Lissie Supporting Kravitz

PR reports: LA-based indie rocker Lissie has landed the support slot on the Lenny Kravitz tour, which kicks of January 17 in Los Angeles at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium and ends in New York City on February 1 at the Hammerstein Ballroom.

Lissie released a self-titled EP last year on her imprint label, Lionboy Records. The EP caught the attention of KCRW DJ Nic Harcourt and received airplay on his influential radio program "Morning Becomes Eclectic."

Currently, Lissie is working on her debut full-length album to be released later this year. In March, she will be appearing at SXSW as an official showcasing act. - more on this story

Hello Stranger Land the Foo Fighters Tour

PR reports: L.A.'s Hello Stranger will hit the road for a string of dates with the Foo Fighters and Against Me, beginning this month. A band constantly pushing their limits, Hello Stranger's sound combines elements of both rock and glam, mixed with a hefty dose of raw energy.

After years of touring in true indie DIY fashion, and occasionally supporting friends like Kings of Leon and Rooney on national tours, Hello Stranger are excited to finally get a rider and a proper sound check. But paying their dues has prepared the foursome for these shows where they will be playing tracks from their upcoming release.

The new record will follow the band's 2006 self-titled debut, a unique blend of folky-dance-rock, released on indie label Aeronaut Records. Hello Stranger are currently in the studio with producer Mike Elizondo (Maroon 5, Rilo Kiley, Fiona Apple), where the band's heavier side has started to emerge on tracks like "Big Boots" and "Gimme Back My Wig" -- songs with a power made for the stadium. - http://www.myspace.com/hellostrangermusic

Alice Cooper Heading Down Under

antiMusic reports: Alice Cooper guitarist Keri Kelly has checked in with some news about upcoming tour plans as well as NAMM appearances. Here is Keri: Just wanted to give you a quick update on this weekends NAMM show here in Orange County and some NEW Alice Cooper show Dates!

I will be at the good old NAMM show this Saturday the 19TH and have set up a few "Meet and Greets" They will be: Tone Pros Booth 11-Noon * Diamond Amplification Booth 2-4

Some really exciting news in regards to Coop dates. We are heading "Down Under" once again, also getting to Japan in which Alice hasn't been for I believe close to 20 Years! - dates

Chevelle and Finger Eleven Tour

Metal Underground reports: CHEVELLE has announced the first dates for its upcoming tour with Canadian act FINGER ELEVEN. The trek will kick off on February 19th in Flint, Michigan, with shows booked so far through mid-March.

CHEVELLE has toured with FINGER ELEVEN before but drummer Sam Loeffler [said] they're happy to hit the road with them again. "Even though we've done a couple of things together, it kind of worked really well and we all became friends, so yeah, we're gonna go out and do that again," he said. "We're gonna do some Canada stuff, which is good, 'cause we've only done a few Canada dates on this record cycle, so yeah, and then we'll do a bunch of U.S. dates and we'll keep looking at stuff as it comes up for the summer."

CHEVELLE is touring in support of its 2007 album, "Vena Sera", which features current single "I Get It" and the newly issued "The Fad". - dates

Bad Brains Vinyl Box

Punknews.org reports: Bad Brains have announced plans to release a new seven-inch vinyl box set.

The release is expected in the early spring and follows the band's post-reunion full length, Build a Nation.

Last year, the band also saw the release of their Omega Sessions on vinyl. - more on this story

Dimmu Borgir, Behemoth and Keep Of Kalessin To Tour North America

Metal Underground reports: Renowned melodic black metal band, DIMMU BORGIR, will be returning to North America as part of "The Invaluable Darkness Tour Part 2 – Legions Of The Chosen Few," headlining run with Poland's Behemoth and fellow countrymen, Keep Of Kalessin.

The 24-show trek will launch on April 2nd in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and will end on May 4th in Chicago.

Drummer Tony Laureano will continue to handle drum duties, as the 2007 injury suffered by Hellhammer still has him sidelined. - dates

RIAA Hire FBI Agent to Battle Piracy

Variety reports: A former FBI special agent will head up the recording industry's antipiracy fight in the western U.S., the RIAA announced.

In addition to spearheading RIAA's own efforts against bootleggers, Kathy Leodler, a 23-year FBI veteran most recently assigned as acting chief of the bureau's San Diego office, will "assist law enforcement authorities engaged in music piracy investigations," org said.

"The work includes investigations into music theft both in traditional physical form and also online." - more on this story

Someone Bugging Simon Cowell

Contact Music reports: AMERICAN IDOL judge SIMON COWELL is at the centre of a police investigation after he discovered his TV set had been bugged. Police were called to the Palace Theatre in Manchester, England, after the music mogul spotted the high-tech listening device in the corner of the room.

The star was using the hotel to audition members of the public for his forthcoming U.K.-based reality TV contest Britain's Got Talent. It is now feared Cowell, and his fellow judges, journalist Piers Morgan and actress Amanda Holden, were the target of an underground betting ring trying to glean information about possible winners through their private conversations.

Cowell says, "I am absolutely shocked that someone tried to bug me. It is incredible the lengths some people will go to to try and get inside information about myself and the other judges. - more on this story

Hanne Hukkelberg Soph

PR reports: Following mainstream praise for her debut release Little Things, Norwegian singer Hanne Hukkelberg is set to release her sophomore album Rykestrasse 68 in early March.

Rykestrasse 68 is a collaboration of songs inspired by Hukkelberg's 6-month stint in Berlin where she wrote and recorded an eclectic masterpiece of ambitious lyrics and soulful sounds.

With an early release to iTunes, Rykestrasse 68 has been received exceptionally well from the indie scene and is of The WireÂ's top 50 records of 2007. Hanne Hukkelberg has earned comparison to the great Billie Holiday and is sure to become a household name in itself with the release of Rykestrasse 68. - Video for "A Cheater's Armoury"

Spin Doctor Plans School Benefit

PR reports: The Richard Rodgers school, namesake of Richard Rodgers of Rodgers and Hammerstein, has a long-standing tradition of excellence in the performing rights. Rodgers actually attended the school from 1912-1916, and rumor has it that it was the only school he ever graduated from. Unfortunately, the school, also known as PS166, found itself on the short-end of arts-oriented educational funding. Fortunately for them, Chris Barron, known around the world as the lead singer for the Spin Doctors, is also a PS166 parent. Having heard of his school's efforts to maintain one of the best music programs in the city, Barron and PS166 staff organized the PS166 ROCKS benefit, to take place February 7 at the school.

All proceeds from the event will benefit the PS 166 music program in an effort to raise money to purchase guitars for the students. The guitars, which are a great teaching tool for the basis of musical knowledge and understanding of rhythm and harmony, are also the type of instrument that students can make immediate progress with, further encouraging them to in their musical learning. Tickets for the event are reserved seating only, and can be purchased online at http://ps166.org/benefit/. The benefit is an all ages event and promises to be a rare and exciting evening, featuring one of New York City's best known musical exports, Chris Barron. - more on this story

The Epochs Debut

PR reports: On February 19th, Brooklyn's The Epochs will release their self-titled debut LP through The Rebel Group. For brothers Ryan & Hays Holladay, the craft of songwriting has always been closely linked with the recording process. Along with drummer Kotchy and bassist Kevin Smith, The Epochs (pronounced "ee-poks") have created a sprawling record that cuts no corners in production quality or arrangement.

From the bombastic electronics on "Opposite Sides", to the seething orchestration and manipulated guitar of "Mouths To Feed", to the playful rhythms of "Giving Tree", The Epochs never stops in one place long enough to be pigeonholed.

It's the diversity of The Epochs that turned heads when they took the stage with Girl Talk at SXSW and has allowed them to share the stage with artists ranging from The Walkmen and Tokyo Police Club to Lady Sovereign and Spank Rock. Stay tuned for winter tour dates with Mobius Band. All of our New York friends can catch The Epochs at the Mercury Lounge on February 12th. - Watch The Video For "Love Complete"

The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Plan US Invasion

UMe reports: The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards have embarked on a 61 date US tour in support of Spirit of the Glen, available in stores and online 02/12/2008.

The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards is Scotland's senior regiment and her only regular cavalry. The band members, as well as being trained musicians, are all Army soldiers who crew tanks.

The album, both Scots and classical tunes, is a tribute to the dedication and talent of this group of military pipers. While they are first and foremost soldiers, the music on Spirit of the Glen is a heart-warming and beautiful demonstration of the incredibly powerful and emotive sound of bagpipe music. - more on this story

Sandrine is Coming

PR reports: Australian singer/songwriter Sandrine is set to make her North American debut with Dark Fades Into The Light, out April 1, 2008 on Nettwerk Records.

Produced by Malcolm Burn (Patti Smith, Emmylou Harris, Rachael Yamagata), Dark Fades Into The Light is an intimate blend of melodies that incorporate elements of classic sixties pop with contemporary neo-soul.

The daughter of a minister, Sandrine began performing at the early age of 6, when her father organized the family into a Christian music group. They toured New Zealand, selling homemade CDs from the side of the stage. It wasn't until her rebellious teenage years when she was working as waitress in a local cafe that she was exposed to mainstream music; the first record someone gave her was the Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers, and she was forever changed. She immediately picked up a guitar and started writing. - more on this story

Saving Abel Kick off Tour with Days of the New

PR reports: In preparation for the March 11 release of their self-titled major label debut from Virgin Records, southern rockers Saving Abel will hit the road with Days of The New. The tour launches January 17 in Charlotte, North Carolina and hits eight cities before wrapping up January 30 in Atlanta.

Saving Abel will be touring behind their gangbuster single "Addicted," which recently received Top New Artist kudos from Clear Channel Radio. The band wrote the infectious, sexually charged anthem for their 2006 self-released CD, but it didn't stay underground for long; in no time, radio stations across the country embraced the undeniable, hook-laden tune. - dates

Dr. Manhattan Set Release and Get Warped

PR reports: Dr. Manhattan announces a March 11, 2008 release date for their self-titled debut Vagrant release. The four-piece from Lake County, IL recorded the eleven-track set last summer at the I.V. Lab studios in Chicago with Jon Alvin producing.

The lead track from Dr. Manhattan,"Big Chomper, Big Chomper," can be heard on their MySpace page and was just filmed live for the band's first video.

Dr. Manhattan has been selected to play on the second half of the Vans Warped Tour this summer and was the inaugural subject of Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman's feature on new, up-and-coming acts; "Kevin Wants You To Know." - http://www.myspace.com/drmanhattan

Kingston Trio Revisited

PR reports: In Collectors' Choice Music's quest to become the reissue home of folk legends the Kingston Trio, the label is readying two live CDs from the group's final live tour in 1966. The label will reissue Once Upon a Time, recorded live at the Sahara Tahoe in Lake Tahoe, Nevada in 1966. And as a bonus for Kingston fans, Collectors' Choice has assembled a previously unreleased sequel to Once Upon a Time called Twice Upon a Time. The two will be released on January 29, 2008.

Once Upon a Time contains all 20 songs from the original double vinyl LP. Twice Upon a Time adds an additional 18 previously unreleased live songs to the mix, plus a never-before-seen video of Bob Dylan's composition "Tomorrow Is a Long Time."

Originally intended as the parting vinyl shot from their farewell tour, yet shelved until 1969, Once Upon a Time was issued on the small, now-defunct Tetragrammaton label - more on this story

.... Lonn Friend: On Loving and Being Loved

I get lost so easily in this space. Stay on theme, nutty professor. Writing has long been a metaphor for my life. Moments of chaos, moments of clarity, fear and love in constant, Tolkein-esque battle, fairy tale real. - Read the full On Loving and Being Loved op/ed

.... Merciless Death - Evil in the Night

From Canyon Country, California, Merciless Death comes with 100 percent thrash. The band sounds like old school thrash from the 1980s and obviously influenced by such bands as Death Angel, Vio-Lence, and Exodus. - Read the full Merciless Death - Evil in the Night review

.... The Royal Wylds - Babylon

The Royal Wylds are a garage type band straight out of Brooklyn NY and in 2007 they released the first sample of their product in a 6 song E.P. entitled Babylon. The group specializes in a hopped up blues folk type music with a kind of 60's feel. (2.5 stars) - Read the full The Royal Wylds - Babylon review

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