Tag: Paul Shortino
0 An Update From Liberty N’ Justice – New Song ‘Give ’em A Light” Featuring Paul Shortino & Dave Henzerling To Be Released Tuesday
Liberty n’ Justice has been busy at work trying to complete there yet to be released double CD, “The Cigar Chronicles” (13 cover tunes/ 13 original tunes). On Tuesday June 12th, LNJ will be releasing a new single via digital outlets (Itunes etc) of a song that did not make the final cut of “The Cigar Chronicles”. The song titled “Give Em’ A Light” features Paul Shortino (King Kobra/Rough Cutt/Quiet Riot), JK Nothrup (King Kobra, XYZ), and David Henzerling (King Kobra/ Steelshine). Justin Murr of LNJ had this to say,”Being a huge music fan, having the chance to reunite Shortino/Northrup with David playing a cranking solo just blows me away! The response of our last CD “Hell Is Coming To Breakfast” (released 4-24-12) was so overwhelming and it was largely consisted of songs that did do not make “The Cigar” I thought we would continue letting people hear music they would not have heard otherwise.”
Liberty n’ Justice featuring Mark Lanoue (Biloxi/ Chasing Karma) and JK Northrup recently recorded a song “15 Years Later” for Andrew McNeice (www.melodicrock.com). The song wwas co-written by Northrup and Murr and will be exclusive to MRCD9 compilation record.
In other Liberty n’ Justice news, on June 12th LNJ is reissueing there 1996 release “Foever Till The End” via digital outlets. The album was remastered and new artwork was added (Lanoue ) for this special release. The album shows a earlier poppier sound of LNJ, and features the vocals of ex-CBS recording artist Gregg Clemons.
And finally LNJ Records is reissueing Tim Martin’s 1993 live CD “Exploring New Horizons…Live” (via digital outlets). Murr had this to say about the release,” Most people may not have heard of Tim Martin, but Tim was a big part of the LNJ legacy. Opening up for us on our “Lost In Eden” tour back in 93′, co-writing with me LNJ songs like “Foolish Child” (which he sang on both versions from “Big Guns” and “Welcome To The Revolution”, “In Good Faith”, “A little bit of love” (original demo was called “Born With Beggars”), and “Forever, I Love You”. Much more then all that Tim was a good friend and a spiritual mentor to myself.
On Sept. 13,2011, Tim was involved in a motorcycle accident and I lost a friend. I decided I would release Tim’s live CD (many of the tracks I co-wrote with him) and allow you to be blessed as Tim blessed me.
It’s a live recording with just Tim and his acoustic guitar and it shows what a talent Tim was. A portion of the proceeds are being donated in Tim’s name in a form of a scholarship. I miss my friend but I am happy to be finally share to the world his music.
0 BlancaWhite – Resurgence of Rock (2011)
BlancaWhite is the music project of Ken Savage and Austin Schell. On their debut effort, Savage and Schell have attracted the vocal talents of Paul Shortino, Terry Ilous, Lorraine Lewis and Jeff Paris. What they have accomplished is an full of fun, classic sounding tunes that will appeal to most rock fans.
Paul Shortino can sing anything and make is sound great . Two of the tracks he sings on, “Resurgence of Rock” and “Livin’ It Up” are easily my favorites on this CD. “Resurgence of Rock” is a clever tune that mentions many of the great hard rock acts of the 80’s. “Livin’ It Up” is a cool, extremely catchy anthem that would sound great at any party.
There are moments on “Take Me Back” when Jeff Paris sounds like Rod Stewart. This song has a very cool classic vibe that demands replay. “Another Hotel Bar” is a story telling type of song, that could easily describe musicians in many of today’s rock bands. Paris does a great job on this tune as well. This song is one of Resurgence of Rock’s highlights.
It is good to hear Lorraine Lewis back in action. I have heard sing since Femme Fatale’s debut was released in 1990. She does a good job on the song “Still Turnin’ Heads”. I didn’t really care forthe song “Hundred Years War”. Lorraine sings in a lower register for much of this song, and it sounds unnatural for her.
Terry Ilous always does a tremendous job on everything he sings. “Your Boyfriend is Lame” is no exception. You can get a free download of the upbeat rockin’ tune, “Your Boyfriend is Lame” by visiting this link.
Overall, BlancaWhite’s debut is a solid effort, and one that classic rock fans will likely enjoy. For more information on Resurgence of Rock, please visit this website.
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Resurgence of Rock (Paul Shortino)
- One For the Ages (Jeff Paris)
- Your Boyfriend is Lame (Terry Ilous)
- Take Me Back (Jeff Paris)
- Livin’ It Up! (In A Mexican Bar) (Paul Shortino)
- Still Turnin’ Heads (Lorraine Lewis)
- Another Hotel Bar (Jeff Paris)
- Hundred Years War(Lorraine Lewis)
- Woman Side/ Famous Last Chords (Paul Shortino)
1 “RESURGENCE OF ROCK,” BLANCAWHITE’S DEBUT ALBUM, INSPIRES A GLOBAL RESURGENCE OF HARD ROCK
It’s high time for a resurgence of classic hard rock! With that rallying cry, BlancaWhite has released its debut, full-length album, “Resurgence of Rock,” to significant fanfare and acclaim. Sung by legendary vocalists from the 70s and 80s hard rock era, Resurgence of Rock is original, in-your-face, party-hardy hard rock at its finest!
An extraordinary international project two years in the making, Resurgence of Rock taps the exceptional talents of 80s vocalists Paul Shortino (QUIET RIOT, ROUGH CUTT and KING KOBRA), Terry Ilous (XYZ and GREAT WHITE), Lorraine Lewis (FEMME FATALE and L.A. NOOKIE), and Jeff Paris (CINDERELLA, VIXEN, SLASH and KEB MO), who deliver stunning performances with all the skill and spirit of hard
rock’s greatest era.
Billed as a “hard rock grass roots revolution,” Resurgence of Rock is the brainchild of international lawyer Ken Savage and brothers Austin and Rick Schell, who spared no effort or expense to bring their hard rock dreams to fruition. “We’re just ordinary rock fans who want the world to return to the glory days of hard rock, and we cared enough to do something about it,” says Savage, a fifth-generation Texan based in Paris, France. “This is hard rock made by fans for fans, pure and simple. It was a thrill and an honor to make this album, and we hope every hard rock fan from the
70s and 80s will enjoy it.”
Resurgence of Rock is unique in the manner it mixes hard rock sounds of the 70s and 80s with a modern-day perspective. “The driving rock sounds on this album are straight out of the classic hard rock era. But the subject matter and lyrics are from the perspective of today,” notes Savage. “The songs ought to appeal to anyone who grew up in the late 70s or 80s. The songs either look back on that era with fondness, or they address issues that someone who grew up in that period, now with a few more years under his or her belt, faces today.” In short, “Resurgence of Rock is a unique mix of the vintage, classic sounds of bands like AC/DC or Van Halen, with the perspective of today,” explains Savage.
BlancaWhite adopted the models of the Alan Parsons Project and early Queens of the Stone Age and scoured the world to locate the best vocalists for each of their songs. “This project was an extraordinary odyssey that took us to Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Austin, Nashville, and Paris. The logistics and challenges were horrific,” says Savage. “We wanted the very best in terms of singers, as well as mixing and mastering, and we did whatever was required to make that happen. It was challenging and exhilarating at the same time!”
BlancaWhite is named after the world-famous bar in Matamoros, Mexico, just across from the Texas border where Savage and the Schells grew up. The international influences on the album are unmistakable. BlancaWhite’s founders are particularly proud of the fact that one of their key hard rockers, “Your Boyfriend Is Lame,” contains lines in Spanish and French, and that they were able to locate Terry Ilous, perhaps the only natively tri-lingual hard rock vocalist of the 80s, to sing that song.
Little surprise that SAMMY HAGAR, VAN HALEN, and AC/DC were major influences on the album. “We were most strongly influenced by Sammy, Eddie, Malcolm, and Angus, with some combination of DEF LEPPARD and JUDAS PRIEST as well,” says Savage. “There are strong Mexico and partying themes to this album, and even a reference to Van Halen’s Cabo Wabo in our title song. Sammy ought to be proud of
what he’s inspired!”
BlancaWhite is already working on its next album. BlancaWhite intends to keep making “hard rock music with a modern twist” as well as matching exceptional singers to particular songs. “We hope everyone gets a real kick out of Resurgence of Rock. It’s time for rock music to become fun again, without any higher calling. And hold on to your hats – there is much more to come!,” says Savage.
Check out the Electronic Press Kit below!
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT:
ResurgenceOfRock.com
BlancaWhite.com
1 King Kobra – S/T (2011)
I have been a fan of Paul Shortino since his Rough Cutt days. When I heard he was taking over the vocals duties for the King Kobra reunion, I couldn’t have been happier. I was hopeful that his vocals would help propel King Kobra to new heights. I can happily that say that Shortino’s voice is stronger than ever. His vocals are a good match for King Kobra.
In my opinion, King Kobra’s music has been hit or miss over the years. Their debut album Ready To Strike is still my de facto favorite. The latest effort from King Kobra, doesn’t surpass the debut album, but it is still pretty good. In all reality, it might not be fair to compare this version of King Kobra to the original version as Shortino’s vocals are much different from those of Mark/Marcie Free. If I were to compare this CD to the original releases of Rough Cutt, Shortino’s former band, it stands out extremely well.
“Rock the House” opens the album in fine fashion with a cool party rock anthem. “Turn Up the Good Times” helps deliver that one-two punch. This heavy rocker is the perfect complement to “Rock the House”. King Kobra came firing out of the gate for this CD.
The pace slows down for the song “Live Forever”. The funny thing about “Live Forever” is, if this song was released twenty years ago, it could have been a hit for King Kobra. It might just be the perfect melodic rock tune.
“Tear Down The Walls” was always just a clichéd title from the 80’s. I remember a lot of bands taking a lot of crap for this song title. Nonetheless, King Kobra’s “Tear Down the Walls” does rock.
“Midnight Woman” is a great sing-along tune that won’t get out of my head.
I can’t begin to tell you how much I love the drumming of Carmine Appice. His drum fills on “We Got a Fever” remind me so much of the way he played on the Blue Murder debut. His excellent drumming combined with the awesome riffs from Mick Sweda and David Michael-Phillips make this one enjoyable tune.
It was a minor disappoint to me that the song “Monsters & Heroes” was not on this CD. This is a really cool King Kobra tune that was released last winter. It got quite a bit of play on the Hard Rock Hideout radio show.
Personally, I am quite happy to see these guys back in action. I have been listening to King Kobra, and all of the bands the members of King Kobra have been in for years. From Blue Murder, to W.A.S.P., to Bulletboys, to Rough Cutt, and Big Cock. There are so many great bands that the collective members of King Kobra went on to form. I think it is cool that they all got back together to give us another cool set of tunes to enjoy.
Overall, this is a solid album for King Kobra. I think the band’s long time fans will enjoy it.
For more information on King Kobra, check out the band’s Facebook page. You can purchase King Kobra’s CD at this link. Buy it and “Turn Up the Good Times”!!!
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Rock This House
2. Turn Up The Good Times
3. Live Forever
4. Tear Down The Walls
5. This Is How We Roll
6. Midnight Woman
7. We Got A Fever
8. Top of the World
9. You Make It Easy
10. Cryin’ Turns To Rain
11. Screamin’ For More
12. Fade Away
King Kobra:
Carmine Appice – Drums
David Michael Philips – Guitar
Johnny Rod – Bass
Paul Shortino – Lead Vocals
Mick Sweda – Guitar
0 Sin City Sinners, Ron Keel & Paul Shortino 5K Walk for Cystic Fibrosis
On Sat April 9th, Jason Green will captain TEAM SIN CITY SINNERS for a 5k walk in Las Vegas to raise money to fight Cystic Fibrosis. The team will consist of members of Sin City Sinners (the band Green manages) including Brent Muscat (Faster Pussycat, L.A. Guns) Rob Cournoyer (Raging Slab) and Michael Ellis. They will also be joined by very special guests Paul Shortino (Rough Cutt, Quiet Riot, King Kobra) and Ron Keel (Keel, Steeler)
“I truly manage the most generous band in the world and Paul Shortino and Ron Keel are not only great musicians, but great people. They both stepped up without a second though to do this. Even if it means getting up at 8am on a Saturday or a 5k walk” said Green.
The best part is anyone can join the team and also walk in support. Just visit the link and click “Join MY Team”You can also make a donation if you are unable to attend.
https://www.cff.org/Great_Strides/dsp_DonationPage.cfm?walkid=7257&idUser=433461
The 5k walk takes place in Las Vegas at Mayron Patridge Track Stadium on the UNLV Campus.
Breakfast and registration begin @ 8am the walk starts at 9. The team will walk around the track 12 times to make 5k (3 miles)
“It’s going to be a great morning for a great cause. I have lived with someone who has Cystic Fibrosis and have seen first hand how horrible the effects can be. Every dollar raised goes to improve the quality of live of those suffering” Said Green
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 70,000 children and adults worldwide. In the 1950s, few children with cystic fibrosis lived to attend elementary school. Today, advances in research and medical treatments have further enhanced and extended life for children and adults with CF. Many people with the disease can now expect to live into their 30s, 40s and beyond. The possibility of a cure is only limited by dollars. Money buys science and science buys life, hopefully one day CF will stand for “Cure Found.”
Sin City Sinners past charitable efforts have raised over $10,000 to date for various causes. In March, Manager Jason Green shaved his head to raise $3,000 to fight Child hood Cancer.
Sin City Sinners is Todd Kerns (Slash, Age of Electric) Brent Muscat (Faster Pussycat) Rob Cournoyer (Raging Slab) and Dr. Michael Ellis
Visit thesincitysinners.com for more
0 Kobra Are Back With a Veteran Hard Rockers King Venomous New Album; Audio Samples Available!!
Frontiers Records is excited to announce the release of the Self-Titled come back album from KING KOBRA on April 15th in Europe and May 5th in North America.
Formed in 1984 by legendary drummer Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge, Rod Stewart, Ozzy Osbourne), Los Angeles heavy metal outfit King Kobra recorded two critically acclaimed albums for Capitol Records – the 1985 release ‘Ready to Strike’ and 1986’s ‘Thrill of a Lifetime’.
Along with Carmine, the band featured four relatively unknown musicians at the time – David Michael-Philips and Mick Sweda on guitar, Johnny Rod on bass and Mark Free on lead vocals. King Kobra toured the U.S., Canada, Europe and Mexico playing shows with Kiss, Iron Maiden, Quiet Riot, Ted Nugent, Queensryche and Autograph.
The band was featured regularly on MTV and performed the theme song for the #1 1986 motion picture “Iron Eagle“. After disbanding in 1988, each member continued his career in other successful major-label groups – Carmine to Blue Murder (Geffen), Mark Free to Unruly Child (Interscope), Mick Sweda to the BulletBoys (Warner Bros.), Johnny Rod to W.A.S.P. (Capitol/EMI) and David Michael-Philips to Lizzy Borden (Metal Blade).
The year 2010 saw the band reunite the original classic ’85 lineup, replacing original singer Mark Free (now Marcie Free) with veteran lead vocalist Paul Shortino (Rough Cutt, Quiet Riot). “This album captures all the great points we had in the 80’s, but better” says Carmine Appice “The music is more traditional King Kobra music. Great lyrics, kick ass songs with cool hooks and really good playing. A really great hard rock/metal record with lots of energy”. David Michael-Phillips adds “It truly is an all-star album. Paul Shortino is amazing! I can honestly say he is one of the best vocalists in the business along with being one of the nicest and most generous people I have ever met”.
The band is planning to get on some targeted American and European summer festivals this year. Watch out: King Kobra is smokin’ hot, back stronger than ever and “Ready to Strike” once again!
The new album “King Kobra” will include the following tracks: Rock This House, Turn Up The Good (Times), Live Forever, Tear Down The Walls, This Is How We Roll, Midnight Woman, We Got A Fever, Tope Of The World, You Make It Easy, Cryin’ Turns To Rain, Screamin’ For More, Fade Away.
Weblinks: www.frontiers.it / www.myspace.com/frontiersrecords www.myspace.com/officialkingkobra
0 Liberty N’ Justice – Chasing A Cure EP With Vic Rivera (2011)
What does Paul Shortino, Ron Keel, and Eddie Ojeda have in common? They are all from successful bands from the 80’s, and they have performed together on the new Liberty N’ Justice EP, Chasing a Cure!
The lineup on this EP is a hard rock fan’s dream. Paul Shortino, Ron Keel, Eddie Ojeda, Philip Bardowell,Tony Palacias, Terry Ilous, Jeff Paris, Richard Kendrick,Donnie Vie, JK Northrup, Benny Mardones, John Pine and Bill Leverty have joined forces to create five new songs with a purpose.
With the Chasing A Cure EP, Liberty N’ Justice is trying to create awareness of epilepsy and raise money for research to find a cure. The disease hits very close to home for Liberty N’ Justice founder, Justin Murr. Justin’s oldest daughter, Trinity Paige Murr, was diagnosed with epilepsy at age 7. For the past five years she has battled through daily medication, hospital stays, cluster seizures, induced comas, three weeks in the ICU — and finally brain surgery.
Chasing a Cure is available through the Liberty N’ Justice website. 100% of the proceeds are being donated to the Epilepsy Foundation in Trinity’s name.
This EP is only available to those who donate through the Liberty N’ Justice website. It is not on sale in stores or online anywhere else.
So how is the music? It is easily the best melodic rock I have heard in 2011. I have been a fan of Paul Shortino and Ron Keel for a long time, and have been anxiously awaiting the release of the new King Kobra CD that Paul is singing on. Shortino and Keel’s voice blend together nicely for one rockin’ tune with “Say Uncle”.
“Paige’s Song” with Philip Bardowell and Tony Palacios reminds me a lot of a Mr. Big tune. It is a slower number, but the music is very good. Bardowell’s vocals are terrific, and Tony Palacios guitar licks truly enhance this song.
I always enjoy hearing new stuff from Donnie Vie. In my opinion, Enuff Z’nuff’s music is amongst the most under rated tunes in the late 80’s and 90’s. If you are an Enuff Z’nuff fan you need the song “Throwing Stones”. It does not disappoint!
Terry Ilous is one of those singers that could sing the phone book and sound good. Needless to say, his vocals here are terrific. Of course he has a little help from Jeff Paris (who has written more hit rock tunes than you can imagine), and Richard Kendrick from the Steve Blaze fronted Near Life Experience.
Remember Benny Mardones from the song “Into the Night“? I always though Mardones has a voice that was similar to ex-Journey front man Steve Perry. Ironically, the song “Chasing A Cure” sounds as if it could have been a left over Journey track.
The bottom line, if you are melodic rock fan, or of the musicians involved in this project, you are going to enjoy Chasing a Cure. When you donate money for this EP, you can feel good about your money going to a good cause, and get some great tunes in return! You can get Chasing a Cure, from the Liberty N’ Justice website at this location!
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track listing:
- Say Uncle (Paul Shortino of Rough Cutt/Quiet Riot/King Kobra, Ron Keel of Keel, and Eddie Ojeda of Twisted Sister)
- Throwing Stones (Donnie Vie of Enuff Z’ Nuff and JK Northrup)
- Paige’s Song (Philip Bardowell of MAGDALEN/Unruly Child/The Beach Boys and Tony Palacios of Guardian)
- Playing God (Terry Ilous of XYZ, Jeff Paris and Richard Kendrick of Near Life Experience)
- Chasing A Cure (Benny Mardones, John Pine and Bill Leverty of Firehouse)
0 Badd Boyz – S/T (1993)
When most people hear the name Bad Boys, they immediately think about the them song from the show COPS. Well back in the early nineties, there was a short lived band named Badd Boyz that featured former Quiet Riot members Paul Shortino and Sean McNabb, as well as Mitch Perry (Talas, Steeler, Heaven), Michael Guy (Shark Island, House of Lords) and Rich Carlton.
This self titled effort was released in Japan after the band split up, and has been out of print for years. So it this CD worth tracking down? If you are a fan of Paul Shortino, chances are you are going to like this. In my opinion, Paul Shortino has a very cool, and unique voice that truly stands out. I enjoyed the stuff he has recorded with Rough Cutt, and Quiet Riot, so it was only natural for me to finally track this CD down.
There are some really cool tunes on this disc including, “Leave It To The Law”, “No Time For Cryin” and “Straight To My Heart”. I would put these songs up against anything else Shortino has ever recorded. They are that good!
Some of the songs that the band put together were not available at the time this CD were recorded, so Paul fleshed out the rest of the CD with the songs, “This Must Be Love”, “Hard To Say Goodbye”, “You’re Mine Tonight” and “Save Our Land”. The only problem with doing this is, it made the CD seem a little uneven. The whole disc is solid 80’s / early 90’s style hair metal, the second half is not quite as heavy, and isn’t as good. There really isn’t a bad song on the CD, I just enjoyed the first half a lot more.
If you can find this at a reasonable price, I would definitely recommend picking it up. Ebay or Gemm may be the the only way to find this rare CD from Badd Boyz!
Rating: Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Leave It To The Law
- No Time For Cryin
- I Don’t Want to Hear Your Heart Break
- Straight to My Heart
- You’re Mine Tonight
- This Must Be Love
- Hard To Say Goodbye
- Save Our Land
Badd Boys are:
Paul Shortino – Vocals
Mitch Perry – Guitars
Sean McNabb – Bass/Vocals
Rich Carlton – Drums
Michael Guy – Guitars
Other Members
Steve Fister – Guitars
Matt Abts – Drums
1 Paul Shortino to appear on Hard Rock Nights
Paul Shortino, best known as the frontman for Rough Cutt and his short stint in Quiet Riot, will be the special guest on this week’s edition of Hard Rock Nights (July 31-August 6). Shortino has just released a new solo album, Chasing My Dream, and is currently working in the studio with Ron Keel on the new Keel album due out early next year.
Shortino joins JT to discuss his days in Rough Cutt, working with guitarists Jake E. Lee, Craig Goldy, and Amir Derakh, and his brief time with Quiet Riot, as well as his current projects.
Hard Rock Nights can be heard on Stickman Radio every Friday at 1 pm EST, KWTF The Edge every Friday at 10 pm EST, and Rock Hard Radio every Saturday at 9 pm EST and Sunday at noon EST.
18 My Take on Rocklahoma 2008!
Is Rocklahoma 2008 a big music nostalgia fest? Absolutely! Would I want to attend? Yes, without question.
Many of the bands in this 4 day music extravaganza haven’t released any new tunes in years. Would I still want to see them perform? No question about it.
Here is the Thursday Lineup:
LA Guns featuring Tracii Guns
Enuff Z’Nuff
Vain
House of Lords
Jet Boy
Bret Michaels (headliner)
Enuff Z’Nuff
Vain
House of Lords
Jet Boy
Bret Michaels (headliner)
Looking at the list of acts above, this lineup may not excite a lot of people, but I would still like to see it. I love Tracii Guns, but I make no bones about it, that I prefer the Phil Lewis version of this band. I wouldn’t go out of my way to see their set.
Chip Z’Nuff mentioned in the Rocklahoma that a new Enuff Z’nuff album is on the way with Jake E. Lee on guitar. I am not sure if Jake E. Lee will be with them at Rocklahoma, but if so, this is a show not to be missed.
I haven’t ever seen Vain live, but I have heard a lot of good things about them. I would be happy to check them out.
House of Lords is still putting out new music, and has a new CD that will hit stores in a couple of weeks. Their last album, World Upside Down was quite good. James Christian is a very good singer, and the band features the talent of axe slinger Jimi Bell. Count me in!
I had the pleasure of seeing Jetboy live in Columbus (See this article for the concert review with videos). The band was excellent alive. I wouldn’t miss this their set for anything.
Tracii Guns mentioned in the Rocklahoma press conference that he hated opening for these guys, as they used to blow him off the stage. Jetboy was originally signed to MCA, and as with most acts on that label, never got the proper support they deserved. They are going to open up a lot of eyes at Rocklahoma.
Bret Michaels mentioned at the press conference that this will be a big show with pyro etc when he closes out on Thursday night. It sounds as if he wants to make this every bit of fun as a Poison show. He also mentioned that a special area will be set up where you can meet him in person, get an autograph, and a picture, and talk music with him. With Rock of Love being the #1 show on cable televison, there will be a lot of people waiting in line to meet Bret, without question. I don’t know much of his solo music, so I can’t say if his solo set is something I would want to check out. I will likely check out his solo disc that is supposed to hit in June.
Strangely enough, most of the bands on the Friday schedule, I have not seen live. For them to all be on the same bill together is quite cool. I wouldn’t want to miss one band on the Friday night line up.
Friday:
XYZ
Armored Saint
Kingdom Come
Night Ranger
TBA
Triumph
Extreme
XYZ
Armored Saint
Kingdom Come
Night Ranger
TBA
Triumph
Extreme
XYZ was quite similar to Dokken. Terry Ilous said that this will be the first time the band has played together is several years. It should be an interesting set, and it will good to hear some of their tunes again.
Armored Saint is easily the heaviest band on the main stage for the entire 4 day event, and is a no miss act, in my opinion. Their CD, Symbol of Salvation, is still one of my favorites.
Kingdom Come always took a lot of crap for being a Led Zeppelin clone when they first came out. Nonetheless I like their first two CD’s, but I haven’t cared for their more recent material. I am not sure what the lineup will be for this show. I am guessing it will be Lenny Wolf and a bunch of hired hands. I will have to see what I can find out on this one. I have low expectations for this part of the show.
There are plenty of Night Ranger songs that I have enjoyed over the years. They put out a new CD in 2007, which I still haven’t checked out yet. Jack Blades, Brad Gillis and Kelly Keagy are a very talented group. I wouldn’t dare miss this set.
Triumph and Extreme are co-headlining Friday night. This is one of the few appearances that Triumph is making
in 2008. Rik Emmett always puts on a good show. I wouldn’t miss this for anything.
Extreme is back together again with Gary Cherone, Nuno Bettencourt, and Pat Badger. They are working on new
material for a 2008 release. I would be happy to see Nuno play live, in any capacity. I am glad to see him return to the band that made him famous.
There is also one band that has not been announced for Friday. I am not sure who this will be, but the lineup is already a solid one.
The Saturday Lineup has a lot of question marks for me, but could turn out to be a solid day of rock.
Saturday:
Pretty Boy Floyd
Every Mothers Nightmare
Tora Tora
Black N Blue
Trixter
Kix
Warrant featuring Jani Lane
Cinderella
Pretty Boy Floyd
Every Mothers Nightmare
Tora Tora
Black N Blue
Trixter
Kix
Warrant featuring Jani Lane
Cinderella
My understanding is that Pretty Boy Floyd has completely reunited. This isn’t the watered down version of the band that Steve Summers has been on the road with. If so, then this would be kind of cool to see.
Every Mother’s Nightmare is a complete wild card. The singer, Rick Ruhl, and drummer Jim Phipps are the only remaining members. I like their bluesy Memphis rock, and would like to check them out.
Tora Tora on the other hand is a complete band reunion. I love their two CD’s Surprise Attack, and Wild America.
I have seen them live but it has easily been 18 years ago. They were great then, so I would imagine a solid show by this group. Hopefully their unreleased CD will see the light of day after this.
I never had the opportunity to see Black N’ Blue live, but I have all of their CD’s and would certainly want to check them out. Jamie St. James was pretty good on the last Warrant CD. I don’t know what the lineup will be for this show, but I doubt that Tommy Thayer will be part of it. Gene Simmons owns him now.
I have to admit that I have never been a Trixter fan. I always looked at this band as the New Kids on the Block
with guitars. I thought their music was a little thin back in the day, and seeing them live won’t change my opinion.
I have always liked Kix, and I have seen them live a few times. I have also seen Steve Whiteman’s other band,
Funny Money (which sounds exactly like Kix). It would be cool to hear some Kix tunes live again.
I saw Jani Lane solo in 2007, and he sounded great. I am happy that Warrant is back together again in a full reunion. I have seen them live a few times, and they always put on a good show.
Cinderella is also a band that has always put on an excellent show, each and every time I have seen them. Tom Keifer’s voice is the only thing that is a question mark about this show. The band has been off for a couple of years so I am hopeful that Tom’s voice is back to full strength.
The Sunday lineup is interesting, especially with two times slots still opened. One of these slots is heavily rumored to be Motley Crue. I am not sure of the other one, but wouldn’t be shocked to see Danger Danger get the other slot.
Sunday:
Axe
Beautiful Creatures
Zebra
Lynch Mob
TBA
Tesla
TBA
Axe
Beautiful Creatures
Zebra
Lynch Mob
TBA
Tesla
TBA
I doubt a lot of people are going to know Axe. I know the band, but I wouldn’t go out of my to see them play live. I like their tune Rock and Roll Party In the Streets, but that is about it.
Beautiful Creatures have released a couple of CD’s in this decade which is more than a lot of the bands in this music festival can say. Seeing them on the roster has me getting out my CD’s by them again. I would certainly want to check them out.
Zebra is a darkhorse in this lineup. I haven’t seen them live, but I am quite familiar with their music. This could be a good show.
Lynch Mob now features Oni Logan on vocals, Marco Mendoza on bass, Tommy Aldridge on drums, and of course George Lynch on guitar. I saw half of this band perform with Whitesnake, and would love to see this lineup in action. Tommy Aldridge is an animal on the drums, and George Lynch needs no introductions. I am interested in hearing his new Scorpion Tales album, but this is a Scorpions cover album. This is quite odd, considering that he hasn’t ever been in the band.
Tesla is the must see band on the Sunday bill. I have seen Tesla twice in the last year, and they were excellent both times. They will easily be the best band on the Sunday lineup (amongst those that have been announced so far.)
The side stages at Rocklahoma has a bunch of darkhorses, and bands that may surprise you.
The lineups look like this:
The Retrospect Records stage includes the following bands: Jester, Sidekixx, air-A-Dice, Front Runner, Tommy Had a Vision, Valor, Gypsy Blue, Whitefoxx, Blue Tiger, Wild August, Messang, Paul Shortino, Mariah, Warryor, Bad Candy,
Lorraine, Nasty Nasty, Real Steel, Cuttlass, Vyper, Mass, Bad Candy, Oney, Strikeforce, Herazz, Reckless, Heartless, Ron Keel, Warryor and Alibi.
I am not familar with most of the bands on the Retrospect stage, aside from: Mariah, Mass, Paul Shortino, Ron Keel, Nasty Nasty and Strikeforce. I would certainly like to
check out some of these acts, although none of these were bands were ever considered A-Listers.
The other stage has Texas Hippie Coalition, Karnevil featuring Dario Lorina, Dirty Penny, Crooked X, Gypsy Pistoleros, Sweet FA, Banshee, Gods of Kansas, Lipstick Magazine, Pownd, Shadowside, Mindflow, Warmachine, Asphalt Valentine, and Krucible featuring Lance King.
The interesting thing about Stage 3 is most of these are all up and coming bands.18 year old Dario Lorina is an amazing guitar player. Look him up on you tube and watch this kid play. He is very good. Karnevil is his new band. I don’t know much about them, but with Lorina on the six string, they will be interesting.
Dirty Penny is one of the better new glam bands out there. They aren’t very original, but their new CD is pretty good.
The Gypsy Pistoleros close out Friday Night on stage three, and they are the must see band in Rocklahoma. The Flamenco twist on their upbeat glam tunes is certainly one that I would like to see.
Sweet FA is the late 80’s/early 90’s hard rock band that reunited in 2007. Their new CD, The Lost Tapes is quite good. I have seen this band live, and I know they are pretty good.
Banshee is another must see band on stage three. They are one of the heavier acts on this stage. If you haven’t heard any of their music, I recommend checking them out. They will surprise you for sure.
Gods of Kansas is a newer band that is starting to make some waves. They are currently playing a bunch of live shows all over the U.S.
Pownd is a newer heavy metal band that is located 2.5 hours down the road from me in Richmond, Kentucky.
Their newest CD is highly rated across the web. I will be reviewing this one soon.
Shadowside and Asphalt Valentine are two of Chavis Records newer bands. Shadowside has one cd out, and one
on the way. Asphalt Valentine is a hard rocking band from Atlanta, GA. Their debut will be released within
the next couple of months. (I will also be checking them out locally in two weeks).
I don’t know the other acts on this stage (Crooked X, Lipstick Magazine, Mindflow, Warmachine, and Krucible) but I will be exploring these bands in the months to come.
As a whole….Rocklahoma offers plenty of Nostalgia, but also a slew of NEW bands trying to make it in the music world. The addition of two more stages in 2008 greatly improves this event over the 2007 show.
I can only hope that I will be able to make the trek there for this show. I can’t imagine missing this event!
3 Quiet Riot – S/T (Release Year – 1988)
Back in 1988, Kevin Dubrow got fired from Quiet Riot. Carlos Cavazo, and Frankie Banali carried on with former Rough Cutt singer Paul Shortino.
If Quiet Riot had any momentum left in the 80’s, this CD probably killed it. Paul Shortino’s singing style was a radical departure from the metal screams of Dubrow. Shortino is more of a bluesy style of singer. His vocals on this self titled album are actually pretty good, as they were on the Rough Cutt records.
This disc is certainly heavier than the previous album with
Dubrow, QRIII. This album is less keyboard centric, and more of a guitar rock album.
Some of my favorite cuts are Stay With Me Tonight, King of the Hill, and The Joker.
In 2008, this album is solid enough to stand on its own. It will never be my favorite Quiet Riot album, but I am still able to play this one, and get a little enjoyment out of it. If you can get over the fact that this is a Quiet Riot album, you might actually like this.
This disc is out of print, but you can still find copies on Amazon.com and Ebay.
Rating:
Out 0f 10
Track Listing:
1. Stay With Me Tonight
2. Callin’ The Shots
3. Run To You
4. I’m Fallin
5. King Of The Hill
6. The Joker
7. Lunar Obsession
8. Don’t Wanna Be Your Fool
9. Coppin’ A Feel
10. In A Rush
11. Empty Promises
Quiet Riot is:
Paul Shortino – Vocals
Sean McNabb – Bass
Carlos Cavazo – Guitar
Frankie Banali – Drums
Additional Musicians:
Jimmy Waldo (Keyboards)
Jimmy Johnson (Bass)
