Morning News To Keep You Ranting - August 7th, 2012

Hello & Happy Tuesday Morning to everyone, I hope this newsletter finds you well this morning!

Let's get right down to business, shall we?

Presidential Politics:

Governor Gary Johnson

Just in: Gary Johnson, Libertarian Party candidate for president

Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson, who served as New Mexico’s governor between 1995 and 2003, visited The Oregonian Editorial Board this morning.

Read it here.

Libertarian Gary Johnson qualifies for Maine’s presidential ballot

Maine will be the Governor's 32nd state to qualify for ballot access.

You can read the story here and view information about Governor Gary Johnson's ballot access here.

Commission on Presidential Debates: Include Gary Johnson and Jill Stein in the presidential debates

Here is a petition that asks the Commission on Presidential debates to include both viable third party candidates. If you support either of these two candidates, or would like to see an open discussion this fall, please sign this petition and share it with everyone you know:

https://www.change.org/petitions/commission-on-presidential-debates-include-gary-johnson-and-jill-stein-in-the-presidential-debates?utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition

Festivals & Tours:

Summer Slaughter

Summer Slaughter 2012: The Faceless, Veil of Maya (EXCLUSIVE VIDEO INTERVIEWS)

The 6th annual Summer Slaughter Tour is currently tearing through America till Aug. 25. This year, the trek features Cannibal Corpse, Between the Buried and Me, The Faceless, Periphery, Veil of Maya, Job for a Cowboy, Goatwhore, Exhumed and Cerebral Bore.

You can watch the interviews here.

Today Summer Slaughter will playing at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey.

All-Stars Tour

Today the All-Stars Tour will be playing at the House of Blues in Los Angeles, California.

Trespass America Festival

The Trespass America Festival is at the Oswego Speedway in Oswego, New York today.

Meat Loaf

Meat Loaf is off until the August 15th, when he’ll play Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Florida.

Other Music News

"Unearthing The Metal Underground: The Sludge Metal Scene" By Ty Arthur (From MetalUnderground.com)

There’s a whole lotta metal out there, spanning dozens to possibly hundreds of sub-genres, and it can be difficult to find new music to match your tastes if you don’t know where to start looking. Every Monday we unearth three lesser known or unsigned metal bands within specific genres or geographical areas that deserve to be heard by a bigger audience.

You can read the rest of the article and listen to some great bands, here.

** The Candidate of the Day and the Band of the Day will be published later. **

As always, if you have any comments or questions, you can visit my new website, longhairedpoet.com, email me at longhairedpoet@gmail.com or tweet me @JAFThrasher. I hope you have a wonderful day, and keep on ranting!

Morning News To Keep You Ranting - 7/31

Primary Day!

     That's right all my fellow Georgians! Today is the day that we get to vote on T-SPLOST, and in my voting area, a handful of other things. Make sure to get out there and have your voice heard! You are you're only way to change, my friends.

Now, onto the morning news!

Transgender News

Stop Forced Institutionalization of Eleven-Year-Old Transgender Girl

"11-year-old Alex Kaminsky was identified male at birth, but she has lived as a girl for as long as she can remember. She is accepted and treated as female at school, and her mother considers her to be a girl and treats her as such. However..."

Read about Alex's struggle and sign the petition here.

American Psychiatric Association Officially No Longer Considers Transgender Individuals Mentally Ill (From InstinctMagazine.com)

Presidential Politics

Green Party

Sometimes the best man for the job is a woman: Green Party candidates Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala

As the Republicans and Democrats fight it out during the Presidential race, you may not be aware that amongst all the blustering, canvassing, and fundraising, there is a third party contending for the highest office in the land.

You can read about Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala's bid for the White House here.

Green Party Will Hand in Pennsylvania Signatures a Day Early

Read about it here.

Political Analysis – A Special Visit From Jill Stein – 07/17/12

This is a wonderful and passionate interview. One you're going to want to listen to and share with your friends.

Listen here.

Jill Stein on student debt and the environment

This is a great three minute clip of Jill Stein talking on student debt and the environment.

Libertarian Party

Gary Johnson Hits 1 Million on Google – The Social Ballot

Read about it here.

Candidate of the Day

Asher Platts

Asher Platts is running on the Green Party for the State Senate of Maine in the 8th district. You can read about Platts and his platform here.

** If you would like a candidate featured, please feel free to email me at longhairedpoet@gmail.com and let me know **

Band of the Day

LowDown - Kingston, Georgia

LowDown are a Heavy Metal band from northwest Georgia and you can get the lowdown (okay, okay, I couldn't resist) on them here.

** If you would like a band featured, please feel free to email me at longhairedpoet@gmail.com and let me know **

Tours & Festivals

Here's where all your favorite tours and festivals will be today:

Mayhem Festival

Today Mayhem will be hitting the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY. After that it will be off until the 3rd. Then it will only have three straight days of touring left.

You can find out more about Mayhem, get free music and join in the Metal conversation on their website.

Warped Tour

Today Warped Tour will be hitting the Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, OH.

You can find out more about Warped Tour, get free music and join in the conversation on their website.

Summer Slaughter

Today Summer Slaughter will be hitting the Revolution in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

You can find out more about Summer Slaughter and join in the conversation on their Facebook page.

Trespass America Tour

Today Trespass America will be hitting the Ford center in Evansville, IN.

You can find out more about Trespass America Tour on their website.

All Stars Tour

Today the All Stars Tour will be playing a pre-season date at The Conservatory in Oklahoma City, OK.

You can find out more about The All Stars tour on their website.

Meat Loaf

Today Meat Loaf will be playing the Bank of America Pavilion in Boston, MA.

You can find out more about Meat Loaf and his tour on his website.

** If there are any tours or festivals you would like me to cover, please feel free to email me at longhairedpoet@gmail.com and let me know. **

That's all the new to keep you ranting this morning of July 31st! Keep active, keep hopeful and keep ranting!

J.A. Fisher

@JAFThrasher

longhairedpoet@gmail.com

Morning News to Keep You Ranting - July 20th

Today -


Cheri Honkala's acceptance speech
Summer Slaughter kicks off today in California
Your band of the day is ... TAT!
James Mcdermott is your candidate of the day
MovetoAmend.org wants to hear from you
and
NoLabels.org continues to perpetuate the duopoly


Presidential Politics - 


Cheri Honkala (Green Party VP Nominee)

Cheri Honkala Acceptance speech for Vice President at Green Party Convention

Tours & Festivals - 


Summer Slaughter - 


Join Us For Our SUMMER SLAUGHTER Pre-Game LIVE Video Webcast This Friday At 3pE/12pP (From MetalInjection.Net)


You can read about the history of Summer Slaughter, here.


Find out where all your favorite festivals and tours are at today, here.

Band of the Day - TAT


TAT are a punk trio from Britain.


Click here to read more about them, follow them on social media sites and listen to their music.


Candidate of the Day - James Mcdermott


James Mcdermott is running to serve Alaska in the U.S. House of Representatives.


James is a Libertarian. You can read more about his campaign, his views and his candidacy, here.

Activism - 


MovetoAmend.Org wants you to testify as to why corporations aren't people and money isn't speech!

Check it out here.

NoLabels.Org wants to give the president the line-item veto and has ten other ways they think they can help fix the presidency. You can view the eleven ideas and sign the petition here.

If you want to see Dr. Jill Stein in the debates, calling the polling companies and making sure her name is included is one way to go about it, donating to the campaign, either money for t.v. and radio or time to raise name recognition and support through word of mouth, is another, but, thanks to Change.org, you can now also sign and share this petition to get her into the debates.

Open the Presidential Debates to Dr. Jill Stein

Ranting Against the Mainstream Media - 


NoLabels.Org continues to perpetuate the duopoly.

Summer Slaughter Tour 2012

     Though Summer Slaughter Tour is only six years old, it may in fact be the heaviest and most extreme annual metal tour (at least in the U.S.). (Please feel free to contest that @JAFThrasher or at longhairedpoet@gmail.com.)

     The Summer Slaughter tour started in the U.S. in 2001 and was founded by Ash Avildsen (whom I believe is also the founder of Sumerian Records). After 2001 it did not return to the U.S. until 2007 and has persisted in the U.S. every year since. It has also been consistent in Canada and Europe since 2008 and consistent in Australia and New Zealand since 2009.

Below is the 2012 Line-up and tour dates (The tour kicks off tomorrow in California):

Headliners

Cannibal Corpse
Between The Buried And Me

Supporting Bands

The Faceless
Periphery
Veil Of Maya
Job For A Cowboy
Goatwhore
Exhumed
Cerebral Bore
Local Band Opener

7/20- Los Angeles, CA @ House of Blues

7/21- San Diego, CA @ SOMA

7/22- Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues

7/23- Scottsdale, AZ @ Venue of Scottsdale

7/25- Dallas, TX @ House of Blues

7/26- San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit

7/27- Mission, TX @ Pharr Events Center

7/28- Houston, TX @ House of Blues

7/30- Tampa, FL @ The Ritz

7/31- Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution

8/01- Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade

8/02- Knoxville, TN @ The Valarium

8/03- Charlotte, NC @ Amos Southend

8/04- Baltimore, MD @ Sonar

8/05- Philadelphia, PA @ The Trocadero

8/07- Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom

8/08- New York, NY @ Irving Plaza

8/09- Albany, NY @ Northern Lights

8/10- Worcester, MA @ The Palladium

8/11- Montreal, QC @ Heavy Montreal

8/12- Toronto, ON @ Heavy Toronto

8/14- Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues

8/15- Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew’s

8/16- Chicago, IL @ House Blues

8/17- Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave

8/18- St. Paul, MN @ Station 4

8/20- Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall

8/22- Seattle, WA @ The Showbox Sodo

8/23- Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater

8/24- San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore

8/25- Anaheim, CA @ The Grove

To find out more about this summers tour, please check out the Summer Slaughter Facebook and Twitter (@SummerSlaughter)

There is also, coming up for it's second annual trek across America, The Slaughter Survivors Tour.

Here's the 2012 line-up and dates:

Pathology

Enfold Darkness

Fallujah

Fit For An Autopsy

Aegaeon

7/21 Santa Cruz, CA @ The Atrium
7/22 Portland, OR @ Branx
7/23 Seattle, WA @ Studio Seven
7/24 Boise, ID @ The Venue
7/26 Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
7/27 Salina, KS @ The Factory
7/28 Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
7/29 St. Paul, MN @ Station 4
7/30 Green Bay, WI @ The Hideout
7/31 Joliet, IL @ Mojoes
8/1 Cleveland, OH @ Peabody's
8/2 Danbury, CT @ Heirloom Arts
8/3 Smithtown, NY @ Masonic Temple
8/4 Trenton, NJ @ Backstage At Champs
8/5 Wilmington, DE @ Mojo 13
8/6 New York, NY @ Studio At Webster Hall
8/7 Springfield, VA @ Empire
8/8 Richmond, VA @ Kingdom
8/9 Wilmington, NC @ Soapbox Laundro-Lounge
8/11 Tampa, FL @ Brass Mug
8/13 Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
8/14 San Antonio, TX @ Korova
8/15 Albuquerque, NM @ El Rey Theater
8/17 Tempe, AZ @ Rocky Point
8/18 Temecula, CA @ The Vault
8/19 Hollywood, CA @ The Whisky

Line-ups from Summer Slaugter's past:


2001

(If you have a picture or .pdf file of the 2001 poster, please email it to me at longhairedpoet@gmail.com.)

Headliner:

Vader

Support bands:

Skinless
Origin
Impaled
Withered Earth
Enter Self

2007

Headliner:

Necrophagist

Support bands:

Decapitated
Cephalic Carnage
Cattle Decapitation
The Faceless
As Blood Runs Black
Arsis
Ion Dissonance
Beneath the Massacre
Daath (June 3–10)

2008

Headliner:

The Black Dahlia Murder

Support bands:

Kataklysm
Vader
Cryptopsy
The Faceless
Despised Icon
Aborted
Born of Osiris
Psycroptic
Whitechapel

2008 (Canada)

Headliner:

Necrophagist

Support bands:

Brutal Truth (Toronto only)
Dying Fetus
Beneath The Massacre
Into Eternity
Neuraxis
Whitechapel
Veil of Maya
Divinity
Common Grave

2008 (Europe)

Headliner:

Suicide Silence

Support bands:

As Blood Runs Black
Abigail Williams
Born of Osiris
Annotations Of An Autopsy
The Berzerker

2009 (Australia/New Zealand)

Headliner:

Necrophagist

Support bands:

Dying Fetus
Aborted
The Red Shore (withdrew)
The Faceless
Dawn of Azazel (New Zealand only)
Ulcerate (New Zealand only)
Ouroborous (then Dred) (Sydney only)
Signal the Firing Squad (Brisbane only)
A Million Dead Birds Laughing (Melbourne only)
Gallows for Grace (Perth only)
Closed Casket (Adelaide only)

2009

Co-headliners:

Necrophagist
Suffocation

Support bands:

Ensiferum
Darkest Hour
Winds Of Plague
Dying Fetus
Born of Osiris
Origin
Beneath the Massacre
After the Burial
Decrepit Birth
Blackguard
Behemoth (7/05-7/07)
At the Throne of Judgment (7/14)
Sea of Treachery (7/14)
Desiccation (6/08)

2010

Headliner:

Decapitated

Support bands:
The Faceless
All Shall Perish
The Red Chord
Veil of Maya
Decrepit Birth
Cephalic Carnage
Animals As Leaders
Carnifex
Vital Remains

2011

Headliners

The Black Dahlia Murder
Whitechapel

Supporting Bands

Darkest Hour
Six Feet Under
Dying Fetus
The Faceless (Texas dates only)
As Blood Runs Black
Oceano
Fleshgod Apocalypse
Powerglove
Within the Ruins
Kalakai (Atlanta and Fort Lauderdale only)

Slaughter Survivors

North America The Slaughter Survivors Tour 2011

Conducting From The Grave

The Contortionist

Scale the Summit

Rings Of Saturn

Volumes

Struc/tures

Long Live Metal,

- J.A. Fisher

@JAFThrasher

LongHairedPoet@gmail.com

"If history is violence and sex, I'd rather not pay my respects. If I've caused offense, I'm just trying to talk sense. Forgive me if I'm too direct or politically incorrect." Jon Foreman

Tours & Festivals That I'm Currently Covering

There are a lot of good concerts and festivals going on this year, as there are most summers. I'm going to try to cover as many as I can (and make it to as many as I can) this summer and summers coming, as I love music and I want to spread the joy that seeing live music brings.

If you know of any cool shows, concerts, festivals, etc, please feel free to let me know.

J.A.Fisher

Summer Slaughter** - Cannibal Corpse, Between The Buried and Me, The Faceless, Periphery, Veil of Maya, Job For A Cowboy, Goatwhore, Exhumed and Cerebral Bore

  

Summer Slaughter Tour Dates

Mayhem Festival* - Slipknot, Slayer, Motorhead, Anthrax, As I Lay Dying, The Devil Wears Prada, Asking Alexandria, Whitechapel, Once Upon A Burning Body, I The Breather, Betraying The Martyrs, Dirtfedd

Mayhem Festival Tour Dates

Mayhem Festival Twitter: @MayhemFest

Mayhem Festival Youtube

Mayhem Festival Facebook

Mayhem Festival Flickr

Mayhem Festival Instagram

Mayhem Festival Myspace

Meat Loaf**

Meat Loaf Tour Dates

Meat Loaf's Facebook

Meat Loaf's Twitter: @RealMeatLoaf

Warped Tour

Warped Tour Bands - Please note that not all of the bands on the official 'Bands' page will be touring to every date. To see which bands are coming to your town, please check your individual date.

Warped Tour Dates

Warped Tour Twitter: @VansWarpedTour

Warped Tour Youtube

Warped Tour Facebook

Warped Tour Flickr

Warped Tour Instagram

Warped Tour Myspace

Warped Tour Spotify

Warped Tour Stickam

ProgPower USA Festival*** - Nightwish, Kamelot, Epica, Symphony X, Redemption, Pretty Maids, Primordial, Mayan, Serenity, Mystic Prophecy, Amaranthe, Solution .45, Kingcrow, Lanfear, Sinbreed, Beyond the Bridge - Please note that which bands you see are dependent on which date(s) you attend.

ProgPower USA Festival Dates/Tickets

ProgPower Myspace

ProgPower Facebook

ProgPower Youtube

ProgPower Last.FM

ProgPower Tumblr

ProgPower Twitter: @ProgPowerUSA

ProgPower Google+

ProgPower Flickr

ProgPower Pandora

Trespass America Festival*** - Five Finger Death Punch, Killswitch Engage, Emmure, Trivium, Pop Evil, God Forbid, Battlecross

Trespass America Festival Dates

Trepass America Festival Facebook

* - Attending
** - Working out the logistics to attend
*** - Doesn't seem practical/possible/logistical for me to attend, but I would if I could.

NOTE: All shows that I'll be attending I will be attending in Atlanta, except for Meat Loaf, which I will be attending in Nashville, should I get to go.

You can follow my coverage on this blog and @JAFThrasher on Twitter.

If you have any comments, questions, hints, tips or ideas, please feel free to drop them in my inbox at: LongHairedPoet@Gmail.com

Summer Metal Tours

All across the globe, there are metal festivals, and if you live close enough to one, you may have the fortune of going. But what if you don't? Then what are your options? As of now I know of two, two on two completely different sides of the Metal spectrum.

First is Mayhem Festival 2012

Personally, I'm kind of torn about the line up. It seems pretty eclectic, and I think it's guaranteed to bring in some tons of money from the hardcore fans of all these big name bands they've gotten this year.

You have Slipknot for starters, Slayer, Motorhead and Anthrax as your headliners. But as if this won't bring in a lot of metalheads of all ages and styles, they still have something for the kids.

Kevin Lyman has also gotten, on the exact same tour (we haven't switched over to Warped Tour or Taste of Chaos here) As I Lay Dying, The Devil Wears Prada, Asking Alexandria, Whitechapel, High on Fire, Upon a Burning Body, I the Breather and Dirtfedd.

This is eclectic. Though it doesn't bring in your Death Metallers, your hardcore punkers (though Motorhead may bring in some punkers) and as always, fans of Black Metal are left out in the cold. (If there are any festivals, tours, concerts, etc with Black Metal bands and/or Hardcore Punk bands, please feel free to share them.)

In full disclosure, I was (and still am) tempted to go to this for Slayer, Slipknot and Whitechapel.

But then there's the Summer Slaughter Tour. I feel like all I have to say here is Cannibal Corpse, the tours headliners, but let's look at who else they got to do this amazing tour this summer. Between the Buried and Me, The Faceless, Periphery, Veil of Maya, Job For A Cowboy, Goatwhore, Exhumed and Cerebral Bore!

If I only get to see one show this year, this will HAVE to be that show, easily. And for me it's because of Cannibal Corpse, Goatwhore, Exhumed and Cerebral Bore.

Anyway, those are two shows that are going down this summer for all of you Metalheads out there.

Now for my fellow punkers. I don't know of anything in particular (though that won't stop me from looking) but Anti Flag is going to be on Warped Tour, which means if I have/had the money, I would definitely be going to that.

I guess that's the good thing about Mayhem and Warped Tour. If I wake up on the morning of the tour and have enough money to go, then I can go, because I know that they don't sell out.

But now your Summer Slaughter can sell out, so be looking for those tickets. At my local venue to get them online their like 30 bucks (that's once I've added in all the extra charges from Livenation) and totally worth every penny, so get them fast before their gone!

Alexander Fisher

"Those that dream by night, in the dusty recesses of their mind, wake in the day to find that all was vanity, but the dreamers of the day, are dangerous men, for they may act out their dreams and make them real."