Monday, April 8, 2013 at 03:00PM You can listen to the new Queens of the Stone Age song, "My God Is The Sun," below. The Josh Homme-fronted band is set to release its latest album "... Like Clockwork" June 4 on Matador Records.
Monday, April 8, 2013 at 12:19PM 
By Mike Irwin
Unlike many of its peers in heavy-metal world, Anthrax is a band that has never fallen into the trap of taking itself too seriously.
In the past, the New York thrash-metal outfit has filled some of the gaps between major releases with EPs and compilation albums that are usually a mixed bag of cover songs, live tracks/alternate album versions and some tongue-in-cheek humor, most notably 1987’s “I’m the Man” and 1991’s “Attack of the Killer B’s.” Given that history, at first glance the band’s latest offering - an EP of classic rock covers titled “Anthems” - wouldn’t seem to be much of a surprise. In this case, however, Anthrax does manage to provide a few surprises for fans - not only with some songs that may seem a bit unexpected, but also with incredible talent from each of the band members that it took to perform these songs so well.
The album leads off, somewhat fittingly, with a cover of Rush’s “Anthem” - the opening track from the Canadian trio’s second album (1975’s “Fly By Night”). This gets the album off to a hard-punching and thunderous start, and is an excellent rendition of a song from a band that is often cited as a stylistic influence but is not often covered - never mind covered well. Anthrax singer Joey Belladonna does have some occasional (and predictable) trouble in trying to match Geddy Lee’s vocal style, but aside from that, this is a faithfully accurate version of an occasionally overlooked track, as well as a great reminder of a time when Rush’s music was a little more raw and heavy.
Anthems, Anthrax, Boston, Cheap Trick, Journey, Mike Irwin, Rush, Thin Lizzy Monday, April 8, 2013 at 08:11AM
The National today released "My Demons," the first song from the band's forthcoming album "Trouble Will Find Me." You can listen to "My Demons" and view its accompanying video below.
"Trouble Will Find Me," the follow-up to 2010's "High Violet," will be released May 21 on 4AD.
The National, along with Youth Lagoon, will perform at Brooklyn's Barclays Center on June 5. On June 7, The National, with Dirty Projectors, will peform at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia.
Friday, April 5, 2013 at 09:08AM 
HANK & CUPCAKES AT THE BOG: Hank & Cupcakes, the energetic Brooklyn-via-Israel husband-and-wife indie pop duo, returns to NEPA tonight for a show at The Bog in Scranton. Also on the bill are Philadelphia's Sweatheart and Pittston-based Betty Harlot Band. You can read more about Hank & Cupcakes here, in the band's recent interview with the Scranton Times-Tribune's Patrice Wilding.
MENZINGERS ON DAYTROTTER: Daytrotter's session with Scranton's The Menzingers was posted earlier this week. You can listen to the session here.
LEROY JUSTICE ON GUITARWORLD.COM: Lastly, Leroy Justice, a New York City band with NEPA roots, is gearing up for the April 23 release of its new album "Above The Weather." GuitarWorld.com recently debuted a live video of the LJ song "Watch Him Fall," which will be featured on the new record. The band will perform at the River Street Jazz Cafe on May 4, and according to its publicist, will play at Gallery of Sound's Record Store Day festivities on April 20 at Gallery's Wilkes-Barre location.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013 at 07:58AM 
Photo by Cat StevensBy Nikki M. Mascali
You don’t just go see a Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds concert. You experience it, and the music permeates you like the sweat that clung to singer Cave’s crisp white shirt by show’s end.
Friday’s performance at New York’s legendary Beacon Theatre, the second of a three-night sold-out run, was a night of wild, ranging emotions, from airy (opener “We No Who U R”) and moody (“Jubilee Street”) to hard and heavy (standout “From Her to Eternity”) and downright intense (“Stagger Lee”).
It was a setlist that spanned the vast 30-year catalog of the band - which also features Warren Ellis, Martyn P. Casey, Barry Adamson, Conway Savage, Thomas Wydler and Jim Sclavunos – and included many tracks from the recently released “Push the Sky Away.”
