Country artist Michael Peterson is the recipient of this year’s Bob Hope ‘Spirit of Hope’ Award, thereby recognized for his dedication and continued contributions to the troops of the United States Armed Forces.

The Spirit of Hope award is presented annually to distinguish ed Americans whose patriotism and service to the troops reflects that of Bob Hope.  Commissioned by the USO in November 1997, the award was name after Hope, who at that time was designated as the first and only honorary veteran of the United States Armed Forces for his decades of entertaining troops, both in peacetime and in combat zones.  Hope symbolized the idea that America cared about and supported its troops, and he remains the USO’s “Ambassador of Good Will.”

The award was given to Peterson at a ceremony held at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. in late October.  Other notable winners of the award in the past include the Country Music Association, CBS news anchor Walter Cronkite, the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, and former astronaut John Glenn.

“The men and women in uniform who serve our nation selflessly with honor and integrity are inspiring to be around,” said Peterson upon receiving the award.  “For decades, Bob Hope saluted them with entertainment and encouragement from home.  Because of Mr. Hope’s sacrifice and service, today’s entertainers have the same opportunity.  I am grateful for this recognition and the privilege of being associated with his legacy.”

Peterson completed the U.S. Army sponsored ‘My Real Life - Strong For America Tour’ earlier this year.  In addition to performing, the singer introduced various programs and services at each stop of the tour that empowered students to make great choices and provided civic leaders and businesses with new strategies for contributing to their local communities.  A live concert headlined by Peterson concluded each week’s events.

The former collegiate football star continues his support of the troops with a series of overseas dates during the holidays.  He will also perform for U.S. Army Chief Of Staff General George W. Casey Jr. in my old stomping grounds, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on December 5th at the Union League of Philadelphia, prior to the annual Army-Navy football game.

Peterson first arrived on the country music scene in 1997 with the success of his self-titled debut album, which produced such hits as Drink, Swear, Steal & Lie which reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart (now Hot Country Songs)and From Here To Eternity which made it all the way to number one.  The album was certified gold by the RIAA, and ultimately generated a total of five hit singles on the Billboard charts.  In addition, he was recognized as country music’s top selling new male artist by Billboard and R&R in that same year.   

Peterson, a great ambassador for country music industry, has also contributed his time to other charities such as The Ronald McDonald House, the Special Olympics, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The USO is a Congressionally chartered, nonprofit organization, that is not a government agency, but rather is funded by many national corporations and other private contributors.  For more information on the USO, call 1-800-876-7469 or visit their Web site, www.uso.org.

Congratulations Michael!

Lara Meyerattken takes on vocals again on a few songs but I find myself yearning for Bachmann to come back and sing a song. The second track, "Luisa's Bones" is like this: nicely arranged but the vocals are tiring. "Phony Revolutions" brings back that tex-mex feel with Eric singing. Again, I think they've ventured down this territory too many times. I quite liked "Give and be Taken". It had a fresh feel to it with an aggressive, almost dance-like beat. Yes, it's Lara singing on this one but it's a little different. The gentle "Let's Not Pretend (To Be New Men)" was decent as well. Still had that spaghetti western flavor to it.

Long time fans may feel the same as I do, this album was too much like Dignity and Shame. They just need to take on some new influences next time around.

Last winter I was dragged along by my parents to see Tom Jones in Concert and I have to admit I had a great time. I was in the front row of a seated venue so had a quality view of the limber hipped legend. Granted, I was probably the only member of the audience under the age of sixty, but he even held my hand as he sang to me during the encore (“swoon”). After watching the live show I understood his lasting power over the years. If we get over his embarrassing moments (a tight leathered and hairy chested Tom singing “Kiss” in the 80’s springs to mind) then what we are left with is a powerful performer with an undeniably distinctive voice. The best part of the show was an acoustic set where he sat on a stool and sang a load of old blues songs. It was a real pleasure; I forgot I was watching the gyrating Tom Jones known to the world and simply enjoyed listening to a great blues singer.

This year Tom has released a new album: “24 hours”. It’s getting great reviews from press and fans alike. This is the first album he has released with original material in years, and aspires to contain more diverse and reflective material.

- Sophia

In The Lap Of The Gods is fairly interesting symphonic prog number, but still rather lightweight. Pyramania is so horrible that it hurts my brain! Skip this one unless you want to go seriously insane! Hyper-Gamma Spaces is an instrumental that could have been a theme song to some cartoon.

The last song is a symphonic ballad, decent but forgetable.

As always with the Project, this album is very well-produced and overall very well-crafted. But that is not enough to make a good album.

Only for fans and collectors this one.

by SouthSideoftheSky


PARSONS PROJECT, ALAN Music Online:
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• GEMM, Vinyl Records & CDs Rare Albums (Out of Print and Imports)
• AMAZON, find cheap, used and new stuff with the marketplace
• eBay, used or new | bid or buy now

(Here’s the official press release, including details about the Bay Area date:)

ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK IS PROUD TO PRESENT THE
FIFTH ANNUAL ROCKSTAR TASTE OF CHAOS TOUR

2009 TOUR TO INCLUDE:
THURSDAY
BRING ME THE HORIZON
FOUR YEAR STRONG
PIERCE THE VEIL
CANCER BATS


Pierce the Veil

WINTER’S BIGGEST & LOUDEST TOUR NOW AN EVEN BETTER VALUE WITH NEW LOWER TICKET PRICES
TOUR KICKS OFF FEBRUARY 14 IN LOS ANGELES

PRE-SALE BEGINS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12 AT 10AM

ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK, ERNIE BALL, ALTERNATIVE PRESS, MYSPACE MUSIC, NAMM, www.DiNGLIFE.com ARE ANNOUNCED AS SPONSOR/MEDIA PARTNERS

December 2, 2008—ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK TASTE OF CHAOS continues to stake its claim as the preeminent winter rock package tour. Always an explosive, in-your-face affair, ROCKSTAR TASTE OF CHAOS features today’s biggest and on-the-verge of stardom hard rock bands. Blaring, boisterous and brutal, this year’s tour will be no different. Heralded by Florida’s Backstage Pass as “delivering some of the best known acts in the rock ‘n roll world,” past RTOC performers have included a who’s who of this decade’s most popular rock bands including My Chemical Romance, Taking Back Sunday, Rise Against, Deftones, Killswitch Engage, 30 Seconds to Mars, The Used and over three hundred more.

Tour co-founder Kevin Lyman, always with his ear to the street and his hand on the scene’s pulse, chose this year’s cutting edge lineup after watching many of these same bands explode on the 2008 Van’s Warped Tour. By taking fan feedback to heart and personally handpicking artists that he feels will be breaking out in ’09, the lineup includes headliner THURSDAY, as well as BRING ME THE HORIZON, FOUR YEAR STRONG, PIERCE THE VEIL (all of whom will rotate their spot on the bill throughout the tour), and CANCER BATS. In addition, one local Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands winner will open the show at each stop.

“After listening to what fans had to say during Warped Tour and watching many of these bands with thousands of fans watching them perform,” Lyman explains, “these are the bands rock fans want to see. And I believe they’re all on the brink of breakout success.”

Last year, the Asbury Park Press praised Lyman for his forward looking approach to the tour, writing: “No wonder the Rockstar Taste of Chaos is known as the ‘Winter Warped Tour.’ Much like the highly successful summer rock jaunt, Rockstar Taste of Chaos is affordable and offers a wide range of bands. Lyman, who assembles the Warped Tour lineup, goes out of his way to put together a package of punk, hard rock and true alternative acts for the bill.”

This year, fans can expect a low ticket price (between $20-25 per ticket) as well as the return of the fun-filled concourse offering a bevy of fascinating distractions in between sets guaranteeing that the pandemonium will begin as soon as fans enter the venue.

Tour co-founders, John Reese, Lyman and Darryl Eaton state: “We are very excited about the great bands and concourse activities planned for the 2009 North American Tour. ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK has been a great partner helping us bring fans a great package and a big show at a very fan-friendly entrance price. We’re really proud that the RTOC has become an important event on music fans’ calendars in the long, cold winter in the U.S. and Canada .”

ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK Marketing Director Mike Kelso states, “Live music is very important to ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK and for the past four years the worldwide success of ROCKSTAR TASTE OF CHAOS has been instrumental in the success of our brand.”

With nearly 300 worldwide dates over the past fours years, playing in over 20 countries including the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, Australia, Japan, France, Mexico, New Zealand and Italy among others, ROCKSTAR TASTE OF CHAOS, the only worldwide lifestyle festival tour, is back with another onslaught of winter dates in the U.S. and Canada.

The ROCKSTAR TASTE OF CHAOS pre-sale begins Friday, December 12th, at 10AM in each market. Please go to www.rockstartasteofchaos.com for all on sale information, ticketing links, and concert dates.

Head over to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtM6bwcOOgQ to view a ROCKSTAR TASTE OF CHAOS EPK featuring all of this year’s acts.

Thursday

For the last decade, headliner THURSDAY has released groundbreaking, essential albums like 2001’s fan-favorite Full Collapse and 2003’s breakthrough War All the Time, while always playing riveting shows garnering hundreds of thousands of fans worldwide. As the band approaches its tenth anniversary, it has dug deep to recapture the original fervor and fire to make its most honest and sincere record to date. Hailing from New Brunswick , New Jersey , the band recently signed with Epitaph Records and will see its fifth studio release, Common Existence, in stores February 17. The record was produced by former Mercury Rev member Dave Fridmann who has also produced The Flaming Lips, Weezer, Ed Harcourt, Café Tacuba, Phantom Planet, and OK Go. THURSDAY frontman Geoff Rickly says of the new album: “This is the first time I’ve looked at a lot of life’s events from an adult perspective.” Pioneers of modern punk, THURSDAY is one of the biggest influences and leading bands in the emerging post-hardcore scene. Election Day 2008 also saw the band release a limited edition split LP with the band Envy. www.myspace.com/Thursday

Bring Me the Horizon

British metalcore outfit BRING ME THE HORIZON’S latest release, Suicide Season is now out on Epitaph Records. It’s not often scene kids, screamo fans and metal-heads can agree on a band, but after BMTH’s explosive rise in popularity, culminating in their breakout performances at Vans Warped Tour this summer, fans of all three genres have found their new favorite band. Hailing from Sheffield , England , Oliver Sykes (vocals), Matt Nicholls (drums), Curtis Ward (guitar), Matt Kean (bass) and Lee Malia (guitar) formed BMTH in 2004 and began setting the UK ablaze with blistering performances across the country. By 2006 the band had already won Kerrang!’s “Best British Newcomers” award and toured with groups like Killswitch Engage, Aiden, and Bleeding Through. Later that fall the group unleashed their debut album, Count Your Blessings, which further cemented their place among the metalcore elite. BMTH explore the limits of its sound and abilities, resulting in tracks that will make you think as much as bang your head. Suicide Season is the perfect soundtrack to a life spent on the edge, where the rules don’t apply and darkness rules. www.myspace.com/bmth

Four Year Strong

Calling Worcester, Massachusetts home, FOUR YEAR STRONG has been making a name for itself as one of Alternative Press’s “100 Bands You Need To Know in ‘08” and Rolling Stone’s “40 Bands You Need To Know”. Frequenting the Smartpunk Top 10 sales and Purevolume’s “most played” charts, the band has garnered nearly 2 million plays on MySpace by simply making music the way they want it to be made. The band’s debut full-length, Rise or Die Trying, on I Surrender Records continues to generate an excited buzz across the Web, catching the ears of Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz. Earlier this year the band announced its partnership with Decaydance Records, joining the ranks of bands like Panic at the Disco, The Academy Is…, and Gym Class Heroes. Equal parts melody and mayhem; however, its true talent lies in the ability to use these parts to create one exciting, infectious whole. www.myspace.com/fouryearstrong

Pierce the Veil

San Diego’s PIERCE THE VEIL is a progressive post-rock quartet whose debut A Flair For The Dramatic on Equal Vision Records incorporates elements of fractured hardcore, prog-rock and metalcore into a unique amalgam of heavy music that is bound to turn heads and blow minds. Recorded by Casey Bates (Portugal The Man, Gatsbys American Dream) in Seattle , Washington , Pierce The Veil’s debut is a labor of love that the band put every ounce of creativity into. www.myspace.com/piercetheveil

Cancer Bats

Toronto’s CANCER BATS is fueled by a burning desire to rage harder, play louder and have more fun than any other band. Mixing hardcore, southern metal, and punk rock into a lethal rock & roll explosion, the four-piece has never rocked as hard as it does on its sophomore release Hail Destroyer. Co-produced by Eric Ratz (Big Sugar, Theory Of A Dead Man, Billy Talent), Kenny Luong (Billy Talent), and Greg Below (Alexisonfire), and recorded at Vespa Studios, the album features an edgier, much heavier, and finely tuned collection of songs. Featuring guest vocals by Cancer Bat bro’s Ben Kowalewicz (Billy Talent), Wade MacNeil (Alexisonfire), and Tim McIlrath, the no-holds-barred tracks on Hail Destroyer will definitely get the ROCKSTAR TASTE OF CHAOS party off on the right earsplitting note. www.myspace.com/cancerbats

Back as the title sponsor, ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK will once again be sampling its products, in addition to coming up with some great surprises for concert goers. Other sponsors include Ernie Ball, NAMM, DiNG and MySpace Music, as well as Alternative Press who will produce the Official Tour Program.

ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK is the world’s most powerful energy drink. Enhanced with the potent herbal blend of Guarana, Ginkgo, Ginseng and Milk Thistle, ROCKSTAR is scientifically formulated to provide an incredible energy boost for those who lead active and exhausting lifestyles - from athletes to rock stars. ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK is available in eleven amazing flavors: Original, Sugar Free, Zero Carb, Juiced, Guava, Pomegranate, Punched, Punched Citrus, Roasted Mocha, Roasted Latte, and Roasted Light Vanilla, all of which are available at convenience and grocery retail outlets across the United States , Canada , Mexico , Australia , New Zealand , Japan , Germany , Finland , and throughout the United Kingdom .

Ernie Ball’s 4th Annual ROCKSTAR TASTE OF CHAOS Battle of the Bands returns! Attention unsigned bands, sign up for the once in a lifetime opportunity to play live on the main stage of the 2009 ROCKSTAR TASTE OF CHAOS TOUR! Play alongside Thursday, Bring Me The Horizon, Four Year Strong, and Cancer Bats for the ultimate career-altering opportunity. Signups go live December 15th at www.battleofthebands.com, the premier website that gives your band limitless opportunities to play live.

NAMM joins RTOC as a 2009 sponsor and is on a mission to educate RTOC fans on what an amazing tool music can be in all of our lives. NAMM is an information source for music retailers and helps fans discover music performance.

Joining us again in 2009 are Peta2 and Shirts For a Cure. As the world’s largest youth animal rights group, Peta2 has been a non-profit sponsor of ROCKSTAR TASTE OF CHAOS since its inception in 2005. Stop by the Peta2 booth to make a difference for animals by signing the “Meat’s Not Green.”

Shirts For A Cure is also a fifth-year sponsor and will be onsite selling new and exclusive t-shirt designs from bands like Thursday and more. All proceeds from the sales go directly to providing financial assistance to women who cannot afford the expense of the fight against breast cancer.

Also back in 2009 is the RTOC Label Tent, where fans can get the newest info, artist releases and promotions from the likes of punk rock staples Epitaph Records and SoCal upstarts Old Shoe Records. Canadian clothing retailer D-TOX will be back as a sponsor on all Canadian dates. Dominic LaFortune, D-Tox Marketing and Promotions Director says, “D-Tox is very proud to be a part of the ROCKSTAR TASTE OF CHAOS in Canada for the third year in a row. We’re looking forward in seeing you all and we’re preparing tons of cool stuff for you so make sure to pass by and check us out.”

This year, ROCKSTAR TASTE OF CHAOS has teamed up with Buzznet.com to create the “Official Buzznet Taste Of Chaos Community.” The ultimate backstage pass, the community will give fans the most personal and in-depth look at the tour through exclusive photos, videos, interviews, contests and more. Each of the RTOC bands will be carrying a Buzznet phone which they’ll use to post candid photos and videos from the road in real-time, so fans won’t miss a beat. A Buzznet blogger and photographer will also be hitting the road to follow the entire tour and provide daily updates. In addition, fans can join the conversation by contributing their own photos, videos and blogs from the tour to the community, where they’ll not only be seen by millions, but could also be specially featured on Buzznet.com.

MySpace Music, a landmark joint venture among MySpace, EMI Music, SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony ATV, aims to empower major, independent, and unsigned artists to monetize their content through multiple revenue streams. By allowing the MySpace community to freely stream premium content in an ad-supported environment, purchase MP3s and ringtones, create and share playlists, and ultimately buy merchandise, concert tickets, and other digital and physical goods. MySpace Music also connects artists and fans in the offline arena through various concert series and live events including Secret Shows, MySpaceLIVE!, Transmissions, The Release, Front to Back and The List. MySpace Music centers around the more than five million major, indie, and unsigned artists that use their MySpace music profiles to communicate and intimately connect with fans and friends. As one of the most popular and most trafficked music platforms in the world, MySpace Music has evolved into an offline experience by connecting bands and fans around the world through various concert series and live events.

DiNG holds the world’s largest catalog of artist and music related artwork with over 200 artists and 130 devices at www.DINGLIFE.com. A DiNG is a custom-fit, full-color, device-specific decal, that is easily applied to over 100 devices including cell phones, MP3 players, laptops, gaming systems and controllers.

RTOC 2009 Tour Dates:

SAT
2/14/09
Los Angeles, CA
Palladium

SUN
2/15/09
San Jose, CA
San Jose Civic Auditorium

MON
2/16/09
Chico , CA
Senator Theatre

TUE
2/17/09
OFF

WED
2/18/09
San Diego, CA
House of Blues

THU
2/19/09
Tucson, AZ
Rialto Theatre

FRI
2/20/09
Las Vegas, NV
House of Blues

SAT
2/21/09
Salt Lake City, UT
In the Venue

SUN
2/22/09
Denver, CO
Fillmore

MON
2/23/09
OFF

TUE
2/24/09
Milwaukee, WI
Eagles Ballroom

WED
2/25/09
Cincinnati , OH
Bogart’s

THU
2/26/09
Rochester, NY
Armory

FRI
2/27/09
Worcester, MA
Palladium

SAT
2/28/09
Hartford, CT
Webster Theatre

SUN
3/1/09
OFF

MON
3/2/09
Providence, RI
Lupo’s

TUE
3/3/09
Clifton Park, NY
Northern Lights

WED
3/4/09
New York City, NY
Nokia

THU
3/5/09
Sayreville, NJ
Starland

FRI
3/6/09
Philadelphia, PA
Electric Factory

SAT
3/7/09
Baltimore, MD
Rams Head Live

SUN
3/8/09
Columbus , OH
Newport

MON
3/9/09
Cleveland, OH
Agora Theatre

TUE
3/10/09
Detroit, MI
Fillmore

WED
3/11/09
St. Louis, MO
Pageant

THU
3/12/09
Chicago, IL
Aragon

FRI
3/13/09
Minneapolis, MN
Myth

SAT
3/14/09
Kansas City, MO
Beaumont Club

SUN
3/15/09
OFF

MON
3/16/09
OFF

TUE
3/17/09
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Revolution

WED
3/18/09
Orlando, FL
Hard Rock

THU
3/19/09
Atlanta, GA
Tabernacle

FRI
3/20/09
OFF

SAT
3/21/09
Houston, TX
Verizon

SUN
3/22/09
San Antonio, TX
Sunset Station

MON
3/23/09
Dallas, TX
Palladium Ballroom

TUE
3/24/09
OFF

WED
3/25/09
OFF

THU
3/26/09
Boise, ID
Knitting Factory

FRI
3/27/09
Portland, OR
Roseland

SAT
3/28/09
Seattle, WA
Showbox

SUN
3/29/09
Spokane, WA
Knitting Factory

MON
3/30/09
Vancouver, BC
Commodore

TUE
3/31/09
OFF

WED
4/1/09
Calgary, AB
MacEwan Hall

THU
4/2/09
OFF

FRI
4/3/09
Edmonton, AB
Event Centre

SAT
4/4/09
Saskatoon, SK
Odeon

SUN
4/5/09
Winnipeg, MB
Burton Cummings

MON
4/6/09
OFF

TUE
4/7/09
OFF

WED
4/8/08
Toronto, ON
Kool Haus

THU
4/9/08
Montreal, QC
Metropolis

Bring Me the Horizon video:

Cancer Bats video:

Cancer Bats photos by Flickr user Chloe Delong
Bring Me the Horizon photo by Flickr user alextakesphotos

This photo shows Barack Obama meeting with 50 U.S. Governors at the Bipartisan meeting of the National Governor’s Association at Congress Hall, today in Philadelphia, Pa.

It is the first time Sarah Palin and Barack have been in the same room.

It is noted that Palin sat in the very last row in the back of the room. Someone measured the distance and reported that Palin sat the furthest away from Obama than any other Governor in the room.

During the meeting, Obama offered economic bailouts for every state, but two Republican governors said “thanks, but no thanks.”

Photo: AP

Read more!