"They're the Ric Flair of Cle-rock," Smog Veil owner Frank Mauceri says of the band, which formed in late 2002 with members of Cleveland's Stepsister, Southern Trespass, and Shuteye. "The fans said 'Bring it,' and the band delivers -- no-bullshit, loud rock and roll."
Amps' self-titled, self-produced debut -- harsh boogie that plays like the bastard offspring of the Dead Boys and MC5 -- lands on September 7. A national tour kicks off on July 23.
"I don't think any of us believe we will be opening for Kiss next summer," says singer Matt Wroth. "But more small-scale touring and another record are definitely in our future. If big money ever started coming in, we would all roll around in it and laugh our asses off, but we're all just as happy to play small clubs to a bunch of ragers who just want to get high, drunk, and throw a fist in the air."
· Bay Village singer-songwriter Kate Voegele has made it to the final three in the fourth annual Pantene Pro-Voice Music Competition, a national contest for women ages 14 to 24 who write and perform their own music. Fans can visit www.pro-voice.com to vote for Voegele through July 25. The winner will receive a trip to New York City to perform live at a concert with Ashanti, Paulina Rubio, Fefe Dobson, and Skye Sweetnam. The grand prize also includes $5,000 from EMI Music Marketing, tickets to the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards, and a Gibson Epiphone guitar. In August, MTV will air a 30-minute program featuring footage from the concert.
· Cleveland-based dance label Toes in the Sand Recordings is offering digital remixes of cuts from its catalog. The first internet-only release is a techno-tribal reworking of Michael Lanning's "Bound for Ascension" by Bay Area producer Drew Nichols. Free samples are available online at http://toesrecordings.com/toesdigital.html.
· Fresh on the heels of the reissue of his Best of Nas mixtape, Mick Boogie is issuing The Wallabee Championship, a greatest-hits compilation from Wu-Tang Clan's Ghostface, hosted by the Iron Man himself. "He tells little stories and utters other Ghostface nonsense between the songs," says Boogie. "Almost makes it like an album." Visit www.mickboogie.com to score one.
· Following his departure from Spittin' Image, rhymer Analog has a new group called (One). "We're hip-hop still, definitely," says Analog. "It's more political, real conscious."
The band features live music from the Beatmakers 913 project Low in the Sky, in addition to rhymes from fellow 12 Monkeys crew members Furious (of Rime Royal) and labelmates from Buffalo's DeepThinka Records, including X-Now, Tone X, and DJ Cutler.
(One) will make its live debut July 23 in an Agora Ballroom benefit for Project ACT, a program for at-risk youths. Ohio Suicide Girls Madison and Lorelei will be on hand, modeling punk and hip-hop clothes from Contraband Clothing, Analog's line of casual wear.
· 92.3 Xtreme Radio's Metal Show will host Pigmy Love Circus live from Lava Room Recording Tuesday, July 20. Native Noise, 100.7-WMMS's locals-only show, will feature Jaded Era (July 18) and Suspect (July 25). Native Noise airs Sundays at 10 p.m.
