At: Guitar Center

July 21 marks the release of our 4th installment of the Fresh Cuts compilation CD series. This time we’ve teamed up with legendary alt rock band, Weezer, who chose which songs made it on to the CD and appear on the CD via their previously unreleased tune, “Everybody Go Away.”

Guitar Center employees across the nation were able to submit one song for consideration through the GAIN Program. A limited run of 50,000 CDs have been pressed and are available for FREE at all Guitar Center locations while supplies last.

Congratulations to the GAIN artists whose songs were chosen to appear on Fresh Cuts Volume 4.

1. “Everybody Go Away” – Weezer
Written by Rivers Cuomo, Published by E.O. Smith Music (BMI)
2. “She’d Be Good For Me” – Jason Cropper
Featuring Jason R. Cropper, GC Pro Account Manager, of Guitar Center West LA, CA
3. “Ghost” – SkinGod
Featuring Tom Binasco of Guitar Center Manhattan, NY
4. “The Diamond Studded King” – The Substance
Featuring Stephen Savona, Assistant Manager, of Guitar Center Totowa , NJ
5. “Back to the Past” – William Wiegand
Featuring William Wiegand of Guitar Center Kendall, FL
6. “The War” – Brett Pearson
Featuring Brett Pearson, Assistant Manager, of Guitar Center El Toro, CA
7. “No Second Guessin’” – Trunk Bound Regime ft. DJ Spare Change
Featuring Michael Cooley and Kenny Pyles of Guitar Center Dayton, OH and Chelsea Johnson, Operations Manager, of Guitar Center Lexington, KY
8. “Way Down” – Googutz
Featuring Jason Pellegrino, Inventory Control, and Chris Roberts, A/P Trade Manager of Guitar Center Management, Westlake Village, CA
9. “Country Song” – The Union City All Stars
Featuring Keith Anderson of Guitar Center Warwick, RI
10. “Bill Collector” – Natives of the New Dawn
Featuring Joe Fikany of Guitar Center Pasadena, CA
11. “On The Edge” – Law of Destruction
Featuring Kyle Kniceley, Department Manager, and John Comprix, Deparment Manager, of Guitar Center Cleveland, OH
12. “Rafters and Roofbeams” – Size
Featuring Rob Bell, Sales and Training Manager, of Guitar Center Allentown, PA and Scott Broody of Guitar Center Plymouth Meeting, PA
13. “Purity” – Benjamin Strange
Featuring Benjamin Strange, Assistant Manager of Guitar Center San Francisco, CA
14. “Romeo and Juliet” – The Lifeline
Featuring Ryan T. Hope, Assistant Manager of Guitar Center Central Chicago, IL
15. “Wasted Daylight” – Brace The Fall
Featuring Brian Schmidt, Department Manager, of Guitar Center Beaverton, OR
16. “The New American Standard” – Collin Kravis
Featuring Collin Kravis of Guitar Center Southfield, MI
17. “Game Has Changed” – Flamer
Featuring Kenneth Flamer, Field HR Manager, of Guitar Center Management, Westlake Village, CA
18. “In Search Of…” – Tension Head
Featuring Anthony Garcia, Operations Assistant, of Guitar Center Saginaw, MI

A bit about GAIN:

The GAIN Program was launched in March 2007 to help Guitar Center team members achieve their musical aspirations. At the heart of GAIN is an extensive private social network where Guitar Center, Inc. employees can post music, pictures, blogs and online discussions, in order to share with and learn from each other. In addition, GAIN presents a number of other benefits, deals, offers and opportunities to its participants, including partnerships with a number of vendors, services and institutions (music-related and non-music related alike). The GAIN program continues to build relationships with companies, organizations and individuals who can provide exposure, insight, tools and opportunity to the musicians who work for Guitar Center.

Ernie Ball has given GAIN Members an opportunity to play the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands stage at the 2009 Vans Warped Tour. GAIN Artists submitted, and I’m proud to offer my congratulations to the bands chosen to play. Huge thanks to Ernie Ball for providing this opportunity.

Day / Date / City / GAIN Band

Fri 26-Jun Pomona, CA - 7th Strain

Fri 3-Jul Houston, TX - Raging Apathy

Sun 5-Jul Dallas, TX - Silence the Messenger

Fri 17-Jul Camden, NJ - Exit She Calls

Sat 18-Jul Uniondale, NY - The Glorious Veins

Tue 21-Jul Boston, MA - With Haste

Sun 26-Jul Tampa, FL - Confused As Ever

Tue 28-Jul Atlanta, GA - Fare Thee Well

Fri 31-Jul Detroit, MI - The Kickback

Sat 1-Aug Chicago, IL - Stereo Deluxe

Sun 2-Aug Minneapolis, MN - Between Two Skies

Tue 4-Aug Kansas City, MO - Hawkzilla

Sat 8-Aug Salt Lake City, UT - PhilosoFIST

Sun 9-Aug Denver, CO - Vices I Admire

Sun 16-Aug Portland, OR - Blessed By A Broken Heart

Thu 20-Aug San Francisco, CA - Abriel

Fri 21-Aug Sacramento, CA - Monsters Scare You

Sun 23-Aug Los Angeles, CA - Luminoth

How great of an opportunity would it be for your band to have a song play in all 214 Guitar Center stores natiowide? For 5 Guitar Center employees, this dream becomes a reality each and every month. Each of the songs below will play in every store with an introduction including the band and song name.  These artists have earned this opportunity by receiving positive ratings from their peers and coworkers in the GAIN Community.

I’m proud to announce the GAIN songs that will be playing on GC Radio for the month of July:

Hey Hello – “Sharper Knives Harder Drives” – Steffen Wade – Davenport, IA
Double Plow – “River Woman” – Jimmy Norris – Albuquerque, NM
Double Plow – “Election Day” – Matt Remenar – Albuquerque, NM
City in Panic – “So Much Cooler Than New York” – Cory Haskel – Hallandale , FL
Chips ‘n’ Dip – “Greedy Beach” – Stefanie Whitney – Salt Lake City, UT

GAIN is a program launched in March of 2007 with the goal of helping Guitar Center employees further their dreams and aspirations in the music business. At the heart of the GAIN Program is an online community where members can take advantage of special deals, offers, contests and opportunities. The songs uploaded by employees on GAIN can be rated up to 5 stars by other members. These ratings add up and as people rate, songs climb the GAIN Top Tracks Charts. The top five songs from the charts every month get played in every Guitar Center nationwide on GC Radio.