Rise Against

Rise Against's 'Make It Stop' Tackles Bullying, Suicide

21 Jun 2011 06:53:09 EDT

Tim McIlrath's band teams with 'It Gets Better' campaign for new video.
By James Montgomery

For more than a decade now, Tim McIlrath has been fighting the good fight. And during that time, he's watched his band, Rise Against, rise from scrappy VFW Hall stalwarts to genuine rock-radio mainstays. But somewhere along the way, he began to notice RA's agit-punk, certifiably progressive politics were getting lost in the mix. And needless to say, this bothered him.

"Rise Against is a band that, we've played punk-rock dives and basements, that's where we started, and at some point, we were adopted by a much-larger rock scene," he told MTV News. "And when we were introduced to that rock scene, I found there were people that were unsure about who we are or where we stood on things ... I found a lot of fans who were unsure about how we felt about if our fans were gay, and that broke my heart, to think that any one of our fans might even question for a second where we stand on that."

So, with those questions weighing on his mind, McIlrath headed into the studio with his band to begin work on what would become Rise Against's sixth studio album, Endgame. It was during that process that the suicide of Rutgers University freshman Tyler Clementi began making national news, bringing to light the rather-troubling issue of bullying and the plight of gay teenagers in the U.S.

As he had done throughout Rise Against's career, McIlrath knew he had to speak up — especially since none of his radio-clogging contemporaries seemed willing to do so.

"When the month of September rolled around, and the wave of gay-teen suicides happened, I realized there needed to be a song about this, and also because the rock scene in general kind of fails to comment about this stuff — it sort of doesn't comment about this stuff; it largely ignores this kind of thing," he said. "And rock being a male-dominated, testosterone-driven place that I've been in the eye of the hurricane now for several years, I realized that it can be a place that can perpetuate homophobic behavior unless it's addressed by bands like us."

McIlrath wrote "Make It Stop (September's Children)," a song that deals explicitly with the issues of bullying, homophobia and suicides within the LGBT community. His message is one of hope: Yes, life does improve once the years of high school hell recede into memory; you've just got to find the strength not to give up.

"The message is: It can get better, it does get better, give it a chance to get better, don't end your life prematurely," he said. "And don't give credence to all these bullies that would give you all this crap and try to make your adolescence something that's hard to deal with."

In the new video for the song, Rise Against team up with Dan Savage's "It Gets Better" campaign to help provide hope to those in need. The clip — shot in McIlrath's former stomping grounds, Rolling Meadows High School in Illinois — follows three teens as they are pushed to the brink by their cruel classmates, and it's only when they find themselves at the (very literal) end of their ropes, do they realize that they have much to live for, and they resolve to press on.

Although McIlrath will be the first to admit that it's just one song and one video, he said that if "Make It Stop" can even inspire even one teen from taking his or her life — regardless of sexual orientation — then he'll consider it a success. And by speaking out, he hopes he'll inspire others to follow suit.

"I think that bullying is something that's existed for a long time, obviously, and will, in a lot of ways, always exist, but I think it's important now to bring this issue to light and to talk about it because there are certain dots we can connect, as Americans, to look at what is producing the bullying that is happening today," he said. "We live in a country that has legislation that still treats the gay community as second-class citizens. That's going to trickle down to our high school communities, it's going to trickle down to our kids ... and as long as we have these types of laws on the books, as long as we have TV networks masquerading as news stations that are perpetuating really violent and anti-gay rhetoric, that's going to trickle down.

"There are very real solutions to this, I believe. It isn't just this intangible, 'Oh, there's always been bullies, there always will be bullies' — it's more than that, and it's coming to a head now," he continued. "And a lot of the suicides of September 2010 are the product of a culture and a media that we can really address, that we can really do something [about] and provide solutions for."

Visit MTV Act's "Make It Stop" page for tools, tips and resources for dealing with bullying or other stressful situations.

Share your opinion on "Make It Stop (September's Children)" in the comments below!

Related Artists

Rise Against

Patrick Stump Conflicted By Rise Against Matchup In Musical March Madness

22 Mar 2011 13:43:48 EDT

The friends are going head-to-head in the second round of the MTV tournament, right now on the Newsroom blog.
By James Montgomery

On Monday, when we revealed the second-round matchups in our Musical March Madness tournament, few clashes stood out quite like the #4 Rise Against/ #12 Patrick Stump tilt in the Midwest region.

After all, this is a battle between friends. Both acts hail from Chicago, both have come up together (RA frontman Tim McIlrath was actually in a band with Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz back in the day), and both share a respect for the other. So, it's nothing short of cruel that there can be only one winner.

Second-round voting is now under way in the Midwest region over on the Newsroom blog!

And that sentiment is shared by Stump himself, who spoke to MTV News about his MMM matchup Tuesday morning (March 22). He is conflicted, to say the very least.

"It's kind of one of those win/lose kind of things ... there's really not a clear victory," he said. "Because if I lose, I guess I lose — 'Hey, no big deal' — because I like Rise Against. I would've voted for Rise Against if I weren't in it anyway, so it's a conflict. ... I don't know how honest I want to be, because Rise Against is a pretty good band. I will be very happy with whomever wins this.

"In a perfect situation, we [wouldn't be] up against each other," he continued. "Because if I didn't have a record coming out and I wasn't in this election at all, it would be fun to watch, and I would be cheering for Rise Against. This is, by definition, a conflict of interest. ... What do I choose? I don't know."

While he's quick to throw his support behind Rise Against — a tact his FOB mate Wentz employed in his first-round matchup against the band, much to his detriment — Stump isn't about to go quietly into the night. In fact, he's in MMM to win.

"I'm saying, 'Vote your conscience.' Vote what you really feel, man," he laughed. "I know I would vote for Rise Against if I weren't me. Well, that's not true. I know I would vote for Rise Against if I weren't a Patrick fan. And I am, because I'm me."

But even if he doesn't win, Stump's already happy with his MMM showing. Mostly because he didn't even expect to beat Neon Trees in the opening round. And really, at this point, anything can happen. After all, as the lone 12 seed left in the tournament, he's already the underdog of underdogs.

"If I make it past this, I honestly don't know what I'll do," he said. "I'm really surprised I beat Neon Trees, and I know I was kind of goofing around and stuff, but, for real, I didn't expect to have any chance against them. I was pretty shocked. I'm Mr. Upset."

MTV's Musical March Madness has moved on to the second round! Voting is now open and will continue until Sunday, when we'll begin the Sweet 16. All winners are determined by your votes, so if your favorite act is still in the tournament, it's be up to you to guide them to glory. You can rally the troops on Twitter using the hashtag #MMM — but get ready, things only get tougher from here on out!

Related Videos

MTV News' 2011 Musical March Madness

Related Photos

Related Artists

Blink-182, Rise Against Close Epicenter Festival With Rousing Sets

27 Sep 2010 10:01:37 EDT

30 Seconds to Mars, Against Me!, Suicidal Tendencies also hit stage on day two of eclectic California rock fest.
By Ryan J. Downey

FONTANA, California — Travis Barker was born in Fontana, making it a sure bet that he felt a sense of homecoming as Blink-182 made their only North American appearance of the year at California's Epicenter 2010 Festival in that very town. The trio's hit-packed set closed the two-day event on Sunday following performances from Rise Against, 30 Seconds to Mars, Against Me! and more.

Afternoon temperatures reached 110 degrees in the racetrack parking lot where Epicenter took place, but the crowd's enthusiasm never seemed to wane, thanks in part to a steady stream of water misters and water cannons. Epicenter 2010 kicked off Saturday with Eminem (in his only West Coast appearance this year), KISS and reunited alt-rockers Bush, among others.

Sponsored by Los Angeles radio station KROQ, the eclectic outdoor event celebrated its second year and moved to the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, part of California's Inland Empire. The Academy Is... kicked off the main-stage festivities on Sunday, looking sharp as they dealt out a deft blend of pop sensibilities and underground angst worked into a taut formula with undeniable effectiveness.

Warped Tour heroes A Day to Remember rode a wave of mosh-pit momentum despite the venue still being less than full in the early afternoon. ADTR have started to crack the mainstream with their mix of hardcore chug and melodic hooks, which has been described as "pop-punk with breakdowns." The Florida-based group is now the biggest band on Victory Records (the label that helped launch Taking Back Sunday and Hawthorne Heights), and judging by the performance they delivered at Epicenter 2010, they seem destined for greater commercial heights.

People looking for punk rock minus any hardcore and with less of the edges worn off were quickly satiated by Against Me!, who hail from the same state as ADTR but play a style more reminiscent of the grimy, up-close-and-personal festivals thrown together in VFW halls without proper permits. Their last two albums may have come out on a major label, but songs like "I Was a Teenage Anarchist" and "White Crosses" reminded any doubters that Against Me! haven't sold out.

Bad Religion ripped into two tracks from their classic 1988 album, Suffer, the second the veteran punks took the stage. Guitarists Greg Hetson and Brian Baker more than made up for the absence of co-founding member Brett Gurewitz (the Epitaph Records owner generally still plays the California shows as a third guitarist) as drummer Brooks Wackerman, who at 33 is the youngest member, laid down a steady pound. Hetson is also in the Circle Jerks and Baker is a something of a punk icon in his own right, thanks to his time with the legendary Minor Threat and Dag Nasty.

The heat was on vocalist Greg Graffin's highly educated mind (he holds a Ph.D. from Cornell and has taught courses at UCLA) as he sipped a less-than-cold water between songs. "It's warm!" he shouted. "What did you expect?" responded bassist Jay Bentley. A new song called "The Devil in Stitches" from The Dissent of Man, which drops Tuesday, received a warm response from the crowd. There were enthusiastic sing-alongs for well-worn KROQ staples like "Sorrow."

Epicenter's ability to stage full production throughout the weekend for everyone from Bush and Eminem to KISS and 30 Seconds to Mars was impressive, considering the difficulty accommodating so many different headline-caliber acts. Recent VMA winners 30 Seconds to Mars followed Bad Religion on the main stage, which they decorated with a large version of their triangular symbol.

A photographer who shot the band described their set as an "estrogen fest," due to the strong and vocal contingent of females who clearly admired frontman Jared Leto's looks at least partly as much as his singing. The band chose its most anthemic tracks for Epicenter, belting out rousing renditions of "This Is War," "Night of the Hunter" and "A Beautiful Lie" with Leto and the two other permanent members of the band — guitarist/keyboardist Tomo Milicevic and Jared's brother, drummer Shannon — firing on all cylinders.

Sporting a white leather jacket (which quickly came off), black sleeveless shirt, red fingerless gloves and bleach-blond hair reminiscent of his Angel Face role in "Fight Club," Jared Leto led the crowd through an incredible sing-along during "The Kill," starting the song off acoustically, by himself, and ending up standing atop the barricade as the rest of the band backed him with electric power.

His good-natured interaction with the crowd was constant: At one point, he demanded one of the venue's large water hoses and proceeded to personally douse the crowd, which welcomed the relief from the heat. The band filled the stage with people from the audience for their last song, as Leto thanked the crowd continually.

Earlier in the day, the second stage was warmed up by Scottish rock trio Biffy Clyro, makeup-smeared upstarts Black Veil Brides and Denmark's New Politics. The Black Pacific, the new Orange County punk band formed earlier this year by ex-Pennywise singer Jim Lindberg, made Epicenter 2010 their first show, playing just before second-stage headliners Suicidal Tendencies.

Suicidal Tendencies are a Southern California institution. Their 1983 self-titled album helped spawn "crossover" with its blend of punk, hardcore, metal and skate-rock and the unstoppable single "Institutionalized." "Cyco" Mike Muir remains the only original member of a group whose alumni have joined everyone from Megadeth to Metallica; Bad Religion drummer Wackerman played with them from 1997 to 2001. The present incarnation of ST, which includes Mike Clark (guitarist since 1987), closed the second stage with energized takes on live staples like "War Inside My Head."

Rise Against bridged the gap between Bad Religion's social commentary and Suicidal Tendencies' aggression, setting the nighttime ablaze with their Midwestern take on melodic hardcore. Singer/guitarist Tim McIlrath and crew played a set seemingly designed to please the people who've followed them since their Fat Wreck Chords days and those who discovered them on the radio alike. Billed just before Blink-182 on the main stage, the huge crowd reaction proved them worthy of the spot.

"Prayer of the Refugee," "The Good Left Undone" and the acoustic "Swing Life Away" were all highlights, while "Ready to Fall," predictably, generated the biggest response.

While it was said to be Rise Against's last show of the year, Epicenter was Blink-182's only North American show in 2010. The So Cal trio, who reunited for a summer's worth of touring last year after a long hiatus, took to the stage to loud cheers from the estimated 25,000 people in attendance.

Tom DeLonge was wearing a shirt emblazoned with the logo of his apparel line, Macbeth, while Barker was of course shirtless. With the front of his hair pointing high to the nighttime sky, Mark Hoppus regularly raised his hands in triumph during a 90-minute set that was a bit light on their usual comedic chatter but heavy on hits.

Blink will work on a new album soon, with their Epicenter performance serving as ample reminder of their formidable catchy-tune-making prowess. Among the songs in their arsenal on Sunday night: "What's My Age Again?," "All the Small Things," "First Date," "The Party Song," "I Miss You," "Always," "Stockholm Syndrome" and the appropriately titled "Stay Together for the Kids."

Related Artists

Rise Against Claim There's Nothing Radical About Appeal To Reason

22 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EDT

'I don't see anything real radical about what it is we do,' frontman Tim McIlrath says.
By Chris Harris

The one adjective you almost always see ascribed to Chicago punk-rock outfit Rise AgainstRise Against is "political," and there's a reason for that. The band is known for its leftist politics, and its albums are rife with sociopolitical commentary. Beyond that, the guys are all strict vegetarians and active supporters of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

But frontman Tim McIlrath claims the band's forthcoming fifth album, Appeal to Reason, which is scheduled for an October 7 release, isn't a political LP. In fact, he doesn't consider any of the band's material political in nature.

"When I talk to people about this band and what we do, or I read people's interpretations of who we are as a band, a lot of times I see things like, 'They're a radical band' or 'They're political,' 'They're controversial,' " McIlrath explained. "When I look and see what our band is saying, what we are asking of each other, what we are asking of the community we're in and the people who listen to us, I see nothing but real common-sense things. I don't see anything real radical about what it is we do. Only in a world this screwed up could concepts like being fair to people, being fair to each other, and growing up in a world that gives everybody a chance, only in today's world could that concept be radical or be considered radical.

"This is music that appeals to reason — the reasonable parts of the human psyche," he continued. "In my mind, it's just straight-up common sense. We're just in touch with reason, and that's all our songs are — an appeal to reason. If you really look at them and strip back all the superficial parts of the songs and even the superficial parts of punk rock, you'll find that there are some very reasonable things that are being asked of the world in our songs."

A few weeks back, Rise Against — who will be touring in support of Appeal to Reason starting October 2 in Cleveland, with Thrice, Alkaline Trio and the Gaslight Anthem — were back in their old stomping grounds of Chicago to shoot a video for the record's first single, "Re-Education (Through Labor)," with director Kevin Kerslake (Faith No More, Green Day). The clip, McIlrath admitted, does have a slightly political theme — one he feels practically anyone will relate to.

"It's an important song on our record," he said, adding that he's proud of "every single second" of Appeal to Reason. "It's talking a lot about the 9-to-5, dog-eat-dog lifestyle, and what we are asked to do to simply make ends meet nowadays, and I think it's a feeling shared by people all around the world and especially in this country.

"One of the great things about doing a video is that your imagination is the only thing that's limiting you, so you can do anything," he continued. "So we have a video that's going to encompass the anger and the angst that the youth of America feel toward society at large and the things that are demanded of them."

Related Artists

Rise Against

Rise Against Hope 'Refugee' Clip Has 'Strippers, Champagne'

06 Oct 2006 06:00:00 EDT

Band plans to shoot video before going on tour with Thursday.
By Corey Moss

DEVORE, California — Soliciting treatments from video directors is often frustrating for Rise Against.

"Some people just don't get it," frontman Tim McIlrath said backstage at KROQ's Inland Invasion (see "Guns N' Roses Take On Aguilera, Chester Bennington Joins Alice In Chains At Inland Invasion"). "Some people have no idea what kind of band you are."

"Spielberg came back to us with something about a Wookiee," bassist Joe Principe deadpanned. "That's never going to work, Steven."

"Yeah, who is that guy?" McIlrath added. "As long as there are strippers and champagne and a cruise ship and my crib."

While Rise Against might put to rest the notion that politically minded bands don't have a sense of humor, it's unlikely the video for their next single, "Prayer of the Refugee," will have comical elements.

"The lyrics definitely follow the path of a story," McIlrath said of the song. "It's along the lines of people who live with refugee status, whether that refugee status is [from] living in Sudan and [being] displaced or if you feel like you've been displaced in your own home. Or whether kids from the suburbs feel displaced, like they don't belong there. It's a common theme for a lot of people."

Rise Against often bring their own video ideas to a director, but they decided on the soliciting route for "Prayer of the Refugee."

"It's kind of fun both ways," McIlrath said. "If we have a really strong idea we'll go with that, or sometimes it's like, 'I want to see what somebody else will do.' "

"And they're all quite different from each other," Principe said.

Rise Against are reviewing treatments and plan to shoot the video before their co-headlining tour with Thursday kicks off October 23 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

With The Sufferer & the Witness and first single "Ready to Fall" doing well (see "Rise Against Wish Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco Would Educate Crowds"), the band has noticed its shows getting bigger and bigger.

"There are some shows you play where so many kids come out, it's overwhelming," McIlrath said. "Sometimes you get booked in this giant venue, and you're like, 'What are we doing here? This is going to bomb.' And when it doesn't bomb, you're like, 'Whoa, what happened?' Or some of the Warped dates over the summer, when we'd go onstage and people just bum-rushed the stage. There are definitely times when it's really overwhelming."

Related Photos

KROQ's Inland Invasion: Devore, CA, September 23, 2006

Related Artists

Rise Against

Rise Against Wish Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco Would Educate Crowds

19 Jul 2006 06:00:00 EDT

Warped Tour band's frontman says new album is 'a call to action.'
By James Montgomery

While it's OK to spend hours discussing Pete Wentz's naughty Sidekick photos or to listen intently while Panic! at the Disco explain the proper way to coordinate spats and ascots, remember that there was a time when the term "punk rock" actually meant something.

Rise Against frontman Tim McIlrath remembers that time and the bands that epitomized the era — sociopolitical acts like Fugazi, Earth Crisis and Los Crudos. They're the reason he started playing music in the first place, and their legacy is why he's not ashamed to say he plays punk rock.

"I come from the real, viable punk-rock world, where the bands ask a lot from their audiences," McIlrath said. "I used to go see Los Crudos in abandoned buildings, or in a basement in Evanston, Illinois, and it was eye-opening. I'd listen to them talk about the conflict in East Timor, and it was incredible. Or I'd go to an Earth Crisis show, and learn about animal rights. And I wasn't being taught any of that stuff in high school. So I'd go to these shows not just to be entertained but to learn something."

It's a mission that McIlrath has been committed to since forming Rise Against in 1999 (see "Rise Against Not Really The Tender Balladeers You Think They Are"). Which is why he describes their new album, The Sufferer & the Witness, as "a call to action," a wake-up call to a nation that's grown more apathetic.

"People are overwhelmed by the world, and I definitely sympathize with that. They look at everything that's wrong and bad, and it makes them shut down. And they don't know how to make changes," he said. "I think that the record is telling people to wake up. We want people to become aware of what's going on in the world. Because most people are more concerned with getting the newest cell phone or a video iPod than actually focusing on real problems that affect their lives."

But despite what he may think, plenty of people are listening. The Sufferer sold nearly 50,000 copies in its first week, landing at #10 on the Billboard albums chart (see "Johnny Cash's A Hundred Highways Takes Top Billboard Spot"). And now the guys are looking to spread their socially conscious message even further. A video for the album's first single, "Ready to Fall," features brutal images of animals in test laboratories, oil-slicked beaches and clear-cut forests.

"The imagery is more powerful than anything we can say right now," McIlrath said. "When people hear some singer in a punk band telling them something, they form opinions without really listening. So we just wanted to present the images. We wanted to get these images of animals suffering or forests being destroyed out into the mainstream media. And to be honest, I don't care if someone watches it with the volume turned down and with our name blacked out, so long as they see it. Because if slaughterhouses had glass walls or clear-cut forests were in people's backyards, they'd pay attention."

And with a prime slot on this summer's Warped Tour, Rise Against will reach even more people. Of course, it'd be nice if they had help from more mainstream "punk" acts. But for the time being, McIlrath is content to go it alone.

"I wish more bands like Fall Out Boy or Panic! at the Disco would try to show kids what's going on, since they have their ears. But I guess there's a place for their music. I'm not gonna sit here and say I didn't listen to Screeching Weasel or the Queers when I was a kid," he laughed.

"But I think what's frustrating is when there's more of those bands then there are bands like us or Anti-Flag or Bad Religion. And the funny thing is, when I was at those Los Crudos shows, Pete [Wentz] was right there with me. We were in a band called Arma Angelus together. I know he has it in him. But again, this is a battle, and it's not going to be won over night. Even if we have to do it ourselves, we're gonna win."

Related Artists

Johnny Cash's A Hundred Highways Takes Top Billboard Spot

12 Jul 2006 10:47:00 EDT

Rise Against, 'Pirates' soundtrack crack the top 25 during slow sales week.
By Chris Harris

Johnny Cash's American V: A Hundred Highways earned the #1 spot on Billboard's albums chart with 88,000 copies sold during a slow holiday week at retail — overall sales for the nation's top 200 albums were down by nearly 450,000 units, according to SoundScan.

Had Chris Carrabba waited seven days to release his latest studio offering, Dusk and Summer, he may have finally scored that Billboard-topping debut that's eluded Dashboard Confessional, who opened at #2 on the previous albums chart with 134,000 copies sold — right behind the first-place finisher India.Arie with Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship.

American V was one of only four new releases to crack the top 200 this week, and one of only two to debut in the chart's top 10. The latest Rick Rubin-helmed release from the late music legend contains "Like the 309," the final song Cash wrote and recorded before his September 2003 death. A Hundred Highways is the first of Cash's acclaimed American recordings to reach the top 20 on the Billboard 200.

The Sufferer & the Witness, the fourth studio release from Chicago punks Rise Against, scores the #10 spot after selling more than 48,000 during its first week of release.

The two other newcomers to the chart include the soundtrack to last weekend's #1 film, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest." The record opens at #24 with sales of 30,000 and change. Latin sensation Diana Reyes' Las No. 1 de la Reina bows at #143 with 6,000 scans.

Nelly Furtado came close to returning to #1 this week, following the chart-capping success of her Loose two weeks prior. But the album came up 7,000 copies short of swiping the rug out from under Cash, climbing one spot to #2 with 81,000 discs scanned. India.Arie's Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship follows at #3 with nearly 69,000 sales, just in front of the Dixie Chicks' Taking the Long Way, which stays put at #4 with sales of 57,000 and then some.

Gnarls Barkley climb one spot to #5 after selling close to 56,000 copies of their St. Elsewhere last week, while Rihanna's A Girl Like Me drops one to #6 with over 55,000 sales. Rascal Flatts' Me & My Gang comes in at #7 with close to 55,000 scans. And in at #8 is the soundtrack to the Disney Channel original movie "High School Musical," which continues to rack up sales. Close to 52,000 people grabbed a copy this past week, bringing the disc's six-month sales total to over 2.6 million.

And what of Carrabba, you wonder? Well, Dashboard's Dusk and Summer slid seven spots on this week's chart to #9. Week-two sales of the LP dropped a fairly standard 63 percent, to finish with just under 50,000 scans.

Check out "MTV News RAW: Johnny Cash" to watch one of the music legend's last interviews.

And see "How Nelly Furtado Got Her Ghetto Pass" for an in-depth look at Loose.

Related Artists

New Releases: Rise Against, Rodney Jerkins, Johnny Cash, Ziggy Marley & More

05 Jul 2006 06:00:00 EDT

Also due Tuesday: albums by Peter Gammons, Blow Up Hollywood; DVDs by Kinks, Emerson, Lake and Palmer.
By Kurt Orzeck

With all the fireworks happening this Independence Day weekend, you'd expect an explosion of activity in the record racks too, right? Wrong. Not only is there a lack of releases this week, there aren't even any new Hank Williams Jr. or Darryl Worley tunes to light your sparklers to.

Instead you'll have to settle for Chicago iconoclasts Rise Against, who're squeezing out their fourth record, The Sufferer & the Witness. The 13-track affair, co-produced by Bill Stevenson (Black Flag, Descendents), features the hardcore-ish "Survive," rapid-fire "Bricks" — featuring the refrain "we'll never die" — and a surprise ballad, "Roadside." Look for guest-singing appearances by Holy Roman Empire's Emily Schambra and Drag the River's Chad Price.

If it's more topical — and critical — listening that you're after this week, look no further than Blow Up Hollywood's The Diaries of Private Henry Hill, a concept album that's based on the writings of a U.S. solider who died in Iraq. Hill's journals were passed along to his father, who in turn gave them to Blow Up frontman/ homeless-shelter coordinator Steve Messina. The third studio LP by the New York ensemble is boosted by a bonus DVD and includes the ominously titled "Shots Fired," "Shock and Awe" and "Salvation."

Too critical for your tastes? Well, the closest you're going to get to nationalist sentiment is with Johnny Cash, a reputed renegade who perplexed patriots throughout his career. This week hails American V: A Hundred Highways, presumably the final chapter in the series overseen by Rick Rubin, as it contains the last song Cash wrote and recorded: "Like the 309." Bundled with touching notes by Rubin, the opus features covers of songs by Bruce Springsteen ("Further Up on the Road"), Hank Williams ("On the Evening Train"), Gordon Lightfoot ("If You Could Read My Mind") and other American heritage artists.

Just as Cash's renditions of other people's songs are being collected, so are the songs that inspired him to make music in the first place. Roots & Branches: Artists, Songs & Recordings That Inspired the Legend of Johnny Cash boasts the Kingston Trio's "Jackson," Jimmie Rodgers' "In the Jailhouse Now," Roy Orbison's "You're My Baby" and more.

On the subject of recycling other people's songs, Rodney Jerkins is putting a new twist on the idea. The premier hip-hop producer shows his Versatility with an album that boasts 13 instrumental songs and six additional cuts that consumers can break down into individual tracks and re-create. Those who reshape one or more of the bonus tracks can submit the mixes — along with the CD's proof-of-purchase — to Jerkins, and the winner will get a chance to be a songwriter on a future Jerkins-produced album. Versatility drops on his own Darkchild Records imprint.

Also going the innovative route are the Eastern Stars, who spray Moog, ukulele and omnichord over the 11 tracks featured on July 5th, 1961. The newbies — Rob Corradetti and Kaia Wong — looked to Moldy Peaches, Velvet Underground and Pink Floyd for inspiration on their first effort, according to a track-by-track breakdown. The New York folksters are giving the record a soft release this week in New York and San Francisco — so it can relish the 45th anniversary of the album title, which the band calls "a date on which nothing of political or social significance occurred, yet a date on which everything imaginable happened: birth, death, tragedy, baseball and slugging back to work with holiday hangovers." The record gets a wide release in August.

Also seeing a limited release this week is Ziggy Marley's Love Is My Religion, which he's only delivering to Target stores through Tuff Gong Worldwide. It's the first time Marley has gone with an exclusive distributor and, more significantly, the first time Target is selling a record exclusively — took a little while to catch up to Best Buy, eh? "One of my father's goals was to release an album independently. ... Unfortunately, he never had the chance," Marley said in a press release. "This album and the way it is being sold is important to me in honoring my father's spirit." Bob Marley's spirit living on through a major retailer? Who knew? Marley's Love Is My Religion, his second solo release, features African percussion and "Into the Groove," "Be Free" and the title track.

Also pushing musical boundaries are Banco de Gaia, whose Farewell Ferengistan encompasses electronic and Middle Eastern beats, ambient passages and Qawaali drumming. "Flow My Dreams, The Android Wept" not only references the novella by author Philip K. Dick, which was adapted to became "Blade Runner," but the song includes a clip from the score to "A Clockwork Orange," as well.

Last but not least, this week brings the first CD by Peter Gammons, longtime ESPN analyst, baseball critic and, apparently, guitarist. Sadly, the 61-year-old will be celebrating the release of Never Slow Down, Never Grow Old in a hospital bed — he's still recovering after suffering a brain aneurysm last week. With a varied guest list that includes George Thorogood, Juliana Hatfield, Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein and a smattering of Sox players, all proceeds will be going toward Epstein's Foundation to be Named Later, a nonprofit that helps disadvantaged kids in the Boston area. Don't get hooked on "Tanqueray" or "NyQuil Blues."

Song Title of the Week:

"The Ticket That Exploded" from Eastern Stars' July 5th, 1961

New Releases:

Banco de Gaia - Farewell Ferengistan (Six Degrees)
Blow Up Hollywood - The Diaries of Private Henry Hill (MJ12)
Johnny Cash - American V: A Hundred Highways (Lost Highway)
Buy Now: American V: A Hundred Highways (Lost Highway)
Eastern Stars - July 5th, 1961 (Mental Monkey)
Fat Jon - The Ample Soul Physician: Afterthought (Ample Soul)
Peter Gammons - Never Slow Down, Never Grow Old (Rounder)
Rodney Jerkins - Versatility (Darkchild/ Bungalo/ Universal)
Read: "Want A Song From Superproducer Rodney Jerkins? He'll Sell You 11 For Just $18"
Ziggy Marley - Love Is My Religion (Target stores only; Tuff Gong)
Marc McGuinn - One Man's Crazy (Blue Flamingo)
Alice Peacock - Who I Am (Universal)
Rise Against - The Sufferer & the Witness (Geffen)
Buy Now: The Sufferer & the Witness (Geffen)
Tom Tyler - Asleep at the Switch (D.C.)
Hans Zimmer - "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" soundtrack (Disney)
Various artists - Beat Classic (D.C.)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

J.J. Cale - The Definitive Collection (Hip-O/ UMe)
Carolyn Hester - Carolyn Hester (Empire Musicwerks)
Delbert McClinton - The Definitive Collection (Hip-O/ UMe)
Glenn Yarbrough - Come Sit by My Side (Empire Musicwerks)
Various artists - '80s #1 Hits (Madacy)
Various artists - Best of "Miami Vice" (Hip-O/ UMe)
Various artists - Roots & Branches: Artists, Songs & Recordings That Inspired the Legend of Johnny Cash (Hip-O/ UMe)
Various artists - Summer Beach Party: Songs From the Classic Beach Movies of the '60s (Varèse Sarabande)

Music DVDs:

Emerson, Lake and Palmer - "Collector's Rarities: The Live Broadcasts" (Classic Rock Legends)
The Kinks - "Collector's Rarities: The Live Broadcasts" (Classic Rock Legends)
The Nylons - "Live in Tokyo and More ..." (Unidisc)
Van der Graaf Generator - "Collector's Rarities: The Live Broadcasts" (Classic Rock Legends)

Coming Attractions:

July 11:

Muse - Black Holes & Revelations (Warner Bros.)
Preorder: Black Holes & Revelations (Warner Bros.)
Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche: Outtakes and Extras From the Illinois Album! (Asthmatic Kitty)
Preorder: The Avalanche: Outtakes and Extras From the Illinois Album! (Asthmatic Kitty)
Thom Yorke - The Eraser (XL Recordings)
Preorder: The Eraser (XL Recordings)
Various artists - Now That's What I Call Music! 22 (Sony)

July 18:

Alien Ant Farm - Up in the Attic (New Door)
Preorder: Up in the Attic (New Door)
The Bronx - The Bronx (digipak; Island)
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Don't You Fake It (Virgin)
Read: "The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus: You Can Call Them Se

Related Artists

Warped Tour Kicking Off A Day Early — Dates And Venues Revealed

02 Mar 2006 13:32:00 EST

Trek will now begin June 15 in Columbia, Maryland.
By James Montgomery

Last year, Warped Tour organizers caved under the massive weight of Internet postings from anxious fans and announced the tour's full itinerary in early February. But this year, things were different: They managed to hold off until the beginning of March.

On Thursday (March 2), Warped founder Kevin Lyman confirmed an itinerary obtained by MTV News, which lists dates and venues for 45 of the 49 cities the tour will hit this summer; it used to be 48 cities, but Lyman let it be known that Warped will now kick off on June 15 in Columbia, Maryland — and not on June 16 in Columbus, Ohio, as had previously been reported (see "Warped Tour Founder Vows To Press On Despite Being Punk'd").

"Yeah, we've added another city. Make sure people know about that," Lyman laughed. "We wanted to sort of roll this itinerary out a little bit at a time, but why not do it all now? I think people's enthusiasm about Warped speaks to just how amazing and strong our fanbase is."

The dates and cities for Warped 2006 — which includes Motion City Soundtrack, Thursday, Rise Against and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (see "Warped Tour Nabs Trailblazing Rocker Joan Jett For Trek") plus a host of others — had been announced last month, but with the addition of the venues, there's finally a proper itinerary for the tour.

Lyman (who's currently on the road with his other tour, Taste of Chaos), said that he's close to finalizing an on-sale date for Warped '06, and he'll be making that announcement in the coming weeks.

The dates for Warped Tour 2006, according to event organizers:

6/15 - Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
6/16 - Columbus, OH @ Germain Amphitheatre
6/17 - Milwaukee, WI @ Marcus Amphitheatre
6/18 - Minneapolis, MN @ Metrodome
6/19 - Kansas City, MO @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Lot
6/21 - Antioch, TN @ Starwood Amphitheatre
6/22 - Jacksonville, FL @ Jacksonville Fairgrounds
6/23 - St. Petersburg, FL @ Vinoy Park
6/24 - Miami, FL @ Bicentennial Park
6/25 - Orlando, FL @ Tinker Field
6/27 - Raleigh, NC @ Alltell Pavilion
6/28 - Atlanta, GA @ HiFi Buys Amphitheater Lot
6/30 - Houston, TX @ Reliant Center
7/1 - Dallas, TX @ TBA
7/2 - San Antonio, TX @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Lot
7/3 - Las Cruces, NM @ N.M.S.U Practice Field
7/5 - Phoenix, AZ @ TBA
7/6 - San Diego, CA @ Coors Amphitheatre
7/7 - Pomona, CA @ Fairplex Park
7/8 - San Francisco, CA @ Pier 30/32
7/9 - Ventura, CA @ TBA
7/11 - Fresno, CA @ SaveMart Center
7/12 - Los Angeles, CA @ Dodger Stadium Lot
7/13 - Sacramento, CA @ Sleep Train Amphitheatre Lot
7/14 - Boise, ID @ Idaho Center Amphitheatre
7/15 - Seattle, WA @ Gorge Amphitheatre
7/16 - Portland, OR @ Columbia Meadows
7/18 - Vancouver, BC @ Thunderbird Stadium
7/20 - Calgary, AB @ Race City Speedway
7/22 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Utah State Fairgrounds
7/23 - Denver, CO @ Invesco Field
7/25 - St. Louis, MO @ UMB Bank Pavilion
7/26 - Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
7/27 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Post-Gazette Pavilion
7/28 - Indianapolis, IN @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Lot
7/29 - Detroit, MI @ Comerica Park
7/30 - Chicago, IL @ Tweeter Center
8/1 - Buffalo, NY @ Darien Lakes Fields
8/2 - Brockton, MA @ TBA
8/3 - Scranton, PA @ Montage Mountain
8/4 - Philadelphia, PA @ Tweeter Center at the Waterfront
8/5 - New York, NY @ Randall's Island
8/6 - Old Bridge, NJ @ Englishtown Raceway
8/8 - Charlotte, NC @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Lot
8/9 - Virginia Beach, VA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Lot
8/10 - Washington, DC @ Nissan Pavilion Lot
8/11 - Cleveland, OH @ Tower City Amphitheatre
8/12 - Toronto, ON @ Park Place
8/13 - Montreal, QC @ Parc Jean-Drapeau

Related Artists

Rise Against Not Really The Tender Balladeers You Think They Are

15 Sep 2005 22:50:00 EDT

Hardcore rockers find greatest success with softer track.
By Corey Moss

Like Staind, Sevendust and so many bands before them, hardcore rockers Rise Against are finding their greatest success with the song most different from the rest of their catalog.

A year after their Siren Song of the Counter Culture was released, the Chicago group is riding high thanks to heavy airplay of its tender ballad "Swing Life Away."

"It's a working-class love song anthem," singer Tim McIlrath said. "It's basically a song that came out of an acoustic compilation we took part in a couple years ago. We got a really good reaction, so we put it on our record and it took on a life of its own. And people really embrace that song. It's something more fun for us, too. It makes our set a little more dynamic."

Rise Against are hoping to ride the momentum from "Swing Life Away" into their next single, either "Life Less Frightening" or "Anywhere But Here." ("It's like picking your favorite kid or your favorite parent," McIlrath said.)

The band has also just re-released its 2001 debut, The Unraveling, remixed and remastered by Bill Stevenson from the Descendents and Black Flag. "We added a couple of [compilation] tracks and the lyrics were always difficult to read, so we made it waaayyy easier," McIlrath said with a smile. "I'm really excited about it because I'm proud of those songs and it's a great way to create more awareness about our first record to our newer fans."

Touring, of course, is another way to create awareness, and Rise Against have no shortage of that. After playing a few radio festivals this month, including KEDJ's Edgefest in Peoria, Arizona, on Saturday with Interpol and Louis XIV, the band will join the Used, Killswitch Engage and Story of the Year on the international Taste of Chaos Tour.

Rise Against recently finished a trek with fellow Chicagoans Alkaline Trio and have also shared some dates with the Windy City's Fall Out Boy, Lawrence Arms, Holy Roman Empire and the Methadones. So is there a scene exploding there?

"I think Chicago always has a great scene; the world just chooses to pay attention every now and then," McIlrath said.

Rise Against plan to return to the studio at the end of the year and release their fourth album next summer.

Related Artists