F**ked Up Plans

The band also announced most of their summer tour plans. The band will spend the majority of the summer months in Europe though they did promise some yet-to-be-determined U.S West Coast dates. - dates be here

Dear Life Added To The Acacia Strain Tour

Black and White reports: Hacienda Heights, CA hardcore quintet Dear Life has just announced that they will be joining The Acacia Strain's current tour starting this weekend.

Dear Life will be joining the tour in support of their highly anticipated debut album Framework that will be released on June 24 on Uprising Records.

The album was produced by Roger Camero (The Warriors, No Motiv) and was mixed and mastered by Paul Miner (New Found Glory, Thrice, Atreyu). - more on this story

Martha and the Muffins Revisited

PR reports: After 25 years, the wait for the reissue of Martha and the Muffins ' Danseparc is over. Stockhausen collides with punk funk in an aural collage of rhythm and found sound as the second most fan requested Martha and the Muffins album gets officially reissued and digitally re-mastered 25 years after its 1983 vinyl debut.

The fourth album from the Muffins canon, the second of three production collaborations by the now legendary and critically acclaimed producer Daniel Lanois (U2, Peter Gabriel), Danseparc will be reissued by Cherry Red for the very first time on CD in the UK and Europe on Monday 4th August 2008.

The digitally remastered 25th Anniversary edition of Danseparc will be the first of two major releases from the Muffins this year. In November, the band will release their brand new studio album Delicate, mixed by David Bottrill (Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, Tool). - more on this story

Alice Cooper's Killer Concept Album Details

Kayos reports: There are only a handful of rock artists that have proven to be as enduring and influential as Alice Cooper has over the years. Name just about any hard rock artist, and they've probably borrowed a thing or two from Alice. And on his latest studio recording, 'Along Came A Spider' (issued via SPV Records on July 29), Alice has returned with a concept album with a sinister streak.

'A dark and menacing album for dark and menacing times' is perhaps the most fitting description for Alice's 25th studio album overall, as a chilling conceptual thread runs through the songs, which are told through the voice of a serial killer named Spider - one that Alice describes as "an arachnophobic psychopath" (in the song "Catch Me If You Can"). Alice, the master storyteller, weaves a web of danger, intrigue and death that rivals his best work.

Co-produced by Danny Saber, Greg Hampton and Alice himself, 'Along Came A Spider' manages to marry both vintage and modern day Alice. As theatrical as ever, the album is a sonic combination of familiar Alice musical elements from albums as diverse as 'Billion Dollar Babies' and 'Brutal Planet,' with the storytelling of "Welcome To My Nightmare," capturing the historic dark side of Alice in peak form, an instantly recognizable presence that will be welcomed by his fans. - a lot more info and tour dates

Marillion Somewhere on DVD

MVD reports: Marillion's Somewhere In London DVD will hit stores on 08/05. Marillion are one of the UK music scene's best kept secrets; purveyors of soulful, powerful, and often deeply-moving music, whose blistering live shows leave their audiences breathless. This concert film puts YOU in the crowd, filmed over the final 2 nights of Marillion's 'Somewhere Else' album tour at the London Forum in June 2007.

This special 2 DVD Extended Edition includes a feature-length concert film, plus an extra disc of the remaining songs played during the 2 nights at the Forum, plus a featurette of competition winners' visit to an exclusive tour rehearsal from Marillion's Racket Club studio.

Also included are 4 surround sound mixes of 'Somewhere Else' album tracks. Directed and edited by Tim Sidwell, the soundtrack is presented in both stereo and 5.1 surround sound, mixed by Michael Hunter
- what about bonus stuff? That 411 is here

Fiddy Not Allowed To Sell Burnt Crib

TMZ reports: A judge has just told 50 Cent he can't sell, unload or otherwise get rid of what used to be his $2 million crib in Long Island -- not until they figure out what caused the fire.

The rapper has also been ordered to put any insurance money he gets from the toasted house in a trust account until his fight with ex-GF Shaniqua Tompkins is resolved.

When we caught up with her after the hearing, baby mama Tompkins maintained that the house was still hers, but didn't go so far as to blame Fiddy for the fire.
- Watch TMZ's video with Tompkins

Eddy Grant Gonna Rock Down To Electric Ave on Tour and with new Hits CD

PR reports: Eddy Grant has entered into an exclusive licensing arrangement with Universal Music Enterprises for the distribution of that catalogue so fans may access those recordings as he returns to the stage. The Reparation World Tour reaches the U.S. August 1-28 and October 2-30. The first album to be issued under the deal is The Very Best Of Eddy Grant – The Road To Reparation (Mercury/UMe), released July 8, 2008.

Spanning his solo career from 1979 to 2005--from his second album, Walking On Sunshine, to his latest, Reparation--the collection includes 11 classic tracks selected by Grant himself. Notable among them are his two biggest hits in the U.S. (the #2 pop "Electric Avenue" and Top 30 pop "Romancing The Stone") and three U.K. Top 10s ("Gimme Hope Jo'Anna," "Do You Feel My Love" and #1 "I Don't Wanna Dance). - more on this story

Back Door Slam Digital EP

PR reports: Back Door Slam, the young "back to the future" blues-rock band from the Isle of Man, have been connecting with fans across America through 200 live shows, national television and radio appearances (Jimmy Kimmel Live, CBS Early Show, NPR's World Café), a Top 3 CD on Billboard's Blues chart and a full summer tour schedule. Starting today, a bundled EP, including a video and four exclusive bonus tracks that showcase the electrifying young band's sound live, are available on the iTunes Store (www.iTunes.com) for $3.99.

Captured during recent live performances, the four bonus songs are John Hiatt's "Ridin' with the King," Jimi Hendrix' "Red House," Robert Cray's blues classic "Back Door Slam," (from which the band took their name) and the Doors' "Been Down So Long." The video—of the song "It'll All Come Around"—was shot and edited by the band's record producer Dave Armstrong. Back Door Slam's Blix Street Records debut CD, ROLL AWAY, was released last summer.

The group is currently on a nationwide tour of the U.S., which includes upcoming appearances at the popular Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland, the Jackson Hole Jazz & Heritage Festival, the Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival and an encore appearance at the Austin City Limits Festival. - more on this story

First Authorized Heart Book Coming Out Sometime This Month

PR reports: First Authorized Book on Female Rock Legend HEART Hits Stores in June, 08. This month, ECW Press is proud to announce the retail release of 'Heart: In the Studio'.

Written by biographer Jake Brown (and sometime antiMusic columnist), with exclusive interview contributions from Heart principles Ann and Nancy Wilson, fellow band members, as well as all of the group's producers, chronicling the behind-the-scenes story of the hit-making process which produced such classic-and-pop-rock staples as 'Magic Man,' 'Crazy On You', 'Barracuda', 'Straight On,' 'These Dreams, 'Alone', 'All I Wanna Do (Is Make Love to You)', and countless others over 3 decades and 30 million+ albums sold.

Heart is still beloved by rock fans worldwide, and this summer is co-headlining a tour with fellow classic-rock legend Journey, as well as working on material for a new studio album, due in 2009, in time with the band's rumored pending-induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. To learn more about this exciting title or place a review request, please visit - www.myspace.com/heartinthestudiobook

Air Supply For Kids

PR reports: Even as he travels the globe on tour again this summer with Russell Hitchcock, the other half of his famed 80s hitmaking duo Air Supply, singer/songwriter Graham Russell is looking forward to the fall debut of "Petalbump," his exciting new children's musical that features six new songs, 30 cast members (all but two of whom are children), an incredible light show, a full orchestra and performers from the children's dance company Vibe.

The world premiere of "Petalbump" is scheduled to run for five shows October 27-31 at The Rose Wagner Theatre in Salt Lake City, Utah. The 500-seat opera house is located at 138 W. Broadway. Russell envisions these performances as the first of many different productions of his show that will take place in various cities throughout the U.S.

Originally conceived as a ballet, Petalbump has been refashioned to also include elements of hip-hop, ballroom and other styles of dancing. Two of the participating dancers from Vibe recently won the national title for Under-14 Ballroom Dancing on ABC-TV's "Dancing With The Stars." Russell co-wrote some of the classically oriented music for the show with Jed Moss, longtime keyboardist with Air Supply who is also a concert pianist with the Utah Symphony and Ballet West. - I'm all out of lines.. read more here

Morgan Heritage Tour

PR reports: One of the most influential reggae bands of today, Morgan Heritage, have announced a concert tour in support of their 10th album, Mission In Progress. The tour will kick off on June 18th in Los Angeles, CA.

Renowned worldwide for their riveting live shows from the reggae circuit to the WARPed Tour, Morgan Heritage is sure to bring the power of their stage performance to the cities they plan to hit throughout both the United States and Canada. Their US tour comes on the heels of the group's massively successful tour of Africa, where they were welcomed by the President of Gambia and played to crowds of 40,000 people in Senegal. - more on this story

Timmy Curran Surfing for Fans

PR reports:
Three years ago, Timmy Curran was busy perfecting "The Flip" on his surfboard - A full rotation, upside-down flip he became famous for after landing it in two-foot surf at Rocky Point in Hawaii during the winter of 2005. Curran is considered by many a pioneer of surfing's "Aerial Revolution" of the 1990's.

Fast forward to 2008, Curran is still a professional surfer, although he has decided to take some time off from competing. Along with surfing, he's now doing what he's always dreamt of doing: becoming a musician...a touring musician who's hit the road with Foo Fighters, Switchfoot and Eisley over the course of the last year. Timmy Curran's debut album Word Of Mouth will be released July 22nd on Adeline Records.

Timmy is playing a handful of West Coast shows with The Beautiful Girls at the end of June and will then head out for an acoustic tour of Surf Shops around the country (See below). More dates to be announced soon. Stay tuned for the premiere of his debut video for the first single "Blue Eyes." - more on this story

Innerpartysystem Debut Coming in Sept

PR reports: Innerpartysystem was introduced to the world last fall 2007 with The Download EP, a six-song batch of self-recorded demos – including "Don't Stop" – that pointed the way to their self-titled debut, scheduled to arrive in stores on September 9th on Island Records.

The album release caps Innerpartysystem's non-stop summer tour grid, which began several weeks ago on fellow Island group ASHES dIVIDE's first tour ever, the band formed by lead guitarist, singer and songwriter Billy Howerdel (of A Perfect Circle). On June 23rd, IPS kicks off a dozen UK club and festival shows (with one side trip to Düsseldorf), their second visit across the pond. - more on this story

Asia Featuring The Guy That Took The Place Of The Guy That Sang All The Hits USO Show

antiMusic reports: What's with this silliness of calling Jurassic rock bands by their name and adding "featuring" to it? Something to think about as you ponder this news about Asia featuring the guy that took the place of the guy that sang all the hits (John Wetton for those keeping score). We wouldn't have made an issue of this had they not tagged on that stupid "featuring". Here is the PR

Classic prog rock, hitmaking band ASIA Featuring John Payne will perform at the upcoming Concert for the Troops to celebrate Independence Day on July 4, 2008. The event will be held at the Los Angeles Sports Arena from 4-9PM and will be full of surprises, including military flyovers, and over 1500 uniformed men and women on the concert floor as Los Angeles celebrates those who serve our country. A spectacular fireworks show will follow the event. The concert will be recorded and will be shown overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan. - more on this story

Dutch Stadium Folkers Hospital Bombers Returning To US

PR reports: Hospital Bombers are an indie band from Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The three guys and one girl play Stadium Folk, as they like to call it. Their debut album was released by Excelsior Recordings in December 2007 and received rave reviews in the low countries.

The band are returning for their second US visit within a four month period, where they previously did a small tour prior to their performance at SXSW in Austin TX.

The Dutch will return to perform at NXNE in Toronto, Canada. Hospital Bombers will also play in New York City (June 10 - Lit Lounge), Cleveland, Boston (June 15) and again in New York City (June 17 - Piano's).
- more on this story

Brimstone Debut Reissue

PR reports: Metal Mind Productions presents re-release of Brimstone's album "Carving a Crimson Career" (1998). This exclusive reissue in a new digipak edition will be available on 7th July 2008 in Europe and 2nd September 2008 in USA (via MVD). Digitally remastered using 24-Bit process on golden disc, limited to 2000 numerated copies.

When it comes to traditional metal, not many bands dare to go beyond the boundaries of a given genre. But once in a while there emerges a group that tries to redefine the standards of metal and simply introduce something new. Brimstone did this with classic power metal, confronting it with harsh death metal vocals. The result? One of Sweden's most inspiring musical projects ever to invade the contemporary metal scene…

The content of their debut album was quite a surprise for many unaware listeners who expected a typical power metal offering. Brimstone came up with a thrilling combination of classic metal in the likes of Hammerfall and brutal death metal growls instead of the regular high-pitched vocals. This alone made "Carving a Crimson Career" a truly unique release, showing that not all have been said when it comes to classic metal. - more on this story

. Van Halen Live

A review of Van Halen's stop at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL. on May 30, 2008 including photos. - Read the full Van Halen Live review

. Intodown - Brave New World

Intodown's breed of rock is unique and all its own. Brave New World is a record that probably should have been recorded alongside Pink Floyd and/or Eric Clapton. The album is very creative and a journey within itself. (4.5 stars) - Read the full Intodown - Brave New World review

. Ensepulchred - Suicide in Winter's Moonlight

Eldritch, phantasmal, and mysterious, the music of Ensepulchred may contain a few kinks but overall this is a fine debut and this is a CD well worth hunting down for its serenely horrifying take on the depressive black metal genre. - Read the full Ensepulchred - Suicide in Winter's Moonlight review

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