Bruce Springsteen returns with his 17th album, Wrecking Ball, on March 6th via Columbia Records. Spanning 11 tracks, the album was produced by Ron Aniello and features guest appearances from guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Matt Chamberlain, along with members of the E Street Band.

Leading up to the album’s release, one new song will be streamed each day from midnight to midnight. Today, check out ”Death to My Hometown” at Paste.com.

Pre-orders for Wrecking Ball are now available.

Wrecking Ball Tracklist:
01. We Take Care of Our Own
02. Easy Money
03. Shackled and Down
04. Jack of All Trades
05. Death to My Hometown
06. The Depression
07. Wrecking Ball
08. You’ve Got It
09. Rocky Ground
10. Land of Hope and Dreams
11. We Are Live
12. Swallowed Up (iTunes Bonus Track)
13. American Land (iTunes Bonus Track)

Consequence of Sound

Papaver Somniferum

Opium is a liquid scraped from the opium poppy seed. Papaver somniferum, is the opium seed, by scraping the unripened seed capsule, collecting and drying the tincture, opium is made. Poppy seed plants have been cultivated throughout time. From ancient Persia, Egypt, and Mesopotamia this plant and its effects have been used to cure common ailments and emotional troubles.

Ancient Prescriptions

Ancient Greek physicians widely doled out opium. They would make the medicinal opium by grinding the whole poppy seed plant or just use some of the exudate to cure certain maladies These maladies included venomous bites, chronic headaches, vertigo, spitting of blood, tightness in the chest, colic, urinary problems, fevers melancholy, the list is endless. It was also widely given to women to help cure them of their womanly woes, an ancient Midol.

Emotional Cures

We know now that the properties of opium did not cure such ailments as vertigo or spitting of blood, though we do know it relieves the sensation of pain. Whether the pain is emotional or physical, it has been used throughout history to help individuals cope with day to day life. Even today poppy seed tea is served at funerals to aid mourners in their grief. Opium has been called many different names such as; The Plant of Joy, Sacred Anchor of Life, Milk of Paradise, The Hand of God, and the Destroyer of Grief. Many ancients thought that opium was specifically given to them from the god(s) to help man and his suffering.

Habit Forming

However, history has proved that opium leads to a nasty addiction. Britain, China, and the Middle East have all been ridden with opium addictions, and the United States is suffering from opiate abuse as well. Once laudanum was added to opium it widely became habit forming. Despite its addictive nature it induces a gentle dream-like hallucinatory high, which compared to LSD and other psychoactive is very subtle. Breaking the habit usually requires a detoxification center.

Opium Wars

Opium is a very controversial drug; it has lead to wars among nations and individual wars for those addicted to it. It is smuggled in and out of countries and has truly wrecked nations such as Afghanistan. Still though some countries use it culturally, like the Chinese in the 1800’s. During the building of the railroads many Chinese immigrated to the United States. It was widely believed that they were responsible for bringing the “hydra-headed monster”, opium, to the states and ruining society. So in an attempt to create a less addictive pain reliever an English pharmacist, C.R. Alder Wright, created heroin instead. His attempt at creating a less addictive pain reliever failed.

Standard shipping & handling charges apply to all orders. Please enter ad code PT02 at checkout to receive your educator 40% discount. This offer is limited to the items featured in the February 2012 Teacher VIP Special Offer.

If you are not a part of the Teacher VIP or new release club, simply call 1-800-322-1127 to enroll.  See details about the First Choice New Release Club here.

ComposeCreate.com

Let’s face it, your planning abilities make you more than capable of creating an elaborate family budget, time for volunteering, planning recitals, judging, social events, spending time with family, etc… but you just might not know where to begin when it comes to your teaching business outside of the usual scheduling. You’re a piano teacher who has a successful home studio and you know you could be making more money, and would certainly like to, but you’re doing everything in your power and your business still isn’t doing what you want it to financially. Here are 5 essentials that need to be a part of your business strategy in order to be financially satisfied in your piano teaching career.

1.  Plan your year, one year in advance; from private lessons, vacations, to master classes and summer camps. The planning process is best done after the first of the year, so you can hammer out all of the details of summer by March…when people start planning their summer vacations and other activities. Be sure to plan through May of the following year and include potential performance dates.
2. Plan your budget; additional insurance, taxes, music expenses (you know some months are greater than others), fees, piano tunings, etc…You know when taxes are due, the months you need to make large music purchases, months you need to purchase office supplies, photocopying expenses for recitals, etc…streamline any process you can think of to make your life easier. How much money do you need to be bringing in each month to live how you want?
3. Evaluate the previous year. What was your best new idea last year? What was your best old idea that has stood the test of time? What was your worst new idea? Was it the idea or your implementation of the idea? It’s important to evaluate and learn from our previous experiences. This evaluation needs to be from a financial perspective as well as an operational perspective.
4. Plan your salary. Yes, YOU can change how much you make with a very simple step: raise your rates. If you haven’t raised your rates in a few years, imagine me waiving my finger at you…and then begin writing your new tuition policy. I gave myself a 7% raise last year so this year decided not to raise my tuition, though I did raise the annual enrollment fee that goes to cover the cost of music and recitals. As a point of reference, in 2011 the national average for raises in the United States was 3%.
5. Compare/evaluate your budgets and income from the past two years and develop a two-year projection of where you think you will be (based on previous numbers) and where you would like to be. Are they close? If not, do you know how to get it up to where you would like it?

The operative words you see here are “plan” and “evaluate.” When you run a business (which you are,) the worst thing you can possibly do is the “sit and wait” philosophy or the “I will build it and they will come” mentality and find out that you have no money to pay the electric bill come next month.

We plan ahead for our student lessons, we plan ahead for recitals, we plan ahead for so many things but yet we financially (as piano teachers) seem to still be lagging in our collective financial successes. For those of us in single-income homes/families, it’s imperative we plan and budget. It’s just as important however, if the income from your piano teaching business is secondary – it’s important because the rest of us need you to make it a priority. If there is an “industry standard”, everyone wins!

When you planned this year, did you:

• Consult last year’s numbers?
• Address the challenging months and try to develop a plan to make those leaner months, less lean?
• Ask what works about your tuition collection?
• Ask what could be improved?

Ask those tough questions and share your feedback and questions here.

If you have questions for Kristin or Wendy about business matters, please email your question and we’ll get you an answer!

ComposeCreate.com

Emerging from two years of carefully crafted buzz with a well-received debut album, Jack White protégés and Third Man Records label denizens The Black Belles are Nashville’s preeminent gothic garage rock export. Their post-Valentine’s day show at Chicago’s Empty Bottle proved that word has spread extraordinarily well about the mysterious ladies. Sandwiched between a bill consisting of local act Hollows and tour mates Bleached, The Black Belles packed the L-shaped venue to its grimy gills, drawing all types from the curious interlopers to a trio of fans dressed in signature Black Belles uniform: full ebony-hued garb and wide brim felt hats.

Because the quartet has been so hyped and buzzed about, there is always an element of surprise when such a widely-discussed act exceeds expectations. As most anyone familiar with the group knows, their aesthetics are key in their overall brand: form fitting vintage black lace and velvet dresses seemingly pulled from the Addams Family attic, pale face contrasted with black lipstick, straight black hairdos, and their distinguishable hats. These combined elements made for a looming presence on the Empty Bottle’s corner stage.

As the Belles launched into opener “Leave You With a Letter”, drummer Shelby Lynne became a blur of raven hair and fair-skinned limbs (sans hat), setting a raucous pace for Olivia Jones’ sultry, trilling vocals. The underlying rhythm burst from Ruby Rogers’ jet black bass (matching the other instruments on stage in true Third Man Records form), lighting the path for Tina NoGood’s synthy organ punctuations. The sound that emerged captivated the at-capacity crowd for the entire set. Standouts from their self-titled LP such as “Honky Tonk Horror” and “Knocking on the Wrong Door” scorched the venue with a green-flamed rockabilly tone. A few B-sides to their various seven inches worked their way into the set as well, “Miss Black Boots” and “Dead Shoe” serving up ambling, eerie tones to flesh out their live material.

One concert goer mused in between songs, “If Hell had a house band, this would be it.” A high compliment to The Black Belles, their drudge graveyard rock was precise, unrelenting, and (dare I say) bewitching. After just nine songs, the set felt wickedly short as Olivia Jones cracked a wide grin, thanked the crowd, and hustled off stage with her band mates.

While touring to support their self-titled debut, the quartet took a moment to answer our burning questions about their influences, tour rituals, and mysterious backgrounds. Always coy with their responses, the members still maintain a shroud of mystery. Their first LP, The Black Belles, is available from Third Man Records, in addition to a variety of 7’’ singles. You can also catch their spooky pipes on the theme song for Elvira’s new horror movie digest show, Movie Macabre.

With White behind the boards as producer and Queen of Rockabilly/label mate Wanda Jackson’s influence heard throughout the album, your influences go back pretty clearly. What was the listening regimen while recording The Black Belles?

Olivia: We listened to a lot of Os Mutantes and The Damned, but mainly we were completely immersed in the album and finding our own sound. We listened to our own tracks a lot.

 On the subject of legends, what are some essential albums on your turntable?

Olivia: Black Monk Time by The Monks, and the B-52s debut album.
Tina: Trogglodynamite by The Troggs, Odessey and Oracle by the Zombies.
Shelby: Fire of Love by The Gun Club
Ruby: House Rockin by The Gories. Bo Diddly and Buddy Holly are also essential!

Olivia’s background cites formative years in Detroit, also home to the White Stripes. So what do you think is in the water in Detroit that give people a strange, spooky musical prowess?

Olivia: Detroit has a really open-minded music scene. It seems that cities that are downtrodden have a lot more angst, and this can come through in the music.

 On your first tour this spring, what’s the pre-show ritual? Witchcraft?

Tina: We like to turn on The Cramps and have a dance party before we go on.
Olivia: Poof our hair, paint our lips, shake our hips, make some tips.

You’ve generated a cauldron-full of blog buzz and were named Vogue’s Band of the Week in November. Is the all-black wardrobe label-mandated or pulled from your personal closets?

Shelby: Our personal closets. I bought the dress I’m wearing at a garage sale for a dollar.
Ruby: We are all vintage fans, but also like the retro reproductions that are popular right now. American Gold hooked us up with some beautiful dresses and crazy bell bottoms that were inspired by vintage ’60s and ’70s styles. We love them!

What’s on the horizon after you kick off your heels and rest from the tour? Any more Colbert collaborations or the like in the future?

Olivia: We’re looking forward to touring and promoting the album. We want to head to the West Coast and Europe. No future plans with Colbert.
Tina: We’ve also got a new music video in the works.

Alright, your bios and TMR press seemed to have kept your back-stories under closely monitored enigma. Can you divulge a teeny bit of background story of the members in the band?

Ruby: We wrote our bios on the Black Belles Web site ourselves… [note:  spooky excerpts below]

Shelby Lynne: “from sunny California. Unfortunately… expelled from public school for performing exorcism on fellow [unwilling] classmates.”

Ruby Rogers: “an atypical Mississippi belle…rumored to be a practitioner of witchcraft.”

Olivia Jean: “a creature native to Detroit, MI…a notorious creature that’s feared throughout the world and generally has a bad reputation of being very aggressive and highly venomous.”

Tina NoGood: “Grew up in Nashville, TN…inducted into the group during a candlelit midnight ceremony.”

Just out of curiosity, how much black eyeliner do you go through a month?

Shelby: We don’t use eyeliner, we just look like this.

 Photography by Wallo Villacorta. 

Consequence of Sound

Easy To Follow Steps

This program has helped countless people meet and even exceed their fitness goals. It has been used by both star athletes and celebrities all over the world. The Body of Fire fitness program clearly lays out the methods for successful weight loss. It is not an easy program, however, and requires a large amount of dedication to be successful. However, anyone who closely follows the program will obtain staggering results for themselves.

Popularity

This program has become wildly popular for many reasons. Chief amongst these reasons is how simple the program is to use. It clearly lays out the exercises and foods a person will need to use in order to become successful. If you adhere to these principles you will begin to lose weight in no time. It will shock you, if you follow the diet plan that is laid out in the program, how much more energy you will have throughout the course of the day. The foods that you will be eating will help trick your body into working harder than ever before so you begin to see results rapidly.

Exercise Routine

Another reason this program is successful for people is because it teaches users how to lose weight in a healthy manner. Many times, programs will advocate unhealthy ways for people to lose weight. These programs never lead to long lasting results. However, with the Body of Fire program, you can expect your results to last far after completion of the program. It is very effective because of all of the great exercises in it that have been proven to help stimulate weight loss quickly.

Benefits

An individual who chooses the Body of Fire weight loss program, and follows its instructions, will reap many benefits from using it. They will have more energy throughout the day than they are used to experiencing. They will enjoy better sleep patterns, as well as looking the best they ever have in their lives. If a person decides they want to get into shape in a healthy and long lasting way they would be wise to consider this comprehensive program. It is one of the most effective ways to lose weight and gain muscle that exists.

If you are sick of feeling lethargic and out of shape, this program may be the answer you have been waiting for. It does not offer any easy solutions. It requires lots of sweat and dedication in order to work. However, if you follow the instructions, you will be on your way to the best body you have ever had. If you are skeptical about anything that the Body of Fire program claims to do, go online and look at some of the before and after photos of previous users. Another great program that is similar to this one is called the Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle reviews weight loss program. Both these programs advocate healthy eating and fat burning exercises to get long lasting results.

School of Seven Bells were your Friday night musical guests on Fallon, performing “The Night” from their upcoming third LP Ghostory. Watch the replay below.

Ghostory arrives February 28th via Vagrant Records/Ghostly International.

Consequence of Sound