{"key":"232561","name":"Arctic Monkeys","bio":"By distilling the sounds of Franz Ferdinand, the Clash, the Strokes, and the Libertines into a hybrid of swaggering indie rock and danceable neo-punk, Arctic Monkeys became one of the U.K.'s biggest bands of the new millennium. Their meteoric rise began in 2005, when the teenagers fielded offers from major labels and drew a sold-out crowd to the London Astoria, using little more than a self-released EP as bait. Several months later, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not became the fastest-selling debut album in British history, entrenching Arctic Monkeys in the same circle as multi-platinum acts like Oasis and Blur. Frontman Alex Turner and guitarist Jamie Cook began their music careers in 2001, when the friends both received guitars for Christmas. Two years later, they began performing shows around their native Sheffield with drummer Matt Helders and bassist Andy Nicholson, two fellow students at Stocksbridge High School. A series of demo recordings followed, and Arctic Monkeys' audience swelled as fans circulated those recordings via the Internet. The musicians soon found themselves at the center of a growing media circus, with such outlets as BBC Radio examining the band's music and mounting hype. By distributing their homemade material on the Internet, Arctic Monkeys were able to build a sizable fan base without the help of a record label, effectively circumventing the usual road to superstardom. They continued to buck tradition by signing with Domino Records in 2005, eschewing a major label's budget for Domino's D.I.Y. cred and hip roster (which also included Franz Ferdinand, a touchstone for the band's sound). The smart moves paid off as Arctic Monkeys' first two singles -- \"I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor\" and \"When the Sun Goes Down\" -- both topped the U.K. charts. Critical reception was similarly favorable, but few could have predicted the whirlwind success of the band's debut album, which ousted Oasis' Definitely Maybe as the fastest-selling debut in British history (a record that was broken one year later by Leona Lewis' Spirit). Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not sold 363,735 copies during its first week alone, transforming Arctic Monkeys from underground stars into mainstream figures. Arctic Monkeys' debut sold approximately 300,000 total copies in America -- enough to warrant more media coverage, but notably less than the album's British sales during its first week alone. Nevertheless, their success continued as they released a spring EP, Who the F**k Are Arctic Monkeys, and prepared for a stateside tour. Temporary bassist Nick O'Malley was brought aboard for the band's American shows, while a fatigued Nicholson stayed at home. Nicholson then announced his official departure when the band returned home in June 2006, and O'Malley remained with Arctic Monkeys as a permanent member. That fall, the guys received the 2006 Mercury Prize and donated the accompanying money to an undisclosed charity. Additional accolades included Best British Breakthrough Act at the Brit Awards and Best New Band at the NME Awards. NME also made a bold assertion by deeming the band's debut one of the Top Five British albums ever released. Released in April 2007, Favourite Worst Nightmare updated Arctic Monkeys' sound with louder instruments and faster tempos. The bandmates had recorded the sophomore album quickly, wishing to return to the road as soon as possible, and the speedy turnaround between records helped maintain the band's popularity at home. Favourite Worst Nightmare sold 85,000 copies during its first day of release, and all 12 tracks entered the Top 200 of the U.K. singles charts. As Alex Turner briefly turned his attention to a side project, the Last Shadow Puppets, Arctic Monkeys received another Mercury Prize nomination and took home two titles at the 2008 Brit Awards. Recording sessions for a third album commenced in early 2008 and lasted throughout the year, with producers James Ford (who previously worked with Turner on the Last Shadow Puppets' album) and Josh Homme (frontman of Queens of the Stone Age) adding some newfound heft to the band's sound. Meanwhile, Arctic Monkeys released a concert album entitled At the Apollo -- with accompanying video footage captured on 35mm film -- before unveiling Humbug in August 2009. Humbug went platinum in the U.K. but failed to produce a Top Ten hit, with \"Crying Lightning\" peaking at number 12 and \"Cornerstone\" topping out at 94. The band hit the road that February, kicking off a multi-leg tour that ran through the rest of the year. After playing another handful of shows in early 2010, the guys took a short hiatus before reconvening with James Ford for their fourth album. Sessions began that fall, and the resulting Suck It and See arrived in spring 2011. Meanwhile, Turner also wrote music for a Richard Ayoade film, Submarine, whose soundtrack doubled as the frontman\u2019s first solo release. Andrew Leahey, Rovi","featuredImage":"https:\/\/www.aaemusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/2012ArcticMonkeys02DC011211-920x584.jpg","feeRange":"100,000 - 150,000"}

{"key":"194","name":"Coldplay","bio":"Coldplay is a British alternative rock band, formed in London, United Kingdom in 1997. The band comprises vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, lead guitarist Jonny Buckland \u2013 who met each other in September 1996 at Ramsay Hall (halls of residence) at University College London - bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion.Not only have Coldplay had 7 highly successful studio album releases (all of which debuted at #1 on the UK album chart) - with their latest 7th studio album released on December 4, 2015 (A Head Full of Dreams) - Coldplay have also achieved great success with their singles, such as Yellow, Speed of Sound, the Grammy-winning Clocks and the US and UK #1 single Viva La Vida.InfluencesColdplay\\'s early material was often compared to that of Jeff Buckley and Radiohead, while also drawing comparisons to U2 and Travis. Since the release of the band\\'s debut album, Parachutes (2000), Coldplay has also drawn influence from other sources, including Echo and the Bunnymen and George Harrison on A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002) and Johnny Cash and Kraftwerk for X&Y (2005).Frontman Chris Martin credits 1980s Norwegian pop band a-ha for inspiring him to form his own band.Coldplay never intended to become England\\'s favorite rock & roll sons when their signature rock melodies ruled the charts throughout 2000. The quartet yearned to mess around a bit, plucking their own acoustics for fun while attending the University College of London. All had been playing instruments since their early teens and had been influenced by the likes of Bob Dylan, the Stone Roses, Neil Young, and My Bloody Valentine.They never imagined taking reign of the UK\\'s ever-changing rock scene. Each member had come from a solid household of middle-class parents who encouraged music. Chris Martin, the eldest of five siblings, began playing the piano as a young child. He started playing in bands around age 15 and sought solace in the words of Tom Waits. Jonny Buckland, on the other hand, was into the heavy guitar work of Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix and was playing guitar by age 11. Scotland native Guy Berryman was into funk instead of indie rock, therefore leaving him to play bass. The multi-instrumentalist Champion had not planned to be a drummer until he joined Coldplay. He favored playing guitar, bass, and the tin whistle, but caught on to playing percussion when the band became official.When they burst onto the scene, Coldplay were heart-wrenching like Travis, passionate like Jeff Buckley, and as fresh as Oasis. They played their first gig at a festival for unsigned bands in Manchester, and the Safety EP was issued shortly thereafter. The Brothers & Sisters EP was issued by Fierce Panda and released a year later. (Both releases saw only 500 pressings.) Their sweet melodies and swooning lyrics landed Coldplay a UK deal with Parlophone in April 1999, and the five-track limited edition Blue Room EP followed that autumn. With nods from the media, the dream pop foursome was hailed as the next Travis, thanks to their simplistic acoustics and charming personas. Two more EPs, Shiver and Yellow, arrived in Spring 2000.AlbumsThe band has released 5 albums with the latest sixth album scheduled for release in May 2014: Parachutes (2000), A Rush Of Blood To The Head (2002), X&Y (2005), Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008), Mylo Xyoto (2011) and in May 2014, Ghost Stories (2014).Parachutes (2000)Their full-length debut album, Parachutes, earned the band a Mercury Music Prize nomination in the UK. It saw a US release in November 2000, and a month later Yellow, was chosen as the theme song for all promo spots for the American TV network ABC. The well-received hype surrounding Coldplay continued throughout 2001 as well; they were nominated for three Brit Awards and embarked on a sold-out ten-date tour of the US. Rumors of a split consumed most of the US tour. Martin frequently battled nasty colds and voice exhaustion, which led Coldplay to cancel a series of American dates and scrap a European tour. With all gossip aside, Coldplay resumed playing in Summer 2001 and earned additional success with second single Trouble.A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)By the autumn, they had headed into the studio for a second album. Rumour had it that it might be Coldplay\\'s last album, since the band members felt they might not capture such brilliance again. A Rush Of Blood To The Head was released in August 2002. The CD\/DVD package Live 2003 was issued a year later. Capturing the band\\'s show at the Horden Pavilion in Sydney, Australia, it highlighted Coldplay\\'s monumental success worldwide with A Rush Of Blood To The Head. Martin specifically earned a higher notch on the celebrity scale by marrying actress Gwyneth Paltrow in December 2003. Paltrow gave birth to the couple\\'s first daughter, Apple Blythe Alison Martin, the following April.X&Y (2005)Fatherhood did not stop Martin from working, as Coldplay began recording material for a third album within weeks. Previously recorded material with long-time producer Ken Nelson was scrapped early on, while producer Danton Supple (Morrissey, The Cure) joined Coldplay to complete the recording of X&Y. Speed Of Sound marked Coldplay\\'s first single from their long-awaited third effort in Spring 2005; the album followed in June, topping the charts around the world, including America and Britain.Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008)Coldplay\\'s fourth album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends was released on June 12, 2008 in the United Kingdom, with the first single Violet Hill having been previously released as a free download through their official website for a week from April 29, 2008. Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends was produced by Brian Eno, mixed by Markus Dravs, and drew influence from the time the group spent in South America. The album received lots of positive feedback for its originality in melodic acoustics and slightly less \\'synth-dependent\\' riffs. It offered a great insight into how significantly the band\\'s music had adapted and developed to themselves and the public.Charity duet (single) for World AIDS Day (2008)Barely a week before the album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends was released, a duet with Kylie Minogue, which was intended to be used on the album, was scrapped with the comment that \\'it\u2019s just too sexy also we haven\u2019t quite finished it\\'. The track, Lhuna was subsequently released as a charity single to promote World AIDS Day 2008 on December 1, 2008.Mylo Xyloto (2011)Coldplay\\'s fifth album, Mylo Xyloto, was released on October 24, 2011, with the first two tracks from the album - Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall and Paradise - were released on June 3, 2011 and September 12, 2012 respectively. The album was no.1 in over 34 countries, and has sold over 8m copies worldwide.Ghost Stories (2014)The band\\'s sixth album, Ghost Stories, was officially released on May 19, 2014. Prior to the release, Coldplay made the full album available to stream via iTunes, with an animation of the album artwork designed by Mila F\u00fcrstov\u00e1, one week ahead of the official release date. The first track from the album, Midnight was released on February 25, 2014. The album was recorded at The Bakery and The Beehive studios in London, England. Ghost Stories entered the Billboard 200 as Number 1 and marked Coldplay\\'s fourth straight number 1 studio album, selling 383,000 copies in the US in the week ending May 25, 2014 - of which 64% came from digital downloads according to Billboard.A Head Full of Dreams (2015)The band\\'s 7th studio album, A Head Full of Dreams, was released December 4, 2015 on the Parlophone label. The 11-track album (with an additional hidden track called \u201cX Marks The Spot\u201d) was recorded in LA and London, and was produced by Stargate and Rik Simpson. A world tour is promised to accompany the album in 2016.Super Bowl - February 2016Coldplay headlined at the much coverted Super Bowl 50 half-time show on February 7, 2016. The band performed a remixed version of their hit single \\\"Yellow\\\", before playing \\\"Vida La Vida\\\", \\\"Paradise\\\" and their 2015 single \\\"Adventure Of A Lifetime\\\". Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson then took to the stage to perform their hit \\\"Uptown Funk\\\", before Beyonc\u00e9 emerged on stage with her latest single \\\"Formation\\\".2016 - First US tour since 2012Coldplay announced its Head Full of Dreams tour on January 28, 2016 - the first in the USA since 2012. The first concert will be held at MetLife Stadium (New York) on July 16, 2016.Commercial endorsementsColdplay are one of very few current British music acts to achieve major success in North America. Despite their large worldwide popularity, the band has remained protective of how their music is used in the media, refusing its use for product endorsements. In the past, Coldplay had turned down multi-million dollar contracts from Gatorade, Diet Coke, and Gap, who wanted to use the songs Yellow, Trouble, and Don\\'t Panic respectively. According to Martin, \\\"We wouldn\\'t be able to live with ourselves if we sold the songs\\' meanings like that.\\\" On the other hand, Yellow has been used to back TV trailers for \\\"The Simpsons\\\" and Viva La Vida featured on an iTunes TV advert.Political and social activismSince 2002, Coldplay have been active supporters of various social and political causes. They have been visible advocates of Oxfam\\'s Make Trade Fair campaign and Amnesty International. The group has also performed at various charity projects such as Band Aid 20, Live 8, and the Teenage Cancer Trust.Official website: www.coldplay.com","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/194_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"750,000 - 1,000,000"}

{"key":"195","name":"Muse","bio":"Muse are an alternative rock band from Teignmouth, England, United Kingdom. The band consists of Matthew Bellamy on lead vocals, piano, keyboard and guitar, Chris Wolstenholme on backing vocals and bass guitar, and Dominic Howard on drums and percussion. They have been friends since their formation in early 1994 and changed band names a number of times (such as Gothic Plague, Fixed Penalty, and Rocket Baby Dolls) before adopting the name Muse. Since the release of their fourth album, Morgan Nicholls has also appeared with the band at live performances to provide keyboards, samples\/synth, and backing vocals.Their sound is a blend of alternative rock, classical music, electronica, metal, spanish guitars, and progressive rock. Usually they use the bass line as the driving force, often with the guitar providing only an extra layer to the song rather than carrying the melody, the bass has distortion and other effects applied to it to achieve a greater weight, allowing the guitar to digress from the main tune and play higher notes. Another peculiarity is Muse\u00b4s piano style in many of their songs; their music has been inspired by the works of Romantic pianist-composers such as Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky and Liszt, and has thus resulted in a fusion of Romantic style with modern rock.The band are known for their energetic live performances and front man Matthew Bellamy's eccentric and avid interests in global conspiracy, extraterrestrial life, theology and the apocalypse (as much as in Space and theoretical physics). Their lyrical themes involve madcap conspiracy theory, revolutionary rabble-rousing, weird stuff about aliens (or Zetas, if you please), religions and other such classic Muse concerns. In general their music and lyrics gaze on helplessly at the subjugation of humanity by corrupt world leaders and encroaching environmental or galactic disasters (and certainly their fourth album 'Black Holes And Revelations' has its fair share of climate change\/oil crisis\/global inflagration paranoia). In October 1999, Muse released their first full length LP; 'Showbiz'. The album received mixed reviews among critics, and music fans, labeling the band as 'Radiohead copycats'. This, however, did not stop the album from selling over 700,000 copies, with success coming from singles; Unintended and Muscle Museum. The album also earned Muse a nomination at the 2000 BRIT Awards, for Best New Act.2001, with John Leckie behind the desk again, saw the release of Origin of Symmetry along with Top 20 entries for Plug in Baby and New Born. The album went unreleased in the United States until 2005 because their record label at the time, Madonna's Maverick, allegedly thought the falsetto vocals would discourage radio play and wanted the band to re-record alternate vocals. The band refused, and terminated its contract with Maverick.Muse followed up with a b-side\/live CD\/DVD named Hullabaloo Soundtrack, showcasing the band's concert from France in late 2001. To promote the album, Muse also released the Dead Star\/In Your World EP, which charted high in the UK charts and proving Muse could also write \"radio-friendly\" rock tunes, as well as the 7 minute long epics on Origin of Symmetry. Muse polished off their impressive year by winning Best Live Band at the 2002 Kerrang! Awards.In 2003, Muse asked Rich Costey to step behind the desk to help create Absolution. The album had very strong sales all over the world, and helped the band achieve their first UK number 1 album. Its release was preceded by a download-only single and online video for the song Stockholm Syndrome. Followed by the singles Time is Running Out and Hysteria, which charted well in the UK charts and helped Muse secure a headline spot at the 2004 Glastonbury Festival.Glastonbury saw Muse storm troop onto the high table of classic Glastonbury headline acts and prove themselves a formidable force in British rock. Although many had their doubts at putting Muse on the bill with names such as Paul McCartney, Muse proved them all wrong and played what Bellamy described as \"the best gig of our lives.\" It was only with that triumph fresh in their throats, they claim, that they realised they'd 'made it'. However tragedy struck just shortly after Muse came off stage when Dom Howard's father (a big Muse fan) collapsed after witnessing his son play and died on the site.Later that year, Muse toured the US, promoting Absolution, before returning home to play two sell-out gigs at London's Earls Court at the end of the year.In 2006 and after a long and exhaustive tour, the band returned to the studio, and released Black Holes and Revelations.Interview with Dominic 2006With the LP, the band secured their second UK album chart number one, whilst reaching the top spot in several other countries, as well as a Top 10 in the US billboard chart. The controversial single Supermassive Black Hole became Muse's highest UK entry in the charts, reaching number four, and also scored high entries in other countries. The album's second single, Starlight, reached number 13 in the UK charts in September 2006. The 3rd UK single was fan-favourite Knights of Cydonia, released on November 27th, and it reached number 10 in the UK charts. The 4th single from Black Holes & Revelations was Invincible, and was released April 15th 2007. It entered the UK singles chart at 21st place, and was the first single from the new album not to enter in the Top 20. On November 2, 2006, the band won an award for Best Alternative Act at the annual MTV EMA in Copenhagen. Muse were also named 'Best Live Act' at the Brit Awards in 2006 and have retained the title in 2007.Two of the album's singles reached the highest US Modern Rock chart positions in the band's career during 2007: Starlight reached #2 in February 2007, and the all-falsetto Supermassive Black Hole reached #6 in October. 2007 also saw the band play to sellouts at Madison Square Garden and the Forum in Los Angeles, as well as headlining Austin City Limits Festival and Lollapalooza.Even when the band says they do not see themselves as a massive stadium band, their headline concert on June 16th 2007, at the rebuilt Wembley Stadium, sold out in 45 minutes six months before the gig and the band had to add a second show on June 17, where they proved to be more than worthy of stadium gigs. The Wembley gigs became two of the biggest hyped concerts of 2007. Already the gigs have been compared by music journalists to Live Aid and Queen gigs, also performed on the \"Hallowed Ground.\" The band's next release, HAARP: Live from Wembley, is expected to be made up of footage from the June 17th show.In July 2007, Bellamy confirmed that he had begun to work on a new studio album and new songs, some more in line with electronic or \"dance\" music and others more with classical or symphonic music. In January 2008 the song \"Knights of Cydonia\" was voted number 1 on the Triple J Hottest 100, Australia's biggest annual alternative music countdown.In 2009, the band released The Resistance, which contained the successful single \"Uprising\", the band's first Top 40 pop hit in the United States (achieving this with very little radio airplay) and their first #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Chart. Followup singles \"Resistance\" and \"Undisclosed Desires\" also proved successful. The band's sixth album, The 2nd Law, was released on 1 October 2012. The album's first single, \"Survival\", is the official song of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The second single, \"Madness\" was released on 20 August 2012. The third single, \"Follow Me\" was released on 7 December 2012, with an accompanying lyrics video released on the band's YouTube channel on 1 November 2012. The album has recieved generally positive reviews, with Allmusic noting \"their excursions into dubstep and dance music on tracks like \"Madness\" and \"Follow Me\" feel more like remixes than original songs.\"Their latest album Drones was released on June 5 2015","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/195_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"500,000 - 1,000,000"}

{"key":"232707","name":"Red Hot Chili Peppers","bio":"Formed in the wake of the L.A. punk scene, the Red Hot Chili Peppers combined funk and punk with macho, sexed-up lyrics. (One early track was called \"Party on Your Pussy\"). The result was a high-octane sound that made the quintet alt-rock favorites in the Eighties, then superstars in the Nineties. But as the Chili Peppers aged, their songs became more laid-back and lyrical, and the band went from flesh-baring firecrackers (a 1992 Rolling Stone cover featured them naked) to respected veterans. After meeting at L.A.'s Fairfax High School, singer Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, guitarist Hillel Slovak, and drummer Jack Irons formed Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem before changing their name to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. They became a popular attraction up and down the L.A. strip, though the early lineup was short-lived as Irons and the Israeli-born Slovak departed to form What Is This? Kiedis and Flea recruited guitarist Jack Sherman and drummer Cliff Martinez prior to releasing their eponymous debut in 1984. The album stiffed; Slovak returned, and the band took to the road, sometimes appearing onstage wearing only strategically placed tube socks. The funk-heavy Freaky Styley (1985), the last album featuring Martinez on drums, was produced by P-Funk's George Clinton and featured appearances by funk horn players Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley. The record went largely unnoticed at the time. Irons returned to the band in time for the more rock-oriented The Uplift Mofo Party Plan (Number 148, 1987), which sold better than its predecessor. Any optimism was shattered by the 1988 death of Slovak from a heroin overdose. Disturbed by Slovak's death and Kiedis' own heroin problem, Irons quit the band a second time. An interim band with P-Funk guitarist Blackbyrd McKnight and Dead Kennedys drummer D.H. Peligro did not take hold. Kiedis recruited a Chili Peppers fan, guitarist John Frusciante, and auditions brought drummer Chad Smith. This version of the band recorded Mother's Milk (Number 52, 1989). With videos for \"Knock Me Down\" and a cover of Stevie Wonder's \"Higher Ground\" on MTV, it looked like the Peppers were about to break through. The band's lifestyle came under some attack, though, with Kiedis convicted in 1989 of indecent exposure and sexual battery in an incident following a concert in Virginia. The next year during a taping of an MTV Spring Break special in Florida, Flea and Smith jumped offstage, with Flea grabbing a woman and carrying her on his shoulders, and Smith spanking her. The two were charged, and Flea was found guilty of battery, disorderly conduct, and solicitation to commit an unnatural and lascivious act. Smith was found guilty of battery. The Chili Peppers scored their first major hit in 1991 with BloodSugarSexMagik (Number 3), which featured the single \"Under the Bridge\" (Number Two) and \"Give It Away\" (Number 73). Produced by Rick Rubin, the record was written and recorded in a mansion the band claimed was haunted. It sold more than 4 million copies, leading to their headlining Lollapalooza in 1992. Just prior to the tour, John Frusciante left the band and was replaced by Arik Marshall. Marshall lasted only a year and, after many auditions and one false start with Jesse Tobias, was replaced by former Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro. The 1995 release One Hot Minute (Number Four) went platinum but failed to generate the unparalleled excitement of BloodSugarSexMagik, precipitating a fallow phase in the band's career. Flea joined Navarro for a 1997 reunion tour of Jane's Addiction, and Navarro and Kiedis slipped back into old drug habits. Navarro quit the group in 1998 to pursue solo ambitions, casting the future of the band in doubt. Instead of breaking up, however, the Chili Peppers invited Frusciante to return, the guitarist having recovered from a severe drug addiction. The subsequent album, Californication (Number Three, 1999), was a commercial and critical triumph. The Chili Peppers were back on top with hit singles \"Scar Tissue\" (Number Nine) and \"Otherside\" (Number 14) and a major tour that included a fateful show at Woodstock '99, where the group had the dubious distinction of performing as a fiery melee erupted. By The Way (Number Two) was released in 2002 and found Frusciante digging into the complexities of multi-tonal, layered guitar tracking. In 2006, the ambitious double album Stadium Arcadium (Number One) was the first Chili Peppers' record to top the charts and earned the band Grammys for Best Rock Album, Best Rock Song (\"Dani California,\" Number Six), Best Rock Performance By a Duo Or Group With Vocal and Best Producer (Rick Rubin). But for the occasional live appearance, the Chili Peppers spent the next two years on hiatus as Frusciante \u2014 with the occasional help from Flea \u2014 and Smith embarked on solo careers. Frusciante announced in late 2009 that he was leaving the band a second time to focus on other projects. The Chili Peppers' follow-up to Stadium Arcadium, I'm with You, was released in August 2011.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/www.aaemusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Red-Hot-Chili-Peppers.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"232631","name":"Metallica","bio":"In the Eighties \u2014 when big hair and small ideas dominated heavy metal \u2014 Metallica's blend of brains and brawn gave the genre a much-needed charge. As their career wore on, the band's lyrics took on war, censorship, and other political issues metal didn't typically address, and the group sharpened their focus as songwriters, with singles like the horror-movie stomper \"Enter Sandman\" becoming huge rock anthems. Fans responded to in droves, buying six million copies of the group's fifth full-length album, Metallica, and elevating their previous LPs to platinum. In the process, grim-faced guitarist-singer James Hetfield became not only a hero for the nation's largest fraternity of misfits \u2014 suburban metalheads \u2014 but also a critically respected songwriter and bandleader. Metallica ended the decade as the biggest-selling rock act of the Nineties. Hetfield and Lars Ulrich came from different worlds to form Metallica in the L.A. suburbs in 1981. Hetfield, whose father owned a trucking company and whose mother a light-opera singer, was raised in a strict Christian Science home. Ulrich, a recently transplanted Dane, had intended to become a professional tennis player like his father, Torben Ulrich. What the two teenagers shared was an interest in the gritty music of U.K. hard rockers Motorhead. Adding guitarist Dave Mustaine and bassist Ron McGovney, the band started writing songs and recording demo tapes. Metallica's lineup solidified after Clifford Lee Burton replaced McGovney in 1982, and Bay Area guitarist Kirk Hammett replaced Mustaine the following year. Mustaine, who was booted out for excessive substance abuse, went on to form Megadeth. After gaining a solid cult following among fans who couldn't identify with contemporary pretty-boy pop-metal combos such as Van Halen and Bon Jovi, Metallica became known for their sophisticated, often complex song structures and serious lyrics that reflected teen obsessions with anger, despair, fear and death. In sharp contrast to those of other death-obsessed metal bands, Metallica's lyrics posed deeper questions about justice and retribution, drug addiction, mental illness and political violence. The group's debut album, Kill 'Em All, is an anarchic catharsis of gloom, with songs like \"No Remorse\" decrying the insanity of war and \"Seek and Destroy\" looking at mindless street violence. (Rereleased in 1986, the album went to Number 155.) On subsequent albums, the subject matter alternated between the political (...And Justice for All) and the personal (Metallica). In 1986 Metallica's tour bus skidded off an icy road in Sweden, killing bassist Burton. The surviving members took some time off before regrouping with ex-Flotsam and Jetsam bassist Jason Newsted. Newsted's more solid playing style brought a thicker, tighter sound, which contributed to the group's massive success in the late Eighties and early Nineties. On August 8th, 1992, the band experienced another near-tragedy when their pyrotechnics went awry during an ill-fated performance with Guns N' Roses (it was the same night of G N' R's notorious riot show) at Montreal's Olympic Stadium. Hetfield wound up walking into a wall of flames and suffering serious burns, but recovered fully. Metallica had developed their following without significant chart traction, so it came as a bit of a surprise when Master of Puppets reached Number 29 in 1986. The follow-up EP, Garage Days Re-Revisited, a collection of covers of songs by various punk and metal bands including Killing Joke and the Misfits, made it to Number 28. Metallica's first Top Ten album was ...And Justice for All, which reached Number Six in 1988 with its single \"One,\" breaking in to the Top Forty at Number 35. Its striking video included clips from the 1971 antiwar film adaptation of Dalton Trumbo's Johnny Got His Gun, the tale of a faceless quadruple-amputee World War I veteran. After a three-year hiatus, the much-anticipated Metallica (a.k.a. the Black Album) entered the charts at Number One. The album contained a string of hits, including \"Enter Sandman\" (Number 16), \"The Unforgiven\" (Number 35) and \"Nothing Else Matters\" (Number 34). Metallica's first official live album, Live Shit (Number 26, 1993), was recorded in 1993 over five shows in Mexico City. In 1994 Metallica sued their longtime label, Elektra, seeking to escape a contract that locked the band in to a modest 14 percent royalty rate. The suit was settled out of court, and the band re-signed with the label. By then, Metallica recognized the changes on the rock landscape epitomized by Nirvana, and, in 1996, the band fully stepped away from its early lyrics of blood and guts and explored some nonmetal influences for an updated, almost alternative-leaning sound on Load (Number One). The album continued the band's string of hits with \"Until It Sleeps\" (Number 10), \"Hero of the Day\" (Number 60) and \"King Nothing\" (Number 90). Metallica also sought to change their image: Band members cut their hair, and the abstract album cover by controversial photographer Andres Serrano (famous for his work Piss Christ) depicted a mixture of blood and semen. Not all fans were pleased. More confusion followed when Metallica headlined the alternative rock-themed Lollapalooza Tour in 1996. That year, the band also made a surprise stop at the Whisky-a-Go-Go in Hollywood for the 50th birthday party of Lemmy of Motorhead, all appearing dressed like the metal veteran and performing a full set of Motorhead songs. In 1997, Metallica finished songs left over from the Load sessions for the heavier ReLoad (Number One), which included vocals by Marianne Faithfull on \"The Memory Remains\" (Number 28). The album also contained \"The Unforgiven II\" (Number 59). The next year, Metallica combined the original Garage Days Revisited EP with 11 new covers and various B sides for the two-disc set Garage Inc. (Number Two). A live collaboration with the San Francisco Symphony (arranged and conducted by Michael Kamen) was recorded for 1999's S&M. In 2000 Metallica led a battle over the rights of recording artists against Napster, a popular music file-sharing website where fans could download music (including Metallica's) for free. Metallica not only responded with copyright-infringement suits against Napster but demanded that the estimated 335,000 Napster users who had ever downloaded a Metallica track be permanently barred from the service. To critics it was a confounding strategy that inevitably targeted some of the band's most rabid followers. Despite a fan backlash, the controversy failed to derail that year's successful stadium tour with Korn and Kid Rock. In 2001, Newsted left the band, citing his tension with Hetfield. That same year, directors Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky (Paradise Lost) began filming the band for a documentary, which would later be released in 2004 as Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster. The movie chronicled a turbulent two-year period in Metallica's history, during which Hetfield went to rehab, the group's management hired a motivational coach and the three remaining members struggled to record St. Anger (Number One, 2003). Produced with Bob Rock (who also played bass), Anger was a belligerent and sometimes tinny-sounding effort that put off some longtime fans. The title track was a moderate success, winning the band a Grammy. With new bassist Robert Trujillo (Suicidal Tendencies) \u2014whose audition was depicted in Some Kind of Monster \u2014 Metallica embarked on a two-year tour. Their only notable release in the period was a cover of Ennio Morricone's \"The Ecstasy of Gold\" for the 2007 tribute album We All Love Ennio Morricone. (The original recording has opened nearly every Metallica concert for decades.) Upon returning, they entered the studio with Rick Rubin for their ninth album and came out in 2008 with Death Magnetic an album seen as a return to form after the divisive St. Anger. It sold 490,000 copies during its abbreviated first week (it was released on a Friday) and debuted at Number One on the album charts \u2014 making Metallica the first band to have five consecutive studio albums debut ay Number One. In April, 2009, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/www.aaemusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Metallica-II.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"200","name":"Linkin Park","bio":"Linkin Park is an American band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries. Its following studio album, Meteora, continued the band's success, topping the Billboard 200 album chart in 2003, and was followed by extensive touring and charity work around the world. In 2003, MTV2 named Linkin Park the sixth greatest band of the music video era and the third best of the new millennium behind Oasis and Coldplay.Having adapted the nu metal and rap metal genres to a radio-friendly yet densely layered style in Hybrid Theory and Meteora, the band explored other genres in their next studio album, Minutes to Midnight, which was released in 2007. The album topped the Billboard charts and had the third best debut week of any album that year. The band has collaborated with several other artists, most notably with rapper Jay-Z in their mashup EP Collision Course, and many others included on Reanimation. The band's most recent studio album, A Thousand Suns, was released on September 8, 2010. Linkin Park has sold over 50 million albums worldwide and has won two Grammy Awards.Charity:On January 19, 2010, Linkin Park released a new song titled Not Alone as part of a compilation from Music for Relief called Download to Donate for Haiti in support of the Haiti Earthquake crisis. On February 10, 2010, Linkin Park released the official music video for the song on their homepage. The single itself was released on October 21, 2011.On January 11, 2011, an updated version of Download to Donate for Haiti was launched, called Download to Donate for Haiti V2.0, with more songs to download. For the updated compilation, the band released Keaton Hashimoto's remix of The Catalyst from the \"Linkin Park featuring YOU\" contest.Shinoda designed two t-shirts, in which the proceeds will go to Music for Relief to help the victims of the 2011 T\u014dhoku earthquake and tsunami disasters. Music For Relief released Download to Donate: Tsunami Relief Japan, another compilation of songs, in which the proceeds will go to Save the Children. The band released the song titled as Issho Ni, meaning \"we're in this together\", on March 22, 2011 via Download to Donate: Tsunami Relief Japan.In the wake of Typhoon Haiyan, Linkin Park played at Club Nokia during the \"Music for Relief: Concert For the Philippines\" in Los Angeles, California, and raised donations for victims. The show was broadcast on AXS TV on February 15. Other artists during the tour included The Offspring, Bad Religion, Heart, and The Filharmonic.Official Site: http:\/\/www.linkinpark.com\/mainGenres: Alternative rock, nu metal, rap rockCurrent members:Chester Bennington \u2013 vocals (since 1999)Rob Bourdon \u2013 drums, percussion (since 1996)Brad Delson \u2013 lead guitar (since 1996)Dave Farrell \u2013 bass (1996\u20131998, 1999, since 2001)Joe \"Mr. Hahn\" Hahn \u2013 turntables, programming, samples (since 1996)Mike Shinoda \u2013 vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboard (since 1996).Former members:Mark Wakefield - vocals (1996\u20131998)Kyle Christener - bass (1999)Scott Koziol - bass (2000\u20132001).Discography:Albums:1. Hybrid Theory (2000)2. Reanimation (2002)3. Meteora (2003)4. Live in Texas (2003)5. Collision Course (2004)6. Minutes to Midnight (2007)7. Road To Revolution: Live at Milton Keynes (2008)8. A Thousand Suns (2010).9. iTunes Festival: London 2011 (2011)10. Living Things (2012)11. Recharged (2013)12. A Light That Never Comes (Remixes) (2014)Singles:1. One Step Closer (2001)2. Crawling (2001)3. Papercut (2001)4. In The End - Include Previously Unreleased Material (2001)5. In The End (2001)6. In The End (2002)7. Pts.Of.Athrty (feat. Jay Gordon) (2002)8. Somewhere I Belong (2003)9. Faint (2003)10. From The Inside (2004)11. Breaking The Habit (2004)12. Numb (with Easier To Run -Live- ) (2004)13. Numb (with From the Inside -Live- ) (2004)14. Numb\/Encore (with Jay-Z) (2004)15. Numb\/Encore (2004)16. What I've Done (2007)17. Bleed It Out (2007)18. Shadow Of The Day (2007)19. Given Up (2008)20. Leave Out All The Rest (2008)21. New Divide (2009)22. Download To Donate For Haiti (2010)23. Linkin Park 8-Bit Rebellion! (2010)24. The Catalyst (2010)25. Waiting for the End (2010)26. Burning In The Skies (2011)27. Iridescent (2011)28. Burn It Down (2012)29. A Light That Never Comes (collab. Steve Aoki) (2013)30. Guilty All the Same (feat. Rakim) (2014)","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/200_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"500,000 - 1,000,000"}

{"key":"202","name":"The Killers","bio":"The Killers is an American rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, formed in 2001 and consist of Brandon Flowers (vocals, keyboards), Dave Keuning (guitar, backing vocals), Mark Stoermer (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Ronnie Vannucci Jr. (drums, percussion). The band\"s four studio albums to date have sold in excess of 18 million copies worldwide combined. The band got its name from the fictional band \"The Killers\" in the video for New Order\"s \"Crystal\". The band was on hiatus, but returned to the studio to record their 4th studio album in early 2011. Songfacts reports that \"Runaways\", the first single from \"Battle Born\", was released on July 10, 2012. Initially, The Killers played at large clubs in Las Vegas. With the band\"s line-up stable and their repertoire of songs expanding, the band began to attract attention from talent bookers, local agents, major label, scouts \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and a UK representative for Warner Bros. Though the Warner Bros representative passed on the band, he took the demo back with him, showing it to a friend who worked at UK (London-based) indie label Lizard King Records (now Marrakesh Records). The Killers then signed in the summer of 2002 to a British label.They released their debut album \"Hot Fuss\" on June 2004 in the United Kingdom and US (on Island Records). Their first single was \"Somebody Told Me\". The band also had chart success with their singles \"Mr. Brightside,\" which reached the Top 10 in the UK when released, and \"All These Things That I\"ve Done\".The band started recording its second album, \"Sam\"s Town\" on February 15, 2006, at The Palms Hotel\/Casino in Las Vegas. It was released on October 2006. Lead singer, Brandon Flowers said that Sam\"s Town is \"one of the best albums of the past 20 years\". Though the album has received a mixed response from critics and fans, it has still remained popular and sold over 4 million copies worldwide.The first single, \"When You Were Young\" debuted on radio stations in late July 2006. In late August 2006, it was offered as a downloadable track before the album\"s debut. The single then entered the chart on downloads alone at #5, and the following week on its official release went to #2 in the UK. The video clip of the second single, \"Bones\", was directed by Tim Burton. The third single was \"Read My Mind\". The video was filmed in Tokyo, Japan. The last one was \"For Reasons Unknown\" released in June, 2007.The album sold over 700,000 copies worldwide in the first week of release, with a No. 2 debut on the United World chart. Brandon Flowers announced on August 22, 2007, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, at the T Vital Festival, that it would be the last time that the album \"Sam\"s Town\" would be played in Europe. The Killers played their last Sam\"s Town concert in Melbourne, Australia on November, 2007.Much of The Killers\" music is based on British influences and on the music of the 1980s, particularly New Wave. Flowers has also said in interviews that the larger-than-life sound of many of the band\"s songs is due to the influence of living in Las Vegas, a city where everything is about flash and who can top whom. They appreciate post-punk bands that sprang up during the 80\"s such as Joy Division, and they are also avowed fans of New Order (with whom Flowers has performed live), Pet Shop Boys, Dire Straits, David Bowie, The Smiths, Morrissey, Depeche Mode, U2, Queen, Oasis and The Beatles. Their second album was said to be greatly influenced by Bruce Springsteen\"s music and lyrics.The compilation album called \"Sawdust\", containing B-sides, rarities, and some new material, was released on November 12, 2007. The album\"s first single \"Tranquilize,\" a collaboration with Lou Reed, was released on October 2007. The band also released their cover of Joy Division\"s \"Shadowplay\" on the U.S. iTunes Store. The album also contains the songs \"Ruby, Don\"t Take Your Love to Town\" (a The First Edition cover), \"Romeo and Juliet\" (a Dire Straits cover), and a new version of \"Move Away\" (previously available on the Spider-Man 3 soundtrack). One of the tracks on Sawdust is \"Leave the Bourbon On The Shelf\" the first but previously unreleased part of the so called \"Murder Trilogy,\" in which it is followed by \"Midnight Show\" then \"Jenny Was a Friend of Mine\"The Cowboys\" Christmas Ball Songfacts reports that The Killers are recognized for their work with Bono\"s Product Red campaign, which is dedicated to fighting AIDS in Africa. In 2006 they released their first Christmas themed song and music video, \"A Great Big Sled\" in aid of the charity,followed by \"Don\"t Shoot Me Santa\" on December 1, 2007. Their festive tunes have subsequently became an annual event and \"The Cowboy\"s Christmas Ball\" was released as their sixth successive release intended to raise money for the Product Red campaign on December 1, 2011.\"Day and Age\" was the title of The Killers third studio album. The title was confirmed in an NME video interview at Reading and Leeds Festival with lead singer Brandon Flowers. The band headed to the studio in June and the album is being produced by Stuart Price. In the October 2008 edition of German magazine Musikexpress, in an article dated August 15, 2008, Keuning says the new record was 99% finished. The Killers selected Paul Normansell to do the artwork for the new album, which should include some of Normansell\"s artwork and portraits of the band themselves. Flowers also stated in an interview with Q that he was excited to play a new song called \"Tidal Wave\", influenced by David Bowie\"s \"Drive-In Saturday\" and \"I Drove All Night\" by Roy Orbison. The setlist of The Killers\" July 29 and August 1, 2008 show at New York City\"s Highline Ballroom and Atlantic City\"s Borgata Hotel and Spa contained two new songs: Spaceman and Neon Tiger. These songs were also played at The Killers\" show on July 31st at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut. Spaceman and Neon Tiger are also included on \"Day and Age\". During their brief summer tour in 2008, The Killers confirmed several other potential song titles for \"Day and Age\" including \"Goodnight, Travel Well\", \"Vibration\", \"Joy Ride\", \"I Can\"t Stay\", \"Losing Touch\", \"Fairytale Dustland\" and \"Human\", although \"Vibration\" wasn\"t included.The Killers\" third studio album \"Day and Age\" (which was reviewed at http:\/\/www.silentsoundwaves.com\/album-reviews\/the-killers-day-age-review\/) was released on 25th November 2008 (24th November for the UK). The album\"s first single \"Human\" was debuted on 22nd September and on the 30th September, the single was made available on iTunes, with many radio DJ\"s suggesting it was the best single by The Killers yet.Killers frontman Brandon Flowers recently (December 2008) has said that he thinks his band will be bigger than U2 eventually, and sooner than you might think. He told The Daily Telegraph that \"U2 are unbelievable, but they\"re getting old. It feels like it\"s time\". The Killers\" fourth studio album, Battle Born, was released 18 September 2012. It took 15 months to record. The band began recording it after they took a touring break for a little over a year. The album has five producers, with The Killers producing one song by themselves, \"The Rising Tide.\" The debut single was \"Runaways,\" followed by \"Miss Atomic Bomb,\" \"Here with Me,\" and \"The Way it Was.\"www.thekillersmusic.com","featuredImage":"https:\/\/www.aaemusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/The-Killers.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"210","name":"Foo Fighters","bio":"Foo Fighters are an American rock band formed by singer\/guitarist\/drummer Dave Grohl in 1995 in Seattle, USA. Grohl formed the group as a one-man project after the dissolution of his previous band Nirvana in 1994. Prior to the release of Foo Fighters in 1995, Grohl drafted Nate Mendel (bass), William Goldsmith (drums) (both of Sunny Day Real Estate and The Fire Theft), and Pat Smear (guitar) (of The Germs) to complete the group. Goldsmith left during the recording of the group's second album The Colour and the Shape (1997), soon followed by Smear. They were replaced by Taylor Hawkins and Franz Stahl, respectively, although Stahl left prior to the recording of the group's third album, There Is Nothing Left to Lose (1999).Chris Shiflett joined as the band's second guitarist after the completion of There Is Nothing Left to Lose. The band released its fourth album One by One in 2002. The group followed that release with the two-disc In Your Honor (2005), which was split between acoustic songs and harder-rocking material. Foo Fighters released its sixth album Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace in 2007. Over the course of the band's career, three of its albums have won Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album, and all six have been nominated for Grammys. The band's seventh album Wasting Light was released in 2011 and peaked at #1 in several countries.Formation and debut albumDave Grohl joined the band Nirvana as the group's drummer in 1990. In order to occupy himself during tours, he took a guitar with him and wrote songs. Grohl held back these songs from the band; he said in 1997, \"I was in awe of frontman Kurt Cobain's songs. And intimidated. I thought it was best that I keep my songs to myself.\" Instead, Grohl occasionally booked studio time to record demos, and even issued a cassette of some of those songs called Pocketwatch under the pseudonym \"Late!\" in 1992.Cobain was found dead in his Seattle home on April 8, 1994, and Nirvana subsequently disbanded. Grohl received offers to work with various artists, and almost accepted a permanent position as the drummer in Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Ultimately Grohl declined and instead entered a studio in October 1994 to record twelve of the forty songs he had written. With the exception of a guitar part on \"X-Static\" by Greg Dulli of the Afghan Whigs, Grohl played every instrument and sang every vocal on the tracks. \"I was supposed to just join another band and be a drummer the rest of my life,\" Grohl later said. \"I thought that I would rather do what no-one expected me to do. I enjoy writing music and I enjoy trying to sing, and there's nothing anyone can really do to discourage me.\" Grohl completed an album's worth of material in five days and handed out cassette copies of the sessions to his friends for feedback.Grohl hoped to keep his anonymity and release the recordings in a limited run under the title \"Foo Fighters\", taken from the World War II term \"foo fighter\", used to refer to unidentified flying objects. According to Rope Songfacts, he was reading a book about military World War II sightings at the time and he wanted people to think it was a band. So he called it Foo Fighters as it was plural. However, the demo tape circulated in the music industry, creating interest among record labels. Grohl formed a band to support the album. Initially, Grohl talked to former Nirvana band mate Krist Novoselic about joining the group, but both decided against it. \"For Krist and I, it would have felt really natural and really great\", Grohl explained. \"But for everyone else, it would have been weird, and it would have left me in a really bad position. Then I really would have been under the microscope.\" Having heard about the disbanding of Seattle-based emo band Sunny Day Real Estate, Grohl drafted the group's bass player, Nate Mendel, and drummer, William Goldsmith. Grohl asked Pat Smear, who served touring guitarist for Nirvana after the release of its 1993 album In Utero, to join as the group's second guitarist. Grohl ultimately licensed the album to Capitol Records, releasing it on his new record label, Roswell Records.The group played its debut show at a keg party in February 1995. Grohl refused to do interviews or tour large venues to promote the album. Foo Fighters undertook their first major tour in the spring of 1995, opening for Mike Watt. The band's first single \"This Is a Call\" was released in June 1995, and its debut album Foo Fighters was released the next month. \"I'll Stick Around\", \"For All The Cows\" and \"Big Me\" were released as subsequent singles. The band spent the following months on tour, including their first appearance at the Reading Festival in England in August.The Colour and the ShapeAfter touring through the spring of 1996, Foo Fighters entered a studio in Woodinville, Washington with producer Gil Norton to record its second album. While Grohl once again wrote all the songs, the rest of the band collaborated on the arrangements. With the sessions nearly complete, Grohl took the rough mixes with him to Los Angeles, intending to finish up his vocal and guitar parts. While there, Grohl realized that he wasn't happy with how the mixes were turning out, and the band \"basically re-recorded almost everything\". During the L.A. sessions, Grohl played drums on some of the songs. Goldsmith said Grohl did not tell him that he recorded new drum parts for the record and, feeling betrayed, left the band.In need of a replacement for Goldsmith, Grohl contacted Alanis Morissette's touring drummer Taylor Hawkins to see if he could recommend anybody. Grohl was surprised when Hawkins volunteered his own services as drummer. Hawkins made his debut with the group in time for the release of its second album, The Colour and the Shape, in May 1997. The album spawned the singles \"Monkey Wrench\", \"My Hero\", and \"Everlong\".Pat Smear announced to the rest of the group that he wanted to leave the band to pursue other interests. Four months later in September 1997 at the MTV Video Music Awards, Smear simultaneously publicly announced his departure from the band and introduced his replacement, Grohl's former Scream bandmate Franz Stahl. Stahl toured with the band for the next few months, and appeared on two tracks that the band recorded for movie soundtracks, a re-recording of \"Walking After You\" for The X-Files and \"A320\" for Godzilla.There Is Nothing Left to LoseIn 1998, Foo Fighters traveled to Grohl's home state of Virginia to write music for its third album. However, Grohl and Stahl were unable to co-operate as songwriters; Grohl told Kerrang! in 1999, \"In those few weeks it just seemed like the three of us were moving in one direction and Franz wasn't\". Grohl was distraught about the decision to fire Stahl, as the two had been friends since childhood. The remaining trio of Grohl, Mendel, and Hawkins spent the next several months recording the band's third album, There Is Nothing Left to Lose, in Grohl's Virginia home studio. The album spawned several singles, including \"Learn to Fly\", the band's first single to reach the US Hot 100.Before the release of the album, Capitol president Gary Gersh was forced out of the label. Given Grohl's history with Gersh, Foo Fighters' contract had included a \"key man clause\" that allowed them to leave the label upon Gersh's departure. They subsequently left Capitol and signed to RCA, who later acquired the rights to the band's Capitol albums.Chris Shiflett joined Foo Fighters as a touring guitarist before becoming a full memberAfter recording was completed, the band auditioned a number of potential guitarists, and eventually settled on Chris Shiflett, who previously performed with No Use for a Name and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. Shiflett initially joined the band as touring guitarist, but achieved full-time status prior to the recording of the group's fourth album.That same year, Foo Fighters established a relationship with rock band Queen, of whom the band (particularly Grohl and Hawkins) are fans. Guitarist Brian May added a guitar track to Foo Fighters' second cover of Pink Floyd's \"Have a Cigar\", which appeared on the soundtrack to the movie Mission Impossible 2. When Queen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2001, Grohl and Hawkins were invited to perform with the band on \"Tie Your Mother Down\", with Grohl filling in on vocals for Freddie Mercury. In 2002, guitarist May contributed guitar work to \"Tired of You\" and an outtake called \"Knucklehead\". The bands have performed together on several occasions since, including VH1 Rock Honors and Foo Fighters' headlining concert in Hyde Park.One by OneNear the end of 2001, the band reconvened to record their fourth album. After spending four months in a Los Angeles studio completing the album, Grohl spent some time helping Queens of the Stone Age complete their 2002 album Songs for the Deaf. Once the Queens of the Stone Age album was finished, Grohl, inspired by the sessions, decided to reconvene Foo Fighters to rework a few songs on their album. Instead, they re-recorded nearly all of the album (save \"Tired of You\") in a ten-day stretch at Grohl's studio in Virginia. The final album was released in October of 2002 under the title One by One. Singles from the album included \"All My Life\", \"Times Like These\", \"Low\", and \"Have It All\". The band later expressed displeasure with the album. Grohl told Rolling Stone in 2005, \"Four of the songs were good, and the other seven I never played again in my life. We rushed into it, and we rushed out of it.\"For most of its history, the band chose to stay away from the political realm. However, in 2004 prior to donating 3 million dollars to the new Pittsburgh Penguins arena, upon learning that George W. Bush's presidential campaign was using \"Times Like These\" at rallies, Grohl decided to lend his public support to John Kerry's campaign. Grohl attended several Kerry rallies and occasionally performed solo acoustic sets. The entire band eventually joined Grohl for a performance in Arizona coinciding with one of the presidential debates.In Your Honor and acoustic tourHaving spent a year and a half touring behind One By One, Grohl did not want to rush into recording another Foo Fighters record. Initially Grohl intended to write acoustic material by himself, but eventually the project involved the entire band. To record its fifth album, the band shifted to Los Angeles and built a recording studio, dubbed Studio 606 West. Grohl insisted that the album be divided into two discs\u2013one full of rock songs, the other featuring acoustic tracks. In Your Honor was released in June 2005. The album's singles included \"Best of You\", \"DOA\", \"Resolve\", \"No Way Back\", and \"Miracle\".On June 17, 2006, Foo Fighters performed their largest non-festival headlining concert to date at London's Hyde Park. The band was supported by Juliette and the Licks, Angels & Airwaves, Queens of the Stone Age, and Mot\u00f6rhead. Mot\u00f6rhead's Lemmy joined the band on stage to sing \"Shake Your Blood\" from Dave Grohl's Probot album. Also, as a surprise performance, Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen jammed with Foo Fighters, playing part of \"We Will Rock You\" as a lead into \"Tie Your Mother Down\".In further support of In Your Honor, the band decided to organize a short acoustic tour for the summer of 2006. The tour included former member Pat Smear, who rejoined the band as an extra guitarist, Petra Haden on violin and backup vocals, Drew Hester on percussion, and Rami Jaffee of The Wallflowers on keyboards\/piano. While much of the setlist focused on In Your Honor's acoustic half, the band also used the opportunity to play lesser-known songs such as \"Ain't It The Life\", \"Floaty\", and \"See You\". The band also performed \"Marigold\", a Pocketwatch-era song that was best-known as a Nirvana B-side.In November 2006, the band released their first ever live CD, Skin and Bones, featuring fifteen performances captured over a three-night stand in Los Angeles. An accompanying DVD was released, and featured tracks not available on the CD.Echoes, Silence, Patience & GraceFor the follow-up to In Your Honor, the band decided to call in The Colour and the Shape producer Gil Norton. Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace was released in September 2007. The album's first single, \"The Pretender\", was issued to radio in early August. The second single, \"Long Road to Ruin\", was released in December 2007, supported by a music video directed by longtime collaborator Jesse Peretz (formerly of the Lemonheads).In mid-to-late 2007 \"The Pretender\" topped the Modern Rock chart for a record 18 weeks, it also gave the band their third consecutive year at the top (a record), and made them the only artist besides Red Hot Chili Peppers to have 4 consecutive albums have songs reach the top (RHCPs have 5). When \"Long Road to Ruin\" reached the top it gave them their fourth consecutive year to have a song reach the top (breaking their own record). When the fourth single, \"Let It Die\", reached the top 20 it gave them 3 songs in the top 20, one of only four artists to do this. \"Let It Die\" is also the album's third Number One hit on the chart.Not long after completing the recording sessions for the album, the band participated in Live Earth at Wembley Stadium in London, England, performing the penultimate set of the night. Later that summer, the band headlined V Festival 2007, including a surprise acoustic set on the Channel 4 stage under the name 606. In October 2007, Foo Fighters started their world tour in support for Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace. The band performed shows throughout the United States, Europe, Australia, Canada and Asia. The band finished its world tour in September 2008 at the Virgin Festival at Toronto Island Park in Canada.Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace was nominated for 5 Grammys in 2008. The Foo Fighters went home with Best Rock Album and Best Hard Rock Performance (for \"The Pretender\"). The album was also nominated for Album of the Year, while \"The Pretender\" was also nominated for Record of the Year and Best Rock Song.On 17 September 2008 Dave Grohl announced on The Chris Moyles Show that the band would be taking a long break from music so that they could return with a new sense of purpose, and also informed fans not to expect any new music for a while. \"We've never really taken a long break, I think it's time,\" Grohl commented. \"After doing Wembley, we shouldn't come back there for 10 years because we've played to everybody. We're over in the UK every year, every summer, so I think it's time to take a break and come back over when people really miss us.\" Wasting Light After taking a break from music, Foo Fighters returned in 2011 with the album Wasting Light. The album was recorded in Dave Grohl's garage, as opposed to Studio 606. Grohl addressed by stating \"There's poetry in being the band that can sell out Wembley but also makes a record in a garage.\" Wasting Light features many guest musicians, including Krist Novoselic, who had played with Grohl in Nirvana. Foo Fighters released a 30 second teaser on January 17th 2011 of the song \"Bridge Burning\", and on February 1st 2011 the announcement of the release date of the album, April 12th 2011, was accompanied by a 30 second teaser of \"Miss the Misery\". On February 12th, the music video for \"White Limo\" was released. And on February 23rd \"Rope\" was released for online streaming. On March 1st \"Rope\" was released as the first single from the album. It peaked at number 1 in the US on the Rock, Alternative, and Mainstream Rock charts.On April 9th the band appeared on Saturday Night Live (host Helen Miren). They played the song \"Rope\" for their first performance, and debuted the song \"Walk\" for their second. Wasting Light peaked at number 1 on the Albums chart in 12 countries, including the US and UK. It has achieved platinum status in Australia and New Zeland. Musical styleWhen Grohl first started the band, its music was often compared to that of his previous group, Nirvana. Grohl acknowledged that Nirvana singer\/guitarist Kurt Cobain was a major influence on his songwriting. Grohl said, \"Through Kurt, I saw the beauty of minimalism and the importance of music that's stripped down.\" Foo Fighters also utilize the Pixies' technique of shifting between quiet verses and loud chorus, which Grohl said was influenced by the members of Nirvana \"liking the Knack, Bay City Rollers, The Beatles, and Abba as much as we liked Flipper and Black Flag, I suppose\". Writing and recording songs for the first Foo Fighters album by himself, Grohl wrote the guitar riffs to be as rhythmic as possible. He approached the guitar similar to how he approached playing a drumkit, assigning different drum parts to different strings on the instrument. This allowed him to piece together songs easily; he said, \"I could hear the song in my head before it was finished.\" Once Grohl assembled a full band, his bandmates assisted in song arrangements.The members of Foo Fighters meld melodic elements with harder sounds. Grohl noted in 1997, \"We all love music, whether it's the Beatles or Queen or punk rock. I think the lure of punk rock was the energy and immediacy; the need to thrash stuff around. But at the same time, we're all suckers for a beautiful melody, you know? So it is just natural.\"Campaigning and activismIn 2000, the band generated controversy through their public support of Alive & Well, an organization that denies the link between HIV and AIDS, questions the validity of HIV tests, and advises against taking medication to counter the disease. Foo Fighter bassist Nate Mendel learned of Alive & Well through What If Everything You Thought You Knew about AIDS Was Wrong?, a self-published book written by Christine Maggiore, the organization's founder. Mendel passed the book around to the rest of the band, who supported his advocacy.In January 2000, the band played a benefit concert for the organization, which Mendel helped to organize. The band also contributed songs to The Other Side of AIDS, a controversial documentary film by Maggiore's husband Robin Scovill, which questions whether HIV is the cause of AIDS. The band's position caused alarm in the medical community, as Alive & Well's advice ran contrary to established medical wisdom about HIV and AIDS. In a 2000 interview, Mendel spoke of using Foo Fighters' popularity to help spread the group's message and of holding more benefits for the organization. However, no further benefits have taken place, and the band has since removed the organization from its list of supported causes.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/210_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"64456","name":"Gerard Way","bio":"Gerard Arthur Way (born April 9, 1977 in Summit, New Jersey, United States) is an American musician and comic book writer who was the lead vocalist and co-founder of the band My Chemical Romance from its formation in September 2001 until its split in March 2013. He is the executive producer of the band LostAlone's second album I'm a UFO in This City. Way also wrote the comic mini-series The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, and wrote the Eisner Award-winning comic book The Umbrella Academy. His debut solo album \"Hesitant Alien\" was released on September 30, 2014 via Warner Bros. Records.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/64456_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}