BoDeans "Still" Going Strong

PR reports: Roots-rock group the BoDeans will be releasing their eighth studio album, "Still," on March 4th via their record label He & He LP, with distribution through Koch. The disc was produced by T-Bone Burnett and features 12 new tracks full of the heartfelt lyrics, passionate harmonies, and ringing guitars they have become known for. To support the album, a nationwide tour is being planned for spring.

Since their inception in 1983, the BoDeans have had eight albums in the Billboard Top 200 and multiple singles in the Top 40. They were named "Best New Band" by Rolling Stone magazine in 1987, and also gained national exposure by touring with U2 that same year. Their hit song "Closer To Free" became the theme to Fox's "Party Of Five" in the mid-'90s, and was one of the most played songs at radio in 1996. - more on this story

Idiot Pilot Get Two Sets on Taste of Chaos Tour

PR reports: This winter, Bellingham, WA-based atmospheric rock duo Idiot Pilot will join Avenged Sevenfold, Atreyu, Bullet For My Valentine, and Bless the Fall for the fourth annual [product name removed] Taste of Chaos tour. In an unprecedented move for the tour-- the only worldwide lifestyle festival of its kind-- Idiot Pilot will be performing two special sets each night in the venues' concourses

The [product name removed] Taste of Chaos tour is scheduled to hit 43 cities in the U.S. and Canada between February and April 2008, beginning February 29th in Denver, CO.

Idiot Pilot-- comprised of longtime friends Daniel Anderson and Michael Harris-- have been on the road since November touring in support of their second album for Reprise Records, Wolves, released digitally via online retailers October 2nd. The CD is being released in stores on February 12th. - more on this story

Revolver Was Originally To Be Recorded at Stax not Abbey Road

Gigwise reports: The Beatles originally intended to record their seminal 1966 album 'Revolver' in America, rather than the United Kingdom, it's been revealed.

The band were due to fly out to record at Mecca Stax studios in Memphis, Tennessee in April 1966, but cancelled the trip amid security concerns.

The album, which is heralded as one of music's greatest, was eventually recorded at Abbey Road studios in London. - more on this story

Five Times August Soph

PR reports: On March 18, Five Times August (aka 24-year old Dallas native Brad Skistimas) will release his sophomore album 'Brighter Side.' Written entirely by Skistimas, 'Brighter Side' brims with melodies that are pure acoustic singer/songwriter at the core. The first single "The Good Life" is a masterpiece of guitar-driven rock propelled by infectious hooks, tight arrangements and Skistimas' yearning, elastic voice which recalls Paul Westerberg's classic ache.

Five Times August has developed a massive national grassroots following through constant touring. In 2007, he toured over 8 months performing in 43 states. Completely self-booked, Brad greeted many of his 62,000+ My Space fans along the way. Plans are in the works for an extensive 2008 tour schedule.

While 'Brighter Side' will no doubt cause labels to take notice, Five Times August remains committed to independence: "I've had offers that many other unsigned acts would probably snag in a minute, but I'm doing so well on my own. Working independently is amazing and gratifying, and I'm very lucky to be leading the way for this new way of doing things." - more on this story

Gibson's Guide To The Essential Doors

antiMusic reports: This isn't news, but an interesting article covering the must have Doors albums. Here is the intro from Gibson.com followed by the link: Hard to imagine, but had he not died in that bathtub in Paris in 1971, Jim Morrison would be turning 65 this summer. In the years since the singer's untimely demise, interest in the Doors has waned at times, but invariably something comes along (a movie, a book) that kickstarts renewed fascination with the band.

During their five-year reign as America's premiere rock group, Ray Manzarek, Robbie Krieger, John Densmore, and Morrison released a series of albums that both embodied and transcended the turbulent spirit of the late '60s.

Working with a stylistic palette that ranged from avant-garde theater to primitive electric blues, the band framed Morrison's Dionysian attempts to "break on through" in music that was perfectly suited to the task at hand. The group's essential albums—as described at the following link—testify to the timeless nature of their songs. - more on this story

Tristan Prettyman CD and Tour

PR reports: Tristan Prettyman will hit the road in February along with G. Love & Special Sauce in support of her new album entitled Hello. The album will be released in March of 2008, on Virgin Records and is an appealing portrait of this freewheeling San Diego, CA, native as she narrates stories about her life, loves, and heartbreaks. "I really wanted the album to be a reflection of me," Prettyman says. "If someone were to say, 'Tell me about yourself,' I would just hand them a copy of Hello and say, 'Here, this is everything you need to know.'"

Now with Hello, Prettyman says she's "stepped it up a notch," chalking up the artistic leap between twentythree and Hello to the confidence that comes from incessant touring ("we were able to record pretty much everything live because I had toured for so long") and just the passage of time.

"I have grown so much in the last two years," she says. "I've gone through so many changes and I think the album definitely reflects that. It's more grown-up, and it just feels legit. I've never been more excited about anything in my life as I am with this record. It is so me." - more on this story

Girl in a Coma Head To Europe for Morrissey Tour

PR reports: Blackheart Records' Girl in a Coma will continue their lifelong dream when they open several dates for the legendary Morrissey in the UK and France over the next month. The trio from San Antonio were hand-picked by Morrissey to open his fall 2007 US tour, and he asked them to rejoin him in 2008. The upcoming dates will be the first live performances for the band overseas.

Before opening for the legend on his U.S. tour, the band was nervous that Morrissey fans might not respond kindly to the Girl in a Coma sound, but their fears were eased during the first show. "Morrissey fans are very critical about what they listen to," says drummer Phanie Diaz. "They could have easily blown us off as typical Moz fanatics... but they learned that we have our own sound, and have definitely given us support." - more on this story

Jane's Addiction Box

antiMusic reports: Jane's Addiction is long over and long past their one hit song, but their diehard fans can expect new releases from the band. Including a boxset which will include rarities and unreleased songs. Artisan News Service has the story:

At the end of 2006, JANE'S ADDICTION released its first-ever greatest-hits album, titled "Up From the Catacombs - The Best of Jane's Addiction", and according to the band's drummer, Stephen Perkins, who controls the "JANE'S ADDICTION audio vault," that was just the beginning of a three-part package the band plans on releasing for their fans.

"Well that was the beginning," he said. "It's a three-tier package. That's the first record. Later this year in 2008 there's going to be a box set with a bunch of unreleased weird things; really, a lot of it's coming from my home collection, and a lot of cool DVD stuff. We're going to take 'Soul Kiss' and 'Gift' and other things and put a DVD out. So, it's a whole, it's like a three-tier project. - more on this story

Dimebag Murder Book Googled

PR reports: MJS Music & Entertainment has uploaded A Vulgar Display Of Power (AVDOP) to Google Books. AVDOP is the true story behind the on-stage murders of Dimebag Darrell Abbott, Erin Halk, Jeffery "Mayhem" Thompson and Nathan Bray. This true story details the people and events leading up to the murders, including the killer's background and twisted motive.

AVDOP is the first authentic recount of the events and puts to rest all rumors and inaccuracies widely circulated online and hastily reported by the press.
Google Books works just like a web search, but within the contents of the text of a book. Readers can sample any section of AVDOP.

Author Chris A. says, "If I wrote this book for any one reason, it is to have the truth told. Google books is an amazing feature that helps get this done in a much bigger way than I ever dreamed. There are so many false reports of what really happened, that I find people are blown away when they read the truth. In July I met with Jerry Abbott, Dimebag's father, and he said it best: 'you told the truth!' Anyone who was involved can tell you the true details of this horrible event have not been told to the public. I can tell you first hand that this has been devastating to the family members of all who lost their lives that night." - read A Vulgar Display of Power on Google Books

Spin Mag Vs SPiN Band

PR reports: After several years of major East Coast success that included over 100 shows a year, the hardworking edgy Philadelphia based pop rock band SPiN was finally breaking through on a national level. The well-known national music monthly Spin magazine took notice—but not in the way the four musicians would have hoped. On January 3, the band received a letter from the attorney for the publication's parent company Spin Media, LLC, claiming that the name "SPiN" constitutes trademark infringement "of the famous and valuable" SPIN brand.

The letter claims that since the band SPiN is using the "SPIN mark" for music, there is a "strong likelihood of consumer confusion"; it says, "your clients' unauthorized use of the SPIN mark is likely to cause confusion, mistake or deception as to an affiliation, connection or association with Spin Media and its SPIN mark, and as to the origin, sponsorship or approval of your clients' goods and services."

Vocalist Jim Vacca says the band has worked too hard to build its name and reputation over the last few years to give into this ludicrous demand. Eager to fight the media company, SPiN is currently exploring its legal options. "Seriously, how is our use of the name 'spin' likely to cause confusion for anyone?" he adds. "You see a band play a show, is that a magazine performing onstage? I'm confused, am I reading a magazine or listening to a rock band on my ipod? C'mon! We're not calling ourselves Spin magazine or writing articles about music, and we're not music related media. We're just a rock band out here struggling to get our music career going. We finally caused a little ripple and got a small taste of success, and now this? We're not trying to hurt anyone or steal anyone's "famous and valuable" name. We're currently figuring out just how to fight this accusation without going futhur into debt in legal expenses." - more on this story

Unsigned Bands Get Used by Samsung

PR reports: The Samsung Mobile Unsigned Battle of the Bands gives unsigned musicians everywhere a chance to win a spot on the bill for the upcoming Rockstar Get a Life Tour, hitting college campuses in Spring 2008, featuring The Used and Straylight Run, $7,500 in cash and more.

Competitors in this virtual battle will create band profiles on the Unsigned Battle of the Bands web gallery by uploading MP3s, band, bios and photos. Then legions of fans and fans-to-be will vote for their favorite artists and decide which one of them will land this potentially career-making opportunity. Voters also have a chance to win a grand prize of $5,000 cash and a trip to catch the Get a Life Tour in the city of their choice as well as instant win prizes. - more on this story

Discover The Great Nostalgia Again

PR reports: The Great Nostalgia, the 1986 solo record by Frank Zappa's 1980 band vocalist/keyboardist Bob Harris, has just received its CD debut on Crossfire Publications. Originally self-released on Harris' Mastahna label, The Great Nostalgia has been expanded by six bonus tracks and has been remastered and/or remixed from the original session tapes.

The 1980 Zappa lineup with Bob Harris also included guitarists Steve Vai, Ray White and Ike Willis, keyboardist Tommy Mars, bassist Arthur Barrow and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta. When Zappa heard The Great Nostalgia in 1986, he loved the song "Ageless Love" and recommended it as the lead-off track. Bob Harris had already pressed the album and couldn't afford to redo it, but with Crossfire's reissue more than 21 years later, Bob has now taken the opportunity to follow Zappa's advice and present "Ageless Love" as the album opener. This presentation of "Ageless Love" includes violinist Jeremy Barber, who replaces Harris's keyboard emulation of that instrument. - more on this story

Crimson Glory Reissues

PR reports: Metal Mind Productions present re-release of two Crimson Glory albums: the self titled debut album and the follow-up "Transcendence".

Crimson Glory emerged on the 80's metal scene as quite a phenomenon, delivering a groundbreaking mixture of glam and power-metal, with a progressive twist to it. Their debut album "Crimson Glory" from 1986 has brought them a huge acclaim from the fans, to whom they would refer to as The Crimson Militia. The album's success was not surprising – the unique collaboration of heavy, yet melodic guitars, brilliant drumming and amazing vocals brought a true masterpiece onto the prog/metal soil. But the band did not rest after the release of their debut and immediately begun working on a follow-up. And so in 1989 Crimson Glory's finest achievement was born. "Transcendence" took almost two years to create, but the result was simply astounding. Crimson Glory managed to come up with an album that featured all the unique elements found in the debut and took them to the next level.

Both titles include a bonus track and will be available on the 4th February 2008 in Europe and on 15th April in US (via MVD). Classic material from Roadrunner Records archives in a new digipak edition, limited to numerated 2000 copies. Digitally remastered using 24-Bit process on golden disc. - tracklists

Sony's MusicPass

PR reports: SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT today announced the launch of Platinum MusicPass, a series of digital album cards that enable consumers to download full-length albums, and in many cases special bonus content, in the form of high-quality MP3 files.

The first 37 titles in the series, which represent musical genres ranging from Rock and Pop to R&B and Country, will debut on January 15th, 2008 and by the end of the month will be available at 4,500 retail outlets across the United States. In Canada, MusicPass will debut in late January of 2008. - more details and the release list

Metal Blade Ink Behemoth

Lambgoat reports: Metal Blade Records has officially signed Polish death metal/black metal outfit Behemoth to a North American recording contract. The group's last three releases were issued by Century Media Records in North America. Frontman Adam "Nergal" Darski comments:

"I have to honestly admit that we've never been more enthusiastic about the future. For last few years things have been moving forward for us like a storm and we decided to leave some secured territories and look for a new home for us. We needed something refreshing and challenging at the same time. Metal Blade and Nuclear Blast are two of the strongest and most influential labels in today's metal scene. Persistence and determination is what we have in common with both and I'm sure our future collaboration will forge a new, inspiring chapter in Behemoth's history. I simply can't wait to start working with these companies. We are proud and honored to be partnering with such greatly forward looking people. Expect big things to happen. Now only sky is the limit."

"At the same time I'd like to show my appreciation for all the years of hard work and dedication with our past labels: Century Media and Regain Records. I'm happy that throughout all those years we were not only business partners but also friends. I wish both nothing but success in the future." - more on this story

Lemmy for President

antiMusic reports: Newspapers are supposedly not biased and yet they endorse political candidates. Once you figure out how that squares, please let us know. A lot of music pubs like to push their political agenda. We don't do that since we don't have an agenda. Or at least a partisan political one. Our writers are all over the political map and no use alienating half of them and half of our readers in pointless partisan political posturing. We're a music site pure and simple. Why convolute things with politics that will piss off half of your readers?

However, if you are sick of the same old career politicians running for office promising "change" when they have spent their public life creating the problems they now say they can mysteriously fix, (even though they didn't when they had the power to do so in their other offices), we have a solution for this primary season. While you can't vote none-of-the-above, you can write-in a candidate, and if you can't in good conscience elect any of the official candidates, you can send a message and write in Lemmy Kilmister.

Let's face it, the only change you'll really get with candidates from either of the major parties this go around is the change you'll have left in your pocket after YOU finish paying for all of their campaign promises. So give 'em all the finger and vote for Lemmy! Imagine that inaugural address for a minute! So we just alienated everyone! Oh well. We couldn't be left out of making asinine political statements (ok, ours was intentionally asinine, so it doesn't fully count). But that's the end of our political statements this political year, back to the music. - more on this story

.... Sebastian Bach - Angel Down

Angel Down is a relentless metal record that slams together sounds of the old and the new schools. At 14 tracks it is too long. Relentless can become tiresome after half an hour. The actual meat of the record is firm and tasty. Like a decent steak from a dirty steakhouse. (3.5 stars) - Read the full Sebastian Bach - Angel Down review

.... Leiana - No Going Back

Leiana is the brainchild of front woman, Leiana and studio musician/pro-skater Chuck Treece. Leiana looks like a harder version of Liz Phair. Treece, has worked on a wide variety of project ranging from Bad Brains to Sting to his own band, McRad. (3 stars) - Read the full Leiana - No Going Back review

.... Hardingrock - Grimen

Many individuals seem to be under the impression that Hardingrock is an ultra heavy folk band, yet that's quite far away from this project's actual sound. Instead, the riffs resemble a strict Deep Purple like riffing structure without any soloing at all. - Read the full Hardingrock - Grimen review

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