“This was an important record for me. It was a reflection of some things that were going on in my life and I needed to write it to get it out of my system,” says Aldo.

Many of the songs that Aldo writes are deeply personal, such as the title track from Villains and Heroes, which plumbs the emotional complexities of an ill-fated relationship. But Aldo also hoped to articulate the songs in a way that others could appreciate. “My Parade” is inspired by Aldo’s own story of coming of age and finding his own way, but the themes of the song are easily relatable to anyone who has struggled for independence and identity.

Given the importance of the record’s substance, Aldo spent an immense amount of time and effort vetting producers to bring the EP to life. “I was looking for someone to modernize my sound without getting lost within it,” says Aldo.

For Villains and Heroes, Aldo chose to work with Lee Miles. Lee is best known as the frontman for Oh My Stars, but he’s also done production work for Rise Against, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Puddle of Mudd, Tickle Me Pink and Darling Thieves. Introduced by a mutual friend, Lee first gained respect for Aldo after seeing his video for “Always Be.”

“As a producer and musician, I trust Lee 100%. But it took a while to build up that trust,” explains Aldo. “We spent four solid days exploring each other’s music and songwriting, getting to know each other, drinking a lot and developing a bond. After that, I learned that he was the right guy to trust.”

Aldo hopes to work with Lee again to release a second EP next year. One of the songs to appear on the next record has already been written. The content and concepts explored in the remaining tracks will depend on how the songwriting process unfolds. Although Aldo’s songs are often directly inspired by his real life experiences and observations, the sound and mood of a song typically precede the actual lyrics. In fact, the title track “The Villain and The Hero,” which serves as the conceptual focal point of the record, began as a melody and took form once Aldo explored the meaning behind its sound.

“I have to pick up a guitar or it’s not going to happen. It begins with a guitar riff and then I break that into chords and melody and think about how that sound makes me feel,” says Aldo. “This record was very personal and introspective. The next one could be more social, more political—I’m just disgusted with what’s been going on in Washington lately. Or, it may be personal again. It depends on what’s going on in and around my life.”

No matter what happens in the studio, Aldo Leopardi fans have plenty to look forward to. After the second EP, Aldo Leopardi is planning to begin work on his next full length. But for now, enjoy Villains and Heroes and keep an eye out for the official music video, made for the fans by the fans.

As a veteran musician with over 20 years of experience playing in cities across the globe, Aldo has learned quite a bit about the challenges that face an independent artist. A perennial fan of respectable rock and roll, Aldo’s admiration for successful musicians has changed slightly now that he’s a musician. “It’ll always be about the music,” he explains. “But one thing that I’m really impressed with now is the utter tenacity of these bands that make it. You’ve got to be incredibly talented, incredibly persistent and incredibly lucky to get anyone to notice you.”

This is particularly true today, where the music industry stacks the deck heavily against emerging artists. But while struggling musicians have it rough, it’s ultimately the fans that suffer. A&R departments of traditional recording companies aren’t doing the job the same way they did decades ago. Instead, everything’s market-driven, which results in a pervasive lack of originality within the mainstream.

“Those sons of bitches in Congress have made a real mess of things,” says Aldo, referring to the legislation that deregulated the broadcast markets in the 1990s. “Now, there are just a few major players deciding what 300 million people listen to on a daily basis. Because of that, there aren’t many ways for the masses to experience new music. It makes me want to throw up.”

Aldo hopes that innovative musicians and independent artists can help reverse that trend. He wants to help build the foundation that will allow good musicians to circumvent the music industry machine. “I’m offering music that puts a different twist on the genre,” he says. “Something different that’s quality and has a good message. In most music, there’s not a whole lot of movement that makes you feel good. It’s prefabricated rubbish.”

In spite of the inhospitable climate for fresh musicians, Aldo has hope for intrepid modern rock musicians who wish to further the genre. Acts like the Foo Fighters, Papa Roach, Saliva, Crossfade, Powderfinger and Linkin Park and other bands that introduce originality to the masses top Aldo’s list of contemporary inspirations. He also recognizes and appreciates some of the exciting artists that haven’t yet become household names, such as Oh My Stars, Tickle Me Pink, 3OH!3, OneRepublic, and Carolina Liar “There are many bands in the local music scenes that have something interesting to say, but unfortunately, they never get an opportunity to share their music with millions,” says Aldo.

By heavily promoting Villains and Heroes through social media, the iPad2 giveaway video contest, and connections with local fans and artists, Aldo hopes to add more quality and diversity to the airwaves. He’s out to prove that if you stay true to yourself and never give up on your dreams, you can connect with the masses in a meaningful way.

We have some exciting news as well as a few updates that we wanted to pass along to you! The first is that Aldo’s song “Not Enough” is being played on a couple of radio stations in Colorado! KSPN in Aspen and KFMU in Steamboat Springs are both playing the song. If you would like to request “Not Enough” at either KSPN or KFMU, you can do so by using the request line information below and be sure to listen to both stations online:

KSPN FM “The Valley’s Quality Rock”
97.3/98.3/103.1/100.1/107.5 FM
Request line: 970-925-1997
listen online at http://alwaysmountaintime.com/kspn

KFMU FM “Colorado’s Finest”
104.1 and 105.5 FM
Request line: 970-879-5368
listen online at http://alwaysmountaintime.com/kfmu

We also want to remind everyone that we’re entering the final stages of the “My Parade” video contest. The end date for video submissions is October 16th, so you have just over two weeks to get a video posted on Youtube and linked Aldo’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/AldoLeopardiMusic. Please visit the Facebook page to see and comment on the contest entries so far.
Complete details and contest rules can be found at AldoLeopardiMusic.com.

We are also continuing to offer a free mp3 download of the song “Love” from Villains & Heroes to anyone that signs up for Aldo’s mailing list, so if your friends haven’t signed up yet make sure they know about this special offer!

More coming soon!

- Your friends at Backslash Records

The video for AC/DC’s classic “Jailbreak,” in case you haven’t seen it, is starkly straightforward by today’s music video standards. It’s Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Bon Scott, Phil Rudd and Mark Evens rocking out hard, banging heads, pumping fists and wailing into mikes. There’s no storyline, no actors or models, no CGI. The only prop that appears in the video is a hacksaw, brandished with a wink by Bon just before Angus takes center stage to rip a solo. It’s rock ‘n’ roll charisma, crystallized in its purest form.

“It inspired me to learn to play music and pursue the art of rock ‘n’ roll,” Aldo said.

Aldo spent his childhood and teen years idolizing the likes of KISS, David Bowie, Van Halen, Led Zeppelin and other classic rockers. He took up the guitar and began gigging in Australia when he was a teenager. By his early twenties, he was self-producing and recording his own music.

Aldo still admires many of the same things about his rock idols as he did when he was a kid growing up in Australia. But he also has a deep appreciation for the artists who’ve helped shape the genre through innovation, such as the Foo Fighters, Powderfinger, Linkin Park and Nickelback.

Aldo draws inspiration from his eclectic tastes in music and combines them into a sound and act that’s all his own. The showmanship of Van Halen, the pop sensibility of The Cars, the virtuoso guitar playing of Stevie Ray Vaughn, the meat-and-potatoes songsmithing of Foo Fighters; you get a hint of it all when you listen to one of Aldo’s records or catch one of his concerts. Yet, when these influences and inspirations from across the decades come together, it sounds like something completely unique. The result is something refreshingly honest and original that celebrates the best of all worlds.

Aldo Leopardi’s sound and attitude all come to a head at his concerts. A far cry from low-key coffee shop gigs, Aldo curates a full night of non-stop entertainment with a rock and roll party vibe. From handpicking hot opening acts to spicing up the show with dancers, video streams and other surprises, there’s never a dull moment while in the crowd.

How to Enter

To enter the contest, do all of the following:

• Create a fan-made music video for “My Parade.
• Upload your original music video to YouTube.
• Publish the link to your video entry to Aldo Leopardi’s Facebook page.

Entries must be received by midnight PST on October 16, 2011 to be eligible to win.

You can download the track along with the Villains and Heroes EP from our store page. Also, check out the “My Parade” lyrics for some inspiration.

How to Win

Two (2) contestants will receive one (1) free Apple iPad2. There will be one grand prize winner from each of two categories:

Most Original Music Video

The first winner will be handpicked by Aldo based on creativity and originality.

Most Viewed Music Video

On October 31, 2011 at 12:00PM PST, the total views for each video entry will be recorded. The videos with the top five views will qualify as finalists. Aldo will judge the top five finalists and choose one grand prize winner to receive an iPad2. The other four finalists will receive a Backslash Records Aldo Leopardi prize pack.

You can read the full video contest rules here.

Become a Part of the Music

Regardless of view count, Aldo Leopardi and the team at Backslash Records will be reviewing the videos for the best scenes created by the fans. We’ll be picking the scenes that we like the most and including them in the official music video for “My Parade.”

To Aldo, “My Parade” is a modern rock update to the Frank Sentra hit “My Way.” He says, “In life, you’ve got to find your own way. Society will try to tempt or coerce you away from your dreams right from the start. When I was a kid, I had this ‘fuck the world’ attitude. Sometimes, it got me into trouble, but that angst helped me stay independent and headstrong. If you follow the wrong thing, you end up not being true to yourself. And no amount of money, religion or social posturing can make that kind of life satisfying. You’ve got to do it your way, mate. Don’t ever let your dreams die.”

That’s what “My Parade” means to Aldo. Now, show us what the song means to you by creating your own music video.

The Paulina Radz Memorial Fund was established to benefit The Heart Institute at Children’s Hospital Colorado, a new facility that did not exist when Paulina was born. Funds are raised for the memorial through the Paulina’s Promise Seminar Series, an annual day of continuing education for the dental community. All the proceeds from the event’s tuition fees are donated directly to The Heart Institute.

As a leading cosmetic dentist and prosthodontist in Denver, Aldo first became involved with the seminar series when it began in 2005. Because Aldo had also lost a loved one at a young age to congenital heart disease, the cause deeply resonated with him. He participated as a speaker the following year and began leveraging his esteem as a prosthodontist to build awareness and bring in more speakers. Today, he serves on the board of directors of Paulina’s Promise and remains passionately involved with the future ambitions of the cause.

Donating the proceeds from Villains and Heroes is one of the ways that Aldo is working to expand and deepen the impact of Paulina’s Promise. Introducing the charity to music fans is just the beginning. Although the seminar series has its roots in the dental community, Aldo envisions an annual event that reaches out to the general public through music, concerts and other events that will bring the community together to support the fight against the number one cause of death in the first year of life.

The premise of Paulina’s Promise was founded on the question: “How can we each use our talents, experience and expertise in order to make the biggest impact?” For Dr. Gary and Nora Radz, Dr. Aldo Leopardi and the other doctors who first got involved in Paulina’s Promise, a unique and prestigious seminar series was the best answer. But Aldo hopes to further harness the talents of local artists, performers and event organizers to make an even bigger impact.

“Supporting the absolutely amazing work that The Heart Institute does is something I’m extremely passionate about,” says Aldo. “I want to do everything in my power to help the cause. But like hundreds of people who feel the same way as I do, I’m not a heart surgeon or a medical researcher. Paulina’s Promise is and will be an excellent way to allow us to take what we do well and love doing and direct it toward a greater good.”

Learn more about Paulina’s Promise at www.paulinaspromise.com.

Villains & Heroes is a five-song EP consisting with all original songs. On this record, Aldo Leopardi takes his signature guitar and vocal style and embraces a more modern rock sound. From fist-pumping sing-along’s to acoustic-driven ballads, Aldo Leopardi’s newest record covers a vast amount of ground both sonically and lyrically. Thanks to producer Lee Miles, the recording comes together crisply and powerfully, remaining steadfastly true to Aldo Leopardi’s high energy on-stage presence. Known for his work with Oh My Stars, Lee collaborated closely with Aldo to bring the new material to life in a way that captured what Aldo Leopardi’s music is all about.

EP opener “Love” is a hooky guitar rock track that shows off Aldo’s virtuosity as a guitarist and singer. The second track, “Not Enough” is a Lee Miles song interpreted by Aldo Leopardi which showcases the instant chemistry between these two musicians. “My Parade” is an attitude-laced anthem that flexes the full muscle of a dynamically structured rock song. The EP closes with the two-part title track “The Villain & The Hero.” Capping the EP’s conceptual themes and rock motifs, “The Villain” begins pensive and heavy. The song builds to an epic resolution in “The Hero” that proves that the power ballad has never been more relevant.

Villains & Heroes will be released in the summer of 2011 by Backslash Records and will be available on iTunes. Preview Villains & Heroes in high fidelity by clicking on “Listen Now” at the top of the page.

Villains & Heroes was recorded at Backbone Studio in Lovelend Colorado with sound engineer Jason Larson. Mixed and Mastered at The Blast Room in Fort Collins Colorado with sound engineer Jason Livermore. Other contributors to the EP include Steve Beck, Greg Dyer, Aaron Lane and Muno Wahab.