Big Ripple Music Holiday Year-End Sale!!!

Happy Holidays! It's time to pick up some of those last minute stocking stuffers or a little something for yourself coz' you've been a good little boy or girl. With the exception of all multi-unit and sale packages, everything in the Ripple Music Store is on sale! It's simple . . . throw a minimum of two items in your cart, enter the code word: grinch, receive 20% off your entire order!

The sale is running now until we say it's over (probably sometime in January) . . . here's your opportunity to share the wondrous rockin' sounds of Mos Generator, Trucker Diablo, Fen, Mighty High, C.F.A., Grifter, and really, the entire Ripple Family, at a discounted rate!

Happy hunting and we wish you and yours a safe and happy holiday season!

http://ripplemusic.bigcartel.com/

Heavy Blog Sludelord Interviews Interviews Racer from Ripple Music

Today on Sludgelord I am interviewing Racer, one of the geniuses behind ace record label – Ripple Music

Ripple Music are one of the best Record Labels I have came across when doing this blog. They have sent me some excellent releases to review. Like Stone Axe, Mos Generator and Cody Foster Army.

They are highly thought of within the Stoner, Sludge, Doom Metal scene. Their releases have been acclaimed across the board.

I am pleased to say that they have kindly agreed to do an interview with me.

Fuck Yeah. Which I am very excited about. So lets get down with the grooviest record label out there.

Q1 – Hi Guys, Thanks for doing this. How are things with you today. 

Ah, Mr. Sludge, we’re doing great. Working our butts off to get the music out there, but that’s what we love. So all’s good.

Q2 – For people not in the know can you give them a brief history of how Ripple Music came about. 

We started in 2007 as a music review site, The Ripple Effect. Pope and I have been friends for 20 years and we’re both dedicated dumpster divers in dollar bins, always searching for cool music that we didn’t know about. We started the Ripple Effect to spread the word on all the great music we’d uncovered and had in our collections; create ripples. Things grew and the Ripple Effect took off. Soon there was Ripple Radio on blogtalkradio.com and guests like Marky Ramone and Fee Waybill were stopping by. Then one of the bands we’d befriended over the years, JPT Scare Band – the legendary heavy acid rock band from the 70’s—wrote us and asked if we’d be willing to put their album out. One thing led to another, and soon Ripple Music, the Record Label was born.

We still run The Ripple Effect and Ripple Radio. Music is our passion, so besides putting out our own releases we still love spreading the word on work by other labels, bands, and individuals.

Q3 – What made you decide to just focus on the genres of music that you cover now. 

Ripple Music puts out what we call Heavy Rock. Some stoner, some doom, some sludge, but none of it is quite typical of any of those genres. We like big heavy riffs, thick grooves and great songwriting and performing. Both Pope and I come to music from slightly different perspectives, so this is the intersection of our musical tastes.

The one criteria for a Ripple release is that we both have to love it. I mean really love it. 100% agreement between us, that it is music that lives in our bones. With that kind of commitment on our part, we can give the band and the release the love and attention and energy that it deserves.

Q4 – I must congratulate you on your superb releases so far. You have an outstanding roster of bands and musicians. 

We’ve been blessed and really lucky. A lot of things took off when Tony Reed of Stone Axe and Mos Generator came on board with us. He’s a legend in the industry and a tireless worker and he needed a partner that’s as tireless as he his. Over all the years he’d been in the business, he’d never signed on with any label, but he liked the way we did business and decided to join us. He’s our George Martin. He’s such a great producer and technician that he’s mastered many of our releases and always gives it that ballsy heavy sound.

Lots of bands came to us fortuitously, like Grifter, who came in via The Ripple Effect where they sent their music for review. We dug em, asked them to contribute a couple of songs on our double-7” release Heavy Ripples, then asked if they wanted to do an album. To be honest, we weren’t prepared for how good the final release was gonna be. They totally outdid themselves. And they’re doing it again with their next album. And it seems that lots of bands do that for us. Although we thought they were great when we asked them to join us, the work they turn in blows away anything we anticipated. The new Devil to Pay album is another example of that. A freaking epic doom album!

I don’t know what we’ve done to deserve such great bands joining us, other than to say that when we formed we set out with the intention to be men of our words, do what we say we were going to do, and treat all of our artists honestly, fairly, and with respect. To this date, I’m proud to say that we’ve done that.

Q5 – How did you get involved with the bands on your label at the moment. They all speak very highly of you guys and the work that you do. 

Thanks. We appreciate that. Most of the bands came in one way or another through the Ripple Effect. They’d sent in releases for review, we dug em, and set out to work with them in the future. I think almost all the bands came to us that way. Heck, Woody was a writer for The Ripple Effect long before we ever heard his band, Mighty High. Devil to Pay came to us from a very dedicated, devoted friend/fan who wouldn’t stop annoying us until we listened to the band. And man, are we glad we did!! Mothership is another band that kind of came in through the Ripple Effect as well as our sponsoring of the Metroplex Heavyfest rock festival in Dallas last year. After seeing them play live and hanging out with the boys, we knew they were our kinda band. Great guys. And that’s important because if we’re gonna make noise together, we have to like them and they have to like us. They become a part of our Ripple family.

Q6 – Do you still have regular jobs to pay the bills or is Ripple Music your full time job.

Oh, someday. Someday!!! Actually, we decided to bite the bullet and start the label when Pope lost his job as a manager in a construction company when the housing market crashed. That gave us the opportunity for us to realistically have the time to devote to the label. He puts in about 70-80 hours a week doing what he needs to do on the Ripple front (no weekends or holidays off). I still work a full-time gig and add in about 40-50 hours a week to Ripple on top of that. 

Q7 – Are your family and friends supportive of your chosen career and the label in general.

We’re both married and our wives are angels and saints. They put up with us even before we formed the label (remember, Pope and I have been friends for 20 years) but now we really push em to the edge. But they’re amazingly supportive and help to keep us balanced by pulling us away from the label from time to time. As for friends, most are supportive and many have jumped in to give us a hand from time to time, like my buddy Paul who helps with the accounting or Chris who started us on the Ripple Radio Show. But to be honest, a lot of our friends really don’t understand the whole thing. They don’t get the idea of what we’re doing or the type of music or the mindset/passion. And there are always a lot of naysayers, who we ignore as if they were bad political commercials.

Q8 – Is is it a struggle running a label nowadays especially with the download culture going around on the Internet.

Yes. But not impossible. What the download culture has done has allowed the casual music fan to drop out of the equation for music sales. There are two types of people in this world; those who listen to music and those who love music. The music listeners are content with a download of a few songs or Pandora or XM Radio or what have you. They like music, but it’s not really that important to them. In the past, these people grossly inflated music sales numbers. If Janet Jackson put out an album and they liked one song, they’d buy the CD, since there was no reasonable way to get just the one song. Now, they download or steal the song. As a consequence, the sales of CD’s has plummeted.

Music lovers are different. They love music. It’s a tangible part of their lives. Some may be content with digital albums, (mostly for convenience) but many still want physical product. They love having a collection, a wall of music to look to and categorize and enjoy. They still buy CD’s and more and more they’re turning on to vinyl. Kids are turning on to vinyl too. They love the art and the size and the ability to hold the music, unlike a download. There’s also the whole ritual of pulling the vinyl out of the sleeve and laying the needle down onto the groove. A real tactile experience. And of course, the sound is much better.

Q9 – Now you run your own blog as well. Which is not unusual for a label but you do the same sort of stuff as ourselves and other great blogs and websites. Is that hard to do as well at the same time. 

Sleep? What’s sleep?

Sure, it’s a challenge, but as we talked about, the blog actually came first, so it’s the founder of this whole madness that we call Ripple. We still love writing about music and digging through our collections and sharing what we find with others; our readers, who we call the waveriders. We wouldn't be near what we are without the help of a bunch of dedicated music crazies who help pour through the submissions and write their hearts out about the music.

And just as importantly, since we started as bloggers, we’ve been amazed and truly appreciative of how tight and powerful the music blogging community is. We’re all friends with all these great sites, like yours and The Obelisk, and Soda Shop, Heavy Planet, Captain Beyond Zen, Cosmic Lava, Core of Destruction Radio, Sleeping Shaman, Broken Beard, and so, so, so many more sites and radio sites. These are all people who love music. It’s a shared passion amongst all of us, and that passion has created a brotherhood. I dig that. Through that brotherhood, I’ve made some great friends, like Bill at Soda Shop who I vinyl shop with every time I’m in Chicago, or Lee at Sleeping Shaman, who jumped in to help us when we had website problems.

And then you get a situation like Ed at Doommantia, who had health problems, big bills and lost his home. The whole community, including many bands, pulled together to put on a benefit concert and download album, with all the proceeds going to help get Ed back in a home. That’s brotherhood. That’s what this is all about.

Q10 – Your releases seem to have received a lot of praise amongst the Sludge/Stoner/Doom Metal crowd. Bet your pleased with the responses. 

Pleased, shocked, stunned. And very appreciative. We never know how any particular release is going to be received, we just know what we like and what we believe in. To see some of the response to some albums has been beyond words.

Q11 – What are your favourite bands around at the moment. Do you listen to modern day rock/metal or do you just listen to the classic era of Stoner/Sludge/Doom Metal. 

With the Ripple Effect still running, we listen to everything. We still get about 500 submissions a month, and we accept all genres, cause we have varied tastes. We’ll listen to everything from stoner to jazz to metal to African to punk to hardcore to doom to pop. It just depends upon how well they do what they do.

As for favourite bands right now – ignoring our own bands, of course—I know Pope’s hot buttons right now are Nightwish and Diablo Swing Orchestra, Wo Fat and Katatonia, amongst others, and he lives and dies by Iron Maiden. I tend more towards the rockier bands, like Roadsaw and SuperGiant and Siena Root, and also love Maiden, but I’m more the Di’Anno years while Pope is more the Dickinson years.

And we’re both still total fans. When a band sends in a submission that we dig, we’ll both still run right out and buy the vinyl even though we have the download. I just did that with Heavy Eyes and Orcus Chylde. And the new Arkona album kinda blew me away, so I’ll buy that when I find it.

Q12 – What are your views of blogs such as Sludgelord featuring and reviewing your products, as opposed to mainstream music magazines? 

It’s amazing. Our music is the underground right now, we know that. Stoner and sludge and doom aren’t mainstream material. Some of our releases get picked up by glossy mags, like Classic Rock or Metal Hammer and of course we love that, if it’s good for our bands. But we started in the underground with this amazing family of like-minded bloggers and writers and home radio DJ’s. They’re our extended family and we definitely aim to impress the members of our own community with great music and killer packaging.

I’m not sure a big mainstream magazine would even “get” some of our releases in the way you, for example, have. C.F. A is an amazing band and a blitzkrieg of an album and we totally love that you dig it so much. Would Spin magazine have any idea what the band were trying to do? Maybe, maybe not. But you got it, and that’s what matters to us.

Now, having said all that, one thing we’ve definitely noticed since we’ve been a Label is that our “underground” music is getting more and more exposure. Lots of previously Heavy Metal only magazines are regularly featuring Heavy Rock bands now. And bands like Baroness have really helped to break down some of those boundaries. We’ve also noticed labels that would normally be more metal inclined have been picking up some interesting bands, like Candlelight picking up My Sleeping Karma. Not something we would’ve seen a few years ago. I think people are clamouring for really, authentic rock music again. Music that dominated festivals and shows back in the seventies- organic and heavy and real.

That’s what we do. We bring on that sound.

Q13 – How do you decide on which band to sign to your label. Are their bands you have turned down but instantly regretted it.

We’ve never regretted any band we’ve turned down because we said “no” because one of us had a reservation. And like we said, we both have to be 100% behind the band or it just won’t work for us. So it’s not really that we turned them down, so much as we didn’t feel we would be the best label for them. Having said that, it doesn’t mean they aren’t talented or whatnot, just not right for us. We love to see those bands go on to find success with other labels, it just confirms that we made the right decision for them.

As far as who joins on with us? It’s all about the music and its ability to capture us and fire our imaginations and hearts and souls. No band is ruled out, whether they’re new or old. All we ask is that the music really blows us away and sinks into our beings. Also, the band has to be working band, gigging, pushing themselves. No label can “make” a band, the band has to work just as hard. And it’s that partnership of hardworking band with supportive, hard-working label that can make something happen.

Q14 - I must congratulate you with your ever excellent work with the legend that is Tony Reed. How did you guys hook up with him and his great bands such as Mos Generator and Stone Axe. Plus producing Cody Foster Army excellent new album as well. 

Ah, thanks. Yes, that relationship has blown us away. As has Tony’s ever present work ethic and professionalism. Plus he’s one helluva guy. A while back, Stone Axe played on the East Coast with Mighty High. Later Tony called Woody and asked if he wanted to put out a split single together, and Woody agreed. Tony asked if he knew a Label to do it, and Woody called me right away. We’d only been a Label for about 6 months at that time. I didn’t even let him finish the sentence “Do you want to put out a split with Stone Axe and . . . “ Yes!! I yelled. 

Then proceeded to yell “yes” for the next 20 minutes even though I was no longer on the phone!! That single, the Stone Axe/Mighty High split was a killer release by both bands and really helped us to grow as a label, in that working with Tony gave us an extra focus and an even bigger desire to be as professional as possible and create something amazing. Tony’s been a great partner. We go up to Seattle every once in a while and hang at his house –he’s a gracious host—and are constantly amazed by his record collection and recording studio. He has a mancave for the ages!

Q15 - What are your future plans for the upcoming 12 months or so. Anything we should be excited about.

Oh God yes! 2013 is going to be a massive year for us. Seems each year just keeps getting bigger! New releases from Mothership and Devil to Pay are first up and they’re both killer albums. Grifter and Trucker Diablo should finish up new albums. We’re re-releasing the first original two JPT Scare Band albums of heavy, heavy psych as a 2-LP gatefold package. These albums haven’t been available in decades, and we have the first ever re-issue of Poobah’s classic 1976 album, “US Rock.” This album has been out of print for almost 40 years and sells for hundreds of dollars on ebay if you can find one. There’s always the possibility of more Tony Reed stuff, and we have two new band signings that we haven’t announced yet, but we’re really excited about.

Q16 – What are the most and least rewarding aspects of participating with Ripple Music.

Ha! Most rewarding would be working with the bands and releasing some really amazing albums. When I look at my “Ripple Shelf” I can’t believe we had the good fortune of working with some of these releases. It makes me really proud. Least rewarding, besides the accounting (I hate accounting) would be the never ending battle to get people to pay attention to some of the great music these bands are making. With so many entertainment options these days, it’s harder and harder to get people’s attention. I just want to grab them by the shoulders and say, “Stop! Listen to this!” and put on the new Mos Generator or something. If they love heavy rock, odds are they’ll dig that album, if they’d only listen.

Q17 – I have to ask this question but it has been a popular one. What is your stance with major league labels closing down blogs and websites that share links.

That’s a tough one, because I see both sides of the story. As a label, it does frustrate me when a blog uploads an album illegally. I mean, they just don’t have the right to do that. Forget us; the only people who should have the right for an album to be uploaded for free is the band. They created it. It’s their decision and only theirs. What makes it worse are some of these Russian and Greek sites that not only upload the album illegally, but then charge a fee to download it. That’s just blatant stealing from the band. And I’ll argue with those who say that the free downloading helps the band. It doesn’t. It doesn’t build their reputation in a helpful way, because even if folks get together and share the music with each other, they may live in an area where the band will not be likely to tour. So how exactly does it help the band?

On the other hand, we tend not to fight it. First, it’s way too much and too difficult to even attempt to do. And secondly, we’ve taken the stance that if the album is going to be downloaded, then we should at least use that in some way to the band’s advantage. So we pop over and leave comments and direct them to the Ripple Store in case they want the vinyl, or get news on future releases.

In the end, I think it’s more of a negative for the bands and the industry than many who download illegal music have any idea it is.

Q18 - Finally, Do you have anything to say your fans. (Well am a fan and I know a few of our readers are as well of your great label).

Oh yeah. We couldn’t do any of this if it wasn’t for those who love and support heavy rock. So thanks so much for sticking with us and helping us do what we do. We’ll keep living by our promise to try and bring you the best heavy rock we can find. And feel free to write us anytime and tell us what you’re digging. We love the back and forth and creating our releases to really connect with people

Well Guys Thanks for Doing This. All the best from ourselves at Sludgelord. Cheers. Steve.

So folks, there you have it from one of the coolest labels on the planet. Check this brilliant label from the links below:

Mighty High needs you!

Some of you may know this already but Mighty High's rehearsal room at the South Sound in Brooklyn was devastated by Hurricane Sandy. Basically everything in the attached photo is gone. Luckily, most of the guitars you see were in a different location but the drums, PA system, amplifiers, speaker cabinets, etc were submerged in toxic salt water from the Gowanus Canal. Many items were either vintage or custom built and cannot be easily replaced. We are not covered by insurance and not eligible for relief from FEMA. The cost to replace/repair these items is staggering.


We have two shows scheduled in December in Brooklyn to try and raise some funds. Here's the info if you can attend, we'd love to see you. We'll have shirts, vinyl, CD's and posters for sale at both shows.

Saturday December 1 at the Grand Victory 10PM
Friday December 14 at Trash Bar 10PM

If you want to buy a copy of our new album Legalize Tre Bags or any of our previous releases, please visit our label Ripple Music. They have a lot of other great bands (Poobah, Mos Generator, Stone Axe, etc)

http://www.ripple-music.com/mighty-high/

C.F.A. Unveil Superhero Alter Ego's in the Band's First Comic Book

Continuing along with the mindset that rock n’ roll can still be fun, C.F.A. (Cody Foster Army) and Ripple Music are proud to present:"Cody Foster Army and the Smelter's Curse", a full color, 42 page, independently released comic book chronicling the band's superhero alter ego and their exploits in the City of Destiny. The book was written and illustrated by Tacoma artist and author, Potter, who has plans for another 2 stories to the series, and possibly even more. The book is a fun, tongue-in-cheek story of destruction, bravery and overcoming selfishness in an unforgiving world. This comedic sci-fi superhero adventure is light-hearted entertainment the whole family can enjoy whether you have a familiarity of the band or not! 100 Limited Edition signed and hand numbered copies are being made available at select locations, while individual print copies can be ordered through the Indy Planet web site You can purchase a digital copy for Android & iPad from Indy Planet Digital: Here Limited Edition, signed and numbered copies will be available through the band or at the following select locations: Rocket Records 3843 6th Avenue Tacoma, WA 98406 (253) 756-5186 Poison Apple 907 Pacific Avenue Tacoma, Washington 98402 www.cfa-codyfosterarmy.com Soon to be available on Kindle and other formats!

Charity Auction for Superstorm Sandy Relief, Package Deal for Both STONE AXE and MOS GENERATOR LP Test Pressings

Continuing with the company tradition of giving back to the community, Ripple Music will auction a pair of extremely Rare Original Test Pressings in one package. Stone Axe: Captured Live! and Mos Generator Nomads vinyl are being made available with proceeds going to Superstorm Sandy Relief. Only 5 copies of each test pressings exist, and these are the only one's being made available to the public!  You can jump into the auction, win a cool heavy rock collectible and benefit the agencies that commit money and manpower to lend a helping hand. To do so, just visit us at the Ripple Music Ebay Store! The auction will start on Monday, November 19th and end on Monday, November 26th. The Stone Axe and Mos Generator test press auction is the latest in a growing line of charity auctions that Ripple Music has created.  Previously, rare JPT Scare Band, Mos Generator, Stone Axe, and the Heavy Ripples test pressings were auctioned with proceeds going to Gulf Disaster, The Wounded Warrior Fund, Japan Tsunami and the Joplin Tornado disaster relief agencies.  With the sacrifices made by the men and women to assist their fellow Americans in need, Ripple founders John Rancik and Todd Severin thought the time was right to release another rare test pressing from their vault and raise money for a worthwhile effort. Press raves about Mos Generator and Stone Axe: "Tony Reed is my favorite hard rock guitarist going right now. He plays with sincere and unrivaled passion and backs it up with some of the tastiest guitar licks and riffs that I've ever heard in recent memory." -- John Perez, Solitude Aeturnus "For those who are already fans of this band this is a welcome addition to their catalog. For those who have never heard this fantastic act then this would serve as a fine introduction."  --  Heavy Metal Time Machine  “Mos Generator are back, they are in fine form and anyone who loves their rock, raw, grungy, classic and in your face should sit up and take notice.” -- BCFM Sunday Rockshow "If it (Stone Axe: Captured Live!) had been released in 1974 instead of 2012, Stone Axe would be flying from gig to gig in a jumbo jet with their name on the side, and Tony Reed would be a household name and worth a fortune." -- Rock Guitar Daily Mos Generator "Lonely One Kenobi" video: Here

DEVIL TO PAY Putting the Finishing Touches on Brand New Album

Indianapolis-based DEVIL TO PAY are in the process of putting the final touches on their fourth album and looking at a March, 2013 release. The new album, tentatively titled “Fate is your Muse”, is a collection of hard hitting metaphysical introspection after vocalist-guitarist Steve Janiak’s self-described ‘epiphany’ in 2011. With topics ranging from reincarnation, quantum physics, alternate universes, the illusion of time, and the mystery of consciousness itself, each song is like a window with a different view on reality. Fusing monstrous Sabbath-like riffs with memorable melodies and intricate instrumental textures, the album takes DEVIL TO PAY to untold levels of musical and lyrical growth. Tracking began late this summer at Azmyth Studios with Ryan Adkins at the helm, getting the levels just right. The final mixes were turned in to rock n’ roll preservationist Tony Reed, at HeavyHead Studios, for final mastering. In the meantime, DEVIL TO PAY and GloryHole Records will soon be releasing an advance 7” single on red and black colored vinyl, featuring the supercharged “This Train Won’t Stop” and the boogie-laden “Tie One On”. The record will be available on the GloryHole Records web site and at the band’s release party on December 8th at Radio Radio in Indianapolis. A group that started off as a side project, DEVIL TO PAY has become the primary vehicle of expression for each band members’ love of music. What began as a stoner rock outfit with a doom edge has morphed into a genre-bending and multi-faceted heavy rock unit. The band hails the almighty riff, but never forgets that the song is still king. This attention to detail is what will keep a melody stuck in your head for days on end, and what elevates DEVIL TO PAY above the monotony. Now celebrating their 10th year, DEVIL TO PAY has aged like Kentucky bourbon, distilling a culmination of years of sweat, highway miles, cigarette smoke and hangovers into crushing compositions and bone-jarring, heavy musical moments. With a catalog of underground releases, DEVIL TO PAY gained accolades, awards and a hard earned cult-like status. They have established themselves as the go-to band for those searching out more than just a few killer riffs; a foundation of heavy that will flourish under the Ripple banner. For a sneak peek and more information on the band, please visit: www.deviltopay.net

MOS GENERATOR Celebrate Release of Nomads LP with Limited Edition Package

“Lying down, headphones blasting in the dim light of a laptop, one word kept coming to mind, over and over: excellent. That’s Pacific Northwest metal legends Mos Generator’s new album Nomads, their first in five years.”  --  New York Music Daily

And, on Tuesday, October 23rd, Nomads became available to the masses world-wide!

After being built up for months now, Mos Generator’s Nomads is flying off the shelves and is becoming the type of album that defines moments in time; where listeners remember exactly where they were the moment the album spun for the first time; a fingerprint in time. The band also recently played a monumental show in Seattle opening for the godfather's of doom, St. Vitus, drawing accolades from folks such as John Perez, guitarist for the legendary and massively influential band Solitude Aeturnus who stated, “Mos Generator is the real deal when it comes to genuine heavy and hard rock in the States. They should be and deserve to be HUGE!”

To celebrate the world-wide release of the album, Mos Generator and Ripple Music have put together a special limited LP package that includes a signed 11 x 17 poster, exclusively available at the Ripple Music Store. Nomads is available through Nail Distribution in North America, Code 7 in the UK, and Clearspot International thoughtout Europe


Video for "Lonely One Kenobi": Here

Video for "Cosmic Ark": Here


Here's what the press has to say:

“Hooks for miles and grooves for longer than that, Nomads is a heavy rocker’s chorus-loaded paradise.”  --  The Obelisk

“With its bad-ass, balls-out, no-bullshit mix of classic, stoner, and cosmic rock, Nomads is unrelenting and packed with pure power, a bigger, bolder, modern day Never Say Die! and, really, how appropriate is that?”  --  Broken Beard

“Just might be the hard rock/metal album of the year!” --Rock Guitar Daily

“Mos Generator and Ripple Music have another winner on their hands. Nomads is a brilliant album”-- Sludgelord


Check out Nomads: Here

TRUCKER DIABLO To Open For Irish Legends, Thin Lizzy, in Belfast on Lizzy's Farewell Tour

Trucker Diablo has been riding an massive wave of popularity since signing to Ripple Music, the California-based hard rock label last year. After impressive gigs opening for The Foo Fighters at Tennents Vital and the Tygers of Pan Tang, the Big Truck just received the thrill of their collective lifetime: The opportunity to open for Irish rock legends, Thin Lizzy on Lizzy's Farewell Tour! Thin Lizzy have announced a farewell tour with a Belfast date for their loyal fans in the relatively intimate setting of The Limelight 1 on Wednesday 12th December. After a very successful 2 year run with the current line up, Thin Lizzy have made a decision to not release a new album under the Thin Lizzy name. Ricky Warwick said ‘Without a new album to gain new press and keep the momentum we have built up over the past two years, we are worried the Thin Lizzy brand and all it stands for will diminish to a point we would never want to see. Therefore our regular touring as Thin Lizzy will cease at the end of this year after our European tour.’ Information about the gig, the chance to see Thin Lizzy live and Trucker Diablo opening for them, can be found here. Trucker Diablo's debut album, The Devil Rhythm won widespread accolades around the world, busting out singles "Drink Beer, Destroy," and "Voodoo" that earned steady play on BBC 1 Radio, Kerrang Radio, and Kerrang TV. The Devil Rhythm has converted rock fans world wide with it's high energy, no holds-barred rock n roll, and earned Trucker Diablo the tag as one of the biggest breakout bands of 2012.   The Devil Rhythm is now available at the Ripple Music Store and world-wide through Clearspot International in Europe, Code 7 Distribution in the UK, and Nail Distribution in North America. And be sure to check out the hilarious, viral hit video for "Voodoo." Don't miss your chance to catch the Big Truck as it rolls through your town and don't miss your last chance to see the legendary Thin Lizzy perform live. Here's "Drink Beer, Destroy" from Tennents Vital Video TRUCKER DIABLO is:   Tom Harte - Guitar, Vocals Simon Haddock - Guitar, Vocals Glenn Harrison - Bass Terry Crawford - Drums RIPPLE MUSIC STORE

MOTHERSHIP Signs World-wide Record Deal With Ripple Music

You could feel it coming. The excitement was palpable as Mothership took the stage on Day 1 of the first annual Metroplex Heavyfest in Dallas. Hometown boys and hometown crowd and the atmosphere was electric!

 

To say Mothership decimated the audience that night would be an understatement. Between Kyle Juett’s “Lemmy-biker toughness” on bass and vocals, younger brother, Kelley Juett’s “Rory Gallagher meets Brian Robertson” guitar magic, and Judge Smith’s propulsive drums, the audience’s fists never stopped pumping and the head’s never stopped bobbing. An encore call of “Ace of Spades” with legendary Dave Sherman (Earthride/Spirit Caravan) on vocals was all it took to shoot the collective audience over the top.

 

Dallas had found their new local legends.

 

Ripple Music is chuffed to announce the signing of 70's-tinged U.S. hard rock band, Mothership, for a two album deal that will start with the world-wide release of the band’s self-titled debut. Expect to see this raging slab of incendiary hard rock on CD, digital, and never-before released vinyl early in 2013 on Ripple Music.

 

Mothership was formed in 2010 by hard-rock loving brothers, Kyle and Kelley Juett, infused by a love of all that is retro-heavy from years of influence under their father John’s record collection. Originally bereft of a drummer, father John learned how to play and filled in for practice and gigs until permanent skin pounder Judge Smith took over the drummer’s throne. Since then, there’s been no looking back. Already one of Texas’s hottest live bands, word of the Mothership’s rock and roll prowess has leaked far across the country and is already gathering steam in Europe. With a sound that satisfies like a steaming hot stew of UFO and Iron Maiden, blended with the southern swagger of Molly Hatchet and ZZ Top, Mothership’s goal from the beginning has been to carry on the tradition of the classic rock style of the '70's, updated and amped up for the modern day. That hard-rocking sound is filled out by the true legend-in-the-making axeman, Kelley Juett, who seamlessly builds upon guitar heroes of the past with his own fiery licks.

 

Having already shared the stage with such revered bands as Prong, Red Fang, Lo-Pan, Dixie Witch, Venomous Maximus, and Wo Fat, their 2012 self-released debut was brought to the attention of Ripple Music who instantly knew this was a band to reckon with. One ingestion of their combustible live show at the Metroplex Heavyfest convinced Ripple that a partnership was inevitable After a family dinner of Italian cuisine, beer and whiskey, both Label and band knew they’d found kindred brothers.

 

Ripple will re-release Mothership’s debut album on CD and 12” vinyl, including an extremely limited run of 100 multi-colored, splattered 12” with autographed posters. The album also features the production, mastering, and guest guitar contributions of Kent Stump from Texas heavy rock heroes, Wo Fat.

 

Texas is famous for its hard rock. Mothership is the next step in that legendary lineage. Get ready to jump aboard the Mothership for an overdose of vintage hard rock!

 

“Been listening to Mothership all day now and if feels like UFO and Orange Goblin got drunk with St. Vitus, smoked some weed with Blue Cheer and spewed out the tuffest blues-drenched, no frills love child I’ve heard all month. Some ridiculously badass guitars. And heavy above all else!” -- Sword of Doom

Visit the Mothership




 

 

RIPPLE MUSIC STORE

www.ripple-music.com

MOS GENERATOR Premiere "Cosmic Ark" Video Exclusively on The Sleeping Shaman

Last month, MOS GENERATOR and The Obelisk teamed up to premiere the first video from Nomads, “Lonely One Kenobi”, and now, the Port Orchard heavy rock trio is teaming up with The Sleeping Shaman for the exclusive premiere of “Cosmic Ark”. Following the great MOS GENERATOR tradition, “Cosmic Ark” blends the bands heaviest moments with heart wrenching melodies, while lyrically teleporting the listener through space and time, and was filmed and directed by Chris Mathews, Jr. for Joonior Studios. “We brought in a guy that I worked with on some Stone Axe projects,” said Tony Reed on the video direction for the new song, “It’s still a performance video, but unlike “Lonely One”, the lighting plays a bigger role in conveying the moods of the song.” Watch the video HERE Nomads will be available world-wide on October 23rd, 2012 through Ripple Music. The nine track album features the heaviness and elegant melody that have become the trademark sounds of the band, but this time lyrically exploring the more introspective paths of soul salvation. Nomads will be available through Nail/Allegro Distribution in North America, Code 7 in the UK, and Clearspot International through continental Europe. Here’s what the press has to say: "It’s as pure an example of heavy rock as I’ve heard in 2012" -- The Obelisk “Tony Reed, Scooter Haslip and Shawn Johnson have tapped into a loud vibe featuring sinister and coarse nuances yet with something revealing far more heart.”  --  Ray Van horn, Jr., Blabbermouth.com “With its bad-ass, balls-out, no-bullshit mix of classic, stoner, and cosmic rock, Nomads is unrelenting and packed with pure power, a bigger, bolder, modern day Never Say Die! and, really, how appropriate is that?”  --  Broken Beard   Also available is last year's re-issue of the 10th Anniversary edition of  Mos Generator's self-titled debut!  Tony Reed used Lace Pick-Up's while recording Nomads

A New Generation Turns on to the Music of Iron Claw in the Most Surprising Way

Capping off a year that found Scotland's Iron Claw being hailed as the Rock n’ Roll comeback story of the Decade, Iron Claw has opened the ears of a whole new generation to their primal, proto-metal sound. And they've done it in the most unexpected way.   Rightly hailed as one of the silent legends, the pioneers of British Heavy Metal and Hard Rock, with their Ripple Music debut, A Different Game, Iron Claw proved that their role in Rock history shall never go unspoken again. A hard biting, bluesy album found the band re-energized and vibrant on their first ever official releases. Yet, it was an entirely different avenue that has brought fans clamoring for more Iron Claw. Skateboarding videos. Yes, the skateboard (and snowboard crowd) have rallied to Iron Claw's beastly metallic roar with aplomb. You can find Iron Claw music gracing a litany of boarding videos from different producers, different times, and different scenes. Recently, they were even requested to lend their song "Real Mean Rocker" to a snowboarding movie entitled "Snake Bite" produced KBR Productions in Finland. The skaters and boarders can't seem to get enough Iron Claw. Don't miss out on your chance to catch this latest chapter in the ongoing rock and roll history that is Iron Claw. Check out Thrasher's latest video, "Supra Presents Lizard King's Passion Trip part 3" and keep your ears open for that raging Iron Claw sound. And don't forget to check out A Different Game, still available on Ripple Music and world-wide through Nail Distribution, Code 7 Distribution, Clearspot International and at the label’s web store.     Here’s what the press are saying: "The songs crackle along, the voice conveys experience and resolve, the solos tasteful. An effortlessly playable collection of working man's hard rock, and a heartening reassertion of power from metal's forgotten founding fathers. 8 out of 10" -- Metal Hammer, Issue 225 "Scotland's Proto-Metal pioneers, Iron Claw, return with a long-awaited album of gritty, blues-based melodic heavy rock that is already garnering album-of-the-year accolades." - Puregrainaudio   "This is a solid, dynamic, vintage rock ‘n roll record, 13 tracks spanning 57 minutes yet hardly a dull moment to be found. A Different Game is more of the same—high quality heavy rock unearthed from the underground" - Hellbound.ca   "My first listen to A Different Game should not have been in my car: the rear speakers are nearly blown. Thanks to the heavy end of Iron Claw, they're likely obliterated!" - Dangerdog.com   RIPPLE MUSIC Also available at CDBaby, eBay and iTunes.   RIPPLE MUSIC STORE

C.F.A. Signs Distro Deal with Ripple Music, Debut Album Set for October Release

Welcome to the world of Stoner-core! It's blistering in intensity. Riff-mad in execution. Blissed out in stoner madness and amped up in hardcore fury. Stoner-core is a brutal assault of stoner retro-rock mastery with the attitude of pure punk. And C.F.A. are on the front line of this mutated beast of rock fury.   Now, Tacoma, WA-based hard rockers, C.F.A. (Cody Foster Army) and Ripple Music are going to unleash the power of Stoner-core onto the masses. Ripple Music is proud to announce world-wide distribution of C.F.A's first full-length album, Managed By The Devil, Brought To You By The Grace Of God. The sixteen track album of blitzing Stoner/punk anthems will be in stores on October 23rd, 2012. And keeping with their middle-finger-to-the-status-quo ethos, check out the band's “backward is forward” CD cover design, where the band take something as standard as CD packaging and blow it up to serve their own mad principles.   “Rock n’ Roll is supposed to be carefree, tumultuous, and above all . . . fun!” states the bands namesake Cody Foster on the unique disc packaging of the album, “Yeah, it’s not normal, but we’re not normal. Why take something as fun as music and make it so serious?”   Managed By the Devil . . . was engineered and produced by, none other than, Tony Reed (Stone Axe/Mos Generator), who captured the bands raw live intensity to near perfection and delivers a blitzkrieg of punk-infused stoner rock to a salivating audience.   In conjunction with the release of the album, C.F.A. will be hammering away at a string of live shows throughout the Pacific Northwest.   Catch ‘em on the road with Mos Generator: Sept. 15th - ACME - Tacoma, WA Sept. 21st - Coo Coo Nest - Port Angeles, WA Oct. 6th - The Break Room - Bremerton, WA Photos by Gary Lappier (glappier@hotmail.com) Managed By The Devil, Brought To You By The Grace Of God will be available through Nail Distribution (North America), Code 7 (UK), Clearspot International (Europe), and through the Ripple Music Store www.ripple-music.com

GRIFTER Gear Up for Extended Studio Time to Record Follow-up to Their Critically-Praised Ripple Music Debut

They stormed the stage at Deserfest. They laid wasted to the the ears and minds of the U.K. on tour with Orange Goblin. They created a crater sized hole where the stage used to be at Freak Valley. They were called to lend their brand of hard-rawking, Harley blooze n' roll to the American television show, Dog, The Bounty Hunter. Now the story continues. Following up on a year that found Grifter releasing one of the best albums of 2011 (according to notable rock resources The Soda Shop. The Obelisk. The Ripple Effect. Heavy Planet. Chybucca Sounds, Steaming Heathen, and Sonic Abuse), U.K.'s own oil-and-chain sweat rockers are aiming to take their hard-hitting sound higher and farther than ever before. In between times sharing the stage with Orange Goblin, Roadsaw, Black Pyramid, Leafhound, Truckfighters, Valiant Thorr, Gentlemans Pistols, Colour Haze, Stubb, and XII Boar (and having a song appear on a recent Stargun British Rock Compilation CD) Grifter have been making time in the studio writing and recording the eagerly anticipated follow-up to their chart-busting debut. As main Grifter, Ollie tells it, "Writing for the album has resumed in a big way. In the space of one practice we have written a new song that has totally blown my balls off called Fire Water. It's pretty epic, I think it could be a centrepiece of the new album. We also started jamming ideas for another new tune that should come together very quickly called Big Man Blues which is utterly filthy, you'll need to take a shower afterwards!!! It's heavy as hell but all done on slide with a gnarly blues vibe and a stomping beat that could raise John Bonham from the grave." That means Grifter will be delievering just what their legions of growing fans are yelling for: more gritty, dirty, and bloozy, hard-driving, riff-mad rock n' roll! While the anticipation builds, don't forget to check out Grifter's one-foot-in-the-gutter debut for hard-rock specialty label, Ripple Music. And don't forget that Grifter’s riff rock first appeared on the Ripple roster on the Heavy Ripples, Vol. 1 compilation with the band contributing two barnstorming, high-octane rock classics! Read the praise for Grifter’s self-titled debut and check out the “Best of” lists for yourself. http://thesodashop.wordpress.com/2011/12/18/top-20-of-2011-jakes-picks/ http://thesodashop.wordpress.com/2011/12/08/top-20-of-2011-bills-picks/ http://www.sonicabuse.com/2011/12/sonicabuses-best-records-of-2011/ http://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2011/12/09/top20of2011/ http://www.steamingheathen.com/delusion/2011/12/21/bands-that-caught-my-attention-in-2011/ http://www.thesleepingshaman.com/reviews/articles/the-shamans-top-10-albums-of-2011/ http://www.heavyplanet.net/2012/01/regs-top-20-albums-of-2011.html The album and Heavy Ripples Compilation double 7" are both available now at the Ripple Music Store, Amazon, CD Baby, eBay, and world-wide through Clearspot International in Europe, Code 7 Distribution in the UK, and North America through Ripple’s exclusive partnership with Nail Distribution. RIPPLE MUSIC STORE www.ripple-music.com

The World Gets Lifted by MIGHTY HIGH: New Ripple Music Release Tearing Up the Music Sites, Inspires New Deluxe Mighty High Package

Cosmic Lava proclaims that the latest Mighty High slice of primal rock mayhem is "angry, funny and a powerful jolt of rebellious energy." Downtuned Mag boasts that Legalize Tres Bags is "is an addictive, vulgar, raw, aggressive, filthy son of a bitch. A thirty-minute bad-ass, pure garage-punk 'n' roll fun ride." And Ringmaster spits out "Legalize Tre Bags is a raucous feast of punk, weed, and middle finger attitude-- most of all it's a deeply satisfying slab of rousing rock n roll." It ain’t politically correct and it ain’t safe. And it appears to be exactly what the world needs right now. Hot on the heels of Ripple Music’s wildly successful "Blog Tour Release Party" which saw Legalize Tre Bags making it's debut over a series of song premieres on The Soda Shop, Heavy Planet, Cosmic Lava, Grip of Delusion Radio, and The Ripple Effect, the accolades for Brooklyn's Mighty High have been roaring in. Perhaps it's because people are fed up with corporate greed raping the world, fed up with politics as usual, or merely exhausted by the cookie-cutter, overly-produced crap that passes for popular music these days. Or perhaps the world just wants to have fun and rock the fuck out! Whatever the reason, Mighty High seems to have scratched a gigantic international itch for balls-out, irreverent rock music. To celebrate, Ripple Music is making available in its online store, a special Mighty High package, to help fans get up to speed with the Mighty High story. The package includes every Mighty High release to date: Legalize Tres Bags black vinyl, the "Drops a Deuce" 7" vinyl, the Mighty High/Stone Axe split 7", the double 7" set, Heavy Ripples, featuring the Mighty High tune, "Hempaphobic" and Mighty High's first album In Drug City on CD. All of these are blessed with that wild, Crumb-inspired Braino artwork that Mighty High has become famous for. That's every Mighty High release on vinyl, and the incredibly rare debut CD, all for one low price! Check out the Ripple store for the Mighty High Deluxe set. Mighty High Deluxe Set Catch 'em live with more dates to come: Saturday August 11 - Fort Washington, PA with The Bullys and Loafass Tuesday September 11 - Hank's Saloon, Brooklyn, NY with The Amputators So, if snotty rebellion, played gloriously loud, with a big nod towards the 70's legends of Motorhead, Grand Funk, and AC/DC is your thing, Mighty High may have just released your album of the year. Or as Cosmic Lava succinctly puts it, "Fuck yeah, MIGHTY HIGH!"   RIPPLE MUSIC STORE      www.ripple-music.com

TRUCKER DIABLO Build on Epic Year as One of the Breakout Artists of 2012; Opening for Foo Fighters and Storming the Stage at Hard Rock Hell Before Recording New Album

What a year it's been for the fast-rising hard rock band from Northern Ireland, Trucker Diablo. And it just keeps on getting bigger!

Trucker Diablo has been riding an intense wave of popularity since signing to Ripple Music, the California-based hard rock label late last year. Their Ripple debut album, The Devil Rhythm, garnered widespread accolades around the world, and lead-off single "Drink Beer, Destory" earned steady play on BBC Radio 1, Kerrang Radio, and Kerrang TV. The Devil Rhythm has converted rock fans world-wide, with its high energy tracks and earned Trucker the tag as one of the biggest breakout bands of 2012.

But the good news doesn't stop there. With a growing reputation as a killer live band, and having blown away the crowds opening for Tygers of Pan Tang at the S.O.S Festival, Trucker Diablo has been tapped to open the upcoming Tennants Vital in support of the Foo Fighters and Black Keys.

After an exhaustive competition, Trucker Diablo was one of only two local bands asked to share the stage with the international headliners. All reports are that they boys blew the judges away with their high-octane performances of "Drink Beer, Destroy" and "Voodoo." Watch for the Big Truck to take the stage, Tuesday August 21st, where they will be roadtesting new material from the upcoming, tentatively titled second album, Songs of Iron. Already, crowds at the SOS Festival, Billing Bike Fest and Trucker's 2 headline shows in Birmingham and Oxfordshire were treated to a debut of new tracks including "Drive"," The Rebel", "Maybe You're The One" and" When's It Gonna Rain?" and the reaction to the new material has been amazing!

Trucker will be celebrating the Tennants Vital gig by doing an acoustic session on BBC Radio the night before Vital, sitting in as the house band on the Across The Line show. Then expect more of those songs to be busted out live when Trucker Diablo takes a break from recording Songs of Iron to storm the stage at Hard Rock Hell, Sunday December 3rd, sharing the spotlight with Buckcherry, Stray, Soil, and Pig Iron amongst others.

Don't miss your chance to catch the Big Truck as it rolls through your town.

The Devil Rhythm is now available at the Ripple Music Store and world-wide through Clearspot International in Europe, Code 7 Distribution in the UK, and Nail Distribution in North America. And be sure to check out the hilarious, viral hit video for "Voodoo."

TRUCKER DIABLO is:

Tom Harte - Guitar, Vocals
Simon Haddock - Guitar, Vocals
Glenn Harrison - Bass
Terry Crawford - Drums

RIPPLE MUSIC STORE

 

MOS GENERATOR Announce New Album Title and Release Date

It’s been five years since the world has heard new material from MOS GENERATOR, and fortunately, that streak is about to end! The brand new MOS GENERATOR full-length album is called Nomads and will be available world-wide on October 23rd, 2012 through Ripple Music. The nine track album features the heaviness and elegant melody that have become the trademark sounds of the band, but this time lyrically exploring the introspective path of soul salvation. “Nomads, as a whole, is the literal journey that Mos Generator has made,” states guitarist/singer Tony Reed on the theme behind the new record, “The songs are interpersonal tales about the struggles that we’ve all faced with each other, our personal lives, the making of this record, just getting through life. And, of course, there are some science fiction themes, as well.” The Port Orchard, Washington rock n’ roll nomads spent almost a year tracking, recording, and mixing the new album until they were happy with the end result, constantly holding the material to the light, never wanting to release anything less than stellar. “The album had to stand up to the Mos history,” continues Reed, “We’ll never put out something that we feel is inferior, and admittedly, there was a lot of second guessing with some of the material selections and mixes.” Nomads will be available through Nail/Allegro Distribution in the U.S., Code 7 in the UK, and Clearspot International through continental Europe. Look for MOS GENERATOR to hit the road throughout the Pacific Northwest in late September and then possible more road work later in the year and early 2013. Track List: 1.       Cosmic Ark 2.       Lonely One Kenobi 3.       Torches 4.       Step Up 5.       Solar Angels 6.       For Your Blood 7.       Can’t Get Where I Belong 8.       Nomads/This Is The Gift Of Nature