Andrew Hampp | Billboard

For 40 years, Kiss has built a legacy on being a must-see live spectacle, with elaborate makeup, costumes and pyro that can still pack arenas and stadiums around the globe. And indeed, the band’s founding members Paul Stanley andGene Simmons had finished a sold-out South American stadium tourjust hours prior to returning to Los Angeles.

The occasion? The ASCAP Pop Music Awards, where Simmons and Stanley accepted the ASCAP Founders Award, an annual honor given to a music pioneer. Though Kiss will continue to tour throughout the year, with treks that are about to take them into Germany, the Czech Republic and Australia, “it was always about the songs,” Stanley said in his acceptance speech. “For bands that last 40 years, it’s not about the smoke, it’s not about the makeup, it’s about the songs.”

Stanley, 62, and Simmons, 65, are the only founding members who still tour as Kiss, though they did reunite with Ace Frehley and Peter Criss for the band’s 2014 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But in an interview with Billboard, the seemingly ageless rockers didn’t spend much time dwelling on the importance of certain trophies. Instead, they seemed genuinely grateful to be in the position of being a still-vital draw on the road that, Stanley says, can crank out some solid new tunes when the inspiration strikes.

Billboard: Congrats on receiving the ASCAP Founders Award. Given all the attention paid to your live show, what does winning a songwriting-based award mean to you?

Paul Stanley: I believe we come from a philosophy that really covets and looks up the source, whether it was the Brill Building and Goffin and King or Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, or the Gershwin Brothers or Lennon-McCartney, it really comes down to a great song. For us to be feted this way, join the company that have come before, it doesn’t suck.

How did Dave Grohl come to be selected for your introduction tonight?

Stanley: I’m friends with Dave, and really when I said would you come and do this he jumped at it. Look Dave is arguably the last major rock star of the last three decades. He’s filling stadiums worldwide because he understands his roots and that’s what we’re about. Some people have forgotten where we started and who inspired us.

It’s been just over a year since you received another distinct honor, being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A year out, what does that recognition mean to you now?

Gene Simmons: I’m not sure. When you’re busy doing your own stuff it’s like running a race. You try not to look over your shoulder to see who else is in the race, you do the best you can. I think there’s a decided difference between the pop songwriters who are magnificent in their own way. I could never do what they do, which is to sit down and write a song and figure out which artist is gonna sing the song. I can’t do that. I think what we’re best at is writing songs for who we are. It’s an individual sort of approach, it’s defined, it’s for the fans. I don’t know that you can be all things to everybody, which is why there are different kinds of music. There are balladeers and guitar slingers and so forth. If your songs connect with the fans and they pump their fists in the air and go, “Yeah!!” that’s when a song really works. That’s the electric church of it. The glory hallelujah of it.

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Michael Brandvold

Terry X

Happy Birthday Ace Frehley! We got together with our PODCAST ROCK CITY bro Joe Polo, and the lovely Kandi Burton to celebrate Ace Frehley’s Birthday!

Joe Polo

We have all seen the mud slinging between Gordon Gebert and Billy W. Wilson now hear the interview as to how it all started.. Maybe Obama should send PODCAST ROCK CITY around the world to solve problems…

VH1

Joe Polo

Terry X

Brian Truitt | Courier-Post

They’ll be selling Scooby Snacks soon in Detroit Rock City.

The super-sleuthing canine and “the hottest band in the world” are teaming up in the animated film Scooby-Doo! and Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery, available July 10 on digital HD platforms and July 21 on Blu-ray/DVD from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

Kiss members Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer voice their own characters in the movie, which centers on a Halloween concert at the group’s amusement park Kiss World. Scooby, Shaggy and the rest of the Mystery Inc. gang drop by to hear some tunes but wind up partnering with the musicians to take on the Crimson Witch, a spooky lady with a nefarious plan to summon the evil and powerful Destroyer from the alternate dimension of Kissteria.

The cartoon Mystery features six classic Kiss numbers plus a new song by the band just for the film, which features guest voice stars Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Darius Rucker, Garry Marshall, Penny Marshall, Jennifer Carpenter and Pauley Perrette.

This isn’t the first time Kiss and Scooby have shared screen time: The band also appeared on a 2003 Halloween episode of What’s New, Scooby-Doo?

Chris Czynszak | Decibel Geek

This week Aaron and Chris celebrate the 4 year anniversary of Decibel Geek with an in-depth conversation with Mark Slaughter. Currently promoting his new solo album produced by Michael Wagener, ‘Reflections in a Rearview Mirror‘ Mark was kind enough to sit down in-person with Aaron, Chris, and Decibel Geek writer Billy Hardaway for a long-form talk on the new album, the history of Slaughter, and A LOT of discussion about his days working with Vinnie Vincent in the Invasion.

Joe Polo

Nick DeRiso | Ultimate Classic Rock

Hyped by ESPN2 as a Battle of the Bands, the AFL matchup between Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley‘s LA Kiss vs. Vince Neil‘s Las Vegas Outlaws instead was no contest. The now 2-1 Outlaws blew past the Kiss 61-48 in Los Angeles on Saturday (April 11), keeping LA winless on the season.

In fact, the Kiss are on an eight-game losing streak dating back to last year. But that hasn’t stopped fans from flocking to their games. (Los Angeles averaged just under 11,000 fans a night in their 2014 inaugural season, while the Outlaws played before just over 4,000 last week at home.) It also hasn’t stopped this new matchup from becoming an instant grudge match.

First-year Las Vegas owner Neil, for instance, snagged former Kiss quarterback Aaron Garcia as head coach. Outlaws fullback Joe Mortenson also played in L.A. last year. “There’s rivalries all across the league,” Outlaws quarterback J.J. Raterink told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “This one seems like a natural because of the proximity of the teams and given who the owners are.”

Neil posted a celebratory tweet after his Outlaws used a 27-point fourth quarter to defeat the Kiss. The two teams will meet for a second time on May 4 back in Las Vegas.

And make no mistake, these rockers-turned-sports moguls are taking all of this very seriously. Both Simmons and Stanley have been fixtures at the LA games. They even started a team-based reality show.

Neil, meanwhile, reportedly told the in-house disc jockey at the Outlaws’ Thomas & Mack Center not to play Kiss music over the facility’s PA system, only to hear “Rock and Roll All Night” during the fourth quarter of a March 30 loss to the AFL’s San Jose SaberCats. There was a new DJ at the arena last week, according to the Review-Journal.

Blabbermouth

Natalia Britt of California Rock News conducted an interview with former KISS and current GRAND FUNK RAILROAD guitarist Bruce Kulick prior to his ESP guitar master class clinic for 6-string.com. You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about his time in KISS, Kulick said: “KISS is one of those bands that the whole world knows, and usually, people that aren’t really a fan will only think of makeup as KISS, because that’s what, of course, made them famous and they’ve been back in that for so many years. But a real fan knows there’s a whole wealth of material — over a decade of years that are non-makeup, which is… I kind of wave the flag for all of that.”

He continued: “If you, for example, didn’t know there was a makeup KISS, and there wouldn’t have been a version for me to join if it wasn’t for the makeup KISS, but the truth is… When I was in the band, we kept it going, we had hits, we had gold, platinum records, toured the world — arenas, the whole thing… But I find, even with them continuing, and they turn on new generations of fans. So they… For instance, they were in Japan not that long ago, and now they’re going to South America, and now I’m seeing a lot of people following me on Twitter and Facebook [from] South America. In Japan, I picked up all these fans that started following me, ’cause [KISS recently] went to Japan. And they did something very smart in Japan, where they kind of were doing gigs with a very popular pop group of little Japanese women. And that was really interesting, even though it looks odd. But it exposed KISS, and what KISS represents, and everything about KISS‘ music and the vibe of KISS to a whole another generation.”

Kulick added: “I noticed I’m getting all these tweets from fans over there… It’s written in Japanese letters; I don’t know what it is. I go, ‘Why would a 15-year-old know about me?’ But, again, it’s because [KISS is] out there. KISS is one of those bands that you just keep sharing, the same way, I’m sure… Now AC/DC is coming out with a new record and everything, and they’re gonna be touring, so there’ll be new 15-year-olds that will [go], ‘Oh my God! AC/DC. This is amazing.’ And that’s what’s great about the kind of music that I grew up with.”

In 1984, Bruce joined KISS, where he remained as their lead guitarist for twelve years, accompanying the band on the “Animalize” tour and continuing with the band until the 1996 reunion tour. Bruce is heavily featured on “Kissology – Vol. 2” and “Vol. 3”, the band’s DVDs spanning their historic 35-year career.

Kulick‘s third solo album, “BK3”, was released in Europe in January 2010 via Frontiers Records and in North America in February 2010 through Twenty 4 Records/Rocket Science Ventures. The first single from the album, “Hand Of The King”, featuring Nick Simmons (son of KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons), was a digital-only release available at all online music stores, including iTunes.
Read more at http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/bruce-kulick-waves-flag-for-kisss-non-makeup-years/#fRxFV5fAjdOHKoFC.99

Cameron | Hays Post

Ace Frehley’s most recent solo album, Space Invader, was released only about six months ago, but the ex-KISS guitarist already has started work a new record.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer tells Billboard that he’s recording a covers project that will feature songs by bands that inspired his own music.

“The album’s going to be about my influences,” explains Frehley.

“I’m probably going to do a Rolling Stones song, a Who song, possibly a Led Zeppelin song, maybe a Beatles song.  Stuff from bands that I grew up on and greatly influenced me.”

The 63-year-old rocker also says he’s recording new renditions of some vintage KISS material, as well as a track by his solo group Frehley’s Comet.

Ace has asked some famous fellow rockers to contribute their talents to the record, including Slash, Lita Ford and Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready, although it’s not clear if they’ve accepted the invitation.

Frehley also tells Billboard that he’s considering calling on his former KISS band mate Gene Simmons “to play bass on a track and sing with me.”

With regard to the KISS tunes he’s thinking about remaking for the album, Ace reports that he’s “probably going to redo both ‘Cold Gin’ and ‘Parasite,’” which are songs that he wrote but that Simmons originally sang.

As for the project’s status, Frehley tells Billboard he plans to record six to eight more songs, then choose the 12 tracks he likes the best.

Frehley will be heading Down Under soon for a tour in support of Space Invader that kicks off April 24 in Wellington, New Zealand, and runs through a May 7 show in Mount Lawley, Australia.  He also has a European trek lined up in June.

Robin Leach | Las Vegas Sun

L.E. Baskow

A local author has penned an intriguing parody book and behind-the-scenes look at rock legend Gene Simmons. Packed with interesting facts, the tome “Gene Simmons Is a Powerful & Attractive Man — and Other Irrefutable Facts” is published by Plume Books from the Penguin Group and also is available as an eBook. Gene authorized the book and also wrote its foreword.

With tongue firmly planted in his cheek, Gene himself sets the tone of the book: “I have known Gene Simmons for a very long time. Over the years, I have witnessed astounding feats, met incredible people and seen amazing places, but none so astounding, incredible or amazing as Gene Simmons himself.

“I look at Gene Simmons, a 60-plus-year-old man with the energy and vitality of a teenager, and think he is exactly the living legend he always knew he would be. To this day, I am still Gene’s closest friend, ally, admirer and confidante. I am his biggest fan. So I can say with complete confidence that even now, Gene’s best is still yet to come. The best thing about Gene Simmons is that there will only ever be one. It’s been the honor of a lifetime knowing him.”

He admits in the book to sleeping with 5,000 women because he wanted “to get all the girls.” “There was only one reason why I made the decision to become a rock god: Girls!”

 Continue reading….

Terry X

Episode 45 finds us joined by KEN MILLS from The PODKISST, to discuss what made KISS so phenomenal in the early days, before Alive! We take a loving look at the young and hungry band that was soon to be the biggest band in the world! We had a blast crossing over with The PODKISST, and hope you enjoy the show!

Seth Kelley | Variety

Larry Busacca

KISS will receive the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Founders Award at the org’s annual Pop Music Awards in Los Angeles on April 29.

The invitation-only event will also honor the Doobie Brothers with the Voice of Music Award, and indie darling St. Vincent with the Vanguard Award.

The rock band KISS, formed in the early ’70s, has sold over 100 million albums with hits like “Strutter,” “Shout It Out Loud,” “Detroit Rock City,” “Rock and Roll All Nite,” “Christine Sixteen,” “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” and “Beth.” Over its 40-year career, the band has released 28 gold albums — the most of any American rock band — and in 2014 KISS was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

KISS joins past Founders Award recipients including Jackson Browne, Elvis Costello, Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Smokey Robinson, Carly Simon, Stevie Wonder and Neil Young.

The Pop Music Awards will precede the annual ASCAP “I Create Music” expo, a three-day songwriting and composing conference at the Loews Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles.