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Tuesday, December 13, 2011

News Update for Tuesday December 13th, 2011

Presenting ...
Resurgence of Rock
the new album from
BlancaWhite


BlancaWhite’s debut album, Resurgence of Rock, is a rallying cry, a call to arms for a global resurgence of the sounds that made rock n’ roll great! Resurgence of Rock is original, in-your-face, party-hardy, 70’s and 80’s style hard rock at its finest, sung by legendary performers from that era.

Born out of the desert southwest, raised in Mexican bars, and nurtured by the icons of hard rock, Resurgence of Rock is original, classic style hard rock for the modern day. Following the models of the Alan Parsons Project and early Queens of the Stone Age, BlancaWhite invited renowned veteran rock vocalists Paul Shortino (QUIET RIOT, ROUGH CUTT and KING KOBRA), Lorraine Lewis (FEMME FATALE and L.A. NOOKIE), Terry Ilous (XYZ and GREAT WHITE), and Jeff Paris (CINDERELLA, VIXEN, SLASH, and KEB MO) to sing lead vocals for the album. And sing they did, recording stunning vocal performances with the skill, excitement and spirit of the rock anthems of hard rock’s greatest era!

“The album and the Resurgence are unique in two ways,” explains BlancaWhite co-founder and rock fan, Ken Savage. “First, we’re just ordinary rock fans who want the world to return to the glory days of hard rock. This album was a labor of love—made by fans for fans—and we invite everyone to join our grass roots revolution!”

The other unique feature of the album, explains Savage, is the way it mixes hard rock sounds of the 70’s and 80’s 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 fit with today. The songs either look back on the good old days, or they address issues that someone who grew up in that era faces today.”

BlancaWhite is named after the world-famous bar in Matamoros, Mexico, just across from the Texas border, where Savage and fellow BlancWhite co-founders, Austin Schell and Rick Schell, grew up. “I spent my formative years in that bar,” says Savage, “and it inspired much of the spirit for this album.” Anyone who’s ever raised a little hell “down south” will connect with “Livin It Up! (in a Mexican Bar),” one of the outstanding hard rockers on the album.

Little surprise that SAMMY HAGAR and VAN HALEN were major influences on this album, in addition to AC/DC. “We were most strongly influenced by Sammy, Eddie (Van Halen), Malcolm and Angus (Young), with some combination of DEF LEPPARD and JUDAS PRIEST as well,” says Savage. “There’s a strong partying theme to this album, and even a reference to Cabo Wabo in our title song. Sammy ought to be proud of what he’s inspired!”

At the same time, Resurgence of Rock contains unmistakable influences of AC/DC. According to Savage, AC/DC inspires much of the driving rock sounds on Resurgence of Rock, as well as the lyrics. “Everybody knows the AC/DC sound, and there is certainly a lot of that on this album. But AC/DC was the biggest inspiration to us in terms of witty, tongue-in-cheek lyrics. We’ve tried to emulate that in a number of our songs.”

BlancaWhite co-founder Austin Schell is the “musical genius” behind Resurgence of Rock. Schell is a consummate musician, composer and arranger and a veteran of the Austin, Texas music scene. On Resurgence of Rock, Schell took the basic building blocks of classic hard rock and put them together with Savage’s brilliantly witty lyrics to create fresh, hook laden songs. “That’s the magic of the songs,” said L.A. based singer, producer and instrumentalist Jeff Paris, one of BlancaWhite’s guest singers, “the language that Austin put to the messages that Ken wrote. They are serving their audience with the language they love the most.” The language of ROCK.
BlancaWhite is already working on its next album and intends to follow the same format. “Our model is to write the best rock music we can and find the best singers and players for each song,” says Savage. “We are going to keep making hard rock music with a modern twist for fans who grew up in the classic era—and hopefully some new fans as well!”
Watch the EPK right here:

It’s high time for a Resurgence of Rock!
Join the Revolution now!

Official webpages:




EAGLE ROCK ENTERTAINMENT TO RELEASE STYX: THE GRAND ILLUSION/PIECES OF 8 LIVE
~SIMULTANEOUS DVD, BLU-RAY AND DVD/2CD OUT JANUARY 31~




New York, NY--Two of the most beloved albums in the Styx catalog are 1977's The Grand Illusion and 1978's Pieces Of Eight. Now, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release Styx: The Grand Illusion/Pieces Of Eight Live on DVD, Blu-Ray, and DVD/2CD on January 31.

This show was recorded November 9, 2010 at the historic Orpheum Theater in Memphis, Tennessee, on the tour that saw them perform both these albums in their entirety for the first time.

This 20-song two-hour and 11-minute presentation features stunning high-definition visuals accenting the complex musical arrangements recorded in DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital 5.1, and LPCM Stereo. The staging of these two multi-platinum albums and the fevered response makes this concert a must for all Styx fans. The Grand Illusion/Pieces of Eight Live also includes the bonus feature "Putting On The Show," an inside look at the people and equipment needed to stage such a massive spectacle.
Selling millions of records worldwide since their 1972 Chicago inception, Styx have branded themselves as one of the greatest American progressive rock bands. The current line-up consists of James "J.Y." Young (vocals, guitars, keyboards); Tommy Shaw (vocals, guitars); Todd Sucherman (drums); Lawrence Gowan (vocals, keyboards); Ricky Phillips (bass, backing vocals) and Chuck Panozzo (bass guitar).
Eagle Rock Entertainment has also released their Regeneration, Volume I and II 2CD set, a newly recorded retrospective (Release date October 4, 2011).
Track Listing:
1) Intro/1978
2) The Grand Illusion
3) Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)
4) Superstars
5) Come Sail Away
6) Miss America
7) Man In The Wilderness
8) Castle Walls
9) The Grand Finale  
10) Great White Hope
11) I'm Okay
12) Sing For The Day
13) The Message
14) Lords Of The Ring
15) Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)
16) Queen Of Spades
17) Renegade
18) Keyboard Interlude
19) Pieces Of Eight
20) Aku-Aku

Official weblinks:



Michael Schenker working with Robin McAuley again ...? Maybe ...


OK, I didn't start this rumour although I do recall at one point during my listening to Temple of Rock, under review at the time, that I sent a message to Michael Schenker to get Robin McAuley back in M.S.G.!

Temple of Rock is generally a very good album, certainly not the best of Michael's releases, but good nonetheless. I don't really think that Michael Voss' voice works.
Doogie White on one track there sounds so like Dio and then there's the Robin McAuley track, which I think it sounds great!

They did record some great material in three studio albums, starting with Perfect Timing, Save Yourself and then, M.S.G., which was then followed by an Acoustic release and then and a live unplugged album too.

The thing is word is now, that since McAuley - Or before - left Survivor that he has been communicating with Michael Schenker again and that there will hopefully be some new dates announced ..., Soon!
Whatever the case, if I was you, I'be keeping tabs on things at the Schenker site:



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