Niki N. Phaser

              Music for Relief, the non-profit organization created by Linkin Park in 2005 for helping victims of natural disasters, is doing its part for the Haiti survivors. A compilation of 9 songs penned by important names in mainstream music of all genres is available to download at the organization’s site. All earnings will go to the United Nations Foundation, Habitat for Humanity (for rebuilding the homes of those affected) and Dave Matthews Band’s BAMA Works. Linkin Park’s new track, Not Alone, is also featured on the collection. They are joined by other artists like Peter Gabriel, Slash, Dave Matthews Band, Alanis Morissette, The All-American Rejects, Hoobastank, Kenna, Enrique Iglesias and Lupe Fiasco. This is all previously unreleased music, published especially for this effort, hence the empowering lyrics about unity and help. You can listen, download and donate:

HERE

             In a recent blog post on his official website, Linkin Park/Fort Minor member, Mike Shinoda gave fans an update on LP’s new LP. The band had their first meeting of the year, regarding the evolution of their future album, expected to be released, sometime in the summer/autumn of this year. It will be their fourth and the follow-up to the successful Minutes to Midnight. The MC seems happy with the way things are going and emphasizes a lot on the new direction of their recent songs. He even talks about initiating a new genre with this one, so the pressure to not repeat themselves seems to be really off. He also teases the army of fans, waiting for any new information: “I was going to tell you guys the working titles…but I changed my mind”, he writes. Though not a concept album, the new material is, so far, tied by “some thematic threads”, the producer also admits. Five songs are almost confirmed, with another 15-20 being worked on, a batch from which the final tracklisting is supposed to be picked. In earlier reports, there was talk of a more electronic sound, Blade Runner-inspired, but, as we all know, an album has many  gestation periods, so we’ll just have to wait and hear.

The thing with Dead by Sunrise is that you can either listen to it as Chester Benington’s side-project and compare it to Linkin Park, you can also listen to it as Julien-K without Ryan Shuck on vocals, or you can clear your mind of all these faces and names and enjoy a new rock band. And, truth be told, it’s not at all difficult to enjoy Dead by Sunrise’s debut album, Out of the Ashes. The overall feeling you get from this first studio effort by these guys, is that you are listening to some classic rock’n'roll album, something old school, but still alive and kicking. Billy Idol’s Rebel Yell is the first thing that comes to mind, but Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet is not too far either. I’m not entering sound issues when mentioning these albums. I’m just trying to say that Out of the Ashes has everything you would want from a rock album. It might not become your favourite, but you will respect it.

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