{"id":28826,"date":"2018-06-16T10:03:25","date_gmt":"2018-06-16T14:03:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=28826"},"modified":"2018-06-16T10:03:29","modified_gmt":"2018-06-16T14:03:29","slug":"on-stage-diamante-shining-as-new-rock-diva","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=28826","title":{"rendered":"On Stage; Diamante shining as new rock diva"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Diamante<\/p><\/div>\n

If there is a pantheon for rock deities, the section for powerful female rock goddesses would surely include artists such as Debbie Harry, Pat Benatar, Heart\u2019s Ann and Nancy Wilson, Avril Lavigne and PJ Harvey.<\/p>\n

There would also be a special section for hard rock lady deities featuring acts such as Joan Jett, The Great Kat, Vixen\u2019s Janet Gardner and Jan Kuehnemund, Cherie Currie, Wendy O. Williams and Lita Ford.<\/p>\n

Sooner or later, another luminary will join the group. Right now, she is just getting started.<\/p>\n

Her name is Diamante and she just released her long-awaited debut album\u00a0\u201cComing in Hot\u201d via Eleven Seven Music Group\/Better Noise Records.<\/p>\n

On June 18, Diamante will present a live introduction of the new songs to area fans.<\/p>\n

From June 4-July 7, E7LG (Eleven Seven Label Group) is presenting the \u201cWhat\u2019s In Your Head\u00a0Tour\u201d featuring three of its acts \u2013 headliner Bad\u00a0Wolves, From\u00a0Ashes To New and special opening act Diamante. The tour will touch down locally on June 18 at the Chameleon Club (223 North Water Street, Lancaster, 717-299-9684, http:\/\/www.chameleonclub.net<\/a>)<\/p>\n

With her edgy style, sultry vocals, pop sensibility, and unabashed swagger, the Mexican-Italian-American solo artist draws from myriad influences.<\/p>\n

The album, which follows two digital collections, features\u00a0the\u00a0viral title track<\/a>\u00a0and the lead single \u201cHad Enough<\/a>,\u201d\u00a0which garnered more than 1.5 million streams across platforms and more than five\u00a0million collective streams on YouTube.<\/p>\n

Diamante released her first record in 2014 and met with immediate success. This year, she is motoring ahead with the pedal to the metal.<\/p>\n

In January, she released a single\u00a0— \u201cHad Enough\u201d\u00a0— that was accompanied by a\u00a0lyric video<\/a>\u00a0in which she channeled Superman. Originally recorded by Lower Than Atlantis, her version of \u201cHad Enough<\/a>\u201d turns the song into an empowerment anthem.<\/p>\n

In February, Diamante\u2019s sultry and show-stopping video for\u00a0\u201cComing In Hot<\/a>\u201d\u00a0crossed\u00a0one million YouTube streams. Shot on location in Palm Springs, California, the video used an all-female team\u00a0to create the ultimate gal-pal road trip video \u2013 a video that paid homage to the classic movie \u201cThelma and Louise.\u201d<\/p>\n

In May, Diamante\u00a0released\u00a0\u201cVolume II<\/a>,<\/a>\u201d\u00a0a collection of songs from the unreleased-at-the-time \u201cComing In Hot.\u201d It featured the\u00a0<\/a>viral title track<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0four previously unreleased tracks — \u201cBlack Heart,\u201d \u201cI\u2019m Sorry,\u201d \u201cKind of Love\u201d and a cover of Heart\u2019s \u201cCrazy On You.\u201d<\/p>\n

Additionally,\u00a0Diamante\u00a0teamed up with\u00a0Bad Wolves\u00a0as a guest vocalist on their latest single \u201cHear Me Now<\/a>\u201d.\u00a0The\u00a0<\/a>official music video<\/a>\u00a0has garnered over 2.5 million views since its release and peaked at Number Three on the iTunes Rock Charts.<\/p>\n

On June 15, Diamante celebrated the official release of \u201cComing In Hot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis album took two years of my life,\u201d said Diamante, during a phone interview Thursday from a tour stop in Portland, Maine.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wrote and recorded it in California. I didn\u2019t write with band members. Instead, I\u2019d write with different musicians and different producers. I\u2019ve always been a solo artist, so it made sense to co-write.\u201d<\/p>\n

Loaded with ideas, Diamante headed into the studio to record her full-length debut,\u00a0\u201cComing In Hot\u201d with super producer Howard Benson (My Chemical Romance, Chris Cornell, Halestorm, Kelly Clarkson), who claimed, \u201cDiamante is the only true heir to the female\u00a0rock\u00a0throne that has been vacant since Joan Jett\u2019s heyday.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hooked up with Howard through my record label,\u201d said Diamante. \u201cThe first time I went to his studio, I was a scared 19-year-old girl. It didn\u2019t take long to get comfortable and we developed a good working relationship.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe vibe of the album is 80\u2019s flair. My mom was a big fan of Pat Benatar and Madness and other music from that time. She played that music a lot and that\u2019s how I got exposed to it. It\u2019s always been my favorite era.\u201d<\/p>\n

Born to an Italian dad and Mexican mom in a Boston suburb, Diamante always stood out.<\/p>\n

Interchangeably speaking three languages (Italian, Spanish, English), she found inspiration in words, and, at a young age, was writing poetry and short stories inspired by J.K. Rowling and Stephen King. Drawn to musical theater, she starred in school productions of\u00a0\u201cThe Little Mermaid,\u201d \u201cGrease\u201d and more.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe lived in Newton, Massachusetts and then my family moved to Los Angeles when I was 13,\u201d said Diamante. \u201cMy mother was tired of living where there was snow. We even lived in Mexico City for a while when I was 16. My mom is Mexican and my dad is an Italian who was born in Rome.\u201d<\/p>\n

Already a fan of Kelly Clarkson and Avril Lavigne as a teen living in L.A., Diamante\u2019s discovery of rock music via a School of Rock summer program ignited a dormant passion.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat School of Rock Camp was a defining point,\u201d said Diamante. \u201cI got introduced to a lot of great music \u2013 Joan Jett, Stevie Nicks, Led Zeppelin, Blondie. After that, I started playing shows \u2013 opening slots — at the Whisky-A-Go-Go and The Roxy. I also played shows in Anaheim and got to hear ska and punk.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy very first gig was at the Whisky-A-Go-Go when I was 14. I also made my first single \u2013 \u201cImpossible\u201d \u2013 when I was 14. I did a few more singles and then released my first EP \u2013 \u2018Dirty Blonde\u2019 \u2013 when I was 17. The big single off that EP was \u2018Bite Your Lips.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Diamante spent those years quietly cutting her teeth at local gigs on the Sunset Strip as a singular musical vision came into focus. A disciple of both Pink and Guns N\u2019 Roses who doesn\u2019t fall into rock star excess or even sport tattoos, she devoted every waking minute to honing a signature\u00a0\u201cclassic rock sound with a modern alternative edge.\u201d<\/p>\n

This unique and undeniable approach caught the attention of Eleven Seven Music Group and Better Noise Records who signed her in 2015. Now, three years later, the label and the artist are celebrating with an album that stands apart from the rest \u2013 an LP that rocks hard on a plateau all its own.<\/p>\n

According to Diamante, \u201cThis album is my introduction to the world as an artist. Howard was the one who pushed me to vulnerable and tell my story through my music. I’m finally showing the world who I am. Through all my faults, flaws, insecurities in my lyrics, I want people to be able to relate to that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cComing In Hot\u201d accomplishes just what its title says. It rocks hard enough to move listeners physically and it has enough lyrical depth to keep listeners interested from the opening note to the very end.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded the album with Howard at his main studio in Woodland Hills and his in-house studio in Calabasas from early 2016 to late 2017,\u201d said Diamante, whose name means \u201cdiamond\u201d in Spanish.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d write and record at the same time. I write mostly on acoustic guitar. The writing depended on who was in the room with me. I like to just talk and get an overall theme.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are itching for something different. When I hear guitar on a Top 40 hit, I get excited. I like songs that rock, and I have a touring band \u2013 two guitars, bass and drums — that rocks. My mission in life is to bring rock-and-roll back to the people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Following this tour, Diamante will be once again joining Bad Wolves on the road with Five Finger Death Punch, Breaking Benjamin, and Nothing More to perform \u201cHear Me Now\u201d\u00a0on a massive summer amphitheater tour which will make a local stop on August 16 at the BB&T Pavilion in Camden, New Jersey.<\/p>\n

Video link for Diamante \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/jXzG_6E1lAs<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Bad Wolves<\/p><\/div>\n

Bad Wolves \u2013 Tommy Vext, vocals; John Boecklin, drums; Chris Cain, guitar; Doc Coyle, guitar; Kyle Konkiel, bass — are also touring in support of a new album on Eleven Seven. The band released its debut record \u201cDisobey<\/a>\u201d\u00a0on May 11.<\/p>\n

Bad Wolves came into existence as a band in 2017 in Southern California with vocalist Tommy Vext (ex-Divine Heresy<\/a>, ex-Snot<\/a>), drummer John Boecklin (ex-DevilDriver<\/a>), lead guitarist Doc Coyle (ex-God Forbid<\/a>), rhythm guitarist Chris Cain (ex-Bury Your Dead<\/a>, ex-For the Fallen Dreams<\/a>) and bassist Kyle Konkiel (ex-In This Moment<\/a>,\u00a0Vimic<\/a>). The group is managed by\u00a0Zoltan Bathory<\/a>\u00a0of\u00a0Five Finger Death Punch<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe band is based in Los Angeles,\u201d said Coyle, during a phone interview Tuesday from a tour stop in Syracuse, New York. \u201cThe members are from all over but we\u2019re in L.A. now.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m from New Jersey \u2013 from New Brunswick. I started going to hardcore shows when I was 16. My father played piano and my mother sang but they never pushed music on me. I got into music by osmosis. My brother and I got into guitar at the same time. I was a comic book illustrator and liked the idea of creative freedom. Music came more naturally than drawing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThings started small and became an obsession. I was listening Guns N Roses, Metallica, Megadeth. I was a child of the MTV generation and then the guitar stuff grabbed my attention \u2013 shows like Headbangers Ball.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coyle and his older brother Dallas Coyle joined the Central Jersey-based heavy metal band God Forbid in 1996. Coyle stayed with the band until 2013 while his brother left the group in 2009.<\/p>\n

\u201cGod Forbid was a basement band we were in when we were in school,\u201d said Coyle. \u201cIt was good refuge for me and my brother. I was in that band half my life \u2013 from when I was 16 until when I quit in 2013 when I was 32. We made six albums and toured the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter I left God Forbid, I moved to L.A. to give music a second shot. When I was moving out, Devil Driver gave me a ride to L.A. John (Boecklin) was living there and he left Devil Driver to form his own band. In 2016, John and Tommy were putting Bad Wolves together and John was putting down hints that he wanted me to join. John and Tommy were the driving forces.\u201d<\/p>\n

In May 2017, Bad Wolves released their debut single, “Learn to Live.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce we released \u2018Learn to Live,\u2019 things started to take off,\u201d said Coyle. \u201cWe put that single out a little more than a year ago and that launched it. We put out the video for the single and I went crazy. The feedback was overwhelming.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had been turned down by a lot of labels prior to that. After the video broke, labels were coming to us. We listened to what hey had to say and signed a deal with Eleven Seven.\u201d<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, Bad Wolves received a lot of attention when they released a cover of The Cranberries\u2019 classic hit \u201cZombie<\/a>\u201d as a tribute to the Cranberries\u2019 late frontwoman Dolores O\u2019Riordan.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Riordan had agreed to reprise her iconic vocals on the track which was being covered by Bad Wolves. She was scheduled to record with the band on the day of her tragic passing.<\/p>\n

In an exclusive statement, O\u2019Riordan\u2019s UK Publicist Lindsey Holmes,\u00a0provided further insight into what the Irish singer thought of Bad Wolves\u2019 version of the track:\u00a0\u201cDolores was excited about plans to guest vocal on a cover version of her all time classic \u201cZombie\u201d by American rock band Bad Wolves. Although very different in style to the original, Dolores said she thought that the cover \u201cwas killer\u201d and she was intrigued by the simple but effective couple of lyric changes that make the cover version as relevant to current world events as the original was to the events that inspired her to write the song in the early nineties.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDoing the project with Dolores O\u2019Riordan was Tommy\u2019s idea,\u201d said Coyle. \u201cIt was her idea to sing on the track. But, she passed away.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Vext, \u201cHer lyrics, confronting the collateral damage of political unrest, capture the same sentiment we wanted to express a quarter-century later. That is a testament to the kind of enduring artist Dolores was, and will remain forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

Originally released in 1994 following the IRA bombing of Warrington, The Cranberries\u2019 \u201cZombie\u201d hit\u00a0#1 across the globe, including on the Billboard Alternative Songs charts. The song returned to the top ten on the US Rock Charts shortly after news of her passing was announced.<\/p>\n

That same week Bad Wolves released\u00a0their version of \u201cZombie\u201d<\/a>\u00a0in her honor.<\/p>\n

In just\u00a0four weeks,\u00a0the cover has garnered over\u00a03 Million combined streams\u00a0(across YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music) and continues to climb the charts. Bad Wolves \u201cZombie\u201d is currently\u00a0Top-20 at U.S. Rock Radio\u00a0and sits\u00a0atop rock and metal iTunes charts around the world.<\/p>\n

All proceeds from track donated to lead singer Dolores O\u2019Riordan\u2019s three children.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe idea to donate the money to her kids was a prerequisite to releasing it,\u201d said Coyle. \u201cWe wanted to take something tragic and make something good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Bad Wolves \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/9XaS93WMRQQ<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Video link for Bad Wolves with Diamante \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/M38aWHxwtXE<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Chameleon with Diamante, Bad Wolves and From Ashes to New will start at 6 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $20.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Brooke Annibale<\/p><\/div>\n

Another show featuring a talented and smart female musician with a brand-new album will take place when the Philadelphia Folksong Society (6156 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, https:\/\/pfs.org<\/a>) hosts a concert by Brooke Annibale.<\/p>\n

Annibale has yet to hit her 30th birthday but already had a sizable catalog of interesting records.<\/p>\n

She has released five albums — \u201cMemories in Melody\u201d (2005), \u201cThe In Between\u201d (2008), \u201cSilence Worth Breaking\u201d (2011), \u201cThe Simple Fear\u201d (2015) and \u201cHold to The Light\u201d (2018) \u2013 and two EPs \u2013 \u201cThe Nashville EP\u201d (2006) and \u201cWords in Your Eyes EP\u201d (2013).<\/p>\n

A number of Annibale\u2019s songs have songs have been licensed for use in television for such shows as \u201cOne Tree Hill,\u201d \u201cGrey\u2019s Anatomy,\u201d \u201cPretty Little Liars,\u201d \u201cTeen Mom 2,\u201d and \u201cThe Vampire Diaries.\u201d<\/p>\n

Annibale\u2019s new album \u201cHold to The Light\u201d was released on June 8 via Brooke Annibale Music.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started working on the album toward the end of 2016,\u201d said Annibale, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from a stop in New York City to do a Sirius XM session.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt had been a year since my last album came out. In the past, it\u2019s been inspired moments. This time, I started writing and had a lot of inspiration. Another difference was that usually I play acoustic guitar. This time, I did more electric guitar.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHold to The Light\u201d is billed as \u201ca pop-progressive album that offers a fusion of textured electronic and traditional (guitar, strings, keys) instrumentation with songs bearing Brooke\u2019s keen, soulful lyricism.\u201d<\/p>\n

Produced by Sam Kassirer (Josh Ritter, Lake Street Dive), \u201cHold to The Light\u201d marks several major departures for Annibale in terms of both songwriting and production. Brooke\u2019s thoughtful, layered songwriting anchors the production to explore a range of narratives working through themes of seeking truths, letting go, and reconciling the past with the present.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had my electric guitar for 10 years and I occasionally wrote on it before,\u201d said Annibale. \u201cThis time, I wanted to play around with different sounds \u2013 a new palette with things like pedals. I think it affected my songwriting. There is a different energy with electric rather than acoustic.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started writing more with a full picture in mind. I\u2019d start and then add stuff on tracks at home. There was no set formula for the songwriting. When I was younger, it always started with lyrics. Now, it could be a melody or a chord progression.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s always interesting at the end of making a record to see what themes emerge from a bunch of songs. On the new album, there were a lot of references to time and light. The last song I wrote was the title track \u2013 looking at life and examining it. It summed up the theme.\u201d<\/p>\n

Annibale, who was born, raised and still lives in the Pittsburgh area, headed to New England to make the album.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded the album in Maine,\u201d said Annibale. \u201cSam Kassirer has a studio converted from an old farmhouse that you can live in while you\u2019re recording. I was there a couple weeks in March, a week in June and a week in August.<\/p>\n

\u201cSam and I met in fall 2016. He had heard my previous record and liked it. I was a fan of his from the production work he did with Josh Ritter. He had all kinds of great gear there. I really enjoyed making the record there.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn this tour, I\u2019m performing with a keyboard player \u2013 Mark Ramsey. With drum loops and samples, we p[erform live as a duo. We\u2019re playing a couple songs from each of my releases.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Brooke Annibale \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/DJdgb0egSRM<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Philadelphia Folksong Society will start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times If there is a pantheon for rock deities, the section for powerful female rock goddesses would surely include artists such as Debbie Harry, Pat Benatar, Heart\u2019s Ann and Nancy Wilson, Avril Lavigne and PJ Harvey. There would also be a special section for hard rock lady deities featuring […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28828,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7529],"tags":[10356,10358,10357,6518],"class_list":["post-28826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-bad-wolves","tag-brook-annibale","tag-diamante","tag-featured"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28826","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=28826"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28826\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28827,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28826\/revisions\/28827"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/28828"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28826"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=28826"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=28826"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}