@LinerNotes

In what is the first of hopefully many featured interviews for this little place about music, I recently spoke with Thomas Pridgen of The Memorials, as their bus was pulling out of Memphis, TN on its way to their next tour date. We talked about The Memorials' new album, Delirium , along with the tour and where he envisions his future sounds evolving to. Come on in and enjoy the conversation!

Do you love the band Rush? Do you want to help save the lives of cats and kittens? You can if you are the winning bidder of a one-of-a-kind Sabian 10" splash cymbal, made for and autographed by Neil Peart.

The plucky purveyor of patently priceless pieces of musical geekery known as Brentalfloss (aka Brent Black) has released a new song timed in celebration of today's fifth anniversary of the release of 2K Games' Bioshock . And, quite frankly, brilliant doesn't begin to describe it.

Yep, you read that headline right. A little sensationalistic? Absolutely. An example of intentional click baiting? Totally not my intention, but I recognize it could be perceived that way. The fact is, love 'em or hate 'em, Nickelback (or at least their label and management) have put together a funny and entertaining music video, produced in the classic style of the medium, which has racked up over half-a-million views in just four days.

The music industry of old is barely a shadow of its former self. The tide has turned. More and more indie labels have sprung up in the decade-plus since music took over the digital realm. And among these independents you will find some truly interesting new sounds. Such is the case with Tide , a sampler of artists and music from the Perelandra Records label. Here is why you should listen.

There is now one less spot available on my Top 10 albums of '12. One of the highest positions on that list is now filled by the new face of synth pop, Stepdad and their new album, Wildlife Pop . I am not saying that to be sensational either. These guys are that good and if you aren't listening to them, your ears are seriously missing out.

Do you want a limited edition piece of original music composed by Sam Hulick of Mass Effect 3 fame, and help a good cause at the same time? Please continue reading.

Declaring an album to be "the best" of (insert any listicle type name, here) is one of the most highly subjective things one can do. Hence why I very rarely do it. However, sometimes the big, bold and grandiose statement needs to be said, if only to get a handful of new ears into a specific set of songs. This week marks a milestone year in the history of what I consider to be one of the greatest live albums ever committed to tape. If you you have never been rocked to the very core of your musical being by Deep Purple's Made In Japan , you truly have no idea what you are missing.

The mighty Iron Maiden stormed back into Southern California on Thursday, August 9th, for a pair of back-to-back performances at Verizon Wireless (née Irvine Meadows) Amphitheater. It had been just over two years since they last played So Cal, this time bringing the Maiden England tour on the road. It was a hot night behind the Orange Curtain; with high temperatures and massive flames both on stage and in the audience.

After remaining undecided on which two albums to feature on a "Twofer Tuesday" edition of Album August #LiveTweet reviews, a random retweet about a brand new release solidified the listening content. Following the link sent me off to a bandcamp-listen of new music from Perelandra Records' artists. For whatever reason, I chose to start with the album closer, which opened my ears to the wonderful music of Stemage.

Rest in peace, Marvin Hamlisch, and thank you for one of the greatest James Bond theme songs of all. Nobody did it better, indeed.

Well this turned out to be some of the most interesting instrumental music I've heard in quite some time. While looking for an album from Beats Antique to feature as a part of Album August , I happened across this side project from Beats Antique member, David Satori. While I'm not a huge fan of drawing close comparisons between under appreciated artists and better known names, lets just say Dirtwire is a trifecta of win, whether you call yourself a Browncoat, have spent too much time hanging out with Claptrap on Pandora or are a music fan with an insatiable thirst for something unique.

And sometimes as a musician, you welcome a tiny stage crashing fan to the stage and just let them hang out with you. Skip to 1:30 in the video if you are impatient. Major props to The Sound LA's Mimi Chen for sharing this one. Tweet Follow @LinerNotes    

Hail and well met! You are here most obviously because you have come to fill your ears with something new and wonderful. Well then my friend, you have indeed come to the right place, and one hopes you will allow the sounds of a new album featuring songs of love, loss, beer, sailors, revelry, women and beer to earn that most coveted honor; heavy rotation amongst the many things you listen to. And while a draught of your favorite fermented beverage is not needed to enjoy the music of the Poxy Boggards, it will certainly add an additional layer of enjoyment as you do. As it is 5 o'clock somewhere, let's untap Wish You Were Beer .

Ladies and gentlemen, to honor the athletes and fans of the 2012 London Olympics, no matter if they are real or pixel sprites, please rise, for this nerdtastic Chiptune cover of Vangelis' "Chariots of Fire".

That headline is not written lightly nor meant to be sensationalism. You are quite literally not prepared for the audio visual assault contained in the four minutes of this video. Watch this at highest resolution and loudest volume. If loud volume is NSFW for you, wait, and enjoy it later. Seriously.

So Cal's Year of the Dragon is a band you really should, no, make that need , to wrap your ears around. Combing the best elements of metal, funk, soul and punk, this group is pushing boundaries few other bands dare push and the result is an EP that rocks with the strength of a full length album. After spinning Five Fingers of Def! for a few weeks, it is clear they deserve every ounce of praise which can be heaped upon them.

Welcome to the first day of Album August! As the month of August has a rather limited supply of holidays, what better time than this especially awesome month to celebrate music in a very holiday way. Here is what we are going to do. Each night, I will be reviewing an album. Some nights it might be a familiar music group, as much as possible it will be about an undiscovered artist which will likely be completely new to your ears. Many of these examples of untapped talent will be bands/soloists suggested by you.