Rev Theory Toot Their Own Horns With Acoustic EP Announcement

This summer, they're still ruling rock radio (and the top slot on Sirius Active Rock rankings) with "Far From Over," headlining the Monster Energy second stage at Crüe Fest 2, and leading tens of thousands of concertgoers in thundering chants of "Hell Yeah," the name of their first single from 2008's sophomore LP, Light It Up.

Now with a loyal army at their backs, Rich Luzzi, Julien Jorgensen, Dave Agoglia, Matt McCloskey, and Rikky Lixx have hit stride, moving a milestone 100,000 albums. In a time when fans cling tight to hard-earned dollars, Rev Theory sold most of its records to concert ticket holders (racking up more venue sales than any band in their label's history). Rev Theory's response? Give 'em more! Lauded for unplugged jams at intimate settings such as the instrument sections at Best Buy stores, the group is releasing an acoustic EP. Concertgoers will get the first crack at it, and digital copies go on sale Aug. 4. - more on this story

Third Eye Blind To Play Java Rockin Land

Megaforce reports: Despite security concerns in Jakarta, Third Eye Blind will headline Java Rockin Land, the largest music festival in Indonesia. Regardless of warnings to the contrary, the band will perform August 9th in support of Ursa Major, its first album in six years.

"It seems counter to everything we stand for if we didn't do this, and it would bother me to no end if we backed down," says frontman Stephan Jenkins, in response to the tragic July 17th hotel bombings, which killed 9 and injured 50.

The festival has agreed to provide 24-hour security for artists with an armed police back-up. "It's one of the largest Muslim countries. The people want good relations with the West. This festival proves that the kids want to come together via music. They want to share the experience." - more on this story

Portal's Bloody Release

Glass Onyon reports: The music world is buzzing with the release of 'Blood Red Tape'; a seventy-minute progressive rock album recorded and produced over a three year period by progressive metal band Portal in Edmonton, Canada.

'Blood Red Tape' is a synthesis of two broad concepts into one unique perspective. The title combines the "red tape" often associated with bureaucracy and impedance to progress, with the "blood" that is all-too-often shed when the former brings harm to those involved. On a deeper level, 'Blood Red Tape' may be used to describe the bureacracy that exists within each of us, as members of the animal kingdom who are resistant to change and new ideas, and fearful of the unknown.

"Portal was a studio project of mine that slowly evolved out of an initial purchase of Cubase and subsequent random experimentation in by bedroom in my first year of university," says band leader Kenton Thomas, who is also lead vocalist, producer and plays guitar . "I had finished my piano studies a couple of years earlier and picked up guitar, and needed an outlet. After a year and a half learning the ropes, I finally settled on a name, brought in some musicians I knew, and we finally hit the stage in January of 2001. The current line-up has been together for the last four years, with me and Kevin Hoskin (bass, recording engineer) as the only two original members." Along with Kenton and Kevin, Portal features Ross Brooks on lead guitar and backing vocal, and Bill George on drums. - more on this story

Marc Broussard Welcomes Fans To His Living Room

Atlantic Records reports: Marc Broussard has unveiled details of his upcoming headline tour. The 15-city trek, dubbed "Marc Broussard: Welcome To My Living Room," will see the Louisiana-based bayou soul troubadour performing acoustically in intimate venues across the country, accompanied by acclaimed guitarist Joe Stark (Sons of William) and drummer/percussionist Chad Gilmore.

The tour begins on October 13th at the Birchmere Music Hall in Alexandria, Virginia, and then travels the U.S. through the November 6th finale at the House Of Blues in Houston, TX

Pre-sale tickets for the "Welcome To My Living Room" tour are now on sale to members of "Bayou Club," the official Marc Broussard Fan Club. Further pre-sale tickets will go on sale on Saturday, August 8th, with all remaining tickets then being made available to the general public on Friday, August 14th. - dates

I Am The Icarus Set EP Release

Authentik Artists reports: Authentik Artists is set to release the debut self-titled EP from I Am The Icarus on August 18th, 2009.

Heavily influenced by Nine Inch Nails and Silverchair, frontman Daniel Godfrey delivers a refreshingly unique five track collection.

The EP was produced by Shaun Lopez (Deftones, Far) and features the new single "The Secret To Dying Is Living Well". For fans of Marilyn Manson, Chevelle and Silverchair. - Listen here

The Love Grenades Return To L.A. Triumphant

PR reports: The Love Grenades played sold-out shows across Europe with an overwhelming response. Hundreds of people turned up to see them. Even so, they decided to cut the European tour short to play a show this Friday August 7th at the Music Box at the Henry Fonda Theater.

They arrive home on Friday and will literally touch down in LAX, get in a cab, and arrive for sound check at the Music Box. "It'll be a whirlwind on Friday but it's going to rock," says Elizabeth Wight.

Sam Sparro's protégés the Love Grenades are attracting a lot of attention with their new EP "Tigers in the Fire" on Modus Vivendi Music which is also available on iTunes. And the band's Jean Luc Godard-inspired video "Young Lovers" has won over a dozen awards. They are in the studio with Sam Sparro, Jesse Rogg (aka DJ Golden) and other guest producers working on their first full length album due October/November of this year. They are leaving for their first European tour mid-July and playing at two major German festivals, Italy, and UK. - more on this band

Endwell Ghost Will Haunt

Century Media reports: Endwell recently completed a brutal new video for their pummeling new track, "Avoidant: Ghost Will Haunt," which was shot by acclaimed director Scott Hansen (A Day To Remember, Carnifex).

The clip is disturbing and more like a mini-horror movie that compliments the song, which is dark and heavy. Sean Murphy (vocals) further comments: "Our new video is for the track 'Avoidant: Ghost Will Haunt,' and we shot it in the smoke filled woods of Virginia with director Scott Hansen. The treatment for the video changed a few times before it was solidified. The lyrics deal with everyday struggle, living life in the shadow of failures and misfortunes and getting pushed to the point of extreme apathy where you don't even want to try anymore. It's pretty much bad luck on bad luck, but in the end you realize that these things build character. Every hardship you endure and every time life knocks you out it's another chance to get back up and find a new lease on life.

"We weren't very happy with our last music video and we learned that a single music video can really make a mark on a fan (or potential fans) seeing or hearing the band for the first time; it kind of taints the image. However, we knew we wanted the video to feel like it belonged to the record. Where we shot the live parts we heard stories about colonial witch trials and executions so it got us thinking and we ended up using that as the basis for the storyline. It ended up looking like a mini-horror movie that compliments the song, which is darker and heavier than most of our songs. - more on this story

Street Legal Return

Mazur reports: Frontiers Records is particularly pleased to announce the come-back release from Street Legal, "Bite the Bullet." [no release date provided]

Street Legal's name came to prominence for the first time during the year 2000 when the band's debut, "Thunderdome," was released to strong critical acclaim in Europe on Frontiers Records. The band did already build a a solid reputation with some great live shows in their home country Norway, and their first show in May '99 as support of WASP gathered such comments as: "Iron Maiden threatened KISS in 1980, Clawfinger showed muscle before Anthrax in 1990, Skunk Anansie blew away Therapy? in 1995. In 1999 Street Legal outplayed WASP." - Stig Myhre (Nettpuls). "Street Legal should be the next Norwegian act to make a remarkable impact on an international level." - Jan Dahle (Scream). After the release of "Thuderdome," Street Legal performed some killer shows at the Sweden Rock Festival and at the Gods Festival in the UK.

Soundwise, these Norwegian rockers have been often compared to Thin Thizzy, Whitesnake and Blue Murder. "Classic rock with a strong blues foundation, still very harmony driven," comments bass player and singer Bjorn Boge, when asked to describe the sound of the band to the uninitiated. "A lot of influences from the past: West Coast music, metal, hard rock from the late '70s. Always with focus on the song. Lyrics are also important. Chuck Frazier, my buddy in the lyric department, is the major force behind this." - more on this story

The Best Of Rory Gallagher

Kayos reports: Eagle Rock Entertainment is proud to announce the August 25 release of The Best Of Rory Gallagher: Crest Of A Wave, on Eagle Records. The 2-CD set lovingly—with great attention to detail—encapsulates the Irish blues-rock guitarist's greatest solo studio recordings. This comprehensive release stands as the definitive statement to date of a true legend who left us way too early.

Rory's quest for his individual sound found him experimenting with hard rock as well as blues, offset by melodic inventions, constantly refining and utilizing his unerring ear for crisp, biting leadlines that proved as irresistible stateside as it did abroad; he toured the states 25 times! His Live In Europe album proved phenomenally successful, and, after two highly regarded studio masterworks, Blueprint and Tattoo, he was invited to sit in with the legendary Muddy Waters on the album London Sessions.

Turning down an invitation to replace Mick Taylor in the Rolling Stones, his Irish Tour 1974 became a cinematic documentary and his biggest-selling album. A chance to record with another of his heroes, Jerry Lee Lewis, was not turned down. Neither was the chance to record with blues great Albert King. Two more albums, Against The Grain and Calling Card (the latter recorded with the help of Deep Purple's Roger Glover) were well-received. He finished out the '70s recording his Photo Finish album in Germany. - more on this story

Meldrum Announce West Coast Tour

Mazur reports: Today Dark Moon Entertainment announced Meldrum west coast U.S tour dates in September, in which the band will allow fans to preview tracks from their new album, entitled Lifer.

Meldrum drummer Gene Hoglan made the following statement: "Hey everybody! We're all super-excited to announce this upcoming MELDRUM tour! It's gonna be a few selected West Coast dates, where we unveil the new line-up of rip-snortin' bitches, and I'd love for everybody to come out and get your heads handed to ya! We're gonna be focusing on the upcoming 'Lifer' material which is a big step forward for the band, and we can't wait to pummel all of ya with some heavy. We'll see you on the road, people!"

Meldrum completed writing and recording the band's album with drummer Gene Hoglan, along with the new lineup Michele Madden (vocals) and Laura Christine (bass) last November. The surviving band members plan to release album tracks during the tour in tribute to their fallen band-mate, Michelle Meldrum, who died from a cystic growth on her brain. - dates

. Rock Reads: So What! The Good, The Mad, and The Ugly: The Official Metallica Illustrated Chronicle

One of the few hardcover books I have returned to time and time again in recent years is So What! The Good, The Mad, and The Ugly: The Official Metallica Illustrated Chronicle. What makes So What!... so exceptional is the minutiae detailed in the book. - Read the full Rock Reads: So What! The Good, The Mad, and The Ugly: The Official Metallica Illustrated Chronicle review

.... Road Trip: Eat a Peach (And Drink a Couple Too) Colorado's Palisade Peach Festival

Some of the best peaches in the world come from northwestern Colorado and a humble little town called Palisade. Every August Palisade celebrates the harvest with what you could easily call the "juiciest" event of the summer: the Palisade Peach Festival! - Read the full Eat a Peach (And Drink a Couple Too) Colorado's Palisade Peach Festival Road Trip article

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