Exercise videos, after school specials, old school horror movies, 80’s porn. Sounds like the clearance rack when MovieTime Video was going out of business. Or possibly weird uncle Chester’s VHS collection. It’s also a combination of things you’re likely to see during an AV CLUB performance. As of late, VJ Jon Corun has been turning heads in the Baltimore/DC scene with his unique take on dance club visuals…More at RSJ–>

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BENEDICTUM and Two Alumni Bands Finalize
Roster Announcements for Flight of the Valkyries 2008

SwordLord Productions Completes Bill for Second Annual US All Female-Fronted Metal Festival

“As a band that has consistently received praise since the release of their debut album Uncreation in 2006, Benedictum has quickly become a strong force in American and female-fronted heavy metal,” says Nathan “SwordLord” Block, Flight of the Valkyries festival promoter and founder of SwordLord Productions. “Adding Benedictum to the FotV roster has been a goal of ours from the start of this years’ booking, so needless to say we are ecstatic to finally be able to announce this great addition to the 2008 festival. I’m sure the fans will be just as happy as I am.”

Benedictum, who recently released its sophomore album Seasons of Tragedy, delivers an epic style of metal with awesome riffs, fierce rhythms, strong melodies and shredding leads. Combine those talents and top it off with one of the most extraordinary voices to enter the metal scene in the last decade, courtesy of Veronica Freeman.

SwordLord Productions has also completed this year’s festival roster by adding FotV alumni Visideon, heavy metal with a classical twist from Minneapolis, MN, and Earthen, American folk metal from Brookfield, IL, who both played the Flight of the Valkyries’ debut festival in 2007.

“We are honored to have the continued support of talented up-and-coming acts like Earthen and Visideon. Both bands have showed incredible enthusiasm towards the festival and our mission to support and bring more female-fronted metal to the US. I enjoy working with both of these bands very much and am very happy that they are both on the bill again this year,” says Block.

Additional confirmed bands for the 2008 FotV festival include headliner, Unexpect, a “metal laboratory” from Canada; Shadowside, intense power metal from Brazil; Dendura, progressive metal with a middle eastern/Egyptian infused sound and image, including a belly dancer as part of their live stage show; Something to Fear, dark heavy metal with a powerful blend of bluesy vocals and growling from Minneapolis, MN; and Aria Sharp, an eclectic rock band from Minneapolis, MN who’s not afraid to show their aggressive side.

Tickets for the Flight of the Valkyries festival are currently on sale for $10 until March 15 as part of a special internet pre-sale. Regular ticket prices are $15 in advance or $20 on the day of show. Doors will open at 3:00 pm. The show is 18+. Advanced tickets for the festival can be purchased here: http://swordlordproductions.indietic…tomer/home.php

Flight of the Valkyries is the only music festival of its kind in the US devoted to metal bands with female lead vocalists. The festival showcases all metal sub-genres with the only unifying factor being that a female vocalist obviously must front the band.

The festival debuted in June of 2007, showcasing a variety of female-fronted metal bands such as Doro, Vainglory, Earthen, The Ottoman Empire, Visideon, Spiritual Decay, and Sirens of Titan.

For more information on the Flight of the Valkyries festival, please visit the festivals web site at www.femalemetalfest.com or on MySpace at www.myspace.com/femalemetalfest. For more information on SwordLord Productions, visit www.MySpace.com/SWORDLORD.

- Posted by Bobbie

The Nintendo Wii is the best thing to happen to video games since… well, the NES. Wii has made video games fun again. All of those complicated first person shooter type games that controlled the video game market pre-Wii began to feel like work! In my opinion, you shouldn’t have to refer to a 500-page strategy guide every two minutes just to play a game. I often used to miss the days of the original Mario Bros. Games, Yoshi’s Island, Donkey Kong Country, etc. The game play could be challenging at times, yet easy enough to master. Thanks to Wii, games like that are being made yet again.

I was SO excited that Christmas when I got my NES. Frantically, I rushed to hook it up to the TV and inserted the Super Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt cartridge. I was young and didn’t have much experience playing video games – I stunk at it actually. But the thing is, I must have sat there in front on the TV for five hours straight, having a blast the entire time! Years later, I enjoyed SNES the same way. I had fun with my N64 too, but not as much. After that, I strayed away from Nintendo. I went from Playstation, to PS2, and then to Xbox 360. The 360’s graphics look great and I really enjoyed playing it. I had heard about the Wii and seen many commercials for it, but to be honest, I thought it looked kind of cheesy. But after learning about how you can download a ton of original NES games to the virtual console, I knew I had to have one. As new games were being released for Wii, I started to realize how much I enjoyed playing them over 360 games. I really like the fact that a lot of Wii games offer co-op play. It’s nice to play a game with someone who is actually sitting in the same room with you, not someone on the internet a thousand miles away. But the best part about the Wii is the games. The first time I played Super Mario Galaxy, I got that same feeling that I had that Christmas morning many years ago. I feel the same way about Smash Bros. Brawl and even Super Mario Strikers Charged. And I’m sure I’m going to love the new Mario Kart Wii just like I loved the original Mario Kart.

My point is: playing video games shouldn’t feel like work. After working all day you should be able to go home, relax, zone out and play something fun. Games don’t need to be so intense and serious to be entertaining. It may sound silly, but I like playing games that remind me how much fun I had when I was a kid. And thanks to the Wii, there are finally some games out there that can do that. So if you miss how much fun you used to have playing all of those original Nintendo games, then the Wii is probably right for you.

- Krissy

It seems here in the US there is the RIAA protecting artists from illegal, (read, free) downloading of their songs. To the point of actually going after people who can’t really afford to pay the court costs, and charging exorbitant amounts for the songs. One lady was charged 200,000 dollars for what amounted to around 7 songs downloaded!! This is ridiculous, along with jack boot thugs with RIAA helmets on raiding flea markets!! This I have seen on alternative news sites on the internet. I say, go with the piracy, just for the general principal of it!! Just to push it a hair farther, there are apparently thousands, and that may be a small number, of new, old, and just cruising artists on the sites like MySpace, Soundclick, and a host of others making very good music, FOR FREE!!! Of course people want what they want, and it’s ok, but if you choose to listen to these musicians on these sites, and walk away from corporate controlled music, you will see a difference!! Prices may even return to something reasonable. This applies to everything you do, or buy, since the deck is stacked against the common person, do not play their game, whenever possible. Just like in the current credit crunch, the companies will suffer or fold when ppl decide not to fall for the tricks, OK, got a little away from the RIAA, but the message is…….If you can, leave them out to dry!! Pirates, man the battle stations!!

- Danny

The other day I was reading through TapeOp Magazine and there was an article on a website, Magnatune.com. It is a online record label that says, “We are not evil.” From reading the information part of their website, it looks like there is somebody going in the right direction, in helping artists make a good amount of money. Hopefully they are actually what they say they are, but a lot of people use this. The only thing is that I think they have to accept you in. You can’t just sign up. Check it out!

- Nathanial