BY THE PEOPLE FOR THE PEOPLE IN STORES NOVEMBER 27TH

Aspiring rock journalists, take heed. Metal pioneers Mudvayne is seeking out the writing talents of their most die-hard and articulate fans. Write a bio for their new profile on FRIENDSTER.COM and submit it for review by the band who will choose one lucky winner. Not only will this bio become part of their profile, but it will also appear in the liner notes of their newest release, BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE.

Click over and visit Friendster, then get writing, people! BUT don't work too hard. After all, all work and no play, well, you know what I mean!

MARK WOOD AND STEVE VAI - TOGETHER AT LAST!
It gives us unbelievable extraordinary goosebump-moment pleasure to officially announce that Mark Wood will be sharing the stage with legendary guitar virtuoso Steve Vai as his opening act during selected dates on the east coast leg of Vai's hugely successful and amazing current world tour!
For YEARS, we've been receiving emails from Mark's fans suggesting (and hoping for) something like this. The stars are aligning and this promises to be an unforgettable series of concert events!
According to Mark, Steve Vai's approach to music has closely mirrored his own and has consistently been a source of inspiration. In Vai's words: "I make music to push my own buttons. I've always been driven by an addiction to create sounds that are unique." Sounds very much like Mark's philosophy too, doesn't it?
Mark will be performing with all the members of The Mark Wood Experience (as the band is now called), including Jeff Plate on drums (TSO, Savatage, Metal Church), Paul Ranieri on bass, Jon Bivona on guitar (TSO), Sean Meagher on keys, and Laura Kaye on vocals! This is an honor of the highest degree and you can be assured that this is a show that no one will want to miss!!
The dates are as follows:
9/25 - Hammerstein Ballroom - New York, NY
9/27 - Keswick Theatre - Philadelphia, PA
9/28 - Starland Ballroom - Sayreville, NJ
9/29 - Borgata Music Box Theatre - Atlantic City, NJ
10//6 - North Fork Theatre at Westbury - Westbury, NY

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS TO ANY OR ALL OF THESE EVENTS!.

The painted prince of pucker is said to be doing well after a life threatening scare. Kiss front man Paul Stanley was rushed to the hospital Friday after his heart raced abnormally at a sound check at Saboba Casino here in the Inland Empire. Paramedics administered medication through an IV and Paul's physicians at Ceder Sinai in Hollywood advised that the artist's heart be momentarily stopped in order to jolt it back to a normal rate. It is said that Paul's heart rate reached 190 beats per minute. (The average rate should be around 60 bpm.)

In his career with Kiss, which spans over 30 years, the starchild has never missed gig, but at the recommendation of his doctors Paul remained in the hospital for observation while Gene Simmons perfomed with Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer. This marked the first time that the band has played as a trio. Paul, who released a solo album last year entitled "Live to Win" has promised to make it up to any fans that were dissappointed.

We at Coffeebreak101.com wish Paul and his family all the best. Quite frankly, Paul, you've been making our hearts race for years!
Read Paul's note to fans at Paul Stanley.com.

The long awaited sequel in the Pirates of the Carribean Trilogy features stellar performances by two Pennsylvania bred White Throated Capuchin monkeys; a feisty twelve year old male named Boo Boo and a sweet ten year old female named Mercedes, who actor Geoffrey Rush (Capt. Hector Barbossa) affectionately refers to as "Chiquita".

In the trailer, "Jack" the monkey tentatively raises 'his' hand when Jack, the pirate, (played by, oh, what's his name...Johnny, Johnny, Johnny something...) asks, "Did no one come to save me just because they missed me?"

Boo Boo and Mercedes were fitted with custom costumes that were specially designed for comfort and included little mini diapers. The two primates have spent time studying at the prestigeous Boones Animals for Hollywood in Castaic, California. Although they are quite familiar with manipulating a swing, they quickly adapted to the green screen for special effects that were later added. This necessitated that both Boo Boo and Mercedes dig deep to imagine their surroundings that would be digitally introduced in final production.

In an interview for Yahoo Extra Entertainment, Rush explained "I must say that monkey was the most difficult actor I've ever had to work with and the only character to ever wear a diaper. The thing about capuchins is that when they lose the plot, they really do throw the biggest tantrums."

Laser pointers as well as treats and hugs were all part of Boo and Mercedes' method acting. Both are somewhat perplexed at the amount of attention they have received. A fan website called We Named The Monkey Jack has been devoted to them, and one of them, although they will not reveal which, actually attended the premier riding on the shoulder of Barbossa himself. They take their fame in stride, knowing that it can be fleeting. The original Capuchins used in the first film, ten year old Tara and eight year old Levi, were, according to Rush, "priced out of the film." Neither could be contacted for comment.

Although the film also stars Kierra Knightly and Orlando Bloom, the show is almost stolen by a brief cameo by true pirate Keith RIchards as that Johnny guy's father. Keith Richards, who just last year fell out of a palm tree and survived brain surgery, spent time on the set with Boo Boo and Mercedes, who showed him the proper way to climb a tree.

At three hours long, the movie could have used some editing and a little more Boo Boo. But the beautiful sweeping cinematography and gripping performances by Boo Boo and Mercedes as well as their exquisite costumes, kept my eyes open.

Yes, it has been too long! Although my last music article was on the timeless Boz Scaggs, I have to say it has been too long since I have updated my blog. Therefore, an explanation is only appropriate. I have recently joined a blues band called "The Eleventh Floor", although at last weeks gig we introduced ourselves as "The Barn Door". It has been several years since I have performed, taking a long hiatus to return to school and earn a Master's Degree. Well, now that I can officially be called Master (my husband loves this!) I missed the music. My two sons Nick and Criss are in metal bands, Stomata and Havoc, respectively. My husband Joseph has been in numerous classic rock bands and is currently practicing with an Eagles tribute band, which should be very hot, very soon. This left me itching for the stage once again. A few opportunities to raise funds with other musicians, such as cancer relays and scholarship shows, gave me the desire to throw my hat back in the ring, rusty as I may be.

The band I am with now has been playing together for quite a while, and I am the newby. They have been very gracious in letting me choose a few songs and make a fool out of myself, which I thoroughly enjoy. It is wonderful to find a group of musicians who have no ego clashes or substance issues! Just a pure love of blues.

So for now, I will see where this takes me and keep you posted. Pix to come!

Love,
Kat

No matter how many times I hear it, I still get goosebumps of excitement at the drum intro to Lowdown, knowing that I'm in for an evening of classy fun. The crowd wasn't quite ready for the prompt 7:30 showtime and was still shuffling in as the show started, but soon the hollering of diehard fans forced a grin from the normally reserved Scaggs who commented "It must be Saturday night." And when a woman yelled "I love you, Boz" he quipped "I told you to stay in the car."

The atmosphere was casual and intimate, much more so than other venues that I have seen Boz perform in, and the crowd was most appreciative of the blues offerings like "Loan Me A Dime" and honky tonk standards like "Sick and Tired" as encores. Boz and the band seemed relaxed and playful, although the show was surprisingly short. Lowdown was followed by Jojo and Slow Dancer, then Harbor Lights and Miss Sun, which included Monet's vocal antics at the end. Of course, this lead into her solo of Street Life, which was particularly extraordinary on this night. Georgia and Lido ended the one hour set. The encore, which included Breakdown finished the evening and most definately left the fans wanting more. I guess we'll just have to wait for the July tour.

It would be nice to hear Monet sing something different this year, and perhaps include Barbara in the mix. Paul Nagel was flawless, as usual. The sound itself at the venue was not as pristine as I am used to at a Boz show, but the character of the audience, the down-home earthiness of the fans that night made the evening feel more like a house party rather than a concert. It was short, but sweet.

This week was particularly painful. Country music. Phil apparently sang pretty well, although I missed his performance, I saw the recap and it seems he found his niche. Jordan was flat. Sanjaya tried to give us something to talk about, but his cheshire grin could not make up for the weak voice. Chris and Blake were both pretty flat, Lakisha yelled and although Melinda's great rendition of Trouble is a Woman rocked the house, her wide-eyed look of wonderment is wearing pretty thin.

Even Simon and Ryan's bickering is getting uncomfortable, was never funny, and needs to stop. I have to believe that the site 'Vote for the Worst' is indeed having some effect on the results of voting, keeping Sanjaya afloat. Who will be voted off the island? Paula, for her incoherent misguided compliments wrapped up in nonsense? We shall see tomorrow. The wreck continues.

Judas Coyne is an aging '80s hair metal god who collects groupies and gothic artifiacts. When his assistant comes across a ghost for sale on an online auction, Jude can't resist. It seems a black suit possesses the restless spirit, and he who purchases the suit will also be the proud owner of a ghost.

"I will sell my stepfather's ghost to the highest bidder..." the ad explains.

What begins as a morbid hobby turns into a horrific race to live as the true origin of the ghost is revealed. It's payback time for a life of sex, drugs and rock and roll.

Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill is earie in that it seems all too possible somehow. The book wastes no time grabbing you by the throat and throwing you on a roller-coaster ride with a supernatural pull that won't let you put the book down until you've read the whole thing. The characters are at once real and likeable, and the reader is drawn into their lives with descriptions that bring you into the book.

The biggest surpirse is that this is Hill's debut novel. He made a wise choice in dropping his last name (King). No need to compare him to his father. Joe Hill is one of those rare writers whose prose are as addicting as they are terrifying. He wastes no time going for the jugular, grabbing you with the first chapter and keeping the adrenaline racing until the last page. This book is a movie waiting to be made!

Cocoabella's very own box designer has created an eye dazzling Easter assortment that features
exclusive pieces for the occassion. Quail nougatine eggs, black currant robins eggs and passion fruit ganache eggs await you along with Cocoa Bella favorites such as jasmine tea, soft coconut truffles and our other popular picks. Interested in those brightly wrapped eggs? You should be! Inside you'll find Michel Cluizel's dark chocolate raspberry ganache, dark chocolate ganache, milk chocolate caramels and milk chocolate hazelnut crisp. These
individually wrapped eggs look spectacular, and taste even better.

Delivery is speedy and great care is taken to ensure that their products are delivered in pristine condition. Check out their site! I swear I can smell the chocolate from my computer speakers!
www.cocoabellachocolates.com

The name is deceiving. They are not from Alabama. They are not pussies. Something must be in the water in Richmond, Virginia these days. Open Fire is the latest offering from the veteran metal workers and interestingly enough, they bring just enough bluesy influence to set themselves apart.

The snarling vocals of the quintets newest member Kyle Thomas are a seamless addition to the band, which has existed since 1996. Guitarist Ryan Lake juxtaposes harmony with squeal, and the strange syncopation exuded by the rest of the band, Erik Larson, Mike Bryant and Bryan Cox, gel together to bring the metal genre back to its core. Tribal drumming opens the CD with The Cleansing. Thomas' vocals are growled, yet sung, letting the well thought out lyrics be heard without resorting to the liner notes. Melodic and furious guitar riffs weave through Words of a Dying Man and The Beggar. The highlight of the album, though, is the hard rocking None Shall Return with its adrenaline rush and frenetic pace, although Whiskey War is a close second with its rebellious political message.

ATP is a stoner-metal dream. With their self proclaimed influences being "Hellfire and Brimstone, flying through the air, being dragged across gravel behind a truck" it all makes perfect sense.

And with a name like Alabama Thunderpussy, well, what more can I say?
Go to their MySpace and take a listen. You'll be hooked.

myspace.com/atpva

Chimaira
Resurrection

It hits you like a blow to the chest with the first slam of guitar followed by the incessant double bass drum pedal. The opening chords of Chimaira's masterpiece "Resurrection" are overwhelming, ripping off the floodgates with a brutal force of highly polished metal that is the stuff of nightmares, and then some. Arrangements that are epic and orchestral are impeccably executed with a skill that can only be described as supernatural.

It seems that the demons have been exorcised from the souls of the Cleveland born musicians as the rejuvenated artists begin a new chapter in their careers with Ferret Records. The result is an album that is powerful and eerie, maintaining its ferocity from beginning to end. The nine-minute cut entitled "Six" is a testament to the bands ability to maintain the rage without losing intensity.

Rage and harmony contribute to the darkness that surrounds you while you listen to every hair-raising note. The melodic tone mixes just as perfectly with the heaviness of the beats just as a wide-eyed smiling doll adds to the terror in a horror flick. It soothingly lures your mind into a downward spiral of glass-shattering horrific screams and the heart-pounding intensity of the music as a whole.

The musical aspect of this album is astounding. It is easy to tell that Chimaira has expanded their musical knowledge just by the diversity of one song alone. Drummer Andols Herrick went on a hiatus from touring to go back to college and study the art of music, and Resurrection displays a plethora of inspirations and beautiful arrangements.

Along with their symphonic keyboards, haunting vocal harmonies as well as the nastiest, most righteous, guitar harmonies is the perfect usage of sound clips and samples from horror movies. At times you can even hear death bells or a gunshot tastefully placed into this eleven-track masterpiece. It is as if you're listening to what would be a horror musical (if there ever was such a thing imaginable) and the beast, as well as the action, never dies, with a cliffhanger ending that would leave you at the edge of your seat.

This album is most definitely the year's first contender for a Grammy in the Metal category.

By Criss Galvan

It is typical. Misinformation. Minimizing the seriousness. And I just cannot sit back and listen any longer.
On March 5th, 2007 Dr. Phil reacted to a comment made by a friend of Anna Nicole Smith that she suffered from Lupus. He stated that "Lupus is an autoimmune deficiency. But it is not a life threatening disease. It's something that is akin to arthritis."

Charles Kuralt died from Lupus. So did hip hop beat master J Dilla and Ferdinand Marcos. Backstreet Boys' Howie D started a foundation in honor of his sister Caroline Dorough-Cochran who lost her battle with the disease. Many live with the illness and its scars. Seal wears them like a mask. English stage actress Elaine Paige and Michael Jackson all have been diagnosed. I myself have lived with it since the birth of my son 17 years ago.

Although there has been no clear confirmation that Smith suffered from Lupus, it does make perfect sense if we backtrack through her history. Anna had breast implants, which have been losely associated with autoimmune diseases. If she did indeed have Lupus she may have been prescribed steroids such as Prednisone, which could explain her weight gain. The painful symptoms of Lupus would have necesitated strong pain medication, although Methidone (which was found in her refrigerator) would not normally be the drug of choice. It is understandable if she was attempting to self medicate. If she had gone off the prednisone cold turkey to lose weight, she could have had seizures, which may explain the slurred speech and her eventual death in which her nurse said that she could not perform CPR because Anna's tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth. It is common for symptoms to flair up when one has a baby, and the pictures of a very rosy cheeked Anna shortly after the birth of her daughter make me wonder of these are pieces of a puzzle that fit too easily.

It would all make sense. The friend in question, Frank Rodriguez, explained that "her whole body would ache. She would just shut down basically. She would sleep for days on."

It's all speculation on my part. It's just that one has a lot of time to think when one cannot sleep due to the aches and pains. We see the pink breast cancer ribbons, the red ones for Aides. But Lupus is an under diagnosed condition that left untreated can break a body down before a correct diagnosis can be made. My hope, my message, is that everyone will take the time to learn a little about it because I can guarantee that someone you know has it, even if they have not been diagnosed yet. Too many doctors tell us it's all in our head. Too many parents think their daughters are lazy and whiney. Too many spouses cannot understand why their wife is tired and achy all the time. There are a myriad of symptoms that, when put together, make life excruciating.

Lupus, I do have to say, has been a blessing in that I appreciate every little thing more than I did before. If I wake up and don't hurt, I am aware of the freedom from pain, even if it is for one day.

I hope Dr. Phil takes the time to research Lupus. And I hope he uses his forum to bring awareness to the disease, and perhaps the Purple Lupus Awareness ribbon will become more recognizable in society. Meanwhile, if Anna Nicole Smith did indeed have Lupus, then we have to look at the choices she made through purple sunglasses.

Kat Galvan

It is almost Valentine's Day and to celebrate her wild success over the past year, pop singer Alyson has decided to give her fans a special gift; A free download of her new single "FOREVER"! It's a sweet move and her way of saying 'I love you' to her all her fans. Just click on www.alysongrooves.com on Valentine's Day and the song is yours!

Over the past year, Alyson has enjoyed the success of 4 consecutive hit singles that have charted on Billboard's Dance Chart including "Feel You" and "Take a Good Look" and was named a Top 20 artist. Now she has collaborated with dancehall reggae artist ZEB to create a new version of "Forever" that combines their individual styles to come up with something fresh to groove to.

She will be performing locally at the Komen Race for the Cure Marathon on February 25th at the Pasadena Rose Bowl. www.alysongrooves.com'

A perfect Valentine's Day gift for virtually anyone you care about is the book "Love is a Mix Tape". I was originally drawn to it because of my love for the biting sarcasm of Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield. I was taken by suprise at the delicate beauty of this love letter in a book cover. Sheffield describes the love of his life and his youthful assumption that it would last forever. He goes on to describe the moment five years into their marriage when she collapsed from a lung embolism. This book is about about love and loss. It makes one appreciate the fragile nature of life, and teaches us not to take a minute of it for granted. It also teaches us that with the support of good friends and family a person can rise up against anything and move forward. It is a surprisingly touching memoir that demonstrates how music weaves its way into our lives, at times whipping us into a frenzy, at other times propping us up when we are broken. Music is the blanket that we cling to in the middle of the darkest night, and the drug that gets us higher than any needle. We each have a soundtrack of our life, a mix tape that keeps growing, changing, songs that trigger memories both good and bad, songs that release endorphins, songs that comfort, songs that hurt...

Take the gutsy journey in the a kindered spirit's mix tape laced with love. Love IS indeed a mix tape.