Ill Bill Tour

The Brooklyn MC will kick off the tour in Cambridge, MA on September 11 and hit the road for two months. Ill Bill will be joined by Sean Price, member of Heltah Skeltah/Boot Camp Clik.

"This is my first headlining tour as a solo artist, so along with dropping the new album, this is a really exciting time for me," says Ill Bill. "I'm amped about getting to hang with my army of supporters for the next couple of months and letting them hear the new record. This album was made for the stage, so I can't wait to finally unleash this new music live." - more on this story

Two Cow Garage Set Release

PR reports: Columbus, Ohio-based outfit Two Cow Garage will release their fourth full-length, "Speaking In Cursive", October 21, 2008 on Suburban Home Records.

Comprised of Micah Schnabel (vocals, guitar), Shane Sweeney (bass, vocals), Chris Flint (guitar), Andy Schell (keyboards), and Cody Smith (drums), the outfit, which plays more than 200 shows a year (and has for the past six years), has made their darkest, yet most rewarding record to date, writing songs that deal with the problems and dilemmas of growing up, coming to terms with ones dreams versus reality, as well as songs about substance abuse, the wasting of youth (and the effects on your friends when youth is stolen too soon), navigating the troubled waters of relationships, and, of course, crushes-turned-heartbreak.

With "Speaking in Cursive", Two Cow Garage has brought on a permanent keyboard player with Andy Schell, helping the band expand on their guitar-bass-drum combo, adding depth and richer melodies to the heartbreak-on-the-sleeve lyrical bite and rock attack that Two Cow Garage is already known for.
- more on this story

Dragonette Mini Tour

PR reports: Bouncing from the East to the West coasts and destined to wow audiences with their revivalist new wave synth-pop, Toronto-based quadruplet, Dragonette, are now embarking on a much welcomed four-date mini-tour this fall in the United States.

With the pending release of their refreshing debut album Galore (I Surrender Records through Red Distribution) out on October 28th, watch out for their dirty electronica beats and synths, trunk full of hooks, neon-doused live shows and downright naughty delivery and vocals by the bands star front woman Martina Sorbara.

The band, which was named after the singer's ipod, possess an edgy dance rock sound with a bubble-gum pop lining. Lead vocalist and sultry siren, Martina Sorbara, formed the band in 2005 when she met her future bassist, and future husband, Dan Kurtz at a Canadian music festival. Martina, with her poppy songstress vocals and deep desire for some driving eccentric pop dance beats, eagerly agreed to leave behind her successful solo career and form what was originally just the dynamic duo, Dragonette. - more on this story

Bumblefoot To Rescue Wrestlers

PR reports: Guns N' Roses guitarist Ron Thal (aka Bumblefoot) will be taking part in "Wrestler's Rescue," a unique two-event-in-one-day fundraiser to help retired professional wrestlers in taking care of their mounting personal medical and living costs.

As most wrestlers are private contractors, they must pay their own medical expenses out of their own pocket, and have no income in times of injury or retirement.

On Saturday, September 14th, 2008 a one day, two part benefit to assist these great athletes and entertainers will be taking place. A day meet-n-greet event and an evening dinner event with auctions, entertainment and more. - more on this story

Ike & Tina Turner Blue Thumb Years Reissued

conqueroo reports: Although Ike Turner is often credited with recording the first rock 'n' roll song with 1951's "Rocket 88," his career took a leap when he met Anna Mae Bullock and re-named her Tina Turner. Their first collaboration was "A Fool in Love," released in 1960 on Sue Records, and the two later hooked up with producer Phil Spector, resulting in the 1966 wall-of-sound smash "River Deep Mountain High." 1969 found Ike and Tina returning to their blues roots with a pair of albums that Ike leased to Bob Krasnow's Blue Thumb Records — The Hunter and Outta Season. The two albums will be combined to form an 18-song single-CD reissue titled Ike & Tina Turner Sing the Blues as part of Acrobat Music's Premier Series. Street date for the collection is October 21.

The Hunter and Outta Season were recorded when Ike, fed up with pressures from the labels such as Sue to create new product every year, launched his own Pompeii label, proceeding to release recordings by the Ikettes as well as by himself and Tina. The albums he leased to Blue Thumb in '69 were along the last independent projects Ike would undertake before signing to United Artists, where he and Tina recorded "Proud Mary" and several key long-players.

Both Blue Thumb albums were blues-oriented, and showcased Ike's superlative guitar work — which had taken a back seat during the early Ike & Tina years — as well as Tina's stunning vocals. The songs were largely blues standards but there were a couple of original numbers. "Bold Soul Sister," for instance, was a very un-bluesy track and was a sizeable hit for the duo, as were Tina's interpretations of Albert King's "The Hunter" (equally well known for the version cut by the British band Free) and her testifying version of Otis Redding's "I've Been Loving You Too Long," a standard in the Ike & Tina Revue's live '70s shows. - more on this story

Dave Stewart Orchestra Book Roxy Gig

PR reports: On September 24 at the renowned Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles, rock legend Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics will perform material off his new album, "Dave Stewart Songbook, Vol. 1." Billed as Dave Stewart and His 30-Piece Rock Fabulous Orchestra, Stewart will perform songs from his vast catalog of classic hits performed in one-of-a-kind arrangements.

"Dave Stewart Songbook, Vol. 1" was released on August 5 by Stewart's company Weapons of Mass Entertainment and Surfdog Records. In addition to smash-hits from Eurythmics such as "Sweet Dreams" and "Here Comes the Rain Again," the songbook includes timeless tracks penned by Stewart including Tom Petty's "Don't Come Around Here No More," No Doubt's "Underneath It All," Mick Jagger's Golden Globe-winning "Old Habits Die Hard" and Celine Dion's recent chart-topper "Taking Chances," only to name a few.

The CD also features a 24-page booklet with great photos of his collaborations w/artists ranging from Bono, Mick Jagger, Gwynne Stefani, Sinead O'Connor and more. The aptly titled "Dave Stewart Songbook, Vol. 1" is accompanied by a hard-cover, glossy book of the same title that includes a chapter dedicated to each song with the story behind the music and stunning photos of his collaborators during the recording sessions, most of which were taken by Stewart himself.
- more on this story

George Jones Honored

PR reports: Country music icon George Jones has been chosen to receive the 2008 Kennedy Center Honors. Jones, who has been called, the "greatest living country singer," earned his reputation by diving so deeply into a song's lyrics that listeners couldn't help but feel an emotional connection to the song and the singer. The country legend first hit the charts in 1955 and since then has won two Grammys, numerous CMA and ACM Awards, has been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and still headlines nearly 100 shows a year.

"I am completely overwhelmed to be the recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors," said Jones. "I can't believe that I have been included in the same company as previous winners that are country music legends: Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Roy Acuff and Willie Nelson. Since I was a young man, I have just done what I love and that is sing country music, and I never dreamed that something this special would happen to me. I am completely humbled and will be proud to accept the award!" - more on this story

Guitar Center Sessions with Joe Bonamassa

PR reports: Guitar Center is pleased to announce the next installment of Guitar Center Sessions: An Evening of Dialogue and Insight with Joe Bonamassa. Taking place Wednesday, September 17 at the Guitar Center in Hollywood, CA, the evening is free and open to the public. The evening will be powered in part by Gibson Guitars.

Joe Bonamassa is one of the premier blues-rock guitarist of his generation. At the early age of 12 he was already a touring pro, opening for the legendary B.B. King. Since then, Joe's incendiary playing has earned him a loyal legion of fans and numerous albums in Billboard's Top 10 blues chart. Also a gifted singer and songwriter, Joe Bonamassa was named Best Blues Guitarist by Guitar Player Magazine's readership in their annual Reader's Choice Awards for 2008, and recently released From Nowhere in Particular, a 2-CD live album recorded during his fall 2007 U.S. tour and released on his own J&R Adventures label. The CD debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues Charts. Joe also hosts "Daily Cup Of Joe" as well, a Monday-Friday show on Sirius Satellite Radio's Blues Channel 74 that airs from 12-12:15 PM (ET). - more on this story

Moogfest 2008 Honors Bob Moog

PR reports: Metropolitan Talent and In Touch Entertainment, in cooperation with Moog Music, Inc. presents Moogfest 2008, Monday, October 13th at the Grand Ballroom at the Manhattan Center in New York City. A stellar lineup of top Moog users will gather for an evening of ground-shaking music to honor Bob Moog and commemorate his groundbreaking achievements.

"This is our fifth year presenting this tribute to Bob and we're excited about moving to The Hammerstein, which is more than twice as large as our previous venue," said Mike Adams, Moog Music President. "Every year the artists who play at Moogfest tell us what a fun event it is, and as a result we have been privy to many fine performances. This year's lineup and our annual ' Bob Tribute' award will make for another fantastic evening for music fans."

Moogfest 2008 will also feature Moog Music's transforming new instrument, The Moog Guitar. Performers scheduled to participate include Umphrey's McGee, Eric McFadden Trio, Bernie Worrell (P-Funk), Aron Magner (Disco Biscuits), Jamie Shields (The New Deal), Joe Russo (Benevento/Russo) and others. - http://www.moogfest.com

. Marc Broussard Keeps Fans Coming Back

For the listener, Keep Coming Back has body & substance. It has taken the party vibe of Broussard's shows and translated them in a way to not only be a great listen, but also to set the standard for other artists to get back to the roots of recording. (5 stars) - Read the full Marc Broussard Keeps Fans Coming Back review

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