Tag: FNA Records
0 FnA Records Celebrates 5th Anniversary With New Releases
Launched in 2009, Nashville based FnA Records was formed with the goal of serving up the best and rarest unreleased and re-issued hard rock, glam rock and heavy metal from the late 80’s and early 90’s. Now 5 years later and with a catalog of over 100 titles in print, the label’s roster boasts many former major label artists as well as renowned regional favorites. Notable artists on FnA Records include Tora Tora, Black ‘n Blue, Dirty Looks, The Godz, Rock City Angels, Witch, Hawk, Roxy Blue, Roxx Gang, and Gypsy Rose.
One of the rare gems you’ll also find on the label is Freight Train Jane featuring Jaime St. James of Black n’ Blue on lead vocals. Two of the members on the release by Vandal went on to become members of the Grammy-nominated band Disturbed. The critically acclaimed Royal Blood album features guitar virtuoso Alex Masi and Rocky Newton of the Michael Schenker Group. You’ll find a just out of high school drummer Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater/Avenge Sevenfold) on the album by The Sweet S.A. Adams Project. Multiple releases by Greg Leon, the original lead guitarist of Dokken and one-time teaching co-hort with Randy Rhoads, are available on FnA Records.
FnA Records has carved its niche in the glam rock market by releasing CDs by many of the most popular acts that infested the Sunset Strip in the late 80s and early 90s. Exclusive and rare studio recordings are available by Alleycat Scratch, Wanted, Queeny Blast Pop, Vaudville, No Sympathy, Fatal Attraction and many others. But all the glitz doesn’t end in Hollywood. The label also offers the best bands from the Chicago, Memphis, New Jersey and New York.scenes. More lipstick and hairspay than you’ll know what to do with and much more to come in 2014.
As FnA Records celebrates its 5th year anniversary, the company shows no signs of slowing down with dozens of new releases and several big announcements scheduled or 2014. The year will start with the much anticipated releases by Freight Train Jane, Theatre, Vandal, Love Razors, Nikki Foxx, Vaudeville, Frenchee, Cristeen and Gibraltar. More details, including logo, photos, bios and catalog, are available at the company’s website.
1 Twenty Years In The Making….ROXY BLUE Returns With Three New Releases!!!
In 1992, Hard Rock fans were hit broadside with a momentous hard rock album, entitled Want Some, that seemed to come out of nowhere. The band was Roxy Blue, and while they were relatively unknown outside of their hometown of Memphis, music industry insiders knew that there was something about this band that set them apart from all the pretty boy hair bands that were currently being signed on a daily basis. So much so that everyone wanted to work with Roxy Blue and be a part of their magic! When the smoke cleared, Motley Crue’s management team was chosen to head the ship, Guns N’ Roses Producer (Mike Clink) was chosen to produce their debut album, and Geffen Records was the label that would release it.
Word spread quickly that Roxy Blue was the hottest new band around and they became the darlings of the hard rock media. Management was gearing up to break Roxy Blue as ‘The Next Big Thing’. With constant comparisons to Van Halen, Warrant, and even Motley Crue everyone was feeling the energy and momentum surrounding this band. The bands album, Want Some, immediately broke the Top 40 on Billboards AOR chart and was even reported to be the ‘Most Spun Rock Record Of The Summer’ by Record and Review Magazine. A tour with Babylon A.D. and Wildside kicked off the summer party while MTV constantly kept the bands videos in rotation on shows like the “Top Twenty Countdown”, “Most Wanted”, and” Headbangers Ball”. The band was on a rocket-ride winning masses of fans in the process.
Just like a summer love affair, Roxy Blue was here and gone in the blink of an eye. It all came and went too quickly and fans were left wanting more! But something funny was going on in the music industry and a whole legion of hard rock hair-band fans were left scratching their heads as a genre they heavily supported was systematically being deconstructed… And the band would be left holding the distinction of ‘The Last Successful Hair Band Of All Time’ according to the novel “The History Of Rock-n-Roll”.
Where did it all go? How could a band with such a huge momentum and powerful live show and tons of fans all of a sudden be gone? The fans were definitely left Wanting Some More; and twenty years later that’s what the fans are getting with the release of WANT SOME MORE, STRIPPED, and LIVE AT NIGHTMOVES all available through FnA Records (www.fnarecords.net).
FnA Records has formed an alliance with Roxy Blue to pick up where they left off. The best way to do this is to raid the vaults and pull out all the unreleased studio recordings, demos, b-sides, rarities, and live tracks recorded before and during the early Roxy Blue Days.
FnA Records is proud to bring you these three albums available individually, as a three-pack (at a reduced price), and as autographed fan packs with a limited edition Roxy Blue guitar pic.
3 FNA RECORDS TO RELEASE A TREASURE TROVE OF RARE RECORDINGS FROM MAJOR ARTISTS THIS FALL!
Recordings from Roxy Blue, Gypsy Rose, Rock City Angels, The Godz, & Roxx Gang highlight Fall release schedule
While the first half of 2012 has been a little light on the new release roster for FnA Records, that doesn’t mean we haven’t been hard at work. In fact, the little elves have been working their asses off for the past 6 months prepping to put forth a firestorm of major releases this fall. And here we go!
Having been signed by Tom Zutaut, who signed Motley Crue and Guns-n-Roses, managed by the same management company as Motley Crue, and produced by Mike Clink who produced Guns N Roses Appetite For Destruction, FnA Records is proud to announce the upcoming release of 3 bombastic albums by one-time Geffen recording artists Roxy Blue. Roxy Blue was being touted as “The Next Big Thing” with a powerhouse of talent behind them. Enamored were both Motley Crue and Kiss who stopped by to check out Roxy Blue as they prepared for the recording of their debut album, Want Some? The hype was enormous, but no one could’ve predicted the whole Seattle phenomenon. Another band whose potential was cut way too short. There will be two studio releases, and a live album that was recorded right before the band left to record their debut album. There are tons of unreleased tracks for the fans who could not get enough of this band. All three albums will be available for sale individually, or together as a package deal at a reduced price. Autographed copies and a super fan pack with a t-shirt will also be made available.
Second on the agenda and heading for a mid-September release is the album entitled Poisoned By Love by Gypsy Rose, a band who was one of the first to be signed by Kiss’ Gene Simmons to Simmons/RCA back in the days of MTV. This is surely to be one of the best melodic hard rock releases of the year. For those of you who thought that you would be forever limited to the one and only Gypsy Rose album, Prey, hold your hats…its time to enjoy another ride with lead singer Michael Ross and the gang. The album consists of nine tracks recorded from 1988-1992 and definitely shows a growth as to where the band was headed. Of special note are three killer tracks (Hell’s Kitchen, Free Me From Me, Too Many Pieces) recorded at the studio of Steelhearts Michael Matijevic. The bonus tracks will mesmerize and titillate. There are acoustic versions of the fan favorite tracks Poisoned By Love and Don’t Turn Your Back On Me recorded in Florida, as well as two reworked versions of the same two songs recorded in Canada. Rounding out the album are two tracks from the Michael Ross solo debut album. Again, regular versions and autographed versions with t-shirts will be made available.
Unfortunately, Rock-n-Roll lost one of its great ambassadors earlier in the season. We are speaking of course of Rock City Angels front man Bobby Durango. Bobby lived hard and lived the rock-n-roll lifestyle to the fullest, and while we all miss his unique vocal styling, FnA Records is proud to announce that there will be one last Rock City Angels album to complete the legacy of this bluesy frontman who gave us Deep Inside Your Heart. It is true that the band was currently starting preproduction for a brand new studio album, but nothing was ever tracked. So this album by the Rock City Angels, entitled Southern Visions, shall be the last. Southern Visions picks up where Midnight Confessions left off, and if you haven’t heard Midnight Confessions, do yourself a favor and head over to FnA Records (www.fnarecords.net) and pick up a copy. You won’t be disappointed, money back guarantee! Also being stocked by FnA Records is the bands very punk release, Use Once and Destroy.
The Godz are back! Yes, the band that was signed to Casablanca Records alongside Kiss, is set to release three more albums through FnA Records. Although the albums were slated for an early summer release, the albums had to be pushed back, and have been reworked so as to give maximum satisfaction to the listener. One of the most overlooked gems of the 1980’s was the hard-rockin’ Mongolians album by The Godz. While many saw this band as a product of the seventies and the jam scene, The Godz were able to reinvent themselves for Mongolians creating a much heavier sound that could rival that of any 80’s rock-n-roll outfit. The second album is called The Vault, and is just that, an album filled with 18 tracks pulled from the vaults of Eric Moore. Lastly, the third album will be a second disc of more rare and unreleased tracks recently discovered. If you are unfamiliar with The Godz, check out their long, rough and tumble history that has led to the band reaching cult status over the years. Hell, Metallica wont tour with just anyone now!
In late breaking news, Kevin Steele of Roxx Gang cleaned out his closet! Well, that’s not the breaking news, but what is newsworthy to all you hard-rocking glamsters out there, is that in the process, Kevin came across a never released, fully recorded album of material that pre-dates the Things You’ve Never Done Before/Virgin Records era Roxx Gang. It’s been reported that there are roughly a dozen songs, give or take, including some well-worked cover tunes. FnA Records has acquired the rights to this new album and will be releasing it as a companion piece to the mighty 3 disc box set, Boxx Of Roxx, that was released earlier this year. Regular versions, autographed versions, and super fan pack versions with a t-shirt featuring the popular Roxx Gang skull logo will be made available for purchase.
6 Tora Tora – Revolution Day (2011)
Thank You, Tora Tora, Thank You!!! I have been waiting a long time for the follow-up effort to Tora Tora’s sophomore effort, Wild America from 1992. I had no idea it would take nearly two decades to have a copy of Tora Tora’s Revolution Day in my hands! Tora Tora has finally made their third CD, Revolution Day available for purchase through FNA Records.
You can call it the introduction of grunge to the music scene, or label restructuring, but what ever reason fits, Revolution Day never received a proper release after it was recorded back in 1994. It is a crying shame, as music this good should not have been under wraps for so long.
Revolution Day sees that excellent Tora Tora sound well in tact, but it also shows signs of growth in the band’s sound. The guitar work of Keith Douglas really shines on this CD. There are moments on this CD where his playing brings Jimmy Page to mind. The additions of horns into the music, really punches the songs up. Anthony Corder’s unique vocals have never sounded better.
From the opening Led Zeppelin like intro of the title track, “Revolution Day”, you almost know right out of the gate that you are about to hear something special, and it only gets better. “Revolution Day” should have been a blazing hot tune on the radio back in ’94, and a few smart DJ’s out there will likely play this now!
“Mississippi Voodoo Child” is so incredibly catchy, it will have you singing along after the first listen.
Some of my other favorites on Revolution Day include the tracks “Blues Come Home To You”, and “Little Texas”. There truly isn’t a bad song in the bunch, and this CD gets better with every listen.
If you have one of those shoddy bootleg copies of Revolution Day that has been circulating across the net for years, you really owe it to yourself to hear the songs of Revolution Day recorded in all of their glory. This is way the CD was meant to be heard!
If you were a fan of Surprise Attack, or Wild America, you are going to love this. I highly recommend picking this up. Kudos to FNA Records for releasing one of the best hard rock records of 2011!
You can purchase Tora Tora’s Revolution Day through FNA Records at this link!
Rating:
Out of 10
Track Listing:
01. Revolution Day
02. Mississippi Voodoo Child
03. Candle And The Stone
04. Blues Come Home To You
05. Time And The Tide
06. Shelter From The Rain
07. Living A World Away
08. Rescue Me
09. Little Texas
10. Memphis Soul
11. Me And You
12. Out Of The Storm
Tora Tora is:
Anthony Corder – Vocals
Keith Douglas – Guitar
Patrick Francis – Bass
John Patterson – Drums
0 Tora Tora’s Revolution Day Finally Get A Release Date!
FnA Records is releasing a not-so-new album from TORA TORA. In fact, inferior copies have been floating around the internet for years to the dismay of the band. Guitarist Keith Douglas comments: “The files found and shared on the net are a poor copy from cassette to CD that are actually too fast. This release will be the closest thing ever to the original recording. Revolution Day Is Here!”
Revolution Day is material that was being worked on by Tora Tora for the follow-up to Wild America when the band found themselves in the midst of a new genre called Grunge. Fans of the hard rock genre would be disappointed as they saw their favorite bands dropped from their labels. What was a successful band like Tora Tora to do?
Anthony Corder recollecting the Revolution Day sessions:
“The Revolution Day project was an interesting time for Tora Tora. It was the ’93-’94 era, we were overlapping the last embers of our Wild America dates, rehearsing ideas for the new project, growing from our touring experiences, and experimenting with recording techniques. We relocated our rehearsal space to a warehouse over by the Memphis airport, and tried to stay focused on pre-production. We were pulling together ideas from handheld cassette recorders, scribbled napkins, and 8 track recordings we made on the bus or hotel rooms. I think we were more comfortable with our creative spirits, more confident in our ideas and our approach to songwriting. All of us contributed on the former projects, but everyone was struggling for the third project to keep the Tora identity, and go somewhere new at the same time. We definitely had moments of anxiety and frustration but it was all well worth it once we locked down the tunes. We were joined by The Memphis Horns as well as Susan Marshall and Stacy Plunk, adding back-up vocals on two tracks. The Revolution sessions were some of our most memorable escapades, and had us back at home in Ardent, hanging with Molly’s LaCasita crew, and me personally closing down most Midtown establishments.”
So what can the fans expect on Revolution Day? Fans of Tora Tora who fell in love with the bluesy feel of ‘Walkin’ Shoes’ and ‘Phantom Rider’ can expect more of the same (just with an updated feel) on tracks like ‘Mississippi Voodoo Child’, ‘Candle And The Stone’, ‘Shelter From The Rain’, ‘Me And You’, and ‘Rescue Me’. There are also your hard rockers on this album like ‘Living A World Away’, ‘Out Of The Storm’ and ‘Little Texas’.
Revolution Day shows a huge growth over Wild America as the band became more comfortable in the studio. On top of that, Anthony Corder’s voice is at a top-notch level. The fans will not be disappointed.
FnA Records has been the home for the last three Tora Tora albums, Bombs Away, Miss B. Havin’, and Before & After.
To pick up your copy, visit the website at www.fnarecords.net.
