the Ill Opinion #5: Anvil: The Story of Anvil

Stop me if you've heard this story before: Classic metal band that takes itself too seriously gets one more shot at the big time, and a camera crew is watching their every move, showing how much this band cares and wants to be as successful as possible.

This is not Spinal Tap. This is Anvil.

A Canadian metal band that started between two childhood friends in high school, Anvil has been hailed as influential on a generation of metal musicians (i.e. Slash, Lemmy, Scott Ian, etc.). And yet, the success has never been there, in sales, or in crowd attendance.

Why do I bring this movie up, you ask? For a lot of reasons in regards to musicians, bands, families, and the mortality of a band or musical act.

If you're a musician: watch this film. Watch it and notice how the passion and will to make something work in light of real life problems, and how friendship can sometimes make your passion for whatever you do that much stronger, that much more real.

If you're a band: get everyone together and watch this film. It's a much-needed slap-in-the-face for every band, because it shows you two things: the fact that yes, failure is very very likely. You may wind up to be just like Anvil. But...it's a sign of how the meaning of "success" can vary case by case. Sometimes, just putting that album out is the victory, not the sold-out tour dates.

If you're a family member of the above parties: watch this film. There's a lot to be said about families and musicians sometimes not seeing eye-to-eye, and this film exploits those relationships, examines them, and highlights how both the difference in opinion and the willingness to embrace the ambitions of a family member affect those around it.

In closing, with this film being on Netflix Instant, you really have no excuse to not see this film.

And this was the Ill Opinion. Stay gold.

My Latest Fashion to play Atlanta date of Vans Warped Tour

Press Release: Augusta-based post-hardcore outfit My Latest Fashion will play the August 1st date of this summer’s Vans Warped Tour at Aaron’s Amphitheater at Lakewood in Atlanta, Georgia. The news comes for the band after months of competition in this year’s Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands, who informed My Latest Fashion yesterday they had won the spot thousands of bands were vying for.

“This is just the first step of My Latest Fashion’s inventible journey to the top,” said band manager Dan Horgan. “There aren’t many post-hardcore bands out there who can match the talent and songwriting abilities of My Latest Fashion, so we’re thrilled they have this opportunity to display their ability on such a big stage.”

Formed in 2010, My Latest Fashion has been making waves on both a local and national level since they recorded their debut EP “This is Romance” with Tom Denney, former guitarist and songwriter for A Day to Remember. The five-track release is best known for its single “The World and A Place Called Home,” a track that evinces the band’s ability to mix brutal verses with catchy, melodic choruses. The EP can be streamed on the band’s Facebook page at http://Facebook.com/MyLatestFashion.

Where have you gone, Jemina Pearl?

Jemina Pearl is one of the most talented female vocalists in modern-day rock music, but she's been out of everyone's radar for over a year now. The former be your own PET frontwoman put out her first solo album in 2009, and made waves by appearing on popular series "Gossip Girl" when she covered "Sheena is a Punk Rocker" by The Ramones. After touring with Islands to support the record, however, Pearl has not been heard from.

Given the utterly awful financial state of today's music industry, it's understandable if Pearl has moved on to a somewhat normal life, where she can actually make money and not have to live in a moving vehicle. But I personally would like to hear from her. be your own PET, with their funky and spunky style of punk rock, was one of the best bands of the 2000's. And Pearl's solo album "Break it Up" was just as good, giving fans a slew of catchy punk-fueled rock songs such as "Heartbeats." Pearl could announce her retirement from music tomorrow and have already lived an incredible life within the industry, but I hope she's not done. Even if she were to hook up with an electronic musician and record part-time from her hometown, I would love to hear her voice on new songs.

The Ill Recomendation: WUGAZI

Fugazi + Wu-Tang Clan = awesome.

http://wugazi.tumblr.com/post/7565984457/up-from-the-13th

Shame on a nuh who got stuck in the waiting room....listen to it.

Nayo from DiamondShotgun Interview

With roots in the Land of the Rising Sun, DiamondShotgun is a unique entity in music, mixing many different genres into one blend that screams for attention. Read on to learn about the duo's history, the goals, and what language is harder to perform in...

The Ill Opinion #4: Independent Day

So on the most patriotic of days in America’s calendar, there’s an interesting observation to be made about the music industry and the name of today, Independence Day.

In the later years of the 2000’s, in the wake of the industry’s self-inflicted bleedout, tools became available to people that in a way, created the oft-mentioned but rarely done “musical independence”. The use of a label to “make it” in music, has died, and in its place, the world wide web, has opened the gates for artists to take their sound and take 100% control on who gets it, how it comes out, what it looks like, and what people think about it. While this is still being ironed-out, musicians can live D.I.Y. and be reasonably successful.

Or in wilder cases, get famous and outshine everyone. All because they did it themselves, and they did it their way.

It’s a lot of hit-and-miss, but trust me on this, when you look back and see what you’ve done on your own, it’s amazing beyond words.

So what’s the gist here? Simple: for musicians who still think a label is the way, you’re no longer a slave, the war for independence is being fought right now, and while they may never be a winner, there will always be a move closer to true independence. Be your own label/MTV/promo/fan club…and have some fun en route.

And that was the Ill Opinion. Stay gold.