“Mac Miller is the next up in Pittsburgh hip hop. He is a teen titan with the grit of Termanology and the commercial appeal of Bow Wow.”
- JENESIS Magazine

With the likes of Wiz Khalifa and Boaz, Pittsburgh, PA is finally making noise on the national hip hop scene. However, a legion of talent inside the Steel City is still untapped. 17-year old Mac Miller (born Malcolm McCormick) is prepared to be the next artist to emerge from this heap of emcees and bring Pittsburgh further into hip hop prominence. Influenced by the music of Outkast, Slick Rick, Big L, Nas, Mobb Deep and countless others, Malcolm began rhyming at the age of 9.

Mixing the gritty rhyme styles of the ’90s golden era hip hop he loves, with his own unique, new school attitude, Mac has been grinding relentlessly to make his mark on the rap game. After forming the group “The Ill Spoken” with fellow Pittsburgh emcee Beedie, Mac embarked on a career in hip hop. The duo experienced success in the form of appearing on Sirius Radio, releasing the mixtape “How High” with mixtape legends DJ Diggz and Rated R, recording songs with New York rap artist Max B, and performing at numerous shows (including opening up for Soulja Boy).

Now, Mac Miller is stepping out on his own as a solo artist with two missions; putting his city on the map and creating incredible music. Prepping the release of his first official mixtape, entitled “The Jukebox”, ‘Mac has his sights set on obtaining the title of “Youngest in Charge” within the rap game, saying: “I draw inspiration from everything. Old school rap, new school rap, my city, my peers, my life, anything. I just aim to make a new sound of my own, while sticking to the formula of that classic hip hop music.”

For over three decades, Aerosmith have been one of rock’s most revered and popular bands, crafting classic songs full of raw guitar runs and intensely energetic vocals. The band first reached fame in the 1970’s with a string of hits including “Dream On,” “Sweet Emotion” and “Walk This Way.” During this period, Aerosmith’s music defied easy categorization, falling somewhere between hard rock/blues and early punk, with occasional power ballads here and there. The band enjoyed major popularity throughout the 1970’s, but a split from 1979-84, and the serious substance abuse and drug addictions that contributed to their decline, would nearly relegate them to the annals of history. However, in 1984, Aerosmith was born again. They went on to enjoy resurgence in popularity that has made them one of the top-selling and most popular rock bands in the world today.

Throughout their rough and rocky history, Aerosmith defied failure and even defied mediocrity in a fast-paced rock-and-roll world abundant in tragedy and also-rans. Aerosmith signed with Columbia in 1972 and debuted their first album simply titled Aerosmith, which included a hit single, “Dream On”. After constant touring, the band released Get Your Wings in 1974, which did quite well on the charts, but it was Toys in the Attic in 1975 that established Aerosmith as international superstars. Originally pegged as Rolling Stones clones, Toys in the Attic showed that Aerosmith was a unique and original talent in their own right. Part heavy metal, part glam rock, and part punk, Toys in the Attic was an immense success, starting with the single “Sweet Emotion”, then a successful re-release of “Dream On”, and a new song from the album, “Walk This Way”. Both of the band’s previous albums re-charted as a result. Aerosmith’s next album, Rocks, went platinum swiftly and featured two hits, “Back in the Saddle” and “Last Child”.

Their next album, Draw the Line, was not nearly as successful, though the title track proved to be a minor hit. While continuing to tour and record into the late 1970’s, Aerosmith acted in the movie version of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, covering the Beatles hit “Come Together.” As their popularity waned and drug abuse began affecting their output, Joe Perry left the band in 1979 during the recording of their sixth studio album Night in the Ruts and formed The Joe Perry Project. Perry’s role in Aerosmith was initially taken by longtime friend and songwriter Richie Supa and then later by guitarist Jimmy Crespo who recorded the remainder of the album.

Aerosmith released its mammoth-selling Greatest Hits album in 1980, and in 1981 the band suffered another loss with the departure of Brad Whitford. Rick Dufay replaced Whitford and the band recorded their seventh album, Rock in a Hard Place. The album was considered a relative failure. The tour that followed this release is notable for Steven Tyler’s collapse onstage during a 1983 performance.

On Valentine’s Day 1984, Perry and Whitford went to see Aerosmith play. They officially rejoined the ranks of Aerosmith once more in April of that year. Steven Tyler recalls, “You should have felt the buzz the moment all five of us got together in the same room for the first time again. We all started laughing - it was like the five years had never passed. We knew we’d made the right move.”

Aerosmith embarked on a lucrative reunion tour entitled “Back in the Saddle”, which produced the live album Classics Live II. Their problems were still not behind them when the group signed with Geffen Records and began working on a comeback.

1985 saw the release of Done with Mirrors, their first studio album since the highly publicized reunion. It fared relatively well commercially, but it did not produce a hit single or generate much hope for their comeback. By the time the record was released, Tyler and Perry had exited drug rehabilitation. The group appeared on Run D.M.C.’s incredibly successful cover of “Walk This Way”, blending rock and roll and hip-hop and successfully beginning Aerosmith’s comeback. The group’s next release was Permanent Vacation (1987), which included the hits “Dude (Looks Like a Lady)”, “Rag Doll”, and “Angel”. Their next album, Pump, was received even better; Pump featured four Top Ten singles: “Janie’s Got a Gun”, “What It Takes”, “Love in an Elevator”, and “The Other Side”. Aerosmith was definitely in the midst of a major resurgence.

Despite significant shifts in mainstream music at the beginning of the 1990’s, the band’s 1993 follow-up to Pump, Get a Grip, was just as successful commercially. Though many critics were unimpressed by the focus on power-ballads in promoting the album, three songs (”Cryin’ “, “Crazy” and “Amazing”) proved to be huge successes on radio and MTV. The music videos featured then fresh up-and-coming actress Alicia Silverstone; her provocative performances earned her the title of “the Aerosmith chick” for half a decade. Steven Tyler’s daughter, Liv Tyler, was also featured in the “Crazy” video. Aerosmith signed with Columbia Records again in the early 1990’s, but they had to complete two contractual albums for Geffen before recording for the new label.

The next album, Nine Lives, was plagued with personnel problems, including the firing of manager Tim Collins. Reviews were generally mixed, and Nine Lives initially fell on charts, although it had a long chart life and sold double platinum in the US alone. It was followed by a series of late ’90’s releases, mostly earlier material that was live or retrospective. The albums sold relatively well, but also marked a second decline in popularity and critical respect for the band.

Aerosmith’s biggest hit of the ’90’s, and its only #1 single to date, was the love theme from the film Armageddon, “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”. This song was conceived by Joe Perry and Diane Warren, although Warren alone received songwriting credit. Steven Tyler’s daughter Liv was featured in the movie. In 1999, they were in the Disney-MGM Studios ride (and later in the Walt Disney Studios Park ride), Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. Aerosmith provided the soundtrack and theme for the ride, which is based on their recording session and following concert.

The band started its next decade with the release in 2001 of Just Push Play, which charted well. They were also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Later that year, the band appeared as part of the United We Stand concert in Washington D.C. for 9/11 victims and their families. Stubbornly, the band flew back to Indianapolis for a show the same night, refusing to interrupt their Just Push Play tour schedule.

In 2002, Aerosmith released the 2-disc compilation O Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits and embarked on the Girls of Summer tour with opening acts Kid Rock and Run-DMC. In 2003, Aerosmith co-headlined with Kiss on the Rocksimus Maximus tour. Their long-promised blues album, Honkin’ on Bobo, was released in 2004. The Album continues to be a success, helping to inspire the resurgence of blues and roots music across the US and Europe. A live DVD, You Gotta Move, followed it in December 2004. The band also lent its well-known “Dream On” to an advertising campaign for Buick in 2004, targeting their audience, which is now composed largely of people who were teenagers when the song first charted.

In 2005, guitarist Joe Perry released his eponymous solo album. Many claim that it is in many ways truer to the Aerosmith of the ’70’s than any of their recent output. This is mostly due to its raw energy and lack of song doctoring. In October 2005, Aerosmith released a CD/DVD named Rockin’ the Joint. The band hit the road for the Rockin’ The Joint tour on October 30th with Lenny Kravitz and is still touring.

They expect to be on the road until some time around Spring 2006. Rumor has it that they will begin work on a new album at that time. It was announced in January that the band will embark on a 5-week tour with Cheap Trick in the spring. Rumors of a tour started a week before the announcement when Cheap Trick front man Robin Zander joined the band onstage for “Come Together” during a concert in Tampa, Florida. Early reports also indicate that the band plans to resume touring in the fall of 2006, most likely in support of the new album. According to insiders, an upcoming tour may see them alongside Motley Crue.

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Parkway Drive is a 2002 band that formed at Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia. Within their 8 year period, Parkway Drive only released two full-length albums along with an EP, a DVD, and two split albums.

Band History

The name Parkway Drive originated from the actual street name located in Byron Bay, Australia. The street name served as the house location called “Parkway House” where the band kept on practicing. Band members, Winston McCall, Ben Gordon, Jeff Ling, Like Kilpatrick, Shaun Cash, And Brett Versteeg got together with another metalcore band, I Killed the Prom Queen to produce a split EP titled “I Killed the Prom Queen / Parkway Drive.”

The following year, Parkway Drive released their first EP titled “Don’t Close Your Eyes” containing 8 tracks. The release of their EP saw positive reception from Australia which led to the band having their own fan base. Other popular bands like Hatebreed and Shadows Fall further expanded Parkway Drive’s presence as they performed in the same event as them.

May 2005 served as their first milestone when they travelled to the US to prepare and record their first ever studio album. After their first album titled “Killing with a Smile” was released, the band started to tour around to further promote the album. A year later, the album made its way to the US after they signed up with Epitaph Records. Around that time, bass player Shaun Cash left the band in good terms with the other members because of personal issues.

The other bass player, Brett Versteeg left as well. The band was still able to move on when the band’s long-time friend Jia “Pie” O’Connor took over the bass player role. More tours followed, fueling more popularity amongst Australian metal fans. The “Don’t Close Your Eyes” EP was also re-released containing tracks from their split EP and earlier tracks present in the Byron Bay Hardcore compilation. Their second Parkway Drive album titled “Horizons” also met critical praise.

Studio Albums Released

“Killing with a Smile” served as their debut album recorded in 2005 and released in the US 2006. The album played a major role in giving the band international recognition. Adam Dutkiewicz of Killswitch Engage fame produced the album.

October 2007 saw the release of their second album called “Horizons.” Fans highly anticipated the release since they played a few songs that were going to be in the album live. Both critics and fans enjoyed the album, making its way to number six on the ARIA Charters. It is now the bestselling release in the band’s history and has reached multi-platinum status in Europe.

Vocalist Winston McCall announced in 2010 that Parkway Drive is working on a new album claiming that it “will be their rawest, and heaviest record to date.” Subsequent updates were posted on online avenues including MySpace and their blog. There is no word on the title of the album or how many tracks it would contain, but the album will be released after their current European Tour and before the Vans Warped Tour to start on June 2010.

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If there is one band that truly defines the pop punk genre, it would be the Blink 182 music. The band was formed in 1992 in San Diego, California. It was formed by Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus. The two met while they were in high school and they realized they shared the same interest for pop punk. With the common desire to be in a band, they eventually formed their own.

The band was not originally named like that. They originally called their group, Duck Tape until some time later that DeLonge decided to change it into Blink. But there was another problem with that name. An Irish band who had the same name threatened to file a legal case against them if they would not change it. And so Hoppus and DeLonge decided to simply add “182″ to their name and that solved everything.

The group did not have everything work out smoothly on their side. They had to struggle just to find gigs. They would even call up some schools offering their band services, telling them that their band only played clean music and that they are not into punk rock and their songs do not contain expletives and topics like death, alcohol, drugs and other adult topics. But eventually they soon got the attention of some people and they started to be invited to play in some functions and gatherings.

They had to first release three demo tapes, all containing their initial attempts to find that right Blink 182 music, but most of these recordings were of poor quality. This is mainly because the equipment they used were just old ones borrowed from some friends.

Then on February 17, 1994 the band was finally able to release their first studio album, titled “Cheshire Cat”. It was notable for being the only official album that still had their old band name (as they had yet to change it). Due perhaps to its limited release, it is considered just a moderate success, having made most of its sales in the San Diego area.

But after that first album, almost everything started to go uphill for the band. It was followed by the album, “Dude Ranch” was commercially successful, having sold about 1.5 million copies worldwide. As a result, the band gained popularity and led to their first nationwide tour.

However, it was not all rosy about the band during this time. Their drummer, Scott Raynor was told to leave the band. Some sources say it is because of Raynor’s addiction to alcohol while others claim he just could not handle the fame and wanted a more quieter life. Nevertheless, he was replaced by Travis Barker as the band’s permanent drummer.

Other albums followed including the hugely successful “Enema of the State” (have already sold about 15 million worldwide), Take Off Your Pants and Jacket and their latest album’s Blink 182 music showcasing their continuous growth as musicians. The band has won awards and sold millions of albums, band merch and music merch as well, around the globe, cementing their stake as one of the best pop punk bands we have today.

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From “My Generation” to “Pinball Wizard” to “Behind Blue Eyes” to “You Better You Bet” to “Won’t Get Fooled Again”, The Who Show has been thrilling audiences with the unmistakable live sounds of the Who for more than a decade. Voted VH1’s “Most Believable 1970’s Era Who Tribute”, The Who Show was also hailed by the Los Angeles Times to be “in a class by themselves.”

With note for note musical renditions, authentic costumes and vintage instruments The Who Show recreates a Who concert experience from the 1970s. On stage, the group accurately captures the “individual stage personas, idiosyncrasies and showmanship” (Music Connection Magazine) of one of the most influential bands and perhaps the greatest live band ever. While many tribute bands duplicate the appearance and sound, The Who Show, “takes the extra step to capture the magic, energy and essence of the Who” (San Diego Union-Tribune).

The Who Show was cast in starring roles as The Who in the 2005/06 stage production premiere run of Quadrophenia, which was a box office and critical smash hit. Between casinos, festivals, fairs, concerts and corporate events, the band performs about high profile engagements every year. Permanent band members Chris Propper (as Pete Townshend), Jim Kennelly (as John Entwistle), France DiCarlo (as Keith Moon) and Jay Stevens (as Roger Daltrey), have established themselves as one of the most popular tribute bands in Southern California and are rapidly gaining national recognition.

The Who Show’s website, www.thewhoshow.com, was awarded “Best Who Fan Site” by VH1. The groups website and MySpace pages register a combined 125,000 hits per year. Their management team employs a publicist and the group’s email list has more than 2,500 followers. Additionally, the band members are eager to help promote all engagements. The group has raised approximately $200,000 for charities and hospitals.

With excellent musicianship and lively stage presence, The Who show delivers a show that engages the audience at many levels. Each of the timeless hit songs played in their sets are known and loved by generations of fans. The Who show has honed their show to become what critics acknowledge being one of the most spectacular tribute shows in the world.

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Asking Alexandria, what a great metalcore band they are. Generic screams, generic guitar riffs, and generic drumming patterns. Their “hit” single, The Final Episode, is a great song. If your into generic-core that is.

Well alright, I give them a lot of credit. I really can’t talk bad about them.0 The structure and hooks of the song are so well placed that you’ll remember it more than a song by Justin Bieber. It’s like if a Disney producer wrote a Metalcore song, “The Final Episode” would be it. Lead singer Danny Worsnop repeats the lines “Oh My God”, and it just drives into your head once you hear the song. His delivery is massive and the attitude of the lyrics are above average. More and more lines are made into hooks throughout the song, After your first listen, I’m sure you’ll remember more than 50% of the hooks. The guitar riffs are just as memorable as all the vocal hooks, even if they are generic. They are also very well placed, they are played right after the vocal hook. Drums are nothing special, just what you’d expect from a Metalcore band of this caliber. Later in the song, they pull off a very nice electronic bridge section. Again, hooks galore! Danny than repeats the lines “You need a doctor baby, you scared?” It really sticks with you throughout your day.

Asking Alexandria the final episode is a great song for new fans of Metalcore, or for Metalcore fans who want to hear a good catchy song. For die hard fans, I’d give Asking Alexandria a pass until they come up with something more complicated and brutal. Asking Alexandria definitely made a dent in the Metalcore world, but let’s see if they can keep up with the pressure.

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Born in a military hospital in South America, Immortal Technique was brought to the United States in the early 80’s while a civil war was breaking out in his native Peru. The US supported puppet democracy and Guerilla factions were locked in a bitter struggle which ended like most do in Latin America, with the military and economic aid of the State Dept. through channels like the CIA. Although he had escaped the belligerent poverty and social turmoil of life in the 3rd world, he was now residing in Harlem which had its own share of drama. Growing up on the streets of New York, the young man became enamored with Hip Hop culture, writing graffiti and starting to rhyme at an early age. Although he frequently cut school and ended up being arrested time and time again for his wild behavior, the kid still managed to finish high school and got accepted to a state university. Unfortunately the survivalist and aggressive attitude that was the norm in New York City caused him to be involved in more violent altercations at school, whether it was with other brothers, false flaggers or the relentlessly racist population of an uncultured Middle America.

Compiling multiple assault charges in New York State and in other states eventually caught up to the uncompromisingly hardheaded actions of one Immortal Technique. He faced several charges for Aggravated Assault in the tri-state area. Realizing his inevitable incarceration, Technique began to prolifically write down his ideas about what he had lived and seen in the struggle back at home in relation to his visits back to his native land. He came to embrace his African roots that stemmed from his grandfather and understood the nature of racism and ignorance in its role in Latino culture, separating oppressed peoples and keeping them divided. He also began to study in depth about the Revolutionary ideas that had caused a history of uprising in the indigenous community of his Native South America. Although pressured to turn states evidence before and during his bid, he refused the DA and lawyers. He was facing a 5-10 stretch, but the hiring of a pittbull attorney helped him compile the cases without turning snitch like his co-defendants. The result was a 1-2 year sentence in the mountains, 6 hours away from the city. There Technique studied, worked out vigorously, began to document his lyrics, and create songs. Besides the creation there was destruction, and the fights were nothing compared to the verbal battles that he engaged in occasionally. This proved to be a foreshadowing of what was to come…

Paroled in 1999, Immortal Technique returned to NYC and began a campaign to claim victory to what he had discovered he had a talent for; battling. One of the rites of passage in establishing oneself in the Hip Hop community is following in the steps of those who made their name in lyrical warfare before you. Immortal Technique quickly became known throughout the underground. His brutally disrespectful style was trademark, and it was not long until he had won countless battles not just on stage and in clubs, but on the streets whenever a random cipher would pop up. From Rocksteady Anniversary, to Braggin Rites, SLAM DVD’s and hookt.com’s infamous battles, he established himself as someone who could captivate a crowd and who people looked forward to seeing. But it was then that Technique realized what every battle champion had come to terms with before him, battles was just that, battling, and not synonymous with success at making music. Turning his eye to production and touching up some of the songs he had written in prison he now focused on trying to get an album together, but major labels wanted a more pop friendly image and were uncomfortable with his hardcore street style that was complemented by his political views. In response to their lack of vision, Immortal Technique left the battle circuit and released his critically acclaimed Revolutionary Vol.1, which at first moved 3000 copies, but to date has moved more than 12,000. This earned him Unsigned Hype in the Source (11/02) and numerous articles in Elemental & Mass Appeal.

Established in the underground circuit Tech began another round of dealing with record labels unwilling to see the direction of his brutally honest and cultured rhymes. He decided to continue with what had been so successful, his hand to hand out the trunk hustle. In the post 9.11 climate, as the music industry crumbled, Immortal Technique built on the truth with a hardcore brand of street politics. Being featured in XXL, The Washington Post, and having been titled with the Hip Hop quotable in The Source (10/03) for his sophomore independent release Revolutionary Vol.2 was just the beginning.. On Viper Records, where he is the Executive VP, he sold 29,000 copies of Revolutionary Vol.2 to date and has appeared on soundtracks for new movies including the new Mario Van Peebles film “BAADASSSSS”. Immortal Technique has also worked with Mumia Abu Jamal and AWOL magazine. His single “Industrial Revolution” released in conjunction with Uncle Howie Records hit #1 on CMJ and #50 on the Billboard charts. Recently back from a successful West Coast tour, Immortal Technique is now booking a European tour in the Fall of 2004 and recording his highly anticipated third album…

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Places outside the US, UK and Australia probably saw the monumental increase in Paramore merchandise after the movie release of Twilight. The songs Decode and I Caught Myself became prominently featured in the film’s soundtrack. Undoubtedly though, with the band member’s intense passion for music, they would probably take offense at being known only as the band that sang for Twilight.

The band’s music is mainly categorized as pop punk and emo. Unlike other famous punk acts like Avril Lavigne however, the band is almost decidedly moving against the grain of traditional punk. There is nothing of the formulaic, whiny, grating attitude that characterizes typical punk. The band’s music is altogether enthusiastic, deeply emotional and upfront.

The level of maturity of the group’s music is surprising considering that they can perhaps be regarded as kids on stage. Although the members have aged in the six years that they have been around, they started when they were barely teens. Before there were Paramore albums that sold like hotcakes, there were only these kids practicing in a garage. Lead vocalist Hayley Williams was only 14 and drummer Zac Farro was only 12 when the group first came together. They were joined by Josh Farro on lead guitars, Jeremy Davis on bass guitar and Jason Bynum on rhythm guitar. Although there was an initial hesitation over Williams’ gender, she has stayed on consistently as lead vocals.

The band first gave the public a taste of their own brand of music through their debut release All We Know is Falling in 2005. This was inspired by the emotional experience of Jeremy Davis leaving the group. Although this album is perhaps the closest to formulaic pop punk, it did not immediately lead to astounding success for the group. Davis eventually rejoined his band members after only a few months of being away. Jason Bynum was replaced by Hunter Lamb who also soon left to get married.

Things started to pick up in 2007 when the band opened the year with the release of Riot!. Between the two Paramore albums, this one saw better reception, entering the Billboard 200 at the number 20 slot. The album eventually went platinum in the US. Taylor York took on rhythm guitar duties from Hunter Lamb. From here onward, there was no other way but up for the band.

The group saw greater visibility and recognition in 2008 when they hit the February cover of Alternative Press after having been voted by readers as Best Band of 2007. On the same month, they received a nomination for Best New Artist in the Grammy Awards. By May 2008, the group had embarked on a tour called The Final Riot. Shortly after the end of the tour in September, two of their songs were released for Twilight. In September 2009, the group released Brand New Eyes which to date is the band’s most chart topping release.

There is no stopping the deluge of Paramore merchandise. This is despite the rift rumors that have haunted and continue to haunt the group. Past rumored conflict revolved around the media’s focus on Hayley Williams. By all current appearances though, the group is as solid as platinum.

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