Rickey Medlocke, recognizing the band’s career and successes.

Legendary rock icon Steve Miller will celebrate the release of the highly anticipated new album BINGO! by sharing the stage with longtime friend Kenny Chesney on CMT’s hit show "Crossroads." Performing each other’s songs and sharing stories on the popular series, the two icons filmed the show in Nashville at the historic Ryman Auditorium. The show will air Friday, July 9 at 10pm/9pm central. Songs featured in the hour long episode will include Miller’s classics such as "The Joker" and "Abracadabra," as well as "You Got Me Dizzy" from the new album <em>Bingo!</em>. The performance will also include Chesney hits "Living In Fast Forward and "I Go Back."

"From the first time Kenny invited me to play with him in San Francisco at AT&amp;T Park, until this minute he has been a refreshing and wonderful friend," Miller said. "I love the way he conducts himself, treats his band, crew, fans, and friends. Artists this busy barely have time for saying hello, yet Kenny takes the time to get to know you and shares himself. That is a very rare and endearing quality. He is a great performer, a great writer, and a great guy to roll with. He’s the real deal."

Fans can also expect to see Miller on NBC’s "Weekend Today Show" as the show follows the band on their U.S. tour. Miller will show anchor Lester Holt the rules of the road and they will chat about his new album. The Today Show will also get to see an exciting new set design by acclaimed Broadway director Rob Roth.

Released on Miller’s new label Space Cowboy Records in partnership with Roadrunner/Loud &amp; Proud Records, <em>Bingo!</em> is in stores now. <em>Bingo!</em> was recorded at film producer George Lucas’ infamous studios at Skywalker Ranch. A true return to Miller’s roots, <em>Bingo!</em> echoes his early years in the Chicago music scene and features carefully chosen and crafted tracks performed in distinctive Steve Miller Band fashion.

Rolling Stone magazine calls BINGO! "a return to his blues roots with the slick party pop vibe of his classics The Joker and Fly Like an Eagle." Miller is also gracing the covers of Guitar Player and Vintage Guitar magazines talking about BINGO! and the upcoming summer tour. He also showcases his new set and extensive guitar collection. Fans can hear Steve Miller discuss his new album on syndicated radio specials, Rockline, Nights With Alice Cooper, Greg Kihn and In The Studio.

The album is co-produced by Miller and engineer Andy Johns (Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix). The sessions introduced new band member Sonny Charles, a veteran vocalist of the Checkmates, who will join Miller on the road this summer. These were the final sessions by harmonica player and vocalist Norton Buffalo, Miller’s "partner in harmony" for 33 years, who died of cancer in October 2009.

Having sold more than 30 million records, The Steve Miller Band’s trademark sound is a mainstay of rock radio. His yearly summer tour extravaganza has become an anticipated annual event for millions of rock fans playing 60 or more shows every year. He is the Gangster of Love. Some people call him Maurice, the Midnight Toker or the Space Cowboy. And with BINGO!, a masterpiece album by one of the greats, Steve Miller shows he still speaks of the "pompitus" of love.

Read more at stevemillerband.com.