December 2016

Slayer to be Inducted in Polka Hall Of Fame

This is a parody title however if Tupac can make it in the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame why cant Slayer also cross genre’s

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Location – Alternative Universe

The title of the article was supposed to shock and humor you but it is to draw attention to a serious topic. The idea that diversity should play a part in awards and achievements is ludicrous as is should be on merit only . I believe that the inclusion of Tupac Shakur in the 2017 Class of the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame was a disservice to other artists and Tupac himself. I enjoyed Tupac as actor but he was not a rock artist that simply was not his genre.The idea of the Rock Hall including styles leading up to rock and expanding on rock makes perfect sense as a natural development.What makes a rock band or artist an artist . The ability with a band to create melodies and music that includes guitars , bass and drums and vocals. Does Motown belong in the Rock Hall absolutely as it qualifies from the previous definition. The official Wikipedia page of Tupac lists him as a rapper and not a rocker .Was Tupac an important artist ? Yes he was and he does deserve honors for his achievements but a rocker he was not so just like Slayer wont be inducted in the Polka Hall of Fame ( which is a real thing ) and it would not make sense to do so I don’t understand the logic of Tupac in the Rock Hall but that is just one authors opinion.

Key to the Mint Revives Post Punk at Cleveland’s Grog Shop

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Wednesday evening Key to the Mint rocked The Grog Shop with their brooding surrealistic tunes. Hailing from Cleveland, they don’t have to travel far to get a nice audience. Frontman Joel Anger has vocals reminiscent of Morrissey, with a unique stage presence and nice hair. The band features what you would expect from an awesome, Joy Division inspired, post punk band. Especially with a splash of synth added (also reminding me of The Cure), Key to the Mint sure knows how to get people dancing.

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Watching them perform is like traveling back to the 80’s and not wanting to leave because the music is so damn good. My inner goth kid was definitely quite delighted. I couldn’t help but think, if they came 30 years earlier they’d be huge right now. Key to the Mint’s music is dark, grungy, and trance inducing. Experiencing it live is pretty exhilarating. Anybody who loves post punk, weird, new wave, goth type rock would surely enjoy them. I recommend checking Key to the Mint out on YouTUBE , and even better, enjoying them live at your local Cleveland venue!

British metal legends Judas Priest announce the reissue of their 10th studio album, Turbo.

The album has been remastered and will be released via Sony Music on February 3rd, 2017 on 3 CD (the original album and 2 bonus discs) as well as 1LP 150g vinyl.

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Originally released in 1986, Turbo features all the hallmarks of classic Priest on tracks such as “Turbo Lover”, “Parental Guidance” and “Locked In”.
Included on disc 2 and 3 of the CD reissue is, previously unreleased, ‘Live in Kansas City’, a live recording from the band’s 1986 Fuel For Life tour in support of Turbo.

The band add “The 80’s is considered to have been the best decade for heavy metal – Judas Priest roared through it and at the half way point went into unchartered territory with ‘Turbo’. Always believing that metal should have no boundaries, Priest challenged themselves taking on board new technical inventions to create fresh ideas and push their sound forward. The combined songs show another side of Priest’s range of creativity that captures a theme and energy infused with the over the top sensibilities of that era. The ‘Fuel For Life’ tour certainly encapsulated the decadence of the times! ‘Turbo’ remastered and accompanied by a pedal to the metal live recording from Kansas reveals Priest on high octane – Raising fists and devil horns to the next level.”

This is one of our favorite era’s in music and we at NEO are excited about this February release , look for a in-depth review .

Movie Review -Rogue One- A Star Wars Story

Nostalgia fans are sure to be pleased with this mega- film !

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, or simply Rogue One, is a 2016 American epic space opera film directed by Gareth Edwards and written by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy, from a story by John Knoll and Gary Whitta. Set within the Star Wars universe, it is the first stand-alone film in the anthology series. Rogue One stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Riz Ahmed, Jiang Wen and Forest Whitaker, and follows Jyn Erso as the daughter of the unwilling designer of the Galactic Empire‘s superweapon, the Death Star.

Produced by Lucasfilm and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, the film is chronologically set between Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (2005) and Star Wars: A New Hope (1977).

This is one film I have been waiting for since I was a child .Every kid on the block made up their own Star Wars stories to enhance their action figure collection and I was no different .The pure creativity and raw talent that went into making Rogue One a reality really shown thru on the silver screen . A pure labor of love for the child inside all of us. The CGI must be seen to be believed and for the ultra geek this film blends in effortlessly with the 1977 original . It’s rare that a film gets 5 stars but this one does and deservedly so. Dare I say the best film since The Empire Strikes Back .I refuse to give spoilers away as suffice to say that you will not be disappointed in the project and Disney did a great job ! I hope to see you all at the movies and may the force be with you .

Following Spirit Animal at the Beachland Tavern

Brooklyn native band, Spirit Animal, rocked out Cleveland’s Collinwood art district at the Beachland Tavern Tuesday night. Spirit Animal is a hybrid sound of funk and punk, with a splash of pop rock. The band stopped for their current tour, What a World with musician/band Nico Yaryen from Los Angeles.

Spirit Animal was able to grant me, Chelsea Lovegood, staff writer of the NEO Examiner an interview in between sets, and it was a great time getting to talk to them. With Steve on vocals, Paul on bass, Cal on guitar, and Rowan on drums it was an interesting conversation with a pretty cool band.

C: What would you describe the type of music that you guys play?
Paul: Out of control Rock n Roll.

Steve: Action Comedy!

C: What do you think about Cleveland so far?

Paul: So far so good, everyone has been super chill and super nice. Like accommodating. Paul likes the bartender, and Paul likes the beers the bartender has been giving Paul.

C: How many music videos do you have out?
Steve: Lent, Crocodile Skins, Big Bad Road Dog, Regular World, Come to Christmas, Best friends, Black Jack White. Seven official.

C: What would you say your inspiration to make music is?
Steve: To show people something that they haven’t felt before. We all come from pretty different backgrounds. A lot of hardcore punk stuff.
Paul: Refuse is one of my favorite punk bands back in the day. I also like brit pop stuff and Travis (Barker). And of course, you know, everyone likes Radiohead.. Everything that was esoteric. Hatebreed, Candiria, and Botch.

C: Who writes the lyrics and music?
Spirit Animal: It’s all collaborative.

Well there you have it: An interview with a truly unique and funky band, Spirit Animal. Make sure to check them out the next time they stop in your town!Until then you can visit them on the web at http://www.spiritanimal.us

By Staff Writer: Chelsea Lovegood

Switchfoot to play Cleveland’s House of Blues Feb 16th

Switchfoot released their 10th studio album Where The Light Shines Through, an energetic and passionate record self-produced with the help of John Fields. They recently wrapped up the “Looking For America Tour” with Relient K and have announced that they’ll be extending it with additional dates early next year as the “Looking For America 2our“!

They’ll be performing at House of Blues in Cleveland on February 16th

I know the name Switchfoot probably recalls memories of “Meant To Live” and “Dare You To Move,” or maybe even “Only Hope,” but there is so much more to this band than just a few fleeting moments. Their live show is one of the most passionate and uplifting experiences I’ve ever had at a concert. There is love and hope in every song, and for a few hours each night there is no distinction between band and fans. The crowd carries each melody as surely as lead singer Jon Foreman does and he can often be found dancing his way across the floor, hugging fans like old friends as he goes.

Switchfoot is a band that has grown and endured for 20 years, churning out album after album of alternative radio hits, selling over 5.7 million copies worldwide of their first nine studio albums (including their 2003 double-platinum breakthrough The Beautiful Letdown and 2009’s Grammy Award-winning Hello Hurricane), and performing sold-out world tours with over 4 million concert tickets worldwide.