Mark Hoppus To Host Weekly TV Show On Fuse

Hey Everyone!

Well, its not exactly Blink-182 news, but its still Hoppus, and its still genius! Just announced, Hoppus will soon be hosting his own show on Fuse.

The show will be talk show format, probably pertaining to music and artist interviews. I love the idea of someone who's such a heavy part of the industry taking charge of interviews. So sick of watching petite blondes ask about girlfriends and fashion on tour... I dont give a damn, I want to hear the dirt, the details, the stories that are locked up on those buses or left in those hotel rooms haha. Even more about the recording process, the writing process, all the technical stuff. Nothing better than getting in an artist's head and seeing what makes them tick! If anyone can get it out of them, its Mark!

Downside? I wonder what effect this will have on Blink's touring, writing, etc...

Guess we shall see! In the mean time, keep a look out for the show to hit small screens soon!

Rock on,

-Girl At The Rock Show

New Transplants Album In The Works

Hey Everyone!
According to recent tweets by drummer extraordinaire- Travis Barker, the Transplants are currently in the process of recording a new album! I'm pretty stoked for this, I mean, how can you go wrong when you combine Tim Armstrong with Travis Barker??? Answer: You cant. I love the punk with hip hop overtones that they have. Makes for a good mix in my opinion. I just wonder if this will have any effect on the release date of the new Blink album? Lets hope not- that stuff is LONG overdue!


New Transplants... who's excited???
Rock On,
-Girl At The Rock Show

More Blink-182 On Vinyl

Hey Everyone
Mightier Than Swords records has announced the upcoming release of yet another piece of the essential Blink-182 catalogue to be available on vinyl! Oh yes, I cant wait for this one. Blink's self titled album (the one they released before the terrible, never to be spoken of again Hiatus) is going to be released in a limited pressing on the label's web store. The presale begins on May 24th at 12pm EST. There will be 5 color selections to choose from... all of them will consist of 500-2000 pressings (the later being a hot pink print available ONLY from Hot Topic). The store ships only to US and Canada addresses so if you live outside those countries... now is the time to get on the phone with that distant American relative of yours who would be more than happy to forward it to you upon arrival ahaha.

So excited! I bought Dude Ranch and Enema from this site and I LOVE THEM.
Cant wait to add this to my collection, how about you?
Rock On,
- Girl At The Rock Show

Blink-182 Return To The Studio In June

Hey Everyone!

Yes, its true, the Blink-182 reunion is still a go after last summer's tour. The boys are claiming now that they will be returning to the studio in June to work on their comeback album. With schedules like theirs, its easy to see why it took a few months to organize the recording process. The important thing is they're back, and ready to release their sixth studio album.

When asked about the kind of sound fans can expect from the newly reformed Blink, Mark Hoppus said that the band is eager to try some new stuff. He said "I think it will still sound like Blink. I think it will still be catchy. I think it will still be poppy, but we want to be weird on this record"... weird, huh? Well, its Blink, so I cant wait to see what they do!

Rest easy now, people! The Blink reunion doesnt appear to be ending any time soon!

Just think, less than a month from now, they'll be writing/recording!

Rock On,

- Girl At The Rock Show

stuff

think it will still sound like Blink. I think it will still be catchy. I think it will still be poppy, but we want to be weird on this record.”

Tentative Release Date For Travis Barker's Solo Album

Hey Everyone!

Exciting news! According to some twitter posts, we could be looking at a release for Travis Barker's solo album this year! Yes, thats right. For those of you who were not aware of it, I mentioned a while back that the drummer had plans to release an album of his own material before focusing primarily on the new Blink ventures.

Personally, I think Travis is incredibly talented so I look forward to hearing what he's come up with. He's very eclectic... he's not afraid to transcend genre boundaries and try something that seems crazy. I mean, look at his work with DJ AM, Blink, The Aquabats and The Transplants... all pretty unique or distinct styles in themselves.

Anyways, Travis posted on his twitter a couple days ago, stating in response to a fan's question about the albums release "$eptember!". Soon, but awesome news!

SO what do you think? Who's gonna run out and buy this one? I am!

Rock On,

- Girl At The Rock Show

Mark Hoppus & All Time Low Enter Studio... Welcome Trousdale Press!

Hey Everyone!

For those of you who were unaware, Mark Hoppus (Blink-182/Plus44) has been actively working in the studio with the young guys in All Time Low. The boys grew up listening to Blink albums and cite them as a major influence, so of course when given the chance to work with the producer/musician, they were eager to accept. Hoppus helped them with their latest album, Nothing Personal and even made a cameo in their video for the album's single "Weightless". They also collaborated on a song, but it failed to make the cut on the final product. However, the boys promised that this song would one day see the light of day... seems like that day is coming sooner than we thought!

Get ready for Trousdale Press! Yet another name for Hoppus to add to his already very lengthy resume. Trousdale Press will release a debut album which is nearing completion now. It will feature Hoppus and friends of his, including ATL. He's keeping the project pretty secret for now, but its definitely something to keep on the radar. Whatever Hoppus touches in the studio turns to gold, so I'm sure this will be no different!

What do you think of the combination? Its cool to see young up and comers working with their major influences... must be cool for Mark to know he played a role indirectly haha

Rock On,

- Girl At The Rock Show

Reading And Leeds Festival Announce Bands

Hey Everyone!

The annual UK Reading/Leeds Festival have announced their first round of bands! Yes, very exciting... its times like this that I wish I had the money to travel to the UK. I've always wanted to see this show. Year after year they have amazing line ups and massive crowds. UK festivals are so much different than the Warped Tour and Coachella style festivals we have here!

Reading Festival began back in the 1960s as a Jazz festival, and has continued almost annually in some way shape or form since then. For the past few years, it has drawn a primarily rock oriented crowd with names like Green Day, Radiohead, Muse, Metallica, and a very memorable set by Nirvana. The three day festival takes place over the August bank holiday in the UK and involves the use of several stages and multiple locations.

Bands confirmed to play this year's bill include: Blink-182, Guns N Roses, Arcade Fire, NOFX, All Time Low, Weezer, Modest Mouse, Queens Of The Stone Age, Mumford And Sons, Thrice, and more!

What do you think of the line up? Anyone wanna take a trip to the UK with me???

Rock On,

- Girl At The Rock Show

Follow Up On New Blink-182: Mark Hoppus Responds To DeLonge's Hint Of A 2011 Release

Hey Everyone!

When news hit earlier this week that guitarist/vocalist Thomas DeLonge of Blink-182 had set his priorities with side project Angels And Airwaves, pushing the highly anticipated new Blink-182 material to the proverbial back burner until 2011, fans were voicing their disappointment all over the web. Taking to Facebook, the Twitterverse, the Blogosphere and public channels of the dot com world everywhere, fans eagerly shared in their misfortune.

The promise of new material from the classic pop punk trio excited fans in countries around the world, and many seemed to feel robbed. But bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus has spoken out on the topic, making an effort to calm the fans. Over twitter, Hoppus posted:

Photo: Taken by me- August 8th 2009, Molson Amp, Toronto ON

"2011 is too far away. Gonna do all I can to have a Blink-182 album in 2010. Year Spaceship!"

...While many are thrilled with the news, some wonder now, if it might be too rushed.

It is known that both Travis Barker and Tom DeLonge have a couple other commitments to work on in studio as well as record the Blink album. Mark is doing production work for other groups but is not doing much recording. Perhaps he's more eager to get in the studio than the other two? I dont know, I'm not putting him down at all. Just saying that as much as I'd love to see a new Blink album, I wanna see one that makes me forget about that devastating Hiatus, not bring it back into effect haha.

What do you think of this promise to fans? Would you rather wait til 2011?

Rock On!

- Girl At The Rock Show

Song of the Day: Her Words Destroyed My Planet by Motion City Soundtrack... in case you were interested in what Hoppus has been doing lately, he produced the latest Motion City Soundtrack album "My Dinosaur Life" Pretty cool! He actually worked with them before :)

No New Blink-182 Music Until 2011? Delonge Hints!

Hey Everyone!

So as any devoted Blink fan like myself knows, the band recently came off what was said to be a permanent break up and brought us the tour of the summer. Headlining cities around the US and Canada, the band have proven they are back with a vengeance. They have also confirmed that they are in fact working on a new studio album that will pick up where they left off nearly 5 years ago with their untitled release. Great news for fans around the world for sure. But fans who were expecting a speedy 2010 release date may be disappointed. In a recent interview, vocalist/guitarist Tom Delonge hinted that the new album will not see shelves this year.

The band is already in studio, writing and testing out some new material, but it appears the boys are in no rush to get it done. As they are still mending a friendship, it is possible that the chemistry in studio is also undergoing some repair. This is purely my speculation, but think about it... makes sense huh? I mean, on one hand you have Tom working on A&A, producing very "epic" for lack of better wording, songs. They have a lot of skill, a bigger message than some of the blink material their fans are accustomed to. Not to say that I think its better in any way. Just calling it as I see it, he has tried very hard to grow up and move away from the satan jokes and songs about drinking and sex. Maybe its hard for him to readapt to some of these classic blink associations? Mind you their last album definitely showed this same transition.

On the other hand, you have Travis who has been lending his drum talents to hip hop/remixing genres. Something pretty different from the pop punk that Blink is known for. Mark has been very active in the studios, producing up and comers. With all these different factors and influences, I think we can expect a longer writing process with some quite possibly brilliant results. Could this new side of Blink prove to be a new favourite? Who knows. The classics will always be just that- classics. But I am a big fan of transcending genres when its done right. And who better to do it well than three trained professionals?

Are you excited about the new blink album? How do you feel about waiting another year?

Rock On!

- Girl At The Rock Show

Blink-182 Release T-Shirt To Support Haiti Earthquake Relief

Hey Everyone!

So as I'm sure you've all heard, The Republic of Haiti was struck by a devastating earthquake early this week. The number of casualties is still climbing as the desperate attempts to dig through the ruble to reach survivors continue. Haiti has been left in ruins due to the quake, and the costs are sky rocketing. A lot of artsits and celebrities are working together to help the country in its time of need. Blink-182 is one of those groups. Over Twitter, the group have been advertising the sale of a limited edition T-shirt. The $15 white tee features the 2009 revamped version of the Blink Bunny carrying a Haitian flag. All proceeds from the shirt are being donated the the red cross. Shipping of the product will begin on January 22nd. If you arent sure how to help out, I highly suggest looking into this. Not only will you be supporting the rebuilding of a country in need, but you will get an awesome Blink-182 t-shirt for doing it! Those are two great incentives to do your part. Come on people, lets pitch in and help our fellow man!

Rock On!
- Girl At The Rock Show

Alice In Wonderland Sountrack Track Listing Revealed

Hey Everyone!

So Alternative Press has revealed the track listing for the upcoming Alice In Wonderland soundtrack, and it appears that many familiar names grace the list. We already knew that Mark Hoppus (Blink-182) and Pete Wentz (Fall Out Boy) collaborated for a song, which we now know to be called "In Transit", but they are only one notable pair of the 16 artists/groups who make an appearance. The album will be called "Almost Alice" and has been slated for a March 2nd release date. The film is set to be released the same week, on Friday March 5th.

Here is the suspected soundtrack listing:

1. "Alice (Underground)" by Avril Lavigne

2. "The Poison" by The All-American Rejects

3. "The Technicolor Phase" by Owl City

4. "Her Name Is Alice" by Shinedown

5. "Painting Flowers" by All Time Low

6. "Where's My Angel" by Metro Station

7. "Strange" by Tokio Hotel & Kerli

8. "Follow Me Down" by 3Oh!3 & Neon Hitch

9. "Very Good Advice" by Robert Smith

10. "In Transit" by Mark Hoppus & Pete Wentz

11. "Welcome To Mystery" by Plain White T's

12. "Tea Party" by Kerli

13. "The Lobster Quadrille" by Franz Ferdinand

14. "Running Out Of Time" by Motion City Soundtrack

15. "Fell Down A Hole" by Wolfmother

16. "White Rabbit" by Grace Potter & The Nocturnals

Like I said, some pretty decent names on that list... Robert Smith even! Not a bad soundtrack... this could be one to contend with the awards. Heres to hoping that the songs are as good as the artists.

What do you think of this track list?

Rock On!

- Girl At The Rock Show

First Look At New Blink-182 Documentary

Hey Everyone!

Sorry for the lack of posting yesterday but I have been stuck changing around my course schedule for the term and it has been a little chaotic. I had no idea that you could be taking too many courses in your own faculty, but apparently I was! So I had to find some other faculties to take me in for a class and even it all out. Found a Sociology class that seems to be interesting enough so now I can kind of rest easy with my classes, thank goodness! Anyways, enough about that, onto the topic at hand: Blink-182.

Lately, the recording trailers for Blink's new "Blinkumentary" have been circulating the net. Early on in their summer tour, the band was asking fans to send in their concert footage to be "part of Blink-182" history. The film will capture the preparation that led up to the massive 52 date summer reunion tour including studio work, press meetings and rehearsals as well as footage from actual tour dates. The film is being put together by Haven Lamoureux, a long time friend and videographer for the group's side projects like +44 and Travis' remix work. Check out the previews here... there are a few other clips on this youtube profile (production company's page Hndsmrndsm)

Will you be checking this out? I know I will be!

Urethra Chronicles & Riding In Vans were fantastic, I dont expect anything less :)

Rock On,

- Girl At The Rock Show

On The Radar: Possible Pete Wentz/Mark Hoppus Collaboration?

Hey Everyone!

I dont know how many of you are Twitter users, but I know I am! Not to say I'm an addict like a lot of people, but I mean, I do have an account. And it serves a great purpose... it keeps you in the loop with all your favorite bands. Lately, there has been a lot of interesting conversation between Mark Hoppus of Blink-182/+44 and Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy. It seems that the two may be collaborating on a studio project in the future. The two have been friends for many years now, and even toured together over the summer for Blink's reunion. I'm not much a fan of Pete himself, but I think Mark is an incredibly talented musician and producer so I'm sure whatever they come up with will be pure gold. Mark tweeted "Me and Pete W's collab soon" on monday and internet fans have been eagerly discussing the possibilities ever since. Prior to this, the two had been discussing at length "collaborating on sandwiches" and Pete teching for Blink's European tour so they could keep working on it.

Photo Credit: Rolling Stone Magazine

These two have always had an interesting friendship that involves a lot of pranking and jokes... wonder if their music will reflect that same playfulness? Two bassists as well... interesting. Who knows what to expect with these guys? Last time they collaborated on anything, it was a worldwide scavenger hunt for hidden "Octopus Drives". I guess we should all be prepared... anything could happen if Wentz and Hoppus are behind it!

Blink-182 reunited this past summer and plan to release an album sometime in the future. No date has been set yet, but studio time is said to be in the works as soon as drummer Travis Barker, completes work on his solo album. Fall Out Boy announced a hiatus following their placement on Blink's summer tour. Wentz is currently in New York while his wife, Ashlee Simpson works on Broadway.

What do you think of a possible collaboration? What would you expect it to be?

Rock On!

- Girl At The Rock Show

Song of the Day: Little Death by +44.... always forgotten about, but always amazing. +44 may have been short lived, but there is something so right about this band. Dont get me wrong, I am a Blink fan through and through, but given the choice between this and AVA, I have to say, this won me over. Mark's deep voice is just stunning. The song is so simple in construction, but so meaningful. Check it out, Enjoy! ...Fall Asleep With The Windows Open, Come To Me With The Worst You've Said And Done

Exam Dance Break Day 5

Hey Everyone!

Alright, so after all the fun of Christmas music, once the novelty has worn off (for me it was less than 45mins after I first stepped into work) you need some release. Something to just say "Forget this, here's how I really feel after being constantly reminded of the holiday spirit for a week". For that, I bring you Blink-182's "I Wont Be Home For Christmas". So now, next time you are sitting in the UCC listening to their instrumental carols played over the PA, you can think of this and smile! 

Rock On!

- Girl At The Rock Show

Bands Supporting Other Bands... How Influential Is It?

Hey Everyone!

So the other day I was flipping through some of my old magazines when I came across this issue of Alternative Press. The feature article in this issue (beyond the blatantly obvious Blink-182 reunion) is a piece called "The Band Who Changed My Life". In this multipage work, different members of popular bands take turns discussing bands or artists they admired. William Beckett (The Academy Is) cites the artistic and bold Robert Smith of The Cure as a major influence, while acts like the young All Time Low chose the 90s pop punk kings, Blink-182. The bands vary across the board... different genres, different generations, but the one thing they all have in common is an influence. 

Images Belong to Alternative Press Magazine

This got me wondering, to what level does this influence extend? If you think about it, a lot of the bands featured are inspiring the up and coming generation of musicians. I know that when I read about Green Day being fans of bands like Operation Ivy, I immediately pull up google and yahoo radio to check them out. I don't always like the bands (Operation Ivy, however, I love) but I am always curious to know what first made these people think "hey, maybe I could do that". So if I know that Green Day grew up listening to Operation Ivy, and I like them, I might wonder who had an impact on their career and so on, and so fourth.... taking artists of all kinds of genres and styles and intertwining them into one single web. 

Personally, I love this idea. It lets us all celebrate and appreciate music past and present. It brings me to bands I would have maybe never thought to dig up on my own. Its a way of bringing it to my attention. In reality, its not much different from the way a band will select an opening act for a tour. Sometimes this is done for them, but when they hand pick, there's usually a reason. Some people don't show up at a concert until just before the main acts, but if you ask me, that usually means you're missing out. As much as I love knowing who influenced them at first, its also cool to find out who they think has potential to carry the torch for a new generation.

 Its all about giving us new bands to listen to and love.  So what do you think? Does this have much influence on you? Do you care who made your favorite acts decide to pick up an instrument? Do you care who is asked to tour with your favorite acts? Does this make you approach listening to that group any differently? Let me know!

Rock On!

- Girl At The Rock Show

Song Of The Day: Knowledge by Operation Ivy... one of the first OI songs I heard- because Green Day released a cover of it on their album 1039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours. 

Travis Barker Solo Album To Feature New Blink-182 Material

Hey everyone!

So as some of you may already know, Blink-182/Transplant Drummer Travis Barker is currently working on a solo project. The album itself will have more of a hip hop flare to it, a bit of a stray from the pop punk sound of his group. However, Travis tells Alternative Press Magazine in a recent interview that he plans to keep it "well rounded", combining bits and pieces of everything. I'm going to recommend this album nice and early... its slated for a february release, but I already see big things. If any of you have ever had the overall honor of watching this man take control of a drum set on stage, you know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. I've seen him play a few shows with Blink and also with the Transplants. I never had the opportunity to see him play with the late DJ AM, but no doubt that was also a flawless live performance. I mean, have you heard their Coachella mixtapes? If not, DEFINITELY do that. Anyways, the point is that no matter what style he plays, he plays with intensity, passion and drive like no one I've ever seen. He's fearless behind that drum kit. Travis Barker is arguably one of the best drummers of our generation, even though a lot of the Blink material does not fully  showcase that. Personally, I think this album is going to be a must have for musicians and fans alike. 

Photo Credit: Me (not great but then again, not bad for a point and shoot I snuck in lol Aug.8/09)

As for Blink, the song has yet to be written, but Travis is quick to assure us it has a home on his record. He tells Alternative Press "it's going to be a surprise. The new song that we record for my record is just going to be something from scratch, and just us doing our thing". One new track has already been released, "Up All Night" is the title. Good luck finding it, but if you do manage, please share the link haha. 

Travis also says that the new Blink album is still in pre-production, and wont be worked on until 2010. Who can blame them? As the must-see reunion tour of the summer only recently came to an end, these boys still have a lot of things to work out. At first, I have to say I was skeptic of the new release... but I have to admit I find myself getting more curious as time goes on. There are so many possible directions it could take, and I'm curious to see where it will fall. The only way to find out will be a release, so I guess I'll have to wait until then like the rest of you!

Link to interview: Here. 

So how do you feel about Travis' solo efforts? What are you expecting? How about new Blink material, yay or nay?

I'd love to know what you think so leave me a comment and let me know!

Rock On,

- Girl At The Rock Show

Song of the Day: Fix Your Face by Travis Barker & DJ AM... incredible work these two did together, and so sad that DJ AM passed so young. RIP.