June 22, 2010

Music News from the Rock Station, 92-7 WQLZ by Bishop

It was an accident

The report took nearly a full month but we now know what killed Pual. Slipknot bassist Paul Gray died of an accidental overdose, according to a medical examiner. The 38-year-old's body was found May 24th at a hotel in Urbandale, Iowa where he was a regular guest. According to the 9-1-1 call reporting the discovery of the body, there were "all kinds of pills" surrounding Gray along with a hypodermic needle laying near the bed. Even though the pills were around Paul, that was not what killed him. The Polk County Medical Examiner said that a combination of morphine and a synthetic morphine substance fentanyl was the culprit in Gray's demise. Gray also suffered from a significant heart disease. He is survived by a wife and child and a legacy of heavy metal that will forever live in the dark hearts and souls of maggots all across the world. Meanwhile, the future of Slipknot is unclear. Corey Taylor, the front man for Slipknot and also for Stone Sour (who are currently ramping up their forthcoming attempt “Audio Secrecy”) commented recently saying it's “too soon to say right now,” in regards to the future of the Maniacal 9 ... now 8.

This year's Sturgis

Let's just hope that what happened to Aerosmith at Sturgis last year doesn't repeat itself this year with Ozzy. We all remember the hilarious video last year of Steven Tyler doing a jig only to fall off the stage, injuring himself to the point where he needed to take pain killers and cancel a bunch of shows. This led to more cancellations, a stint in rehab for Tyler and wild speculation that Aerosmith was searching for a new singer. Everything turned out alright for Tyler and the boys. Well, this year, the Dark Prince himself will be on the stage of the huge Harley event planned this summer. Ozzy's performance will be at Buffalo Chip's outdoor amphitheater August 12th during the Sturgis event in Sturgis, South Dakota. Some other acts on the docket for the biker rally include Kid Rock, Motley Crue, Buckcherry and ZZ Top.

Catch the Music Minute every weekday with the Free Beer and Hot Wings Show on 92-7 WQLZ, the Rock Station.

June 21, 2010

Music News from the Rock Station, 92-7 WQLZ by Bishop

By the end of the year

It was reported last week, but now even more info is coming out about A Perfect Circle coming back around. This time, co-founder and APC guitarist Billy Howerdel is on the record. At Howerdel's other band's gig in Hollywood last week, he talked about how after a 6 year break from new material, A Perfect Circle will be releasing something later this year and possibly a tour as well! Meanwhile, Tool and A Perfect Circle front man Maynard James Keenan's signature wine is featured in a documentary coming out September 7th. “Blood Into Wine” will be chock-full of special features for fans to swallow down.

Heartfelt reunion

So, was there more going on behind the scenes of The Big Four's historic performance? According to Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, the shows provided a chance for Metallica's Lars and James to reconnect with former band mate and now Megadeth front man Dave Mustain. Trujillo said about the dinner just before the first Big Four show that “there's just no shortage of conversation. The difficult part is kind of making your way to the next guy. There's always something great to talk about.” The drummer of Anthrax even said that a dinner held before the show with everyone was like a high school reunion. There are no plans set up yet for The Big Four to tour the states, but the show scheduled for tomorrow in Bulgaria will be broadcast across the world and in a theater near you. Get info and tickets for The Big Four's theater show online at TheBigFourLive.com.

The bandwagon

Korn's announcement last week of boycotting BP gas for their touring caravan has caught on to other artists. Two months have now gone by after the Deep Water Horizon oil well blew up in the Gulf of Mexico and estimates of between 60k and 100k gallons of oil and natural gas are spewing into the waters daily. Now a slew of artists have hopped on board the boycott, including Disturbed, Rise Against, Godsmack, Rob Zombie, Megadeth, Black Label Society, Anthrax, Creed, Filter, Hellyeah, Flogging Molly and the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. Korn's Jonathan Davis said, “from everything we're hearing about now, it's become clear that BP cut corners to put profit ahead of safety. The message we are sending should tell all the oil companies to spend the money and take the necessary precautions to make sure this doesn't happen again.”

Catch the Music Minute every weekday with the Free Beer and Hot Wings Show on 92-7 WQLZ, the Rock Station.

June 20, 2010

There is so much news that happens every week, it is hard to keep up with, why not get what you need to know in 30 seconds.

June 19, 2010

Your three hour of influence is on! Tune in online at WMAY dot com from 4 to 7pm CST for Saturday Session with Bishop. You can catch live streaming video of what is happening inside the studio from Bishop's web cam (only available from 4 - 7p CST). With Big Slick on going, the US-led war in Afghanistan now longer than the Vietnam war, and Wikileaks preparing to release another video showing the brutal truth of war, there is so much to cover. You too can take part in the conversation with Saturday Session by calling 217.629.7970 or emailing Bishop@wmay.com

News on the march

Saturday Session begins each week's broadcast with some of the stories you may have missed. Tune in at the show's start to get info on how Predator drones could soon fly the skies above the US, and a recent ruling may allow you to look at a cops' official cell phone records for juicy texts. Also, on the cell phone front, police may start using face recognition iPhone apps. On the international front learn how the US may take over S. Korean war games in the face of a hostile N. Korea. From around the globe back to Illinois, check out some of the things impacting you locally, including how Illinois' pension fund still holds BP stock. It's News on the March only with Saturday Session.

The Big Slick Saga Continues, indefinitely?

Two months into the worst environmental disaster this country has ever experienced, the prospect of plugging the Gulf of Mexico oil gusher are not looking good. The Obama administration has urged BP to set up, what one republican law maker calls a "shakedown" fund and BP execs feel for the "small people." But, did you hear about how BP Was Founding Member of ‘Cap-and-Trade’ Lobby or how Haliburton purchased an oil spill recovery firm days before the spill? This raises serious questions about how the companies involved here could profit greatly from the disasters they've created.

A leak of a different kind

President Obama voiced frustrations with BP in an address to the nation this week, but what is his position of leaks from inside the military industrial complex? As Wikileaks prepares to release yet another brutal video depicting the realities of war, the suspect in the first leaked video has been held for three weeks without charges. Then there is an interesting blog found on the site BlackFive.net, depicts the detest many service members may feel towards the whistle-blower website. What is in the future for Wikileaks and what would happen if Julian Assange was captured by the Pentagon? Would the US treat Assange, an Australian, the same way they treated Maher Arar, a Canadian? Arar was extradited to a black site and tortured for nearly a year then released with out charges, and apparently no avenue to sue in the US.

No relevance to Saturday Session, but what the heck

Among the work Bishop does with WMAY to inform the public on crucial issues of importance, he also works with other stations at the Mid-West Family ranch of stations. Earlier this year, Bishop submitted his work done on WQLZ's Facebook page to the Illinois Broadcasters Association. After being pitted against two other submissions for Best Use of New Media in Medium Market Radio, he took away the 2010 Silver Dome for Best Use of New Media for the second year in a row! You can check out the submission here and pictures from the awards ceremony can be found here.

Outside of Saturday Session

Greg Bishop can be contacted many different ways. Check out Bishop's Google Profile (after Session's conversation with Katherine, who knows how much bigger Google will get) to get links and phone numbers. To call Saturday Session on WMAY, dial 217.629.7970 or email bishop@wmay.com. You can also join the video chat room with live streaming video (available during the show, 4 to 7p CST, only).

June 18, 2010

Music News from the Rock Station, 92-7 WQLZ by Bishop

Rock star TV

The hit Showtime TV show “Californiacation” will be coming back to the cable channel this Fall and word is that Tommy Lee will be making an appearance. The 47-year-old drummer, singer and all around good guy joins up with a slew of other stars including Robe Lowe and Lenny Kravitz's daughter Zoey Kravitz. Meanwhile, Rob Zombie is scheduled to guest-host “WWE Raw” on the USA cable network June 28th. The wrestling match will be held at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia where Zombie will bring his unique design of horror to the ringside. Apart from hooking up with the soap opera in the wring wrestling federation, Zombie will be out on the touring circuit with the Rock Star Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, headlining alongside Korn.

Drug resistant DNA?

Everyone always thought there was something different about Ozzy and his ability to use drugs while being able to stay active, alive and alert … well, almost alert. Hell, the rocker even just got a gig as a health columnist, if you can believe that. Meanwhile, rock star after rock star seems to be vulnerable to overdose. Well, researchers are investigating whether or not Ozzy Osbourne's DNA holds the key to surviving drug abuse. It's no secret about Ozzy's past. Drugs were central in Ozzy's years of rock stardom for almost 40 years. A company name Knome will be analyzing blood samples from the dark princes' veins to map out his DNA all in hopes to find the potential that Ozzy's DNA has allowed him to survive years of extreme abuse. Researchers hope to find out why some people can survive extreme drug abuse while other can't. Some other people that may have the drug resistant DNA could be Hunter S. Thompson, Motorhead's Lemmy, and Iggy Pop.

Catch the Music Minute every weekday with the Free Beer and Hot Wings Show on 92-7 WQLZ, the Rock Station.

June 17, 2010

Music News from the Rock Station, 92-7 WQLZ by Bishop

Making history

They broke out during a time where so many people were doing the Wang Chung or being Rick Rolled on their own volition. A dark world was what they envision. Packed stadiums was what they got. And now, something that has been talked about for 20 years has come to light! The Big Four—Anthrax, Slayer, Megadeth and Metallica—played their first show together, sharing a stage in Warsaw, Poland. It's a metal fan's dream come true! And it could be going worldwide, but right now there is only a plan to do a handful of shows overseas. The next Big Four show will part of the Sonsisphere festival in Sophia, Bulgaria, June 22nd. And, get this ... It's coming to a theater near you! That's right, get up close and personal with all of your favorite thrash metal bands on the big screen. Don't miss this legendary show. Get more details and secure your tickets at TheBigFourLive.com. WQLZ has your tickets, so be sure you listen to win!

He wasn't fired

Ozzy, speaking to reporters, said he did not fire Zakk Wylde. “I don't want anyone to think for one minute that I fired him. I never fired him. He never left. There was nothing to leave. Because all he was doing was his gig and mine. It kind of got to us crashing into each other. But I had to let go, because it's me rather than him.” The dark prince elaborated saying his band was beginning to sound to much like Zakk's band. He even had trouble remembering Zakk's band's name, but it came to him after a few um's and ah's. Oh, and surely there will be some ridiculous jokes from the not-so-funny late night host George Lopez this coming Monday as Ozzy and his wife/promoter and reality show star Sharron joins the show. Ozzy's forthcoming album “Scream” will be out June 23rd, but if you can't wait, swing by the Ozzy's MySpace page to stream the entire album.

Catch the Music Minute every weekday with the Free Beer and Hot Wings Show on 92-7 WQLZ, the Rock Station.

June 16, 2010

Music News from the Rock Station, 92-7 WQLZ by Bishop

No MJ Effect

Maybe this would have helped out with his record sales. It's being reported that Slash had a desire to have Michael Jackson sing on his solo album. But, at the time of the recording, MJ was rehearsing his finally string of shows. Then he died. Having played solos on several different Jackson albums, Slash figured the favor could have been returned. Slash says that the public and the media ostracized the pop singer after his death and the top hatted rocker didn't want to capitalize on the Jackson's death. Slash's solo album is currently at No. 19 of the Billboard Rock Charts. With the MJ Effect, Slash's album could have easily been bumped up to No. 1.

For those about to scam

An arrest was made of someone who acted like a promoter for AC/DC. She swindled $100,000 from planning a bogus gig for the Aussie rockers. Leanne Herbert spent seven months working to promote and sell a concert in Sydney back in 2005. She sold “special” tickets and promotion packages, all of which were bogus. Surely that was a few years ago, but this stuff catches up to you, no doubt. She was charged with obtaining money by deception. That's funny, I wish the last burger joint I went to could get popped for “obtaining money by deception” 'cause that burger looked nothing like what was on the picture!

Coming soon

Some things to check out (or not check out) include Papa Roach's latest track streaming online. “Kick in the Teeth” was available to stream online on YouTube but was taken down for some kind of violation. The band's forthcoming attempt will be a little bit of this, and a little bit of that. “Time For Annihilation...On The Road and On The Record” will be a combination of stuff performed live and also some new cuts that were recently done in the studio. That album is due out late August. Meanwhile, to promote their new album, tour, and just all around kick-assery, Korn will perform on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” Thursday, July 1st. Their album will be released a few weeks later on July 13th.

Catch the Music Minute every weekday with the Free Beer and Hot Wings Show on 92-7 WQLZ, the Rock Station.

June 15, 2010

Music News from the Rock Station, 92-7 WQLZ by Bishop

Maynard's mind

If you've been waiting for some new stuff from the progressive rock champions Tool and its sister outfit A Perfect Circle, your wait may not been in vain. Maynard has recently revealed that new stuff from both groups is in the works. The 46-year-old rocker said that a new Tool album will be out “when it's ready” and that Tool fans could hear new stuff on the road, but only if it's ready. “If it's not, then you won't,” Maynard said. Tool will be out on tour this summer, beginning the jaunt later this week in New Orleans. As for APC, Maynard was more clear saying that some riffs have been worked out and the pieces will soon fall into place. The illusive chameleon rocker has been busy in the off season, promoting the film about his new line of Arizona raised wine, “Blood into Wine.”

"Scream" streaming

If you can't wait to hear the new Ozzy album, the wait is over. The entire album is streaming online at the dark prince's MySpace page. “Scream” is the first album in three years and the 10th solo album for Osbourne. The album will be in stores, physically and virtually, June 23rd. A special pre-order through iTunes will allow for an extra song to be downloaded. Meanwhile Ozzfest is revving up to jump around to six different venues here in the states with what many are calling a sub-par lineup. Ozzfest UK, on the other hand, will be a one day event at London's O2 Arena with a pretty decent lineup, including Skindred, Murderdolls, Korn and Ozzy.

Incident video

Do you remember last week's news of Slash getting tackled by a fan in Milan while rocking out on stage to “Sweet Child of Mine”? Well, there's new video, and it's much more clear as to what transpired. Slash, over the weekend, commented to I Heart Guitar about the incident, saying the real melee happened when some drunk dude got up on stage. “It doesn't seem like he had any ill will. What happened was he came up behind me, and he'd managed to get up on stage and my security guard came up and tackled him.” Nobody was injured in the incident, except for the drunk fan's ego. Check out the new video of the incident here.

Catch the Music Minute every weekday with the Free Beer and Hot Wings Show on 92-7 WQLZ, the Rock Station.

June 14, 2010

Music News from the Rock Station, 92-7 WQLZ by Bishop

Festival hangover

Over the weekend there were festivals all over. This week you may have to put up with stories of transcendentalism from that dirty hippie you work stocking shelves with. Or, you may have to put up with that person in the cubical next to you talking about the survivalist mentality of having to live off the corporate handouts at Bonnaroo in Tennessee. But that wasn't necessarily the festival that many of you rockers would have appreciated. The UK Download Festival, on the other hand, would have been more up the alley of rockin' out rather than being surrounded flower dresses and peace sign body paint. A bunch of bands performed overseas including Deftones, Them Crooked Vultures, Slash, Stone Temple Pilots, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Rage Against the Machine, and more.

Getting sued

Aerosmith sat down with reporters to talk about a myriad of things, including the lawsuit from Keystone Entertainment Group out of Canada. The suit is seeking $6 million due to a string of canceled Canadian shows after Tyler fell off a stage at Sturges last year. The band's summer schedule only includes one stop in Toronto. With a failed promise of rescheduling all the shows, Keystone claims they are out millions in promotions and productions.

Bucking the system

Meanwhile, on the other side of the rock spectrum, Rage Against the Machine was interviewed by Kerrang! just before going on stage to headline the festival. The interview primarily focused on the unfunded campaign the band and fans worked to unseat the behemoth of Britain's X-Factor. The campaign turned RATM's “Killing in the Name of” to be on the top of the pop charts in the UK. “Its a fun way to f**k with the system and to overturn the pop pyramid,” Morello said. Ever since playing the Cochella festival back in 2007, De la Rocha said the band has been working great together. RATM has been talking about some new material, but during the Kerrang! interview, only in a joking matter. On a completely unrelated note, Zack opened up and shared that he is a master table tennis player. Tom jumped in and said “we're competitive on the Ping-Pong table and we're competitive on the stage.”

Catch the Music Minute every weekday with the Free Beer and Hot Wings Show on 92-7 WQLZ, the Rock Station.

June 12, 2010

Back live this week, your three hour of influence is on! Tune in online at WMAY dot com from 4 to 7pm CST for Saturday Session with Bishop. You can catch live streaming video of what is happening inside the studio from Bishop's web cam (only available from 4 - 7p CST). There is so much to get to, from the apocalyptic Big Slick down in the Gulf, the Bilderberg meetings last week, Wikileaks for the public good and "End The Mandate."

What, you didn't hear?

News on the March covers stories you may have missed from the past week. Don't miss out on the cursory overview of the things you need to know. To get a complete run down of all the stories Bishop covers on Saturday Session, be sure to check out Bishop's Shared Items through Google Reader.

The Big Slick Apocalypse

How much, how long, and how come? The Gulf of Mexico oil river is continuing to spew toxins into volatile habitats creating the worst environmental disaster possibly since an asteroid struck earth killing prehistory. Former Oil Chaplain Lindsy Williams shared some frightening information regarding the true impact of the BP Oil Spill on the Alex Jones Show. Tune in to Saturday Session to hear some of the highlights that you should be aware of.

Also, there are reports that BP stock was dumped weeks before the rig blew, and right around the time Obama made a call for more off shore drilling. Did somebody know something? And how could this bring about the wholesale destruction of the US economy? This wholesale destruction seems to be the goal of globalists encouraged by the prospect of a worldwide centralized financial system.

Bilderberg

Last weekend in Spain, the secretive group known as Bilderberg met. This group of 150, or so, elite leaders of industry, government, media and finance have been meeting behind closed doors and are accused of being the rulers of the world. Investigators who have been on Bilderberg's trail for years, like Daniel Estulin, report the group's most recent meetings prove their is fright in the club bearing the name of the first hotel they met at more than 50 years ago. The group is scared of the amount of exposure they are getting among the alternative media.

Something strange popped on the alternative media's radar earlier this week, after the conference. That is the website BilderbergMeetings.org. This site seems to be an public relations tool for the group. We'll examine the site and analyze the Whois report for the BilderbergMeetings.org site.

The mystery and secrecy that surrounds Bilderberg leads us to a quick review of other groups like the Trilateral Commission (bringing Asian elements into the mix) and the Council on Foreign Relation (an elitist globalism public relations campaign). These groups are private groups, but what about when leaders meet out and open? The Police State will be alive and well during the upcoming G20 summit in Canada.

Spies for the public good ... not the greater good!

A strong sentiment among supporters of globalization from above is their efforts are for "the greater good" but in reality it is for the good of the elite. But, what happens when someone feels that public awareness is needed and decides to share hundreds of thousands of documents exposing wrongdoing in the name of the public good?

The Pentagon is after the founder and front man of Wikileaks. Could they be upset and worried about the quarter-million embassy cables that they have in their possession? This comes after a military insider, the individual reportedly responsible for the leak of the recent helicopter footage of Reuters reporters being gunned down by US forces, was busted by a spook after he chatted it up online? Tune in to hear some of the chat transcript that details why the military insider did what he did.

End the Mandate

The Campaign for Liberty is at it again, this time with their "End the Mandate" legislation. Be sure to check out today's video of the day where John Tate, president of the C4L, talks about Ron Paul's bill that will tell the federal government to back off on the mandate forcing citizens to buy a good or service. There is a similar push here in Illinois and it is important to keep vigilant; support, sign and disseminate both!

Outside of Saturday Session

Greg Bishop can be contacted many different ways. Check out Bishop's Google Profile (after Session's conversation with Katherine, who knows how much bigger Google will get) to get links and phone numbers. To call Saturday Session on WMAY, dial 217.629.7970 or email bishop@wmay.com. You can also join the video chat room with live streaming video (available during the show, 4 to 7p CST, only).