Story by Anne Erickson

Eve 6 unleash their latest music video for ‘Curtain’

Punk-pop trio Eve 6 are back with a new album, “Speak in Code,” out on Fearless Records last April, and now the guys have a brand new music video for their current single, “Curtain,” to show off. Directed by Patrick Meier and filmed in Long Beach, Calif., the video was filmed completely in reverse, making for a wacky aesthetic. Watch the video, which recently premiered on Vevo, below.

Eve 6 are out on the road this winter in support of “Speak in Code,” and they have dates lined up in Florida, New York, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and beyond taking them through Dec. 11. On the road, expect to hear new tunes off “Speak in Code,” as well as Eve 6 classics such as “Inside Out,” “Promise” and “Think Twice.”

Between releasing the new album and touring the country (some dates with Everclear, to boot), the guys of Eve 6 had a blast in 2013. Drummer Tony Fagenson recently thanked fans for their support in a post on their official website, stating, “Thanks for making 2012 such an exciting year for us. We owe it all to you!”

Watch Eve 6’s Music Video for ‘Curtain’:

Story by Anne Erickson

Watch Linkin Park’s new lyric video for their song ‘Lost in the Echo’ off ‘Living Things’

Linkin Park have never been the kind of band to shy away from bold, hi-tech music videos, and now, the alternative rockers have unveiled a mind-spinning new lyric video for their track “Lost in the Echo” off their just-release album, “Living Things.” Watch the video at the end of the post.

In preparation for the new album, the guys had 360 degree scans taken of their bodies, and those shots have shown up in plenty of the promotions leading up to the release of “Living Things.” Now, the scans are being used in the lyric video, and this time around, a band member who is difficult to make out comes into view spinning in a mass of grassland and dirt, with the living things around him encroaching his body.

“And these promises broken / Deep below / Each word gets lost in the echo / So one last lie I can see through / This time I finally let you / Go, go, go,” singer Chester Bennington croons in the chorus, as multi-instrumentalist and rapper Mike Shinoda rhymes, “Test my will, test my heart / Let me tell you how the odds gonna stack up / Y’all go hard, I go smart / How’s it working out for y’all in the back, huh?”

Linkin Park and fellow alternative rockers Incubus will hit the road together for the first time on the Honda Civic Tour. The trek sets off Aug. 11 in Bristow, Va., and runs through Sept. 10 in San Diego. (Photo via YouTube.)

Watch Linkin Park’s Lyric Video for ‘Lost in the Echo’:

Story by Charles Ken

Chris Cornell and Soundgarden release blue-washed music video

Soundgarden are back with their first fresh song in over a decade and a half, a catchy anthem called, “Live to Rise.” Today (May 3), the grunge rock boys released the official music video for the song, and the clip features live footage of the band rocking out in a blue-washed, laser light setting, plus clips from the upcoming film, “The Avengers.” Watch the video for the song, which is featured on the soundtrack for “The Avengers,” below.

Fans who don’t think the new songs sounds like what they’re hoping to hear from the new phase of Soundgarden shouldn’t worry. In an interview with The Los Angeles Times‘ music blog Pop & Hiss, frontman Chris Cornell explained that the track is not at all like what Soundgarden will churn out for their upcoming new album. “It sounds kind of stripped down and more streamlined than a lot of other songs we’ve been writing,” Cornell said of “The Avengers” tune.

“But if you take any song out of context, from any one of our albums, going all the way back to our first Sub Pop EP, it’s not going to tell you anything about the songs around it,” he added. “We’re just that way. This would fit on our record … but if there’s a way that it stands apart, this is fairly rhythmically straightforward.”

The soundtrack for “The Avengers” also features songs by Bush, Papa Roach, Shinedown and Evanescence. The soundtrack is currently up on iTunes, while the film hits theaters on May 4. (Photo via YouTube.)

Watch Soundgarden’s Music Video for ‘Live to Rise’:

Story by Anne Erickson

The Black Keys serve up raw blues-rock for March Madness

It’s Selection Sunday, and that means March Madness is officially here. The 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket and field has been announced, so let the countdown to the Final Four begin! From Michigan State to Kentucky to Syracuse, this year is packed with a selection of top-notch teams, but aside from all the basketball action, this year’s NCAA Tournament will also bring a good dose of rock music.

Akron, Ohio, blues-rock duo the Black Keys are the NCAA’s big rock representatives this year. The band’s latest single, “Gold on the Ceiling,” is being played throughout the 2012 NCAA March Madness tournament, so expect to hear the track plenty over the next few weeks. Last year, alternative rockers Kings of Leon had the honor of bringing their edgy, raw sound to the soundtrack of the NCAA Tournament.

The Black Keys are currently out on a U.S. arena tour, and the trek runs through May 18 in Columbia, Md. After that, the Keys will fly over to Europe and play gigs in Norway, Finland, Holland, Denmark, Germany and beyond. The duo are out supporting their 2011 release, “El Camino,” which drummer Patrick Carney told Gigwise is representative of the band’s past work, but goes beyond that with its songwriting and musical experimentation. “I think it’s different, but a little bit of the same,” he said. “I mean, it sounds like us.” The Black Keys worked with mastermind producer Danger Mouse on the release, who also manned the knobs behind the band’s previous album, 2010’s “Brothers.” (Photo credit: Danny Clinch via Nonesuch Records.)

Watch the Black Keys’ NCAA March Madness Music Video:

Story by Anne Erickson

Cold’s latest music video looks at the ‘American Dream’

Scooter Ward and the heavy music men of Cold have released the official music video for their track, “American Dream,” which is the band’s second single from their current Eleven Seven Music release, 2011’s “Superfiction.”

The video walks the viewer through the forlorn tale of so many Americans who have idealistic ideas and dreams and, tragically, are never able to actualize them. The “American Dream” is something that’s branded into the minds and hearts of millions of Americans, and Cold inspect that phenomenon in this video. The clip also contemplates the idea that things aren’t always as they seem. Watch it all at the bottom of the post.

Ward recently sat down with Audio Ink Radio to talk about “Superfiction” and how this album differs from Cold’s previous discs. “I wanted to create a record that was more fictional, because the last two Cold records were very personal, and our lives have changed,” Ward said. “I think with any band that has longevity, you’re going to go through changes. I didn’t want to create a personal record that wasn’t true, so I decided to create a fictional record that would give the characters depth, and I wanted to make the stories tragic to where they still related to our audience.

“The goal was to make the characters come to life and to make our Cold Army kids still feel emotion. I think we accomplished that. I know we’ve accomplished that now, based of all the kids that are talking to us at the shows.” (Photo via YouTube.)

Watch Cold’s Official Music Video for ‘American Dream’:

Story by Cat Badra

Aaron Lewis on Songwriting: ‘I close my eyes, lick my lips and go at it’

Aaron Lewis and his post-grunge rock band Staind have released the official music video for their latest single, “Eyes Wide Open.” The heavily textured song comes off the Massachusetts rockers’ 2011, self-titled full-length, which was the follow-up to Staind’s 2008 release, “The Illusion of Progress.” Check out the action-packed clip, which features a hefty dose of live footage of Staind performing at a recent gig, at the end of the post and over at Loudwire, where Staind premiered the video.

Staind released their latest album last year, but they didn’t book a proper, cross-country tour to promote the release until now. Staind recently dropped the news that they will tour North America this April and May alongside female-fronted rock group Halestorm and hard rockers Godsmack. The jaunt, billed the “Mass Chaos Tour,” will set off April 13 in Augusta, Ga., and hit and upwards of 20 cities before closing out May 18 in Bangor, Maine.

Lewis recently chatted with Audio Ink Radio about the band’s new album, and he says that when it comes to conjuring up new musical ideas song after song, he tries not to think it out too much and, instead, lets the ideas flow as naturally as possible. “If you start thinking about stuff like that, next thing you know stuff stops coming out,” Lewis said. “I close my eyes, lick my lips and go at it. I don’t have to find a place. I live in that place. I don’t really know where it comes from. Everything around me is inspirational in a good way or a bad way.”

Watch Staind’s Music Video for ‘Eyes Wide Open’:

Story by Anne Erickson

Foo Fighters drummer and guitarist pull out wild Queen cover

Now we’ve seen it all. Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins and guitarist Chris Shiflett were apparently in the mood for some Queen tracks last weekend, as the guys spontaneously covered Queen’s “Tie Your Mother Down” at Rock & Roll Pizza at the Rack in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Saturday (Feb. 25). Don’t believe us? Watch the killer video at the end of the post.

The gig was part of a show Hawkins and Shiflett were playing with their three-piece cover band, Chevy Metal, which is known for pulling out obscure covers of bands such as Queen, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and ZZ Top. The guys first played with the band during the Foos’ recent hiatus, before the band set out to record 2011’s “Wasting Light.”

In other Foo Fighters news, frontman Dave Grohl has stated that the grunge band are already plotting their follow-up to “Wasting Light,” and they plan to enlist Nirvana producer Butch Vig — who worked with them on “Wasting Light” — to once again man the production duties. “ …There are still more shows to play, more songs to write, more albums to record, for years to come,” Grohl stated in a note to fans at the end of 2011. “I mean…..If you would have told me 17 years ago that in 2012 I would be writing songs for our 8th studio album….well….. If it weren’t for you guys, we wouldn’t be here. We owe you so much.” The Foos also picked up six Grammy Awards at the 54th annual celebration earlier this month, including the coveted Best Rock Performance Grammy for their rousing rock song “Walk.” (Photo via YouTube.)

Watch Foo Fighters Members Taylor Hawkins and Chris Shiflett Perform Queen’s ‘Tie Your Mother Down’:

Story by Charles Ken

Watch Black Stone Cherry’s emotional new video for ‘In My Blood’

Southern rockers Black Stone Cherry have a new hit in their powerful track “In My Blood,” which is closing in on the Top 10 on the mainstream rock chart. The gents just wrapped a North American tour with Cavo and Rains, and now, they have released the music video for “In My Blood.” Watch the full clip at the end of the page.

The video for “In My Blood” is extremely moving, featuring footage that documents PFC Randy Hirneisen, a 20-year-old soldier with the U.S. Army Europe, returning home from Afghanistan to meet his baby son for the first time. The clip follows his voyage from his deployment in Afghanistan as a ‘tanker’ to the his redeployment back to Germany and his homecoming in Augusta, Ga., where his wife, Cindy Torres, connects him with his two-month-old son, Randy Hirneisen Jr., for the very first time. It’s a tear-jerker.

The guys of Black Stone Cherry also recently surprised Hirneisen at a special homecoming party for the soldier in his hometown on Jan. 16. They pulled out a special, six song acoustic set at the party to thank Hirneisen for letting them use his story for the video and, of course, serving our country.

Black Stone Cherry have kicked off a “What’s In Your Blood?” web campaign, and they’re inviting fans to share stories of “What’s in their blood.” Fans may submit their inspiring tales through the rockers’ YouTube channel, and Black Stone Cherry will pick a winner on March 31. The prize? The guys will player a private, acoustic set in the winner’s hometown for their friends and family. To get in, visit the band’s official website. (Photo credit: Anne Erickson.)

Watch Black Stone Cherry’s Music Video for ‘In My Blood’:

Story by Anne Erickson

As I Lay Dying’s latest video features footage from 2011′s ‘Decade of Destruction Tour’

Christian metal-core greats As I Lay Dying celebrated their 10th anniversary as a band in 2011, and they’re hoping to build on that past success with another decade-plus of churning hardcore. The San Diego boys are currently working on their fifth album, and they’re grooming up to enter the studio this April. As I Lay Dying are also slated to take their grindcore and melodic metal to the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival this year.

Last year, the group headlined the “Decade of Destruction Tour” in honor of their 10th anniversary, and they caught some vicious live footage in the process. Band member Nick Hipa edited the footage, which the band used to put together their latest music video for “Paralyzed.” The video shows As I Lay Dying in their element, performing 10 years worth of songs for their closest, most loyal fans.

Hipa recently checked in to talk about the band’s faith. He says As I Lay Dying’s Christianity doesn’t get in the way of attracting mainstream fans in the slightest. “Anyone who has seen this band knows that when they leave the show, they remember the show and our personalities,” he said. “Everyone’s different beliefs are an aspect of them, but there’s isn’t an agenda behind the band as in being an evangelical band that’s trying to spread a certain message.

“Just like with a normal band, whatever is one your mind or whatever you’re dealing with personally is going to come through in your lyrics. [Lead vocalist] Tim is a very philosophical dude, so his Christian perspective shows through on the lyrics.”

Watch As I Lay Dying’s Music Video for ‘Paralyzed’:

Story by Cat Badra

British post-grunge band release latest music video

Gavin Rossdale-fronted alternative rock outfit Bush have released their new music video for “Baby Come Home,” off the band’s current full-length, “The Sea of Memories.” The ‘90s rock radio darlings shot the video Jan. 15 in Los Angeles with director Todd Stefani. Watch the dramatic clip below.

“The Sea of Memories” marks Bush’s first studio release since 2001’s “Golden State.” As for Bush’s reformation, after years of trying to make the solo thing work, Rossdale said it just felt natural to resurrect Bush.

“I began writing, and I must have done six or 10 songs, and I was thinking that the weakest link was that they were coming out under my name and not Bush,” he told Consequence of Sound regarding the decision to get back with Bush. “I just rationalized. I just kept asking why. Why would I rationalize it? If Nigel [Pulsford] wasn’t coming back, then so be it. I also created that band. I was the first one there, so therefore, why would I say, ‘You don’t want to do it, so let’s not do it.’ It just seemed ridiculous.”

Rossdale says he thought about bands like The Cure “and I just figured, let’s just do it. And, you know what, it’s been the best decision I’ve ever made. It’s one of those decisions where you go, ‘Why did it take so long?’ Well, that’s just the way it went, and if you live a forward leaning life, those sort of questions don’t have any meaning or merit. They’re just frustrating.”

Watch Bush’s New Video for ‘Baby Comes Home’: