Atlanta's Nashville Pussy Recording New CD in Austin

Metal Underground reports: Atlanta's NASHVILLE PUSSY has issued the following update: "So, we made it down to Austin to record our new album! We're out at Willie Nelson's studio layin' down some rockin tracks!

"The crew at the studio really know their shit and everything's sounding huge! It's beautiful out here and despite how hard we're working, rather relaxing. We're staying right on a lake and we've also seen a bunch of wildlife just in the two days we've been here; deer, owls, vultures, rabbits, opposums, and other vermin!

"It's nice to be somewhat isolated from the city so we can really focus and make a bad-ass record. ANOTHER bad-ass record, I mean. And...don't forget, girls and boys, that we're hitting the road in a couple weeks when we're done layin down some tracks. Coming to a city near you!" - more metal news

Cult Of Luna Finish New CD

PR reports: Cult Of Luna have posted a message up on their official website proclaiming the completion of the recording process for their new, as of yet untitled album scheduled for release later this year:

"The recording of our new album is now finished and we have started the mixing process. Album title and release date are not yet confirmed but expect news about that soon."

Having completed 8 songs during their time in the studio, the new material will see the band attempt to adapt their sound, welcoming a harsher and more primal element to their already complex approach.

The new, currently untitled CULT OF LUNA album is expected for a June U.K release and a July release in the U.S. - more on this story

Rush Plan New CD

Billboard reports: Canadian power-rock trio RUSH hopes to start work on a new studio album next year, but will serve up a double helping of live material before then.

First up, on April 15th, is Snakes & Arrows Live,"which features such rarities as 'Circumstances' and 'Entre Nous', tunes the band had never performed on stage before last year.

The CD comes from a show last October at the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam, and video footage will appear on a DVD scheduled for the late summer or early fall, said guitarist Alex Lifeson. - more on this story

Bangkok Five Touring with Bobaflex

ABC reports: The Bangkok Five will be heading out on the U.S. concert trail with Bobaflex starting May 1 in New Port Richey, FL in support of their WE LOVE WHAT KILLS US sophomore album.

WE LOVE WHAT KILLS US--which was originally due out May 13--will now be released on June 10 on Long Live Crime Records (distributed by MRI/Red). The album marks the first time the band will release music in two languages: five songs in English and the same five songs in Spanish.

It's the follow-up to the band's 2006 debut, WHO'S GONNA TAKE US ALIVE? (Universal). The first single from that album, "Spread Eagle," hit # 1 on several tastemaker indie rock radio stations across the country, leading to tours of Europe, Canada and the U.S. with bands such as Hot Hot Heat, The Cult, The Stooges, The Bronx, Buckcherry, (International) Noise Conspiracy and Papa Roach. - dates

Charlotte Sometimes Wonders How I Could Just Kill A Man

antiMusic reports: Charlotte Sometimes may just come out of nowhere to be the next sensation. We'll have to see about that but we were given a little taste of her debut album, Waves and the Both of Us, which hits stores on May 6th, and were intrigued with the inspiration she drew from the lyrics to Cypress Hill's "How I Could Just Kill A Man". We're told this is pretty indicative of her overall style. Before we get to the preview track her is a like bit about her:

Charlotte Sometimes' enchanting debut full-length, Waves and the Both of Us, is a product of insomnia, airplanes, and bodies of water, not to mention countless hours of daydreaming to the mesmerizing sounds of Billie Holiday, the Everly Brothers, Jeff Buckley, and Fiona Apple, among others.

From a children's book, she borrowed the name of a precocious boarding school student who finds herself transported 40 years into the past, into the body of another girl. This curiously dark story of time-travel and interchangeable identities, written in 1969 by Penelope Farmer, captivated Charlotte and embedded inside her restless mind the inspiration for detailing her own exploits, into that tentative space between confrontation and escape. The idea that you could actually be someone else—that people often did adopt alter egos, depending on the circumstance—fascinated her. An allusion to the year to which Farmer's protagonist travels, the title isn't so much an overt reference to the book as it is a recognition of the fact every one of us is stuck somewhere, trying to be someone else, or at least play the role of one of our personalities. Also named for one of its songs ("Waves and the Both of Us"), the record tells a story of the currents that pass through our lives, some more uplifting or traumatic than others, Charlotte says. "It's about all the different waves that live inside my head and heart, and how they affect others, myself, and the person I want or pretend to be." - Grab a listen to "How I Could Just Kill A Man"

Bad Boy Band Records Helps Atlantic Make History

antiMusic reports: Diddy, or whatever silly name he is calling himself this week, has come a long way since getting his start standing around in other people's videos. He's now leading the decline in popular music as demonstrated with back to back No 1 albums coming out of his hip-pop manufacturing plant- Bad Boy Band Records. While we look upon this development in horror about its impact on the future of music, Atlantic Records Group seem a bit excited about it, as clearly shown by the following hype release:

The Atlantic Records Group scores a major chart triumph this week, with four albums ranking in the top ten on the SoundScan/Billboard 200, a feat last accomplished by the company in 1994. In addition, this marks the first time in over 25 years that Atlantic has had three out of the top five albums in the country. The spectacular #1 debut of the self-titled first album from "DAY26" marks the second week in a row that Bad Boy Records has taken the top spot – following last week's history-making #1 debut by the sophomore album from Danity Kane, "WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE," which ranks at #4 this week. According to Billboard, "DAY26" marks the 61st #1 album on the Billboard 200 for the Atlantic family – dating back to Cream's "WHEELS OF FIRE" exactly 40 years ago.

Panic At The Disco scores a fantastic #2 debut with their eagerly awaited second Decaydance/Fueled By Ramen album, "PRETTY. ODD." Rounding out the foursome at #9 is Flo Rida's PoeBoy/Atlantic debut, "MAIL ON SUNDAY." In addition, following its rush-release last week due to online leaks, Gnarls Barkley's acclaimed second Downtown/Atlantic album, "THE ODD COUPLE," jumps into the #12 spot. - more on this story

Akimbo Nix Tour

Lambgoat reports: Akimbo has been forced to cancel their upcoming West Coast tour, which was to kick off later this month. Here's the official word from the band:

"It is with great shame and anguish that harken to thee, bearing tragic news. Turbonegro has cancelled their April west coast tour, and therefore we must do the same.

"We love all of you people, but frankly there just aren't enough of you for us to headline The Great American Music Hall." - more metal news

Clarkson and Three Graces For the Pope

PR reports: Decca Recording artist Three Graces is now confirmed to be among the top performers of the historic visit of Pope Bernedict XVI to New York this April. Along with superstar Kelly Clarkson, as well as Third Day and Toby Mack, Three Graces will be special musical guests at The Papal Youth Rally to be held on the grounds of St. Joseph's Seminary Chapel on Saturday, April 19th.

The date also marks the third anniversary of the Papacy of Pope Benedict XVI. Of their participation in the event, Three Graces comment, "We are honored and thrilled to be included in Pope Benedict's visit to New York, the city which we call home. We hope to give the performance of a lifetime." - more on this story

Cobra Starship Spawn Newest Pitchdork Friendly Tween Sensation: This Is Ivy League

PR reports: Don't be surprised when you see screaming girls at the Knitting Factory in NYC on April 14th when This Is Ivy League (Alex Suarez and Ryland Blackinton) performs an all ages show for its ever-growing throng of young enthusiasts in celebration of the release of its debut self-titled album on Twentyseven Records.

For a band compared to classic acts such as Simon & Garfunkel and Belle & Sebastian, it may seem unusual for the duo to have so many tween fans. Certainly many of the band's young supporters have arrived by way of Suarez and Blackinton's main vocation as bassist and guitarist for pop sensation Cobra Starship which has amassed some 10,000,000 MySpace plays on the heels of numerous MTV appearances.

Fans of This Is Ivy League can now revel in the perfect-pop that is the duo's first long player which features the mega smash hit song "London Bridges". - more on this story

The Bridges To Pop in June

PR reports: On June 10, Verve Forecast will release 'Limits Of The Sky,' the debut album by sibling power-pop group The Bridges. Recorded in Los Angeles, and produced by Matthew Sweet, the album showcases the band's original, indelible songs and shimmering, sunny harmonies. Guaranteed to thaw winter's chill, tunes like "All the Words" "Pieces" and "One I Love" play like a summer mix-tape for a long road trip.

That story is truly a family affair. Comprised of four siblings - Natalie Byrd (keys, acoustic guitar and vocals), Jeremy Byrd (drums), Stacey Byrd (guitar and vocals), Isaaca Byrd (bass and vocals) - and one cousin, Brittany Painter (lead vocals), the group ranges in age from seventeen to twenty-four. Though they live in small-town Alabama, and were home-schooled, garage sale LP discoveries by the likes of Fleetwood Mac and The Mamas and The Papas, opened a new world to The Bridges, and set them on a quest to write the perfect pop song. 'Limits of the Sky' shows how far these wunderkinds have already come. - more on this story

G. Love and Prettyman Clean Beach Tour

PR reports: Get ready to kick off your shoes and help "heel" a beach this summer. Between May and August 2008, the Barefoot Wine Beach Rescue Project, in partnership with the Surfrider Foundation - a grassroots, non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world's oceans, waves and beaches will embark on their second annual tour to help rescue, renew and restore four new beaches.

Each year, over 25,000 beaches in the United States are closed or posted as unhealthy. To help remedy this, local residents are encouraged to volunteer at cleanup and restoration events across the country to make these beaches "barefoot-friendly." This year, hip-hop/blues musician G. Love (front man of G. Love & Special Sauce) and singer-songwriter and guitarist Tristan Prettyman will join volunteers on the beach and perform live at special celebrations that follow each beach rescue. Prettyman will perform songs from her upcoming album Hello at all four events. She will be joined by G. Love at the 2008 kick-off event in Montauk, N.Y., scheduled for May 31.

"Having grown up in San Diego, I spent most of my time at the beach and can't imagine what life would be like without the surf and sand," said Prettyman. "I'm excited to volunteer and share my music with people who take the time to give back to their communities." - more on this story

The Infamous Stringdusters Soph

PR reports: When The Infamous Stringdusters comes out June 10 on Sugar Hill Records, some may assume from the title that it's a debut recording. Those already aware of the Stringdusters phenomenon will know differently: that 2007's Fork in the Road was the album that boldly introduced this daring, disciplined band to the world of bluegrass and a wider world of music enthusiasts who heard it and decided: 'if that's bluegrass, then I love bluegrass.' Fork in the Road was named Album of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association. Its title track was named Song of the Year, and the band itself earned the honor of best emerging artist in a competitive field. It was a stunning cap to an amazing 2007.

Yet The Infamous Stringdusters feels like an introduction of a sort. Whereas Fork in the Road was made during their first potent months together, the new CD represents all the band has become during two years of intense touring, meticulous woodshedding and brotherly jamming. It's their first record with accomplished guitarist Andy Falco, whose blues-infused licks and stunning virtuosity has added a new facet to the band's musical personality. It's the first with the band's dream producer Tim O'Brien, a Grammy-winning musician who has pioneered and embodied the progressive school of roots and bluegrass that underlies the Stringdusters sound. And of course it's the first with these songs - nine band originals supplemented by a few carefully chosen tunes from colleagues in the acoustic music community.
- more on this story

The Acacia Strain Preview

PR reports: The Acacia Strain have posted a pre-production song entitled "Dr. Doom" from the band's forthcoming record 'Continent' on the band's MySpace page.

Currently scheduled for release later this year, the band will head into the studio April 13 with producer Zeuss (Hatebreed, Shadows Fall, Municipal Waste) at Planet Z studio.

Pre-production for 'Continent' has been completed and THE ACACIA STRAIN has again tapped artist Paul Romano (Mastodon, The Red Chord, Trivium), who handled the artwork for the band's previous release, 'The Dead Walk,' which saw a June 2006 release via Prosthetic Records. - Go visit Dr. Doom here

Mel Tillis Albums Stuttering Back To Stores

PR reports: Mel Tillis has charted more than 100 hits as a performer and songwriter, starred in half a dozen movies, and became one of the few country artists to figure out the business side of the music business. Some of the biggest hits of his career were created during his tenure at Elektra Records (1979-82). And now, three long-out-of-print Elektra albums — Me and Pepper (1979), Your Body Is an Outlaw (1980) and Southern Rain (1981) — will be made available as remastered CDs on Collectors' Choice Music on April 29, 2008. Liner notes were written by Grammy Award-winning musicologist Colin Escott.

Tillis was born in Tampa, Fla. during the Great Depression. He began stuttering at age three, but soon discovered he didn't stutter when he sang. After spending
1951-55 in the Air Force, he headed to Nashville to begin his musical career. Singers, of course, had to talk between songs in live shows, but Tillis' stuttering soon became part of his act. In 1957, he signed to Columbia and later recorded for MGM.

Two decades later, in 1979, Tillis celebrated a No. 1 country record with "Coca Cola Cowboy" just as his MCA Records contract was coming to a close. He followed longtime producer Jimmy Bowen from MCA to Elektra Records. - more on this story

Wait, Skeleton

PR reports: One year after releasing his third full-length effort A Cork Tale Wake, the most widely praised album of his surprisingly short career (and the best selling record of any artist on Quite Scientific to date!), Chris Bathgate has returned with a brand new six song EP entitled Wait, Skeleton.

Recording for the Wait, Skeleton. was split between Evolution Helmet studios in Michigan and Jim Roll's Backseat Productions (where the entirety of A Cork Tale Wake was tracked). It will be available digitally on April 8th (Next week!), and in a limited edition hand-made hardcover book format on April 22nd as the second installment of the Quite Scientific Art-Book series. Only 250 total copies will be available for purchase of the hardcover format, which can be bought through the Quite Scientific webstore and a limited number of independent retailers. - more on this story

.... Skindred - Roots Rock Riot

Skindred is a band trying desperately to put their stamp on the metal/hard rock scene and give the mainstream something different to listen too. The group has came up with their innovative sound by combining a hardcore reggae singer with equally hardcore punk metal musicians. (3.5 stars) - Read the full Skindred - Roots Rock Riot review

.... The Johns - Wanna Dance

The Johns make snotty, largely unpleasant music. Johnny Pizzolato sings these ten songs like a teenager who's had one too many Dr. Pepper. What's worse, this CD sounds like it was recorded in mono. The mix is that muddy. - Read the full The Johns - Wanna Dance review

.... Voodooshock - Marie's Sister's Garden

While many doom bands today are content in playing a sort of feedback pissing contest with one another, Voodooshock focus instead on writing good songs first and heavy songs second. - Read the full Voodooshock - Marie's Sister's Garden review

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