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October 24, 2011

VH1 Classic Amps Up For “National Metal Day” On 11-11-11

VH1 is gearing up for our inaugural National Metal Day that will see VH1 Classic host an entire day of metal-only programing. Fear not, though: This day isn’t solely for hardcore headbangers! National Metal Day will see the debut of of several revealing documentaries about the genre, and will celebrate metal’s seminal artists, both past and present. Full press release as follows:

VH1 CLASSIC AMPS UP FOR “NATIONAL METAL DAY” ON 11-11-11

Banger Films’ Groundbreaking 11-Part Documentary Series Metal Evolution Premieres Friday, November 11, 2011 at 10 PM ET/PT

11 Days Of Metal Programming Begins Tuesday, November 1, 2011 On VH1 Classic

NEW YORK, NY – October 24, 2011 – As previously announced, VH1 Classic has proclaimed 11-11-11 as “National Metal Day” and will celebrate with a slew of exclusive metal programming, including three major metal premieres: Behind The Music Remastered at 9 p.m. ET/PT, the exclusive debut of Banger Films’ groundbreaking documentary series, Metal Evolution, at 10 p.m. ET/PT and the ninth season premiere of a VH1 Classic original That Metal Show at 11 p.m. ET/PT.

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Posted by VH1

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August 11, 2011

Gary Clark Jr.’s Rousing NYC Concert Performance Puts Him On The Brink Of Stardom

On Tuesday night, the wildly talented musician and singer Gary Clark Jr. stood in with The Roots on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, jamming on his guitar and singing “Bright Lights” from his newly released four-song EP of the same name. Earlier that night, a showcase for the Austin, Texas native was held in swanky Soho House in New York City, and a who’s who of music execs, critics and press were in attendance. Naturally, when we heard that Clark was performing at Rockwood Music Hall last night, we had to go check out his show; while he came to play a short acoustic set for VH1 staffers last month, you could tell he was holding back the some of the nastier funk that comes along with being backed by a rhythm section.

Sure enough (and much to our delight), last night’s 75-minute set was impressive to a staggering degree. At age 27, Gary has already been compared to some of classic rock’s greats, invoking the guitar chops of Clapton and Hendrix and, with a broad vocal range, he’ll purr an Eddie Kendricks falsetto one minute and growl a B. B. King guttural tone the next. The music he unveiled crossed blues and soul with elements of jazz, funk and hip hop, but was also laced with smacking drums and rousing guitar solos that had Clark in a very clear, introverted, eyes-closed zone.

With lyrics like “I don’t owe you a thing, I ain’t buying you no diamond ring” and “If you love me like you say, why you trippin’ like you do?,” it’s clear that Clark holds the blues near and dear to his being. However, his multi-dimensional sonic flavor was embraced by the models, frat boys, music snobs, and hipsters present, which allowed him to flaunt an effortless malleabilty that could be paired well with any of your favorite artists, regardless of genre or time period. ?uestlove was in the house as well, hanging with Zoe Kravitz (who is apparently a longtime friend of Clark’s). And now, on the heels of a glowing Rolling Stone review of his Bright Lights EP, we’re certain that Clark’s star is on the rise, and the young talent has many years and many full-length albums ahead of him.

Tags: concerts, Gary Clark Jr., Music, Shows, B.B. King, Eddie Kendricks, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix

Posted by Lacey Seidman

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July 23, 2011

Amy Winehouse Dead At 27

“Rehab” singer Amy Winehouse was found dead in her London apartment today. The cause has not yet been determined. For those who have followed her longstanding battle with depression, eating disorders and substance abuse (a constant source of fodder for tabloids), this sad news may not come as a huge surprise. In August of 2007, Amy came close to death after overdosing on a cocktail of heroin, ecstasy and cocaine – and later that year was found wondering barefoot outside in nothing but a bra and jeans. These incidents were preceded by Amy’s marriage in May of 2007 to Blake Fielder-Civil, who was quoted by a British tabloid as saying he introduced Amy to heroin and crack cocaine. Earlier that same year, Amy performed for VH1 Unplugged. Blake and Amy divorced in 2009.

The singer dominated the 2008 Grammys with five awards for Back to Black, her sophomore album, winning in the categories of Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Known for her singular voice and unorthodox retro look (tattoos, extreme cat-eye makeup and beehive hairdo), Amy is said to have paved the way for artists who wouldn’t previously have fit into the mainstream. Lady Gaga, for one, famously told AOL: “Because of Amy, very strange girls like me go to prom with very good-looking guys. She’s a different kind of woman. I don’t believe that what I do is very digestible, and somehow Amy was the flu for pop music.” Regardless of whether this is true, Winehouse certainly seemed to pave the way for fellow British songbirds Adele and Duffy, both of whom share Amy’s ’60s soul vibe.

In June, YouTube videos surfaced of an intoxicated and discombobulated-looking Winehouse forgetting her own lyrics and getting booed off stage in the first stop of a European tour, which subsequently had to be canceled. Amy was reportedly working on a third album. She joins a long list of musicians who have died at 27. A phenomenon known as The 27 Club, Brian Jones, Jimmy Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain are among those who died at the same age. Let her legend begin.