Minus the Bear's Top Albums of 2007

Filter reports: Minus the Bear have been keeping it cool this year with the release of their third LP, Planet of Ice.

And in these last couple of days before the new year, the Seattlites are still cool, but are also very thoughtful.

The guys have contributed their top 10 list for the year in alphabetical order and have also thrown in some memorable honorable mentions. Never ones to leave anyone out, except of course, for those bears.

Minus the Bear's Top 10 of 2007:

Battles, Mirrored (Warp)
Caribou, Andorra (Merge)
Feist, The Reminder (Interscope)
The Field, From Here We Go To Sublime (Kompakt Germany)
R. Kelly, Double Up (Jive)
- the other half of the list

After Forever Temp

antiMusic reports: The show must go on. After Forever have announced that unlike other bands that would pull the plug on a gig if one of their members got sick, they will carry on with a little help from a friend. Blabbermouth has the story:

Dutch female-fronted symphonic metal band AFTER FOREVER has tapped Koen Romeijn from the Dutch metal act DETONATION to handle the "growling" vocals during the group's December 28, 2007 concert at P3, Purmerend, The Netherlands.

Koen will be filling in for regular AFTER FOREVER guitarist/vocalist Sander Gommans, who is currently taking a break from live activities and undergroing medical tests after recently suffering a seizure. - more on this story

Poison the Well Tour

Punknews.org reports: Poison the Well have announced more dates for their upcoming run with Dance Gavin Dance, which will commence in early 2008.

Joining them on most dates of the tour will be the Locust, with the Chariot taking their place on some dates. While this may be confusing, try to keep up with us here:

According to the information on Poison the Well's MySpace page, the Locust will appear 1/17-2/02, 2/07 and 2/13, while the Chariot will appear 2/04-2/06, 2/12 and 2/17-2/22.

January 16, 2008 Metarie, LA The Higher Ground
January 17, 2008 Houston, TX Warehouse Live
January 18, 2008 Dallas, TX The Door
January 19, 2008 San Antonio, TX White Rabbit
January 21, 2008 Tempe, AZ The Clubhouse
January 22, 2008 W. Hollywood, CA The Troubadour - more on this story

Fergie Getting Hitched

Contact Music reports: BLACK EYED PEAS star FERGIE is to wed her boyfriend of three years, JOSH DUHAMEL.

The Transformers actor, 35, proposed to the 32-year-old singer "recently", according to Duhamel's publicist Ruth Bernstein – but not on Christmas Day (25Dec07).

Bernstein refused to elaborate further on the details of the couple's engagement. - more on this story

Bloodlined Calligraphy Lose Their Voice

Lambgoat reports: Singer Ellen Hoffman has parted ways with Bloodlined Calligraphy, whom she joined a little more than a year ago. Hoffman explains:

"I gave my heart, soul, passion, energy, and life for the past year into something I believed in, something that showed me the country, taught me important and huge lessons, something that drug me through the thickest mud ever, but something that gave me memories and the knowledge of the lives I had been able to reach and change for the better to cling to. Something that shaped me into the better person I am today, with the help from my creator above.

But my journey in Bloodlined Calligraphy has come to a nice close. Sometimes you just have to 'know when to hold 'em, and know when to fold 'em', heh. But so I don't have to repeat my reasons a hundred times to everyone that asks: I quit due to personal reasons and stuff beyond my control.
- more on this story

Saxon Coming to US with Al Atkins

BW&BK reports: Singer AL ATKINS (THE HOLY RAGE, ex-JUDAS PRIEST) has checked in with the following update:

It looks set to be a great start for the band in the 2008 with our first gig at The Knitting Factory in Hollywood, California on the 4th of January playing alongside GRAHAM BONNET and the TAZ TAYLOR BAND and also USA band IMAGIKA.

We kick off a six week UK and European Tour in March again with Graham Bonnet and then in June we go back to USA for an East Coast tour with SAXON. I will keep you all posted on that. Thanks everyone for your support." - more on this story

Joe Dolan RIP

BBC reports: The well-known Irish singer and entertainer Joe Dolan has died at the Mater private hospital in Dublin.

The 64-year-old took ill at his home in Foxrock on Christmas night and died just after 3pm on Boxing Day from a suspected brain hemorrhage.

From Mullingar in Westmeath, he was best known for hits such as Good Looking Woman and Make Me an Island. - more on this story

Suffocation 08 Tour Plans

Metal Underground reports: New York death metal legends SUFFOCATION have lined up the following initial tour dates for 2008:

February 23 - Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
July 18 - Detroit, MI @ Harpo's
July 19 - Mokena, IL @ The Pearl Room
July 20 - Urbana, IL @ The Canopy Club (Central Illinois Metalfest)
- more dates

.... Review:Blake Lewis - Audio Day Dream

Lewis demonstrates his versatility. Along with his beatbox sounds are well crafted songs with catchy tunes and intelligent lyrics. Maroon 5 fans will want to hear what Blake Lewis has to offer. (4 stars) - Read the full Blake Lewis - Audio Day Dream review

.... Review:Wait Think Fast

Wait Think Fast infuriates me because she reminds me, nay, shoves into my face, the blistering inequity of the music world in general, and women's "place" in the music world in particular. When It Comes To Wait Think Fast, Don't Wait, Buy Fast (4.5 stars) - Read the full Wait Think Fast review

.... Review:Lizzy Borden - Appointment with Death

Appointment with Death isn't a sign of Lizzy Borden achieving absolute perfection, but mere goodness instead; they just wanted a kickass record, which is exactly what emerges here. - Read the full Lizzy Borden - Appointment with Death review

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