Club Tattoo concert pics and report
posted by Jas, 04/28/06
The Julien-K forum has posted some photos from the Club Tattoo's 11th anniversary concert held on April 22 in Tempe, Arizona. Yes that's Chester covered in his own blood, apparently he was drunk and cut himself while trying to get into his dad's house, LPFiction has the details and more pics. There are fans' report, pics and bootleg video at the FM forum. Thanks to everyone who wrote in.

Mike and Holly's WYG promo tour
posted by Jas, 04/28/06
According to FortMinor.com, after their live performance on MTV TRL on Monday, May 1 at 3:30 pm ET, Mike and Holly Brook will be appearing on Fuse Daily Download the same day at 5 pm ET. Then the two will be on the air with Romeo on Z100 in New York at 8pm ET.

Summer Sonic Festival ticket info
posted by Jas, 04/28/06
A little bit of info regarding the ticket sales for Japan's Summer Sonic festival on Aug 12 and 13. Metallica and Linkin Park are the headliners.

Tickets are also currently on sale for Fuji Rock Festival's biggest competitor, Summer Sonic. Held in both Osaka and Tokyo on August 12th and 13th during the week of Obon, this year's lineup includes AFI, Secret Machines, Spank Rock, Metallica, Linkin Park, Hoobastank, and Keane. Though it can be called Fuji Rock Festival's rival, the two really can't be compared, with Summer Sonic's younger crowd and stadium vibe. It will be held at the Chiba Marine Stadium & Makuhari Messe in Tokyo and the WTC Open Air Stadium & Intex Osaka & Zepp Osaka in Osaka. A 2-day pass is 26,500 yen and a 1-day pass is 14,500. Tickets for those currently in Japan can also be purchased at your local convenient store or Ticket Pia.

Opening Night of Oscar Wilde's Salome
posted by Jas, 04/28/06
Mike attended the opening night of Oscar Wilde's Salome in Los Angeles, pics are here. Thanks Colleen

MTV Asia Awards voting
posted by Jas, 04/27/06
A reminder that voting for the 2006 MTV Asia Awards will end tomorrow, Apr 28. Fort Minor has been nominated for Favourite Breakthrough Artist, click here to vote.

Fort Minor live on TRL
posted by Jas, 04/27/06
Set that VCR, according to FM Myspace blog, Fort Minor and Holly Brook will perform 'Where'd You Go' live on MTV TRL on Monday, May 1st at 3:30 pm ET/PT. keep voting online or call 1-800-DIAL-MTV to get the video back to #1, read message from Holly

April 26, 2006

'Where Did You Go' #1 on TRL
posted by Jas, 04/26/06
Fort Minor's latest single 'Where'd You Go' reached #1 on MTV TRL yesterday but drops to #2 today, read Mike's thank you note and keep voting online or call 1-800-DIAL-MTV to get the video back to #1

April 25, 2006

Company X cuts to the heart of the matter with Fort Minor's 'Where Did You Go?' music video
posted by Jas, 04/25/06
Director Philip Andelman and editor Barney Miller talk in details about the making of Fort Minor's 'Whered You Go' video

Edited by Barney Miller of Company X, and premiering this week on MTV's TRL, Fort Minor's new vid finds several ways to ask, "Where Did You Go?" Directed by Partizan/LA's Philip Andelman, the clip is poignant – and to the point, opening with the real life stories of three families with a husband, father, or son far from home. Featured are a young child of divorce, parents of a soldier fighting in Iraq, and the wife of a minor league baseball player spending seasons on the circuit. The video also depicts Fort Minor's Mike Shinoda (from the Grammy-winning band Linkin Park) singing the song, and band members lip-synching along to the universal sentiments being expressed.

"Mike explained that he wrote the song for his wife, who has a hard time when he's on the road," said Andelman. "He wanted to address that struggle but not specifically. I threw out the idea of three true stories presented in a documentary format." Miller was impressed by the brief, and after the shoot, the level of excitement was upped exponentially. "When I saw the footage, I knew this was something special," Miller recalled. "Phil can work in many styles, but sometimes he just amazes me with his visuals." As he had done on previous projects, Andelman asked Miller to spend time with the footage alone, before inviting the director in to collaborate. Miller co-edited the video with Terence Ziegler, a recent addition to the Company X roster. "You'd think the locked off shots would make the editorial easier," Miller said, "but the weight of each shot is so much greater that the selection and assembly is a challenge in itself. We spent a great deal of time making those choices."

The video has a grounded yet beautiful look and feel to it, drawing the viewer into the multiple storylines. According to Andelman, Shinoda grew up in a lower middle class environment and "not the 'traditional' nuclear family…he suggested telling the story of that young boy, overwhelmed with responsibility in the absence of his father." The director was also fascinated by the baseball player and his wife, and how the dream of professional sports is not the reality. "There are minor league players who have it hard pursuing that dream," he said. The war in Iraq was obviously a very topical storyline, and "we were always struggling to find the perfect balance, so one story would not overwhelm the other," Miller explained. In addition to Ziegler, Miller complemented mixer Jeff Slutz of Sugarbox, on his efforts working the live dialogue in with the Fort Minor track and extending the music. "This was more critical than usual," said Miller, "Because the story had to stand on its own and then fit rhythmically and emotionally with the song."

While band, label, director, and editor all worked toward a common goal, the struggle with perfection raised tensions. "At one point, I slammed a table out of frustration and at the same time tried to catch a cell phone Phil threw, and my hand was swollen for a week," Miller recalled, laughing. "Luckily, it wasn't my editing hand." Andelman credited Company X Executive Producer Rachelle Way with "providing incredible emotional support," and leading the project toward its happy and gratifying conclusion.

"In the end, this is the idea that Phil sold to the band and the label," Miller concluded. "You can feel the way it comes together, which is a step above seeing it, and that's what we were going for."

LP chair for charity
posted by Jas, 04/25/06
A chair signed by Linkin Park was on auction at the Chair Auction to benefit Miami Children's Hospital at Nobu at the Shore Club on April 9, in Miami Beach, Florida. Here's a picture. Thanks to VetaLP for the tip

April 24, 2006

Mike on Rock Show
posted by Jas, 04/24/06
Music Choice is launching new episodes of its 'Rock Show' series for May featuring Korn, P.O.D and Mike Shinoda talking about the relationship between Rock and Rap

TNT Teams with Linkin Park Frontman to Promote NBA Playoffs
posted by Jas, 04/24/06
Press release about Fort Minor's 'Remember The Name' being used as TNT's anthem to promote it's upcoming NBA post-season coverage. Watch video here (under TNT Overtime look for TNT and Fort Minor), download links below.

TNT, home of "40 Games in 40 Nights" of NBA Playoffs coverage, announced today that "Remember the Name" – the latest crossover track from Fort Minor – will serve as the network's anthem to promote it's upcoming NBA post-season coverage. TNT Playoffs coverage continues tonight at 8 p.m. ET with a doubleheader, followed by the Emmy award-winning Inside the NBA.

Fort Minor is the side project from Mike Shinoda, half of the vocal power of Grammy-winning group Linkin Park. In the single "Remember the Name," Shinoda infuses melodic string sounds with strong beats to create the cross-genre vibe that he's best known for. The song features Styles of Beyond, an act on the Linkin Park's Machine Shop label, counting down a formula for success, rhythmically declaring, "This is 10 percent luck, 20 percent skill, 15 percent concentrated power of will, five percent pleasure, 50 percent pain and 100 percent reason to remember the name." Fort Minor's most recent single, "Where'd You Go," is currently exploding at crossover radio charting in the top 20 and reaching #5 on MTV's TRL (as of March 20th).

The single is paired with NBA game action highlights and used to promote nightly TNT playoff match-ups. The promos will air on the Turner family of networks (TNT, TBS, CNN and Cartoon Network), as well as on television screens on transit systems and in shopping centers in select major markets. The spots will help support TNT's Spike Lee-directed Playoffs promos featuring Ali G that are currently in rotation. "The dramatic pulse of the instruments and strings, along with the strong logical hook, made 'Remember the Name' a perfect match to promote the drama fueled action of the NBA Playoffs on TNT," said Craig Barry, Turner Sports VP/Creative Director.

April 23, 2006

Video Download: Fort Minor NBA commercial
posted by Jas, 04/23/06
Rasmus reports that Fort Minor's 'Remember The Name' is the new anthem for NBA Allstars 2006. Watch the clip here (under TNT Overtime look for TNT and Fort Minor), download here or here (scroll down a bit, wait for 30 seconds)

Video Download: Grammy Awards Red Carpet Interview
posted by Jas, 04/23/06
Thanks to ShinodaOnline.com I now have a full clip of the red carpet interview with Mike, Joe and Phoenix at the Grammys aired on E!. Download clip here or here (scroll down a bit, wait for 30 seconds), a larger mpg version is available for download here

April 21, 2006

'Where'd You Go' single on Billboard Hot 100
posted by Jas, 04/21/06
Billboard reports that Fort Minor's 'Where'd You Go' single is at #42 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week and here's their review of the single.

Fort Minor, the side project for Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda, is finally getting liftoff with the third single from debut album "The Rising Tied." Within two weeks, "Where'd You Go" leaped from No. 88 to No. 42 on the Pop 100 and entered the Billboard Hot 100 and Mainstream Top 40 charts. Shinoda strikes a universal nerve with his rap about being sick of waiting around for someone who rarely comes home because of his or her all-consuming career; as a musician, he probably has heard that lament himself. His anger is undercut by the chorus of Holly Brook and Jonah Matranga, quietly singing, "Seems like it's been forever/Since you've been gone." Their lilting tones voice the sadness and loneliness fueling Shinoda's hostility.

The song contains only a drum track and a few piano bars, and its fragility enhances its melancholy tone. Anyone can relate to its message, while its video, centering on three families separated from a loved one, knocks the tear-jerker home. Even people who loathe rap could find themselves getting misty-eyed. - Christa L. Titus

'Getting Up' Game Autograph Session
posted by Jas, 04/21/06
Got a couple of pictures of Mike and Marc Ecko at the 'Getting Up' game autograph session couple of months ago, sorry I only have thumbnails. Thanks to Colleen for the tip. Speaking of picture, I found a slightly larger pic of Mike and Joe and their significant others at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino 10th Anniversary Weekend last year.

FM concert review in Teenage
posted by Jas, 04/21/06
There's a short review of Fort Minor's concert and some pics in Singapore in the latest issue of Teenage magazine.

April 20, 2006

Killer Party
posted by Jas, 04/20/06
College Times has an article about Mike. Don't forget, Fort Minor and Bucket of Weenies featuring Chester will perform at the Club Tattoo's 11th anniversary concert on Saturday, April 22 at 6 p.m at Acme Roadhouse in Tempe, Arizona.

Before Mike Shinoda became the resident MC in the band Linkin Park, he was a rapper in Los Angeles. Three LP albums later, he has gotten back to his roots and put out an album with his hip-hop side project, Fort Minor. Shinoda said the disc wasn't something he planned on.

"I actually started the album as a hobby," he said. "It wasn't really anything serious – I was doing the songs in my spare time." As he played the tracks for more people, though, his listeners realized he had something. Those listeners include people like Jay-Z, who eventually became an executive producer for the disc, The Rising Tied.

"[Jay-Z]'s a good guy," Shinoda said. "He can listen to a song a couple of times and tell you how it is. "I'm happy to say he liked all the music I brought him," Shinoda added, laughing. Having one of the best in the game to back him up couldn't have hurt, and Shinoda said he's been accepted warmly by the hip-hop community – and brought some of his rock fans with him, too.

"One of my favorite things about the response we've gotten from the record is that the fans on both sides are responding to the uniqueness of the record," Shinoda said, attributing the album's success to the fact that it is "lyrically, a different kind of hip-hop." "I wondered at the beginning," he said. "But I think people know what I do, where I'm from … I was raised in hip-hop, I've done hip-hop my whole life."

Shinoda added the press has seemed to understand that, too. "My best reviews have been from the most critical underground hip-hop publications," he said. "My feeling is that the reason it's done so well in the underground is that I'm not trying to be somebody I'm not."

He recognizes the person he is – especially the fact that he is a singer for a rock band. "I've always said that I got into the hip-hop game from the back door, meaning that I got my big break with a rock band," he said. "But there is a heavy hip-hop influence in what we do, there always has been."

April 19, 2006

Mike's not Russian
posted by Jas, 04/19/06
Mike has updated his MySpace blog clarifying that he's not half Russian, where did that come from? he also mentioned that he and the guys are in the studio working on a new LP album. 'Where'd You Go' video is currently at #8 on TRL, keep voting online or or call 1-800-DIAL-MTV

Kerrang Top 100 videos poll
posted by Jas, 04/19/06
Fiona reports that the latest issue of Kerrang magazine (UK) has a Top 100 videos poll and Linkin Park has three of their videos on the list. Thanks Fiona.

# 75
LINKIN PARK - Crawling
Given the shards of mirror flying across in this clip, Linkin Park can fully expect a good seven years of bad luck to head their way. As Chester Bennington threatens to burst a vein in his forehead while the band play in a futuristic wearhouse, a beautiful girl highlights the dangers of both shit boyfriends and non-waterproof mascara. Unashamed angst-ridden bombast at its height.

K!FACT: This song won Linkin Park a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance.

#53
LINKIN PARK - Breaking the habit
Fans of 80's pop group A-ha -yeah, both of you - will notice something familiar about this anime-style paean to broken relationships and tomato fights. Popular speculation that the song's really about singer Chester Bennington's history of drug use were unfounded - it was written by Mike Shinoda years before Bennington even joined.

"I love Breaking the Habit." "Linkin Park are a great band, and this song is really well done. It's very 80's - the keyboards remind me of Depeche Mode. The video is brilliant too. I love the animation." -- Joel Madden, Good Charlotte

#40
LINKIN PARK - In The End
Few could question Linkin Park's ambition and scope. Here they created an entire other world as dramatic, in its own way, as middle earth. Performing on top of a massive stone tower in an arid earth, as LP hit full flow life begins to flourish in this once dead land - grass, flowers and critters all springing from the soil. Which really was their way of saying that there's only one thing bigger than god, than mother nature, than life itself. And that's the music of a Linkin Park. Yeah. It's all in the stratching.

April 18, 2006

Linkin Park update from Chester
posted by Jas, 04/18/06
An update from Chester via the LP Newsletter

What is the writing process like?
It's fun. We all get a chance to release and contribute creatively. Rick Rubin, the producer on our new record, has us working in a style that we've never done before, so it's different for us. We'll come up with ideas individually then come together and work on it as a band. We decide together what direction the songs will go... but this album will be more vocally driven than any of our other ones. So usually, Mike and I write lyrics, and the rest of the guys write their parts to them. Brad is really great at structuring the songs. It's obviously a lot of work, but I love my job, so it makes working fun for us.

Do you and Mike write together?
We both write songs and melodies, and we both have our own personal things we write about, so some of the songs start out separately then we put them together and work on them together. But we both have songs that we've written on our own. Usually we tweak each other's stuff and go from there.

Is there one main person who determines the lyricism?
Nope, there are two. Me and Mike. But Mike is really good at making lyrics flow, so he perfects a lot of what we do together.

Does the whole band sit down together?
Every week. We're still in the early stages where we're working out our individual parts first. Each of the guys write their own part for their own instrument. But we have a band meeting every week, and we partner up on a lot of what we're doing. We get together at the studio every week and listen to each other's stuff. Then we all get to decide what to keep, what to change and help each other with what we've been working on.

And the rest work on the production?
Everyone does the production. But if you're asking me if everyone works on their own parts, yes they do. But we all help each other out when we need it. We're a band, so nothing is solo.

Is your writing a reflection of where you are in life?
A lot has changed for me since Meteora. I married Talinda, and have 3 sons, so I guess as I'm growing up and getting older, so is the music. You can't repeat the same things in life and not learn. The same goes for music with me.

Will the lyrical content be similar to any of your previous work or can we expect something TOTALLY new?
Both. We're still Linkin Park, and you'll hear that. But we have a lot of material that is totally new and nothing you've heard from us before. Rick Rubin is producing the record, and he's done so many different types of albums. We wanted something new but still with our vibe.

Are you also a writer in the traditional sense of the word i.e. short stories, fiction, etc.?
Yes. I love to write stories and poems. I did an interview for a book recently, and it ended up to be a story of my childhood and how I was influenced to play music. It ended up to be about 6 pages.

Do you find your writing as a form of release or pseudo-therapy?
Yeah. It gives me a chance to express myself creatively and to get my feelings out. Some people work out, some people paint, I write and sing. It lets me release my aggression and share my thoughts with fans and friends. We can't wait for you to hear the new music. Thanks for all your support, our fans mean the world to us and we're so excited to see you on tour later this year.

April 13, 2006

Linkin Park Frontman Gets Back to Roots in Solo Project
posted by Jas, 04/13/06
Nichi Bei Times has an article on Mike and some of the tracks on The Rising Tied album

April 10, 2006

Where'd You Go on TRL
posted by Jas, 04/10/06
MTV TRL will have Fort Minor's 'Where'd You Go' video on their First Look segment tomorrow. TRL airs Monday - Friday at 3:30 p.m. ET/PT. Reminder: Don't forget to vote to get the video on TRL countdown. To vote by phone, call 1-800-DIALMTV (1-800-342-5688)! To vote by artist, press "1" and then enter the first 3 letters of your artist's first name. To vote by video, press "2" and then enter the first 3 letters of the song.

April 6, 2006

Linkin Park mulls leaving The Firm
posted by Jas, 04/06/06
Hey sorry for no updates the past few day but there's nothing much to report :-) but today the New York Post reports that Linkin Park is likely to leave their agent, The Firm.

Linkin Park, the rap-rock band that waged an unsuccessful fight last year to wrangle more money from Warner Bros. Records, is likely to leave the Hollywood talent agency, The Firm, The Post has learned.

Rob McDermott, the band's manager at The Firm, is in negotiations to buy out his contract, and if a deal can be reached he plans to open his own agency, taking Linkin Park with him, sources said.

While a deal could still fall apart, McDermott has offered to pay more than $1 million to get out of his deal, sources said. "He wants to be independent," said one source familiar with the matter. "So far it's completely amicable. It's not about Linkin Park, it's about McDermott." A representative for The Firm declined to comment, and McDermott did not return a call seeking comment.

Linkin Park and McDermott's exit would come less than a year after they enlisted The Firm to wage a high-stakes battle with Warner to get a bigger cut of the profits. Linkin Park had demanded a $60 million advance plus a joint venture deal in which the band would split profits, rather than receiving royalties. The sides settled for just a $15 million advance. Sources said the band even asked to get a cut of the proceeds from Warner's IPO - a request that was rejected.

Where'd You Go on the radio
posted by Jas, 04/06/06
As reported on the FM Newsletter, the single 'Where'd You Go' was the #1 most added song on radio last week and is now being played on a lot of radio stations in the US, so pick up the phone, write a letter or email your radio station to request the song. You can also join the Fort Minor TRL Takeover Group on MySpace and find out how you can help spread the word about Where'd You Go. The video will soon be on MTV Hits and on Fuse, so watch out for that. Speaking of video I've replaced the version I have with a hi-res version of the full video in windows format which you can download here or here (38 mb)

Linkin Park X-Posed: The Interview
posted by Jas, 04/06/06
There's a press release about songs and stuff being available on V Cast Music from Verizon Wireless and there's a top ten list of some song categories and under the Folk category at #6 is "Linkin Park X-Posed: The Interview" - Chrome Dreams - CD Audio Series (Linkin Park X-Posed: The Interview). Can someone tell me what this is?