This "First Blood" business came about because I was thinking about how I could still do some kind of interview, but without asking the typical "how did the band start" or "what are your influences" kinds of questions. I've interviewed Nicole Laurenne twice before. The first time was for my first blog, Audio Ammunition , back in 2013, when she was in a great garage band in Phoenix called The Love Me Nots. The second was on my podcast, Born Too Late , a couple of years ago. Since I got a lot of those standard questions out of the way already, I didn't want to ask them all a third time. So, here we are. A series of questions centered around Nicole's "first" musical experiences in life. What's with the title, you ask? Well, first off, it kind of fits, wouldn't you say? The second reason is that I love the 1982 Sly Stallone movie, OK? So there you have it—consume and enjoy! Shock Treatment: What was the first rock 'n’ roll con...

Adult Learners are an exciting new band from Boston. Judging from the movies that I've seen that take place in Boston like Good Will Hunting and The Town (which, to be fares, is really all I have to judge that city on) Boston residents don't seem to be very kind, they're a little rough around the edges if you know what I mean. But the folks in Adult Learners seem like a jolly, good hearted bunch. I wonder how a band like this fairs in a town like that? Hopefully once the people of Beantown hear this 7", it will change their chilly demeanor and warm the hearts of many of its residents. This S/T 7" also happens to be the band's debut, which is always exciting. It contains five songs that are so catchy and memorable, they're like little colorful, rubber bouncy balls ricocheting around the inside walls of your skull. These tunes all clock in at under two minutes, which is perfect! Songs of this nature rarely do well in an epic Jethro Tull type of length.  - A...

Shock Treatment: Hi there Disket! Thanks for participating in my interview! Tell me about how you all met and decided to combine your rock n roll super powers to form Disket? DISKET: We’ve known each through the music scene in New York and through the bands our members play in. Mary and Claudia from Baby Shakes, Myke from Mala Vista, Roberto from Vaxine and Dani DJs around NYC. Claudia was the first to throw around the idea of jamming together. It was pretty casual at first, we practiced and wrote songs for about a year before we even had a name. Shock Treatment: So Keith Richards has to have a Shepherd's Pie before each performance and Alice Cooper has to watch Kung Fu movies to get into character before he hits the stage. Do any of you have any pre-performance rituals? Running B/W Vamos A Ganar by Disket DISKET: Oh is that what KR gets?!! Then we need Choripan and Cuchifritos before we set one foot on stage! Sometimes we take a dip in the east river before a show, you should try ...

This band is imbedded in a dark, dank domain, where mechanical demons dream. A realm where blood and oil carve the landscape in metal like rivers through solid rock. Cold sharp wiring wraps around your flesh and pierces it, binds it to itself until it consumes every part of you. Not just the physical flesh, but your mind and soul as well. It will absorb you in every way possible until you and it are one. And once that happens, you are forever bound to it, a nightmare that lasts an eternity. This is the dimension where L.O.T.I.O.N. Multinational Corporation reside. It is as much of a state of mind as you allow it. It is as powerful an entity as you give it permission and it is difficult to resist it's calling.  L.O.T.I.O.N. Multinational Corporation – Machine Hallucinations PRESALE by L.O.T.I.O.N. Multinational Corporation L.O.T.I.O.N. Multinational Corporation are a New York City collective of musicians, visual artists, DJ/'s and activists that churn out music that sounds as if...

Sneak are a newer band that I recently discovered from my hometown of Phoenix, Arizona that almost made me jump in the air with one fist extended towards the bright blue heavens. That's probably what I would have done if I didn't think I'd hurt myself doing so. Just know that mentally, I was also doing backflips like a Cirque du Soleil performer. This band hit many of my musical sweet spots. Sneak are made up of members from other bands such as Knife's Edge, Heavy Breather and Here In Spirit. This here is their debut release and it is bound to make some waves in the valley of the sun this year. These guys play a type of music that I can only describe tormented hardcore punk.   Alright by Sneak Let's dig into this shall we? The first song simply titled "Sneak" serves as the perfect introduction to the house of horrors you're about to enter tip toeing, afraid to wake the sleeping beasts. It wet's the sonic appetite just right though. It's not unt...