Wednesday, January 31, 2007

The Police to reunite for Grammy Awards performance

FIVE-TIME GRAMMY® AWARD-WINNING BAND THE POLICE REUNITE FOR FIRST TIME ON THE GRAMMY AWARDS WITH HISTORIC KICK-OFF PERFORMANCE

Joan Baez, Melissa Etheridge, Jennifer Hudson, Queen Latifah, Chris Rock and Stevie Wonder Added to Presenter Lineup for Music's Biggest Night™ Sunday, Feb. 11, on CBS

In an historic GRAMMY® moment, the Police (Sting, Stewart Copeland, and Andy Summers) will reunite and perform together for the first time on the GRAMMYs when they open the 49th Annual GRAMMY® Awards telecast on Feb. 11, it was announced today by The Recording Academy®. With five GRAMMY Awards to their list of accolades, the Police, one of the most famous bands in the world, create a purely original sound by infusing reggae with pop and rock — a sound that will be heard around the world from the GRAMMY stage.

Also, new presenters added to the all-star lineup include current Lifetime Achievement Award honoree Joan Baez, two-time GRAMMY winner Melissa Etheridge, Golden Globe winner Jennifer Hudson, GRAMMY winner Queen Latifah, three-time GRAMMY winner Chris Rock, and 24-time GRAMMY winner Stevie Wonder. The music industry's premier event will take place live on Sunday, Feb. 11, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast in HDTV and 5.1 Surround Sound on the CBS Television Network at 8 p.m. (ET/PT).

The Police join a stellar list of past GRAMMY Awards opening acts, which includes reunions and once-in-a-lifetime performances: the ever-animated Madonna sharing the stage with the Gorillaz (2006); an all-star, stage-filling spectacle that featured The Black Eyed Peas, Maroon5, Gwen Stefani, Los Lonely Boys and Franz Ferdinand (2005); Prince and Beyoncé in an electrifying duet (2004); and the reunion of legends Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel (2003).
Previously announced performers include Christina Aguilera, Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, the Dixie Chicks, Gnarls Barkley, John Legend, Ludacris, John Mayer, Corinne Bailey Rae, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Justin Timberlake (solo performance and with the winner of the "My GRAMMY Moment" competition) and Carrie Underwood. Previously announced presenters include The Black Eyed Peas, Ciara, Nelly Furtado, Terrence Howard, Samuel L. Jackson, P!nk and Rihanna. The show also will be supported on radio via Westwood One worldwide and XM Satellite Radio, and covered online at GRAMMY.yahoo.com.

The 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards are produced by John Cossette Productions in association with Ken Ehrlich Productions for The Recording Academy. Ken Ehrlich and John Cossette are executive producers, Walter C. Miller is producer/director, Tisha Fein is the coordinating producer, David Wild is the writer, and Tzvi Small is supervising producer. Musical directors for the telecast and pre-telecast are Rickey Minor and Larry Batiste, respectively.

Established in 1957, the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc., also known as The Recording Academy, is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards, The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs — including the creation of the national public education campaign What's The Download® (WhatsTheDownload.com). For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com.

The Bloody Hollies announce tour

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Lamb of God to perform on Conan O'Brien

Lamb Of God will perform LIVE on Conan O’Brien on Friday, February 9th! (Show starts @ 12:35 AM –technically on the 10th).

Band drummer Chris Adler states,
"It's exciting to think that national television has come far enough in our direction to actually let a metal band like us on the air! We are very excited for the opportunity not only for ourselves, but for the doors it will help to break down for heavy metal in general. We are flattered to be in this position, thankful to Conan and his staff for their invitation, and looking forward to proudly kicking some serious ass on National TV!!!"

Lamb Of God’s “Sacrament” is Album of the Year in Revolver 2006!
“Sacrament” is #20 Album of the Year in Blender’s Top 100 of 2006!
“Redneck” is nominated for a Grammy for “Best Metal Performance”!

Lamb Of God kicks off their tour with Trivium, Machine Head and Gojira.
Dates are as follows:

2/16 – Dallas, TX – Palladium Ballroom
2/17 – Corpus Christi, TX – Concrete St Amphitheatre
2/18 – Austin, TX – Stubbs
2/20 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theatre
2/21 – Flagstaff, AZ – Orpheum Theatre
2/22 – Anaheim, CA – The Grove
2/23 – Fresno, CA – Rainbow Ballroom
2/24 – Santa Cruz, CA – The Catalyst
2/25 – Los Angeles, CA – Wiltern
2/27 – Chico, CA – Senator Theatre
2/28 – Portland, OR – Roseland
3/01 – Spokane, WA – Big Easy
3/03 – Edmonton, AB – Edmonton Events Centre
3/04 – Calgary, AB – Macewan Hall
3/06 – Winnipeg, MB – Burton Cummings Theatre
3/07 – Fargo, ND – Playmakers Pavilion
3/08 – Omaha, NE – Sokol Auditorium
3/09 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom
3/10 – Kansas City, KS – Beaumont Club
3/11 – Sioux Falls, SD – Empire Expo Hall
3/13 – Cedar Rapids, IA – Hawkeye Downs
3/14 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave
3/15 – Ft Wayne, IN – Pierre’s
3/16 – Toledo, OH – Headliner’s
3/17 – Grand Rapids, MI – Orbit Room
3/18 – Guelph, ON – Cowboys Bar
3/20 – Montreal, QC – Medley
3/21 – Providence, RI – Lupos
3/22 – New York, NY – Roseland Ballroom
3/23 – Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory
3/24 – Albany, NY – Northern Lights
3/25 – Rochester, NY – Harro East
3/26 – Washington DC – 9:30 Club
3/28 – Norfolk, VA – Norva Theatre
3/29 – Myrtle Beach, SC – House of Blues
3/30 – Jacksonville, FL – Plush
3/31 – St Petersburg, FL – Jannus Landing
4/01 – Ft Lauderdale, FL – Revolution
4/03 – Nashville, TN – City Hall – NO TRIVIUM
4/04 – Memphis, TN – New Daisy Theatre – NO TRIVIUM
4/05 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogarts – NO TRIVIUM

Monday, January 29, 2007

More NAMM




I checked my e-mail this morning and found a very nice surprise- these photos taken by Danny Narvaiz of Dans Photography in Las Vegas. Dan and I met at the NAMM show and had a great chat while waiting to see Dio and his band. There's me with bassist Rudy Sarzo, Ronnie James Dio and keyboardist Scott Warren. Obviously I was having a great time with some of my favorite rockers. Star fans, keep posted here, as I'll share some more of Dan's photos with you throughout the week. Thank you Dan~ you rock!!
Mickie


The Almost readies debut effort

THE ALMOST TO RELEASE DEBUT ALBUM “SOUTHERN WEATHER” APRIL 3
THROUGH A JOINT VENTURE WITH TOOTH & NAIL AND VIRGIN RECORDS;

After wrapping a successful January headlining trek, THE ALMOST--the brainchild of Underoath drummer/vocalist AARON GILLESPIE--have announced they’ll release their debut album SOUTHERN WEATHER April 3 through a first-ever joint venture with Tooth & Nail and Virgin Records. Meanwhile, the group recently shot a video in Southern California for their first single “Say This Sooner,” helmed by Shane Drake (Panic At The Disco, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus).

THE ALMOST scored the #1 most-played ranking on PureVolume some four-plus months in advance of SOUTHERN WEATHER’s April 3 release. The first week “Say This Sooner” was up, it received over 100,000 combined plays on PureVolume and MySpace. Currently, the combined plays for THE ALMOST have already reached over 1.5 million.

GILLESPIE--who sings and performs virtually every note and instrument on his solo debut--teamed with acclaimed producer Aaron Sprinkle for SOUTHERN WEATHER, and while the two had never met, AARON was a big fan of Sprinkle’s work with Pedro The Lion.

“Aaron is an incredibly talented producer,” says GILLESPIE. “And it turns out we have a lot in common. He wears a lot of hats and plays every instrument. He’s able to open up your eyes and make you think about things you can do on an album that maybe you didn’t think about.”

While some artists might find themselves overwhelmed by the prospect of working as a solo artist, Aaron says he was motivated by the experience. “I’m used to working in a band environment,” he admits. “So that was a shift. But when I hit my stride, I could just go for things. I didn’t have to explain what I was looking for to someone else or over-think anything.”

Gillespie plays from the heart on SOUTHERN WEATHER. Throughout the album AARON incorporates pieces of his youth. “I grew up in the Deep South,” he says. “Like anyone, I’ve had struggles along the way. But I am very much informed by Southern values and I think the songs speak to that.”

The album kicks off with the attention-grabbing, percussion-driven anthem “Say This Sooner” which is set to impact radio February 14. “It’s about dealing with misunderstood intentions,” says GILLESPIE. “And the frustration of being judged on someone else’s misconceived perceptions.” Other album highlights include the alt-country inspired “Dirty And Left Out,” which features a guest vocal collaboration with Sunny Day Real Estate singer Jeremy Enigk; the inventive Thursday-meets-Oasis vibe of “Everyone Here Smells Like A Rat;” and the breathtaking, undying roar of “I Mostly Copy Other People,” which benefits from the bass and guest vocal work of The Starting Line’s Kenny Vasoli.

THE ALMOST will head out for a West Coast tour beginning in mid-April, to be followed by an East Coast trek in early May. Expect dates and venues to be announced soon. Later this summer, the group will join the Vans Warped Tour for select dates. On the road, GILLESPIE leads THE ALMOST on vocals and guitar and is joined by: Jay Vilardi (guitar), Nick D’Amico (guitar), Alex Aponte (bass) and Kenny Bozich (drums).

Following is the complete track listing for SOUTHERN WEATHER:
1) Say This Sooner
2) Drive There Now!
3) Dirty And Left Out
4) I Mostly Copy Other People
5) Southern Weather
6) Stop It!
7) Amazing, Because It Is
8) Everyone Here Smells Like A Rat
9) Never Say, “I Told You So”
10) Call Back When I’m Honest
11) Everything That Makes Me Sick

Nekromantix album & tour out this April

NEKROMANTIX RETURN APRIL 10TH WITH LIFE IS A GRAVE & I DIG IT!
GHOULISH PSYCHOBILLY & PUNKABILLY FAVES HEADLINE HELLCAT’S 2007 U.S. TOUR

Nekromantix will return with their third Hellcat disc, Life Is a Grave & I Dig it! on April 10, 2007. In celebration of the Kim Nekroman-fronted outfit’s first disc since 2004’s Dead Girls Don’t Cry, the world famous, Denmark-bred group will hit the road with their take on psychobilly and punkabilly as headliners on the 2007 North American Hellcat Tour. Before that commitment gets underway in mid-April, Nekromantix will bring its fun, creepy rock & roll show on a run of non-Hellcat dates in Southern California between April 12 and April 15.

"Unlike our last album, the songs were rehearsed well before entering the studio this time and they were recorded live with very few overdubs to keep that live energy," says singer/coffin bassist Nekroman of Life Is a Grave & I Dig it! "The lyrics are about life, death, love and everything that is around, but wrapped up in a horror story or thriller-style universe. These stories can be inspired and based on either real stories or being plain fiction."

Boasting the exuberant, rollicking opener "NekroHigh," the twangy rockabilly-steered "Horny In A Hearse" and the blistering, highly-charged "Panic At The Morgue" among its thirteen tracks, the latest installment in Nekromantix ghoulish rock arsenal is sure to appeal to fans and curious listeners alike. And according to, Kim, Life Is a Grave & I Dig it! was "recorded in Hell®, Los Angeles and engineered by Niedermeier."

Founded by Nekroman in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1989, Nekromantix sinister sound has endeared them to fans of psychobilly ever since. Signed to Hellcat by Rancid frontman and label head Tim Armstrong in 2001, Nekromantix – which now counts guitarist Troy Destroy (who joined in 2005) and drummer Andrew Martinez (who signed on in May of last year) – will join the following bands:
Nekromantix headlining tour dates:
4/12 House of Blues, San Diego
4/13 Glass House, Pomona, CA
4/14 House of Blues, Los Angeles
4/15 Galaxy Concert Theatre, Santa Ana, CA
Hellcat Records Tour dates:
4/18 Club House, Tempe, AZ
4/19 House of Rock & Roll, El Paso, TX
4/20 White Rabbit, San Antonio, TX
4/21 Emo’s, Austin, TX
4/22 The Galaxy Club, Dallas, TX
4/23 Meridian, Houston, TX
4/24 Cell Block, Mobile, AL
4/25 Masquerade – Hell (down), Atlanta, GA
4/26 Jack Rabbits, Jacksonville, FL
4/29 The Social, Orlando, FL
5/1 Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC
5/2 Soupbox Laundro-Lounge, Wilmington, NC
5/3 Alley Katz, Richmond, VA
5/4 Otto Bar, Baltimore, MD
5/10 The Living Room, Providence, R.I.
5/16 Magic Stick, Detroit, MI
5/17 Mr. Small’s, Pittsburgh, PA
5/18 Buffalo Icon, Buffalo, NY
5/19 Agora Theatre, Cleveland, OH
5/20 Metro, Chicago, IL

Friday, January 26, 2007

End o' week musings



Here I am (no not above- that's bears in someone's yard in Alaska, and no not to the right- that's Boodles, the liquor store cat on duty), at the end of another exciting - and weird - week. The eerie factor actually began last Friday, when I started my three-day foray at NAMM, the world's second largest music industry trade show.
It was held at the Anaheim Convention Center and I spent my time networking, gathering story ideas, catching up with old friends and, most importantly, working with San Gabriel Valley Newspaper Group Staff Photographer/Videographer Keith Durflinger on capturing the action to bring it to our readers. To see what we did, visit www.sgvn.com select any paper, then scroll down the "front page" to the video/audio galleries, from here select NAMM Show for an overview and then click on any artist or company interviews that interest you. There's also a photo gallery with lots of stills.
My personal highlights were mixed with moments ala strange... I'll just offer you one per day so you get the idea.
Friday: Ronnie James Dio has given me and my belly dance partner permission to use his music in our performances. I wanted to stop and thank him again, as his selection went over well when we danced with our swords at the Body Art Expo last week, but alas, it was sooo busy at the Dean Markley booth that I couldn't just sneak up to the counter, so I got in line with everyone else. A nicely dressed man asked me how I was doing and I shared my dilemma and added that it was OK to be in line, but it would be a loooong wait. He agreed and then walked away (as he left, I noticed that his nametag indicated that he was working at the booth). He returned about 10 minutes later (the line had NOT moved) and asked, "Are you the dancer?" I nodded and he took me behind the counter straight to Dio! The entire band greeted me with big hugs and smiles. I chatted with them and they gave me their latest promo picture - autographed - as my "lovely parting gift."
Saturday: I scored! I landed the opportunity to interview Jim Marshall, the man who created Marshall Amps. Talking with him is truly capturing a piece of living history and an honor. Keith was filming and snapping away as we spoke about the past- Jim's time on stage, today- the importance of the NAMM show and the future- what's next for Marshall? Then Jim wanted to give me a kiss... well, let's just say that he definitely enjoyed his kiss. As for me, Jim's a good kisser, but I did feel a bit awkward! Hmmmm... some people touch history, but it seems that history kisses me! lol!
Sunday: I considered spending my day lazing on the couch, but duty called... rather, Keith called and said we really needed to go back to NAMM for some more footage and photos. The realm of weird came in the form of good luck this day- we ran into Marvin "Smitty" Smith, the drummer for the "Tonight Show" and managed to snag a wonderful interview. We also caught a few cool products- the Guitar Kickstand by Sound Innovations, the newest designs by Daisy Rock guitars, the latest beauties from Sparrow guitars and a wealth of awesome picks boasting Disney characters and more from Hot Picks.
I'll break down the rest of my week quickly: 1. I received an invitation to sing with a band for a benefit for a plaque for Frank Zappa in Rancho Cucamonga, 2. I learned from a flyer that I am booked to dance at a rock show on Valentine's Day (my friends thought I would do it, but forgot to ask- I'll do it of course) and 3. I have been enlisted for another "Bellevue saga" play for charity with Show of Support Productions in July. I am one busy grrrl!!
On rotation this week: Orange Sky, Requisite, Joe Walla, Trash Daddy.
Look for adventure 'cuz life is too short and remember to~
keep on rockin'
Mickie

Boots Riley to speak at UC Berkeley graduation in May

BOOTS RILEY SELECTED AS KEYNOTE SPEAKER FOR UC BERKELEY’S BLACK GRADUATION

THE COUP’S PICK A BIGGER WEAPON TOP’S CRITIC’S YEAR END LISTS

Boots Riley – The Coup’s admired, outspoken MC – has just been announced as the keynote speaker at UC Berkeley’s Black Graduation Ceremony, slated for Saturday May 12th. The Oakland, CA-based Riley, who has been involved in political activism and hip/hop in the Bay Area since the age of 15, is the driving force behind the group’s thought provoking Epitaph album Pick A Bigger Weapon. Released in April 2006, the disc landed at or near the top of a number of critic’s recent year-end lists.

The Associated Press (#1), Rolling Stone (Top 50), Murder Dog (#2), The Chicago Tribune (#7), The Salt Lake Tribune (#4), The Onion AV Club (#8), and The Washington Post (#9) bestowed their approval, with The Eastbay Express curiously dubbing it the “most wrathful rock album” of 2006.

Touted as “the best hip-hop act of the last decade” by Billboard, outlets as diverse as the New Yorker (“The Coup remains one of the rap world’s great resources – fearless, fierce and funny as hell – and the new album is a potent combination of leftist politics, revolutionary humanitarianism, and triumphant funk”) and Elle (“… a record that’s hilarious, righteously angry, and highly danceable”) have been long on praise for the incendiary group’s fifth album.

At the top of its game, The Coup has delivered a genre classic with Pick A Bigger Weapon. Lauded for its sublime, lyrical blend of personal, political and sensual rhymes set to the beat of some of the finest digi-funk since Prince and P-Funk, the album has been called “their best yet” by a diverse array of publications, including Entertainment Weekly, USA Today and XLR8R. Additionally, rave reviews have come from the likes of Pitchforkmedia.com, XXL, Billboard, Filter,, The Village Voice, URB and many others.

“[The Coup] make their intentions of overthrowing the government – and partying righteously while they’re doing it – clear to any dance floor that will have them,” Style Weekly wrote. “This is an unflinching musical manifesto of socialist intent.”

Meanwhile, Rolling Stone asserted, “Riley’s rhymes work so well because they’re more about real life than rhetoric,” calling Pick A Bigger Weapon “the rare record that makes revolution sound like hot fun on a Saturday night.” But perhaps The Onion said it best: “Boots fuses sexuality and celebration with naked politics just as seamlessly as he combines irreverent humor and heartwarming humanism.”

The Higher debuts on Epitaph in March

THE HIGHER SET THEMSELVES ON FIRE
EPITAPH DEBUT ALBUM DROPS MARCH 6, 2007

The Higher will release its Epitaph debut album On Fire, on March 6, 2007. Produced by Mike Green (The Matches, Paramore), the disc will contain three of the four songs from its Digital-only EP Pace Yourself released today (December 12th) via iTunes, plus nine additional tracks.

Opening with the contagious pop of “Insurance?” the disc will consist of the immediate rock anthem, “Rock My Body,” “Pace Yourself” (remixed by Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump) and the alluring “Histrionics,” which first appeared on the group’s acclaimed 2005 full-length indie LP of the same name. It was that disc – along with a Los Angeles performance at the Roxy earlier this year – that drew the interest of several major labels. But ultimately, the Las Vegas-based band chose to ink with Epitaph.

“By the end of the second song I was convinced that I wanted to sign them,” says Epitaph founder Brett Gurewitz of the Roxy performance by The Higher – which also counts vocalist Seth Trotter, guitarist Robert Ragan, bassist Jason Centeno and drummer Patrick Harter. Citing “Seth’s phenomenal voice” and their “R&B influence” as two key components, Epitaph’s honcho told The Las Vegas Weekly, “I only sign bands I think can go all the way, and I believe the sky’s the limit for The Higher.”

“We talked to pretty much every label, but we really didn’t want to take our band to a major,” 21-year old guitarist Tom Oakes admits. “This is our fourth year now, and we want to build a natural fan base. Epitaph is definitely the smartest option for us. [The] Offspring’s Smash sold 11 million on Epitaph, so the capability of selling millions of records is there. But if you sell 200,000 records on an indie label, you’re pretty incredible. If you sell 200,000 on a major, you’re worthless.”

Fusing elements of pop, emo and R&B, the band’s sound has been described as Saves The Day meets Justin Timberlake. Describing the creative process beneath On Fire, Oakes says, “We’ve been pumping our little hearts and minds to make the most fabulous record we could ever make. Seth’s voice is phenomenal, I’ve watched that kid sing since third grad and every year it gets so much better. Wow does it show on this record!”

“The skills the rest of us have contributed, the ideas, the influences, the beats, the shredding… it’s been such a magical process,” Oakes adds. “It’s going to spin you around like you’re on a roller coaster. I don’t know if you’ll be able to put your finger on it, and we love that.”



Dating back to 2002, when Trotter, Centeno and Harter played together in a high school band, The Higher took shape when Oakes joined the next year. Playing local Vegas shows opening for the likes of Something Corporate, The Starting Line and Yellowcard, the group recorded a demo of the songs they wrote when they were just 16, which became their debut EP for Fiddler Records. That disc, Star Is Dead, was produced by Saosin’s Beau Burchell and led to eighteen months of touring with the likes of Silverstein, Park and Emery. The album will be their first since 2005's Histrionics was released on the defunct Fiddler Records

Here is the track listing for On Fire:

Insurance?
Guts
Rock My Body
Weapons Wired
Histrionics
Movement
Can Anyone Really Love Young
Darkpop
DARE
31 Floors
Our Movie Rules
Pace Yourself (Patrick Stump Remix)

Alabama Thunderpussy to release CD in March

On March 6th Relapse Records Is Set To Release “OPEN FIRE” The New, Highly anticipated Alabama Thunderpussy CD!

Based in Richmond, Virginia since 1996 and fueled by a desire to play dirty, kick ass rock and roll; ATP honed their skills and began assaulting the local touring circuit. Alabama Thunderpussy took to the road and watched their fanbase grow as they established cred in every city across America. The band has been touring since 1998 in America and in 1999 embarked on their first tour of Europe alongside High On Fire where they were fueled by 28 shows in 29 days and their consumption over 50 bottles of whiskey!

ATP hit Canada, Scandanavia, Iceland and even the Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany in 2004. Gaining recognition from touring with High On Fire, Mastodon, Corrosion of Conformity, Crowbar, GWAR, All That Remains, Fu-Manchu, Burnt By The Sun, Sixty Watt Shaman, among others Alabama Thunderpussy now prepare for the March 6th release of “OPEN FIRE” as well as a full US tour in Spring 2007.

Armed with a new singer, Kyle Thomas...the smokin' pipes that once fronted EXHORDER and FLOODGATE; Thomas joined The 'PUSSY during the summer of 2006, right when the band was piecing together riffs and beats for their next record. With the confidence that came from the addition of Thomas, those riffs and beats quickly became ravaging hard-rock songs with a tip-of-the-hat to classic metal songs of yore. Thomas added his vocals with a skill and range not heard in prior metal bands and ATP's sixth full-length record was born, ready and aimed to showcase the band's growth and power. Taking no hostages, it's time for 'Open Fire'. Look out for the band on tour Spring 2007!

Band drummer Bryan Cox states, "We worked harder on this record than on anything we've ever done and grew a ton as a band in the process of doing so; including hooking up with Kyle (Thomas), who is absolutely the best vocalist I've ever worked with. We had a "no bullshit" policy in mind when we started writing “Open Fire” and I think it shows. It's straight forward, honest and mean, and that's what we were going for from the start. I'm very excited about it!"

Lock and Load.

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Heaven and Hell Tour launches in March

RONNIE JAMES DIO, TONY IOMMI , GEEZER BUTLER AND VINNY APPICE HAVE REUNITED FOR THE HEAVEN AND HELL TOUR 2007-- JOINING THEM WILL BE MEGADETH AND DOWN

Putting to bed the longstanding rumors of a reunion tour, Heaven and Hell have announced their first tour dates for 2007. The tour will feature 11 Canadian shows, along with an exciting one-night-only performance at one of the most prestigious venues in the world, New York's Radio City Music Hall. Heaven and Hell reunites Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice for the first time in 15 years.

Currently there are 12 scheduled stops, starting on March 11 in Vancouver and ending on March 30 in New York City. The ‘Heaven And Hell’ world tour will continue until the end of the year with shows in the US, Asia and Europe. Additional dates will be announced shortly.Multi-platinum recording artist Megadeth will be joining the tour, and previewing never before heard material from their upcoming release on Roadrunner Records, United Abominations. The tour also brings the return of Down, featuring Phil Anselmo and Rex Brown from Pantera, as well as Pepper Keenan of COC. This will undisputedly be the most anticipated rock tour of 2007.

The heavy metal icons are also scheduled to release a new anthology entitled Black Sabbath: The DioYears. Anticipated release date is 4/3/07 on Rhino/Warner Bros. Records.

The Heaven and Hell Tour 2007 will include the following stops:
March 11 Vancouver, BC Pacific Coliseum
March 13 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place
March 14 Calgary, AB Saddledome
March 16 Regina, SK Brandt Centre
March 18 Winnipeg, MB MTS Centre
March 20 Sault St. Marie Steelback Centre
March 22 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
March 24 London, ON John Labatt Centre
March 26 Montreal, PQ Bell Centre
March 27 Quebec City, PQ Colisee Pepsi Arena
March 28 Ottawa, ON Civic Centre
March 30 New York, NY Radio City Music Hall

For more information about Heaven and Hell please go to www.heavenandhelllive.com
Tickets are on sale January 26th/27th .

Night Kills Day offers contest, album & tour

NIGHT KILLS THE DAY SET TO RELEASE ‘THE STUDY OF MAN…’ MARCH 27 ON SCORE RECORDS;

BAND ANNOUNCE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR WITH ELECTRIC SIX AND TEST YOUR REFLEX

NIGHT KILLS THE DAY are set to release their first full-length debut, the sonically dark and moody THE STUDY OF MAN… via NYC indie Score Records. Due out March 27, the album is filled with highlights like the anthemic first single “Dive”--hitting specialty radio in March--the electro-pop “Rainbows in N.Y.C.” and the danceable “Enjoy The Ride.”

The NYC group--LUKE BRIAN (vocals), TIMOTHY FALZONE (bass), IZZY LUGO (guitar) and ROGER BENTON (drums)--will launch a North American tour March 22 with like-minded rockers Electric Six and Test Your Reflex. The winter trek begins in Toronto and includes a stop at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC Saturday, March 24 and a CD release party in Los Angeles April 20 at the Key Club. Look for the band to announce SXSW shows soon.

Inspired by such groups as The Cure, Joy Division and Bauhaus, NIGHT KILLS THE DAY teamed with producer Joe Blaney--noted for his engineering work with the Ramones and Keith Richards as well as on the seminal Clash albums Combat Rock and This is Radio Clash--for their debut.

The video for the group’s first single “Dive” was lensed by esteemed music video director Darren Doane (AFI, Funeral For A Friend) and has the added distinction of being his final video. Click on the link to watch: http://wmsod.talkpoint.com/scor001/NightKillsTheDay_500k.wmv.

In other news, NIGHT KILLS THE DAY and Score Records are giving fans the chance to win a new Nintendo Wii game console. Fans can visit the band’s new contest page, where after viewing the video for “Dive” they can log in and answer a quick question about the clip. One grand prize winner will receive a Nintendo Wii game console along with a NIGHT KILLS THE DAY hoodie sweatshirt and sampler CD pack. One runner-up will receive a NIGHT KILLS THE DAY shirt and sampler CD. Log onto: http://www.nightkillstheday.com/contest.

For up-to-date information on NIGHT KILLS THE DAY, go to www.nightkillstheday.com. The current tour dates are as follows:
Date: City Venue
Thu 3/22 Toronto, ON Lee’s Palace
Fri 3/23 Buffalo, NY Showplace Theatre
Sat 3/24 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
Mon 3/26 Philadelphia, PA The Khyber
Tue 3/27 Providence, RI Century Lounge
Wed 3/28 Cambridge, MA Middle East-downstairs
Thu 3/29 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell’s
Fri 3/30 Baltimore, MD Sonar
Sat 3/31 Washington, DC Black Cat
Mon 4/2 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
Tue 4/3 Asheville, NC The Orange Peel
Wed 4/4 Atlanta, GA EARL
Thu 4/5 Jacksonville, FL Jack Rabbits
Fri 4/6 Orlando, FL The Social
Sat 4/7 Tallahassee, FL The Beta Bar
Mon 4/9 Nashville, TN Exit/In
Tue 4/10 Memphis, TN Young Ave. Deli
Wed 4/11 New Orleans, LA The Parish/House of Blues
Fri 4/13 Austin, TX Emo’s Alternative Lodging (indoor)
Sat 4/14 Dallas, TX Gypsy Tea Room
Mon 4/16 Tucson, AZ Plush
Tue 4/17 Las Vegas, NV Celebrity Theater
Wed 4/18 San Diego, CA The Casbah
Fri 4/20 West Hollywood, CA Key Club
Sat 4/21 San Francisco, CA Independent
Mon 4/23 Vancouver, BC Richard’s on Richards Cabaret
Tue 4/24 Seattle, WA Neumo’s
Wed 4/25 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge
Thu 4/26 Boise, ID Big Easy
Fri 4/27 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge
Sat 4/28 Denver, CO Bluebird Theatre
Mon 4/30 Omaha, NE Sokol Underground
Tue 5/1 Lawrence, KS The Bottleneck
Wed 5/2 St. Louis, MO Creepy Crawl
Thu 5/3 Madison, WI The Annex
Fri 5/4 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
Sat 5/5 Chicago, IL Abbey Pub
Sun 5/6 Milwaukee, WI Mad Planet
Tue 5/8 Pittsburgh, PA Mr. Small’s Theatre
Wed 5/9 Columbus, OH Little Brother’s
Thu 5/10 Covington, KY The Mad Hatter
Fri 5/11 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop
Sat 5/12 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Hall

The Showdown's sophomore release out on Feb. 20

This February 20th The Showdown Is Set To Release “Temptation Come My Way"!

The Showdown returns from a European tour with Norma Jean just in time for their release. The Showdown more than ups the ante as “Temptation Comes My Way” is over two years in its creation. The band put painstaking effort into making this record flawless. And as strong as their debut effort was, the new release is as The Black Album was to Ride The Lightning. The production, provided by Paul Ebersold (Three doors Down, Saliva) is huge, and reminiscent of a different era. A better era. An era when it was about songs, not just brutality. There is as much classic metal influence as there is heavy rock. Think Iron Maiden, pre-Load Metallica, and Stone Temple Pilots. Choruses, verses, bridges. Dramatic song writing, that is not just seventeen riffs, randomly pieced together, with a fifteen-word song title. Six of the twelve tracks even have cowbell and every song has an epic guitar solo!

The Showdown have cut their teeth by touring with Flyleaf, Blindside, Trivium, Chiodos, and Pillar; while other bands are piercing their faces and donning the latest scene fashion, The Showdown is playing heavy music the way it was meant to be played-- fast, loud, fun, and real. One brush with them live or on record and you will meet a band that has something that most don't.

"We are about power, fire, pyro, oil, rocks, and heavy," adds bass player Eric Koruschak. "Whether than means rolling around town on our dirt bikes, hauling our twenty five foot trailer to a show, or starting a barbeque in a random parking lot, we want to have fun and take it to the extreme on and off the road. And our live show is 110%, 110% of the time. But we aren't about the party as a means to escape. We have joy because we have truth, and because we have been blessed. It isn't drugs and girls and alcohol, but a genuine love of life because of our blessings that gives us our attitude."

The Showdown, and their sophomore release, are not just defined by a collection
of memorable songs. Rather, the songs are a reflection of a lifestyle, a care-free, live-each-moment-as-if-it-were-your-last mentality that separates them from the rest. The members of the band themselves, and their antics on and off the road, make them resemble mythical characters, larger-than-life rock super heroes. But The Showdown want you to know that beneath the fun, beneath the mayhem, lies a sense of substance; Rock n' roll is not the end in and of itself, but just a metaphor for something greater:

On, Temptation Come My Way, The Showdown gives you the where, why, and how
of the devastation, unpredictability, and substance that has come to personify this one-of-a kind heavy metal act. Just don't ask them if they fit into the fashion of what heavy music today has become.

Frontman David Bunton proclaims: "We're Just trying to bring back masculine. We're trying to take the sensitive guy out, and bring the BAD BOY back. Just watch MTV or Fuse and they are littered with music videos of dudes who look like they are scared to be in their own band. It's all about star power, and no one has it anymore. If it gets any worse I'm going to just put 'Enter Sandman' on repeat, then I wont have to listen to all those sensitive feminine bands crying and whining. We are going to stuff those jokers in trash cans and give them swirlies."



"We take nothing for granted. We could just as easily be at home, but we are so fortunate to be able to do this," Bunton explains. "And whether we are writing, touring, or just hanging out with kids at our shows, we are going to do it to the best of our ability. Always extreme, always killer. We know you are going to feel the two years of work we put into this thing. We know this is just the beginning."

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Testament to drop new collection in February

NEW TESTAMENT COLLECTION, ‘THE SPITFIRE COLLECTION,’RELEASED FEBRUARY 13th!

Testament’s classic late ‘80s/early ‘90s period has been well documented over the years by several compilations. However, the group’s latter era has thus far slipped through the cracks as far as compilations go. In February, this will change, as ‘The Spitfire Collection’ will be issued.

Consisting of tracks from such Spitfire/Testament titles as ‘The Gathering,’ ‘Demonic,’ ‘Live at the Fillmore,’ ‘First Strike Still Deadly,’ and ‘Live in London,’ the fourteen track set chronicles an era that ultimately saw the original Testament reunite for a successful 2005 tour. As a result, ‘The Spitfire Collection’ features both live versions of such Testament classics as “Practice What You Preach,” “Over the Wall,” and “Souls of Black,” as well as such oft-overlooked studio tracks as “Careful What You Wish For” and “The Burning Times.” With such bands as Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax introducing the world to thrash metal during the 1980’s, Testament was one of the few second wave thrash bands to make a strong impression on the charts – resulting in such renowned releases as 1988’s ‘New Order,’ 1989’s ‘Practice What You Preach,’ 1990’s ‘Souls of Black,’ and 1992’s ‘The Ritual.’

TRACKS LISTING FOR ‘THE SPITFIRE COLLECTION’: The New Order Souls of Black Practice What You Preach Hatreds Rise The Burning Times John Doe Careful What You Wish For Down for Life Riding the Snake Over the Wall The Preacher Into the Pit Trial by Fire Disciples of the Watch

For more information, visit www.testamentlegions.com & www.spitfirerecords.com

Antibalas on tour & ready to release album

ANTIBALAS TO RELEASE SECURITY MARCH 6th
Diverse Brooklyn Collective Sets U.S. Tour Dates

Antibalas, the acclaimed, socially and politically-minded group will release its Anti- debut on March 6th. Titled Security, the collective – with an active lineup of about a dozen musicians – recently wrapped work in Chicago with innovative producer John McEntire (Stereolab, Tom Ze) of Tortoise on the new disc. In conjunction with the disc’s release, Antibalas has set select U.S. tour dates for March and April.

One of the hardest-working bands on the planet, Antibalas celebrates the release of its fourth and newest full-length gem with Security. Pushing itself beyond the revolutionary Afrobeat blueprint the group used as a launching pad in the late ‘90s, Antibalas illustrates its penchant for taking chances, building on its acclaimed back catalog, and recent collaborations with the likes of TV on the Radio, Baaba Maal and Gomez.

Known worldwide over the last decade for its riveting afrobeat-laden concerts, social consciousness and for its previous albums and unique collaborations, Antibalas was enticed by McEntire to take a new approach. The seven new original compositions presented on Security unleash a previously unheard side of the group. Illustrating a darker, more dynamic tack that’s guaranteed to shock and dazzle new and old fans alike, this is music that was made to linger long after the party’s over.

Veterans of Festivals from Bonnaroo, Coachella and Bumbershoot to Glastonbury, Montreux and Roskilde, Antibalas has shared the stage and studio with the likes of Trey Anastasio and Medeski, Martin and Wood. Renowned worldwide, the group – whose name means “bulletproof” in Spanish – weaves a rich tapestry of latin, jazz, classical, funk and soul into its horn-driven approach.

Touted for its “edge like a straight razor” by Billboard, it’s not by chance that the Village Voice exclaimed “their music is right on time.” Elsewhere, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, New Yorker and a slew of others have taken serious notice, while XLR8R called Antibalas “the baddest on the block” and Pitchfork wrote, “They lead the pack.”

Here are Antibalas’ Tour Dates (More to follow!):

3/10 Warsaw, Brooklyn, NY
3/16 Antone’s, Austin, TX
3/21 Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA
3/22 Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA
3/28 Toad’s Place, New Haven, CT
3/29 Higher Ground, Burlington, VT
3/31 Middle East Underground, Cambridge MA
4/4 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
4/7 The Orange Peel, Asheville, NC
4/24 First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN
4/26 Pabst Theater, Milwaukee, WI
4/29 Southgate House, Newport, KY

Time Fite to release album for free on the Web

TIM FITE TO RELEASE ALBUM FOR FREE VIA HIS WEBSITE ON FEBRUARY 20, 2007
MULTI-GENRED SINGER/SONGWRITER UNVEILS HIP-HOP DISC OVER THE COUNTER CULTURE

Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Tim Fite will release his new album Over The Counter Culture for free through his website (www.timfite.com) on February 20th, 2007. Fite’s fifteen track recording is a scathing examination of commercial culture and it's adverse effects on life in general, and on rap music specifically.

“I saw hip/hop being co-opted by commercialism and tricked out in an effort to disguise the hidden agenda of economic, intellectual, and spiritual degradation that we have come to know so fondly as popular culture,” Fite says of the impetus for his new album, which temporarily puts his multi-genred folk leanings to the side for what he calls “an overtly political hip-hop record.”

“I intended to make a record that was free from the paradox of art reconciling with commerce,” Fite explains of the follow up to 2005’s acclaimed Gone Ain’t Gone.
“Conversely, I intended to make a record where art attacked commerce and its constituents, openly and without hesitation. I intended to make a record with an accusatory finger pointed at the world (myself included), shouting, "GUILTY!!!!!!!!" Guilty: for spending too much time on money, and not enough time on madness. Guilty: for believing in advertising so much that we have become advertisements ourselves.Guilty: for not holding up the red card of accountability and demanding change through self awareness. "

With OTCC Fite is also guilty of perfecting his wry, savvy and inventive splice and dice approach to music. This is evident in titles like “Place Your Bets,” “It's All Right Here,” “Camouflage,” and the laughter/thought inducing “I've Been Shot.”

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Get a peek at Chimaira's upcoming DVD and tour

CHIMAIRA SET TO RELEASE LIMITED EDITION DVD WITH UPCOMING CD RELEASE!
Recently, Chimaira have posted a new trailer to the DVD that comes out with the limited edition version of “Resurrection.” The Ferret debut of Chimaira comes out on March 6th, 2007. The limited edition bonus DVD was directed by Todd Bell and features over an hour of footage from the recording of the album and more! Check out the trailer:

www.youtube.com/chimairatube

Don’t forget to check out Chimaira on tour:
Chimaira w/ Killswitch Engage, Dragonforce, and He is Legend:
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 – Kool Haus
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
3/09 – 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
3/16 – 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
3/30 – 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
4/04 – Indianapolis, IN – Egytian Room @ Murat Centre
4/05 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theatre
4/06 – Detroit, MI – State Theatre
4/08 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues

Anberlin readies new album & hits the road

ANBERLIN TO RELEASE THIRD ALBUM ‘CITIES’ FEBRUARY 20 ON TOOTH AND NAIL;

ANNOUNCE WINTER HEADLINING U.S. TOUR TO LAUNCH FEBRUARY 21;

ITUNES EXCLUSIVE TRACK “GODSPEED” AND “HAUNTING” B-SIDE UP NOW

This is the one.
Due out February 20 on Tooth and Nail, CITIES--the new album by ANBERLIN--marks the group’s third offering and follow-up to their breakthrough album Never Take Friendship Personal (2005), which went on to sell over 140,000 copies. As a preview to the album release, the new song “Godspeed” as well as the B-side “Haunting” are now available on Itunes as exclusive tracks.

ANBERLIN will kick off a headlining U.S. tour February 21 in Charlotte, NC. The coast-to-coast trek will hit New York’s Bowery Ballroom February 27 and the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles March 13 (see itinerary below with more dates to be announced soon). Bayside, Meg & Dia and Jonezetta will provide support for the winter trek.

Having watched their career rise while touring with everyone from Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance to Yellowcard and Hawthorne Heights, the Winter Haven, Florida-reared quintet doesn’t just build on the energy and determination of recent singles like “Paperthin Hymn,” “Feelgood Drag,” and “A Day Late.” Instead, ANBERLIN expands its grasp of what a rock record can be with CITIES. With the sprawling, epic “Fin” and the gorgeous, lighter-ready “The Unwinding Cable Car,” the group vastly widens its musical boundaries.

For CITIES, ANBERLIN--STEPHEN CHRISTIAN (vocals), JOSEPH MILLIGAN (guitars), DEON REXROAT (bass), NATHAN STRAYER (guitar) and NATHAN YOUNG (drums)--reunited with producer Aaron Sprinkle (Eisley, MxPx, Pedro The Lion) and recorded the album at Sprinkle’s Seattle-based Compound facility, with drums captured at the infamous London Bridge studio (where classic albums by Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, Temple of The Dog and Blind Melon were realized).

Whether it’s the huge-sounding, memorable roar of “Reclusion” or the bright, infectious “Adelaide,” the writing team of frontman STEPHEN CHRISTIAN and guitarist JOSEPH MILLIGAN drives ANBERLIN. “Anberlin has always had really good songs,” says STEPHEN of the group’s past output. “Still, I think this is the first time we’ve got a really great album.” MILLIGAN adds, “I’d like to think we have more in us and even broader spaces to cover in the future, but this is our proudest moment. I’d just like it to have it find its way into the hands of as many people as possible. Not for glory, but because we’re so proud of it.”

The full track listing for CITIES is as follows:
Intro
Godspeed
Adelaide
A Whisper and a Clamor
The Unwinding Cable Car
There is No Mathematics to Love and Loss
Hello Alone
Reclusion
Alexithymia
Inevitable
Dismantle Repair
Fin

Expect ANBERLIN to announce plans for the first single, video and world tour in 2007.
DATE CITY VENUE

Wed 2/21 Charlotte, NC Tremont Music Hall
Thu 2/22 Norfolk, VA The Norva
Fri 2/23 Washington, D.C. 9:30 Club
Sat 2/24 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts
Sun 2/25 Boston, MA Axis
Tue 2/27 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
Wed 2/28 Buffalo, NY The Buffalo Icon
Thu 3/1 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Hall
Fri 3/2 Chicago, IL Metro
Sat 3/3 St. Paul, MN Station 4
Sun 3/4 St. Louis, MO Creepy Crawl
Mon 3/5 Lawrence, KS The Bottleneck
Wed 3/7 Albuquerque, NM Sunshine Theater
Fri 3/9 San Diego, CA House of Blues
Sat 3/10 Pomona, CA The Glass House
Tue 3/13 Los Angeles, CA El Rey Theatre
Fri 3/16 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theater
Sat 3/17 Seattle, WA El Corazon


To see and hear ANBERLIN, log onto: www.anberlin.com, www.myspace.com/anberlin, www.purevolume.com/anberlin and visit www.toothandnail.com for up-to-date information.

Bad Religion to record; headline Warped Tour 2007

BAD RELIGION HITS THE STUDIO NEXT MONTH
BAND TO HEADLINE 2007 WARPED TOUR
FORTHCOMING ALBUM DUE JULY 10 VIA EPITAPH

Punk rock institution BAD RELIGION will begin recording the follow up to 2004’s heralded The Empire Strikes First next month at Grand Master Studios in Los Angeles, California. Slated for a July 10 release through Epitaph, the yet to be named disc will be produced by Grammy-nominated producer Joe Barresi (Tool, Queens of the Stone Age, Weezer).

In support of the forthcoming disc, Bad Religion – Epitaph’s flagship band – will headline the coveted main stage for the entire 2007 Vans Warped Tour this summer. Songwriting principals and co-founders Brett Gurewitz (guitars) and Greg Graffin (vocalist) are currently writing songs together in Los Angeles, taking full advantage of Graffin’s return to California to teach a class at UCLA this semester.

Graffin – who holds a master’s degree in Geology from UCLA and a Ph.D. in Zoology from Cornell University, near his main home in Ithaca, N.Y. – is currently teaching Life Science 1: Evolution and Biodiversity. “When I was an undergrad and a graduate student at UCLA, I used to play and write with Bad Religion at night,” the singer marvels. “Now, I’m back to that schedule as a professor.”

Graffin also recently co-wrote a book with Arkansas history professor Preston Jones. Titled, Is Belief In God Good, Bad or Irrelevant? A Professor and A Punk Rocker Discuss Science, Religion, Naturalism and Christianity (IVP Books), the tome catalogs the email correspondence between the two. Jones, a seminal punk fan, initially contacted Graffin by email, prompting the conversations that spawned the book.

In advance of the studio work, the remaining members of Bad Religion have kept remarkably active lately. As Epitaph’s owner and founder, Gurewitz remains as insanely busy as ever. Drummer Brooks Wackerman is currently on tour in Australia with Tenacious D, while founding bassist Jay Bentley and guitarists Greg Hetson and Brian Baker will participate in the 9th Annual Punk Rock Bowling Tournament in Las Vegas the weekend of January 18th – 21st.

Fresh off a successful tour of Canada with the Dropkick Murphys at the end of 2006, and in advance of its studio plans, the revered punk band – now in its 27th year – will also headline the kickoff event for the upcoming Warped Tour exhibit “Warped: 12 Years of Music, Mayhem and More” at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on January 26th in Cleveland, Ohio.

Monday, January 22, 2007

2007 Grammy Nominees CD released Jan. 23

THE RECORDING ACADEMY® AND SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT RELEASE
2007 GRAMMY® NOMINEES CD FEATURING 49TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS NOMINEES

In Stores Nationwide Jan. 23, 2007

The Recording Academy® has teamed with Sony BMG Music Entertainment to release the 2007 GRAMMY® Nominees CD, which celebrates many of the year's GRAMMY-nominated artists and songs. This year's compilation — due in stores nationwide on Jan. 23 — includes some of the year's best music from several major categories. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the CD will benefit the MusiCares Foundation® and the GRAMMY Foundation®.

The disc contains many of the most widely recognized GRAMMY categories. The 23 tracks from the 2007 GRAMMY Nominees CD represent nominees from the Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Best New Artist, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals categories. The CD is made possible by a special arrangement with all of the major music distribution companies and rotates distributors from year to year.

"The 14th edition of the GRAMMY Nominees CD represents some of the great songs and talented artists that make up this year's remarkable nominees," said Neil Portnow, President of The Recording Academy. "We thank Sony BMG for its collaboration on this project, which will provide much needed support for the invaluable programs and initiatives of our MusiCares and GRAMMY Foundations. We look forward to another successful GRAMMY compilation."

“We are proud to continue our successful relationship with The Recording Academy and are honored to be associated with the music industry's biggest event,” said Sony BMG's Commercial Music Group President John Ingrassia.

The 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held on Feb. 11, 2007, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, and will be broadcast in high-definition TV and 5.1 surround sound on the CBS Television Network at 8 p.m. (ET/PT). The show also will be supported on radio via Westwood One worldwide and XM Satellite Radio, and covered online at GRAMMY.yahoo.com.

The 2007 GRAMMY Nominees CD includes many of the year's most important and successful recordings:
GNARLS BARKLEY "CRAZY" Record Of The Year Album Of The Year
MARY J. BLIGE "BE WITHOUT YOU" Record Of The Year Song Of TheYear
CORINNE BAILEY RAE "PUT YOUR RECORDS ON" Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year , Best New Artist
JOHN MAYER "WAITING ON THE WORLD TO CHANGE" Album Of The Year, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS "DANI CALIFORNIA" Album Of The Year
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE "SEXYBACK" Album Of The Year
DIXIE CHICKS "NOT READY TO MAKE NICE" Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year
CARRIE UNDERWOOD "JESUS, TAKE THE WHEEL" Song Of The Year, Best New Artist
IMOGEN HEAP "HIDE AND SEEK" Best New Artist
CHRISTINA AGUILERA "AIN'T NO OTHER MAN" Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
NATASHA BEDINGFIELD "UNWRITTEN" Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
SHERYL CROW "YOU CAN CLOSE YOUR EYES" Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
PINK "STUPID GIRLS" Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
KT TUNSTALL "BLACK HORSE AND THE CHERRY TREE" Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
JAMES BLUNT "YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL" Record Of TheYear, Song Of The Year, Best New Artist, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
JOHN LEGEND "SAVE ROOM" Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
PAUL MCCARTNEY "JENNY WREN" Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
DANIEL POWTER "BAD DAY" Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
THE BLACK EYED PEAS "MY HUMPS" Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE "I WILL FOLLOW YOU INTO THE DARK" Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
THE FRAY "OVER MY HEAD (CABLE CAR)" Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
KEANE "IS IT ANY WONDER" Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
THE PUSSYCAT DOLLS "STICKWITU" Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

About The Recording Academy Established in 1957, the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc., also known as The Recording Academy, is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards, The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs — including the creation of the national public education campaign What's The Download® (WhatsTheDownload.com).

For more information about The Academy, please visit www.Grammy.com. For more information about The 2007 Grammy Nominees CD, please visit www.2007GrammyCD.com

AmpliTube captures Hendrix's sounds

Announcing AmpliTube® 2 Jimi Hendrix™ EditionPlug-in to a legendary sound Experience

IK Multimedia is proud to announce AmpliTube® 2 Jimi Hendrix™ Edition, the first authentic software recreation of the complete guitar amp and effects rig of Jimi Hendrix. AmpliTube 2 Jimi Hendrix Edition is a cooperative effort between Authentic Hendrix and IK Multimedia.

Authentic Hendrix was founded in the late ‘90s by Al Hendrix and his daughter, Janie, to curate and promote Jimi’s extensive recorded legacy. AmpliTube 2 Jimi Hendrix Edition is the first guitar amp and effects modeling software focusing on Jimi Hendrix and can be used not only to recreate the authentic tones of popular Hendrix tunes, but since the modeled gear in this product is in such high demand by guitarists, AmpliTube 2 Jimi Hendrix Edition is a fantastic tool for many styles of modern rock music from hard rock to punk, alternative, progressive and pop.

Includes models of extremely rare and collectible vintage stomp boxes, amp heads and cabinets. AmpliTube 2 Jimi Hendrix Edition features 9 vintage stomp effects, 4 vintage amp models, and 7 cabinets, putting the sound of extremely expensive and hard to find gear at your fingertips.

Also included are 4 rack effects (Rotary Speaker, Stereo Reverb, Parametric EQ, and Tube Compressor), increasing the tonal flexibility of the product and allowing you to sculpt the sound even further. The exciting news for thousands of AmpliTube 2 users is that the Jimi Hendrix Edition can also expand the available stomps, amps and cabinets inside AmpliTube 2! By integrating the two products you can double the amount of vintage stomp box models inside your AmpliTube 2 rig and add some of the collectible amps and cabinets that guitarists crave the most.

Whether you want to get that classic Jimi Hendrix tone or treat yourself to the most desirable collection of vintage effects and amp gear ever offered in software, the AmpliTube 2 Jimi Hendrix Edition is the ultimate add on to AmpliTube 2! A legendary sound that has marked the evolution of modern rock guitar and has influenced some of the greatest guitarists of our time. Jimi Hendrix was fundamental in the development of modern guitar amplification and guitar effects. In four short years (1966-1970), he contributed to change the way music was made and how electric guitar was played, leaving a permanent mark on the generations of guitarists and musicians that followed. Hendrix’s sound is a mix of feedback control and a unique, personal usage of guitar effects which was a breakthrough for its time. Powered by the award-winning AmpliTube 2 engine featuring proprietary techniques such as DSM™ (Dynamic Saturation Modeling) for achieving the most accurate emulation of guitar amps and effects.

IK has gone the extra mile in accurately modeling all the most important components of the Hendrix rig not only using proprietary AmpliTube 2 DSM™ (Dynamic Saturation Modeling) technology at its best, but collecting all the original vintage stomps, amplifiers and cabinets of the same period and fine tuning the software emulations by ear with accurate craftsmanship to achieve incredibly realistic modeling results.

AmpliTube 2 Jimi Hendrix Edition Features:
5 modules including tuner, stomp pedal board, amp head, cabinet+mic and rack effects on 2 series parallel
9 Vintage Stomp Effects models
4 Vintage Amp models
7 Vintage Cabinet models
5 Microphone models
4 Rack Effects models
Available as a VST, RTAS, AU plug-in (as well as a standalone application) for Mac OS X and Windows Minimum System Requirements:Power PC based Macintosh®: 866 MHz G4 processor, 512 MB of RAM, Mac OS X 10.4 or later. Intel based Macintosh®: 1.5 GHz Intel Core Solo processor, 512 MB of RAM, Mac OS X 10.4.4 or later. Windows®: Pentium 1GHz / Athlon XP 1.33 GHz, 512 MB of RAM, Windows XP.
Price & Availability: AmpliTube 2 Jimi Hendrix Edition has an MSRP of $249/€199 (tax excluded) and will be available within the first quarter of 2007.
AmpliTube 2 users will be able to upgrade to the Jimi Hendrix edition at a special reduced MSRP of $199/€169 (tax excluded).
There will also be a StealthPlug AmpliTube 2 Jimi Hendrix Edition, combining the software with our 1/4” to USB audio interface cable for immediate plug-n-play in any Mac or PC for $299/€249 (tax excluded). More information on availability will be announced soon.

For more information on this exciting release from IK, please visit:http://www.amplitube.com/prod_ATJH.php

The End to tour with Poison the Well

THE END ANNOUNCE U.S. TOUR DATES WITH POISON THE WELL

Canadian quintet THE END will join Ferret Records' POISON THE WELL for a Southeastern U.S. Tour in late February. The tour will also include THIS IS HELL.

THE END is currently finishing their first tour (an Eastern Canada tour with CANCER BATS) in support of their highly anticipated new album, Elementary. A complete listing of THE END tour dates can be found below with more to be announced soon.

THE END have also unveiled an e-card previewing Elementary that features three brand new songs, “Animals”, “Dangerous”, and “Throwing Stones” and can be accessed here. Elementary, which has been described as "bold and ambitious" (Rock Sound UK) and "Something truly magical" (Decibel), is being heralded by respected rock publications the world over and is set for a February 6 North American release date (February 12 internationally).

Updated THE END news / tour information will be made available via the Relapse Records website: www.Relapse.com, THE END’s website: www.AllChaos.net and MySpace page: www.MySpace.com/TheEndMusic.


THE END Tour Dates:

***All Dates w/ CANCER BATS***

January 23 Saint John, NB Canada Elwoods
January 24 Montreal, QC Canada Club Lambi
January 25 Ottawa, ON Canada Maverick’s
January 26 London, ON Canada Salt Lounge
January 27 Toronto, ON Canada Reverb


***All Dates w/ POISON THE WELL, THIS IS HELL***

February 22 Tallahassee, FL Beta Bar
February 23 West Columbia, SC New Brookland Tavern
February 24 Wilmington, NC Soapbox Laundrolounge
February 25 Richmond, VA Alley Katz
February 27 Greensboro, NC Greene St.
February 28 Charleston, SC The Music Farm
March 1 Jacksonville, FL Fuel Coffeehouse


“Shattering preconceptions at every turn, Elementary is a bold and ambitious record from a band who are only now realizing their full potential.” – ROCK SOUND

“For sheer audacity but also for sheer excellence, there probably won’t be many albums in 2007 like Elementary.” – DECIBEL

Danny Cohen to release new album Feb. 6

DANNY COHEN TO DROP THIRD ANTI- DISC ON FEBRUARY 6TH
SHADES OF DORIAN GRAY BOLSTERED BY PAINTERLY APPROACH

(Anti- Records, Los Angeles, CA) - Singer/songwriter DANNY COHEN will release his third Anti- album, Shades Of Dorian Gray, on February 6, 2007. Recorded on a half-inch Ampex tape machine, a mobile garage studio and at Ralph Carney’s San Francisco facility, the disc plays out as the musical equivalent to an accomplished painting.

“We kept having these opportunities in the studio,” Danny says of the evolution of the equally cerebral and serendipitous Shades Of Dorian Gray. “And I kept coming back to the album to tweak it and re-do it, and it really gave it this painterly-like thing. Where you go back and add to what you already have. And it builds up a density.”

While one might assume from the title of the follow up to 2005’s We’re All Gunna Die, that Danny is an Oscar Wilde devotee, it’s not the case. “He’s not one of my favorite writers,” Danny chuckles. “And I think The Picture of Dorian Gray is one of his worst books. I used the title because the songs were pointing me in that direction. I felt like there were a lot of gray tones in the themes and musical sounds, whereas my last record had earth tones. This one is more subtle and musty and I liked the play on words.”

The ever eccentric Cohen – who is credited for fronting the proto punk group Charleston Grotto, and brought forth angsty numbers like “Kill The Teacher as early as 1961 – has been called “an unlikely bard who's just odd enough to be brilliant” by The San Francisco Bay Guardian.

Elsewhere, The San Francisco Weekly called his songs “a darkly droll, bittersweet appreciation of life in all its pleasure and pain,” while All Music Guide observed, “his view of the world is harrowing, but recognizable and funny, and in its own way stunningly beautiful.”

Danny is quick to point out the parallels between Wilde’s famous novel and his own work on Shades Of Dorian Gray. Just as the main character in that tome, Dorian, stays young while his portrait reflects age, the musician says his own art has yielded a similar result. “I’m not only young in spirit and childlike,” Cohen insists, “But I’m physically 20 years younger than my chronological age. It’s the music and the writing and the painting I do that absorbs the mental and experiential aging.”

Counting titles like the haunting “Avian Blues,” the lilting “Drawing In The Dark” and the thought provoking disc opener “Prayer In The Black And White,” Cohen’s new long player – which was again produced by his alter ego, Sir Errol Sprague, is clearly in a league of its own.

Thursday, January 18, 2007

almost end o' the week musings
















It's been one of the weird short-long weeks.
I performed and worked at the Body Art Expo. Take a minute (actually about a minute and a half) to view my video about the event at www.sgvn.com Pick a paper, then scroll to the videos box and click on Body Art Expo. And on my blog, you're viewing some of the photos from the 3-day buzz that were taken by Tom Thomspon, a freelancer for our paper.
My friend Art Aguirre (upper left) was featured as the "modern primative" on cable TV's "Mad, Mad House" a couple of years ago. He is noted globally as a piercing artist. His shop is Church of Steel in San Diego, for more info, visit www.churchofsteel.com
My other friend, Matt Kotch (up center), you see working away on a painting. He does realistic depictions of sea life, as well as fantasy or perhaps kind of kooky art which often depicts a double entendre if you take the time to really absorb it. I own one of his prints and plan to purchase some more of his work. See and learn more at www.fishheadart.com

Also, don't fret if you missed the Body Art Expo this time around- there are shows throughout the year, although the one in Pomona doesn't return until July. To find the next event, visit www.bodyartexpo.com

Next up for me is NAMM, 4-day show devoted to the music industry. During this time, instrument companies, musicians and press converge in Anaheim to show off the latest equipment, attend classes and lectures and discuss what's happening in the world of music. Watch for my video and photos on Monday.

In rotation this week Rob Zombie, Puddle of Mudd, Clash, Joe Walla and more Tribe of Gypsies.

Catch ya after NAMM... 'til then, keep on rockin'


Mickie

Prog rockers Starcastle release album of new material

Starcastle, the classic and highly respected American progressive rock band, will debut its first album of new material since 1978, Song of Times, on ProgRock Records.

The band had this to say: "Starcastle is thrilled to join with Shawn Gordon and ProgRock Records in the release of our new work. We see this record as bridging our past and future, and are happy to be aligned with ProgRock, who represent so many fine and vital artists in this continually unfolding genre."

"Boy, what an honor and thrill it is to be able to put out this album. I loved these guys when they hit the scene, never in my life did I think I'd get to work with them, especially with such an amazing album, I know you're going to love it.", said Shawn Gordon, President of ProgRock Records.

This new record features Starcastle's trademark vocal harmonies, twin guitars, fluid and driving bass playing, and grand synthesizer lines. At the same time, the record has a more modern and rocking, less glossy feel than earlier Starcastle releases, more representative of their high energy live shows. The songs and arrangements are tight and melodic, and there's even one (Babylon) that's mostly in 4/4 time!

Song of Times includes contributions from all the original members: Gary Strater (bass and vocals), Matt Stewart (guitars and vocals), Steve Tassler (drums, vocals and keyboards), Herb Schildt (keyboards), Steve Hagler (guitar and vocals), and Terry Luttrell (vocals, original REO vocalist)- alongside a number of new players and singers, including current Starcastle vocalist Al Lewis and guitarist Bruce Botts.The record was mastered by Emily Lazar (Bowie, Lou Reed, Moby, etc). The fantastic artwork by Ed Unitsky equals and surpasses the best of progressive rock artwork and packaging.

Starcastle formed in the late 1960s in Champaign Illinois. They released four records on CBS/Epic Records: Starcastle (1976), Fountains of Light (1976), Citadel (1977), and Real to Reel (1978). Together these records have sold more than a million copies. The middle two albums were produced by Queen/Cars/Darkness producer Roy Thomas Baker.

The band toured extensively into the 80s, appearing with such artists as Aerosmith, Foreigner, Jethro Tull, Roxy Music, Ted Nugent, Rush, The Guess Who, Gentle Giant, Kansas, ELO, J. Geils, Styx, Peter Frampton, Hot Tuna, Blue Oyster Cult, Santana, Boston, Todd Rundgren, and of all bands- Sha Na Na!

Through a series of adventures and the passing in 2004 of bassist and driving light Gary Strater, this dedicated group of friends and associates have persevered to complete and release Song of Times, and are now looking forward to the new Starcastle's headlining appearance April 27th 2007 at the Rites of Spring Festival in Phoenixville, PA.

Song of Times is available for immediate order at http://www.progrockrecords.com/artists/view.php?id=70">www.progrockrecords.com and will ship in late-January and be available at your favorite brick and mortar retailer on March 13, 2007. Presales are discounted $2 on the ProgRock Records site until the album starts shipping.

About ProgRock Records: ProgRock Records was founded in 2002 and has rapidly grown into a recognized force in the music community, signing established artists and breaking new artists alike.

Lamb of God releases grabs accolaides & tour

Debuting #8 on Billboard Top 200 Chart… Lamb Of God’s Sacrament on Epic Records.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR - #20 - Top 50 of 2006! -

GRAMMY NOMINATION BEST METAL PERFORMANCE for "Redneck!"

BIGGEST FIRST WEEK ALBUM SALES OF ANY METAL RECORD IN 2006!

HEADLINE TOUR SELLING OUT

“… the sound of Lucifer storming heaven…”. - SPIN

“When you are a kid, you dream of playing your music in an arena. Once you’ve done it, you realize how much you miss the power and energy of a kick ass club show. We’ve been fortunate to be playing some big places as of late, but when we started talking about a spring 2007 Sacrament tour, we agreed that it would be incredibly intense for everyone to bring the machine that is LAMB OF GOD back into the clubs. There is no comparing the connection and shared energy of a club show. The blood, sweat, and beer flying – that’s a proper metal show! This is intense music for intense people - we’re sick of the seats, the ushers and the lame security guards telling people to calm down! ... This is going to be completely out of hand and we can’t fucking wait! You have been warned!!!" - CHRIS ADLER


ON TOUR W/ TRIVIUM, MACHINE HEAD, & GOJIRA
1/13 CEDAR RAPIDS, IA HAWKEYE DOWNS, HALL
2/16 S. DALLAS, TX PALLADIUM BALLROOM
2/17 CORPUS CHRISTI, TX CONCRETE STREET AMPHITHEATRE
2/18 LUBBOCK, TX STUBB'S BBQ
2/20 ALBUQUERQUE, NM SUNSHINE THEATRE
2/22 ANAHEIM, CA THE GROVE OF ANAHEIM
2/23 FRESNO-VISALIA, CA RAINBOW BALLROOM
2/24 SANTA CRUZ, CA THE CATALYST
2/25 LOS ANGELES, CA THE WILTERN THEATRE
2/27 CHICO, CA SENATOR THEATRE
2/28 PORTLAND, OR ROSELAND THEATRE
3/01 SPOKANE, WA THE BIG EASY
3/03 EDMONTON EDMONTON EVENTS CENTER
3/04 CALGARY MACEWAN HALL BALLROOM
3/06 WINNEPEG BURTON CUMMINGS THEATER
3/07 FARGO, ND PLAYMAKER'S PAVILION
3/08 OMAHA, NE SOKOL AUDITORIUM
3/09 TULSA, OK CAIN'S BALLROOM
3/10 KANSAS CITY, MO BEAUMONT CLUB
3/11 SIOUX FALLS, SD SIOUX EMPIRE FAIR EXPO HALL
3/14 MILWAUKEE, WI THE EAGLES CLUB II
3/15 FT WAYNE, IN PIERE'S
3/16 TOLEDO, OH HEADLINERS
3/17 GRAND RAPIDS, MI THE ORBIT ROOM
3/18 GUELPH COWBOY BAR
3/20 MONTREAL LE MEDLEY
3/21 PROVIDENCE, RI LUPO'S HEARTBREAK HOTEL
3/22 NEW YORK, NY ROSELAND BALLROOM
3/23 ATLANTIC CITY, NJ HOUSE OF BLUES
3/24 CLIFTON PARK, NY NORTHERN LIGHTS
3/25 ROCHESTER, NY HARRO EAST THEATRE
3/26 WASHINGTON, DC 9:30 CLUB
3/28 NORFOLK, VA THE NORVA
3/29 N. MYRTLE BCH, SC HOUSE OF BLUES
3/30 JACKSONVILLE, FL PLUSH
3/31 ST. PETERSBURG, FL JANNUS LANDING
4/01 FT.LAUDERDALE, FL REVOLUTION
4/03 NASHVILLE, TN CITY HALL
4/04 MEMPHIS, TN NEW DAISY THEATRE
4/05 CINCINNATI, OH BOGART'S

Neko Case to tour

NEKO CASE’S FOX CONFESSOR BRINGS THE FLOOD TOPS YEAR-END LISTS;
2007 TOUR DATES SCHEDULED AND INCLUDE AN APPEARANCE AT
NYC’s LINCOLN CENTER AND SUPPORT PERFORMANCES WITH
MERLE HAGGARD AND EMMYLOU HARRIS

Neko Case has topped a variety of 2006 year-end lists with her critically acclaimed album Fox Confessor Brings The Flood (Anti-). Named her “finest album” by Entertainment Weekly, Neko’s latest is ranked #1 on Amazon.com’s “Best Music of 2006: Top Editors’ Picks” and is the year’s #1 charting disc at CMJ, an achievement celebrated by Case’s appearance on the cover of New Music Report (Issue 990).

Case’s fourth studio album was also voted #2 on NPR’s “All Songs Considered,” the “All Things Considered” music critics’ year-end round-up, just ahead of Bob Dylan’s Modern Times, and came in at #4 on MOJO magazine’s “Americana Album of the Year” list.

Fox Confessor Brings the Flood was the only non-traditional jazz album to make Downbeat magazine’s “Top Six Masterpieces for the Year” and was named “Album of the Year” by Glide magazine.

Case, who recently wrapped a tour of Australia with her other band the New Pornographers, will return down under with her own outfit next month, before hitting the U.S. West Coast in February on a tour that will include four dates opening for country music legend Merle Haggard.

On February 23, Neko and the band will play two sold-out shows at Lincoln Center’s Allen Room in NYC as part of the venue’s ongoing “Songbook Series.” A March 2007 tour is also being planned around a support date with Emmylou Harris in Grand Rapids, MI.

All confirmed tour dates are below with more to be added.

THU 1/25 ADELAIDE, AUS @ Governor Hindmarsh
FRI 1/26 PERTH, AUS @ FLY BY NIGHT
SUN 1/28 BRISBANE, AUS @ THE ZOO
TUE 1/30 SYDNEY, AUS @ THE Annandale
WED 1/31 SYDNEY, AUS @ TO BE ANNOUNCED
THU 2/1 MELBOURNE, AUS @ Prince of Wales
FRI 2/2 MELBOURNE, AUS @ Prince of Wales
FRI 2/9 OAKLAND, CA @ PARAMOUNT THEATRE*
SAT 2/10 PORTLAND, OR @ ARLENE SCHNITZER CONCERT HALL*
SUN 2/11 SEATTLE, WA @ PARAMOUNT THEATRE*
MON 2/12 SPOKANE, WA @ IMG PERFORMING ARTS CENTER*
WED 2/14 BELLINGHAM, WA @ WWU PERFORMING ARTS CENTER+
SAT 2/17 LOS ANGELES, CA @ HENRY FONDA THEATRE*
SUN 2/18 SAN DIEGO, CA @ BELLY UP TAVERN*
FRI 2/23 NEW YORK, NY @ ALLEN ROOM AT LINCOLN CENTER
SAT 3/31 GRAND RAPIDS. MI @ CALVIN COLLEGE FIELDHOUSE#

* = w/Merle Haggard
+ = w/Eric Bachmann
# = w/Emmylou Harris

Shaw Blades' new release moved to March 6

SHAW BLADES’ "INFLUENCE"ALBUM RELEASE DATE MOVED TO MARCH 6

The album release date for INFLUENCE (VH1 Classic Records) by Shaw Blades—led by Styx/Damn Yankees guitarist/vocalist Tommy Shaw and Night Ranger/Damn Yankees bassist/vocalist Jack Blades--has been moved to March 6. Originally scheduled for February 20, 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.

One of the most prolific duos in the history of hard rock, Shaw and Blades have sold more than 50 million albums amongst their three bands, scored 12 Top 10 singles on the Billboard “Hot 100” chart, debuted 16 albums in the Billboard “Top 200” albums chart, and share joint songwriting credits for the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, Aerosmith, Cher and Alice Cooper.

Stay tuned for news about the band’s upcoming U.S. tour, which is currently being confirmed for March and April.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.com
www.myspace.com/shawbladesinfluence
www.vh1classic.com

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Erik Norlander & Lana Lane's latest on YouTube.com

I am a fan of this talented couple for several reasons-- not only is their music great, they are wonderful people. Before they knew me, they were kind enough to open their home to me so I could interview Arjen Luccassen in person while he was visiting the States. While there, they showed me their art and music collections, as well as their home studio. Thank you again, Erik and Lana. .. and readers, be sure to check them out! -M

Erik Norlander, Lana Lane Channel Now on YouTube.com

Videos featuring Think Tank Media symphonic/prog rock couple Erik Norlander and Lana Lane are now featured on the infamous video site YouTube.com at http://www.youtube.com/user/ThinkTankMediaMusic. The popular musicians have compiled full-length videos from the many projects they created over almost 15 years and have posted 13 videos at the Think Tank Music YouTube channel for their fans' viewing pleasure. Norlander also plans to post videos on a channel for his highly successful project Rocket Scientists in the near future.

"YouTube is an undeniable phenomenon that is changing the way information is transmitted around the world," Norlander affirms. "Through our MySpace pages, we have met a lot of new friends and reconnected with many older ones. We hope that by sharing some videos of Lana Lane, Erik Norlander and Rocket Scientists from the vaults of the Think Tank Media archives that we will introduce our music to some new fans and also provide some great online content for the old ones. Music is about communication, and I really believe YouTube will be a great channel for the Think Tank Media music ... pardon the pun!"

Recent releases by Lane and Norlander "Gemini" and "Hommage Symphonique" are receiving very favorable reviews at a variety of web sites including Progressive World, YtseJam, and Sea of Tranquility; radio airplay around the world; and top charting positions on the New Music Weekly College Radio chart.

Lana Lane's "Gemini" is an album of classic rock covers from the 60s and 70s featuring the backing musicians Vinny Appice (d), Tony Franklin (b), George Lynch (g), Mark McCrite (g, v) and Erik Norlander (k) along with Kelly Keeling providing additional duet and harmony vocals. Gemini is the astrological symbol for twins, and since this is Lana's second album of all covers, the album carries the theme of "two" throughout. Lana recorded two songs by each classic rock artist for this release: a pair of songs each originally recorded by Cream, Pink Floyd, The Moody Blues, Heart, Jefferson Airplane and Foreigner. Of particular note is Lana's "Pink Moon Suite" that combines the song "Johnny Moon" -- originally recorded by Heart -- with songs from most of "Side One" of Pink Floyd's landmark "Dark Side of the Moon" album.

Erik Norlander's "Hommage Symphonique" is an album of progressive rock covers recorded by Erik along with Gregg Bissonette (d), Don Schiff (b), Mark McCrite (g) with Kelly Keeling handling all of the vocal duties. Erik employed a small ensemble of acoustic instruments featuring Jon Pappenbrook (trumpets, flugelhorn), Eric Jorgensen (trombones), Mike Alvarez (cello) and David Schiff (woodwinds). David is the brother of Don Schiff, and in addition to Don's NS/Stick work on the album, he also fills out the acoustic string ensemble with the new Bowed Guitar instrument. Erik's choice of covers reflects his own broad musical taste, performing songs originally recorded by ELP, ELO, Yes, Rick Wakeman, King Crimson, Procol Harum and Jethro Tull and Chuck Mangione. The last artist may sound the most surprising, but Erik's stirring rendition of Mangione's "Children of Sanchez" brings this jazz - fusion classic more into Erik's world of symphonic progressive rock supported by his seasoned and highly versatile band.

Lana Lane - Gemini and Erik Norlander - Hommage Symphonique albums follow the already acclaimed 2-CD release, Revolution Road, from Erik's band Rocket Scientists. The Rocket Scientists musicians appear throughout these two new titles continuing the collaboration and bringing it to new heights. Like Rocket Scientists - Revolution Road, these two new CDs are distributed in North America and Europe by ProgRock Records which continues another successful collaboration with Erik and Lana's Think Tank Media label.

For more information about Erik Norlander, Lana Lane and Rocket Scientists, please visit http://www.thetank.com and http://www.myspace.com/eriknorlanderandlanalane.

Dengue Fever to play in L.A.

There are 2 Los Angeles dates coming in February for Cambodian rock band Dengue Fever. They are:
02/02/07 @ Temple Bar, Santa Monica, Ca
02/20/07 @ CSULA, Los Angeles, Ca. (Main Walkway)

Next week, Dengue Fever heads to New York City to co-headline globalFEST, one of the leading showcases of global sounds, demonstrating the multiplicity of sounds and performance contexts under the ‘world music’ label.

2007 plans to be a big another big year for Dengue Fever. A new album is in pre-production, a documentary entitled SLEEPWALKING THROUGH THE MEKONG on the band’s first live shows in Cambodia in 2005 is currently being submitted to film festivals Internationally and their latest release ESCAPE FROM DRAGON HOUSE is being reissued with bonus tracks in March. Below is a press release announcing that Dengue Fever has signed an administration publishing deal with Bug Music and signed on with booking agency, the Kork Agency for live representation.

Los Angeles-based band Dengue Fever (www.denguefevermusic.com ) announced today that they are now represented by booking agents the Kork Agency (http://korkagency.com/) in the United States and Canada and music publishers Bug Music (http://bugmusic.com/) who will administer the bands publishing. 2007 promises to be a big year for Dengue Fever. The band is currently in pre-production for their as-yet-untitled, third full-length CD, which will be released by M80 Music (www.m80music.com ). Additionally, a feature-length documentary, “Sleepwalking Through The Mekong” on Dengue Fever has been completed and has been entered into several international film festivals.

Directed by John Pirozzi and produced by production company Film 101, the documentary follows the band to Cambodia where Khmer Rock (a term coined to define '60s Psychedelic rock made in Cambodia during the Vietnam War era) is brought back to the country by an American band. Both projects will be released in 2007.

“By working with world class music companies like the Kork Agency and Bug Music, Dengue Fever is a step closer to realizing their goal of becoming a truly international band,” said Joshua Mills, Dengue Fever’s manager. “Both the Kork Agency and Bug Music operate in much the same manner as the band's label, M80 Music. They are efficient, well connected, independent, attentive to the band's unique sound, and are true music fans. Their one-on-one approach and love for the band's music makes this a great fit for Dengue Fever.”

“The reason the Kork Agency wanted to represent Dengue Fever as their booking agent is that they have the potential to draw from a very wide-ranging fan base,” said Ryan Craven, Booking Agent at the Kork Agency. “Not every band could headline an indie club in Montreal, co-headline a psych/folk festival in Portland, make their Chicago debut at a World Music festival, be relentlessly pursued for bookings at a Cambodian Hall in Lowell, MA and play a student event at the University of South Dakota– but Dengue Fever can. We expect to grow their audience significantly in 2007.”

”Bug Music has always been home to uniquely American bands and Dengue Fever is no exception,” said David Hirshland, President of Bug Music. “Working with as many bands as we do in music publishing, it’s easy to see that Dengue Fever have barely scratched the surface in terms of licensing of their catalog. We see tremendous potential in administering their publishing.”

2006 was a breakthrough year for Dengue Fever. Aside from touring internationally at summer festivals in Moscow and Portugal, the band toured the United States and Canada relentlessly. The band headlined festivals such as Bumbershoot, the Chicago World Music Festival, Global Union and Halleluwah as well as club dates in New York, Boston, Montreal, Philadelphia, Toronto, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland and more. Influential radio stations KCRW in Los Angeles and KEXP in Seattle each invited the band to perform live at the station and featured them in their prominent podcasts. Dengue Fever’s music was also licensed in a variety of high-profile television shows including NBC’s SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE and the hit Showtime series "WEEDS" as well as the feature films MUST LOVE DOGS and BROKEN FLOWERS.

Aside from a new record and a documentary film in 2007, Dengue Fever plans to reissue their second record “Escape From Dragon House”, with bonus material sometime in March. Dengue Fever have been praised for their unique sound in Spin Magazine, Mojo, National Public Radio, British Broadcasting Service, International Music Feed, New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Newsday, the cover of Performer Magazine and many more. Lead by Cambodian songstress Ch’hom Nimol, Dengue Fever features Zac Holtzman (guitar/vocals), Ethan Holtzman (Farfisa), Senon Williams (bass), Paul Smith (drums) and David Ralicke (sax).