New Song From New Kids Despite Reunion Denial

antiMusic reports: Reunion and denials of reunions. It looks like the middle aged boyband New Kids on the Block are in fact planning to reunite. And they have posted a new song on their website. Hecklerspray has the story:

Despite a confusing denial of the reunion on New Kid Danny Wood's MySpace page - a brand-new New Kids On The Block song has appeared on the band's website. According to People:

The song (its name isn't revealed) plays over a promotional video for the band that says the Kids once had it all – a $1 billion in album sales, millions of fans, with music that "influenced a generation" – but then "walked away from it all." The video next teases the comeback, asking: "Are you ready?" - more on this story

Ruben Studdard Vs Peachez

TMZ reports: Fallen "Idol" Ruben Studdard can barely find a place to sing for his supper these days, and now he's suing a concert promoter called Peachez Inc., and he's asking for more than lunch money!

In a lawsuit filed in New York Supreme Court, the "Idol" star wants $45,000 from Peachez, alleging breach of contract. The Dallas-based company describes itself as "a specialty marketing company" with clients in the "entertainment industry."

We've called Ruben's lawyers and Peachez, but so far, we haven't gotten a response. - more on this story

Chuck Billy Joins The Longest Walk

PR reports: Chuck Billy, lead singer of legendary thrash metal band Testament and proud member of the Pomo Indian Tribe will be performing at the Longest Walk Kickoff Concert on Saturday, February 9. The concert begins at 5:00PM at the Eastside Cultural Center in Oakland, CA. Chuck Billy will be performing alongside his brother Andy and 2006 Native American GRAMMY & NAMA recipient Star Nayea.

The Longest Walk Kickoff Concert will also feature performances by 7th Generation Rise, Blackhorse Blues Band, Jeremy Goodfeather, and others TBA. Tickets range in price from $25-$40.

The concert is a benefit for the Longest Walk 2, which kicks off on Monday, February 11. The Longest Walk 2 is being organized and led by American Indian Movement co-founder Dennis J. Banks. Participants will embark on a 5 month journey across America walking over 4,400 miles to Washington, D.C. arriving on July 11, 2008. It is an extraordinary grassroots effort on a national level to bring attention to the environmental disharmony of Mother Earth. For more information on the Longest Walk 2, visit - www.longestwalk.org

Nemesea Too Sick To Tour

antiMusic reports: BW&BK posted the following statement from Nemesea about their change in tour plans: We are very sorry to inform you that Nemesea has to cancel all gigs in February. Manda has been struggling with flues, colds and laryngitis since December which have resulted in a serious infection on her vocal chords.

After a gig or rehearsal Manda's voice isn't recovering fast enough. Doing a tour now could mean serious physical damage. This means she has to take a break for a month to get well and regain strength.

In March we'll go and see the E.N.T-specialist again and will find out what the results will be but we have lots of confidence that everything will be alright then. From that moment on we'll be playing again, better than ever. - more on this story

Britney Being Treated for Mental Illness

TMZ reports: Multiple sources tell TMZ Britney has seen numerous doctors. We know that she's seen a new psychiatrist who has come to her home every day this week and that she's on medication to treat her bipolar disease. We also know doctors have indeed concluded she suffers from bipolarity. [Thought for the day: Much did the Stalkerazi contribute to her condition?]

Britney has seen doctors who have been referred by other doctors, plus doctors who have been referred by celebrities Britney knows, and doctors referred by her lawyers, family and friends. We're told the process has been excruciating for her, partly because her disease is severe.

Sources tell slightly different stories about the efficacy of the medication. A friend says when Britney takes her medicine she is like "a different person -- normal and sweet." But she takes her meds for a while and then feels as if she can live without it -- so she stops taking them -- and her condition quickly deteriorates. But a professional tells TMZ flatly, "The medication just isn't working." - more on this story

Fellini Inspires The B-52s

PR reports: "Juliet of the Spirits" a song on The B-52s upcoming album 'Funplex' (3/25, Astralwerks), was inspired by the surreal 1965 Frederico Fellini film of the same name. According to vocalist Kate Pierson the band turned to the Italian auteur's masterpiece "for lyrical inspiration, since his movies have always been an influence on our look and our hair!" The protagonist Juliet is a stifled housewife who finds her own independence with the help of a free-spirited neighbor and her own philandering husband. Here, Pierson, Fred Schneider, Keith Strickland and Cindy Wilson use their own dynamic wordplay, rousing melodies and unmistakable harmonies to create this standout song:

"Juliet I can feel your glow / Of passions ready to explode / Secrets you've kept should all be told / Like blossoms ready to unfold / Juliet you're not afraid anymore / Juliet- Juliet I'm not afraid anymore"

Recorded in their native Athens, GA with producer Steve Osbourne (New Order, Happy Mondays, Doves, KT Tunstall), 'Funplex' is The B-52s first studio album in 16 years. Check out "Juliet of the Spirits" in the February 10th episode of Showtime's The L Word. The album will be in stores on March 25th. The B-52's first single in a really long time is out now on - iTunes. (It is the song "Funplex," not "Juliet of the Spirits")

Murder By Death Fuego!

PR reports: Murder By Death have posted "Fuego!," the first new track from their forthcoming Vagrant full-length, Red of Tooth and Claw (3/4/08), on MySpace. The band also announced the Fuego! EP, which will be available through all digital music providers on February 12, 2008. The EP includes the title track along with a live version of "My Baby Shot Me Down" and an extended version of "Theme (for Ennio Morricone)."

Murder By Death rolled out of the gates fully realized in 2000, playing a blend of rocking Americana noir and dramatic post-punk. And with their fourth album and Vagrant debut, Red Of Tooth And Claw, the Bloomington, Indiana, quartet are emerging as cinematic storytellers and players whose jaw-dropping performances on record make you yearn for the chance to experience their energy up close and in person.

The band is currently at home in Bloomington, readying for their previously announced tour with Clutch. The tour kicks off with a two-night stay at Middle East in Cambridge, MA on Feb 21 and 22, and currently wraps a month later in Raleigh, NC. - Grab dates and the preview here

Blue Mountain Begin New CD

PR reports: On the heels of their successful reunion tour that commenced in the summer and fall of 2007 and fifteen years after their first release, seminal Americana band BLUE MOUNTAIN will go into Elmwood Recording in Dallas, TX, with Grammy-winning producer/engineer Stuart Sikes (Cat Power, White Stripes, Loretta Lynn) to record a full-length CD of new material tentatively scheduled for release in June of 2008. The band will also release at that same time a self-produced CD of new recordings of their old material that was recorded by Andrew Ratcliff at Tweed Recording in Oxford, MS.

Blue Mountain was formed in 1993 in Oxford, MS, by former husband and wife Laurie Stirratt (bass, vocals) and Cary Hudson (guitar, vocals) with Matt Brennan on drums, later replaced by Frank Coutch. Coutch accompanied Stirratt and Hudson the recent tour and will join them in the studio next month. - more on this story

Omnium Gatherum Begin New CD, Announce New Member

PR reports: Omnium Gatherum will begin to record the fourth magnum opus extravaganza in March and this time the album will be done in three different studios; recordings will be done at Sound Supreme Studios by Janne Saksa and at SouthEastSounds by Teemu Aalto and the mixing and mastering will be done at legendary Unisound Studio at Örebro, Sweden by Dan Swanö (Nightingale, ex-Edge Of Sanity, Bloodbath, etc.) who's produced the albums for Opeth, Katatonia and Dissection, for example. So, we could say that we're really enthusiastic about this, surprise! First time the album composing process have been really easy task and this pure fresh spirit can really be heard from the songs. The next level have been entered, so beware folks — autumn 2008 will be time for The OG Invasion!"

Omnium Gatherum last year parted ways with bassist Janne Markkanen and replaced him with Eerik Purdon (Crystal Blaze, Amoral).

The band's latest album, "Stuck Here on Snakes Way", entered the Finnish chart at position No. 31. The CD, which was released on 2nd April, 2007 via Candlelight Records (one day later in North America), was recorded during November-December 2006 at Southeast Studios in Karhula, Finland with producer Teemu Aalto. An eight-minute video clip documenting the recording sessions for the album has been posted online at this location. Check out audio samples on the band's - MySpace page.

30 Seconds to Greenland

PR reports: "A Beautiful Lie," the title track and current single from 30 Seconds to Mars ' platinum album, marks the first music video ever shot 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle in Greenland. It is the third in a series of short films featuring songs from the band's 2005 album. (The previous two were "The Kill" and "From Yesterday," which was the first American music video shot in the People's Republic of China); both were directed by Bartholomew Cubbins.

"A Beautiful Lie" directed by Angakok Panipaq premieres January 30th in an array of countries including the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, Spain, Sweden and Denmark through a never before seen global Myspace exclusive event. This will be followed by a multi-channel and online media blitz.

"Shooting in Greenland was a dream come true and one of the most exciting adventures we've ever had as a band," says 30 Seconds to Mars lead vocalist Jared Leto. "Although incredibly challenging and at times it seemed just out of our reach, once we finally arrived the beauty and magnificence of the terrain, the wonderful culture of the people, and the amazing journey itself were all inspiring beyond belief. Almost everyone has heard of global warming by now but for the people of Greenland it is a real and tangible problem of today, not an issue of tomorrow. This journey changed our lives. We hope that with this film and new website we can share, in some small way, this incredible experience with our family of friends and fans around the world."
- Video is here

Daylight Dies Finishing CD, Touring with Candlemass

PR reports: North Carolina-based metallers Daylight Dies have issued the following update: "The end of the recording sessions for our new album, 'Lost to the Living', draws near. Barre [Gambling, guitar] and Egan [O'Rourke, bass] worked solid hammering out the clean guitar and bass guitar the past few weeks and Egan finished up his clean vocal duties a few days ago as well.

"Atmospherics such as subtle keys are also finished, leaving only a few bowed bass sections and Nathan's [Ellis] vocals remaining. Shortly after we'll send the material to Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios in Sweden who will spend about eight days mixing and mastering the material.

"We expect final dates and details regarding the CANDLEMASS tour in May/June to trickle in soon. As soon as we hear anything new, we'll pass that along." - the first string of dates

Metalmania Side Stage Announced

PR reports: The 22nd edition of Metalmania, the biggest metal fest in Central-Eastern Europe, will take place on 8th March 2008 in Spodek Hall in Katowice, Poland. Stolen Babies, the US band, will headline the side stage of the Festival!

The festival starts at 9.30 am on the side stage with the performances of two Polish acts: Carrion and Pandemonium. Followed by sets from Wrust, Izegrim, Non-Divine, Demonical, Drone, Mortal Sin, October File, Evile and then the headline set from Stolen Babies.

The main stage will feature sets from Megadeth (headliner), Dillinger Escape Plan, Satyricon, Overkill, Vader, Immolation, Artillery, Flotsam And Jetsam, Marduk, Primordial, Inside You, and Poison The Well - More info on the fest

Black Dahlia Murder on The Rise of Black Metal

antiMusic reports: Thrashpit's Billy Gamble recently spoke with Black Dahlia Murder bassist Bart Williams about the band's latest CD, Nocturnal, as well as the rise of death metal, changes within the band, touring, joining the group and more. Here is an excerpt from the new interview:

Thrashpit: Nocturnal is a lot more Satanic than past Black Dahlia Murder, was black metal a big influence on that record?

Bart: Oh for sure. We all like Dissection. Trevor and I really like the new Watain record. I don't get into all the black metal but there's definitely a chunk I like. Trevor also wanted to do more traditional metal lyrics about goblins, monsters, Satan, all that stuff. So a natural choice for a dark record, we wanted a dark record and Satan is pretty dark. I think Trevor really went out of his way to make sure the lyrics were on point. I think he did a good job. I'm stoked off the themes.

Thrashpit: Do you think death metal is becoming what nu-metal was in the 90s?

Bart: I hope not. There's always going to be something that is going to be the new thing. I don't know that's a good question. We have to wait and see what happens. There are a lot of kids getting into extreme music right now, especially bands like Job for a Cowboy opening up the doorway to younger fans. The test will be if those metal fans will stick around or if they'll just move to the next thing. Right now metal is bigger than ever, especially death metal and extreme metal in general, and for us it's awesome. We're happy about it. Hopefully it'll last, but if it doesn't we'll keep doing what we're doing. - Read the entire interview

.... Road Trip: Jazzy Dusseldorf!

Kevin visited Dusseldorf during its annual jazz rally to find out just why it's so easy to go head-over-heels for the city. Every May Burgplatz and the surrounding area come alive when dozens of performers and thousands of fans converge for the Dusseldorf Jazz Rally. - Read the full Jazzy Dusseldorf! Road Trip article

.... The Chubbies - Official Greatest Hits

The Chubbies produced some garage pop that is low on the tech side of things but high on the quality of the songwriting. A whole bunch of people loved the band, snapping up their 12" and 7"'s like M&Ms (4 stars) - Read the full The Chubbies - Official Greatest Hits review

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