Nick Cave Headlining Plug Independent Music Awards

PR reports: The Plug Independent Music Awards will be headlined by the legendary NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS. This year's show--taking place at Terminal 5 in New York on March 6--will see the esteemed band join previously announced performers St. Vincent and Jose Gonzalez and host Patton Oswalt.

PLUG co-founder Gerry Hart says, "Having Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds perform at PLUG has been a dream of ours since Amaechi (Uzoigwe, co-founder) and I started PLUG." Additionally, seminal U.K.-based rapper and Mercury Prize winner DIZZEE RASCAL--whose Maths and English LP is nominated for "Best Hip Hop Album"--has been confirmed to perform.

The PLUG AWARDS were founded to highlight outstanding accomplishments within the independent music community, and has been exemplified by (Australian Recording Industry Hall of Fame inductee) Nick Cave 's rich history and influence upon the music landscape. In addition to performing, Cave will accept the 2008 PLUG Impact Award which honors his influence on the independent music community through his exceptional work and career. Last year's Impact Award was presented to Stephen Malkmus (Pavement, Silver Jews and solo career). - more on this story including webcast info

Steve Winwood Gets Dirty with Clapton

PR reports: Steve Winwood has released the first single, "Dirty City" (featuring Eric Clapton), from his upcoming album Nine Lives, due in stores on April 29, 2008.

Fans will have the opportunity to personally interact with the legendary rocker through the "Leave A Message For Steve Winwood Mobile Contest", where supporters will be able to leave voicemail for Winwood, and one lucky winner will receive a personal phone call in return.

Be sure to check out Steve Winwood's official website (http://www.stevewinwood.com) starting Monday, February 25th, for an exclusive "Dirty City" video clip, and furthermore, for a chance to pre-order Nine Lives. Winwood will also be appearing with his former Blind Faith band-mate Clapton on-stage at New York City's Madison Square Garden for three sold-out performances on February 25th, 26th and 28th. - Check out Dirty City here

The Explosions in Your Pants Tour

PR reports: The Explosions in Your Pants Tour will be hitting the East Coast this April with headliners Mayday Parade (Fearless Records) and supporting artists My American Heart (Warcon Records) and The Graduate (IconMes).

This tour will begin in Florida, Mayday Parade's home state, and continue up the coast ending at The Bamboozle Festival in New Jersey.

This year continues to be a big year for Mayday Parade as their new album A Lesson in Romantics sells 50,000 copies and remained on the Billboard Heatseeker Chart for over 12 weeks straight. - dates

The Grande Mothers Tour

PR reports: The Grande Mothers, featuring former members of Frank Zappa's Mothers Of Invention, are alive and well and playing a series of selected concerts in Great Britain in March 2007.

In recent years the Grande Mothers have performed to wildly enthusiastic audiences in the US and Canada and plan to bring their special blend of musical mayhem to the British shores.

The Grande Mothers, showcasing the talents of Zappa alumni, Napoleon Murphy Brock (lead vocals, tenor sax, woodwinds and choreography), Don Preston (vocals, keyboards and transformations), and Roy Estrada (vocals, bass and pachuco falsetto), along with musicians Chris Garcia (drums, percussion and vocals) and Miroslav Tadic (electric guitar and all the difficult Zappa licks) promise a night of thorough entertainment, featuring virtuosic playing, bizarre humor and the performance of many Zappa/Mothers beloved compositions; not only re-creating the music as was originally written and produced, but also breathing new life into it as well! Get ready to hear such Zappa penned classics as I Am The Slime, Muffin Man, Florentine Pogen, Andy, Trouble Everyday, Village Of The Sun and many, many more. - more on this story

When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Sh*t Gold Tour

PR reports: If five releases from Atmosphere in less than a year doesn't have you already convinced that Minneapolis' Slug and Ant are the hardest working men in the biz, 19 North American tour dates through April and May across the US and Canada should set the record straight.

In addition to the three Sad Clown EPs and free full length digital release, Strictly Leakage, Atmosphere will be touring in support of their sixth upcoming studio full length, When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold (April 22nd, Rhymesayers).

Atmosphere's notoriously energy driven and sold-out shows have brought the band to New Zealand, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Europe in years past and this round they'll be premiering new material to North America fans first. - dates

The New Century in April

PR reports: Prosthetic Records is proud to announce the addition of Pennsylvania-based CENTURY to the label's roster. Boasting a forward-thinking approach to heavy music, the band has already garnered critical praise from 2006's 'Faith and Failure' and plans to release its latest effort, the concept-based 'Black Ocean' April 29 worldwide, and a day prior in Europe.

Currently being mastered by Kim Rosen at West West Side Music in New York, a completed version of the title track from 'Black Ocean' and the album's cover art are available on CENTURY's MySpace page. Two years in the making, and with the pending release of 'Black Ocean,' CENTURY frontman Carson Slovak says, "Black Ocean is being released? On Prosthetic Records? Well that's great!"

In conjunction with the release of Black Ocean, CENTURY is launching a special album website. The interactive full-flash site will feature exclusive content, including hidden features and a bonus track only accessible by solving a code found in the album's artwork. The website will be officially launched April 28 along with the album's release. - more on this story

The Kooks North America

PR reports: Having debuted their new songs at a handful of over-packed, sweaty shows in Los Angeles, Toronto and New York, along with a performance on Conan OBrien, The Kooks return has been met with rabid enthusiasm.

The band have now announced they will return to the US this Spring for their biggest US Tour to date in support of their sophomore album KONK, out on April 15th through Astralwerks.

Spring 2008 US Tour Dates
May 18th San Diego, CA House of Blues all ages
May 19th Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern all ages
May 22nd San Francisco, CA The Fillmore all ages
May 24th Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom 19 & over - more on this story

Spring Break 08 Tour

PR reports: Spring Break '08 will be making its way across the nation this spring with The Audition (Victory Records), Hit The Lights (Triple Crown), Every Avenue (Fearless Records), The Morning Light (Fearless Records), and Kiros (Torque Records). This tour will kick off March 18 in Charlotte, NC and end in Joplin, MO mid April.

On January 22, 2008 tour headliners, The Audition, released their much anticipated second album titled Champion which charted in the Billboard Top 200 its first week.

Hailing from Marysville, MI. Every Avenue is already starting to create a buzz with their debut full length album, Shh. Just Go With It.

Fearless Records newest artist, The Morning Light will also be supporting Spring Break 08 as they travel the US promoting their upcoming EP, The Sounds of Love, which is set for release March 4, 2008. - more on this story

Health Kick Off Tour

PR reports: Los Angeles noise rockers HEALTH are back on the road today sharing a bill with Toronto's electronic glitch stars Crystal Castles for a massive joint tour of North America.

After releasing their breakthrough debut LP last year on Lovepump United, HEALTH have seen some great feats but 2008 is their year of global conquest.

02/26 Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick*
02/27 Chicago, IL @ The Abbey Pub*
02/28 Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Club*
02/29 Winnipeg, MB @ Pyramid Cabaret*
- more dates

ASHES dIVIDE YouTube Pt IV

PR reports: ASHES dIVIDE have just released the fourth cluster of video clips to their official YouTube channel. On these new clips you'll find Billy Howerdel talking to Matt Pinfield about his collaboration with Maynard James Keenan on A Perfect Circle and working with Concrete Blonde's Johnette Napolitano and former NIN and Tapeworm guitarist Danny Lohner on the forthcoming ASHES dIVIDE album Keep Telling Myself It's Alright.

Also expect contributions from Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle, The Vandals), Matt Skiba (Alkaline Trio), Paz Lenchantin (A Perfect Circle) and Maynard James Keenan's son, Devo, on cello.

The first single, "The Stone," is currently available on iTunes with the album following on April 8th. Check out all the clips - here

The Salvador Santana Band CD Coming This Week

PR reports: The Salvador Santana Band (SSB), featuring bandleader, vocalist, composer & keyboardist Salvador Santana, is set to release its debut full-length album SSB on February 26. The musically and lyrically charged disc, for which Salvador Santana also served as Album Producer, comes out on the artist's VBE imprint with distribution through Tsunami Label Group. From the bracing rhythms of the opening track "Oh Yea Yeah" through "Why Yo," a politically-skewed dancehall track featuring Asdru Sierra of Ozomatli on lead vocal and trumpet, SSB pulses with a fresh, high-spirited sonic fusion of conscious hip-hop, rock, funk, R&B and Latin sounds.

Leading with innovation and seamless interplay, the Salvador Santana Band make an original and confident debut with SSB. Other stand-outs include the irrepressible "Summer's Day," co-written and produced by DJ Nu-Mark (Jurassic 5) and the slinky "Imacallya," co-written by Ryan Tedder of One Republic. Another collaboration, the bravura "Me & U," features a searing guitar solo from Salvador's father, legendary musician Carlos Santana (it was co-written by SSB and Andy Vargas of the Santana Band). Highlights also include the beat-heavy and wordplay dense "Hella Tight," the sultry flow of "In My Dreams" and the group's hot, funky cover of "Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)."

The Salvador Santana Band will be touring in support of their debut album SSB beginning with a date in Santa Cruz, CA on February 28. Upcoming festival performances include SXSW in Austin, TX and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. - more on this story

Who is the Woman in the Gene Simmons sex tape?

PR reports: POPBOX.TV presents a BACKLINE investigative report. Who is the Woman in the Gene Simmons sex tape? When the Gene Simmons sex tape leaked online this week - news sites and blogs were quick to ask - Who is the Woman in the video?

Most people quickly concluded she was one of the spokesmodels for Frank's Energy Drink when Gene was up in Toronto, Canada late last year on a promotional tour. Legal representatives for Mr. Simmons were quick to issue a cease and desist letter stating the woman is soft core porn star Traci Anna Koval and the video was actually shot five years ago.

But speculation as to whether it's really one of the Frank's Energy Drink models continues to run rampant on the net. Watch the BACKLINE investigative report and you decide. - The uncensored report is here

From Face to Face to Melancholics Anonymous

PR reports: Melancholics Anonymous is 11 brand new songs from the Face to Face vocalist Trever Keith and is now available as a digital-only release at Trever's official site http://treverkeith.com .

It's available to stream in its entirety for free and to download for just $5. As for the sound, the album makes a clean break with Trever's musical past with thick ominous electronic textures and stripped down acoustic guitars, but the melody, passion and intensity that were signatures of Face to Face certainly remain with Keith's honest post-punk sensibilities.

"This picks up where Ignorance is Bliss left off" says Keith. Ignorance is Bliss is Face To Face's 1998 powerful indie rock album that marked a controversial departure from their signature So Cal punk sound and took on the indie rock influences of such bands as The Smiths, The Cure, Fugazi etc. - Grab an mp3 here

Half Hours With the Lower Creatures in May

PR reports: Portland, Oregon's Rachel Taylor Brown will celebrate the release of her latest full-length, "Half Hours with the Lower Creatures," (Cutthroat Pop Records) on May 6, 2008.

"Half Hours with the Lower Creatures," recorded with Portland audio guru and Jackpot! Studio mainstay, Jeff Stuart Saltzman (Stephen Malkmus, Menomena, Sleater-Kinney), is a piano-based creep-pop album. Though hard to describe, names that come up are Rufus Wainwright, P.J. Harvey, Kate Bush, and "Frankenixon (Sword of Exactly) conjoined with Charles Ives and Benjamin Britten." Rachel Taylor Brown's complex, polyphonic arrangements also conjure comparisons to Elliott Smith, Sufjan Stevens, Jeff Lynne, Laura Nyro and The Beatles/George Martin, and smart/poignant lyrics bring to mind Randy Newman.

The title of Brown's new album, "Half Hours With the Lower Creatures," comes from a 1918 marine biology textbook she picked up at one of her favorite bookstores. The title and its implicit declaration of species superiority was the perfect umbrella for a collection of songs about the centuries-old, tragic-comedy of human desire to be king, and to rule over something, anything. - more on this story

.... DevilDriver - The Last Kind Words

Every music critic eventually experiences the occasional eating of words- it is that rare moment when a supposedly accepted critical opinion is blown clear out of the water. Such is the case with DevilDriver's barnstorming The Last Kind Words. - Read the full DevilDriver - The Last Kind Words review

.... What's He Building In There?

Definitely not something for the typical listener of metal or hardcore, but definitely for anyone who is a fan of Mike Patton, or just plain Mr. Bungle. A mix of melodic hardcore with some real eccentricity placed throughout. (4 stars) - Read the full What's He Building In There? review

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