Staind News December 2005

12/28/05

Casino tour lets Staind's Lewis show softer side Aaron Lewis has been leading a double life. Usually, he's known as the singer for the Massachusetts-bred melodic heavy metal band Staind. But for the holiday season, Lewis has turned unplugged crooner with a 10-date, all-casino solo tour that includes five shows at Mohegan Sun's Cabaret Theatre, tonight through Sunday (New Year's Day). Solo tour? Is this the writing on the wall for the amazingly successful multiplatinum Staind? Speaking from his home in the Berkshires, as the band just finished headlining the Fall Brawl multiband metal tour, Lewis says definitely not. At the end of January, Staind begins a new tour leg for its fifth album, ''Chapter V," which debuted at number one on the Billboard album charts last summer. It was the band's third consecutive CD to hit the top mark in its release week. Wouldn't Lewis rather take a break like his bandmates and enjoy the holidays with his wife and children? He makes no bones about it: Playing casinos is highly lucrative. ''I can do this 10-date tour, or a month and a half with a promoter, and at the end of the day, the money in the till will be the same. That's the truth," he explains. ''Besides, I can't take a month and a half away from Staind right now." For his solo stint, the setup is simple: just Lewis, a wooden stool, a microphone, and an acoustic guitar, with only the soundman for distant company. The performances, which will include stripped-down Staind songs and some covers, are unrehearsed and unscripted. Lewis says he doesn't plan which songs he'll do until he sits on the stool. In the past, he's included such Staind hits as ''It's Been Awhile," ''Outside," and ''Home." He's also been known to break out covers from Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, and Bad Company. ''I don't know what I'm going to do until I get up there," Lewis says. ''It leaves a lot of possibilities for some real musical moments." It also promises to make for an intimate show, warts and all. ''Sometimes, I can finish the song, sometimes I forget what the words are, or what chord I'm supposed to go into next," he says. Lewis says this flying by the seat of his pants approach gives him the greatest adrenaline rush of all. ''I could be rehearsing and playing the guitar that's sitting right in front of me," he says, pondering why he does it this way. ''But I'm not." This isn't the first time Lewis has gone solo. But these jaunts tend to be less publicized. With only the Staind faithful paying attention, the shows are family affairs, Lewis says, with a warmth the big arena spectacle lacks. ''Playing a place like the Cabaret Theatre is a way to keep it much more exclusive, and much cozier," he says. So far, Lewis has not gotten around to working on a solo CD. Eventually, he says, he will when the time is right. As anyone who has seen Staind play will attest, Lewis clearly loves singing. Under the heavy-metal fury, he seems one step removed emotionally, steadily pouring his troubled, moody soul into the microphone. ''There's many ways to skin a cat," he says, breaking off to ponder the phrase. ''Hmm, I don't know what the person who came up with that saying was trying to say. It's horrible!" he says with a chuckle. ''But there are many ways to approach what I enjoy doing."

12/22/05

Happy Holidays Hey there, I just want to thank everyone for coming out to the shows on this last tour and making it a great tour for us. We made it in home just in time for the holidays and are all looking forward to a little time home. The last week of the tour was really a memorable one - we got to play Howard Stern's last broadcast before he goes to satellite. It definitely was a memorable experience to say the least. Myself and the band would also like to wish everyone a safe and Happy Holiday and the best for next year. Thank you for being the awesome fans that you are and we'll be hitting the road again end of January so we'll catch you then. See ya, Mike

12/13/05

Stern Taps Staind for Final Traditional Radio Broadcast Flip/Atlantic recording group Staind will be the sole musical guest on Howard Stern's final traditional radio broadcast, slated for Friday, December 16th. The group will perform on 56th Street in Manhattan, outside the studios of radio station K-Rock (WXRK). Stern and his show will move to Sirius Satellite Radio in January. A longtime Staind fan and friend, Stern invited the band to create their own rendition of "The BeetleJuice Song" -- originally performed on the show by frequent guest BeetleJuice. Staind debuted their original acoustic arrangement of the song on the Howard Stern show this past summer. A recording of that live performance is included on the new Limited Edition CD/DVD of Staind's current album, "Chapter V." Entitled "This Is Beetle" aka "The BeetleJuice Song," it was written by Lester Green (aka BeetleJuice) and composer Richard Christy. That same night, December 16th, Staind will headline the Roseland Ballroom in New York City, presented by K-Rock. The show is part of the band's current "Fall Brawl" cross-country tour, which also features Atlantic labelmates P.O.D. and Taproot, plus Texas rockers Flyleaf. "Chapter V" (Flip/Atlantic), the fifth album from Staind, debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 this past August, marking the Massachusetts-based band's third consecutive chart-topper. The album follows 2003's critically acclaimed "14 Shades of Grey" and 2001's quintuple platinum "Break the Cycle," both of which also entered the Billboard 200 in the #1 spot. The new album has thus far yielded two radio smashes -- the #1 multi-format hit, "Right Here," and the current single, "Falling," which has bulleted into the top ten on both the Rock and Active Rock charts. "Right Here" marked the band's fourth #1 radio track to date, following "For You," "It's Been Awhile," and "So Far Away." The just-released Limited Edition CD/DVD version of "Chapter V" features the entire original album, plus five bonus tracks -- including an acoustic version of "It's Been Awhile" and "This Is Beetle." The bonus DVD features a full band documentary, plus extras including the "Right Here" video, two songs filmed live, bonus interviews, and outtakes. The deluxe package includes a 36-page book featuring the lyrics to all Staind songs, a photo history of the band, and liner notes.

12/06/05

Updated Road Journal from Mike friends & fun on the road Hey there - figured I should check in and let you know what's been going on. well, since the last time I wrote we've pretty much crossed the country and we're in Florida now. Man, is it nice here! being from New England, it's kind of weird that it's december and there's no snow, it's 75 and sunny. It'd be tough for me to spend x-mas here - I need the cold weather! The shows continue to be really good. Last time I wrote was right before the show with audioslave in vegas - that was awesome!! really good bill, the crowd was great and audioslave was really good. It was the first time I got to see them and I wasn't disappointed, they sounded really good. After Vegas we continued our trek east with a stop in Denver (great crowd) and then onto Texas for a bunch of dates which all went well. We had 5 shows in Texas since we weren't able to hit it all on the 3 Doors Down tour - Texas rules! actually, it was really cool because in Dallas, the night before Thanksgiving, Vinnie Paul showed up along with a friend of mine who plays for the cowboys (Mark Colombo). We actually got to see Vinnie in Vegas and he said he'd be coming to the show and invited us over for Thanksgiving dinner which Aaron took him up on. Myself and Jon actually had tickets to the Cowboys game Thanksgiving day (courtesy of Mark) so we couldn't make dinner. However, we did have a blast at the game - unfortunately, the Cowboys lost (Im a Pats fan obviously but I had to root for the Cowboys that day) but we had a lot of fun tailgating and going to the game. Aaron said Thanksgiving day dinner was awesome and actually borrowed one of Dime's guitars that he played on stage every night and is playing it during "King of all excuses" on this tour as a memorial to Dime. I've included some pics of us with vinnie and mark from that night so check'em out. Once we finished up our run of Texas we split from the tour for a little bit to do a couple of bud 1 night stands and some radio dates in Florida. We headed north to Nashville where I got to hang out with my friend Todd Jones who was the closer for the florida marlins last year. If you got the special edition cd, he's the pitcher we're playing wiffle ball with in Milwaukee. We had a day off the night before and went to dinner and he and some of his buddies came to the show the next day. The bud dates are pretty cool because they usually are in small clubs and it's a free show. People win tickets from the radio station and they are 21+ shows. So we did that in Nashville and Chicago before heading down to Florida for some radio shows this past weekend. Radio shows are always pretty fun also because we get to hang out and play with bands that we might not usually be able to. One thing that always makes me nervous though is that a lot of these shows start at like 10 in the morning and we usually go on pretty late - I always get nervous people will leave before we play. I gotta say that in both West Palm and Clearwater (both were all day shows) - it was awesome because people were there all day and stayed for our set - thanx!! I always get nervous though because that's a real long day of music and people were there early. It was cool because it really looked like everyone had a good show. Well, anyhoo, we have a day off today and out tour manager lives in Florida so we're gonna go spend a day on his boat and having a cook out. After 3 shows in a row - Im ready for a little rest and relaxation. we play in Orlando tomorrow and then start heading back up north into the cold. A couple of more weeks left and then we get home for the holidays. Well, i'll check in again soon and let ya know what's going on.

12/00/05

I received this from Josh at Staindsouls.com. Staind was featured in an article in this months issue of Hit Parader. Thanks Josh!

Staind News November 2005

11/18/05

Updated Road Journal from Mike Well here we are in phoenix and things are going well. it's awesome to be doing our own shows - the crowds have been great and the shows are a lot of fun. we've been super busy lately, more so than usual it seems. between going to stations and playing, interviews and the shows, it was nice to have a day off yesterday. We did the jimmy kimmel show on monday which i think went well. I actually got to watch it on tv on the way down to san diego that night and was pretty happy with the way it came out. tv can be tricky sometimes - I think it's hard to sound good and get the live feeling across. the kimmel show is a bit different becuase they acutally set up a stage outside like a concert and bring in fans so it's a fun thing to do. Aaron and I were actually pretty lucky - on wednesday we had to go to 3 radio stations and play acoustically and in between the second and third stops we swung by a friend of ours shop - paul yaffe. he's a motorcycle builder here in phoenix who we hooked up with on a previous tour and went out riding with. he let us take some bikes off the showroom floor and ride them to the third appearance we had that day. after we played we went out riding for a while that night. it was a blast. of course I didn't have my camera with me or else I would have included some pics - it was sitting in my hotel room. After the show tonight here in phoenix we're off to vegas for a show with audioslave which im really looking forward to.I really like them and Im excited about being able to play with them and check out their show. we have an instore in vegas during the day to promote the new limitied addition of chapter V that came out tuesday- so that should be cool. if you're in vegas, swing by and see us. Well, that's about it for now. i'll be sure to check in soon and hopefully we'll see ya on the road.

11/17/05

LiveDaily recently conducted an interview with Staind frontman Aaron Lewis LiveDaily: Where does your songwriting inspiration come from? Aaron Lewis: "What I talk about in the songs, I have a really hard time expressing that otherwise. I tend to stuff things down and internalize it until it's causing me harm. So, instead, I allow it to come out in my lyrics. I've never really needed an outlet for things that make me feel good, or happy thoughts. I don't need to get those off my chest. The stuff that I tend to get out in the songs that I write, it's necessary to do so." LiveDaily: Who influenced your writing and musical style growing up? Aaron Lewis: "Growing up I went through phases of Led Zeppelin, The Doors, The Who, and older stuff like that, to Black Sabbath, and early Van Halen. Then I kind of skipped out on the whole '80s thing, although there were a couple of bands that I thought were pretty good. I always liked Motley Crue and Skid Row, but there was some stuff that was really bad, which really caused me to not pay attention to some music. When the '90s grunge thing happened, the biggest thing for me was that they were singing in a voice that I possessed. I mean, I can sing like the '80s guys now, but I couldn't back then. So when the '90s came along, it was a movement of music that was being sung in a register that I could sing. "I've got to give a lot of credit to Jonathan [Davis] from Korn. That first record that they did [self-titled, 1994], I think I wore two copies of that record out, just listening to it so much. The strength that he had to put forth what he was saying lyrically on those songs, to have the balls to say what he was saying, it was really significant. He definitely helped me to feel that it was okay to dig as deep into myself as I was." Read the entire interview at LiveDaily.com.

11/08/05

Staind was on Rockline last night and Ashlee called. She asked Mike to update the road Journal so here it is way to go Ash. Fall brawl starts today! ok, so here I am again - I got called out last night when we were doing the radio show rockline asking when there would be a new journal update. so, here it is. We just got back from an awesome tour of Canada - we pretty much crossed the country and did 7 shows which all went great. default was the opener and it was cool to play with those guys - sounded great every night. now were back in the states and we start out first show of the fall headlining tour in seattle tonight with POD/Taproot and Flyleaf. This tour goes until about the 19th or so of December so check out the dates and see if we're coming near ya and come out to a show. It should be pretty cool, we've added some new songs to the set and we're playing some songs that we haven't ever played live which has been a lot of fun. we even dusted off a song from tormented which people always ask us to play something off of. now we are. Anyhoo, we were off for a bit but the 3 Doors Down tour really was a lot of fun. We had a blast the second to last night when pretty much the whole tour went bowling in Atlanta. there was a contest for people around the country to come and see the show and then go bowling with us. I know what your thinking - sounds really boring - however, it was a blast. It was cool because Alter Bridge was on the show and they showed up along with the guys from 3 Doors Down so I think it was cool for everyone that won because all the other bands were there hanging out also. The only thing is - I forgot how much I suck at bowling. seriously, the first ball I went to throw - I crossed over the line there and the lane was so slippery I fell right on my ass. What a dork!! luckily it got a little bit better after that - not much though. fun times. One other thing that's new is that Falling was released as the 2nd single off Chapter V and a video was made for it this weekend. We're trying something a little bit different - we're not in the video. that makes for a great video shoot for us since we don't have to be there. hopefully it comes out good - it's a pretty funny concept so im looking forward to seeing it. It's about a pee wee football game that goes wrong. i'll leave it at that until I see it and I'll elaborate more then. Also, the special edition of Chapter V comes out on Nov. 15 (next Tuesday) which Im really looking foreword to. It comes in a pretty cool book with all the lyrics to all of our records, memorabilia we've collected over the years (it's worth picking this thing up just to see the Halloween pic of Aaron and I in drag), the dvd (which I think came out awesome) and 5 bonus songs like the "Beetlejuice song" from the Howard Stern show, the original version of reply some unreleased songs and an acoustic version of "It's Been a While". im really happy with the way it came out - I think you guys will dig it. Well, that's about it for now - I'll be sure to check in again (much sooner next time) and let you know how the tours going and what else we got going on. seeya Mike

11/04/05

New Staind Video Depicts Dark Side Of Pee Wee Football A cringe-inducing moment from director Cooper Johnson's childhood eventually became the inspiration for Staind's video for "Falling," the second single off their fifth album, Chapter V. Johnson, who's worked with the likes of Hot Hot Heat and Glassjaw, says it was an incident he's  never lived down — in his own mind, anyway. And he'll be reliving it for the New England dude-core band in Los Angeles on Sunday. "It's a dark depiction of a Pee Wee football game," he explained. "The thing that happened to me when I was a kid involved basketball — me taking the ball and shooting at the wrong basket. I wasn't the big sports guy, but I was on the team. The game had already been won, and they started putting in the bench warmers so they'd get a little game time. I'd done this move in practice so many times, where you fake this way, you fake that way and go up for a layup. But I'm on the wrong side of the court. So I got [the ball], I panicked, I faked and I faked, and I jumped up and made the basket. "This video is about these moments in our lives that are very embarrassing," he continued, "where, like the song says, you fall, but you can pick yourself up off the ground, dust yourself off and move on." Johnson said the video will focus on a small child who's called into the Pee Wee action when the team's star player is hurt. The ball winds up in the kid's hands toward the end of the game, which is tied. He heads downfield, and the camera follows him in slow motion. From time to time the action cuts away to the parents on the sidelines who, according to the director, are "just freaking out and screaming," and then to the coach, "who is jumping around and falling over the Gatorade," and finally, to the boy's teammates, who are crushed by what ends up being a loss. "And then the kid jumps into the end zone, totally victorious, on top of the world, and everyone else is a mess," Johnson said. "We're poking fun at the parents who are usually involved in these games who get really intense." Expect the clip to feature incensed fathers embroiled in fisticuffs and crazed mothers losing their cool. "The video focuses on the pressures that might be put on some kids by their parents," Staind guitarist Mike Mushok said. "You hear about those things where two fathers get into a fight over a game or with a coach, but it's just a game. It's not the Super Bowl. That's what the video pokes fun at: the parents' reactions and them fighting in the stands. It points out that these people should relax a bit and let the kids have fun." Much like Audioslave's clip for "Doesn't Remind Me" (see "Audioslave Avoid Being Aerosmith Circa 1987 Thanks To Chris Milk"), "Falling," the harder-hitting follow-up to the ductile radio ballad "Right Here," will be the first of Staind's videos to be story-based from tip to toe, with none of the band's members featured in it. According to Mushok, that was more an issue of timing than anything else. "It's a lazy man's way of doing a video," Mushok said. "My original idea was to make it like an ultimate-highlights clip from ESPN — because that's my interpretation of Aaron [Lewis'] lyrics, 'Falling is easy/ It's getting back up that becomes the problem' — and showing guys in baseball running into the wall and dropping the ball; guys colliding with each other when there's a good hit in football; some skateboarder doing some super trick [that] he doesn't land. But then turn around and show some of those same guys making great plays." Mushok said the band might do an alternate version of the video, using just that idea. Staind, who've been touring nonstop since even before Chapter V's initial release this past August, are gearing up for the Fall Brawl (see "P.O.D., Staind Get In The Ring For Fall Brawl Tour") and have no immediate plans to take a rest. Mushok said the band hopes to be on the road throughout much of 2006. He also said fans can expect to hear some of the band's oldest material, which will be included in set-list rotation for the Brawl. "Some of these songs we've never played out," he said. "It makes for kind of an interesting set. We wanted to mix it up to make it special for people who have seen us before. We'll be doing 'Break' and 'Come Again' off of Tormented and some songs from 14 Shades of Grey, like 'Blow Away' and 'Reality.' " On November 15, Staind will reissue Chapter V with improved packaging, a DVD, a 36-page booklet and five bonus cuts, including "The Beetlejuice Song" (see "Stern's Beetlejuice: The Jolly Dwarf With Staind, Blues Traveler In His Corner"). The booklet features photos of Staind during the band's earliest years. ("There's one of Aaron and me in drag," Mushok said. "If you think I'm ugly as a guy, you should see me in a dress.") Also included are concert posters and advertisements, including those from the band's first gig, at Hartford, Connecticut's Webster Theater, where Staind met Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst, who helped them get signed. The DVD, which features concert footage and acoustic sessions, also has bloopers. "I haven't seen those," the guitarist said. "I'm sure there's a bunch of me making an ass of myself."

11/03/05

Music Interview: It's been awhile since you heard Staind With the release of their newest album, Chapter V, Staind coaxes their audience into counting the predecessors leading to the latest chapter. In support of the new disc the band has also hit the road giving fans a live taste of fresh tunes as well as some old favourites. "We have a lot more songs to choose from now," guitarist Mike Mushok explains. "We can change the setup and make it a little bit more interesting, not only for us but for the people who have seen us before as well as those have not." Staind hit it big in 2001 with their release Break the Cycle, featuring the smash "It's Been Awhile." Fortunately their success hasn't gone to their heads like other groups. Staind still enjoys playing smaller venues along with the larger ones their musical success dictates. "It varies, we play pretty much every size, we just played in Guelph where it was a 1,000 seater and it was a great show. It doesn't really matter the size as long as the people are there and they're into what we're doing, that's the most important thing." Staind shouldn't have much of a problem filling seats if Chapter V is any indication. The album seamlessly mixes the group's musical abilities of creating heavy riffs as well as tender melodies. "I think it's the best thing that we've done," Mushok boasts. "It's our best attempt at combining some of the more aggressive stuff that we've done and some of the softer stuff that we've done, it makes it an interesting album if you want to listen to the whole thing." On Chapter V the band worked with a new producer, Dave Botrill, who has worked with such groups as Tool. Though his input played a role in the creation of the album, songwriting processes did not change. "It comes from the songs that we bring down and what Dave did was try to help and get those songs as good as they could be," Mushok details. When Staind became successful the band underwent an interesting transition--from bar-band to rock-star. Mushok lists influential acts who the band looked to in order to understand how to make the transition smooth. "We were covering anything from Pearl Jam to Alice In Chains to Pantera, Deftones, Rage Against the Machine and things like that," he says. Now the group finds themselves on the opposite end of the spectrum where they are the influence for younger bands. "It's funny, we just did a tour with Breaking Benjamin and 3 Doors Down and those guys were like, we used to cover 'Mudshovel,'" Mushok says. "That was one instance where it was brought to my attention and I thought, that's pretty cool." This humble attitude towards stardom is refreshing and as the group continues their tour fans can expect to be welcomed with open arms and good music.

Staind News October 2005

10/26/05

Staind gets heavier with Falling Staind's new single, "Falling", is a heavier follow-up to "Right Here", the first single released from the band's latest album, "Chapter V". Guitarist Mike Mushok told Launch that "Falling" was picked exactly for that reason. "To me, it's a heavier song, kind of just to say, you know, we still have some of this aggressive music that we do," he said. "And, I don't know, I think it's a good song for us, you know, to put out. It's a song we've been playing live, it's been going over really well, and I think we all just felt that it would make a good next song to go to." Staind begins a seven-date Canadian tour on October 29 in Montreal. After that, the group kicks off the Fall Brawl trek on November 8 in Seattle, Washington, along with P.O.D., Taproot and new group Flyleaf. Staind will re-release "Chapter V" in a special limited edition on November 15. The set will feature five bonus tracks, a 36-page booklet, and a 40-minute DVD featuring behind-the-scenes, studio and live footage, outtakes, bloopers, and the video for "Right Here"

10/00/05

Be sure to pick up October's issue of Metal Edge magazine. It features a great must read article on Staind.

Staind News September 2005

09/28/05

"Right Here" Single tops active and mainstream rock radio charts As Staind prepare for the next leg of U.S. headlining tour dates, the band's current single, "Right Here", marks the fourth No. 1 track in as many years from the multi-platinum group. The song — from their current "Chapter V" album, which entered The Billboard 200 chart at No. 1 — was a No. 1 track on both the Active and Mainstream Rock radio charts. It follows "So Far Away" from 2003's "14 Shades of Grey" (No. 1 at Active, Mainstream Rock and Alternative), plus "It's Been A While" (No. 1 at Mainstream Rock) and "For You" (No. 1 at Active Rock) from 2001's "Break the Cycle". Meanwhile, Staind are due to return to the road October 29 in Montreal, after which they'll headline the "Fall Brawl Tour" with P.O.D., Taproot and Flyleaf from November 11 through December 13.

09/22/05

Staind, P.O.D., Taproot Gear Up For 'Fall Brawl' Tour Flip/Atlantic recording group Staind has weighed in with the announcement of a major headlining U.S. tour, dubbed the "Fall Brawl". The cross-country trek will find the band joining forces with Atlantic labelmates P.O.D. and Taproot, plus Texas rockers Flyleaf, for what promises to be one of the season's most electrifying events. The itinerary is slated to kick off November 11 in San Jose, California and run through mid-December. The "Fall Brawl" tour will see the three Atlantic bands supporting new releases: Staind's "Chapter V" and Taproot's "Blue-Sky Research" — both of which are in stores now — and P.O.D.'s eagerly awaited new album, "Testify", which is slated to arrive in January 2006. Prior to the kick-off of the "Fall Brawl", Staind will play a string of dates across Canada, running from October 29 through November 6, as well as shows in Seattle and Spokane (with Taproot and Flyleaf opening). In addition, interspersed with the "Fall Brawl" shows, Staind will play several radio-sponsored events (dates to be announced) as well as a couple of special headlining shows. For complete tour information & regular updates, please visit: www.fallbrawltour.comwww.fallbrawltour.com "Chapter V" (Flip/Atlantic), the fifth album from Staind, recently made its debut at #1 on the Billboard 200, marking the Massachusetts-based band's third consecutive chart-topper. The album follows 2003's critically acclaimed "14 Shades of Grey" and 2001's quintuple platinum "Break the Cycle", both of which also entered the Billboard 200 in the #1 spot. Staind has spent the summer celebrating the release of "Chapter V" with a series of concert dates alongside 3 Doors Down. That tour wrapped up on September 11 in Charlotte. "Right Here", the first single from "Chapter V", stands as yet another multi-format radio smash for Staind. The track is in its fourth consecutive week in the #1 spot at Rock radio nationwide, hits the #1 spot this week at Active Rock, and has climbed to #2 at Alternative outlets. The song is now crossing over to the Hot AC format, where it has bulleted into the top 30. "Right Here" marks the band's fourth #1 radio track to date, following "For You", "It's Been A While", and "So Far Away". P.O.D. is currently putting the finishing touches on "Testify", their fourth Atlantic release and first new music since 2003's "Payable on Death". The album — produced by the band in collaboration with Glen Ballard (Dave Matthews band, Aerosmith, Van Halen) — looks to be the Southern California-based band's most provocative and powerful work to date. The album's first single will impact rock and alternative radio in mid-November. With a 13-year career under their belts, P.O.D. has logged a remarkable array of achievements, including worldwide sales exceeding seven million, sold-out international concert tours, a series of top-charting rock radio hits, and three #1 videos on MTV's "Total Request Live". Supported by their passionate fanbase — known as "the Warriors" — the band has created what they describe as "a catalog of music that we want to respect and honor with each step into the future." "Blue-Sky Research" (Velvet Hammer/Atlantic), Taproot's much-anticipated third album, arrived in stores in mid-August. The set — produced by Toby Wright (Alice in Chains, Korn, Soulfly) — sees the Ann Arbor-based quartet continuing their musical exploration of hard rock's many textures. Among the album's highlights are the first single, "Calling", as well as a trio of intriguing collaborations with Billy Corgan. Taproot is currently on tour with Chevelle, with dates scheduled through late-October. "Calling" is provoking a great reaction at multi-format rock radio outlets across the country. The track has bulleted into the top 10 at Active Rock and into the top 15 at Rock outlets nationwide, while also climbing the Alternative charts.

09/12/05

Artists Inspire In MTV Relief Special More than 50 musical acts came together last Saturday to make music for Hurricane Katrina victims. During the "ReAct Now: Music & Relief" special to benefit victims of the largest natural disaster in US history, artists from every genre delivered emotional performances and urged viewers to do whatever they could to help the hundreds of thousands displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Every performance was heartfelt and seemed like a highlight. From blues, rock and country to R&B, hip-hop, dixieland and zydeco, the music heard on the show represented a melting pot of the New Orleans sound. Alicia Keys opened the show with the song "You'll Never Walk Alone" from the musical "Carousel," while Neil Young and the Fisk Jubilee Singers closed the night with "Walking To New Orleans." Green Day played "Wake Me Up When September Ends" live from its Boston concert, and Coldplay performed "Fix You" from its New York show. The cameras also caught 3 Doors Down in Charleston, South Carolina performing "Here By Me." Common, David Banner, Kanye West, and the Game were among the hip-hop artists to perform, and country artists taking the stage included Big & Rich, Sugarland, Alan Jackson and Hank Williams Jr. Among the other performers were Allen Toussaint, Audioslave, Beck, Bon Jovi, Brian Wilson, Buckwheat Zydeco, Chris Thomas King, Dave Matthews Band, Elton John, Emmylou Harris, Fiona Apple, Foo Fighters, Good Charlotte, Jewel, John Mellencamp, Linkin Park's Chester Bennington, Maroon 5, Melissa Etheridge, Motley Crue, Norah Jones, Pearl Jam, Rob Thomas, the Radiators, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sheryl Crow, Staind, Trent Reznor, and U2. "ReAct Now" aired commercial-free on all MTV Networks' channels, including MTV, MTV2, VH1 and CMT and ran for four hours. MTV's Overdrive and VH1's VSpot broadband channels also ran the show live online. The show featured studio performances from Los Angeles, Nashville, New York and also performances from concerts around the world. Phone numbers and details on how to contribute or get involved in relief efforts scrolled along the bottom of the TV screen as the concert took place. The Red Cross, the Salvation Army and America's Second Harvest are among the organizations who will benefit from ReAct Now. For more information on how you can help relief efforts or to watch the ReAct Now: Music & Relief special, visit www.think.mtv.com.

09/08/05

Staind Tees Off on Xbox Live Staind, whose most recent album, 'Chapter V,' debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 Charts, will be challenging fans on EA Sports Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 in the latest Xbox Live 'Game with Fame. Fans should keep an eye out for the gamertag staindlive on September 10 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. ET to test their Xbox Live skills against Staind. 'I can't wait to tee off against our fans,' said Staind lead singer, Aaron Lewis. 'It can be tough to connect with our fans on the road and I think that through Xbox Live and 'Game with Fame' we now can.'  For more information, be sure to visit the 'Game with Fame' Web site at http://www.xbox.com/gamewithfamehttp://www.xbox.com/gamewithfame. Staind will be announcing their North American headlining tour in the coming weeks.

09/06/05

European Tour Postponed Staind forced to postpone European dayes due to U.S. promotional commitments. The band will move forward with fall North American headlining tour. Staind have been forced to cancel their planned European tour, due to U.S. promotional commitments. The band had scheduled a month-long European tour that was set to begin September 19 in Dublin, Ireland in support of their Chapter V album, which entered the Billboard Top 200 Chart at #1 in the U.S The European dates will be rescheduled for March 2006 In a joint statement, Staind--singer Aaron Lewis, guitarist Mike Mushok, bassist Johnny April and drummer Jon Wysocki--said, “We love touring overseas and are incredibly thankful to our European fans. Unfortunately at this time, circumstances prevent us from coming over to perform live. We apologize for this inconvenience to our fans and look forward to seeing everyone in the future. Staind will announce their North American headlining tour dates in the coming weeks. Beyond the traditional shows along the tour route, Staind will do a special free concert in a major U.S. city--in connection with Honda Civic Live--details of which will be announced in the coming weeks.

09/02/05

MTV, VH1 & CMT Special, 'ReAct Now: Music & Relief' to Air Saturday, September 10 from 8pm-11pm ET/PT Additional Artists Join this Multi-Genre, Multi-Platform Special Including The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Kanye West, Sheryl Crow, Paul McCartney, Alan Jackson, 3 Doors Down, Kelly Clarkson, Brian Wilson, Melissa Etheridge, The Neville Brothers, Trent Reznor, Cash Money's Baby and Lil' Wayne and more. Special To Direct Donations to The American Red Cross, The Salvation Army and America's Second Harvest and to Promote Volunteerism. SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- MTV, VH1, and CMT announced more artists set to take part in an ongoing Hurricane Katrina relief campaign which launches Saturday, September 10th from 8-11pm ET/PT with "ReAct Now: Music & Relief," a multi-artist, multi-genre, multi-platform special set to air commercial free and simultaneously across all the music networks including: MTV, VH1, CMT, MTV2, VH1 Classic, mtvU, and MTV Overdrive & VSpot, MTV & VH1's broadband video services. The special will seek to raise much needed funds for The American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, America's Second Harvest and similar organizations as they continue their relief efforts in the devastating wake of Hurricane Katrina. The campaign will also seek to activate the diverse audiences across MTV, VH1, and CMT to drive volunteerism, donations, and general awareness. A wide array of artists will appear in the special including: The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Kanye West, Sheryl Crow, Paul McCartney, Alan Jackson, 3 Doors Down, Kelly Clarkson, Brian Wilson, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kid Rock, Melissa Etheridge, The Neville Brothers, Trent Reznor, Cash Money's Baby and Lil' Wayne, Motley Crue, Simple Plan, Dashboard Confessional, Goo Goo Dolls, Staind, Good Charlotte, Audioslave, Common, John Mayer, Marc Broussard, Maroon 5, The Radiators, and more. They join previously announced artists: Ludacris, Green Day, Usher, Alicia Keys, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews Band, Rob Thomas, David Banner, Linkin Park's Chester Bennington. The live programming block from 8-11pm ET/PT will emanate from New York, Los Angeles, Nashville, and Atlanta, and will feature a combination of live and taped performances and messages from artists. Additional details will be announced in the coming days. "Since we announced this campaign, there has been an incredible outpouring of support from the music and entertainment community who want to lend their voices, performances or messages of hope to those in need," said Van Toffler, President MTV Networks Music Group. "The affected area hit hard by Hurricane Katrina shares a rich musical and cultural heritage, so it's all the more meaningful that we try to support these massive relief efforts through music and encouraging our audiences to help any way they can. "Starting earlier this week, all the CMT, VH1, and MTV platforms have begun awareness campaigns to provide information to viewers on how to get involved and participate in the relief efforts. Viewers and users will continue to be directed to web sites and numbers where they can make donations of money, clothing, equipment, and anything else that may help the affected areas. Each of the respective news departments for MTV, VH1, and CMT are also covering and filing reports from the devastated areas. MTV News is planning a special that will also air on Saturday, September 10th, directly preceding "ReAct Now" on MTV. The American Red Cross is asking people to help by making an online contribution to the Disaster Relief Fund at http://www.redcross.org or by calling 1-800-HELP-NOW to donate, signing up with a local chapter to volunteer or making a blood donation. The Salvation Army is currently providing services to storm victims and first responders in the Gulf Coast states. A $100 donation to The Salvation Army will feed a family of four for two days, provide two cases of drinking water and one household clean-up kit, containing brooms, mops, buckets, and cleaning supplies. A contribution can be made online at http://www.salvationarmyusa.org, or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY. America's Second Harvest -- The Nation's Food Bank Network is in need of food and funds to respond to Hurricane Katrina in states impacted by the disaster including Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida. America's Second Harvest national Network of food banks and food-rescue organizations have moved into disaster response mode to help sister food banks directly impacted by the wrath of the ferocious storm.

09/01/2005

Staind was voted MSN's artist of the month for the month of September 2005

Staind News August 2005

08/26/05

Marlins hang out with Staind At Wrigley Field on Friday, Jones introduced the Marlins to recording artists Staind. Members of the band, which has numerous hit songs, including "It's Been Awhile," were on the field as Jones' guests during warmups. The group will hold a concert on Saturday at Milwaukee, and guitarist Mike Mushok says they plan to tour South Florida in the fall. Earlier this month, Staind released its latest album, "Chapter V," which already has a hit single, "Right Here." The group is touring with 3 Doors Down. The members of Staind are from Springfield, Mass., and are naturally Red Sox fans. They also cheer on Jones, who was on stage with the band during a concert a few years ago in Biloxi, Miss. "It's funny," Mushok said. "He said, 'I played in an All-Star Game and this is the best day of my life.' I think he was making it up. I put him next to me. You don't want him to sing. He was just into it. Ever since then, we've been good friends." Jones, who played some air guitar on stage that day, says he became friends with the group when he was pitching for the Tigers. "I met them through a mutual friend in the record business," Jones said. "They let me on stage. It was cool to see the energy from the crowd back to them." Jones introduced the band to 74-year-old manager Jack McKeon, who is more into the music of Perry Como and Frank Sinatra. When McKeon met the band members, he played along that he had heard of them, although he no clue. "I told them I was more into classical musical," said McKeon. McKeon doesn't listen to classical music, either, but says he does as a joke. McKeon has been known to take the names from vodka labels and tell people those are classical artists. "He said [he's heard of us], but I know he's lying," Mushok said. "I've heard of them," McKeon said afterward. "I heard of them earlier today."

08/25/05

2005 BMA Nominees Nominations for the 18th Annual Boston Music Awards (BMAs) have been announced, with Ray LaMontagne topping all acts with five nominations. This year’s event takes place on Wednesday, September 28th at the Avalon Ballroom. MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR a. Aaron Lewis (Staind) b. Brian Fair (Shadows Fall) c. Clint Conley (Mission of Burma) d. Howie Day e. Ray LaMontange f. Sully Erna (Godsmack)

08/17/05

Staind is #1 on the Billboard 200 Chart Chapter V sold 185,000 copies last week Staind's Chapter V knocked Faith Hill's Fireflies out of the top spot of the Billboard 200 albums chart announced Wednesday. Chapter V sold 185,000 copies last week while Fireflies fell to No. 3 on sales of 124,000 copies. The 19th installment of the NOW! That's What I Call Music series held onto the No. 2 spot for a second week, while Mariah Carey's 'The Emancipation of Mimi was No. 4 The Black Eyed Peas Monkey Business rebounded from No. 8 to No. 5, followed by Young Jeezy's Let's Get It Thug Motivation 101 dropped to No. 6 Coldplay's X&Y held onto the No. 7 spot for a second week and Gorillaz's Demon Days clocked in at No. 8. The Top 10 was rounded out by Kelly Clarkson's Breakaway at No. 9 and Bow Wow's Wanted at No. 10. Album sales fell 3.4 percent from the previous week at 10.2 million units, down nearly 11 percent from the same week last year. Year-to-date sales trail 2004 by 8 percent at 345 million units.

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