Mick Signals

After 12 years Camu Tao’s memoirs are far from deadbeat; a true visionary that was lost to cancer in 1998, far before his time. The fusion of what may happen if Kanye West and Andre 3000 conceived (God forbid), perfectly describes the inner workings of “The King of hearts.”

Tao proves yet again to be a Jack of all trades, with amazing production values, and up beat jazz-esque hip-hop. Coupled with strong hooks, and an oddly more than modern electronic aspect Tao lives up to underground street cred.

“The Perfect Plan” is an intelligently written and excellently produced plan of attack urging a woman not to “start an argument, we’re already naked.” Furiously catchy and just a song, you can tell Tao had fun with.

A bunch of tracks on the album were a bit passé, or under developed (due to Tao’s untimely passing) and were also a bit lacking in lustre. Having said that, the handful of great songs including “The Perfect Plan”, “Plot a Little” and “Death” far outshine and make up for any water under the bridge tunes. Tao knows how to put a song together, and write tracks that break free from normal subject matter.

“The King of Hearts” is a nice break from some of the mainstream, Top 40 hip-“pop” that’s been making its rounds on the radio waves. Well worth a listen and energetic as they come, Tao presents his last words of wisdom that he makes contagious. Not an instant classic by any means, but a worthy effort of such an underground legend.

R.I.P Camu Tao 1977-2008

Wavves adds more tour dates with Phoenix, premiere video for “Post Acid”

VIDEO: “Post Acid”

MP3: “Post Acid”

Still from the “Post Acid” video shoot

Wavves recently announced an opening slot for Phoenix and Dirty Projectors at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 20 – the band has since added seven more shows with Phoenix extending all the way down the East Coast (see full list of dates below).

The band also released the new music video for their Green Label Sound single “Post Acid” this week. The “Post Acid” video was shot in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles. Acclaimed DIY photographer/filmmaker Patrick O’Dell directed. Patrick O’Dell, who is best known for his short-form documentary series Epicly Later’d, has also directed music videos for Morrissey and Panda Bear. O’Dell’s “Post Acid” video features friend and professional skateboarder Kevin “Spanky” Long as the alien who befriends the band and embarks on a raucous, fun-filled day of skateboarding, hanging out, and playing a party gig.

When asked about the concept for the video, Wavves’ Nathan Williams said “I’m glad I finally got to fulfill my dream of ripping off the premise of the movie Encino Man… except we replaced the caveman with a skateboarding alien!”

“I love it when a band comes up with something totally bizarre and ambitious rather than shrugging and saying ‘I don’t know, what do you wanna do?’ as they mope around looking cool,” O’Dell comments. “I feel like we’ve almost made one of those fan videos where an anonymous person out there cuts up a movie they like and fits it together with a song they like and uploads it to YouTube. This is one of those videos, but the band just happens to star in the movie.”

WAVVES

08/27 Victoria, BC Sugar
08/30 Davis, CA Sol Collective
08/31 Visalia, CA Howie and Sons Pizza Parlor
09/04 Los Angeles, CA FYF Fest
09/10 Memphis, TN Hi-Tone *
09/11 St. Louis, MO Billiken *
09/12 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall *
09/14 Bloomington, IN Rhinos *
09/15 Columbus, OH Skully’s *
09/16 Buffalo, NY Mohawk Place *
09/17 Northampton, MA Pearl Street Nightclub *
09/18 Waltham, MA Brandeis University
09/20 Providence, RI Met Café *
09/21 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg *
09/24 Kingston, NY 323 Wall Street
09/25 Baltimore, MD Ottobar *
09/27 Washington, DC Rock and Roll Hotel *
09/28 Greensboro, NC Guilford College *
09/29 Charlotte, NC Milestone *
09/30 Atlanta, GA Drunken Unicorn *
10/01 Nashville, TN Exit/In – Next Big Nashville *
10/02 Oxford, MS Proud Larry’s *
10/18 Boston, MA Agganis Arena !
10/20 New York, NY Madison Square Garden $
10/21 Montreal, QC CEPSUM !
10/22 Toronto, ON Ricoh Coliseum !
10/23 Philadelphia, PA Tower Theatre !
10/25 Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues !
10/26 Orlando, FL House of Blues !
10/27 Miami, FL The Fillmore !
11/06 Austin, TX Fun Fun Fun Fest

$ = w/ Phoenix, Dirty Projectors
! = w/ Phoenix
* = w/ Christmas Island

The Acorn Camps Out with Megafaun, Four Tet and Others, Prepares for Extensive Fall Tour

“Ottawa’s The Acorn plays a warm brand of folksy art-pop… filled with songs that weave pretty melodies and guitar lines into a well-balanced whole.” – Time Out New York

“Restorative, airy, and full of uplift” – Stereogum

Download “Kindling To Cremation” (Megafaun Remix)

Ottawa’s The Acorn will be embarking on an extensive fall tour of North America to support their forthcoming album, No Ghost, coming out September 7th on Bella Union, available digitally now. The band recorded the album at a secluded cottage in Northern Québec, and will bring elements of that rustic atmosphere with them on the road with a thematic stage show, props, special guests, and more.

Check out the Megafaun remix of “Kindling To Cremation,” premiered by long-time Acorn fans My Old Kentucky Blog. There’s also a Four Tet/Born Ruffians remix 12-inch, available in select indie stores now.

On previous tours, The Acorn have joined Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, Calexico and a massive, sold-out tour in 2009 with Mercury Prize winners, ELBOW. Be sure to check out The Acorn as they bring their cottage to your town!

The Acorn Tour Dates:
September 15 – Halifax, NS – St. Matthew’s United Church
September 16 – Fredericton, NB – Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival
September 17 – Sackville, NB – Sackville City Fair
September 21 – Cambridge, MA – TT and The Bear’s *
September 23 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge *
September 24 – Brooklyn, NY – Littlefield *
September 25 – Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie *
September 26 – Washington, DC – DC9*
September 28 – Pontiac, MI – Crofoot Ballroom*
September 29 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom *
September 30 – Chicago, IL – Schubas *
October 1 – Minneapolois, MN – Turf Club
October 2 – Madison, WI – The Frequency
October 13 – Los Angeles, CA – The Echo ++
October 14 – San Francisco, CA – Cafe du Nord++
October 16 – Portland, OR – Doug Fir ++
October 17 – Seattle, WA – High Dive++
October 20 – Victoria, BC – Lucky Bar++
October 21 – Vancouver, BC – The Biltmore Cabaret ++
October 23 – Edmonton, AB – Starlite Room++
October 24 – Calgary, AB – Republik ++
October 25 – Saskatoon, SK – Amigo’s ++
October 26 – Winnipeg, MB – Park Theatre ++
October 27 – Thunder Bay, ON – The Apollo ++
October 28 – Sault Ste Marie – Loplop Lounge and Gallery ++
December 4 – Ottawa, ON – Capital Music Hall++

* w/Basia Bulat
++ w/Leif Vollebekk

GOO GOO DOLLS TO PERFORM EXCLUSIVE ACOUSTIC CONCERT LIVE ON SIRIUS XM’S THE COFFEE HOUSE CHANNEL FROM LA’S TROUBADOUR

THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO CONFIRMED FOR SEPT 1.

Burbank, CA – GOO GOO DOLLS celebrate the release of their brand new Warner Bros. Records studio album, SOMETHING FOR THE REST OF US, by performing a special show for an edition of Coffee House Live for SIRIUS XM listeners, on Aug 31, at 3:00 PM PT on The Coffee House, SIRIUS channel 30 and XM channel 51. The Coffee House Live special will feature the band performing songs from their newest album as well as chart-topping hits from their illustrious and acclaimed tenure as one of America’s most enduring and endearing forces in rock. The performance will be broadcast live from the legendary club, The Troubadour, in Los Angeles, CA in front of a live audience of SIRIUS XM listeners.

Coffee House Live features intimate performances by top singer-songwriters and iconic artists. Recent performances have included Indigo Girls, Jack Johnson, David Gray, Jewel and John Mayer. The weekly show airs Thursdays at 12:00 pm ET and rebroadcasts at 12:00 am ET.

Starting the day before, on Aug 30, both AOL Music and MSN Music will feature full streams of the complete SOMETHING FOR THE REST OF US album for one week only.

And on Tues, Aug 31, the GOOS will be participating in a live UStream session from noon to 12:45 PT. Fans will be able to chat live with the band and ask them questions about the new album and tour on the day that SOMETHING FOR THE REST OF US is released.

Then on Sep 1, GOO GOO DOLLS will perform their new single “Home,” live on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Tune in to NBC stations at 11:35PM PT/ET, 10:35PM CT.

Confirmed tour dates as follows:
Tues Aug 24 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheater
Thurs Aug 26 Concord, CA Sleep Train Pavilion
Sat Aug 28 Phoenix, AZ Dodge Theatre
Sun Aug 29 Los Angeles, CA Greek Theatre
Sun Sept 5 Mount Pearl, NL Glacier Concert Park
Tues Sept 28 Syracuse, NY Crouse Hinds
Wed Sept 29 Kingston, RI Ryan Center (URI)
Sat Oct 2 Oxford, OH Millett Hall (Miami Univ.)
Sun Oct 3 Madison, WI Overture Hall
Tues Oct 5 Ft Wayne, IN Embassy Theatre
Wed Oct 6 Toledo, OH Stranahan
Thurs Oct 7 Indianapolis, IN Murat Theatre
Sun Oct 10 Green Bay, WI Weidner Center (UWGB)
Mon Oct 11 Sioux Falls, SD Augustana College
Fri Oct 15 Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues
Sat Oct 16 Chattanooga, TN Tivoli Theatre
Mon Oct 18 Montclair, NJ Wellmont Theatre
Tues Oct 19 University Park, PA Eisenhower Hall
Wed Oct 20 Kingston, NY Ulster PAC
Sat Oct 23 Latrobe, PA St Vincent College
Sun Oct 24 Mansfield, PA Decker Gymnasium (Mansfield College)
Tues Oct 26 Portland, ME State Theatre
Thurs Oct 28 Fairfield, CT Pitt Center (Sacred Heart)
Fri Oct 29 Baltimore, MD Reitz Arena (Loyola College)
Sat Oct 30 Salamanca, NY Seneca Allegany Casino

Overseas dates:
Sun Nov 7 Glasgow, UK O2 Academy
Mon Nov 8 Newcastle, UK O2 Academy
Tues Nov 9 Leeds, UK O2 Academy
Thurs Nov 11 Birmingham, UK O2 Academy
Fri Nov 12 Manchester, UK Academy
Sat Nov 13 London, UK Brixton Academy
Mon Nov 15 Norwich, UK U.E.A.
Tues Nov 16 Bristol, UK O2 Academy
Wed Nov 17 Leicester, UK O2 Academy

ELECTRO-POP SINGER/SONGWRITER LIGHTS ANNOUNCES FALL HEADLINE TOUR

Debut Full Length Album ‘The Listening’ Out Now

Burbank, CA – Keytar-wielding synth-pop sensation LIGHTS will hit the road this fall on a nationwide headlining tour. The dates, which come on the heels of her successful international run with Owl City, kick off October 13th in Thunder Bay, ONT and run through November 13th in Buffalo, NY. LIGHTS’ debut full-length album The Listening is out now on Sire Records.

Twenty three year-old singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist LIGHTS crafts sparkling, otherworldly electro-pop that has already garnered her over 24 million plays on MySpace, a #1 hit in Canada and the 2009 JUNO for New Artist of the Year. LIGHTS was selected as an inaugural artist for MySpace’s Introducing program, and she starred in her own short-form motion-comic series Audio Quest: A Captain LIGHTS Adventure, which aired on MTV and MTV.com. Rolling Stone called LIGHTS a “retro new wave…keytar-rocking pixie,” and the Toronto Star praised her as “the very epitome of D.I.Y. pin-up cool.” She was recently featured on an episode of MTV’s hit reality program “The City,” and performed on several dates of this summer’s Lilith Fair.

LIGHTS also recently released a solo acoustic EP entitled LIGHTS.ACOUSTIC. The stripped-down collection of songs includes “River,” “February Air” and “Saviour” off The Listening, as well as a cover of Rancid’s “Fall Back Down” and a never before recorded track “Romance Is…” During its debut week on iTunes, the EP grabbed the #1 spot in Canada, and cracked the Top 10 in the USA.

LIGHTS headlining tour dates are as follows:

Oct 13 – Crocks – Thunder Bay, ONT
Oct 15 – Burton Cummings – Winnipeg, MB
Oct 16 – Odeon Events Centre – Saskatoon, SK
Oct 17 – MacEwan Ballroom – Calgary, AB
Oct 18 – Edmonton Event Centre – Edmonton, AB
Oct 20 – Vogue Theater – Vancouver, BC
Oct 22 – Berbati’s Pan – Portland, OR
Oct 23 – El Corazon – Seattle, WA
Oct 25 – Slim’s – San Francisco, CA
Oct 26 – El Rey – Los Angeles, CA
Oct 27 – The Underground – Mesa, AZ
Oct 29 – Propher Bar – Dallas, TX
Oct 30 – Emo’s – Austin, TX
Oct 31 – Warehouse Live – Houston, TX
Nov 02 – Backbooth – Orlando., FL
Nov 03 – Masquerade – Atlana, GA
Nov 04 – Rockettown – Nashville, TN
Nov 05 – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL
Nov 06 – Eagle Theater – Pontiac, MI
Nov 07 – Musica – Akron, OH
Nov 09 – Middle East – Boston, MA
Nov 10 – Bowery Ballroom – New York, NY
Nov 11 –Ottobar – Baltimore, MD
Nov 12 – North Star Bar – Philadelphia, PA
Nov 13 – Mohawk Place – Buffalo, NY

Basin Street Records Signs the Iconic Rebirth Brass Band

“A New Orleans institution since the 1980s, the Rebirth Brass Band updates the traditional strutting rhythms and continuous improvisation of New Orleans parades with an infusion of funk. It doesn’t need microphones, amplifiers or anything but breath and rhythm to make a crowd jump.” – The NY Times

On this 5th anniversary week as we remember the devastation and flooding that occurred after Hurricane Katrina due to poorly built levees, Basin Street Records is proud to further demonstrate its rebirth by announcing the signing of the world famous Rebirth Brass Band. Simply put, the Rebirth Brass Band is an institution. Formed in 1983 by the Frazier brothers and Kermit Ruffins, the band has evolved from playing the streets of the French Quarter to playing festivals and stages all over the world. Their signature brand of heavy funk has become the soundtrack to an entire city, a fact reinforced by their role in the opening scene of the HBO series “Treme.” In the wake of the sometimes-stringent competition amongst brass bands, Rebirth is the undisputed leader of the pack. Reflecting on the collaboration between these two pillars of the New Orleans music community, Phil Frazier said, “This is what New Orleans is all about, The Rebirth Brass Band and Basin Street Records teaming up to release music that’ll make you move and put a smile on your face.”

Basin Street Records worked with Rebirth from the sidelines in 2005 on Throwback the album that reunited the iconic band with founding member, and now label mate, Kermit Ruffins. With the signing of Rebirth, Basin Street Records will continue to create music that distills the city of New Orleans into a complex series of rhythms and melodies. President Mark Samuels believes that “there is nothing in the world like going to see Rebirth on a Tuesday night at the Maple Leaf. We are excited to begin what we hope will be a long relationship that is beneficial to both Rebirth and our label.”

The Rebirth Brass Band is expected to release their first album on Basin Street Records in February 2011.

Basin Street Records was formed in 1997 and is home to music from Kermit Ruffins, Theresa Andersson, Jeremy Davenport, Dr. Michael White, Henry Butler, Jon Cleary, Jason Marsalis, Los Hombres Calientes, Irvin Mayfield, and The Headhunters. For more information click on www.BasinStreetRecords.com and www.RebirthBrassBand.com.

GREEN LABEL SOUND RELEASES NEW MUSIC VIDEO FOR WAVVES’ SINGLE “POST ACID”

Southern California indie garage-pop band Wavves today releases the new music video for their Green Label Sound single “Post Acid.” Fans may watch the video and download the free mp3 for “Post Acid” at GreenLabelSound.com now.

The “Post Acid” video was shot in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles. Acclaimed DIY photographer/filmmaker Patrick O’Dell directed. Patrick O’Dell, who is best known for his short-form documentary series Epicly Later’d, has also directed music videos for Morrissey and Panda Bear. O’Dell’s “Post Acid” video features friend and professional skateboarder Kevin “Spanky” Long as the alien who befriends the band and embarks on a raucous, fun-filled day of skateboarding, hanging out, and playing a party gig.

When asked about the concept for the video, Wavves’ Nathan Williams said “I’m glad I finally got to fulfill my dream of ripping off the premise of the movie Encino Man… except we replaced the caveman with a skateboarding alien!”

“I love it when a band comes up with something totally bizarre and ambitious rather than shrugging and saying ‘I don’t know, what do you wanna do?’ as they mope around looking cool,” O’Dell comments. “I feel like we’ve almost made one of those fan videos where an anonymous person out there cuts up a movie they like and fits it together with a song they like and uploads it to YouTube. This is one of those videos, but the band just happens to star in the movie.”

Green Label Sound, Mountain Dew’s exclusive singles label, is a record label designed to elevate and empower independent artists. To date, Green Label Sound has released singles by Matt and Kim, Neon Indian, Holy Ghost!, Chromeo, The Cool Kids, Solid Gold, U-N-I, Flosstradamus and Caroline Polachek, Solid Gold, Theophilus London, Wavves, and Kuroma.

DEAD CONFEDERATE PREMIERES VIDEO FOR “RUN FROM THE GUN”

In conjunction with the release of their sophomore album Sugar (available on iTunes), out this week via TAO/Old Flame, Dead Confederate band is premiering the video for the track, “Run From The Gun” (mp3 available here, approved to post) on The Huffington Post. Guitarist, vocalist and co-songwriter Hardy Morris spoke with the Huffington Post about the video, which, due to the track’s political undertones, is comprised of vintage footage from conflicts spanning the past century, as well as clips from D.W. Griffith’s Birth of a Nation. Scott Carney from the band Wax Fang compiled all of the footage and edited the video.

“Run From The Gun” Video

Dead Confederate have tons of exciting dates coming up all across the country. Don’t miss them!

Dead Confederate Tour Dates:
08-26 Baton Rouge, LA – Chelsea’s *
08-27 Houston, TX – Cactus Music (in-store performance) *
08-27 Houston, TX – Mango’s *
08-28 Austin, TX – The Mohawk *
08-29 Dallas, TX – The Loft *
08-31 Steamboat Springs, CO — Old Town Pub *
09-01 Aspen, CO – Belly Up*
09-02 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge*
09-03 Boise, ID – Neurolux*
09-05 Seattle, WA – Hard Rock Café @
09-06 Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge # *
09-08 San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall #
09-09 Santa Barbara, CA – SoHo#
09-10 Costa Mesa, CA – Detroit Bar
09-11 Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour #
09-12 Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up # *
09-14 Tucson, AZ – Plush #*
09-15 Phoenix, AZ – Rhythm Room #*
09-17 Telluride, CO – Telluride Blues & Brews Festival #
09-18 Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge #
09-19 Boulder, CO – Fox Theatre #
09-21 St. Louis, MO – The Firebird #
09-22 Chicago, IL – Double Door #
09-23 Akron, OH – Musica !
09-24 Pittsburgh, PA – Rex Theater !
09-25 West Chester, PA – The Note #
09-26 Boston, MA – The Middle East #
09-28 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg !
09-29 Washington DC – Rock and Roll Hotel !
09-30 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle !
10-01 Charlotte, NC – Snug Harbor !
10-02 Charleston, SC – Patriot’s Point $
10-29 New Orleans, LA – Voodoo Festival

@ with Surfer Blood
# with Alberta Cross
* with Futurebirds
! with Mt St Helen’s Vietnam Band
$ with Widespread Panic

Very rarely do I wake up before 11:00am feeling “alive.” A typical morning for me involves a long drawn-out argument from my brain to my body. One wants to get moving, the other wants to wrap a blanket around me and remain motionless; it’s pretty pathetic.

So, when I have one of those days where I bolt out of bed, feeling on top of the world, I know that I have to savour this moment for as long as possible.

And that’s where Planet Telex comes in.

At first it seems like an unlikely choice and, well, I guess it is. Very rarely do we associate “Radiohead” with “feel-goodery”.

But this ain’t your average song, and the moment that music kicks in you know you’re in for something epic.

First, the opening keys give you a sense of something big, and the drums flesh it and give it a shape. A wicked moving beat that gets paired with an equally incredible bass line guarantees to get your head nodding.

Then the jittery guitars of the verse and haunting keys in the chorus wrap you into a wall of sound, like a suit of thick smoky armor.

And, to complete that unstoppable feeling, lead singer Thom Yorke gives us a blank slate to play in. He sets up a world where everything we knew is gone and we alone can start fresh; recreate everything.

So, in essence, this song makes you feel like a giant with ghost armor who has the power to do anything and everything.

And isn’t that what mornings are about?

MADBALL OFFER PRE-ORDER OF ‘EMPIRE’ AND REAPER RECORDS LIMITED EDITION 7”, ORDER YOUR COPIES NOW!

NEW TRACK ‘R.A.H.C.’ STREAMING NOW ON MYSPACE

New York City hardcore legends MADBALL have posted a brand new track, ‘R.A.H.C.’, on their MySpace. The track is cut from MADBALL’s upcoming GOOD FIGHT MUSIC release, Empire, which hits stores on October 12th, 2010. MADBALL have also begun offering a pre-order for the new album, as well as a separate pre-order for a limited edition 7” supporting Empire (only 2,000 copies being made). The exclusive 7” is being released by Reaper Records, and will be available for purchase on September 28th, 2010.

Be on the lookout for a brand new weekly video series from MADBALL airing each and every Thursday, starting tonight, exclusively on the MADBALL Facebook page! Follow the link to watch!

MADBALL recently finished recording at Mana Recording Studios in St. Petersburg, Florida. Behind the boards on Empire is producer Erik Rutan (Misery Index, Cannibal Corpse, Goatwhore).

MADBALL have recently announced a brand new slew of tour dates with COMEBACK KID that will have them charging through Canada in September! See below for all current dates! Additional dates are soon to be released.

MADBALL TOUR DATES
9/9 Victoria, BC @ Sugar
9/10 Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre
9/11 Kelowna, BC @ Habitat
9/12 Calgary, AB @ Republik
9/13 Edmonton, AB @ Starlite Room
9/14 Regina, SK @ The Exchange
9/15 Winnipeg, MB @ The Garrick Centre
9/17 Timmins, ON @ Club 147
9/18 Sudbury, ON @ Alder Hall
9/20 Guelph, ON @ Vinyl
9/21 St. Catharines, ON @ Level 3
9/22 London, ON @ Music Hall
9/23 Toronto, ON @ The Opera House
9/24 Ottawa, ON @ Ritual
9/25 Montreal, QC @ Le Studio
9/26 Jonquiere, QC @ Le Bunker
9/27 Quebec City, QC @ Dagobert

THE ACORN GO ON TOUR, RELEASE REMIX RECORD

After a summer of fun in the sun, The Acorn will be embarking on an extensive fall tour of North America to support their recently-released album No Ghost. Having recorded the album at a secluded cottage in Northern Québec, the band will be bringing ‘the cottage’ on tour with a thematic stage show, props, and specials guests, to help bring the album to life. You can view all the tour dates at the end of this update!

The Acorn’s long-awaited follow-up to 2007′s wildly-successful Glory Hope Mountain is now receiving remix treatment as well. The band have called on friends and heroes to annihilate and reinvent their music. The remixes range from glitch-pop experiments, to subtle re-inventions and sweet club jams. Make The Least of The Day will only be available physically at The Acorn’s live shows and will be released digitally on September 14th on Paper Bag Digital.

In the meantime, you can preview and download the Megafaun remix of “Kindling To Cremation” here.

Make The Least Of The Day remixers and tracklisting:

FOUR TET – Restoration
SANDRO PERRI – Misplaced
LAKE – Slippery When Wet
JOKERS OF THE SCENE – Bobcat Goldwraith
OHBIJOU – Almanac
BORN RUFFIANS – Crossed Wires
DIAMOND RINGS – No Ghost
SNAILHHOUSE – Cobbled From Dust
MEGAFAUN – Kindling To Cremation
WOODPIGEON – On The Line
CHAD VANGAALEN – I Made The Law

CANCER BATS DEBUT NEW ‘SCARED TO DEATH’ MUSIC VIDEO TODAY AT ABSOLUTE PUNK!

NEW TOUR BLOG SERIES “CANCER BATS WORLD WIDE WHACKY WEBISODES” STARTS SEPTEMBER 1ST AT ABSOLUTE PUNK!

AMP MAGAZINE AND CANCER BATS FILL YOU IN ON COOL TOUR SHENANIGANS, SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS!

CANCER BATS are thrilled to announce the exclusive Absolute Punk debut of their brand new music video, ‘Scared to Death’, today! The original track is cut from their GOOD FIGHT MUSIC debut, Bears, Mayors, Scraps and Bones, released on April 13th, 2010. “We’re all super psyched how this new video turned out,” exclaims vocalist Liam Cormier. “Just one spooky night in the woods running around with crazy cameras strapped to us, being chased by hooded bat-wielding henchmen! Can’t go wrong with that!”

Absolute Punk will also be posting a new, bi-weekly video blog series entitled “CANCER BATS World Wide Whacky Webisodes” every other Wednesday, beginning September 1st! The blogs will chronicle CANCER BATS entire upcoming overseas touring season, and will lead up to a United States winter tour in the works!

“Jet lag is going to kill our brains as we take 14 flights in the next month,” states Cormier. “Flying into England for 2 days, spending a weekend in Japan, cruising to Australia where we’re playing double headers every night, and that’s just get us warmed up for our crazy tours of the UK Europe and beyond! This whole tour is going to be bonkers! Watch as we try our best to not lose our minds!” Stay tuned into Absolute Punk to watch their overseas antics and catch up with CANCER BATS!

Over the summer, CANCER BATS worked as AMP Magazine’s COOL TOUR 2010 correspondents, bringing the fans all of the juicy behind-the-scenes shenanigans! Now, AMP Magazine is giving fans an exclusive look at COOL TOUR 2010’s best kept secrets on their new website! Along with keeping us up to date on happenings, CANCER BATS performed a blistering, skull-crushing set night after night on the COOL TOUR! Head over to the link and take a look at some of the things you thought you knew about COOL TOUR, but have yet to find out!

Linkin Park – The Catalyst video

The official music video for “The Catalyst” by Linkin Park, from their album A Thousand Suns, in stores now!

Directed by Joe Han.

Caspa & Mr. Hudson – Love Never Dies video (Back For The First Time)

Caspa’s ‘Back For The First Time’ is the anthem of the summer. So far the track has been lighting up dancefloors & airwaves globally. Now the instrumental gets a massive vocal topline from Mr Hudson — New title LOVE NEVER DIES (Back For The First Time). This is the OFFICIAL video. Mo Ali who has recently work on the feature film SHANK has directed the video.

¡MAYDAY! – Pass The 45 video

Directed by Tim Warren.

THE CONTORTIONIST DEBUT EPIC ‘EXOPLANET’ TRIFECTA AT AOL NOISECREEP TODAY! ‘EXOPLANET I: EGRESS’, ‘EXOPLANET II: VOID’, AND ‘EXOPLANET III: LIGHT’ HIT THE WEB AT 2PM ET!

NEW TRACK ‘ADVENT’ STREAMING NOW AT METALSUCKS.NET!

89.5 WSOU TO AIR ENTIRE ALBUM AT 9PM ET ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 27TH

Indianapolis, Indiana’s THE CONTORTIONIST is poised to release their GOOD FIGHT MUSIC debut, Exoplanet on August 31st! The band is pleased to announce the debut of their epic, album-culminating trifecta, ‘Exoplanet I: Egress’, ‘Exoplanet II: Void’, and ‘Exoplanet III: Light’ today at AOL Noisecreep! Make sure to head over to the site to listen to the masterful close to Exoplanet. Also, do not forget to cruise over to fellow esteemed metal blog MetalSucks.net to listen to the new track ‘Advent’!

The radio world is showing some love for THE CONTORTIONIST, too! 89.5 WSOU in New York City/ New Jersey is pleased to air Exoplanet in its entirety this Friday, August 27th at 9pm ET on their “Pirate Advance” special. Not in the area? You can also tune in at www.wsou.net! In addition, make sure to tune into Sirius XM’s Liquid Metal to hear the new track ‘Expire’, spinning now! You can request ‘Expire’ by tweeting to @JoseMangin and/or @SXMLiquidMetal, or go to the Sirius XM Liquid Metal Facebook page!

THE CONTORTIONIST’s track ‘Primal Directive’ is included on the new, free FYE/Decibel sampler! The sampler can be found at www.tonesofdeath.com/fye/. Pre-order Exoplanet now at MerchNow, and pick up some great new t-shirt designs!

Exoplanet features amazing production work, brought to you by UNEARTH’S Ken Susi. Susi feels that THE CONTORTIONIST has something fresh and unique to bring to the table. “THE CONTORTIONIST is not your typical, run of the mill band. Lots of bands in this day and age are copy-cats or just plain old rip-offs of other bands. This is truly an original band; from the overall look, sound, and structure of the songs.”

THE CONTORTIONIST will soon be unveiling major fall tour dates, so stay up to date by heading to the new MySpace page! See below for current tour dates!

THE CONTORTIONIST TOUR DATES:
Aug 28, Jackson, MI @ Club 789
w/The Yellow Sign, Sentinel, The Ancient, Lookoutbelow!, Onfall

POPSTAR KYLIE MINOGUE TO PERFORM NEW SINGLE “GET OUTTA MY WAY” ON NBC’S AMERICA’S GOT TALENT TONIGHT, AUGUST 25TH

WILL ALSO JOIN RUFUS WAINWRIGHT FOR SPECIAL PERFORMANCE
AT THE WATERMILL CENTER SUMMER CONCERT SERIES ON AUGUST 28TH IN WATERMILL NEW YORK

WHO: Kylie Minogue – Over the course of her extraordinary 20-plus-year-career, Kylie Minogue has been a global force in pop music and is one of the world’s most successful female artists with more than 60 million albums sold worldwide, 50 hit singles including the U.S. Billboard dance-chart toppers “Can’t Get You Our of My Head,” “Love At First Sight,” “Slow,” and the Grammy-Award winning “Come Into My World.” Kylie Minogue’s new album ‘Aphrodite’ debuted in the top 10 in thirteen different countries and became Kylie’s fifth #1 album in the UK, making her the first solo artist in the history of the UK charts to have a #1 album in four different decades.

WHAT: Appearance on NBC’s America’s Got Talent on August 25th performing band new single “Get Outta My Way” for the first time on US Television.

A special performance with Rufus Wainwright at The Watermill Center on August 28th titled The Last Song of Summer from the Center’s 2010 Summer Concert Series.

WHEN: America’s Got Talent will air live tonight August 25th at 9pm EST.

The Watermill Summer Concert 2010: The Last Song of Summer with special performance by Kylie will be performed on August 28th at 4:30pm EST.

WHERE: America’s Got Talent will air on NBC.

The Watermill Summer Concert 2010: The Last Song of Summer with special performance by Kylie will be held at The Watermill Center; 39 Watermill Towd Road, Watermill, New York.

The Acorn take the “cottage” on tour and get remixed.

Toronto — After a summer of fun in the sun, The Acorn will be embarking on an extensive fall tour of North America to support their recently-released album No Ghost. Having recorded the album at a secluded cottage in Northern Québec, the band will be bringing ‘the cottage’ on tour with a thematic stage show, props, and specials guests, to help bring the album to life (dates below).

The Acorn’s long-awaited follow-up to 2007′s wildly-successful Glory Hope Mountain is now receiving remix treatment as well. The band have called on friends and heroes to annihilate and reinvent their music. The remixes range from glitch-pop experiments, to subtle re-inventions and sweet club jams. Make The Least of The Day will only be available physically at The Acorn’s live shows and will be released digitally on September 14th from Paper Bag Digital. Download the Megafaun remix of “Kindling To Cremation” below.

Since the release of Glory Hope Mountain, The Acorn have toured Europe and North America extensively and accrued a cord of critical love for both their live show and their recorded output. They’ve graced the cover of Canada’s National music magazine, Exclaim and were selected to the 2008 Polaris Music Prize.

Recently, Glory Hope Mountain was included on the longlist for the Uncut Music Award which rewards the “most inspiring and rewarding musical experience” of the past year. Glory Hope Mountain was the only Canadian band of the 25 artists on the list which also includes albums by Bob Dylan, Dirty Projectors, Wilco, Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear. Well respected by their peers, The Acorn have also did a slew of high-profile support tours for the likes of Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, Calexico, and a massive, sold-out tour in 2009 with Mercury-prize winners, ELBOW. Unexpected praise came from Kanye West when he proclaimed “This is beautiful!” after posting the video for ‘Crooked Legs’ on his blog.

In the summer of 2009 the band isolated themselves at a cottage in Northern Quebec to begin work on what was to become No Ghost. Although unplanned, this album represents the closing of a trilogy that began with their debut album, The Pink Ghosts (2004), and their Blankets & Tin Fist EPs in 2005 and 2006, respectively.

Make The Least Of The Day Tracklisting:
FOUR TET – Restoration
SANDRO PERRI – Misplaced
LAKE – Slippery When Wet
JOKERS OF THE SCENE – Bobcat Goldwraith
OHBIJOU – Almanac
BORN RUFFIANS – Crossed Wires
DIAMOND RINGS – No Ghost
SNAILHHOUSE – Cobbled From Dust
MEGAFAUN – Kindling To Cremation
WOODPIGEON – On The Line
CHAD VANGAALEN – I Made The Law

The Acorn North American Tour Dates:
September 15 | Halifax, NS @ St. Matthew’s United Church
September 16 | Fredericton, NB @ Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival
September17 | Sackville, NB @ Sackville City Fair
September21 | Cambridge, MA @ TT and The Bear’s *
September 23 | New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge *
September 24 | Brooklyn, NY @ Littlefields *
September 25 | Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie *
September 26 | Washington, DC @ DC9*
September 28 | Pontiac, MI @ Crofoot Ballroom*
September 29 | Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom *
September 30 | Chicago, IL @ Schubas *
October 1 | Minneapolois, MN @ Turf Club
October 2 | Madison, WI @ The Frequency
October 13 | Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo ++
October 14 | San Francisco, CA @ Cafe du Nord++
October 16 | Portland, OR @ Doug Fir ++
October 17 | Seattle, WA @ High Dive++
October 20 | Victoria, BC @ Lucky Bar++
October 21 | Vancouver, BC @ The Biltmore Cabaret ++
October 23 | Edmonton, AB @ Starlite Room++
October 24 | Calgary, AB @ Republik ++
October 25 | Saskatoon, SK @ Amigo’s ++
October 26 | Winnipeg, MB @ Park Theatre ++
October 27 | Thunder Bay, ON @ The Apollo ++
October 28 | Sault Ste Marie @ Loplop Lounge and Gallery ++
December 4 | Ottawa, ON @ Capital Music Hall++

* w/Basia Bulat
++ w/Leif Vollebekk

What people are saying about No Ghost:

The Acorn’s UK debut, ‘Glory Hope Mountain’, was one of 2008’s under-appreciated gems – a certain Guy Garvey thought so, naming it as one of his favourite LPs of that year. ‘No Ghost’ continues in the same glorious, uplifting vein. – NME

For anyone who fretted that Glory Hope Mountain might have been a beautiful fluke, No Ghost confirms The Acorn’s credentials, building thrillingly on the band’s ability to access a variety of moods and textures…There’s always been muscle in The Acorn’s music, now it’s simply more pronounced. – Uncut Magazine

The Acorn have easily bettered Glory Hope Mountain with No Ghost, but this is something that will not be fully realised with the first listen. It feels in some respects like an extension rather than a dramatic progession of their previous album, full of a sense of familiarity and welcome. Clocking in just over 37 minutes, there is also brevity here, which in a way is a good thing. There is no fat on this album, no useless gristle, just a collection of eleven well-honed, beautiful songs. – The Line Of Best Fit

…the album thrives on its warmth and intimacy, the airy harmonies and loose, unfussy jamming exuding an earthy coziness. It shows that, whether serenading a lover or cutting loose with a paisleytinged guitar jam, the Acorn has written the perfect soundtrack for your laid-back summer evenings. – Georgia Straight

Cynics might argue about the familiar sounds on No Ghost and may perhaps point to the absence of anything truly experimental like the West African rhythms of their previous albums. What they lack in originality, however, The Acorn make up for in non-pretentious songcraft; dynamic arrangements, affecting melodies and harmonies and tasteful production. One of the most understated and, in all likelihood, underrated gems of the year so far. – Drowned In Sound

The result is an earnest, yet loose, batch of dynamic tunes forming one of the cheeriest Acorn albums in years. – Exclaim!

PIERCED ARROWS ANNOUNCE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR THIS FALL MONTH LONG OUTING KICKS OFF IN MINNEAPOLIS ON SEPTEMBER 30th

VICE Records artists Pierced Arrows have announced an upcoming North American tour that begins September 30 at legendary club 7th St. Entry in Minneapolis, MN. The ex-Dead Moon veterans will play 21 dates across the US before closing out the tour in Weed, CA on October 23rd.

The jaunt comes in the wake of Pierced Arrows’ recent split 7″ with label mates Black Lips, released in July via Scion A/V. In keeping with the other releases in the Vice-curated Scion Garage 7″ series, both bands debuted new songs on the single. Pierced Arrows’ offering, “The Doorway”, is a keen demonstration of the raw, unbridled rock that collaborators Fred and Toody Cole have honed over their 30+ year career. Scion A/V also recently released the band’s first proper music video for “This is the Day” from their most recent full length Descending Shadows.

Tour Dates:
9/30/10 Minneapolis, MN 7th St. Entry
10/1/10 Milwaukee, WI Cactus Club
10/2/10 Chicago, IL Subterranean
10/3/10 Cleveland, OH Beachland Tavern
10/4/10 Rochester, NY The Bug Jar
10/5/10 Albany, NY Valentine’s
10/7/10 Brooklyn, NY Knitting Factory
10/8/10 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
10/9/10 Philadelphia, PA Kung Fu Necktie
10/10/10 Washington, DC DC9
10/12/10 Baltimore, MD Golden West Cafe
10/13/10 Pittsburgh, PA 31st Street Pub
10/14/10 Columbus, OH The Summit
10/15/10 Bloomington, IN The Video Saloon
10/16/10 Columbia, MO Mojo’s
10/17/10 Lawrence, KS Jackpot
10/19/10 Denver, CO Hi Dive
10/20/10 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge
10/21/10 Reno, NV Tonic Lounge
10/22/10 San Francisco, CA Rickshaw Stop
10/23/10 Weed, CA Black Butte Center for Railroad Culture

ESPERANZA SPALDING RECEIVES ACCLAIM FOR CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY

New Album #1 on iTunes and Amazon Jazz Charts;
More Tour Dates Announced

On August 17, the bassist/vocalist/composer/bandleader Esperanza Spalding released Chamber Music Society.

Chamber Music Society was recently reviewed in the New York Times and USA Today.

Chamber Music Society debut as the #1 Jazz Album on iTunes and has remained at #1 for 7 days since release, #65 iTunes Top 200 (Peak #46).

The album also debut on Amazon as the #1 Jazz Album, #25 in Top 100 Music (Peak #23), #29 Pop.

Chamber Music Society debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Heatseeker Chart, #2 on it’s Contemporary Jazz chart, and #3 Current Jazz Albums Chart, just behind Brian Wilson’s new Gershwin CD.

Chamber Music Society debuted at #1 on the CMJ Jazz chart

Look for Esperanza Spalding on SiriusXM’s Bob Edwards Show and Al Jazeera’s Riz Kkan Show.

Upcoming Chamber Music Society tour dates:

Sep 17th, 2010 – Grinnell, GA, Herrick Chapel
Sep 18th, 2010 – Des Moines, IA, Sheslow Auditorium
Sep 19th, 2010 – Stoughton, WI, Stoughton Opera House
Sep 21st & 22nd, 2010 – Minneapolis, MN. Dakota Jazz Club and Restaurant
Sep 23rd 2010 – Notre Dame, IN, Leighton Concert Hall – DeBartolo Center
Sep 24th 2010 – Charlotte, NC, Knight Theater
Sep 29th 2010 – Pittsburgh, PA, Byham Theater
Sep 30th 2010 – New York, NY, Jack H. Skirball Center for the Performing Arts
Oct 2nd 2010 – Boston, MA, Sanders Theatre
Oct 3rd 2010 – Washington, DC, Lincoln Theatre
Oct 7th 2010 – Santa Monica, CA, The Broad Stage
Oct 8th 2010 – San Luis Obispo, CA, Spanos Theatre
Oct 11th 2010 – Arcata, CA, Kate Buchanan Hall
Oct 24th 2010 – Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, Philharmonie de Luxembourg
Oct 27th 2010 – Amsterdam,Netherlands, Muziekgebouw
Oct 28th 2010 – Winterthur, Switzerland, Theaterhaus Gessnerallee Zurich
Oct 29th 2010 – Stockholm, Sweden, Stockholm Konserthuset
Nov 1st 2010 – Goteborg, Sweden, Goteborg Konserthus
Nov 2nd 2010 – Copenhagen, Denmark, Black Diamond
Nov 4th 2010 – Bergen, , Norway., Logen Theatre
Nov 5th 2010 – Oslo, Norway. Sentrum Scene
Nov 8th 2010 – Paris, France, Theatre De L’Atelier
Nov 10th 2010 – Geneve, Switzerland, Victoria Hall
Nov 13th 2010 – London, United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth Hall
Nov 14th 2010 – Rome, Italy, Sala Petrassi
Nov 17th 2010 – Madrid, Spain, Auditorio de Mostoles
Nov 19th 2010 – Zaragoza, Spain, Auditorio de Zaragoza
Nov 20th 2010 – Cartagena, Spain, TBA
Nov 21st 2010 – Granada, Spain, Teatro Isabel La Catolica
Dec 9th 2010 – Iowa City, IA – Englert Theatre
Dec 10th 2010 – Chicago, IL – Symphony Center
Dec 11th 2010 – Buffalo, NY – Buffalo State Performing Arts Center