Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Hard Rock global tour to kick off with Aerosmith & contest

HARD ROCK INTERNATIONAL ANNOUNCES KICK-OFF OF 2007 AMBASSADORS OF ROCK TOUR

Aerosmith to Headline First Concert in Worldwide Series

Legendary rock group Aerosmith has announced plans for one of the U.K.’s most-anticipated concert events and the kick-off to Hard Rock International’s 2007 Ambassadors of Rock Tour. The band made a special appearance at the famous Hard Rock Cafe London this week to announce that Aerosmith will headline Hard Rock Presents Hyde Park Calling in June – the first concert of Hard Rock’s second annual Ambassadors of Rock Tour, a global concert series featuring top artists and bands, benefiting charities worldwide.

Last summer, London’s Hyde Park enjoyed two unforgettable days of timeless music, as The Who and Roger Waters headlined the first shows of Hard Rock’s inaugural Ambassadors of Rock Tour.

Hard Rock Presents Hyde Park Calling 2007 will be held on Saturday, June 23rd and Sunday, June 24th, 2007, and will feature two stages and more than a dozen artists. Aerosmith, in the midst of the band’s first European tour in more than a decade, will headline the Sunday show.
“Hard Rock is thrilled to be the presenting partner for Hyde Park Calling, and we are delighted to announce that one of the world’s greatest rock bands – Aerosmith – will be our headlining act,” said Hamish Dodds, president and CEO, Hard Rock International. “Ambassadors of Rock is a truly global promotion that helps bring together Hard Rock Cafes, Hotels and Casinos worldwide through the universal language of rock.”

Pack Your Bags and Get A Passport!
Once again, as part of the global celebration, one lucky consumer and their guest will have the chance to live the life of a rock star, traveling the world to Hard Rock’s Ambassadors of Rock concerts. In addition to the kick-off event in London, the Ambassadors of Rock Tour will include shows featuring top artists in Dubai; New York; Las Vegas; Hollywood, Florida; Mexico City; Caracas; Buenos Aires; Singapore; Tokyo; and Osaka. Concert details and additional events will be announced this spring. Last year, grand-prize winner Alison Swengel from Altamonte Springs, Fla. logged thousands of frequent flyer miles taking in eight shows around the world. Consumers will be able to enter the sweepstakes via www.hardrock.com.

Hard Rock Presents Hyde Park Calling

Hyde Park Calling, a two-day festival being held on June 23rd and 24th, will be one of London’s premier music events, with more than a dozen top bands performing on two stages.
On June 24th, timeless rock legend Aerosmith will take the stage. Additional artists will be announced and tickets for the festival are available at www.hydeparkcalling.co.uk.

In addition to renowned bands and an on-site Hard Rock Cafe, the festival will include a market area, performance art, a healing area and a “chill out” zone.

Philanthropy will also be an important part of Hard Rock’s global tour, as each Ambassador of Rock event will benefit a local charity, including a V.I.P. party at Hard Rock Cafe London benefiting the Nordoff-Robbins Foundation.

About Hard Rock International

With 124 high-energy Hard Rock Cafes, seven Hotel & Casinos and one stand-alone Casino in 46 countries, Hard Rock International is one of the world's most globally-recognized brands.

Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world's greatest collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, Hard Rock Live performance venues and an award-winning website. Hard Rock International, Inc. is owned by The Rank Group Plc (RNK.L). For more information on Hard Rock, visit www.hardrock.com.

Amberlin to headline at El Rey on March 13

ANBERLIN will be headlining the EL REY THEATRE on Tuesday, March 13.

ANBERLIN’s nationwide headlining U.S. tour is off to a great start as five of the first seven shows have sold out, including New York City’s Bowery Ballroom, Philadelphia’s Theatre of Living Arts, Washington, D.C.’s 9:30 Club, Charlotte's Tremont Music Hall, Boston’s Axis and Chicago’s Metro.

ANBERLIN just released their new album CITIES last week (2/20) via indie Tooth & Nail. CITIES marks the group's third full-length CD and is the follow-up to their breakthrough album Never Take Friendship Personal (2005), which went on to sell over 140,000 copies. CITIES is already garnering critical praise:

NEW YORK TIMES “…grand and rousing.” (2/19/07)

USA TODAY “…towering melodies.” (2/20/07).

BILLBOARD "Cities is a whirlwind tour through the world of driving rock act Anberlin, with producer Aaron Sprinkle again serving as the guide to the band's adrenaline-fueled endeavors of the heart. The sheer force of first single ‘Godspeed’ destroys the notion that a pop song can't kick some furious butt if it's recorded right.“ (2/20/07)

ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER “…quality craftsmanship. …make way for "Inevitable": When you put softie hooks like that to a lyric like I want to be the last first kiss that you'll ever have,’you end up with inescapable, last-a-lifetime stuff.” (2/23/07)

In other news, this week, ANBERLIN streamed their new CITIES album in its entirety for fans on their MySpace page (www.myspace.com/anberlin), logging a massive 500,000 hits in just two days.

www.anberlin.com
www.myspace.com/anberlin
www.purevolume.com/anberlin
www.toothandnail.com

Young Jeezy starts touring Saturday

As Young Jeezy’s “Go Getta” (featuring R. Kelly) bullets its way up the pop, Urban, and Rhythmic charts this week – inside the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay list with a 32 million-plus audience – the time has arrived for the Def Jam Recording artist to launch the first release from his Corporate Thugz Entertainment co-venture. Jeezy’s group USDA – United Streets D-Boys of America, comprised of ATL spitter Slick Pulla, Panama City’s Blood Raw and the Snowman himself – is set to release its as-yet-untitled major label debut early this spring. The album’s first single, “Check,” is being released to radio this week.

Gearing up for the release of the USDA album, and in support of the platinum-certified The Inspiration, Jeezy is now set to headline his first major national tour.

“I am the Street Dream,” proclaimed the Atlanta Snowman’s 2006 mix-tape, and now he hits the road on the 2007 “Street Dream Tour,” with Jim Jones, Baby, Lil’ Wayne, and Fat Joe (on various dates). The tour opens on Saturday night, March 3rd at the Cricket Arena in Charlotte, and wraps up seven weeks later on April 29th in Los Angeles. (Please see tour dates below.)

After delivering one of 2005’s biggest debut albums, the RIAA platinum #1 Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101, Corporate Thugz/Def Jam Recording artist – and Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Awards Best New R&B/Hip-Hop Artist – Young Jeezy returned to the fast track with THE INSPIRATION, which arrived in stores on December 12th. The first single, “I Luv It,” jumped inside the Top 15 across-the-board on the Hot 100, R&B/Hip-hop, and Digital Songs charts, and lit up the Hot Rap Tracks at #7.

The “I Luv It” video, directed by Jessy Terrero, debuted on BET with an ‘Access Granted’ special back in November. The video for “Go Getta” made it to ‘Access Granted’ last Wednesday, and was dubbed 106 & Park’s ‘New Joint’ two days later. Young Jeezy hosts BET’s ‘Top 25 countdown’ on Saturday, February 17th. On top of that, it was announced today that the “Go Getta” video has moved into Elite 8 Rotation on MTV2.

Jeezy was a huge presence on BET’s inaugural Hip-Hop Awards in November, where he performed a show-topping three times – on the opener, “Welcome To Atlanta,” his own performance of “I Luv It,” and joining fellow Atlantan and label mate Ludacris on “Grew Up A Screw Up” from Luda’s platinum Disturbing Tha Peace album Release Therapy. The week before THE INSPIRATION was released in December, Jeezy gave the first live network performance of “I Luv It” at the televised Billboard Music Awards, where he also reprised his guest appearance on Luda’s “Grew Up A Screw Up.”

Jeezy heated up the streets as well, when he and DJ Drama dropped the latest install­ment of the Gangsta Grillz mixtape series on November 14th. I AM THE STREET DREAM brought Jeezy back to where his legend was born: The Trap. It was the massive popularity and major-label sales of mixtapes like ‘04’s Trap Or Die that brought Jeezy to national attention.

Working in Atlanta's legendary Patchwerk Studios, Jeezy welcomed a who’s who of close friends and collaborators to the recording sessions for THE INSPIRATION, including (among others) Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, R. Kelly, Keyshia Cole, Three 6 Mafia, Timbaland, T.I. and G-Unit's Young Buck. With monster production from DJ Toomp (on the smash single “I Luv It”), Timbaland on “3am,” the Runnerz and more, Jeezy’s still got both feet firmly in the Trap, but shows incredible growth as an artist. On the sweeping, epic “Child Of God (Bury Me A G),” Jeezy envisions his own death and judgment. “Child Of God” has been shot as a ‘mini-movie’ long-format video and will be included as bonus content on the upcoming limited edition of THE INSPIRATION.


YOUNG JEEZY on “THE STREET DREAM” TOUR
With Jim Jones, Baby, Lil’ Wayne, and Fat Joe

DATE CITY/ STATE VENUE
MAR 3 CHARLOTTE, NC CRICKET ARENA
MAR 11 ORLANDO, FL CONVENTION CENTER
MAR 15 RICHMOND, VA RICHMOND COLISEUM
MAR 16 GREENVILLE, SC BI LO
MAR 17 HAMPTON, VA HAMPTON COLISEUM
MAR 18 JACKSONVILLE, FL JACKSONVILLE ARENA
MAR 23 CINCINNATI OH US BANK ARENA
MAR 24 MACON, GA CENTROPLEX
MAR 25 NASHVILLE, TN MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM
MAR 28 TOLEDO, OH SPORTS ARENA COLISEUM
MAR 29 PROVIDENCE, RI DUNKIN DONUTS CENTER
MAR 31 LOUISVILLE, KY LOUISVILLE GARDENS
APRIL 1 BALTIMORE, MD 1ST MARINER
APRIL 5 LITTLE ROCK ALTELL ARENA
APRIL 6 KANSAS CITY, MO KEMPER ARENA
APRIL 8 NEW ORLEANS, LA NEW ORLEANS ARENA
APRIL 12 MILWAUKEE, WS US CELLULAR ARENA
APRIL 13 INDIANAPOLIS CONSECO FIELDHOUSE
APRIL 14 ST. LOUIS, MO SCOTTRADE
APRIL 15 MINNEAPOLIS, MN TARGET CENTER
APRIL 19 HOUSTON, TX TOYOTA CENTER
APRIL 20 DALLAS, TX CONVENTION CENTER
APRIL 21 EL PASO, TX COHEN STADIUM
APRIL 22 SAN ANTONIO TBA
APRIL 29 LOS ANGELES

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

The Vincent Black Shadow sets out on tour Thursday

Bodog Music recording artists The Vincent Black Shadow are amping up for another international tour in support of their premier release, "Fears In The Water". First, TVBS will be trekking the nation with headliners Halifax, then hitting the MySpace.com Spring Break Party before jetting off to Europe with headliners Kosheen. They will return to North America for this summer's Warped Tour '07 (details to follow). The 50-plus date run has the Canadian pop-punk noir quintet continent hopping, beginning March 1 at the legendary Glass House in Pomona, Calif., with the Halifax tour.

TVBS is headed on an undeniable, nonstop journey to the top. The Vincent Black Shadow have become "road dogs" supporting their Bodog Music release. Globally strutting their stuff in every setting: intimate showcases at CMJ, and POPKom; The YRB Magic Party; clubs with Bif Naked and the Bodog Music Battle of the Bands competitors; theatres with Snow Patrol and Joan Jett; and outdoor arenas (a.k.a. parking lots) for the entirety of 2006's Warped Tour. Yet, the Halifax tour will take The Vincent Black Shadow to new American sites never before conquered, no doubt with the highlight being a one-off show in Panama City Beach, Fla., where TVBS will play the MySpace.com Spring Break Party at Hammerhead Fred's on March 15. In fine MySpace.com and Bodog Music fashion, the event will have free beer, as well as a foam party following the band's set. After they finish up with Halifax, TVBS is off to Europe for 20-plus dates with Kosheen. Then before they can catch their breath, it's back stateside to tear up the highly anticipated Warped Tour '07.

"We are stoked to be playing the MySpace Spring Break Party! Free beer plus foam plus The Vincent Black Shadow - what more could you ask for?" said drummer Tony Kirkham. "Panama City prepare to rock like you have never been rocked before."

Since the January drop of the band's debut album, "Fears in the Water", the Vancouver-based fivesome of Cassandra Ford (vocals), and brothers Robbie (guitar/vocals), Chris (bass/vocals), and Tony (drums) Kirkham, and cameo keyboardists are generating a huge buzz. The album's single, "Metro", is proving to be a breakthrough track. Garnering radio spins nationwide and lighting up the phones as a top-5 requested track in major cities.

The "Metro" video is also causing a stir. It charted No. 1 on Fuse's "Guilty Pleasures" countdown, beating out emo masters Panic! At The Disco and Head Automatica on the networks "Oven Fresh", and now it's taking a stand on MTVU's "The Freshman".

"I am very excited for the chance to get on the road and give back to the fans who have given us so much lately. Requesting us at radio, MTVU and Fuse, and purchasing our album. We are going to rock their socks off. It's like a great 69 between us and our fans," guitarist Rob Kirkham said.

Mashing a punk-rock mindset with a cabaret sound, this band is making all the right moves. They are writing infectious rock 'n' roll, living on the road and laying the groundwork for a huge break out. Pay attention. The Vincent Black Shadow is coming to your town!

USA W/ HALIFAX, GREELEY ESTATES & MEDINA LAKE
3/1 THU - CA - Pomona - The Glass House
3/2 FRI - AZ - Tempe - The Clubhouse
3/3 SAT - NV - Las Vegas - University Theatre
3/5 MON - TX - El Paso - Chic's Bar and Billiards
3/6 TUE - TX - San Antonio - White Rabbit
3/7 WED - TX - Spring - Java Jazz
3/8 THU - OK - Norman - University of Oklahoma Union Court
3/10 SAT - MO - Joplin - The Foundry
3/11 SUN - AR - Little Rock - The Village
3/13 TUE - TN - Nashville - The Muse
3/14 WED - GA - Atlanta - The Masquerade
3/15 THU - FL - Panama City - MYSPACE SPRINGBREAK at Hammerhead Fred's
3/16 FRI - FL - St. Petersburg - The State Theatre
3/17 SAT - FL - West Palm Beach - Ray's Downtown Blues
3/18 SUN - FL - Jacksonville - Jack Rabbits
3/19 MON - NC - Charlotte - The Casbah @ Tremont Music Hall
3/20 TUE - VA - Virginia Beach - Peppermint Beach Club
3/21 WED - MD - Baltimore - The Ottobar
3/22 THU - DC - Washington - Rock N Roll Hotel
3/23 FRI - PA - Philadelphia - First Unitarian Church
3/24 SAT - CT - Hartford - Webster Theatre
3/25 SUN - MA - Boston - Axis
3/29 THU - NY - Oneonta - Hunt College Union Waterfront
3/30 FRI - NY - New York - Knitting Factory
3/31 SAT - PA - Allentown - Crocodile Rock
4/1 SUN - OH - Cleveland - Agora Theatre
4/3 TUE - KY - Covington - Mad Hatter
4/4 WED - OH - Columbus - The Basement
4/5 THU - MI - Detroit - St. Andrew's Hall
4/6 FRI - IL - Chicago - Metro
4/7 SAT - MN - Minneapolis - The Loft @Barfly
4/9 MON - WI - Madison - The Loft
4/10 TUE - MO - St. Louis - Creepy Crawl
4/11 WED - NE - Lincoln - Knickerbocker's

EUROPE W/ KOSHEEN
4/13 FRI - Koln, Germany - Stollwerck
4/14 SAT - ESSEN, GERMANY - JZE
4/16 MON - Darmstadt, Germany - Centralstation
4/17 TUE - Munich, Germany - Muffathalle
4/18 WED - Zurich, Switzerland - Volkhaus
4/19 THUR - Berne, Switzerland - Bierhübeli
4/21 SAT - Vienna, Austria - Wuk
4/22 SUN - Prague, Czech Republic - Roxy
4/24 TUE - Krakow, Poland - Rotunda
4/25 WED - Warsaw, Poland - Stodola
4/26 THU - Ponzan, Poland - Eskulap
4/27 FRI - Berlin Germany - Columbia Club
4/29 SUN - Hamburg, Germany - The Grunspan
4/30 MON - Luxembourg - Rockhall
5/01 TUE - Brussels, Belgium - AB
5/05 SAT - Bristol, UK - Anson Rooms
5/06 SUN - Birmingham, UK - Nottingham Academy
5/07 MON - Manchester, UK - Academy
5/08 SUN - Birmingham, UK - Rescue Room
5/10 THU - London, UK - Islington Academy
5/11 FRI - Portsmouth, UK - Wedgewood Rooms

WARPED TOUR 2007 TBA!

www.bodogmusic.com www.myspace.com/tvbs

About Bodog Music BodogMusic.com is a division of the international digital entertainment giant Bodog.com. With six offices worldwide, the label features a diverse and growing roster of talented musicians. Bodog Music is searching for the top unsigned band in America with "Bodog Battle of the Bands", which is taking place in 17 major markets and features more than 300 live shows. Bodog Music Founder Calvin Ayre, who is recognized as a world authority on branding in the digital entertainment industry, was featured on the cover of Forbes magazine's best-selling "Billionaires" issue in March 2006. Bodog.com Entertainment also includes a television production unit, an online magazine, Bodog Nation, and further properties coming soon.

Secondhand Serenade is making a splash

Indie phenomenon SECONDHAND SERENADE is JOHN VESELY, a one-man show hailing from Menlo Park, CA. His mix of extremely heartfelt music and poetic lyrics has caused a strong reaction with fans through MySpace. This underground buzz and word-of-mouth propelled him to reach and stay at the top unsigned artist position on MySpace for four months. As of today, SECONDHAND SERENADE has reached over 17,692,067 plays on MySpace, an incredible feat for an artist just now signed by an indie label.

While some artists may fear the rawness of playing with just an acoustic guitar, John welcomes the honesty. He explains, “In some ways a band is more powerful, but in other ways there are things you can do with one voice and one acoustic guitar that you couldn’t do with an army of musicians behind you.” Born into a family of musicians--his father has been a professional jazz musician for over 20 years in the Czech Republic--John started getting into music around age 12. He was a member of numerous Bay area bands ranging in style from ska, hardcore to rock and pop, but it wasn’t until he picked up an acoustic guitar that he finally found his true calling.

After selling over 15,000 copies of his debut acoustic album Awake on his own through a PayPal account, John signed on with Daniel Glass as part of his newly formed Glassnote Records. Last week (2/6), the label released AWAKE with two new songs--”It’s Not Over” and “Take Me With You”--and it has debuted at #16 and #8 on the Billboard “Top Heatseekers” chart and the “Alternative New Artist” albums chart, respectively. AWAKE marks the first-ever release for Glassnote Records which is distributed through ILG (Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group).

Later this month, SECONDHAND SERENADE will team up with Butch Walker and Danny Lohner to produce his debut full-length. The new album--which will feature a full band--will be released at the end of the summer.

After the recording sessions, SECONDHAND SERENADE will be heading to Austin to perform several shows at the SXSW festival including a gig on Friday, March 16 at Maggie Mae’s as part of the East West/ILG showcase. Following SXSW, JOHN will hit the road with Monty Are I for handful of dates and in May he’ll join My Chemical Romance, Linkin Park and many others for the Bamboozle festival.

Recently, Rolling Stone featured SECONDHAND SERENADE in the magazine’s new artist “On The Edge” section and pronounced: ”equipped with an acoustic guitar silken tenor pipes, a shitload of tattoos and whole lotta sadness.” SECONDHAND also scored #3 in the magazine’s year-end reader’s poll for “Best Myspace Artist.”

Coming this March, SECONDHAND SERENADE is confirmed for Yahoo! Music’s popular “Who’s Next?” program which highlights up-and-coming artists set to make a big impact.
Meanwhile, SECONDHAND SERENADE just shot a soon-to-debut video for the first single “Vulnerable” helmed by Frank Borin (Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Dani California”).

In addition, an MTV “You Hear It First” piece is now airing on MTV, MTV2, mtvU and MTV.COM. To watch MTV’s “You Hear It First” piece on SECONDHAND SERENADE, click here: http://www.mtv.com/#/news/video/highlights.jhtml.

Also, look for a featured new artist piece on AOL Music’s “Breakers” whereby JOHN is competing with 11 other new artists including Amy Winehouse, Hellogoodbye and Landon Pigg. To vote, click on http://music.aol.com/franchise/breakers-2007/morrison-landon-pigg-secondhand-serenade.

To see and hear SECONDHAND SERENADE, visit: www.myspace.com/secondhandserenade, www.purevolume.com/secondhandserenade.

The complete track listing for AWAKE is as follows:
1) Half Alive
2) Broken
3) Vulnerable
4) Your Call
5) Maybe
6) Its Not Over
7) I Hate This Song
8) Awake
9) Take Me With You
10) Let It Roll
11) The Last Song Ever
12) End

Check out SECONDHAND SERENADE on the road at the following gigs:
SXSW FESTIVAL-East West Showcase
Thu 3/15 Austin, TX Purevolume-Virb Lounge (6:30pm set time)
Fri 3/16 Austin, TX Maggie Mae’s (8:00pm set time)
(w/Lucero, The Pierces, Electric Soft Parade and Goldrush)
Tour supporting Monty Are I
Mon 3/19 San Diego, CA SOMA
Tue 3/20 Hollywood, CA Knitting Factory-Front Room
Wed 3/21 Fullerton, CA The Alley
Fri 3/23 Roseville, CA The Underground
Sat 3/24 Fresno, CA The Belmont
Sun 3/25 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
Tue 3/27 Seattle, WA Chop Suey
Wed 3/28 Portland, OR Rock ‘N’ Roll Pizza
Fri 3/30 Salt Lake City, UT Avalon Theatre
Sat 3/31 Denver, CO Bluebird Theatre
Bamboozle 2007 shows
Sat 5/5 East Rutherford, NJ Meadowlands (Bamboozle)
Sun 5/6 East Rutherford, NJ Meadowlands (Bamboozle)

Austin names March 3rd Michael Franti Day

The City of Austin, Texas will proudly proclaim March 3rd “Michael Franti Power To The Peaceful Day” in conjunction with the Anti- recording artists’ performance at Stubb’s Bar-B-Q that day as part of its Yell Fire! Tour. A distinction typically offered to large non-profit organizations, Mayor Will Wynn and City Council Member Mike Martinez will recognize Franti’s efforts for peace with a presentation from the stage. Additionally, through a donation of renewable energy credits from Green Mountain Energy, the Austin performance will offset the 4,400 pounds of CO2 used to power Franti’s Stubb’s performance.

“Artists have a unique opportunity because we have a voice, but our voice comes through something that we create,” Franti told The San Francisco Examiner last week. “So when we write about political things and our cause, it brings up something that a news anchor or a politician can’t do.” Through his 2005 documentary about the Iraq war, “I Know I’m Not Alone: A Musician’s Search For The Human Cost Of War,” and the 2006 album it inspired, Yell Fire!, which the newspaper dubbed “a call for hope,” Franti blends hip-hop, rock ’n’ roll, reggae and folk sounds.

In November 2006, Franti won the Best International Documentary Award in the prestigious Harlem International Film Festival for his directory efforts on the aforementioned film, shot during his travels to the war zones of Iraq, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The film has been called “an antidote to despair” by anti-war activist Medea Benjamin of Global Exchange.

Called “the most important artist recording and touring today who has yet to reach the masses,” by Island Records’ founder Chris Blackwell, the critics have resoundingly agreed. “Who says protest songs can’t be both fiery and fun,” wrote Entertainment Weekly in it’s a- review of Yell Fire! Elsewhere, All Music Guide wrote, “Franti’s brain-stimulating songwriting rises to a new level of proficiency,” and Amazon.com said, “It’s easily Franti’s best album yet.”

Michael Franti and Spearhead are midway through a five-week U.S. trek and have been confirmed to appear at the 2007 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee the weekend of June 14th – 17th.

mtvU & Epitaph announce "Best Music on Campus" winner

mtvU, MTV’s 24-hour college network, and Epitaph Records today announced the winner of their EP, performance and video deal competition on mtvU’s “Best Music on Campus” (BMOC): SETTLE, a three piece rock band from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA. Propelled by votes from college students nationwide, SETTLE was selected by mtvU and Epitaph Records as the number one band of the more than 125 that entered the competition. The up-and-coming college act will now head into the studio to record an EP for the celebrated indie label, perform with a top Epitaph artist on a tour date, have a featured performance at mtvU Spring Break ’07 in Cancun, Mexico, as well as make a video that will premiere on mtvU and mtvU.com.

SETTLE is an edgy dance rock band from Easton, PA comprised of brothers Nick and Willie Rose, and friend Dave Goletz. They cite The Beatles, Green Day, Nirvana and Elvis Costello as influences and uniquely combine styles ranging from pop punk to the beats of 70's disco. The band will now make their label debut, courtesy of mtvU’s BMOC – an online music destination offering unsigned college artists unparalleled weekly, monthly and yearly opportunities to launch their careers. To check out SETTLE’s winning sound, or browse through music from some of the top unsigned college acts in the country, please visit www.BestMusicOnCampus.com.

mtvU’s BMOC enables college students to build profiles with songs, videos, pictures, blogs and more. The best and most popular artists are recognized with exposure on MTV, mtvU and mtvU.com programming; the chance to open on mtvU tours and for emerging and established artists; and a record deal roughly every month of the year. In March, mtvU and Epic Records will unveil the top 50 college acts in the country, which will compete for the first annual "College Artist of the Year" prize – a promotion, video and record deal worth up to $1.5 million. The winner will be unveiled and debut with a live performance on "Late Night with Conan O’Brien" in May 2007.

SETTLE can also be seen this week on mtvU’s Best Film on Campus – a new online farm system for top student filmmakers – where the music video for their song “Murder” is featured. “Murder” was filmed by their friend Chris Cullari of Emerson College, who is the featured filmmaker on www.BestFilmonCampus.com this week.

About mtvU
Broadcasting to 750 colleges across the country, with a combined enrollment of over 7.2 million, mtvU is the largest, most comprehensive television network just for college students. Twenty-four hours a day, 7 days a week, mtvU can be seen in the dining areas, fitness centers, student lounges and dorm rooms of campuses throughout the U.S. mtvU is dedicated to every aspect of college life, reaching students everywhere they are, through a three pronged approach – on-air, online and on campus. mtvU focuses on content including music videos from emerging artists which can’t be seen anywhere else, news, student life features, events and pro-social initiatives. mtvU is always on campus, with more than 500 events per year, including exclusive concerts, giveaways, shooting mtvU series and more. For more information about mtvU, and for a complete programming schedule, visit www.mtvU.com.

About Epitaph
Epitaph Records first entered the annals of pop culture as the label that ushered in the punk rock revolution of the nineties. It has hence grown into one of the most diverse and well-respected independent labels of its time, revered for both its “artist-first” approach and the consistent quality of its signings. Celebrating it hallmark 20 year anniversary next year, Epitaph is more diverse and vibrant than ever, and home to some of the hottest new bands on the scene. Visit www.epitaph.com for more information.

Monday, February 26, 2007

KMFDM Records to release KGC's "Dirty Bomb"


KGC (Konietzko, Garcia, Cifarelli) is the brain child of three of the most trail-blazing underground artists around: Dean Garcia the musical genius behind CURVE, known for his monolith guitars and layered production style, that envelope the listener with its tsunami of instrumentation, Sascha Konietzko of KMFDM, whose innovative and unorthodox approach toward production have garnered him with international acclaim as one of the foremost pioneers of industrial/ultra heavy beat and Lucia Cifarelli of KMFDM and DRILL, whose vocal and lyrical talents go from provocative to menacing in the beat of a rivet-head lovelorn heart. The three met by chance through a mutual fan. However unlikely it sounds, that was the beginning of a year-long, trans-Atlantic session swap that spawned their debut album, Dirty Bomb (KMFDM Records, 2006).


This collaboration of alternative music giants was composed via the Web, by trading files back and forth between London and Seattle. The music they birthed pushing sounds over the ether took on a life and presence of its own. The three have created a haunting, twisted landscape of sound that is hypnotic, aggressive and surreal. A maelstrom of emotions laced with the underbelly of the anti-hero. With their mutual affinity of all things odd, the album marries their individual influences and births a truly unique love child that draws you in with cinematic splendor, where the ever present momentum of guitars and electronics push harder and deeper, luring the listener further and further into their strange world of darkness.


KMFDM Records is proud to announce the release of KGC's Dirty Bomb avaliable exclusively online from the KMFDM Store at www.kmfdmstore.com and on iTunes worldwide April 20th, 2007.

Winger to shoot live DVD at the Galaxy

WINGER LIVE @ THE GALAXY THEATRE
LIVE DVD FILMING SATURDAY MARCH 3RD IN ANAHEIM, CA

Come see WINGER live at the Galaxy Theatre in Anaheim, CA and be a part of the filming for the live DVD of WINGER 4.

The founding members of WINGER, Kip Winger (bass/vocals), Reb Beach (guitar), Rod Morgenstein (drums), have reunited for their forth record, which is touted as their finest album ever. WINGER is joined John Roth (guitars/vocals) a WINGER member since 1993’s “PULL” album and newcomer Cenk Eroglu (keyboards/vocals).

Being the first WINGER album in 14 years it’s not what you would expect. "The new WINGER album" explains Kip, "starts where "Pull" left off and moves into new directions. It mixes some classic Hard Rock like VAN HALEN and early WINGER style, progressive and acoustic elements that may resemble GENESIS, MOTT THE HOOPLE or KING CRIMSON".

For more information go to www.wingertheband.com or www.myspace.com/wingertheband

Perris Records launches music newspaper

PERRIS RECORDS CELEBRATES 15 YEAR ANNIVERSARY, ISSUES SECOND ISSUE OF 'ROCKNATION' NEWSPAPER!

The label that many a metalhead holds near and dear to their heart - Perris Records - will be celebrating their 15th anniversary come this July. The label has issued all new studio albums by such renowned veteran hard rock/metal acts as Stephen Pearcy (formerly of Ratt), Bang Tango, L.A. Guns, Vain, Enuff Z 'Nuff, while also managing to introduce headbangers to newer acts, including 3 Legged Dogg, Blind Alley, and Backwash, among others.

Perris has grown beyond just being a label, as they have launched their own music newspaper, 'Rocknation,' which features both artists from the label as well as other notable names - including Rob Halford, Slash, AC/DC, and Megadeth. Thus far, two issues have hit the streets, with the inaugural issue currently viewable at the Rocknation Web site.

Published by Perris label head Tom Mathers, the paper features such respected metal writers as Brian Rademacher, Chris Akin, Mitch Lafon, and Todd Newton. Additionally, 'Rocknation' TV video show will be launched the same month as Perris' anniversary, which will be made available on both Time Warner and Comcast. The show will air weekly each Sunday night, and promises to be a prime source of hard rock videos for fans throughout the nation.

"I am very excited about the launch of Rocknation," says Mathers. "I believe that Rocknation will bring rock back into the mainstream, and will give bands a medium to promote their music nationwide."

Rocknation is also looking for local talent for nationwide concerts - contact rocknation@houston.rr.com

Also, add 'Rocknation Myspace' as a friend, for nationwide concerts and TV show info, plus giveaways at www.myspace.com/rocknationtv

For additional info on the Rocknation music paper and upcoming TV program, please visit www.rocknation.us

For news on the Perris Records catalog and upcoming releases, visit www.perrisrecords.com

Grandmaster Flash to be inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

The Hip Hop culture will be forever immortalized in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 12th. New York City’s own Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five will be the first rap group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. These legends will finally be inducted after 25 years, with rock super-groups’ R.E.M. & Van Halen.

Mele Mel, writer of the monumental single, The Message, two-time Grammy Award winner and the front man for the Furious Five states, “Hip Hop is long overdue to get its proper recognition with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I’m proud to be finally recognized for the achievements we’ve made within the music industry & pop culture and not just be recognized as Hip Hop pioneers.”

Today, Mele Mel is still active on the Hip Hop scene with consistent shows both locally and abroad. Mel also recently released his independent solo album, “Muscles” and is rumored to be joining the WWE. You can also find more information on Mele Mel at www.melemel.net.

Friday, February 23, 2007

End o' week musings


It's almost the end of a purr-fectly busy week and I'm wishing I could spend my weekend like the kitty above- pampered and resting contentedly on a mound of pillows, but alas! I have miles of adventures to go before I sleep.

I spent last weekend singing for 3 1/2 hours and then dancing the next day for two. It's fun, but tiring. I am so looking forward to my next dance gig, Atomic Raqit!, on March 3. It is a MECDA (Middle Eastern Culture and Dance Association) Inland Empire event, where we are encouraged to perform in unique costumes to music from the '50s-'70s. I'd tell you the tunes Zaynah and I picked, but I'd like to keep our act a surprise- we did, however, pick a tune for each decade and the creativity is on high speed.

Monday I went to the Rock and Roll Fantasy Band Camp concert at the House of Blues in Hollyweird. The campers' bands were quite good and everyone looked like they were on top of the world as they performed. All of the counselors, who are pro musicians, were there and there were plenty of guest artists, like Dickey Betts, Paul Stanley and Jeff Scott Soto to add to the show. I'll let you know when the full story is ready so you can read about my adventures as a band geek. For now, you can visit www.rockandrollfantasycamp.com
Tuesday I made an appearance at a Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday party. There was lots of food and the Hurricanes were pouring. I had a drink to toast and then stuck with water so I could drive home totally sober.
Wednesday I went out to Alhambra to interview Media Orphan. They're a local power pop rock group with some decent harmonies and an intriguing mix of influences. You can learn a bit about them at www.mediaorphan.com or www.myspace.com/mediaorphan. But you'll get the biggest secrets when my story comes out, so I'll keep you posted.
Other stories I've covered are local artist Bred in Captivity and Kaddisfly on Hot Topic's Sub City Take Action Tour. I also joined forces with my coworker Vernor Rodgers for a review of the Moody Blues when they played in Pasadena on Vernor's birthday last week. Visit www.sgvn.com , select any paper, then select music and have a good read or three.
Next on deck for me is more dancing and singing, plus covering the Oscars on Sunday!! There's never a dull moment in my life, except maybe on the rare occasions when I'm asleep.
In rotation this week: Gene Autry, Neil Young, Rolling Stones, Ray Charles, Lynyrd Skynyrd and snippets of a bunch of other artists.
Get off the couch and experience life!!
and be sure to
keep on rockin'
Mickie



Fuse TV VJ releases new Net music talkshow

Mistress Juliya 2.0 Metal VJ takes Myspace by Storm

Juliya (former Fuse TV VJ) is doing it again but this time on her own terms- uncensored behind the scenes in depth interviews with the Metal Masters! Juliya hosts her new show "Thrash Talk with Mistress Juliya" featured exclusively on www.Dovetail.tv and her www.myspace.com/mistressjuliya page. Juliya gets down, dirty and real with all her guests.

Combined between www.myspace.com/mistressjuliya and www.myspace.com/slavetothemetal, Juliya currently has over 300,000 loyal metal fanatics who tune in each week to see what Juliya is going to deliver next; because as you know, metalheads know just where to go for the hottest news in aggressive music.

Juliya states "It is very empowering for me to know that all these bands still have love for me and I am also honored to do what I do best - working with metal bands. I am very much looking forward to interviewing all the bands at the upcoming festivals: Sounds of the Underground, Ozzfest, Jagermeister Tour."

Watch her most recent interviews with OTEP and Slayer:
OTEP: http://www.dovetail.tv/app.html?channelId=1005&j=1
Slayer: http://www.dovetail.tv/app.html?contentId=1598&j=1

New guitar recording software

IK Multimedia is pleased to announce that RiffWorks™ Standard, by Sonoma Wire Works, is now shipping. RiffWorks™ Standard is guitar recording software that allows you to record efficiently, stay creative, produce high-quality songs, jam online, and podcast your tunes without ever putting down your guitar. Guitar recording made fun.

Capture ideas at the moment of inspiration. Set a tempo and start recording by strumming your guitar. Experiment with song structure using a simple Riff-based workflow that records bite-sized pieces and encourages experimentation with song structure. Tracks are created automatically as you play. Record multiple takes or layer parts without stopping the creative flow. There are no wave editors or sequencers in RiffWorks, instead the interface will inspire you to create songs using a familiar “real-world” interface - it looks like gear!

RiffWorks is easy and fun to use because the focus is on playing as opposed to complex engineering. RiffWorks is the most guitarist-friendly recording software ever! Add beats easily to your guitar and bass parts with InstantDrummer. Pick a groove, count off a tempo, and InstantDrummer inspires you to play along with its continuously varying drum tracks using perfectly matched, full kit studio drum recordings. Spin the INTENSITY knob to set the mood from mellow to aggressive. Dial in some VARIATION to get a constantly evolving beat. AMBIENCE adds room sound and GAIN sets the level. No tedious editing or disappointing sounds, just a great drummer, ready to jam. InstantDrummer is an integral part of RiffWorks.

Nine FREE InstantDrummer sessions are included with RiffWorks Standard and more are available online.Includes 7 studio quality effects plus AmpliTube 2 Live plug-in. RiffWorks includes seven effects from Sonoma Wire Works. Add great sounding, fully optimized effects like auto-wah, multiband compression, modulation, delay, reverb, and British style EQ to your tunes.

Effect algorithms were passionately designed by Sonoma Wire Works for superb sound quality, and are optimized for maximum performance. Plus the included AmpliTube 2 Live plug-in, with 15 guitar and bass amp combinations of the most sought after gear, 11 effects, mic-modeling with 2 microphones and position controls, built-in tuner and more than 128 customizable user presets, is able to produce tons of different guitar tones.

Instantly podcast to an enthusiastic community of musicians. RiffCaster is a free service for all RiffWorks users and is a breeze to use. Share songs with and get feedback from other RiffWorks users and the world. There is plenty of room for content and now it also includes instant podcasting! In addition, RiffLink (60-day trial version included) offers RiffWorks users built-in online collaboration. Share a song session over the Internet with up to four other musicians to play along with each other in what feels like real-time with no worries about latency or distance. New tracks show up as soon as they are finished streaming and are always perfectly in sync. Each layer is instantly streamed to other current users and is also saved on the server for those who wish to contribute later.

RiffWorks Standard features:
· Automatic Track Creation & Loop Recording
· 24 layers plus backing tracks with continuous volume control per layer
· 4 tempo-synchronized backups: InstantDrummer™ with adjustable intensity and variation,
· REX Player, ReWire mixer, and Metronome
· 7 studio quality effects (Wah, Multi-band compression and distortion, Modulation, Delay, Reverb, Compression, and British Style EQ)
· Guitar Amp and Effects (VST/Audio Unit) Plug-in support.
· AmpliTube 2 Live included
· Mix down to WAV or OggVorbis
· RiffCaster™ instant podcasting
· RiffLink™ online collaboration (60-day trial)
· Supports Win XP ASIO and Mac OS Core Audio Interfaces System

Requirements:Macintosh®: G4 1.33 GHz processor, 512 MB of RAM, Mac OS X 10.4 or later (including Universal), 1 GB free disk space for installation, 5 GB free disk space for recordingWindows®: Pentium 1 GHz processor, 512 MB of RAM, Windows XP, 1 GB free disk space for installation, 5 GB free disk space for recordingRiffCaster and RiffLink require an Internet connection.

Price and Availability: RiffWorks Standard has an MSRP $169/€139 (tax excluded) and is now available now available from all IK Multimedia distributors and dealers worldwide. For more information on RiffWorks Standard, please visit: http://www.ikmultimedia.com/prod_RW.php

Jon McLaughlin in L.A. tonight

INDIANA's JON McLAUGHLIN - ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD

With a second major motion picture soundtrack placement already under his belt this season "Beautiful Disaster" on the opening credits of Georgia Rule (opening May 11th, starring Lindsay Lohan and Jane Fonda) American heartland singer-songwriter and pianist Jon McLaughlin is laying the groundwork for the release of his upcoming first album for Island Records, INDIANA (out May 15th). March 5th has been set as the Add Date for "Beautiful Disaster" at triple-A and Hot AC radio formats.

With "Beautiful Disaster" on deck, and "Another Layer" released last week on the soundtrack album for Bridge to Terabithia (in theatres now) Jon has returned to the road for a full-scale cross-country tour, working again with Nashville-based singer-songwriter (and former tour mate) Matt Wertz. Dates began two weeks ago and continue tonight at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, running through April 27th at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City. (Please see complete tour itinerary below.)

INDIANA's title tune will pay tribute to Jon's hometown of Anderson. He has written songs for the album with the Matrix, Jamie Houston, Grammy-nominated Marcus Hummons, Matthew Gerard, and Kevin Griffin (of Better Than Ezra). The album was produced by Jamie Houston (credits: Santana, Jessica Simpson, Macy Gray, The Calling) and Greg Wells (Natasha Bedingfield, Veronicas, OTEP, Rufus Wainwright); and was mixed by Chris Lord Alge.

Jon will make his own big screen debut in Enchanted, the new Disney animated-and-live comedy starring Idina Menzel, Patrick Dempsey and Amy Adams scheduled to open in the fall 2007. Jon will be singing (onscreen) a song written for the movie soundtrack by Ric Wake.

A pianist and songwriter since childhood, influenced by Ben Folds and Billy Joel, Jon's passion was sidelined when both wrists were shattered in an accident. He finally rediscovered his muse at the end of high school, and concentrated on honing his skills at Anderson University School of Music. His self-titled 10-song debut album was released in 2004, on the university's record label, Orangehaus and Jon has been touring throughout the country ever since. In 2005, he released an 8-song EP titled Songs I Wrote and Later Recorded which also sold well, holding the #1 spot on awarestore.com.

Hoosiers and others who have been paying over 2,500 visits per day to Jon's myspace website (www.myspace.com/jonmclaughlin) can currently access four of his tunes: "Industry," "Human," "Indiana," and "For You From Me." Jon has over 830,000 plays on his myspace site and can also be reached via http://www.jonmclaughlinmusic.com/.

JON McLAUGHLIN ON TOUR

Date City Venue
Feb. 23 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
24 San Diego, CA Epicenter
26 Tucson, AZ Club Congress

Mar. 1-2 Dallas, TX Gypsy Tea Ballroom
3 Austin, TX Antone’s
6 Norman, OK U. of OK – Union Ballroom
7 Little Rock, AR Sticky Fingerz Chicken Shack
8 New Orleans, LA The Parish @ House of Blues
9 Birmingham, AL WorkPlay Theatre
10 Memphis, TN Newby’s
20 Orlando, FL The Social
22 Tampa, FL Orpheum
23 Jacksonville, FL Jack Rabbit’s
24 Athens, GA U. of Georgia – Legion Field
28 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
29 Charlottesville, VA Starr Hill Music Hall
30 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
31 Philadelphia, PA World Café Live (WXPN)

Apr. 5 S. Burlington, VT Higher Ground
6 Boston, MA Avalon Ballroom
7 New York, NY Gramercy Theatre
14 Chicago, IL House of Blues
20 Columbus, OH Cedarville U. – Athenaeum
27 Johnson City, TN ETSU – Intramural Fields

Chimaira's new video on Headbanger's Ball Saturday

CHIMAIRA: NEW VIDEO “RESURRECTION” AIRING ON MTV2’S HEADBANGER’S BALL!!

Fans will wait no longer. Behold! CHIMAIRA’s music video, ‘Resurrection’, the title track from their highly anticipated Ferret Music debut will be airing on MTV2’s Headbanger’s Ball on February 24th @ 10 PM EST.

‘Resurrection’, CHIMAIRA’s new recording, will be released on March 6.

The video for ‘Resurrection’ was directed by Todd Bell and features Mixed Martial Arts with concept and band performance. CHIMAIRA have combined forces with MMA fighter Maverick for a music video of epic proportions.

CHIMAIRA hit the road this Wednesday, February 21st, for The No Fear US/Canada tour alongside Killswitch Engage, Dragonforce and He Is Legend
Dates are as follows:

Chimaira w/ Killswitch Engage, Dragonforce, and He is Legend:
2/20 – Huntington, WV – Huntington Music Hall – OFF DATE
2/21 – Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory
2/22 – Glens Falls, NY – Glens Falls Civic Center @ Red, Black, and Blue Festival
2/23 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium
2/24 – Boston, MA – Avalon Ballroom
2/25 – Niagara Falls, NY – The Dome
2/27 – Toronto, ONT – Arrow Hall
2/28 – Montreal, QC – Metropolis
3/01 – New York, NY – Roseland Ballroom
3/02 – Washington DC – 9:30 Club
3/03 – Washington DC – 9:30 Club
3/05 – Ft Lauderdale, FL – Revolution
3/06 – Orlando, FL – House of Blues
3/07 – Atlanta, GA – The Tabernacle
3/08 – Louisville, KY – Expo Five – OFF DATE
3/09 – Columbus, OH – LC Pavilion
3/10 – St Louis, MO – The Pageant
3/12 – Houston, TX - Verizon Wireless Theatre
3/13 – San Antonio, TX – Sunset Station
3/14 – Dallas, TX – Palladium Ballroom
3/15 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theatre – OFF DATE
3/16 – Mesa, AZ – Mesa Amphitheatre
3/17 – West Hollywood, CA – House of Blues
3/19 – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues
3/20 – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues
3/22 – Los Angeles, CA – Wiltern Theatre
3/23 – San Diego, CA – Soma
3/24 – San Francisco, CA – The Warfield
3/25 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theatre
3/26 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre
3/27 – Spokane, WA – The Boulevard – OFF DATE
3/28 – Vancouver, BC – PNE Forum
3/30 – Salt Lake City, UT – Salt Air Pavilion
3/31 – Denver, CO – The Fillmore
4/01 – Kansas City, MO – Beaumont Club
4/02 – St. Paul, MN – Myth
4/03 – Bloomington, IL – The Lafayette Club – OFF DATE
4/04 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room @ Murat Centre
4/05 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theatre
4/06 – Detroit, MI – State Theatre
4/08 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues

Thursday, February 22, 2007

John 5's latest effort features Satriani, Root & Johnson

ZOMBIE’S JOHN 5: NEW RELEASE APRIL 3RD ‘THE DEVIL KNOWS MY NAME’
FEATURING JOE SATRIANI, JIM ROOT & ERIC JOHNSON

Out of the dark passages of John 5’s mind comes this mind-blowing, sinister guitar instrumental. ‘The Devil Knows My Name’ is John 5’s third solo album, due out on April 3rd, 2007, which features guest guitar solo’s from two legendary guitarists – Joe Satriani and Eric Johnson with newer legend in-the-make Jim Root (Slipknot). Keeping time are Zombie band-mates Tommy Clufetos (drums) and Piggy D. (bass). The album was recorded in the middle of night where John 5 would lay down his leads – This is the only album that all leads were doubled - An instrumental feat that is rarely taken on by the best of the guitar players.

‘The Devil Knows My Name’ melds around clues, quotes and references of serial killers, wielding an eerie tone for those who dare to enter the world of John 5’s mind. “I wanted a different tone to the instrumental with twisted imagery of sounds,” explains John 5. “Utilizing serial killers came to light for this project while looking at their crimes and how distorted their minds work.”

Not all is sinister on ‘The Devil Knows My Name’ but there are tunnels to the past greats. John 5 shreds-out his version of Guns N’ Roses ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ and Chet Atkins “Young Thing”. “I chose Welcome To The Jungle for the one reason – when I was becoming successful it was easy to stay in the nest back home, then I saw the video and that made me get up and go to Hollywood.” ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ will be the first release off the album and is hitting the airwaves soon.

John 5 has created a worldwide following as a widely respected guitarist with such platinum artists as Marilyn Manson, David Lee Roth, Rob Halford and now an integral member of Rob Zombie. John 5’s eclectic influences combine for a truly unique guitar oriented record that once again sets new standards in the genre.

www.john-5.com

Deep Dish's Dubfire's solo mix due in April

DEEP DISH'S DUBFIRE TO RELEASE FIRST-EVER SOLO MIX ALBUM "DUBFIRE - TAIPEI" VIA GLOBAL UNDERGROUND ON APRIL 10
ECLECTIC MIX FEATURING TRACKS AND REMIXES BY DEPECHE MODE, CARL CRAIG, BOOKA SHADE , EXTRAWELT, SAMUEL L SESSION AND NITZER EBB
INCLUDES EXCLUSIVE DUBFIRE REMIXES AND DUBFIRE'S OWN FORTHCOMING SINGLE "I FEEL SPEED"

"This mix is more about who I am, as opposed to Deep Dish. This is an extension of all my influences from day one and where my head is at currently. I've always been about pushing the envelope musically and anytime there's a new sound, I'm paying attention."
- Dubfire, February 2007

So you think you know all about Deep Dish? Think again.

Dubfire (aka Ali Shirazinia)--one half of the Grammy Award winning and four-time nominated electronic music duo Deep Dish--has joined forces with Global Underground for the April 10 release of his first solo mix album Dubfire GU031 - Taipei. The 2-CD mix set is a sweeping change from anything you would have previously expected to hear from the Deep Dish member and it features the finest in house, electro, techno, and even industrial music.

Growing up in the Washington, DC area, Dubfire spent much of his youth playing the guitar in school bands and listening to heavy doses of classic Hip-Hop, jazz/rare groove, dub reggae, new wave and industrial. Dubfire was also influenced by the local punk scene and the music of hometown bands like Fugazi and Minor Threat. Members of these bands also worked at a local record store called Yesterday And Today Records, and this is where Dubfire first picked up on the sounds of acts such as Kraftwerk, Ministry, Jesus & Mary Chain, Depeche Mode, Nitzer Ebb, Adrian Sherwood/On-U Sound and Einstürzende Neubauten. Through this heavy industrial influence, namely the sound of Chicago's famed Wax Trax! label, Dubfire discovered the Chicago house scene and what labels like Trax and D.J. International Records were releasing.

Dubfire's eclectic new mix is the product of his diverse past and addictive music personality, and this mix is more about Dubfire personally and as a DJ. Dubfire's mix was compiled with tracks that he's both really into at the moment and that have also had a profound influence on shaping his love for music. Dubfire GU031 - Taipei is laced full of gems from a diverse lot including Depeche Mode, Carl Craig, Booka Shade, Extrawelt, Samuel L Session and Nitzer Ebb. However, the biggest surprise of all comes with Dubfire's original production "I Feel Speed;" a cover of an obscure Love & Rockets song that, for the first time, features his own vocals!

Dubfire GU031 - Taipei is released April 10 on Global Underground. Keep an eye out for April/May tour dates and several major events at the Winter Music Conference in March.

Deep Dish's previous releases for Global Underground include GU-025: Toronto (2003), Deep Dish - Global Underground 021: Moscow (2001) and Sharam GU29 - Dubai (2006).

“GU031 TAIPEI” TRACKLISTING
CD1
1. Intro: The Low End Specialists featuring Gay Joy 'It Comes From Inside [Inside-apella]'
2. Francois DuBois 'I Try'
3. Myself 'Barbeque'
4. Lance Jordan 'Sun is Rising [Ruff Mix]'
5. Julien Jabre 'Swimming Places [Sebastian Ingrosso Re-Edit]'
6. And If 'Finest Dream [Silicone Soul Remix]'
7. Booka Shade 'In White Rooms'
8. Simian Mobile Disco 'Hustler'
9. Ballroom 'Remember Me'
10. Deetron 'The Afterlife'
11. Lula 'The DJ, The Music & Me [Peace Division Remix]
12. DJ Simi & DJ Marotta 'My House'
13. Yoshimoto 'Do What U Do [Markus Schulz Remix]'
14. Dubfire 'I Feel Speed [Club Mix]'
15. X-Press 2 featuring Rob Harvey 'Kill 100 [Carl Craig Remix]'

CD2

1. Intro: Angel Lopez 'The First Rebirth [FX DJ Tool]'
2. Nitzer Ebb 'Control I'm Here [Dubfire's Jamrock Remix]'
3. U & K 'The Sax Track'
4. Nic Fanciulli 'Lucky Heather [Dubfire's Lucky 13 Remix Parts 1 + 2 - iTunes Edit]'
5. Noir 'My MTV [The Dolphins Remix'
6. Robbie Rivera 'Float Away [Dubfire's Casaplex Remix]'
7. DJ Vibe 'You' Kaos
8. Len Faki 'Die Rumpelkammer'
9. Depeche Mode 'Everything Counts [Oliver Huntemann & Stephan Bodzin Dub]'
10. Samuel L Session 'Related'
11. Samuel L Session 'Can You Relate?'
12. Emanuel Heinstein ' Satellites '
13. Alexander Kowalski & Barca Baxant 'Start Chasing [Extrawelt Remix]'
14. Ellen Alien & Apparat 'Jet [Paul Kalkbrenner Remix]'

ADDITIONAL ACAPELLAS USED:

1. Fierce Ruling Diva 'Believe in Me'
For more information on DUBFIRE and Global Underground visit:
http://www.globalunderground.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/djdubfire
http://www.deepdish.com
http://www.myspace.com/deepdish
http://www.bullitbookings.com

Redman to release "Thee Album"

After a six year break that has won him success and worldwide recognition in major feature films, network and cable television in the U.S. and U.K., video games, cartoons, and of course mix tapes - chronic Def Jam Recordings core artist Redman gets right back in the game where he belongs.

RED GONE WILD - THEE ALBUM, with productions by Erick Sermon, Scott Storch, Timbaland, Rockwilder, and special appearances by Red's cousin Method Man (of the Wu-Tang Clan), Erick Sermon and Keith Murray (with whom Redman performs in the group Def Squad), Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, and Biz Markie, will arrive in stores March 27th. The release follows Redman’s two-day visit to the legendary South By Southwest Music Conference & Festival in Austin, Texas, March 16 & 17th.

The album launches with its first single pick, "Put It Down" produced by Timbaland, which ships to radio on Monday (Feb. 19th) and impacts at Urban radio formats on Feb. 26th. Production details of the "Put It Down" video and its premiere date will be announced in the weeks ahead. Early buzz on the album began weeks ago when the album's cutting-edge, anime-inspired artwork leaked to the internet.

RED GONE WILD - THEE ALBUM is the long-awaited follow-up to Redman's last album, the RIAA gold Malpractice (released May 2001), featuring the singles "Let's Get Dirty (I Can't Get in Da Club)," "Smash Sumthin'," and "Diggy Doc." That same year, Redman joined Method Man for one of the all-time great stoner comedy movies How High (which led to his co-hosting the High Times Stony Awards last year), and writer-director Lawrence Page's "Statistic: The Movie." In 2002, Christina Aguilera enlisted Redman to join her on one of his biggest career moves, the worldwide #1 single "Dirrty," subsequently nominated for a Grammy and three MTV VMAs.

Over the next few years, Redman kept busy on a number of high-profile projects, starting on tv with "Stung," which he co-hosted with Method Man, which evolved into their FOX sitcom together, "Method & Red." Redman was a character in video game ("True Crime: New York City"), appeared in an episode of the British version of MTV's "Cribs," and was a rapping voice-over in two episodes of Nickelodeon's animated series "The Fairly OddParents" (entitled "School's Out: The Musical").

Last year, Redman jumped into the mixtape ring with Volume 2 of the Ill At Will series, entitled BC4: Straight Outta Lo-Cash, presented by his Gilla House crew and featuring Red’s collaborators Govmattic, Saukrates, Icarus, and Melanie. One track, "Da Banger," featured Jay-Z and R Kelly in the mix.

The pride of Newark, Redman (Reggie Noble) broke into the pro ranks when EPMD's Erick Sermon discovered him in a New York club, and premiered Red's witty freestyle and hard, P-funk-influenced beats on EPMD's third Def Jam album, 1990's Business As Usual. Redman was quickly signed to the label and his debut was released in 1992. Whut? Thee Album made #1 on the R&B chart and was certified gold after a string of hit single tracks: "Blow Your Mind," "How To Roll a Blunt," "Time 4 Sum Aksion," "Tonight's Da Night," "Rated R," and "I'm a Bad." This early success led hip hop magazine The Source to name Redman the Rap Artist of the Year for 1993.

1994 brought Dare Iz A Darkside, the first of four more Def Jam albums over the next seven years. It was another gold #1 R&B seller (#13 on the pop side). The enigmatically-titled Doc's Da Name 2000 was released in 1998 and became Redman's first platinum album (#1 R&B, #11 pop). He went public with Def Squad on 1998's RIAA gold El Niño (#1 R&B, #2 pop), and then collaborat­ed with Method Man on 1999's RIAA platinum Blackout! (#1 R&B, #4 pop). Malpractice arrived in 2001.

Over the past decade and a half, in addition to all the above mentioned artists, Redman has also worked across the spectrum with such names as 2Pac, Canibus, Cypress Hill, De La Soul, D'Angelo, Gorillaz, Dru Hill, Jodeci, Beverley Knight, KRS-One, LL Cool J, Me'shell Ndegeocello, The Oak Ridge Boys, The Offspring, Scarface, A Tribe Called Quest, Conway Twitty, and Wyclef Jean. To name a few!

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Kenny Loggins to be inducted into Rock Walk March 7

KENNY LOGGINS TO BE INDUCTED INTO HOLLYWOOD’S ROCKWALK

WHO: There are certain voices in popular music that can be identified as soon a song starts. Kenny Loggins possesses such a voice, and for the past three decades he has led his fans on a creative journey that’s encompassed numerous hit singles and more then twelve albums exceeding platinum status. One of the earliest highlights of Loggins’ career was a publishing deal that placed four of his songs on a 1970 Nitty Gritty Dirt Band LP including the Billboard-charting “House at Pooh Corner.”

Loggins went on to form Loggins & Messina with Jim Messina, who’d played with Buffalo Springfield and Poco. Loggins & Messina went on to become one of pop music’s classic duos and an era-defining act. Their partnership ultimately produced five original studio albums, a covers collection, a greatest hits disc and two live albums. Before disbanding in ’76 their hits included; “Vahevala,” “My Music,” “Angry Eyes,” “Your Mama Don’t Dance,” and “A Love Song.”

Loggins then went on to even greater success on his own. His solo debut, 1977’s Celebrate Me Home, was a platinum Billboard Top 40 album whose title track is one of his best loved ballads. The follow up, Nightwatch, delivered the Top 5 hit “Whenever I Call You ‘Friend’,” as well as Loggins’ version of “What A Fool Believes,” which he co-wrote with Michael McDonald, that won a GRAMMY for Song of the Year.

His next album, Keep the Fire, netted another GRAMMY, 1980’s Best Male Pop Vocal Honor for “This Is It.” Loggins also reigned as one of the most successful movie theme song composers of his era, with hits including “I’m Alright” (Caddyshack), “Danger Zone” (Top Gun), “Nobody’s Fool” (Caddyshack II) and the Oscar-nominated “Footloose” (Footloose).

His latest album, 2007’s How About Now, brings Loggins home to the soulful, roots-centric singer-songwriter tradition that first made him a household name. With Loggins in peak vocal form, 11 of How About Now’s 12 original selections came to life during a period of personal transition for Loggins. Writing in the first person about things that mattered to him the most, this album is a hook-heavy, uptempo instant classic that naturally plays to his strengths both as a songwriter and vocalist

WHAT: Kenny Loggins will be inducted into Hollywood’s RockWalk the only sidewalk gallery dedicated to honoring those artists who have made a significant impact and lasting contribution to the growth and evolution of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Blues and R&B. His handprints and signature will reside alongside other equally accomplished musicians and innovators such as Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Bonnie Raitt, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Marvin Gaye, James Brown, Brian Wilson, Stevie Wonder, John Lee Hooker and Earth Wind & Fire among numerous others.

WHERE: Hollywood’s RockWalk
7425 Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, CA

WHEN: Wednesday, March 7 at NOON.
*This event is FREE and OPEN to the public

Urban Music Conference announces equity partner and sponsor

The Legion OF Doom Record Pool Becomes Equity Partner With The 5th Annual Southeast Urban Music Conference

Heineken USA Becomes "Official" Beer Sponsor For Third Year In A Row!

Legion of Doom Record Pool, one of the nation's leading record pools, has become an equity partner with the Southeast Urban Music Conference (SUMC). The 5th annual conference will take place June 27-30 at the Atlanta Downtown Sheraton located at 165 Courtland Street NE.

The 2006 SUMC registration boasted over 1500 participants and offered a variety of informative seminars focused on achieving success in the business of urban entertainment. Attendees included artists, producers, managers and promoters all hoping to learn more about the business from industry pros.

Tony Baraka, SUMC Conference Chairman, said, "I am thrilled to be working with Ray and his hard working staff. LOD brings to the table a work ethic that’s not matched by many and the LOD brand is one of the most respected brands in the entertainment marketplace today. I have seen LOD expand and grow over the last two years with LOD Internet Radio, The Urban Music Series and their roster of popular DJs."

Baraka also went on to speak about the 3rd year return of Heineken USA as a sponsor
"I am so thrilled that Heineken has come back onboard with SUMC/LOD Conference for three years running it’s a bold statement and respect for our brand and our demos who drink Heineken I wish to commend the Hardworking staff at Heineken and we look forward to working together for this Historic Black Music Month Event."

Ray Hamilton, president of The Legion Of Doom echoes Baraka’s enthusiasm. "Not since the Jack The Rapper Convention has there been this kind of excitement for an Urban Music Conference. This is an historic moment by bringing two of the premier entertainment brands together – both of whom are well respected in the industry and both are African American owned companies. I applaud Tony for growing SUMC over the last four years and now LOD is ready to bring our full arsenal to the table in making sure that SUMC is the premier Urban Music Conference."

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Shaw/Blades appearances and tour

VH1 CLASSIC PRESENTSSHAW/BLADES’ U.S. HEADLINING TOUR SET TO LAUNCH MARCH 16;
DUO CONFIRMED TO APPEAR ON “ROCKLINE”WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7
AND “THE BOB AND TOM SHOW” TUESDAY, APRIL 3;
PRAISE FROM ORIGINAL ARTISTS POURS IN

VH1 Classic is proud to present the upcoming U.S. headlining tour for Shaw/Blades—Styx/Damn Yankees guitarist/vocalist Tommy Shaw and Night Ranger/Damn Yankees bassist/vocalist Jack Blades. It will launch March 16 in Dewey Beach, DE and conclude in April 14 in Agoura Hills, CA. The duo is making the cross-country trek to promote their sophomore INFLUENCE album--which is due out March 6 on VH1 Classic Records--without the support of a back-up band. Songs from both Shaw/Blades albums, as well as a selection from Styx, Damn Yankees and Night Ranger, will be performed completely acoustic. An intimate evening of music will be heard at each stop courtesy of Tommy, Jack and one other guitarist.For a taste of what to expect at their shows, fans should check out the band’s Myspace page
(www.myspace.com/shawbladesinfluence ), which features a video clip of the duo performing “Too Much Time On My Hands” (Styx) and “High Enough” (Damn Yankees).

INFLUENCE is the duo’s first album since their recently re-released 1995 debut, HALLUCINATION. Like the debut - and unlike their history-carving decades as icons in the more hard-rock minded Styx, Night Ranger and Damn Yankees - the latest release is rooted in acoustic guitar and organic production, harvesting a decade of musical influences into 11 tracks (on which Blades and Shaw played all the music except for drums and the occasional keyboards). With classics from the ‘60s and ‘70s including the Mamas and the Papas’ “California Dreamin’,” Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” and Steely Dan’s “Dirty Work,” INFLUENCE offers a track-by-track chronology of the musical era that helped define modern rock.

In an early album review, Greg Prato of All Music Guide raved, “Impressively consistent from beginning to end, INFLUENCE is certainly one of the better ‘all covers' albums of recent times.”

High praise is on the rise from the original artists who are covered on INFLUENCE. To wit:

"I want to thank Tommy and Jack for keeping our music alive. They honored us with 'California Dreamin’."--Michelle Phillips, The Mamas & The Papas (“California Dreamin’”)

"How absolutely fabulous...what an honor to see someone so 'into it' that it sounds and feels so much like our original record…congratulations." --Graham Nash, The Hollies (“On A Carousel”)

"Just wonderful...it was just great to hear your recording...you captured the song so well..." --Jon Anderson, Yes (“Your Move”)

Meanwhile, Shaw/Blades will be the featured guest on the nationally syndicated radio show “Rockline” on Wednesday, March 7 at 8:30 pm Pacific Time. They’ll chat with host Bob Coburn about INFLUENCE, the U.S. tour and everything else happening in their world. Jack and Tommy will also be performing a few songs acoustically, and fans will have the opportunity to call in with questions for the duo at 800-344-ROCK (7625). For local listings, fans should check out www.rocklineradio.com.

In further radio news, Jack and Tommy will be heard on the nationwide “The Bob & Tom Radio Show” the morning of Tuesday, April 3, live from the show’s studios in Indianapolis. For a complete list of affiliates, fans should log onto www.bobandtom.com.

Here are the confirmed tour dates:
DATE CITY VENUE
Fri 3/16 Dewey Beach, DE The Rusty Rudder
Sat 3/17 Atlantic City, NJ House of Blues
Sun 3/18 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of the Living Arts
Wed 3/21 New York, NY B.B. King’s Blues Club
Thu 3/22 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
Fri 3/23 Allentown, PA Crocodile Rock
Sat 3/24 Buffalo, NY Tralf Theatre
Mon 3/26 Alexandria, VA The Birchmere
Thu 3/29 Annapolis, MD Rams Head Tavern
Fri 3/30 Pittsburgh, PA Rex Theatre
Sat 3/31 Columbus, OH PromoWest Pavilion
Sun 4/1 Akron, OH Tangiers
Wed 4/4 Indianapolis, IN Music Mill
Thu 4/5 Chicago, IL Joe’s
Fri 4/6 Milwaukee, WI Pabst Theater
Sat 4/7 West Des Moines, IA Val Air Ballroom
Wed 4/11 San Jacinto, CA AC’s Lounge
Thu 4/12 West Hollywood, CA Key Club
Fri 4/13 San Juan Capistrano, CA Coach House
Sat 4/14 Agoura Hills, CA Canyon Club

About VH1 Classic: Launched in 2000, VH1 Classic is a 24-hour network that presents music videos, concerts and music specials all day long, featuring the best rock, soul and pop artists from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s including The Beatles, The Stones, Tina Turner, Led Zeppelin, Marvin Gaye, The Who, Stevie Wonder, The Police and many more.

www.shawblades.comwww.myspace.com/shawbladesinfluencewww.vh1classic.com

Post-punkers The Draft to release EP

THE DRAFT TO RELEASE EXCLUSIVE DIGITAL EP MARCH 13TH

Post-punk outfit The Draft are set to release an exclusive self-titled digital EP on March 13th from Epitaph Records. A follow-up to the band’s acclaimed 2006 debut, In A Million Pieces, the EP features four rockin’ tracks like the melodic punk anthem “The Devil In The Shade” and the toe-tapping cut “Stop Wastin’ My Time.” The Draft EP is available for purchase individually through all major download services and as an exclusive packaged album through iTunes.

The Draft features former members of Hot Water Music, Jason Black, George Rebelo and Chris Wollard as well as ex-Discount guitarist Todd “Wonderboy” Rockhill, and are currently blazing their way across the country on a national tour.

Track Listing:

“Stop Wastin’ My Time”
“Up All Night”
“The Devil In The Shade”
“Na Na Na”

Ricky Martin to play in L.A. in April

RICKY MARTIN's Black & White Tour Will Perform In Los Angeles On April 20th At STAPLES CENTER - Tickets On-Sale Friday, 2/23

"[Ricky Martin] breaks the record by selling-out 4 consecutive shows in the coliseum - the singer returned to the most important stage of [Puerto Rico] with more energy than ever"-El Nuevo Día (translated)
"With a great performance - Ricky simply confirmed that he is another league - the public that saw him born as a star, fell in love all over again"- El Vocero (translated)
- - -
Following on the heels of his recent critically acclaimed and #1 debuting album Ricky Martin: MTV Unplugged and its internationally chart-topping first single "Tu Recuerdo," Ricky Martin has returned to his most natural environment - the concert stage. With Martin's embrace of indigenous Puerto Rican instrumentation on "Tu Recuerdo" and the album's just released second single "Pegate," it was a natural choice for the multiple-Grammy winner to launch his world-wide Black & White Tour in his native island. The people of Puerto Rico responded by showing they embrace Martin more then ever, as the Black & White Tour kicked off with a record- setting four-consecutive sold-out nights at The Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum - performing for over 60,000 fans and receiving glowing praise from the press.

Now, with the tour set to embark on a far-reaching schedule across the globe beginning with concerts throughout Latin America, dates have begun to take shape for the Black & White Tour to perform across the United States throughout April and May - with a stop at the STAPLES CENTER in Los Angeles on April 20:
RICKY MARTIN - The Black & White Tour
April 20, 2007 - Los Angeles, CA - STAPLES CENTER
Tickets On-Sale Friday, February 23 at 10:00AM Ticket Cost: $125, $75 & $45
Tickets Available At Box Office (After on-sale Day), Through Ticketmaster Locations or www.Ticketmaster.com
Presented by AEG Live

The Black & White Tour sees Martin present a unique production that showcases the full diversity of Ricky's range as a performer. Audiences will see Martin not only sharing his famed high-energy performance ability on many of his pioneering Latin pop hits, but also take fans through the sounds of Rock, Brazilian and African music, and also present quiet moments of engaging acoustic musicianship in the style of the MTV Unplugged CD/DVD.

Released last November, Ricky Martin: MTV Unplugged debuted at #1 and quickly notched gold, platinum and multi-platinum certifications in numerous countries throughout the world. The album was quickly embraced by both radio (with "Tu Recuerdo" notching multiple weeks at #1), and press. The Los Angeles Times declared the album a discovery of "an artist who is mature, grounded and focused on musicality - exciting, swinging tropical celebrations with flamenco touches and pan-Caribbean accents -some of the tastiest [Latin] music of 2006" and Billboard echoed that "Martin sounds blissfully in the moment and inspired by the euphoric live arrangements on this album- a long awaited gift."

Monday, February 19, 2007

Geghis Tron to tour with Kylesa

GENGHIS TRON ANNOUNCE U.S. TOUR WITH KYLESA

Rock extremists GENGHIS TRON have announced a five-week Spring tour with Savannah, GA’s KYLESA.

This North American tour will kick-off on March 8 in GENGHIS TRON’s home-base of Philadelphia, PA. The tour will also include stops at the SXSW Festival as well as the LA Murderfest alongside ATHEIST, REPULSION, BRUTAL TRUTH and more. Prior to this tour, GENGHIS TRON will also be performing a handful of shows in the Northeast with the likes of ONEIDA, PARTS & LABOR, and ROB CROW. A complete listing of GENGHIS TRON tour dates can be found below, with more to be announced soon.

GENGHIS TRON (Mookie Singerman, Michael Sochynsky, and Hamilton Jordan, Jr.) have recently released the critically acclaimed full-length Dead Mountain Mouth and are working on writing the follow-up and Relapse debut. The band’s latest work can be heard via the GENGHIS TRON MySpace page: www.MySpace.com/GENGHISTRON, and additional information on the band can be found via their website: www.GENGHISTRON.com

Stay tuned to www.RELAPSE.com for forthcoming GENGHIS TRON news / album release / tour information.

GENGHIS TRON Tour Dates:
February 17 Poughkeepsie, NY Vassar College @ Main MPR (w/ Oneida, Parts & Labor)
February 28 Cambridge, MA TT The Bears (w/ Rob Crow)
March 1 New York, NY Rebel (w/ Rob Crow)

***All Dates from March 8 thru April 12 w/ KYLESA***

March 8 Philadelphia, PA First Unitarian Church (w/ Ultradolphins)
March 9 Buffalo, NY Soundlab
March 10 Oberlin, OH Oberlin College
March 11 Louisville, KY Keswick Democratic Club
March 12 Memphis, TN Rally Point
March 13 New Orleans, LA One Eyed Jacks (w/ Stinking Lizavetta, Child Abuse)
March 15 Austin, TX SxSw
March 16 Austin, TX SxSw
March 17 Austin, TX Snake Eyes Vinyl (daytime party)
March 17 Corpus Christi, TX The Compound
March 18 San Antonio, TX Sanctuary
March 20 Phoenix, AZ Modified Arts
March 21 Riverside, CA Parkview
March 22 San Diego, CA Che Cafe
March 24 Los Angeles, CA Knitting Factory (LA Murderfest w/ Atheist, Obituary, Repulsion, and more)
March 25 San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill
March 27 Oakland, CA Hazmat (early all ages show)
March 27 Oakland, CA Uptown (w/ Totimoshi (21+)
March 28 Eureka, CA Ink People
March 29 Portland, OR Satyricon (w/ Black Elk)
March 30 Seattle, WA Vera Project
April 1 Spokane, WA BLVD
April 2 Boise, ID The Bouquet
April 4 Denver, CO Hi-Dive
April 5 Wichita, KS Headway Park
April 6 Lawrence, KS Replay Lounge
April 7 St. Louis, MO Creepy Crawl
April 8 Chicago, IL Beat Kitchen
April 9 Traverse City, MI American Legion Hall
April 10 Grand Rapids, MI DAAC
April 11 Southgate, MI Modern Exchange
April 12 Pittsburgh, PA Lawrenceville Moose (w/ Microwaves)

“like the soundtrack to Mega Man as scored by Napalm Death.” – REVOLVER

“Genghis Tron generally don't give a collective f*ck about genre alignment. You shouldn't, either.” – DECIBEL

“it’s just a matter of time before the Tron conquer all.” – EXCLAIM!

“you are going to love them: they are the mad-ass band you’ve been waiting for.” – METAL HAMMER

“cacophonous musical experimentation that is as dizzying in scope as it is mind-blowing in delivery… experimental rock music at its finest; the world needs more bands like Genghis Tron” – ROCK SOUND

“the most inventive, invigorating, incapable-of-classification shit I've heard since The Locust” - SKYSCRAPER

Youth Group to launch tour

YOUTH GROUP “DESTINED FOR HUGENESS” BAND TO PERFORM AT SXSW CONFIRMS U.S. TOUR WITH AQUEDUCT IN SUPPORT OF CASINO TWILIGHT DOGS

Youth Group – the widely-heralded Sydney-based rock outfit – will launch a five-week U.S. tour on March 9th in Portland Oregon. The extensive Stateside trek in support of its highly-praised third studio album, Casino Twilight Dogs (released by Epitaph on January 30, 2007), will wrap on April 15th in Chicago.

“Casino Twilight Dogs is that most welcome of albums: a great driving record that exquisitely soundtracks crushes and heartbreaks,” writes Spin this month in a rare four-star review. Elsewhere, USA Today asserted that frontman Toby Martin, “sings with a voice meant to break hearts.”

And Rolling Stone’s Rob Sheffield writes, “Youth Group are destined for hugeness,” adding, “they wield massive choruses, stadium-ready production and the keening vocals of Martin. He may sing like Chris Martin (no relation), but he’s singing better tormented-lover-boy rock ballads than Coldplay have managed in years.”

Produced by Wayne Connolly (Vines, You Am I), the follow up to 2005’s Skeleton Jar comes on the heels of a hugely successful support slot on Coldplay’s trek down under. The foursome’s February 2006 Australian #1 single – a cover of Alphaville’s “Forever Young” that is in tow on the new album – sold 90,000 copies and was also a staple on The O.C. last spring.

“Forever Young” also earned the band the honor of “Best Breakthrough Artist – Single” at the 2006 ARIA Awards ceremony in Sydney. Previous recipients of that honor include Jet, The Vines and The Avalanches. Tracked in Sydney in December 2005 and February 2006 and mixed in Los Angeles in April 2006, Casino Twilight Dogs debuted at #10 upon its Australian release last July.

Here are Youth Group’s upcoming U.S. dates:

3-9 Doug Fir Portland OR#
3-10 Crocodile Cafe Seattle WA#
3-12 Slim's San Francisco CA#
3-13 Spaceland Los Angeles CA#
3-14 Casbah San Diego CA#
3-15 Filter Austin TX*
3-16 Soho’s Austin TX*
3-17 Latitude 30 Austin TX*
3-20 Beta Bar Tallahassee FL +
3-21 AKA Lounge Orlando FL +
3-22 The Earl Atlanta GA+
3-23 Local 506 Chapel Hill NC+
3-24 Grey Eagle Asheville NC+
3-25 Exit Inn Nashville TN+
3-27 The High Tone Memphis TN+
3-28 Mojos Columbia MO+
3-30 Southgate House Newport KY+
3-31 The Billiken Club St. Louis MO+
4-1 Grog Shop Cleveland Heights OH+
4-5 Space Gallery Portland ME+
4-6 Middle East Club Cambridge MA+
4-7 Century Lounge Providence RI+
4-9 Maxwells Hoboken NJ+
4-10 Mercury Lounge New York NY+
4-11 North Star Bar Philadelphia PA+
4-13 Black Cat Washington DC+
4-14 Club Cafe Pittsburgh PA+
4-15 Magic Stick Detroit MI+
4-17 Empty Bottle Chicago IL+

# - Headlining
* - SXSW
+ - with Aqueduct

Alabama Thunderpussy ready for the road

ALABAMA THUNDERPUSSY has announced its first U.S. tour in support of their forthcoming album, Open Fire.

ALABAMA THUNDERPUSSY will kick off the three week tour on March 8 in Raleigh, NC. This tour will include the band’s fifth SXSW performance at the annual Relapse Records SXSW Showcase in Austin, TX on March 15 at Room 710. A complete listing of ALABAMA THUNDERPUSSY tour dates can be found below, with more to be announced soon.

Additionally, ATP recently completed work on their first video from Open Fire. The video, for the track "Words of the Dying Man", was shot in their hometown of Richmond, VA with local creative collective Day By Day (LAMB OF GOD, MUNICIPAL WASTE). The "Words of the Dying Man" video is scheduled to make it's international debut in late February.

Preview tracks off of Open Fire, which is set for a March 6 North American release date (March 12 internationally), can be heard via the band’s official MySpace page, www.MySpace.com/ATPVA, and PureVolume page, www.purevolume.com/AlabamaThunderpussy.
Updated ALABAMA THUNDERPUSSY news / tour information will be made available via the Relapse Records website: www.RELAPSE.com, the ALABAMA THUNDERPUSSY website: www.ATPRVA.com, MySpace page: www.MySpace.com/ATPVA and PureVolume page: www.purevolume.com/AlabamaThunderpussy.

ALABAMA THUNDERPUSSY Tour Dates:

March 8 Raleigh, NC Volume 11 Tavern
March 9 Fayetteville, NC The Rock Shop
March 10 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade
March 12 Little Rock, AR Downtown Music
March 13 Shreveport, LA 516 Soundstage
March 14 San Antonio, TX Rockbottom
March 15 Austin, TX Room 710 (as part of the Relapse Records SXSW Showcase)
March 16 Dallas, TX The Galaxy Club
March 17 New Orleans, LA House of Blues
March 18 Birmingham, AL The Nick
March 19 Gainesville, FL 1982 Bar
March 20 Jacksonville, FL Jack Rabbits
March 21 Savannah, GA The Jinx
March 22 Spartanburg, SC Ground Zero
March 23 Johnson City, TN The Hideaway
March 24 Charlottesville, VA Outback Lodge


"ALABAMA THUNDERPUSSY is truly one damn-straight, gritty, gut-n-soul, American-bred HEAVY ROCK band." - METAL MANIACS

"It's dirty, it's rough around the edges, and it flat out rocks -- imagine Skynyrd meets Motorhead. Jim and Jack have new drinking buddies." - SLAP

Friday, February 16, 2007

End o' week musings


What a week!! But it was a good thing.


On Tuesday I attended a photography lecture by Karl Larsen. He is Velvet Revolver's photographer and works for Rolling Stone magazine as well. He shared a clutch of interesting stories, along with a selection of his work. There were photos of Areosmith, The Doors, Guns 'n' Roses, Slash's Snake Pit and more.


Thursday afternoon I headed out to Hollywood for Rock and Roll Fantasy Band Camp. I had to go through the audition process, where an industry panel watches you perform and decides which bands to place people in. I had selected "Proud Mary" from their list, as it's simple enough if you get too nervous, plus easy to fancy-up if you're feeling strong. Well, I had a blast. But then who wouldn't with the band I had supporting me- Teddy Andreadi, Skunk Baxter, Simon Kirke, Kelly Keagy, Jane Wiedlin and a few other pros! Today I went back to learn about how the bands get their act together and on Monday I'll be going to the concert. I'm writing about this adventure, so I'll let you know when you can read and watch my adventures.


Last night I also went to the Moody Blues concert in Pasadena. My review should be posted online tonight at www.sgvn.com Check it out!

In rotation this week: Orange Sky, Requisite, a bunch of oldies and Tribe of Gypsies (over and over!)

Live Earth concerts planned

AL GORE, KEVIN WALL, PHARRELL, CAMERON DIAZ LAUNCH UNPRECEDENTED CAMPAIGN, CONCERT TO COMBAT CLIMATE CRISIS
“Live Earth” Concerts in All 7 Continents to Reach Global Audience of Over 2 Billion

Detailing a historic effort to engage billions of people across the globe, Kevin Wall, Al Gore, Pharrell Williams, Cameron Diaz, and the MSN Network today launched Save Our Selves (SOS) – The Campaign for a Climate in Crisis. The announcement was made at the California Science Center.

SOS is designed to trigger a global movement to combat our climate crisis. It will reach people in every corner of the planet through television, film, radio, the Internet and Live Earth, a 24-hour concert on 7/7/07 across all 7 continents that will bring together more than 100 of the world’s top musical acts. Live Earth alone will engage an audience of more than 2 billion people through concert attendance and broadcasts. MSN has partnered with SOS to use its reach to make the Live Earth concerts available across the globe. The Live Earth audience, and the proceeds from the concerts, will create the foundation for a new, multi-year global effort to combat the climate crisis led by The Alliance for Climate Protection and its Chair, Vice President Al Gore. SOS was founded by Kevin Wall, who won an Emmy as Worldwide Executive Producer of Live 8.

“Our climate crisis is the paramount challenge facing humanity. SOS is more than a global distress call. SOS will give the world the tools we need to answer that call with meaningful action. The most important part of SOS is how individuals, corporations, and governments respond,” Wall said. “Our climate crisis affects everyone, everywhere, and that’s who SOS is aimed at. Only a global response can conquer our climate crisis. SOS asks all people to Save Our Selves because only we can.”

“In order to solve the Climate Crisis, we have to reach billions of people. We are launching SOS and Live Earth to begin a process of communication that will mobilize people all over the world to take action,” Gore said. “The Climate Crisis will only be stopped by an unprecedented and sustained global movement. We hope to jump-start that movement right here, right now, and take it to a new level on July 7, 2007.”

“At MSN, we have the worldwide audience and the technology stage to help unite a global community around SOS and Live Earth,” said Joanne Bradford, corporate vice president and chief media officer of MSN. “Anyone around the world with an Internet connection will be able to come to MSN to view not just the concert events, but also an extensive collection of interactive media that will entertain, educate, inspire and ultimately drive change.”

Wall announced 25 of the 100 top musical acts that have answered SOS’s call and are performing at Live Earth. SOS is also engaging other celebrities, CEOs, athletes, academics and government leaders to engage their constituencies. Please see that attached list of 25 artists.
“More than 100 artists are performing at Live Earth and they’re all headliners. That’s what it takes to engage billions of people. We’re not just engaging fans of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Snoop Dogg, or the Foo Fighters and Faith Hill. We’re engaging them and everyone in between,” Wall said. “We’ve been overwhelmed by the response from the artist community and are feverishly working out the logistics for all of the bands that want to be involved. Today we are announcing just the first 25 and will soon be announcing even more headliners who, for contractual reasons, cannot be announced today.”

The campaign’s identity is based on SOS, the international Morse code distress signal: three dots, followed by three dashes, followed by three dots. SOS is the most urgent, universal message we have, and SOS will use that signal as a continuous distress call to prompt individuals, corporations and governments around the world to respond to our climate crisis with action.

“SOS is creating an unmatched communications platform to take on an unparalleled crisis,” Wall said. “Our message must saturate the globe if we’re to succeed, and we will. In the US, we’re partnering with NBC-Universal and its networks. On satellite radio, we have SIRIUS and XM. In the UK, we’re partnering with the BBC. In Japan, we have a historic partnership with two broadcast partners. We have already secured television, Internet and wireless coverage in 120 countries, and the rest are soon to come.”

Wall announced that Live Earth concerts will take place in the Brazil, Shanghai, Japan, Johannesburg, London, Sydney, and the Eastern United States.

Live Earth will be broadcast worldwide on MSN, which was the first sponsor to answer SOS’s call. MSN is one of the world's most popular Internet destinations, and as such will allow the SOS campaign to have a global reach. MSN has services in over 42 markets and 21 languages, and more than 465 million people around the world visit MSN each month. Beginning today, people can go to http://liveearth.msn.com and begin participating in the global movement, and on 7/7/07, to watch the Live Earth concerts.

Live Earth is being produced by Control Room, of which Kevin Wall is the CEO. Control Room has produced and distributed more than 60 concerts since its founding a year and a half ago featuring Beyoncé, Madonna, Green Day, Dave Matthews Band, Keith Urban, James Blunt, Snoop Dogg, the Rolling Stones, among others. Its multi-partner network provides a global reach for live offerings through broadband, television, digital movie theatres and mobile phones throughout the U.S. and the world.

Live Earth will implement a new Green Event Standard that will become the model for carbon neutral concerts and other live events in the future. The Green Event Standard is being developed in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Commission to create a way for venues to be LEED-approved.

Please see the attached documents for more information about SOS – its major partners, the Green Building Standard, and Live Earth.


LIVE EARTH FACT SHEET

Live Earth - The Concert for a Climate in Crisis

7/7/07

Concerts on all 7 continents
Shanghai
Sydney
Johannesburg
London
Brazil TBD
Japan TBD
United States TBD
TBD

100+ artists
Current and legendary artists across all genres performing multiple hits.

Announced today:

Pharrell
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Foo Fighters
Snoop Dogg
Lenny Kravitz
Bon Jovi
Paolo Nutini
Sheryl Crow
AFI
Melissa Etheridge
John Mayer
Damien Rice
Corrine Bailey Rae
Duran Duran

Snow Patrol
John Legend
Black Eyed Peas
Akon
Enrique Iglesias
Fall Out Boy
Mana
Keane
Kelly Clarkson
Korn
Faith Hill w/ Tim McGraw
Ray LaMontagne
Robin Thicke
Kenna


Celebrities and thought leaders
Entertainers, athletes, scientists, government leaders and CEOs helping engage their constituencies with SOS.

More than 1 million audience members
Live concert attendance reaching more than 1 million people.

More than 2 billion viewers
Multi-platform distribution (television, radio, internet, wireless) reaching in excess of 2 billion people across the globe.

The global audience gathered for Live Earth, its ongoing actions, and the proceeds from the concerts, will form the foundation for a new, multi-year international initiative to combat the climate crisis led The Alliance for Climate Protection and its Chair, Al Gore.