Kiss News

By Eric Shirey / ERSINK.com

Remember when you were a kid (or possibly an adult) and sometimes you would have 12-inch action figures of certain characters and 8-inch ones for others? What kid would be lucky enough to have a parent who could afford to drop a bunch of cash at once getting one of both at the same time? The predicament would leave you frustrated as to how to play with the toys together, especially if they were from the same franchise. Imagine pitting 8-inch Luke Skywalker against 12-inch Darth Vader. It just didn�t seem to be a fair fight, right?

Figures Toys Company has you covered when it comes to putting on your very own make-believe KISS concerts in 12-inch or 8-inch glory! The toy gurus recently announced three different combo sets of action figures from different eras in the career of the Hottest Band in the Land. You can take your pick of or mix and match different incarnations of the band members dressed in their costumes from the album covers for �Dressed to Kill,� �Sonic Boom,� and �Monster.� There are even a couple bonus variations available of Paul Stanley in a Starchild �Monster� Feather Variant and Gene Simmons as the Demon for a �Hotter Than Hell� Bloody Variant and Demon "Monster" Bloody Edition With Bass Guitars.

Each comes in a combo pack which includes a 12-inch and 8-inch action figure for KISS fans to collect. If you get them all, you could stage your very own KISS ultimate reunion! Imagine Paul and Gene backed up by two Spacemen and Catmen all jamming your favorite tunes. Now if we could only get Bruce Kulick �Revenge� - era, Eric Carr �Fox� Tribute, Mark St. John �Animalize� Tribute, and Vinnie Vincent �Ankh� action figures made we could have the super jam to end all super jams!

KISS fanatics need to act quickly, though. Figures Toys Company only manufactured 75 to 100 of each of these action figures. They all retail at $59 each except the Demon "Monster" Bloody Edition With Bass Guitars, which is an Excelsior Toys exclusive. For more information on how to start Rocking and Rolling All Nite with the KISS Limited Edition 8 and 12-Inch Figure Two-Packs click here.

Save 20% off LA KISS merchandise now at http://store.lakissfootball.com/!

We love it!

Happy birthday to our God of Thunder, Gene Simmons!

We hope you have an awesome day filled with all the cake you want!

Soul Station is a ten piece coalition of some of today�s leading musicians paying tribute to an era of great soul music.

�When I was a boy, before I ever saw the Who or Led Zeppelin, I saw Solomon Burke and Otis Redding. I saw the Temptations. It�s tragic to think that so many people are missing out on experiencing the power of so many great bands, artists and that incredible music,� said Stanley. �That music is part of the foundation of all the music I�ve made and Soul Station is my chance to celebrate it for a night that�s real and live.�

To clarify further he adds, �I don�t play guitar in the band and we don�t do a single KISS song. That's not what this is about,� Stanley continues. �It�s magical to hear those songs played right and we�re making magic.�

�We�re living in a time of being fed canned pre-programmed backing tracks and lip syncing in place of the electricity and passion of real live R&B,� says Stanley. �When I was a boy, before I ever saw the Who or Led Zeppelin, I saw Solomon Burke and Otis Redding. I saw the Temptations and all that music is part of the foundation of the music I�ve made. Soul Station is my chance to celebrate it for a night that�s real, live and faithfully recreates the sound with the respect it deserves. Whether it�s the Stylistics, the Dramatics, the Temptations, Smokey and the Miracles, Blue Magic and on, these songs, arrangements and sound just blow you away.� To clarify further he adds, �I don�t play guitar in the band and we don�t do a single KISS song. That's not what this is about,� Stanley continues. �It�s magical to hear those songs played right and we�re making magic.�

September 11, Soul Station debut at Los Angeles� legendary Roxy Theatre.

Tickets for the show will go on sale beginning 3pm ET/2pm CT/noon PT today, August 4th, at www.ticketfly.com.

Stanley�s legendary band members will include: Rafael �Hoffa� Moreira (guitar & backing vocals), Sean Hurley (bass), Alex Alessandroni (keyboards), Ely Rise (keyboards), Eric Singer (drums & backing vocals), Ramon Yslas (percussion), Nelson Beato (backing vocals), Crystal Starr (backing vocals) and Ayana Layli (backing vocals).

As co-founder of KISS, Stanley has piloted the band's music and business through its 40-year career as one of the biggest bands in the history of rock. In addition to 100 million in world sales, their 30 U.S. gold albums make them the #1 American band for most certified gold albums. Stronger than ever, the KISS legacy continues to grow, generation after generation. In celebration of 40 years, the band released KISS 40, a 2 CD set featuring forty tracks spanning KISS�s incredible forty-year recording career. Stanley has further established his legacy when his memoir Face The Music: A Life Exposed debuted at #2 on the New York Times best seller list upon its April 2014 release.

Soul Station Band Members

Rafael �Hoffa� Moreira (guitar & backing vocals)
Moreira has performed and recorded with the likes of Pink, Christina Aguilera, Steven Tyler, Backstreet Boys, New Kids On The Block, Sheryl Crow and Stevie Wonder in addition to being featured on television shows The Voice, American Idol, Rockstar INXS and Supernova.

Sean Hurley (bass)
Hurley is an LA-based recording and touring bassist for John Mayer and many others including Robin Thicke, Annie Lennox and Ringo Starr.

Alex Alessandroni (keyboards)
Alessandroni has performed, directed and/or recorded with artists such as Babyface, Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera, Pink, Nelly Furtado, LeAnn Rimes, Faith Evans, Tony Braxton, Bobby Brown, Natalie Cole, Mike Patton and many more.

Ely Rise (keyboards)
Rise has performed on television shows like The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live! in addition to having written and produced for acts such as Adam Lambert, Macy Gray and Mike Posner. He stands as the go-to session player for some of today�s biggest producers.

Eric Singer (drums & backing vocals)
Singer has been a member of KISS for over 20 years, recording and touring worldwide to millions of fans. He has also toured with Brian May, Black Sabbath, Lita Ford and Alice Cooper.

Ramon Yslas (percussion)
Yslas is one of modern music�s most accomplished in his field, having done world tours and performances with platinum artists including Christina Aguilera, Bonnie Raitt, Jennifer Lopez and the Backstreet Boys. He has made numerous network television appearances with the likes of Stevie Nicks, Martina McBride and Carlos Santana on shows such as Saturday Night Live, Oprah, American Idol, The Tonight Show and Late Night with David Letterman.

Nelson Beato (backing vocals)
Beato has worked with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Adele, Smokey Robinson, Lionel Richie, Madonna, Justin Timberlake and Kendrick Lamar and has appeared as a background vocalist on American Idol and The Voice. His voice can also be heard on albums by Josh Groban, Michael Bubl�, Guy Sebastian and Bebe Winans.

Crystal Starr (backing vocals)
Starr has backed artists such as Jessica Simpson, Stevie Wonder, Kanye West and Ariana Grande in addition to competing on American Idol and recently starring on Broadway�s Baby It�s You. Starr has also been a background vocalist on The Voice.

Ayana Layli (backing vocals)
Layli has sung for movies, commercials and records and began touring across the globe with singer/songwriter Sergio Mendes at the age of 21. She has also been a background vocalist for American Idol and The Voice.

Epiphone celebrates the new Ltd. Ed. Tommy Thayer �White Lightning� Les Paul Outfit by giving our fans in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and EU a chance to win their own Epiphone �White Lightning� Les Paul with custom case designed by Tommy Thayer! Fans can enter the form below to register to win. Winners from each region will be chosen on September 1.

The new Ltd. Ed. Tommy Thayer �White Lightning� Les Paul Outfit is Tommy�s second signature Les Paul with Epiphone and features a beautiful custom metallic white finish and Seymour Duncan� JB� Humbuckers, specially chosen by Thayer. The guitar also features a custom �White Lightning� hard case and a signed Certificate of Authenticity.

"My new White Lightning signature model is the pinnacle of looks, style and flash,� said Tommy Thayer. �I'm proud to put my name on a serious guitar that can be enjoyed at home or rock the biggest stages in the world."

There has never been an American band like KISS, recognized by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the greatest trailblazing rock groups of all time. �Spaceman� Tommy Thayer�s life story is the classic tale of a musician who knew from childhood that he�d one day perform all over the world playing a Les Paul.

CLICK HERE to enter the Tommy Thayer guitar giveaway contest now!

By Matthew Wilkening / Ultimate Classic Rock

For our money, some of the very best Kiss songs feature founding bassist Gene Simmons indulging his demonic side. Don�t get us wrong, we�ve got nothing against songs about sex or rock and roll. But, somehow when the man born as Chaim Witz starts ruminating on the evil within man�s soul, we get scared in a particularly good way. To celebrate Gene�s 64th birthday (Aug. 25, 1949), we take a look at the 10 Most Demonic Gene Simmons Kiss Songs:

10. 'Not for the Innocent' From 'Lick it Up' (1983)
 
"Bad habits drip like honey / No tongue can lick me clean"

Justifiably concerned that having their iconic masked images sold on everything from bedsheets to dolls had softened their image -- to say nothing of the overly poppy music featured on albums like 1979's 'Dynasty' -- Kiss took the greasepaint off and let Gene get down to serious business again on songs like this one. He quickly draws a line in the sand between himself and the nice folks, and over a storming Vinnie Vincent guitar riff, warns the innocent masses that playtime is now over.

9. 'Mr. Blackwell' From 'Music from the Elder' (1981)
 
"I am a sinner who just loves to sin"

This is a great, truly demonic Gene Simmons song that got lost amidst the high-minded goals of Kiss' much-bashed 1981 concept record. Over a downright funky, stop-start bass groove, Mr. Blackwell (the fashion critic? doubtful..) is brought to shame time and time again by Simmons, who asserts that while he's far from a saint himself, even he can tell that his foe is "not well." He finally goes on to declare his enemy worthy of a one-way trip to hell.

Read More: 10 Most Demonic Gene Simmons KKISS Songs | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/most-demonic-gene-simmons-kiss-songs/?trackback=tsmclip

 By Matthew Wilkening / Ultimate Classic Rock

The best Paul Stanley KISS songs show just how important the talent and charisma of the man born Stanley Harvey Eisen are to one of hard rock�s most outrageous and enduring bands.

Think about it, this whole ridiculous circus doesn�t fly without a ringleader who truly believes in the power of rock and roll enough to don warpaint, platform boots, feathers and leather night after night while staring down decades of critical sniping and changing musical trends.

Which is exactly what Stanley has done without falter, even as his bandmates came, went or got caught up in film careers or other outside interests. So here they are, the 10 best songs featuring the true president of KISSnation, Paul Stanley:

10. 'Lick It Up' From: 'Lick it Up' (1983)
 
 We kick off this list with proof positive that Stanley's ability to write catchy anthems didn't leave him when the band's makeup came off in 1983. Throughout the band's "unmasked" era, it was mostly Stanley-fronted tracks like 'Heaven's on Fire,' 'Tears are Falling' and 'Crazy Nights' that kept the band on the charts. 'Lick It Up' -- a "seize the day" anthem for the bedroom --  has proven to be the most enduring song from this era, and remains a highlight of the group's live shows to this day.

9. 'Sure Know Something' From: 'Dynasty' (1979)

OK, this might start trouble, but you can't have a list of the top Paul Stanley Kiss songs without acknowledging his ballads, ability to adapt to the times, or most importantly, skills with a pop hook. Here he takes a break from bragging about the rocket in his pocket to deliver a tender account of the first time he got his heart broken. The shift in dynamics between the dreamy, disco-tinged verses and the more traditionally rocking chorus make this one of his most sophisticated singles.

Read More: Top 10 Paul Stanley Kiss Songs | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/paul-stanley-kiss-songs/?trackback=tsmclip

KISS IS EVERYWHERE!

From the York Revolution:

From the This Actually Happened Department: York Revs pitcher Josh Judy handed out copies of the "York Revolutionary Times" at the gates tonight, which has his face painted like Gene Simmons from KISS on the cover.

Alexander Johanssons extraordinary KISS collection is displayed at the collector site Collra - http://goo.gl/DpLS2X.

The KISS Army Rocks!