Thursday, July 30, 2009

NEUROT RECORDINGS Joins Earsplit PR Roster

The upcoming debut monolith from "doom supergroup" SHRINEBUILDER is one of the most anticipated heavy releases of 2009, hands-down. A collaborative effort between members of some of the doom, drone and stoner rock scene's most influential alumni, SHRINEBUILDER consists of Scott Kelly (Neurosis), Al Cisneros (Sleep, Om), Scott "Wino" Weinrich (The Obsessed, Saint Vitus, The Hidden Hand, Wino) and Dale Crover (Melvins). To be released in September the upcoming self-titled SHRINEBUILDER album shows these top-tier icons coalescing their power into a multi-headed beast that not only surges with each member's personal approach, but also thrives on it's own thunderous vitality. This release will prove to be one of the most monumental heavy releases of the year.

A STORM OF LIGHT is one of Neurot's major priorities as of late. Following the band's acclaimed 2008 debut release And We Wept The Black Ocean Within, the Brooklyn-based outfit has toured across several continents, most recently across the Eastern US alongside Wolves In The Throne Room and Krallice, showcasing the band's musical strength and topped with their dramatic visual displays. On their sophomore release Forgive Us Our Trespasses, coming this September, the band layers even more haunting tones into their engulfing post-doom passages. Like the tidal surge of an angry tonal sea, the album broadcasts a dim forecast for humankind, predicting Earth's revenge on man for pushing the planet to the breaking point. This record will definitely be a high-point in 2009 for fans of Neurosis, Minsk, Ahab and YOB.

Other recently released Neurot albums available for coverage immediately include the sophomore album from HARVESTMAN (solo project of Neurosis' Steve Von Till) In A Dark Tongue, longtime soloist KK NULL's Oxygen Flash release, the debut from CHORD album Flora (featuring Trevor De Brauw of Pelican), and the ¡M.G.R. Y DESTRUCTO SWARMBOTS! release Amigos de la Guitarra (featuring Mike Gallagher of ISIS).

Brother Ali Announces New Album "US"

Brother Ali’s last album, the critically acclaimed, The Undisputed Truth, was a landmark in hip-hop, an album that carried weight equally with critics and fans alike, an album of bold statements and bolder beats, politically and socially aware without being preachy. His new album, Us (Rhymesayers Entertainment) Street Date 9.22.09, is a progression that will make Brother Ali one of the most enduring figures in hip-hop; while still aware, Ali has turned his gaze inward, and started examining the human condition from the outside in. A profound personal glimpse into a vulnerability seldom seen or heard in music, Us touches on the strengths and flaws of the human condition, exploring drug abuse, divorce, homophobia and many more topics that most people are scared to touch in their own lives, much less on an album for the world to see.

As with previous endeavors, the beats here are courtesy of Ant, whose production work seems to be getting more soulful and lush by the minute. The guest appearances only accentuate Brother Ali’s strengths, with Chuck D, Freeway, Joell Ortiz and Stokley Williams of Mint Condition making strong appearances.

In support of the new album, Ali is embarking on a North American tour of epic proportions, enlisting the help of labelmates and collaborators Evidence (of Dilated Peoples, recently signed to Rhymesayers), BK One and Toki Wright.

Confirmed Tour Dates:
SEPT 22 DULUTH, MN PIZZA LUCE
SEPT 23 MANKATO, MN WHAT’S UP LOUNGE
SEPT 24 IOWA CITY, IA THE INDUSTRY
SEPT 25 SIOUX FALLS, SD NUTTY’S NORTH
SEPT 26 OMAHA, NE THE WAITING ROOM
SEPT 27 LAWRENCE, KS GRANADA
SEPT 29 DENVER, CO OGDEN THEATER
SEPT 30 BOULDER, CO FOX THEATRE
OCT 1 COLORADO SPRINGS, CO THE BLACK SHEEP
OCT 2 SALT LAKE CITY, UT IN THE VENUE
OCT 3 BOISE, ID THE VENUE
OCT 4 MISSOULA, MT THE BADLANDER
OCT 6 SPOKANE, WA THE BOULEVARD
OCT 7 SEATTLE, WA NEUMO’S
OCT 8 VICTORIA, BC ELEMENT
OCT 9 VANCOUVER, BC VENUE
OCT 10 BELLINGHAM, WA THE NIGHTLIGHT
OCT 11 PORTLAND, OR HAWTHORNE THEATER
OCT 12 EUGENE, OR WOW HALL
OCT 14 ARCATA, CA HUMBOLDT STATE UNIV
OCT 15 RENO, NV THE NEW OASIS
OCT 16 SANTA CRUZ, CA THE CATALYST
OCT 17 SAN FRANCISCO, CA SLIM’S
OCT 18 SANTA CLARA, CA AVALON NIGHTCLUB
OCT 20 LOS ANGELES, CA EL REY THEATRE
OCT 21 SAN DIEGO, CA CANE’S
OCT 22 TEMPE, AZ CLUB RED
OCT 23 TUCSON, AZ CLUB CONGRESS
OCT 24 ALBUQUERQUE, NM SUNSHINE THEATER
OCT 26 LUBBOCK, TX THE FOUNDATION
OCT 27 DALLAS, TX GRANADA THEATER
OCT 28 AUSTIN, TX EMO’S
OCT 29 HOUSTON, TX WAREHOUSE LIVE
NOV 1 ORLANDO, FL THE SOCIAL
NOV 4 CARRBORO, NC CAT’S CRADLE
NOV 5 BALTIMORE, MD THE OTTOBAR
NOV 6 PHILADELPHIA, PA 1st UNITARIAN CHURCH
NOV 7 NEW YORK, NY IRVING PLAZA
NOV 8 BOSTON, MA THE PARADISE
NOV 9 BURLINGTON, VT HIGHER GROUND
NOV 10 PORTLAND, ME THE ASYLUM
NOV 11 NORTHAMPTON, MA PEARL STREET
NOV 13 CLEVELAND, OH GROG SHOP
NOV 14 COLUMBUS, OH SKULLY’S MUSIC DINER
NOV 15 LOUISVILLE, KY UNCLE PLEASANT’S
NOV 17 ANN ARBOR, MI BLIND PIG
NOV 18 CHICAGO, IL METRO
NOV 19 MADISON, WI BARRYMORE THEATER
NOV 20 MINNEAPOLIS, MN FIRST AVENUE

Brother Ali - http://www.myspace.com/brotherali
Rhymesayers - http://rhymesayers.com/

Kid Koala Presents The Slew: LIVE; Six turntables meets the ex-Wolfmother rhythm section.

A couple of years back Eric San (aka Kid Koala) and Dylan J. Frombach (aka Dynomite D) were approached to soundtrack a new documentary feature film that was in production. Koala was already well known for his uncanny turntable manipulation, whilst Dylan had remixed Money Mark and collaborated with the Beastie Boys, amongst others. The duo worked for a long time on the psych rock-influenced score, only for the filming to collapse and any release to be canned. Although the film may never see the light of day, its music is about to be brought to life on stage.

Recently Koala & Dylan met the former rhythm section of Grammy Award-winning Australian rock band Wolfmother and began telling them all about the film and its lost music. Chris Ross and Myles Heskett loved the clips and urged that the material had to be heard; subsequently Kid Koala and the guys decided to put a show on the road.

After intensive rehearsals the show is now ready to go. Featuring drums, bass/keys and the DJs working across a truly excessive six turntables, the set is seventy minutes of raw guitar cuts and heavy beats. We can guarantee that you will never have heard anything quite like this and also that you are unlikely to again. It's a one-off tour, so when it stops in your town you'll either be there or will have missed it forever.

Anyone who has seen previous Kid Koala events will not be disappointed - from Kid Koala's incendiary solo turntable spectaculars to the Nufonia book launch, Deltron 3030 live to the Short Attention Span Theater.

Brash, loud and defiantly turned up to eleven. The Slew Tour is coming to your town. Don't miss it.

TOUR DATES:

WED 9/23
VANCOUVER, BC
Commodore

THUR 9/24
SEATTLE, WA
Nectar

FRI 9/25
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Independent

SUN 9/27
LOS ANGELES, CA
Key Club

WED 9/30
BROOKLYN, NY
Music Hall Of Williamsburg

THUR 10/1
BOSTON, MA
Great Scott

FRI 10/2
MONTREAL, QC
La Tulipe

SAT 10/3
TORONTO, ON
Lee's Palace

SUN 10/4
CHICAGO, IL
Abbey

More Meat Puppets Tour Dates

Upcoming Shows
Sept 5 - Club Congress, Tuscon, AZ
Sept 16 - Marquee Theater, Tempe, AZ**
Sept 17 - Belly Up Tavern - Solana Beach, CA**
Sept 18 - Aquarium Drunkard presents at the El Rey Theater - Los Angeles, CA**
Sept 19 - Slim's - San Francisco, CA**
Sept 20 - Hopmonk Tavern - Sebastopol, CA**
Sept 22 - Wonder Ballroom - Portland, OR**
Sept 23 - Chop Suey - Seattle, WA**
Sept 24 - Grizzly Rose, Boise, ID**
Sept 25 - Urban Lounge - Salt Lake City, UT**
Sept 26 - Fox Theatre - Boulder, CO**
Nov 1 - Voodoo Music Experience - New Orleans, LA

** with Dead Confederate

We Have Band Debut "You Came Out" Video / North American Self-Titled EP Out Sept 15th On Itunes

Click Here To View "You Came Out" On Pitchfork TV

It’s been quite a year for the three members of We Have Band, having only played their debut gig a year ago, the wonderful trio are now regarded as one of the most exciting bands coming out of the UK. Their rise started last summer when word of mouth took over and a string of much loved and talked about small gigs in London were noticed by a lucky few including NME, Dazed & Confused and XFM who all signed up early for more.

Their wish was granted in October when both Puregroove and Kitsuné included WHB demos on their annual compilations, following up a month later with the release of their brilliant debut single ‘Oh!’ through 50 Bones. Joining the likes of Little Boots or The Virgins who had their first release with the singles label.

Now in Summer 2009, Darren, Thomas and Dede have spent the winter playing their songs across Europe and America, including a heavily praised run of shows at SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. Returning to compete and win this year’s Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition, guaranteeing them an appearance on the main stage at this year’s festival and adding more reason to get excited about one of the UK’s finest unsigned bands. Surely the unsigned bit will change very soon, friends and peers Filthy Dukes certainly think so, not thinking twice to pick up live favourite ‘You Came Out’ as the second single for their newly formed Kill Em All label.

The North American digital release their Self Tilted Debut EP out in Mid September on itunes, features their first smash UK single, "OH!", "Hear It In The Cans", and their new single "You Came Out" (look out for new video), plus an amazing cover of the Pet Shop Boys classic, "West End Girls". We Have Band have also done an exquisite remix for Bloc Party on their new ‘Intimacy Remixed’ album and will have ever growing calendar of worldwide dates. It’s safe to say it’s still only just the start for this promising act, which is good news for everyone. Festival appearances at Glastonbury, Montreux Jazz Festival and numerous other European festivals are helping WHB getting new fans day after day. CMJ and other North American dates should be announced soon, so don’t be surprised to see We Have Band on a stage in front of you very soon.

www.myspace.com/wehaveband

SLIPKNOT To Release Special 10th Anniversary Edition of Debut Album

Grammy Award winning hard rock powerhouse Slipknot have announced a special edition release on Roadrunner Records of their seminal self-titled debut album. This special CD/DVD piece will commemorate the 10th anniversary of Slipknot’s first album’s release in 1999. Release is set for 9/9/09. The CD will feature 25 tracks, including the original album as well as rare demos, remixes, rare b-sides and more.

The companion documentary, entitled of the (sic): Your Nightmares, Our Dreams, is packed with behind the scenes footage of Slipknot from 1999. This never before seen hour-long piece was directed by M. Shawn Crahan, who combed through his vast archives to compile the definitive chronicle of this important time in Slipknot’s career. This inside look features both live and backstage footage from around the world. The DVD also features all the music videos from their debut cycle as well as other surprises.

In another first, Slipknot will host a one day festival in their hometown of Des Moines on 9/9/09. The show will feature 2 stages and a host of bands with Slipknot headlining. The second stage, sponsored by Jagermeister, will feature all local bands. An official announcement will be made soon.

Track Listing is as follows:
01. 742617000027
02. (sic)
03. Eyeless
04. Wait And Bleed
05. Surfacing
06. Spit It Out
07. Tattered & Torn
08. Purity*
09 .Liberate
10. Prosthetics
11. No Life
12. Diluted
13. Only One
14. Scissors
15. Eeyore
16. Me Inside
17. Get This*
18. Spit It Out (Hyper Version)*
19. Spit It Out (Stamp You Out Mix)*
20. (sic) (Molt-Injected Mix)*
21. Wait And Bleed (Terry Date Mix)*
22. Wait And Bleed (demo)*
23. Snap (demo)*
24. Interloper (demo)*
25. Despise (demo)*

*Bonus tracks

LUDO ANNOUNCES FALL TOUR AND BEGINS RECORDING FOURTH ALBUM

After 100,000 albums sold and fifteen months of touring in support of their Island Records debut album, You’re Awful, I Love You, loveable rock band Ludo has begun writing material for their major label follow-up, and plans to record before the summer is over with producer Matt Wallace (Maroon 5, Faith No More, Train), who was also at the helm for the band’s Island debut.

Ludo has also announced a limited run of tour dates for the fall, but these won’t be just any tour dates. The band is headlining what is being billed as The Broken Bride Tour, in which Ludo will perform songs from each of their previous three releases, including their entire 2005 rock opera, Broken Bride. Tour dates are listed below and joining Ludo will be Ha Ha Tonka, Meese, and Without a Face.

Tour Dates:
October 16: Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
October 17: New York, NY @ Highline Ballroom
October 22: St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
October 23: Chicago, IL @ The Bottom Lounge
October 24: Columbia, MO @ The Blue Note
November 6: West Hollywood, CA @ Troubadour
November 7: Pomona, CA @ Glass House
November 13: Dallas, TX @ The Door
November 14: Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live Studio

Dirty Vegas release “Tonight” IMS Anthem 2009 on Toolroom Records.

Grammy Award Winning DJ Trio, Dirty Vegas have performed live at many of today’s worldwide festivals including Coachella, Fuji Rock, Glastonbury and Creamfields. Recently reforming after a four year break, Dirty Vegas are currently in the studio putting the finishing touches to their new untitled third album, which will include the two underground club hits “Pressure” and “Changes” as well as the brand new single “Tonight”.

“Tonight” is this years official IMS Anthem. Held annually in Ibiza and co-ordinated by Radio 1’s Pete Tong, the International Music Summit is a high-profile music conference for the global dance industry. Incorporating the Dance4Life charity, which is an international initiative set up to involve and empower young people all around the world to push back the spread of HIV and AIDS. A percentage of the proceeds of this release will go to the charity.

Taking the baton from Tom Middleton following his 2008 creation, Dirty Vegas and Above & Beyond stepped up to the plate to create the IMS 2009 Anthem. Dirty Vegas developed some ideas and then constructed the anthem live at the IMS summit before handing it over to Above & Beyond, who remixed the track in just 24 hours, again this was done live at the summit. The package will now see a full release on Toolroom Records featuring a Radio Edit from Mark Knight & Funkagenda and a deep house mix from Matt Masters of Freerange Records fame.

The Dirty Vegas idea behind the track was to connect it to the mystical isle of Ibiza. The Original vocal mix representing the daytime vibe, infusing lush summer chords with Steve’s sublime vocals relating to the thought process of “Tonight’s the night my friend, I got this feeling that I hope will never end”. Above & Beyond’s mix takes you to the ‘Afterdark’ side of the island, still retaining that summer feel, but moving onto the clubs to let loose on the dancefloor and party all night long. While Matt Masters mix, with its subtle synth and rolling bassline, bridges the gap between the other mixes, creating the perfect soundtrack to getting ready to go out for your night ahead.

Check out video footage of Dirty Vegas and Above & Beyond remixing the track
live at the IMS summit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuI_qVieOwc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT3z3e40u6c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1BpvApFy5s

A Wilhelm Scream News and Tour Updates

In anticipation to the band’s self-titled EP, out this fall on Paper + Plastick Records, A WILHELM SCREAM have announced a slew of new tour dates across the UK, Europe, Canada and the U.S. While overseas the band will play festival dates, such as the Reading and Leeds festivals, before hitting North America on a club tour that includes a date at Gainesville’s eighth installment of The Fest (more info here: www.thefestfl.com/fest8/). Confirmed tour dates are listed below, but there will be many more announced in the coming weeks. Please continue to check the bands MySpace page for updates.

"In case you hadn't noticed, A Wilhelm Scream haven't been on tour for a while (apparently the longest break in the last 6 years of the band!),” says Bri Robinson (bass/vocals). “I can't believe I'm saying this, but I can speak for all of us in saying that we're aching to sweat, smell, lift gear and wait around for Mike [Supina - guitar] to finish brushing his teeth when we're already running late. A month from now, we'll be hopping on a plane to tour Europe, working our way from Prague up to the Reading/Leeds festivals, and also getting our first taste of Ireland (which I'm assuming will taste like whiskey, or... potatoes... yes). After that, during the fall we'll be darting across Canada and doing the outer-perimeter of the States.”

Robinson continues to explain: “The reason for this long break from touring is because we took a crack at recording ourselves, putting together an EP which will be coming out on Paper + Plastick. This five song EP is an eclectic mix of all the avenues the band have gone down since Mute Print--and we'll be throwing them into the sets on these upcoming tours.”

A Wilhelm Scream produced and recorded the new EP at their Black & Blue studio in New Bedford, MA, along with their live sound engineer James Whitten. Matt Bayles (Mastodon, Isis, Minus The Bear, Shook Ones) is mixing the five song record, which the band says “is nearly 40 minutes of music and is full of surprises.”

A Wilhelm Scream tour dates

8/9 New Bedford, MA @ New Wave Café
8/20 Prague, Czech @ Lucerna Music Bar w/ Mad Caddies & The Flatliners
8/21 Osijek, Croatia @ Pannonian Challenge Skateboard/Music Festival
8/22 Nyirbator, Hungary @ Azfeszt
8/23 Ljubljana, Slovenia @ TRN Festival
8/25 Trier, Germany @ Exhause
8/26 Schaffen, Belgium @ JC Smurf
8/27 Peterborough, UK @ The Park w/ The Flatliners
8/28 Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival
8/29 Reading, UK @ Reading Festival
8/30 Leper, Belgium @ Leper Festival
8/31 Leicester, UK @ The Shed
9/01 Manchester, UK @ Moho Live
9/02 Derby, UK @ Rockhouse
9/03 Newcastle, UK @ Trillians
9/04 Bristol, UK @ The Croft
9/05 London, UK @ Underworld w/ Polar Bear Club
9/06 Southampton, UK @ Joiners
9/09 Glasgow, UK @ King Tuts w/ Failsafe
9/10 Belfast, Ireland @ Spring & Airbrake
9/12 Dublin, Ireland @ The Village
9/25 Toronto, ON @ REVERB
9/26 Montreal, QC @ Underworld
9/27 Quebec City @ Imperial
9/28 Ottawa @ Mavericks
10/1 Winnipeg, MB @ Pyramid Cabaret
10/5 Fort McMurray, AB @ Reckless Bar
10/13 San Francisco, CA @ Thee Parkside
10/16 Hollywood, CA @ The Knitting Factory
10/21 San Antonio @ Rock Bottom
10/22 Austin, TX @ Emos
10/23 Dallas, TX @ The Door
10/24 Houston, TX @ The Meridian
10/29 Orlando, FL @ Backbooth
10/30 Gainesville, FL @ The Fest (venue TBD)

More dates TBA

INTO THE PRESENCE RECREATE THE FABLED ROCK OF AGES WITH THEIR FIRST FULL-LENGTH SELF-TITLED ALBUM

"'Into The Presence" is superlative progressive rock and one of the best rock albums of the year." - Washington Post

Into the Presence is the long-awaited spark ignited by the joint effort between drummer Tim Alexander and guitarist/vocalist Luis Maldonado. The pair have now released their first full-length, self-titled album on Razor & Tie. Into the Presence is a 10-track odyssey of tunes which were recorded in true analog (tape machines and vintage outboard gear) creating a sweeping musical journey that is stripped down in its instrumentation but grand in its sonic landscape.

Into the Presence's sound is a revamped version of the stuff rock legends are made of. Still, they've managed to stamp their personal signature into this debut by making good use of all analog resources and vintage gear. Tim Alexander and Luis Maldonado enveloped their sound with a sense of rock antiquity. Their album became a reflection of vocals straight out of A Night at the Opera and instrumentation akin to Dark Side of the Moon. Into the Presence recreates that primordial time when rock found its bearings and took hold on the emerging scene for the rest of time.

"We thought about when those [records] were made and what they had access to," explains Maldonado. "All those records sound amazing, but everything on there is an honest sound." It's the fidelity to that sound which drives Into the Presence and makes them such a unique act. "We recorded this album on a two-inch analog format so there was no digital," continues Maldonado in the RockWired interview. "There was no cutting and pasting or auto-tuning. The recording is an honest documentation of what went on in the studio."

However, the material the album was recorded on is not the only notable feature regarding the studio process.

"While we were recording in the studio we had a number of other-worldy experiences," says Maldonado in an interview with RockWired.com (referring to Tim Alexander's studio in Jerome, Arizona, ghost town of lore). "We always felt like there was a presence around us. There were whispers everywhere. It was interesting and bizarre at the same time. We would have bottles of water and one would be frozen and the rest would be fine. It was my idea after that whole experience to call the band Presence and rest of the band suggested that we call it Into the Presence."

Maldonado's almost surreal vocals soar over the heavy rock riffs while the harmonious humming of cellist Ana Lenchantin's pairs perfectly with her sister, Paz Lenchantin, contributing bass. Clearly, Into the Presence promises to stake their place amongst the band's very own rock heroes.

www.myspace.com/intothepresence

Holiday Shores Release Second Single "Edge Of Our Lives" On Pitchfork

Click Here To Listen To "Edge Of Our Lives"



Summer is no myth. It exists year round on Holiday Shores Ct, a two-block stretch on the Florida panhandle where twenty-one year old Nathan Pemberton grew up. It's no more than five minutes from white sand beaches, squawks of seagulls, and wafting smells of suntan lotion.

Columbus'd The Whim is the first first full-length album from Pemberton's Holiday Shores, who, like the street that bears their name, are quintessentially summer: chimey guitars, reverb-soaked vocals, warbling Rhodes, echoes of years past.

Pemberton started playing the piano at age seven and learned the guitar shortly after. He began finding his musical footing in high school bands, playing with his brother, friends, and eventually his college roommates.

The album, packed with 10 could-be singles, reads like a book of Pemberton's well-written memories. Each word chosen meaningfully with a linguist's touch; each sentence constructed carefully with an artist's ear. Columbus'd The Whim is a literary work in addition to a sonic one.

The current line up, comprised of friends and roommates spent months recording together in Pemberton's living room obsessing over vintage gear and perfecting their captivating hooks, heart-warming melodies, and creating a haunting tunnel of sound as a stunning backdrop.

Columbus'd The Whim is Holiday Shores' first release on twosyllable records.


Tour Dates

8/21 - Tallahasee, FL - Club Downunder
8/22 - Athens, GA - Flicker Bar
8/23 - Louisville, KY - Skull Alley
8/24 - Bloomington, IN VTBC
8/25 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
8/27 - Boston, MA - O'Briens w/Big Bear
8/28 - Brooklyn, NY @ Little Field
8/29 - Brooklyn, NY - Chocolate Bobka Presents @ Cameo Gallery w/Beach Fossils, Family Portraits

http://www.myspace.com/holidayshoresmusic

Jeffree Star * BEAUTY KILLER * Out September 22nd

Jeffree Star's debut album Beauty Killer drops September 22nd on his own Popsicle Records via Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group. With tracks produced by Ultra Violet Sound, Nathaniel Motte (3OH3!), Lester Mendez (Shakira, Nelly Furtado), Luke Walter (Limp Bizkit), Nico Hartikainen (Danger Radio), Beauty Killer is a blaring, all-out onslaught of rock, pop, and electro. Guests on the record include Nicki Minaj, Alkaline Trio's Matt Skiba and Breathe Carolina. "Prisoner," the lead single, is now streaming on Jeffree's MySpace page: www.myspace.com/jeffreestar

With a new album, new producers, and a new label, Jeffree Star’s future is as bright as the hair on his head, and if he gets his way—and he usually does—he’s going to change more than just people’s perception of beauty. He’s going to change everything you thought you knew about Jeffree Star.

"Beauty Killer is my way of saying ‘fuck you’ to what everyone’s idea of what beauty stands for.“ - Jeffree Star

Confirmed Headlining Dates:
7/27/2009 Altanta, GA Masquerade
7/28/2009 Orlando, FL The Social
7/29/2009 Ft Lauderdale, FL Culture Room
7/30/2009 Tampa, FL Orpheum
7/31/2009 New Orleans, LA The High Ground
8/1/2009 Austin, TX Emo's
8/3/2009 Evansville, IN Boney Junes
8/4/2009 Pontiac, MI The Crofoot
8/6/2009 Lancaster, PA Chameleon
8/7/2009 Providence, RI Club Hell
8/8/2009 Albany, NY Valentines
8/10/2009 Chicago, iL Reggies Rock Club
8/11/2009 Des Moines, IA House Of Bricks
8/12/2009 Minneapolis, MN Triple Rock
8/13/2009 Kansas City, MO Beumont Club
8/14/2009 Denver, CO Marquis Theatre
8/15/2009 Salt Lake City, UT Avalon
8/16/2009 Pocatello, Idaho ICON
8/18/2009 Seattle, WA El Corazon
8/19/2009 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theatre
8/20/2009 Orangevale, CA Boardwalk
8/21/2009 San Luis Obispo, CA Downtown Brewing Co

MySpace: www.myspace.com/jeffreestar

BILLY TALENT III TO BE RELEASED IN U.S. ON ROADRUNNER

International rock sensation Billy Talent’s new album Billy Talent III has found a new home in the States and Japan on Roadrunner Records. The album, which will be released on September 22, was recorded by noted producer Brendan O’Brien (AC/DC, Stone Temple Pilots) in Los Angeles and Atlanta. The first single “Rusted From The Rain” will be serviced to Active and Modern Rock formats in late August. A video for the track was recently shot in Los Angeles with director Wayne Isham (Metallica, Bon Jovi, Avenged Sevenfold). To watch, click here.

Billy Talent III, will was released in the band’s native Canada on July 14 and debuted at #1. Billy Talent III has the highest one week sales of any Canadian release in 2009. This marks the band’s second #1 debut in Canada. The album also debuted at #6 on the Billboard International Top 100 chart, as well as #2 in Germany and #3 in Switzerland. "Rusted From The Rain" is having a great run at Canadian radio, spending its seventh week at #1 on the Modern Rock chart and fourth week at #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart. The band has previously had three Top 5, five Top 10 and two Top 15 singles on Canadian rock radio. The band is currently on tour with Rise Against and Rancid in the U.S. A headline tour is planned for the U.S. for September.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart announce Higher Than The Stars EP plus Come Saturday single

Not content to rest on the laurels of having one of the best and most talked-about albums of 2009, The
Pains of Being Pure At Heart are back with the Higher Than The Stars EP, four brand-new songs that do what the band does best - breathe fresh life into indie-pop with their exuberance, charm and of course quality tunes.

"Falling Over" has also become a staple of the band's live sets and shows a new side of the band. A
brooding synth-led tune that recalls New Optimist touchstones like Orange Juice and Aztec Camera, "Falling
Over" is as yearning, lovelorn and dreamy as pop gets, and an excellent addition to The Pains' canon.
"Twins" turns up the fuzz, a mid-tempo rocker with a sing-along chorus and catchy-as-heck guitar lead as
the hook. This is quintessential Pains of Being Pure At Heart -- slot it into a mix tape between Teenage
Fanclub and an old Lilys song and you'll be happy as a clam.

"Higher Than The Stars" races along on arpeggiated keyboards and quickly strummed guitars, a perfect pop
nugget that could be ripped from Robert Smith's songbook. Its unstoppable energy is pure Pains, though,
and we expect to see a lot of ear-to-ear grins when the band busts this one out on tour. "103" has quickly
become a favorite of the Pains' live set and it's easy to hear why. A fizzing slice of summertime noise-pop
with all the melody, fuzz and fun you've come to expect from The Pains and a snazzy little stun-guitar solo
to boot.

Higher Than The Stars is the start of the next chapter for The Pains of Being Pure At Heart and it looks to
be just as exciting as the first.

"What distinguishes POBPAH from the rest of their modern peers is a sense of craft located in the sweet
spot between willful amateurism masking incompetence and not gumming things up with bells and whistles."
- Pitchfork (Best New Music)

"...it's much more than the sum of its parts and too effortlessly effervescent to be studied. Pure indie-pop to
hold close to your heart." - NME

"Can we wait for life to save us in the ways that a band like the Pains of Being Pure at Heart are saving
indie pop?" - Dusted


THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART

July 23 2009 Backspace Portland, Oregon *
July 24 2009 Biltmore Cabaret Vancouver, BC *
July 25 2009 Capitol Hill Block Party Seattle, Washington
Sep 05 2009 Middle East Downstairs, Boston, Massachusetts &+
Sep 06 2009 La Sala Rossa Montreal, Quebec &+
Sep 07 2009 Horeshoe Tavern Toronto, Ontario &+
Sep 08 2009 Logan Square Auditorium Chicago, Illinois &+
Sep 09 2009 Stage Door at the Orpheum Madison, Wisconsin &+
Sep 10 2009 The Slowdown Omaha, Nebraska &+
Sep 12 2009 Monolith Festival Morrison, Colorado
Sep 13 2009 Kilby Court Salt Lake City, Utah &+
Sep 14 2009 Neurolux Boise, Idaho &+
Sep 17 2009 MFNW / Doug Fir Portland, Oregon &+
Sep 21 2009 Casbah San Diego, California &+
Sep 22 2009 Club Congress Tucson, Arizona &+
Sep 24 2009 Lola's Fort Worth, Texas &+
Sep 25 2009 The Mohawk Austin, Texas &+
Sep 26 2009 One Eyed Jacks New Orleans, Louisiana &+
Sep 27 2009 Club Downunder Tallahassee, Florida &+
Sep 28 2009 The Earl Atlanta, Georgia &+
Sep 29 2009 Local 506 Chapel Hill, North Carolina &+
Sep 30 2009 Black Cat, Washington DC &+
Oct 01 2009 Ottobar Baltimore, Maryland &+
Oct 03 2009 New York, NY Webster Hall &+
Oct 05 2009 First Unitarian Church Philadelphia, Pennsylvania &+

* = w/ Girls
& = w/ The Depreciation Guild
+ = w/ Cymbals Eat Guitars

MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/thepainsofbeingpureatheart

ELECTRIC SIX announce summer live dates... and they're ready to KILL!

Detroit's ELECTRIC SIX has announced a string of East Coast Summer shows (dates below) before the band starts preparing for what will undoubtedly be a very busy Fall. Currently holed up in the studio, these disco-rockers are putting the finishing touches on their sixth full-length album which they have christened KILL, due out on October 20, 2009 on Metropolis Records.

Riding high on a massive amounts of media praise for its most recent album, Flashy, Electric Six is excitedly in the final stages of recording with guitarist "The Colonel" a.k.a. Zach Shipps (Ladytron, The Hard Lessons) in the producer's chair once again. "With a name like KILL - all caps - it needs to make a statement," said Shipps about the upcoming album.

Flashy received high marks all around from SPIN ("despite the ironic humor, there’s a compassion in the music that’s unexpected coming from a band best known for a Taco Bell–referencing novelty hit") to the sadly-missed Blender ("Flashy is the sardonic sextet's fifth album of apocalyptic buffoonery shot through with metal, new wave and disco, all of it hilarious, none of it a joke") to Rolling Stone ("a saxed up, disco-metal epic"). So expectations are high for Electric Six to deliver yet another classic... this time, perhaps without a 'gay bar', a 'dance commander' or a 'nuclear war' involved. But then again, it's Electric Six. Anything is possible! (remember, they did do "Gay Bar Part 2" on Flashy!).

Aug 19 Maxwell's Hoboken, NJ
Aug 20 Rocks Off Concert Cruise New York, NY
Aug 21 Rocks On Concert Cruise Boston, MA
Aug 22 Daniel Street Milford, CT

www.myspace.com/electricsixmusic
www.electricsix.com

Deastro Releases Third Single "Toxic Crusaders"

Click Here To Download "Toxic Crusaders"

Click Here To Download "Toxic Crusaders Van Benton Remix"

The third single from Deastro’s Moondagger harnesses Randolph Chabot’s positive outlook, hiding a humble plea for a better world inside a bright synth-rock anthem with macabre undertones. “Toxic Crusaders” envisions a world in which cyclops babies are born from broken families, the symbol of their sins etched in genetic mutation; Chabot plays the hopeful soothsayer, positioning himself as “a prophet of how things should be.” But while “Toxic Crusaders” features some of Deastro’s headier lyrical feats, musically it’s all muscle, featuring stutter-step guitars, blazing synthesizers, and hard-hitting drums, with an unforgettable whistle-while-you-work hook in the chorus.

The single’s B-side is a remix by Bristol, UK’s Dave Edwards, aka Minotaur Shock. The 4AD-affiliated producer strips Deastro’s layered arrangement down to its skivvies and shines a spotlight on Chabot, whose voice gains grain and character against Edwards’ cut-up rhythms.

Also, Van Benton remix is a blast of pop energy, as the Vancouver-based producer/sound designer coats the original with an electro-disco sheen. Randolph Chabot's ringing chorus reaches new heights on the back of Van Benton's buzzing synth bassline and mix-swallowing kick drums.

www.deastro.net

From Sumi To Japan

CHECK OUT BRIAN BONZ AND THE DOT HONG'S FROM SUMI TO JAPAN


In 2007, Brian Bonz began writing new songs that would become From Sumi to Japan. By the time summer rolled around the band had begun recording at Seaside Lounge in Sunset Park, accompanied a newly solidified lineup as well as session musicians who played with TV on the Radio, Arcade Fire and Tom Waits.
With friend Chris Bracco (Kevin Devine) at the helm, mixing continued at his Buckingham-Nicks studio, allowing the group a brief refuge and change of scenery. The unusual opportunity to explore allowed the record to evolve fully, giving the group a chance to transform their songwriting both structurally and sonically. From Sumi to Japan will see digital release on July 28th and physical release on August 11th via Triple Crown Records.

"Brooklyn songwriter Brian Bonz and his band [the Dot Hongs] perform wistful, intensely precious indie pop."- TIME OUT NEW YORK

"Brian Bonz accompanied by The Dot Hongs represent the best of Brooklyn's' experimental rock scene."- KEXP.ORG

"Bonz fused the bravado of synth-bands like the Anniversary with some funk grooves, and the aesthetics of Broken Social Scene."- LOOSE RECORD

Watch "DEE THE DINOSAUR" directed by Tim Duff

BRIAN BONZ AND THE DOT HONG'S TOUR DATES WITH NIGHTMARE OF YOU

Jul 26 The Milestone - Charlotte, North Carolina
July 27 The Brewery - Raleigh, North Carolina
July 28 The Boot - Norfolk, Virginia
July 29 Hangar 84 - Vineland, New Jersey
July 30 Harper’s Ferry - Allston, Massachusetts
July 31 Mercury Lounge - New York, New York
August 1 The Crazy Donkey - Farmingdale, New York
August 2 Maxwell’s - Hoboken, New Jersey

The Fresh & Onlys prep new LP for Woodsist, tour with Stephen Malkmus and more!

MP3: "Invisible Forces"

When Tim Cohen told Shayde Sartin he was writing a song called "Be My Hooker," the Fresh & Onlys bassist looked at the singer/guitarist and said... "'There's no way we're gonna have a song with that title, dude,'" explains Sartin. "But sure enough, he laid a riff down and I was like, 'Jesus Christ, I can't believe you pulled something meaningful out of such a stupid line.'"

Welcome to the push/pull dynamic that's fueled the Fresh & Onlys' steady stream of releases over the past year, including last spring's self-titled LP (Castle Face) and this fall's Grey-Eyed Girls (Woodsist). And to think it all started the old-fashioned way-with Sartin and Cohen simply hanging out after work, playing their favorite punk (Buzzcocks, The Mekons) and classic rock (Country Joe and the Fish, cued up alongside slabs of psych from the group's homebase, San Francisco) records alongside a growing collection of empty beer cans.

"I can't really explain what happened or why," says Sartin. "I guess we listened to records until we were on the same page, and from that point on, we never stopped recording." As simple as all of that sounds, the duo first bought a tape machine five years ago. When that failed to produce any concrete cuts, Cohen focused on his previous avant-pop band, Black Fiction, and Sartin split his time between session and live work for such bands as the Skygreen Leopards, Papercuts and Citay. Not to mention his close friend Kelley Stoltz, who ended up releasing the first Fresh & Onlys 7" (the limited Imaginary Friends EP) in early 2008.

With so much music hitting shops in such a short time (Sartin says the band already has boxes of backlogged tapes), you might think the Fresh & Onlys camp have a problem with quality control. Quite the contrary; Sartin and Cohen are very careful about what they release. And while the duo writes and records the band's songs, the arrangements are usually fleshed out with guitarist Wymond Miles, drummer Kyle Gibson, and backup singer Heidi Alexander. "If we take a song into the studio or a live setting and it doesn't have wings," says Sartin, "Then we just ditch it and keep the charming demo version." The final mix of Grey-Eyed Girls sounds like a natural bridge between the raucous garage rock of the group's debut and the full-on studio record they plan on wrapping for In the Red later this year. That goes for the galloping grooves of "Happy To Be Living," the shadowy post-punk of "Invisible Forces," and the firework finale freak-outs that drive "The Delusion of Man." Not to mention a stack of hook-slinging tracks that nix any 'shitgaze' assumptions you may have. "We're not trying to hide melodies or do the blown-out thing," says Sartin. "A lot of those bands are great, but I don't want to ever cater to what's popular. It's not that I'm being reactionary; we're just trying to make recordings that are as rich and ear-friendly as possible."

It's working.

THE FRESH & ONLYS

Thu 7/23/09 Harlow's Sacramento CA *
Sat 7/25/09 Echoplex Los Angeles CA *
Sun 7/26/09 Belly Up Tavern Solano Beach CA *
Tue 7/28/09 Rio Theater Santa Cruz CA *
Mon 9/21/09 House Show Provo UT #
Tue 9/22/09 Larimer Lounge Denver CO #
Wed 9/23/09 Jack Pot Saloon Lawrence KS #
Thu 9/24/09 Goner Fest Memphis TN #
Sat 9/26/09 Uncle Fester's Bloomington IL #
Sun 9/27/09 Schubas Tavern Chicago IL #
Tue 9/29/09 Brass Rail Ft Wayne IN #
Wed 9/30/09 Magic Stick Detroit MI #
Thu 10/1/09 Wrong Bar Toronto ON #
Fri 10/2/09 Babylon Ottawa ON #
Sat 10/3/09 Pop Montreal Montreal QC #%
Mon 10/5/09 The Dark Lady Providence RI #
Tue 10/6/09 Great Scotts Allston MA #
Wed 10/7/09 Wesleyan Middletown CT #
Thu 10/8/09 Mercury Lounge New York NY #
Fri 10/9/09 The Bell House Brooklyn NY #%
Sat 10/10/09 31st St. Pub Pittsburgh PA $
Sun 10/11/09 Hideout Chicago IL $
Mon 10/12/09 Brothers Omaha NE $
Tue 10/13/09 Bender's Denver CO $
Sat 10/17/09 Scion/Vice Event Portland OR
Sun 10/18/09 Funhouse Seattle WA &

Wed 10/21/09 Bar Pink Elephant San Diego CA &#
Thu 10/22/09 Echo Los Angeles CA &#
Sat 10/24/09 The Partisan Merced CA &


* = w/ Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks
# = w/ The Oh Sees
% = w/ Golden Triangle
$ = w/ Box Elders
& = w/ Dan Melchoir

MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/thefreshonlys

Gaslamp Killer EP

The Gaslamp Killer Preps EP for Flying Lotus' Brainfeeder Label!
LA's Best DJ is a resident at Daddy Kev's Low End Theory, played Sonar on Mary Anne Hobbes Stage, and worked with OBEY. 'My Troubled Mind' slated for 8/4 on Brainfeeder

MP3: Anything Worse

GLK:
Resident DJ at the world renowned Low End Theory club night, the Gaslamp Killer has received global acclaim for his magnificent turntable skills and larger-than-life stage presence. Now the Gaslamp Killer is proud to unleash his highly anticipated debut release, the aptly-titled "My Troubled Mind" EP. Dropping August 4th on Flying Lotus' essential Brainfeeder imprint, "My Troubled Mind" is a tastefully short seven songs, showcasing GLK's courageous expeditions into otherworldly soundscapes.

"My Troubled Mind" ultimately portrays the eccentricity and multiple personalities of the wildest DJ in Los Angeles. Raw drum breaks glide over the deep sample palette of GLK's prestigious world psych/funk collection, making the "My Troubled Mind" EP a true voyage into sound. The Gaslamp Killer experiments with freak-out sound effects and analog delays, married with
analog synth lines provided by close friend and collaborator Computer Jay. The result is a truly remarkable audio experience, meshing perfectly with the unclassifiable sonic aesthetic of Brainfeeder.

http://www.myspace.com/thegaslampkiller

PASSAFIRE RELEASES EVERYONE ON EVERYNIGHT ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2009

Passafire will release Everyone on Everynight through LAW Records on September
15, 2009. This is the follow-up to their sophomore album, Submersible, which was
recognized by iTunes as one of the “Top 10 Best Reggae Albums” of 2007. Their
Myspace views are over a half a million with total song plays numbering over a
million. Download “Here In Front Of Me” from Everyone on Everynight here:
http://www.adamantrecords.com/passafire/hereinfrontofme.mp3

Calling Savannah, GA home, Passafire was formed in 2003 by students attending
Savannah College of Art and Design. After performing on a stage outside
Atlanta’s Hi Fi Buys Amphitheatre in 2006 where the hybrid rock band, Pepper,
was opening for 311, a member of Passafire slipped to Pepper a copy of the
band’s self-titled debut album, Passafire. Pepper had just founded the
independent LAW Records with plans to selectively recruit and nurture bands they
actually experienced and were impressed by while out on the road - as opposed to
sitting in some distant office and combing through piles of demos. “We’re out
there every day, meeting and playing with new bands,” says Pepper
bassist/singer, Bret Bollinger. “It’s not a guessing game. We get to meet them,
watch them live...”

“And spot their work ethic,” Singer/guitarist, Kaleo Wassman interjects with
emphasis,

Passafire developed their sizable fanbase by logging miles all over the US
(particularly, in the southeast), which attracted the established booking agent,
Monterey International who has taken the band to the next level of touring.
Passafire has performed with a variety of major acts including The Wailers, Van
Halen, Israel Vibrations, 311, Toots and the Maytals, Los Lonely Boys, Bares
Hammond, John Brown’s Body, Matisyahu, the Aggrolites and Dub Trio. The band
lives on the road, playing live throughout the year. Singer, Ted Bowne doesn’t
mind the grueling schedule and adds, “Touring is the best way to keep the buzz
about the band going. What keeps it fun and exciting is the people we meet and
places we get to see. We are in a new city every day so there's always
something to go see or do. If we didn't tour constantly, we wouldn't be doing as
well as we are. That's a fact.”

Watch Passafire playing live here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuFuxVcZ8Ew

After two years since the last album and more than 300 shows, conceptualizing
all the while, Passafire recorded the new album at the Sonic Ranch in El Paso,
Texas. Self-described “total gear heads,” the band has built on the foundation
of Passafire and Submersible an adventurous expansion, an ironic twist that
reaches into previously unexplored sonic territories while taking full advantage
of the warmth and accessibility of analog technologies that this studio
provided.

Horns appear on three tracks and throughout singer, Ted Bowne, plays on a
variety of classic guitars paired with vintage tube amps while Adam Willis is
off in keyboardist’s heaven, incorporating the venerable Hammond B3 as well as
the Fender Rhodes and Wurlitzer electric pianos. The brothers, Will and Nick
Kubley anchor their rhythm section. Highlights from their studio sessions can
be seen on http://www.youtube.com/user/passafiretheband

"We always wanted to have a good balance of organic and synthesized sounds and
we finally had the chance to make that happen this time," recollects Bowne.

TOUR DATES
July 25 St. Petersburg, FL @ State Theatre (w. The Movement)
July 26 Port St. Lucie, FL @ Surfrider’s 25 Anniversary Event
July 30 Baltimore, MD @ The 8 x 10 (w. John Brown’s Body)
July 31 Richmond, VA @ Capital Ale House (w. John Brown’s Body)
Aug 1 Charleston, SC @ The Pour House (w. John Brown’s Body)
Aug 4 Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room (w. John Brown’s Body)
Aug 5 Gainesville, FL @ Common Grounds (w. John Brown’s Body)
Aug 6 Tallahassee, FL @ The Engine Room (w. John Brown’s Body)
Aug 7 Orlando, FL @ The Social (w. John Brown’s Body)
Aug 8 Savannah, GA @ Live Wire Music Hall (w. John Brown’s Body)
Aug 11 Athens, GA @ Georgia Theatre (w. John Brown’s Body)
Aug 12 Atlanta, GA @ Smith’s Olde Bar (w. John Brown’s Body)
Aug 13 Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel (w. John Brown’s Body)
Aug 14 Charlottesville, VA @ Is Venue (w. John Brown’s Body)
Aug 15 Kill Devil Hills, NC @ The Pit

Magic Wands To Tour With School Of Seven Bells This Fall!

Mystic duo Magic Wands returns with the Magic, Love and Dreams EP, recorded with John Hill (Santogold, Lykke Li, Nas) out now on Bright Antenna (US, Japan) and Young and Lost Club (UK).

Recorded in John Hill’s New York Studio - and using the same drum machine as Prince’s Purple Rain - Magic, Love and Dreams is cosmic pop of the highest order. Magic Wands had spent six months touring relentlessly, and writing and recording the tracks that made up their debut album. This fall they will head out on tour with Brooklyn's School of Seven Bells!

Tour Dates

09.25.09 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's *
09.26.09 - Baltimore, MD - Ottobar *
09.27.09 - Washington DC - Rock & Roll Hotel *
09.28.09 - Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 *
09.29.09 - Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn *
10.04.09 - San Diego, CA - The Casbah *
10.05.09 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour *
10.06.09 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's *
10.08.09 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge *
10.09.09 - Vancouver, BC - The Biltmore *
10.10.09 - Seattle, WA - Neumos *
10.13.09 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry *
10.14.09 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle *
10.15.09 - Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace *
10.16.09 - Northampton, MA - Pearl Street *
10.17.09 - Boston, MA - The Paradise *
10.29-10.21 - New York, NY - CMJ

* with School of Seven Bells

Download -- Magic Wands - "Black Magic"

Check out the L'amour La Morgue Edition of "Black Magic" by Magic Wands

OOIOO ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM ON THRILL JOCKEY RECORDS!

Thrill Jockey is pleased to announce the impending arrival of "Armonico Hewa", OOIOO's sixth full-length album and first record in over three years! Set for release in late October, "Armonico Hewa" continues the rapturous and frenetic celebration of nature that coursed through the veins of their 2006 album "Taiga". Where as "Taiga" meant "forest" in Russian and "big river" in Japanese, "Armonico Hewa" is a combination of words ("armonico" is Spanish and "hewa" is Swahili) that is defined by the band as "air in a harmonious state". Like the cross-cultural title, "Armonico Hewa" is a mind-melting combination of stylistic reference points that can only be described as some kind of tribal psychedelia that is oddly spiritual and alarmingly urgent.
Formed by Yoshimi P-we in 1995 as a fictional band for a magazine article, OOIOO rose to prominence when they opened for Sonic Youth on their 1997 Japanese tour. Yoshimi began her music career in 1986 playing drums in UFO or Die with Eye and later joined him in the revolutionary noise-pop experimentalist Boredoms. While the group has featured different musicians in the past, the same all-female four-piece who created "Taiga" is once again the driving force behind "Armonico Hewa". Longtime OOIOO guitarist Kayan, bassist Aya and drummer Ai join Yoshimi to create one of the most enthralling, adventurous and unique bands in modern music.

GAZPACHO debuts in the U.S. with "TICK TOCK"

"Haunting, ethereal, uplifting, melancholic, powerful and complete, Gazpacho is a dish to be savoured, where every mouthful of glorious noise is another nuance to experience." – PBS Australia

“Gazpacho has managed to outdo their previous masterpiece with an amazing follow-up, a conceptual album that takes neo/modern progressive rock to a whole new level of creativity.” – Spiral Circus

NORWEGIAN SENSATION GAZPACHO DEBUTS IN THE U.S. WITH TICK TOCK

Described by one critic as being “classical post ambient nocturnal atmospheric neo-progressive folk world rock,” Norway’s Gazpacho is virtually impossible to contain in any set genre of music, though bands like Sigur Rós, Muse, Talk Talk and Porcupine Tree have been named in reference to them. Their newest work is no exception to this and has haunted speakers since it was recently released in their home country. Now set for release in the United States and Canada on October 13th on the Dismanic label, Gazpacho’s latest, a concept album appropriately entitled Tick Tock has the pendulum-like power to entrance and hypnotize its listeners with its various entities intertwining to yield an eerie and captivating product.

On December 29th 1935 a plane crashes in the Egyptian desert. The French writer Antoine Saint-Exupéry is the pilot. his planned record flight from Paris to Saigon ends in the vast sand dunes of Sahara. He wanders through the desert for five days, in the end meandering between Fata Morgana and a monotonous reality. His book Wind, Sand and Stars is a classic, and its interpretation by Gazpacho, Tick Tock, is a journey through human emotions, from the unhappy departure, the wandering through the Sahara and the rescue. Euphoria, despair, defiance, fear of dying and humility. The ticking of the clock, the rhythmic foundation symbolizing both the beating of the heart and the eternal monotony of the desert, interrupted only by vibrating air and the endless sky above the desperate wanderer.

Gazpacho's first three albums Bravo, When Earth Lets Go, and Firebird were launched entirely on their own merit and awareness spread by word-of-mouth throughout the world. It didn’t take long before they had debuted in the Dutch indie charts at #6, hit #1 three times on MP3.com, won international songwriter competitions, got national radio spins in several countries, and made year-end top 10 lists in various media outlets.

While on tour in 2004 they were noticed by Intact Records, who were overwhelmed by the audience's positive reaction to the band. Seeking to capitalize on Gazpacho's potential, Intact launched Firebird and licensed the back catalogue.

The band’s next release Night (2007) showed a departure from the short song format of the previous albums, and instead consists of one long 50-minute conceptual piece, divided into five parts. This deviation into a more distinguished sound has progressed even further in their latest release...

…now crank up the volume, prepare to be submerged in the chilling sound waves of Tick Tock, and try to stay afloat.

GAZPACHO Website: www.gazpachoworld.com
GAZPACHO StreetTeam & Fanclub: www.myspace.com/gazpachostreetteam

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Junius Announce New Album, "The Martyrdom of a Catastrophist," Out October 13th on The Mylene Sheath!

The tireless and ever-touring bearded men of Junius are releasing their new record, The Martyrdom of a Catastrophist, this Fall on The Mylene Sheath (North America / UK) and Make My Day Records (Europe). Preparation for the long-awaited album began in 2006, with month-long writing/recording sessions in such unconventional locales as a bank vault in California, a warehouse in Texas, a farmhouse in Vermont, and a shack in the swamps of Louisiana. The result is a full-fledged concept album, inspired by the life and theories of controversial scholar Immanuel Velikovsky.

From birth to death, The Martyrdom of A Catastrophist chronicles a man whose progressive theories on ancient history and the cosmos were widely challenged by mainstream academia during his lifetime. The album's ten songs are both cinematic and accessible, building to crescendos which echo some of Post Rock's most epic moments, but with vocals, hooks, and lyrics creating focus throughout. Actual quotes from Velikovsky's interviews and lectures are interspersed between songs, providing a sense of narrative to the proceedings.

While Junius' sound is sometimes tough to categorize, they have cited such artists as Bedhead (Junius singer/guitarist Joseph E. Martinez's uncle Trini was their drummer), Philip Glass, Hum, and M83 among a long list of inspirations. The band has been electrifying rapt audiences with their spellbinding walls of reverb-drenched guitars, haunting vocals and self-made lights since 2004.

Shortly after releasing their first EP, Forcing Out The Silence, Junius began a tireless touring regimen to fan the flames of an already blazing press. Among its accolades, Disclosure Magazine declared the debut "one of the most engaging Dark Rock albums to come out since Joy Division last graced a stage." Junius toured for over 9 months and played over 200 shows in their first year alone, embracing a DIY ethic which remains at the core of the band's ideology.

Both the debut EP and its 2006 follow-up, Blood Is Bright (later released as a self-titled full-length), were recorded by Will Benoit (Constants), and mastered by Nick Zampiello (Isis, Converge, Torche). Hailed as a “darkly lush epic” by Alternative Press and “genius” by The Big Takeover, Junius' work is borne of experiments in isolation and asceticism. It's this austere approach from one of America's hardest working bands that adds a weighty sense of purpose and intrigue to their output.

* Junius produced The Martyrdom... at the legendary A&M Records studios in Hollywood (now known as Henson Recording) over the course of a year, somewhat guerilla-style, during off-hours when the studio wasn't booked (the band has joked that they were bumped out by everyone from Akon to Bruce Springsteen - literally). The album was recorded by Kevin Mills and Tom Syrowski (Weezer, AFI, Incubus) and mastered by Dave Collins (Danny Elfman, Black Sabbath, The Police). 2009 finds the members of Junius as tenacious as ever, continually touring Europe and North America (recently sharing stages with the likes of Pelican, Mare, Tombs, Wolves In The Throne Room, and Irepress, among others), headlining festivals, lending music to a series of short films by director Mary Lambert (Pet Semetary), and, of course, finally seeing the release of their new album.

Junius Live!

Europe
Oct 17 2009 Beatpol Germany, Dresden w/ Caspian
Oct 18 2009 NBI Germany, Berlin
Oct 19 2009 Astra Stube Germany, Hamburg
Oct 20 2009 Jugendhaus West Germany, Stuttgart w/ Caspian
Oct 21 2009 Elfer Music Club Germany, Frankfurt w/ Caspian
Oct 22 2009 Nexus Germany, Braunschweig
Oct 23 2009 Steinbruch Germany, Duisburg
Oct 24 2009 AJZ Talschock Germany, Chemnitz
Oct 25 2009 Die Stadmitte Germany, Karlsruhe
Nov 11 2009 Cafe Schlachthaus Austria, Dornbirn
Nov 12 2009 Sunny Red Germany, München
Nov 13 2009 AZ Germany, Aachen
Nov 14 2009 Exit Netherlands, Rotterdam
Nov 15 2009 De Bliksem Netherlands, Den Helder

SKYZOO “The Salvation” In Stores September 29th

Brooklyn-raised emcee Skyzoo is here to remind Hip Hop fans that the music can still be true to life and heartfelt. With numerous Mix CDs on his resume, most recently, The Power of Words with DJ Drama and Statik Selektah, Skyzoo is currently preparing his first national full-length LP, “The Salvation,” in stores September 29th, via Jamla Records/Duck Down.

The Salvation will be set apart from Skyzoo’s previous Mix CD releases in various ways, however Skyzoo explains that “it’s another constant sign of elevation and growth, and it’s the most personal work I’ve ever done.” Although in the past he has released records such as “The Bodega,” “Stop Foolin’ Yourself,” and “Extreme Measures,” which were all true to life, Skyzoo promises that they will not reach the personal extent that the tracks on The Salvation will bring to listeners. Songs such as “For What It’s Worth” and “Metal Hearts” help contribute to the feeling that Skyzoo expects his audience to have; that their $15 was well spent on the album, they could relate to it, and that the project will stand the test of time.

A tactic taken by Skyzoo to emphasize the personal aspect of The Salvation was to not load the album up with features from other rappers. He states, “The moment you pick up a pen or start rhyming as a kid, all you think about is getting an album out. This album isn’t exactly the way I planned it out at 9-years-old, but it tells my story. With that being said, no one can help tell my story better than me. The Salvation is about me.”

Alongside the extremely personal element of The Salvation comes the conceptual side of the project. Theme was the name of the game for Skyzoo’s debut album, and this is evidenced in how the production was handled. According to Skyzoo, “it wasn’t really a ‘who’s hot, who’s not’ type of thing. It was more so ‘just get what sounds right.’ I got a lot of big name producers, and I also got a lot of up and comers.” Included in the production credits for The Salvation are Washington D.C.-based production team Best Kept Secret (who work in-house for Wale), Seattle’s Eric G (who some may recognize as providing a few beats to Torae), and Cyrus tha Great, as well as 9th Wonder, Nottz (who produced the single “Popularity”), Just Blaze, Illmind, Needlz and Black Milk.

Fans have seen a sneak peek of Skyzoo’s first LP in the form of a video for a track entitled “Beautiful Decay,” produced by 9th Wonder. The video is directed by Artemus Jenkins, and sets out to reflect life in the various boroughs of New York.

When all is said and done, The Salvation should provide listeners a more intricate view into Skyzoo’s life, as well as what has gotten him to where he is today. While telling his story and painting a picture in the audience’s minds with his words, the diverse range of production and the auto-biographical nature of the album will set it apart from his previous Mix CD releases. By late September the world will get to know a different side of Brooklyn’s Skyzoo.

www.skyzoo718.com

www.myspace.com/skyzoo
www.duckdown.com

THE JAGUAR CLUB Debut "And We Wake Up Slowly" and Tour Dates

"Smiths-gleaning garage rock" -RCRD LBL

One of Brooklyn’s finest new young bands The Jaguar Club are readying their debut self-release LP ‘And We Wake Up Slowly’ out on September 1, 2009. Songs written in a dark Brooklyn basement and recorded in a creaky barn upstate, resulted in an amazing amalgamation of garagey rock tracks propelled forward by Jeremiah Joyce’s explosive percussion and Yoichiro Fujita’s strong bassline with vocals that soar courtesy of singer/guitarist Will Popadic’s penetrating voice not unlike the monotone croon of Interpol’s Paul Banks or even Morrissey combined with lyrical styling reminiscent of David Byrne.

The band are now getting back to doing what they do best which is perform live with some upcoming US shows and expect more to be added shortly!

US Tour Dates:
07/30 - NYC, NY @ Mercury Lounge w/ Foreign Born
08/29 - Brooklyn, NY @ Union Hall (CD Release Party)
08/30 - New Paltz, NY @ Rhino Records
09/05 - Boston, MA @ Great Scott
09/18 - Washington DC @ Mirrors
09/19 - Durham, NC @ The Pinhook
09/21 - Atlanta, GA @ 529
09/24 - St. Louis, MO - Cicero's
09/30 - Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place
10/01 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Lava Lounge
10/03 - NYC, NY @ Cake Shop

“Apart from the new romantic singing style of front-man Will Popadic, I don't think there's anything overtly retro about Jaguar Club's sound. They're doing their own thing.“ -Brooklyn Vegan

www.myspace.com/thejaguarclub

www.thejaguarclubofnyc.com

Nihill Announce North American Release of Debut Album, "Krach," Out September 15th on Hydra Head!

...fast and incessant but buried blast beats and a nasty guitar make it difficult to breathe. Then, out of the blue, the song is broken down into an ambient intermezzo over which the vocalist spits out tortured screams and spoken passages, only to revert back to the fast black. - Lords of Metal

The KVLT of NIHILL solemnly gathers to produce music that can be seen as a ticket to leave this world and to enter others. The concept of NIHILL conquers all of nature and culture. At the end of this earthly state, nothing will be left, assert the KVLT of NIHILL. During the last and most traumatic transition in this postmodern life, NIHILL applies the medicine to alleviate the primal anxiety of death. The first record of this trilogy, KRACH, is a piece of a puzzle forming a key to reach for Death and beyond. A transfiguration into a new spiral leading ever inwards. This transfiguration is caught in the music. Implod- ing funeral drones, raging mechanical ice winds and unearthly screams capture this end of the mortal body. The leaving of this morbid insanity we call life is reflected in the music. To leave behind a tormented state, to dream upon the scaffold and to embrace the real wisdom (gnosis) and king (rex mundi).

This Trilogy as a whole will connect the end with the beginning. The Omega and Alpha. NIHILL's music structures the death trauma on the pattern of the primeval mitosis. The individual's “immaculate conception.” The split-birth of his first cella. Cleft in a mortal body and an immortal “astral body.” The dying individual is thus led by the unconscious power of the KRACH. NIHILL's goal is to have this dying person experience his last journey as his first. The weeping of friends and family at the burial can be seen as a heavenly marriage: death as the beginning. All ideas of death and rebirth originate in this final point of the unconcious transfiguration of the trilogy. Where the rising and setting sun are identified with each other in a blinding reflection. The second album, GROND, will see the development of this astral body. The occult phenomenon which is known as the out-of-the-body experience. A sense of liberation and completeness will be experienced. A conviction that any question can be answered. A life not worth living left behind will seem as a shadow against the floating self. The final album will see the painful rebirth. Death will reveal the solar stone. So the snake will eat itself.

* Krach is the first part of a trilogy from a band that may be unknown to many but have been preparing themselves for a long time before they finalized their dark arts and have it exposed to the world. Nihill, inspired by medievall alchemistry and the darkest depths of the human soul. Almost impossible for any comparisons, Nihill could however be descibed as a grimm mixture of Sunn O))) and Deathspell Omega. Krach is an album that needs to be experienced to have it reach its full potential. If that potential ultimately will be that in emotions of happiness is not exactly guaranteed...

www.myspace.com/nihillkrach

Friday, July 24, 2009

fun. PREPARES FOR DEBUT ALBUM, AIM AND IGNITE

The highly anticipated debut album from fun., Aim And Ignite, approaches its August 25th release date with two very exciting North American tours. Beginning August 14th in El Paso, Texas, Nate Ruess (The Format), Andrew Dost (Anathallo) and Jack Antonoff (Steel Train), who are collectively known as fun., will embark a two-week tour with admirers, Hellogoodbye. Soon after, the carnival-pop outfit will head out on their first headlining tour of the states beginning September 8th in Salt Lake City, Utah. Due to the overwhelming demand on message boards, the band recently gave fans another sneak peak at Aim And Ignite with their latest song, “Walking The Dog.” Much like the news of this collaboration, the song was met with immediate excitement and resulted in a tremendous amount of online exchange between old and new fans. With just two songs available, the band’s MySpace page is quickly approaching 700,000 plays.

For more info, streaming music, and tour dates visit the band at http://www.myspace.com/fun

ELECTRIC ZOO FINAL ADDITIONS

New York’s Electronic Music Festival
September 5 & 6, 2009 (Labor Day Weekend)

Electric Zoo Festival announces final additions to Sunday’s extravaganza. Joining the talented line-up are: German superstar ATB, Swedish House Mafia dons Axwell & Steve Angello, BBC Radio 1’s techno temptress Heidi, Israeli techno export Guy Gerber, and NYC’s own hometown legend Victor Calderone. The stages and schedules will be announced in the coming weeks and with over 50 of the world’s most talented electronic music artists, each day promises to be filled with spectacular music.

For additional info, please go to www.electriczoofestival.com.

The Devil Makes Three Tour Dates

"Do Wrong Right" OUT on Milan Records on NOW!

TOUR DATES!
September 5 - Truckee River Park Amphitheater - Truckee, CA
Sept 7th - Bumbershoot Festival - Seattle, WA
Sept 27 - Earthdance Peace Festival - Black Oak Ranch - Laytonville, CA
Oct 14 - Brick By Brick - San Diego, CA
Oct 15 - Echoplex - Los Angeles, CA
Oct 16 - Downtown Brewing Company - San Luis Opisbo, CA
Oct 17 - The Catalyst - Santa Cruz, CA
Oct 18 - The Phoenix Theater - Petaluma, CA
Oct 21 - The Historic Ashland Armory - Ashland, OR
Oct 22 - WOW Hall - Eugene, OR
Oct 23 - Wonder Ballroom - Portland, OR
Oct 24 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA
Nov 7 - Middle East Upstairs - Cambridge, MA

Fitz & The Tantrums To Tour With Flogging Molly This Fall

"Breakin' The Chains Of Love" Is First Song On Future Sounds 33
Debut EP Songs For A Break-Up Vol.1 Out Aug 11th On Future Sounds Records

Click Here to Download & Share “Breakin’ The Chains Of Love" On RCRDLBL

Click Here To View “Breakin’ The Chains Of Love” Video


It all started with a phone call. The X. Best to let voicemail pick that one up! YOU HAVE 1 NEW MESSAGE: “Hey, sorry to call but my neighbor has got to leave L.A in a hurry, he’s selling everything including this old church organ for 50 bucks. Do you want it?” This was worth the pain of calling the heartbreaker. “He’s got someone coming later today to see it, I don’t know what kind it is, if it works…it’s gigantic “Pay him, pay him now! Put the 50 dollars in his hand!”. “Okay but the landlord says it has to be out of the basement tonight”. 13 phone calls to piano movers and 50 dollars later four guys were trying to fit this thing through the front door. That was the beginning. “Breakin’ the Chains of Love” was written that night and the inspiration for the record was born. All the pain of splitting with someone poured out into this 5 song EP of 1960’s inspired Soul music. SONGS FOR A BREAK-UP VOL.1 was recorded entirely in Fitz’s living room, using one crappy old mic. The songs are influenced by ’67 AM radio, Motown and early Hall and Oates records. Fitz was born in France and moved to L.A. as a child. This half French, half Irish kid fended off the California rays with a lot of sunscreen to emerge as an artist with a vision. A soulful voice with infectious songs, Fitz’s music makes you wanna’ grab a tambourine and dance.

On August 11th, the debut EP, 'Songs For A Break-Up Vol.1', will be released on Future Sounds Records digitally on iTunes. The song, "Breakin' The Chains of Love" was featured as the opening track on the Future Sounds 33 compilation released in June and the EP unveils four new tracks.


Upcoming Fitz Shows:
9/10 - Radisson - Sacramento, CA
9/11 - Fox Theatre - Oakland, CA
9/12 - Greek Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
9/14 - The Senator Theatre - Chico, CA
9/15 - Roseland Theatre - Portand, OR
9/16 - Knitting Factory - Spokane, WA
9/17 - Marymoor Ampitheater - Redmond, WA
9/21 - House Of Blues - San Diego, CA
9/24 - Pearl-Palms Concert - Las Vegas, NV
9/25 - In The Venue - Salt Lake City, UT
9/26 - Red Rocks - Morrison, CO



www.myspace.com/fitzsoulmusic

Jamie T Announces Sophomore Record 'Kings & Queens'

On October 6th, Jamie T puts his swagger and dizzying lyrical assault back on full display with his new record “Kings & Queens.” Sophomore slump? Forget it. “I didn't do my second album,” Jamie cracks. “I did my third one instead.” Just like that. If you're asking yourself, ‘Why didn't I think of that?' – get ready. You'll find yourself saying that a lot with Jamie.

His debut album, “Panic Prevention,” hit #4 on the UK album chart, and promptly put Jamie on the map, drawing comparisons to heroes Bob Dylan and Joe Strummer. The album was nominated that year for the hallowed Mercury Music Prize, and at the 2007 NME Awards, the kid with the f*ck-all grin was named Best Solo Act – beating out the likes of Thom Yorke and Jarvis Cocker. Stateside, Jamie made his U.S. TV debut on Last Call With Carson Daly, his original “Salvador” appeared on the soundtrack to HBO's Entourage, and Panic Prevention was a heavy rotation favorite on influential station KEXP 90.3 FM Seattle.

On “Kings & Queens,” Jamie drew from all manner of sources, and isn't shy about it. In fact, he says, “I hate it when people pretend that they've never listened to someone that they obviously sound like.” Since dropping his first record, he has admittedly fallen into specific phases: a Bob Dylan phase (“That ruined my life for a bit”), then Conor Oberst, Ryan Adams (check “Emily's Heart), and a sojourn into American hardcore punk: Bad Brains, Dead Fucking Last (check “Fire Fire”). And, of course, there are the artists he grew up with: “What can I say? I keep going into record shops to buy fresh, new, upfront music… and come out with handfuls of Jam and Specials seven-inches. Stuff I already own! And who doesn't want to write a song like The Clash?”

Kings & Queens isn't flag-waving protest rock. And yet, like Dylan and the Clash, this is definitely music forged in a very specific era. Lightning fast lyrics and musical eclecticism mirror the ceaseless streams of information that batter us daily. There are moments of resilience and others of bitterness, honest reactions to the political, social, and financial crises of our times. These are songs of confrontation and confession, and sometimes jaw-dropping audacity. This is Jamie T, two years older, a little wiser, and much more experienced. “I made Panic Prevention four years ago. If this one doesn't sound different then it's a shame.”

www.jamie-t.com
www.myspace.com/jamietwimbledon

Glass Ghost To Release Debut LP Idol Omen On Western Vinyl October 27th

It's not surprising to learn that Eliot wrote his first piano tune about a plumbing accident at age six, or that Mike started taking drumming lessons from jazz masters at an early age,and that they've performed in funk, hip-hop, jazz, Haitian, and R&B groups.

Since their fateful meeting in 2001 at a wedding gig in Boston, they've found themselves playing for kids at community centers and high schools, real estate agents and lawyers at parties, department store shoppers, and ex-cons at a college. In 2004, after the demise of their ambitious, but ill-fated, jazz band Best of Boston, the two rejoined forces as part of the New York outfit Flying.

With Flying they recorded ‘Faces of the Night’ and toured the US for two years. Following the dissolution of Flying, Mike and Eliot found they could make big sounds on their own. Excited about the freedom and space they had to work with as a two-man group, they quickly began work on what would become Idol Omen. Though they've been compared to other keyboard and drum duos like The Silver Apples, their minimalism, use of space, and unearthly vibes are more akin to the work and spirit of artists like Arthur Russell, This Heat, and J. Dilla.

Glass Ghost represents the birth of a new musical force distilled from myriad influences, from J. Dilla to Deerhoof. The result is something completely refreshing, and fittingly, a little scary. It's the pairing of Eliot Krimsky's fragile and haunting falsetto with the group's bottom-heavy, hip-hop influenced rhythm section that yields the crystalline world propelled by Mike Johnson's ass-shakin' beats found on their debut Idol Omen.

The unique world they've crafted serves as the perfect vehicle for the album's paranoid narrative, loosely following the metamorphosis of a modern businessman into some mysterious new form.

The arc of Idol Omen's tale is revealed in fragments as the detached protagonist wanders, observes, and occasionally interacts, with his surreal, often threatening, environment. While fear, anxiety and delusion effervesce from tracks like "Mechanical Life" and "The Same" the album ebbs and flows from frenzied to fatigued. Alternately, the beautiful and unforgettable “Like a Diamond” invokes reflections of resolute melancholy, while "Divisions" holds listeners captive in the bizarre images of a fever dream. The final track "Ending" provides a sense of release, as an unexplained confluence of events triggers the central character's eventual mutation and transcendence.


US TOUR DATES

Jul 23 - Sycamore w/ Robert Stillman’s Horses and Kurt Weisman - Brooklyn NY
Jul 25 2009 - Bookmill w/ Robert Stillman’s Horses, Kurt Weisman, Whistler and Mongrel - Amherst, MA
Jul 26 - Monkey House w/ Robert Stillmans Horses and Kurt Weisman - Burlington, VT
Jul 27 - Bouy w/ Kurt Weisman and Robert Stillmans Horses New Hampshire NH
Jul 28 - SPACE GALLERY w/ Robert Stillman’s Horses, Lewis and Clarke Portland ME
Aug 2 - Bruar Falls w/ Supper and Paul Damian Hogan the 3rd(Francis) - Brooklyn NY
Sep 14 - Middle East Downstairs w/ Deerhoof - Boston MA

http://www.myspace.com/glass1ghost

Brookville's Latest Out Sept 29 + Tour Dates w/Trashcan Sinatras

Andy Chase (Ivy) is back as Brookville, with a new CD Broken Lights to be released September 29 on his own imprint Unfiltered Records via ILG/WMG. The band is touring with Trashcan Sinatras beginning next week – check out the tour dates below:

Brookville (www.unfiltered.com) - with Trashcan Sinatras
7/28 @ The Casbah, San Diego, CA
7/29 @ Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA
7/30 @ Café du Nord, San Francisco, CA
7/31 @ Café du Nord ,San Francisco, CA
8/2 @ Aladdin Theatre, Portland, OR
8/3 @ Triple Door, Seattle. WA
8/5 @ Club Vegas, Salt Lake City, UT
8/6 @ Larimer Lounge, Denver, CO
8/8 @ Firebird, St. Louis, MO
8/9 @ Schuba's, Chicago, IL
8/10 @ Shank Hall, Milwaukee, WI
8/11 @ Grog Shop, Cleveland, OH
8/13 @ Rock & Roll Hotel, Washington DC
8/14 @ Tin Angel, Philadelphia, PA
8/15 @ Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
8/16 @ T.T. the Bear's, Boston, MA

Dengue Fever (www.myspace.com/denguefevermusic.com)
7/24 @ Dfest Music Festival, Tusla, Oklahoma
7/25 @ The Quad at UC Davis at Mondavi Center, Davis, CA
7/26 @ Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA (w/ Grace Jones & Of Montreal)
8/21 @ KCRW’s “Morning Becomes Eclectic” live performance
8/29 @ Outside Lands Music and Art Festival, San Francisco, CA

The Inner Banks release "Songs From Disko Bay" on September 15

"The musical pastiche of The Inner Banks is an exercise in euphony, with each disparate sound complementing the piece as a whole. Epics from anthills, each track is grand in scope yet completely unassuming, a piece of a soundtrack that never swells but always delivers." - SPIN

The Inner Banks is married couple Caroline Schutz and David Gould and their eclectic group of collaborators. Caroline and David began work on their second album, Songs From Disko Bay, in 2006, while Caroline was enduring four months of bed-rest (three in the hospital), pregnant with twin girls.


Download -- The Inner Banks - "Pyramids"


Prior to this project, Caroline had established herself as the singer and songwriter behind Folksongs For The Afterlife, whose full-length, Put Danger Back In Your Life (originally released by Parasol/Hidden Agenda) and EP (Enraptured UK) had earned the group features in Magnet, Time Out New York and Entertainment Weekly, as well as a song on Arena Rock’s “This is Next Year: A Brooklyn-Based Compilation.” Caroline is a 3rd-generation singer, after her mother and grandmother. Her grandmother starred in several Broadway musicals in the 1920s. Her mother sang regularly in New York and performed as a USO girl during the Korean War; she also dated Burt Bacharach and “one of the Clancy Brothers” (she doesn’t remember which one).

CD RELEASE SHOW - 09.12.09 - Brooklyn, NY - Barbes

David joined Caroline’s band as a bass player, and had also since 2000 led and played banjo in The Bootleg Remedy, a highly acclaimed Americana band based in Brooklyn. David plays several instruments and holds a masters degree in Ethnomusicology. He also founded DAG! Records, originally to release the early Bootleg Remedy material; he and Caroline have since re-launched the small label and in 2008, they added to the roster Arliss Parker, whose debut EP Handsome Like a Lion garnered much attention for its provocative blend of experimental folk-rock and electronica.

Songs From Disko Bay contains much more lyrical content than the Inner Banks’ mostly instrumental self-titled first album, and continues to build on the wide-ranging musical influences the group tends to incorporate. In addition to the usual finger-picked guitars and orchestral interludes, the new songs also subtly incorporate field recordings from Coney Island, distressed tape loops, an antique Californian harpsichord, lap steel, and a bit of banjo. Lyrically, the songs draw loosely on imagery from such faraway places as Iceland, Nepal and Mexico City that the Inner Banks has visited.

Caroline and David live in Brooklyn with their now-2-year-old girls.

Urceus Exit Digital Promotion

Urceus Exit will be releasing a digital-only single to launch their new album due this September. It will be called "The Worst That We've Become" and is one of the coolest, and most-catchy songs I've heard in ages.

Feel free to download the song: http://www.artoffact.com/JULY09/UrceusExitSingle.zip

The band will be touring Canada in August and September:

08 29 2009 THE UNDERGROUND | CALGARY AB (w/ The Rabid Whole)
08 30 2009 NEW CITY SUBURBS | EDMONTON AB (w/ The Rabid Whole)
09 04 2009 TBA | LONDON ON (w/ The Rabid Whole)
09 05 2009 TBA | BURLINGTON ON (w/ The Rabid Whole)
09 06 2009 EBMFest | TORONTO ON
09 11 2009 TBA | WINNIPEG MB (w/ The Rabid Whole)
09 12 2009 WALKERS | SASKATOON SK (w/ The Rabid Whole)
09 19 2009 TBA | VICTORIA BC (w/ Landscape Body Machine and iVardensphere)
09 20 2009 THE MEDIA CLUB | VANCOUVER BC (w/ Landscape Body Machine and iVardensphere)

DROP DEAD, GORGEOUS CONTINUE TO BUILD EXCITEMENT FOR ACCLAIMED NEW ALBUM ‘THE HOT N’ HEAVY’

WITH NEW SINGLE AND VIDEO “TWO BIRDS, ONE STONE” AND ELECTRIFYING LIVE SHOWS

Things are continuing to excitingly build for DROP DEAD, GORGEOUS whose third album THE HOT N’ HEAVY--an explosive thrill-ride of a record that debuted at #6 on Billboard’s Top Heatseekers chart after its June 2 release via Suretone--was greeted with critical acclaim praising the band’s musical evolution and songwriting strengths. Now in the midst of their second nationwide U.S. headlining tour this year, DROP DEAD, GORGEOUS are tearing it up onstage with electrifying performances that are further galvanizing their fans.

The live intensity of DROP DEAD, GORGEOUS--DANNY STILLMAN (lead vocals), KYLE BROWNING (lead guitar/backing vocals), JAKE HANSEN (bass) and DANNY COOPER (drums/percussion)--is captured in the video for the album’s first single “Two Birds, One Stone,” which premiered in early July on MTV2 and can be seen on both “Unleashed” and “The Drop.” Check out the video here: http://www.mtv.com/videos/drop-dead-gorgeous/404501/two-birds-one-stone.jhtml#artist=2063757.

DROP DEAD, GORGEOUS’ bond with their fans continues to grow because of the band’s evocative songs, which draw lyrically on real life experiences. THE HOT N’ HEAVY is as brutal as it is beautiful. “To be blunt,” notes frontman DANNY STILLMAN, “it’s about real life. This is not a concept album, it’s auto-biographical.” “The lyrics are about things that have gone on in my life or have inspired me,” STILLMAN continues, “whether it’s past drug abuse or alcoholism or being on the road around the world.”

w/ He Is Legend, Before Their Eyes, & Eyes Set To Kill

Tue 7/21 West Hollywood, CA Key Club
Wed 7/22 Bakersfield Jerry’s Pizza
Thu 7/23 Modesto, CA Modesto Virtual
Fri 7/24 Orangevale, CA The Boardwalk
Sat 7/25 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theatre
Sun 7/26 Seattle, WA El Corazon
Mon 7/27 Spokane, WA The Blvd
Tue 7/28 Boise, ID The Venue
Wed 7/29 Pocatello, ID The Icon
Thu 7/30 Salt Lake City, UT The Avalon
Fri 7/31 Denver, CO Marquis Theatre
Sat 8/1 Colorado Springs, CO Black Sheep

KAKI KING PRESENTS THE EXHIBITION

Guitarist extraordinaire Kaki King is proud to announce The Exhibition, an art project that involves 16 artists and random King fans taking an actual guitar and creating original visual pieces inspired by one of her songs. The project, which began this past spring, culminates on August 7th at Littlefield Gallery in Brooklyn, NY, at 7pm. The gallery is located at 622 Degraw Street between 3rd and 4th Avenues in the Gowanus/Park Slope neighborhood.

Sprung from the idea of using paint to visually represent the wide range of movement of King's virtuosic guitar playing, The Exhibition has now grown to involve much more than just paint. Each artist/fan was given the blank canvas of a guitar to shape, break, build, and form around the theme of a King song of their choice. Hailing from all corners of the United States, each artist has taken his or her guitar in wildly different directions that range from ant farms, to delicate etchings and even to creating an explosion! Many are also incorporating Kaki's hand movement into their design. One can follow their progress on the project's facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/KakiKingTheExhibition.

The gallery show will be a display of all the guitars and will include a unique performance by King herself. She will take her iconic blue guitar, seen most prominently in the video for the song "Playing With Pink Noise," and will do a performance of the song with pink paint on her hands and fingertips. This is already an incredibly valuable guitar, and it will be auctioned off to benefit VH1's Save the Music, a charity dedicated to keeping music in schools so new generations of musicians will continue to be born. In addition, all of the guitar works will be for sale at a price set by each artist.

The entire show will be documented by a photographer for posterity so people can get to experience the event online if they can't make it to the gallery. King's performance will take place approximately two hours after the opening of the show.

Kleerup Releases To The U.S.

Out July 28th

Hear The Album Now On Myspace

There must be something in that icy water that they drink, as Scandinavians seem to have a
particularly keen ear for melody and harmony. Sweden, in particular, has given birth to a number of
great popular music acts recently: Robyn, The Knife, Peter Bjorn & John, The Concretes, and umm....
Andreas Kleerup. You probably haven't heard of the last one, but then that's the reason for this email.

Kleerup was half of the act responsible for the UK number 1 hit single, 'With Every Heartbeat'. The
other half was, of course, the feisty asymetrically fringed Robyn. His melancholic electro-pop framed
Robyn's ballad about break-up perfectly and secured it as one of the UK's most prolific pop moments.
As they wrote the song together they agreed to call it 'Robyn with Kleerup' on her album and 'Kleerup
with Robyn' on his album. He is already a massive star in his native home having won no less than three
awards Best Newcomer, Best Composer and Best Producer) at Sweden's 2009 Grammis music
awards recently (the equivalent of our Grammys).

Ok, so he's huge back home, is friends with Robyn and has had a number one single in the UK. So
what, you may ask. Well this bearded lothario with grungy locks is about to embark on an assault of
our shores with his own self-titled album.

Kleerup features collaborations with Lykke Li, Marit Bergman, Titiyo (Neneh Cherry's younger
sister) and of course includes his hit collaboration with Robyn. Kleerup's songs are a mixture of his
familiar formula of electronica and Swedish female vocal. Good thing this is a formula with proven
results as each one is pure electro-pop perfection. The lead single with Titiyo, 'Longing For
Lullabies'
encapsulates his warm and melancholic sound flawlessly. On the emotive 'Until We
Bleed',
Kleerup draws a surprisingly warm performance from the blog friendly Lykke Li. Then there
are the songs when Andreas himself steps up to the mic. The jolly 'On My Own' has echoes of
electro-pop classic Buggles' 'Video Killed the Radio Star', while on 'Misery' he beefs up the drums
and goes all Depeche Mode on us. But that's not the full story. Tracks such as 'Hero', 'Thank You
For Nothing', 'Tower of Trellick' and 'Iris' showcase Kleerup's different shades. Taking in
Kraftweft-esque rhythms via Vangelis inspired soundscapes, they work flawlessly tying the album
together.

So there you have it a skillfully constructed and solid debut that should firmly establish
Kleerup as an act to be reckoned with.

http://kleerup.net/
www.myspace.com/kleerup
www.twitter.com/kleerup

RX Bandits "Mandala"

Release and Stream New Album, "Mandala," on Sargent House * Continue US Tour w/ Dredg * #1 Selling Alternative Album on Amazon MP3 and More!

This is not a band to be digested light-heartedly. This is a band with an undefinable genre, and a force of prog rock chemistry to be reckoned with. You can't help but but drink something stronger, and shout out in between songs. Most importantly, you can't help but pay attention. - Dallas Observer

If there's a single idea that's existed within the Bandits' ranks since those early days, it's evolution. If there's a second, it's a ferocity that follows the ensemble from its searing live show into the studio. - Austin Decider / The Onion

Mandala is an expression of all the best things from the Mars Volta mixed with the ability to get to the point a little quicker and with a little more style. It's simply infectious. - Georgetown Voice

Metamorphic rock outfit RX Bandits have released their latest effort, Mandala, via Sargent House, and in celebration, have made the entire album available to stream for their fans courtesy of AOL Spinner (stream all of Mandala here!). The much anticipated follow-up to 2006's ...And The Battle Begun echoes the sentiments of a band who not only look to trump their previous efforts, but add a new chapter to the volume.

The songs that make up Mandala highlight a more rock-oriented four-piece, scaling down the use of horns to create a new twist to their constantly evolving dynamic. That focus is illustrated further by the evocative artwork designed by visual artist Sonny Kay. In an age where taking risks and being fearless can make or break you, RX have emerged as a tidal wave, a force that shatters all the boundaries set against them. Over their decade long career, the band have drawn from numerous genres including prog, punk, rock, to reggae and the blues; reinventing and revolutionizing their persona while retaining their socially conscious lyrics and bravado instrumentation that have kept each musical progression unmistakable RX. This concept has been the catalyst for the band's ever-growing fanbase, which revels in their uniqueness and continue to storm their celebrated, incendiary live shows.

* RX Bandits Live! *

w/ Dredg and Zechs Marquise
Jul 22 2009 Culture Room Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Jul 23 2009 Freebird Live Jacksonville, Florida
Jul 24 2009 Jannus Landing Saint Petersburg, Florida
Jul 25 2009 Criminal Records - Acoustic Instore Atlanta, Georgia
Jul 25 2009 Masquerade Atlanta, Georgia
Jul 26 2009 Cat's Cradle Carrboro, North Carolina
Jul 28 2009 Recher Theater Towson, Maryland
Jul 29 2009 Theater Of The Living Arts Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

w/ Dredg and As Tall As Lions
Jul 30 2009 The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza New York, New York
Jul 31 2009 Bowery Ballroom - SOLD OUT New York, New York w/ Dredg & Zechs Marquise *
Aug 1 2009 Paradise Rock Club Boston, Massachusetts
Aug 2 2009 Foufounes Electriques Montreal, Quebec
Aug 4 2009 Opera House Toronto, Ontario
Aug 5 2009 St. Andrews Hall Detroit, Michigan
Aug 6 2009 Bottom Lounge Chicago, Illinois
Aug 7 2009 Pops Sauget, Illinois
Aug 8 2009 Peoples Court Des Moines, Iowa
Aug 9 2009 Station 4 Saint Paul, Minnesota
Aug 11 2009 Gothic Theatre Englewood, Colorado
Aug 12 2009 Murray Theatre Murray, Utah
Aug 14 2009 Neumos Seattle, Washington
Aug 15 2009 Wonder Ballroom Portland, Oregon
Aug 17 2009 Empire Events Center Sacramento, California
Aug 26 2009 Fillmore San Francisco, California
Aug 29 2009 Velvet Jones Santa Barbara, California
Aug 30 2009 El Rey Theatre Los Angeles, California
Aug 31 2009 El Rey Theatre Los Angeles, California

w/ Wild Orchid Children
Sep 22 2009 House of Blues Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada
Sep 24 2009 Modesto Virtual Modesto, California
Sep 26 2009 Downtown Brewing Co San Luis Obispo, California
Sep 27 2009 Karma Victorville, California

* no As Tall As Lions

J. Tillman Tour Update

Tillman will then embark on a national US tour for Year In The Kingdom in September which continue throughout the Fall.

West Coast Tour Dates

Aug 19 - Downtown Brew Pub W/ Pearly Gate Music - San Luis Opbispo, CA
Aug 20 - Muddy Waters W/ Pearly Gate Music - Santa Barbara, CA
Aug 21- Echo W/ Evan Way & Big Search - Los Angeles, CA
Aug 23 - Cafe Du Nord W/ Pearly Gate Music & Moore Brothers - San Francisco, CA
Aug 24 - Crepe Place W/ Pearly Gate Music & Mariee Sioux - Santa Cruz, CA
Aug 25 - TBA - Big Sur, CA

New album, "Year In The Kingdom" out on September 22nd.

http://www.myspace.com/jtillman