Melissa Burnos

An English major-turned-Miami-Dolphins-cheerleader-turned-minxy rocker, Melissa Burnos is ostensibly a woman of evolving interests. But listening to her music, it’s clear that performing is a blood right. She’s got only one single under her belt so far, but on it she comes out swinging. “NME” (or, “enemy”) is a sugary shot of hard rock that places Burnos’s muscular voice center stage. Influences ranging from Led Zeppelin to Alice In Chains and Heart are evident, but the song’s unequivocal pop gloss makes Burnos most comparable to Pat Benatar. A snarl of electric guitars and pummeled drums is undercut with a sing-songy chorus, “Hey, hey, NME / I’m not coming out to play.” Lines like “Master manipulator / Misery instigator” come off like an updated version of “You’re a heart breaker / Dream maker.” But whether or not Burnos’s music is derivative is beside the point: she’s a confident performer wielding a potent mix of aggression and seduction. In other words, dontcha mess around with her.

Blending elements of French and American culture, we have the smooth sounds of Sydney Wayser as this week’s Needle in the Haystack.  The New York City-based singer/songwriter has been praised by many publications including Daytrotter and NPR Music.

Having recently wrapped up US and French tours and having released her new album, The Colorful, in France, Wayser is currently hunkered down in practice spaces in NYC (the cheapest are boiler rooms, as she has found out) working on her new album.  This week, Wayser will be giving away her single, “la di da,“ as our free download.  Keep an eye out for more from her during the rest of the week!

The name “San Francisco” paints a pretty vivid picture. You instantly think steep city streets, sunny weather, trolleys and Golden Gate Bridge. With such a vibrant environment, great live music and unique artistry seem the logical accompaniment. The city’s historic roots in rock ‘n’ roll earned the area the distinction of the “San Francisco Sound.” The label indicates a style of rock in the ’60s and ’70s that pioneered new chord progressions and unorthodox feels thanks to acts like Sly & the Family Stone, Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, and Santana.

Outside of the rock/pop realm, you’ll find many classically-oriented establishments worthy of the San Francisco name. The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, led by esteemed conductor, pianist and composer Michael Tilson Thomas is a destination for standard orchestral repertoire and new worldwide premiers. The Bay area also recruits worldwide musical talent to attend the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. The school specializes in new music performance and composition. They have boasted notable graduates like Pulitzer Prize-winning, minimalist composer John Adams and internationally-known composer Peter Scott Lewis.

Being a popular sunny destination, San Francisco wouldn’t be a viable music scene without a huge summer festival. Outside Lands fits this bill. With the slogan “Music. Food. Wine. Art.”, the festival certainly has its priorities in order. This year’s festival will take place August 14th-15th  at the Golden Gate Park. Here are some highlights from the lineup: The Strokes, My Morning Jacket, Gogol Bordello, Wolfmother, Kings of Leon, Phoenix, Social Distortion and Tokyo Police Club.

As far as local venues go, one of the most eclectic calendars we found was at the Argus Lounge. This venue caters to electronic acts, live bands and DJ’s all in the same setting. With a simplistic Web site and a knack for booking up-and-coming acts with a great show, this place makes our list. Of course, in a city with such a pool of classically trained musicians and high-class instrumentalists, we had to find a viable jazz club. Look no further than Yoshi’s Jazz Club and Japanese Restaurant. This unique combination creates a distinctive flair at either their SF or Oakland location. SF Weekly supports this club as one of the best jazz lounges in the city.

There are so many venues, in fact, that San Francisco-based indie rock/instrumental specialists The Union Trade couldn’t pick just one. “It is a split between a few that we’ve played a bunch of times: Bottom of the Hill, Cafe Du Nord and Rickshaw Stop,” commented the band. “Anytime we play one of these venues we are excited, and fans love seeing bands at all of these venues.” These choices are no surprise as the venues are known for hosting rock, indie or electronic talent no matter when you stop in.

Of course, the band also recommends musicians  network on the Internet to secure shows as an out of town band; a common practice when touring through a major market like SF. If you’re a visitor, The Union Trade recommends checking out an online publication like SF Weekly or The Bay Bridged for some good venues.

The Union Trade at Cafe Du Nord

“[The SF music scene is] phenomenal and completely underrated,” said The Union Trade, “[But], we’ve for sure created quite a network of local bands and regional acts that help make the scene tighter and make getting shows in other cities easier.” They mentioned that the average listener craves a driving electronic indie song or an upbeat pop/rock act.

While The Union Trade defines themselves as a “post-rock, instrumental indie” act, they’ve flourished in a non-instrumental scene. They write instrumentally structured songs that usually contain extended sections of vocal melodies and lyrics to maintain interest and add diversity to their music. This is quite the opposite of a normal rock song where the instrumental sections are the ones that add diversity to the vocally driven structures. “We always want to have at least one purely instrumental song, because instrumental music is a foundational part of what The Union Trade is,” concluded the band. Hear it for yourself:

The Union Trade boast numerous OurStage badges,  and has opened for notable acts like The Appleseed Cast, Two Gallants and Morning Benders. They even earned a featured spot during the 2009 SXSW music festival. The band just finished tracking their EP which will be released in the fall at which point they’ll do a nationwide tour in support of the release.

If you’re in San Francisco, be prepared to visit a bunch of different venues as the city is full of opportunities to hear some of the best indie/rock, experimental electronic, and yes, instrumental music in the country.

To many people, the American midwest is known as “Flyover country”—only suitable to view from an airplane, someplace not important enough to visit in person. The music industry and music historians often seem to share this view. Tony Rettman’s Why Be Something That You’re Not: Detroit Hardcore 1979 – 1985 lets them know what they’ve been missing. Why Be Something That You’re Not offers an engaging look at the often overlooked early ’80s Detroit hardcore scene.  “This book is your own little time machine peckerheads,” writes Touch & Go fanzine editor and Touch & Go Records co-founder Tesco Vee in the book’s foreword. “Get ready to be transported to a time and a place that the music industry, and the movie American Hardcore, forgot about.”  Vee’s foreward really sets the tone for the rest of the book. While some books on punk can skew dry and academic, Why Be Something That You’re Not reads less like a history lesson (although there is plenty of history) and more like a chat between old friends. Through interviews with members of local scene heroes Negative Approach, Necros, The Fix and The Pagans as well has hardcore fixture Ian MacKaye, Rettman brings to life for the reader the intense creative energy that powered the Detroit scene.

Detroit Rock City: "Why Be Something That You're Not: Detroit Hardcore 1979 - 1985"

As if the interviews aren’t enough, the book also includes a veritable library of pictures, show fliers, newspaper articles, a list of all of the bands involved in the scene including their members and discographies and an attempt at a comprehensive list off all of the shows that happened in the area between 1979 and 1980. Mr. Rettman was nice enough to answer some questions about his inspiration for the book, Detroit hardcore and “kids these days.”

OS: What was your motivation to write the book?

TR: I have been a fan of the early 8’0s midwest hardcore scene since I was very young. I have an older brother who got into the hardcore scene right from the start in the early 8’0s and he was bringing home all the early records from that area as they were coming out. For some reason or another, the stuff that came out on Touch & Go at that time (i.e. – Necros, Negative Approach, etc.) really stunned me, as did the fanzine of the same name that Tesco Vee and Dave Stimson published. Throughout all my musical phases and interests in my life, these records and scene were always a touchstone. It was the one thing I never lost interest in. If anything, my motivation to do the book was to find out more about this scene for my own personal interest and maybe see if I could finally get it out of my system by writing a whole book about it!

OS: You interviewed quite a few people for this book. Did you hear any surprising stories? Was their anyone you wanted to interview but couldn’t secure?

TR: I heard quite a few surprising things, but most of them I didn’t put in the book due to respect for the people involved. If it didn’t pertain to keeping the story moving, I didn’t see the point in throwing it in there. I wish I could dish out something really juicy to you right now, but it’s not really going to happen. The most interesting thing I can tell you is that most of the dudes who made up that early Michigan scene were huge prog rock fans before punk came along. Most of my interviews with people like Tesco Vee and the guys that were in Violent Apathy revolved more around talking about obscure prog rock bands from the early ’70s than the origins of hardcore and I really had no problem with that at all seeing as I’m a fan as well.

The two people I wish I could have spoken to for the book are Corey Rusk and Dave Lozon. Corey Rusk is currently the head honcho of Touch & Go Records and was once the bass player for the Necros. I tried getting in touch with him numerous times and was shut down through every avenue I pursued. He just didn’t want to talk about these times to me plain and simple. Dave Lozon was a Detroit hardcore scenester who gets really ridiculed throughout the book as being this person who really fouled up the Detroit scene. I tried to track him down via Internet and other avenues, but he was nowhere to be found. I figured maybe the guy would want to defend himself.

OS: Why do you think the sound and attitude of hardcore resonated so much with the youth of the Detroit area?

TR: I think it resonated with the kids in Detroit for the same reason it resonated with kids in D.C. or Boston or anywhere else at that time; there was finally a music that was entirely their own.

OS: In your opinion, what set the Detroit scene apart from the other thriving scenes like LA, NY or DC?

TR: Sonically, I think most of the Detroit bands—especially Negative Approach—really took the sounds they were taking cues from (LA & DC hardcore, British Oi!, etc.) and stripped it to the bone to present something that was way more primal than what some other scenes were coming up with at the time. The Detroit scene also lucked out with having Tesco and Dave there doing Touch & Go fanzine. It was that scene’s own calling card for it’s aesthetic and sense of humor, and it sort of accidentally wrapped everything up into a nice presentation.

OS: It’s clear from reading the book that the vast majority of the teenagers and young adults involved in hardcore felt inspired and empowered by the music and the community surrounding it—the idea that you should express yourself in the way you saw fit, and that you don’t have to be an adult to make important music, book a tour or run a record label. Do you see anything empowering this age group in the same way today?

TR: I don’t see anything specifically, but since they are still kids putting out 7” EPs’ and throwing shows in VFW halls in their towns, I guess the whole hardcore thing is still pumping in one way or another. The one problem I have with books such as mine is they might send off the vibe of “This could never happen again” and I honestly don’t believe that. The people that were involved in this were just lucky to be in the right place at the right time. Whether it’s 1982 or 2010, if you hear something like Negative Approach or Necros or whatever for the first time and it sparks something in you, then that’s it. Take from it what you want and run with it!

OS: In the “Count Us Out” chapter of Why Be Something That You’re Not?, several of your interview subjects credit similarities between the racial tension and economic situation in England and Detroit for the adoption of the extreme violence and racism of the seamier side of British Oi! by some musicians and fans in the later years of the Detroit scene. Is this a theory you have heard before? Do you think it’s valid?

TR: The person who presented that theory in the book was Andy Wendler, the guitarist of the Necros and I think he made a real good observation. Although I don’t get behind the sentiments of these kids actions or ideas, I can see the similarities in both situations. A lot of these kids’ parents in Detroit were getting laid off by the automobile plants due to more affordable, more efficient vehicles being made elsewhere in the world. The kids in England were on the dole because they thought their jobs were being taken by people from other countries as well. As we all know, it’s easier to find a scapegoat than a solution, and that’s how that whole thing started.

OS: What would you want readers to take away from this book?

TR: If they could come away with anything, it would be a general idea of the enthusiasm these people had for what they were doing. Whether you care about punk rock or not, I hope you read it and get caught up in the excitement these people had for building something of their own from the ground up in the middle of friggin’ nowhere.

Why Be Something That You’re Not by Tony Rettman is available at Revolution Records Publishing.

Royal Chant

What do you get when you put a band of impassioned Aussies in a van, and send them trekking across the outback and through cities? In the case of Royal Chant, you get something feral and raucous. And, beneath all that, something unexpectedly poetic. Singer Mark Spence is an American expatriate, and his deadpan singing style belies the restlessness just beneath the surface. There’s an edge of discontent that runs through a lot of Royal Chant’s material. The modish “I Remember Crescent City,” with its bopping guitars and thumping rhythm guitars and doodling leads, could be a Strokes song in an instant. On “Shatters Alright,” Spence sings, “It’s not love without the abrasions” while guitars and drums send up torrents of grit.  It’s garage rock perfection. Our favorite might have to be “Coughing Fits,” a dark and troubling rocker that unfolds with muffled dread. Sinewy guitars and twinkling keys quicken the pulse, and disturb all the way though the chorus.  The abrasions might be psychological here, but either way, it’s love.

Welcome to Rock ‘n’ Roll Call! This blog series will feature reviews of albums and concerts from the best rock artists on OurStage, as well as interviews with both local and national bands. So be sure to check back to hear the latest in the rock community. Roll call, please!

For the first post, OurStage would like to introduce you to promising prog-rockers Await Rescue.

Await Rescue have solidified their position among Boston’s best acts with their latest release, the bonus edition of their Hold The Ground EP. The EP opens with a new track, “Fool My Eyes,” as frontman Johnny Cutulle’s begs listeners to “look alive” over drummer Matt Morse’s ticking rhythm.  The song soon explodes with the guitar work of Andrew Morse and bassist Jacob Yackshaw, providing an engaging introduction to this eight-song collection.

Peppering the familiar sound of bands like the Foo Fighters and Incubus with experimental twists and turns, Await Rescue refuse to hold back musically or lyrically. Cutulle even calls out his fellow rockers on the track “Clipped Wings,” as he growls, “you’re all the same/clip your wings and tell yourself that it’s all for fame.”

The band will be playing various shows around the Boston area this summer, so be sure to check them out if you can! You can also download Hold The Ground for free at their official website.

Move over, Katy, there’s a new Perry in town. And like her last-name-sake, nobody could ever accuse Rose Cora Perry of lacking ambition. She is passionate and driven in every way, and in so many positive directions. In her mid-teens she fronted the all-female rock band, HER and took up the guitar at age 16. Her next project, Anti-Hero, played two Warped Tour dates in the US. Now, with the release of her first solo album, Off of the Pages, the tireless artist from London, Ontario, Canada is proving to be an entrepreneur as well. She is using the proceeds of the recording to fund a non-profit she is starting called MusicSaves, which will create “a traveling youth series to teach troubled teens the healing capacity of music and art.”

Rose began classical vocal training at age 4 and studied jazz, show tunes, opera and musical theatre until she was 14. When she was 15, she met the future guitarist for her band HER at a local talent show and started her own record label. Rose also wrote a column for her local paper called “So You Want To Be in a Rock Band,” and is endorsed by several companies including Daisy Rock Girl Guitars, Hot Picks USA and Sfarzo Strings. In her spare time, she does alternative modeling, making her equal parts model and role model. I talked to this energetic and inspirational young woman to find out where she gets her moxy.

Rose Cora Perry

CD: How did you get started playing music?

RCP: My parents would both tell you that I was pretty much singing from the moment I exited the womb, though that’s an obvious exaggeration. Music has been a central part of my life and identity for a great number of years.

RCP: HER was a strong act for what we were—an all girl pop-rock party band kind of deal—but we all had a lot of growing up to do from a musical and maturity stance. In all fairness, we were still all in our teens and the band’s breakup was messy and melodramatic. Despite this, HER prepared me for what was to come next, and I wouldn’t take back any part of those 4 years together because if it weren’t for HER, I would never would have picked up a guitar for the first time. Nor would I have gotten my feet wet learning what it’s like to front a band and be self-represented in the music biz. Because of the crossfire that emerged from the breakup of HER, I made up my mind at 18 never to be in a band again. That lasted maybe 2 months until Anti-Hero’s future guitarist and my songwriting partner came into the picture.

RCP: Unlike HER, all of the members of Anti-Hero came from fairly well-known bands within the scene, and we were far more dedicated, driven and overall more well-rounded players. We performed at Warped Tour 2 years in a row and were the first Canadian band ever to have music licensed to MTV’s hit dating reality TV show, Next. But again, drama was lurking, waiting for the opportune moment to plague my new band. It came first when our original drummer attempted to foil our entire U. tour by leaving us high and dry. We scrambled to train someone else just days before it began. We managed, but it wasn’t the same. While we continued on for about a year and a half beyond that point, our major label record deal turned out to be a bust. The recording for our second album which was written in its entirety kept getting shelved, and my relationship with my guitarist and songwriting partner (yes, I made the all-too-common mistake of mixing business and pleasure) was seriously on the rocks. We all lost our will to continue moving forward.

RCP: In my former bands, though everyone did make contributions to the songwriting process, the melodies, lyrics and basic chord patterns have always come from me. In addition, I took on all of the management, publicity, booking, promotions and legal responsibilities for both of my acts. In some ways I miss the family dynamic you get from touring with a band. And I definitely miss feeding off of my fellow band mates’ energy onstage. But at this point in my life after 10 years of as a proud D.I.Y. artist, it comes down to the simple fact that I frankly don’t have time for that kind of drama anymore.

RCP: The impetus behind ‘‘So You Wanna be in a Rock Band?’’ was simply a result of all of the media myths about ‘‘overnight successes” I kept hearing during my Anti-Hero days.
The moment we got signed to a major label, we started getting emails from fans asking when we’d be buying everyone their Ferraris to celebrate. They didn’t get it—just ‘cause we were signed didn’t mean we were suddenly rolling in the dough or that we no longer had to work hard to get decent shows and exposure. It wasn’t just music fans who were under this misconception. The vast majority of musicians we came across were, too. While I never had grand delusions that getting a record deal would suddenly be my saving grace, in all fairness, I did believe that it would make things easier—make it so that we could focus more exclusively on just creating good music. It became very clear to me just how much misinformation there is out there in regards to how the music industry actually functions, and I felt compelled to do something about it.

RCP: Each cause I support is for good reason, and because it is something that is dear to me for personal reasons. In terms of why I’m a feminist? Well, being called a ‘‘novelty’ because I’m a female rock musician and having it assumed I was just a groupie at my own headlining shows, I think is enough to offend any female musician. I’m a professional and an artist, and I take my craft very seriously. It shouldn’t matter what genitalia I have. I want to be seen as an artist first and foremost and I don’t feel that this is an unreasonable request. I’ve met a lot of unsavory individuals in this biz who just because they are males and in positions of power feel they can disrespect and act inappropriately towards female players. Men would never have to experience it, and I proudly wear my ‘feminist badge’ because problems like this won’t go away until we start addressing them head on and demanding better.

D.I.Y. Ethics: I’ve always admired and been greatly influenced by the 1970s punk rock movement, especially figures like Joan Jett who are entirely self-made. I haven’t had any handouts as an artist—I’ve built myself into who I am getting bruised, scratched and beaten along the way. While it hasn’t always been fun, and I’ve certainly made a lot of mistakes, knowing that I’ve done this all myself makes everything I’ve achieved that much more satisfying.

Veganism and Being Drug-Free: These final two causes, for me, really go hand-in-hand as they’re both about making positive lifestyle choices. If you want know why I’m vegan, read the book Skinny Bitch, and you’ll likely convert soon afterward, too. As for the drug-free business, both of my parents are award-winning, drug-free athletes, so living a healthy lifestyle is something that has been impressed upon me from the get-go. But most of all, like any musician, I’ve seen far too many rock ’n’ roll tragedies. Drugs are stupid. End of story. And no, they do not make you a better musician.

RCP: Modeling has always been more of a hobby purely based on the fact that I absolutely adore the art of photography and, well, like any little girl at heart, I enjoy dressing up in costumes. I’ve done mostly themed shoots, but because of my sponsors, I’ve also had the amazing opportunity to act as a spokeswoman in various campaigns. There was a time in my life where I was greatly affected by the stereotypical depictions of females we see in the media. I had major self esteem issues, and, to be perfectly honest, hated everything about the way that I looked. It didn’t take long for me to realize that going the conventional route with modeling wouldn’t be very productive for me or my wavering self-image. Alt modeling has allowed me to see and appreciate beauty as diversity.

RCP: Everything, from being in the studio to being on stage. It’s all me so if I mess up in any capacity, I have to take all the credit. But more than just that, it’s actually been a really empowering experience, thus far. I was and continue to get nervous and apprehensive as this is all new terrain, but I’m excited to see where things may lead. So far, I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunities that have come my way.
Off Of the Pages is available exclusively through HER Records, at Rose’s live gigs or via her online store: www.herrecords.ca. All proceeds go towards her non-for-profit foundation, MusicSaves.

Check out this video of Rose doing the song “Unpretty” from her late, great band, Anti-Hero.

Silversun Pickups brings poppy melodies, distinctive vocals and driving indie rock riffs into one cohesive package. Brian Aubert’s memorable voice strings together catchy phrasing supported by Nikki Moninger’s intricate bass riffs. The sound is rounded out by clever keyboard parts and live string realizations by Joe Lester. If that wasn’t enough, drummer Christopher Guanlao brings the energy to the next level with intense grooves and extensive fills.

SSPU has been climbing the charts both in the US and Canada. Their latest release Swoon marks the band’s most mature arrangements yet. To top it off, they’ve garnered extensive licensing placements in TV, movies and video games. The band was even nominated for a GRAMMY late last year in the Best New Artist category. OurStage caught up with Guanlao to find out about their influences, the recent GRAMMY nomination and their approach to live shows.

OS: Your band name is a reference to a local liquor store where you guys are all from, and you have referred to yourselves as a “neighborhood band”. As an internationally touring act, how do you maintain these roots?

CG: We still live in Silverlake, the little neighborhood where we (SSPU) cut our teeth. Whenever we’re not out touring, we’re still going to the local clubs and bars that we used to go to.  We’re still very close to Silverlake and still consider ourselves locals. The bartenders and club owners know us, and we feel right at home there.

OS: What was it like reaching the milestone of being nominated for a GRAMMY this year?

CG: It’s really a shock. We never thought we would be a type of band that would actually get nominated for a GRAMMY. It was an amazing honor, but we don’t put too much weight into it. At the end of the day, we just want to do our thing and try and be the best at it. If we get recognized for what we do, that’s awesome, but it’s best not to dwell on it too much. If anything, it’s more of a reward for the people we work with (management, record label, etc). They deserve the recognition as much as us.

OS: How do you feel about the common comparison between your sound and The Smashing Pumpkins? Who do you take influence from?

CG: We’re fine about that comparison. When people say that our sound reminds them of Gish, we love it. That was such a cool record. We understand that some people need a point of reference when they compare music, and that’s fine with us. But our more immediate influences are My Bloody Valentine, Radiohead, Wilco, TV on the Radio, Joy Division, etc.  The list can go on and on…

OS: Have you found that your extensive commercial licensing opportunities have noticeably boosted your notoriety? How so?

CG: We don’t mind commercial licensing at all. It’s a good way to get music out there to some people who wouldn’t normally get to hear it. Because record sales aren’t as strong as they used to be about ten or fifteen years ago, it’s a good way for us to make some money so we can continue to do what we do.

OS: Have you played any of your own songs on Rock Band or Guitar Hero?

CG: Yes, and we’re quite horrible at it. It’s so much easier to actually play the songs, but it’s tons of fun nonetheless.

OS: Your latest album Swoon contains a lot of diverse arrangements (from normal 4-piece to full-on string ensembles). How do you emulate such complicated arrangements when performing them live?

CG: A lot of the time Joe will simulate the melodies via the keyboard. But sometimes we just leave the more intricate or subtle sounds or melodies on the record. We believe that the live experience is different from the album experience. A lot of the sounds on the record won’t really translate well live unless we had a lot more things like more players or expensive equipment. So we rely on more of a live energy when playing shows.

OS: You’ve played many festivals and just came off a huge tour with Muse. What is the band’s favorite festival or type of venue to play?

CG: We like all kinds of festivals. It’s fun to play Coachella cause that’s like our backyard. Lollapalooza is great because of the history, and the same goes for the Reading Festival in England. We love to play festivals in general because of the diversity of bands that are playing and the circus atmosphere that comes with it. But after saying that, it’s really nice to go back to club or theater shows, because its more intimate and the elements (sun, wind, rain, etc) are a lot less abrasive than festivals. When you play festivals, all bets are off—rain or shine, you’re gonna have to deal with it.

OS: When can fans expect the next Silversun Pickups release?

CG: We’ll be touring pretty much for the remainder of the year. So we won’t likely have another release till the end of next year. But that’s so tentative of a schedule that I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s sooner or later than that.  Stay tuned…

While you’re waiting for news about a new album, you can catch SSPU on tour with Against Me!

7/21: Stubbs- Austin, TX

7/23: City Market- Kansas City, MO

7/24: Live on the Levee- St. Louis, MO

7/26: Filmore Auditorium- Denver, CO

7/27: The Rail- Salt Lake City, UT

7/29: Crystal Ballroom- Portland, OR

7/30: Knitting Factory Concert House- Spokane, WA

7/31: Paramount Theatre- Seattle, WA

8/2: Grand Sierra Resort & Casino- Reno, NV

8/3: Fox Theatre- Oakland, CA

It’s summertime—the weather is hot, the sun is shining and bands are out on tour. Summer 2010 is an especially good season for metal tours since there’s a little something for everyone. The perennial names such as Summer Slaughter and Ozzfest are as to be expected, but newcomers The Cool Tour, Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR and Over The Limit Tour have come out with some pretty big lineups this summer. I’m here to give you the 411 on these tours, and let you know which bands to keep your eye on.

Summer Slaughter
Bands: Decapitated, The Faceless, All Shall Perish, The Red Chord, Veil of Maya, Cephalic Carnage, Decrepit Birth, Carnifex, Animals As Leaders, Vital Remains
What to look for: All Shall Perish (new lineup), Animals As Leaders (new material very soon), Decapitated (first US tour since death of drummer and incapacitation of their vocalist)
Start date: July 17th  in San Diego, CA
What to expect: Summer Slaughter is definitely the heaviest of the big summer tours. Headlined by Polish technical death metal masters Decapitated, the rest of the lineup is just as solid, and features super heavy and technical bands throughout the lineup. A bit out of place, but still very great, are Animals As Leaders—AAL are more of a progressive/jazz metal band than they are super heavy like all the other bands on the tour. Also, this is definitely the best value out of any of these tours, with most shows being in the $15 to $20 range (that’s like a dollar a band!) so there aren’t really many excuses to not get out to see this tour.

The Cool Tour
Bands: As I Lay Dying, Underoath, BTBAM, Blessthefall, The Acacia Strain, Architects, Cancer Bats, War of Ages
What to look for: The Acacia Strain (new album dropping as tour starts), BTBAM (always great live)
First date: July 12th in Orlando, FL
What to expect: As a whole, this tour is less heavy than Summer Slaughter, but what it might lack in heaviness is made up for by the variance in styles of metalcore. While The Acacia Strain bring the super heavy style, Underoath bring a bit of a more post-hardcore flavor and Between the Buried and Me bring a very heavy and progressive style. An eclectic bill that’s sure to quench the thirst of any metalcore fan.

Ozzfest
Bands: Ozzy, Mötley Crüe, Halford, DevilDriver, Nonpoint, Black Label Society, Drowning Pool, Kingdom of Sorrow, Goatwhore, Skeletonwitch, Saviours, Kataklysm, Exodus, California Wildbeast
What to look for: Nonpoint (die hard touring band who put on energetic live shows), Exodus (old school masters of thrash)
First date: August 14th in Devore, CA
What to expect: Skeletonwitch, Goatwhore, Saviours, Kataklysm, Exodus, and California Wildbeast are only playing a few dates each (it’s a rotating slot)—depending on which bands are playing your area, your Ozzfest experience could be much better or worse than others. Those who get Skeletonwitch and Goatwhore are in for a treat. Regardless, every date could vary pretty heavily with older bands such as Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe and Halford headlining.

Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR
Bands: Disturbed, Avenged Sevenfold, Stone Sour, Halestorm, Hellyeah, Airbourne, Hail the Villain, New Medicine
What to look for: Avengend Sevenfold (Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater stepping in on drums since the passing of The Rev), Airbourne (music made for large venues a lot like AC/DC, and they’re from Melbourne, Australia)
First date: Aug 17th in Minneapolis, MN
What to look for: Headlined by metal that most “kvlt” meatheads would frown upon nowadays, the Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR tour is always the go-to for the mainstream metal acts on one huge tour. Any person attending one of these dates can reasonably expect a solid and tight set by all the bands on the tour, since most of the bands on the tour are used to touring on the same scale as the UPROAR dates.

Over The Limit Tour
Bands: As Blood Runs Black, Oceano, Arsonists Get All The Girls, Tony Danza Tap Dance Extravaganza, Thick As Blood, Burning The Masses, Circle Of Contempt, Blind Witness, and This Or The Apocalypse.
What to look for: The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza (touring with a new lineup and a new album), A Blood Runs Black (new vocalist, have been in the studio working on a new album for a while)
First date: July 23rd in Lake Station, IN
What to expect: More kids in bright colors and flat-brimmed hats than you can shake a stick at, most of which will be flailing their arms in the mosh pit for a vast majority of the show— that’s right, this tour is filled with slam-filled deathcore. Bands such The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza and Arsonists Get All The Girls will switch things up a bit with their off-the-wall brands of deathcore, but you won’t find much more variation in this lineup.

Closing out this week’s Needle in the Haystack, we have an interview with Junkyard Poets. Grab their free download and take look at their MTV Music interview from earlier in the week. Keep an eye out for more Needle in the Haystack next week!