Thirty Seconds To Mars Reveal The Faces Of Mars

The band is set to tour stateside throughout December, hitting holiday radio concerts across the country., Thirty Seconds to Mars will also be touching base with their supportive and loyal fan community through a Livestream chat on December 9th where they will answer questions from a host as well as listeners who have submitted questions to their local radio stations. - more on this story

Luther Dickinson, Alvin Youngblood Hart and Jimbo Mathus's South Memphis String Band Set Album Release

When Luther Dickinson, Alvin Youngblood Hart and Jimbo Mathus got together to make music, it certainly wasn't out of commercial consideration. This troika of roots-imbued musical pros coalesced through a shared vision and consuming passion for the music of their forebears, most notably the Mississippi Sheiks, Memphis Jug Band, Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers and other practitioners of pre-blues era roots sounds.

Home Sweet Home, their first album, out on Memphis International January 19th, showcases their passion for the old timey tradition that is underscored by the group's name: South Memphis String Band. South Memphis, of course, is that rough and tumble area of the Bluff City extending from downtown to the Mississippi border, and beyond. It's where Stax Records as well as, literally, hundreds of churches thrived. The sacred and profane, holy rolling and dice rolling, were cheek by jowl in old South Memphis and its modern day namesake reflects that ecumenicism quite brilliantly. For Luther, Alvin and Jimbo, South Memphis is more of a musical state of mind than a specific geographical location.

They've been called a "regional roots music supergroup" but the alliance of Dickinson (from the North Mississippi Allstars and, of late, the Black Crowes), Hart (the Grammy winner who is as equally adept at thrash rock as he is at country blues) and Mathus (of the Squirrel Nut Zippers) is more like three good friends just putting it down in a very traditional way. Mathus explained, "Luther, Youngblood Hart and myself have been musical co-conspirators for over a decade. It is only fitting that we should come together with acoustic instruments and perform Mississippi music." - more on this story

The Summer Set For Who's Driving Tour

The Summer Set have announced that they will be on the "Who's Driving Tour" with Every Avenue, The Audition, Sparks The Rescue, and Ian Walsh.

The tour kicks off January 8th in Elgin, IL and has a total of 10 dates in the mid west and New England before wrapping on Jan 19th in Bowling Green, Ohio.

After the tour, The Summer Set will have the month of February off and then head out on the AP Tour 2010 in March - more on this story

Jeff Beck Gets Grammy Nod

Ending 2009 on a high note, Eagle Rock Entertainment are buoyed by the accolades bestowed on their Jeff Beck CD Performing This Week... Live At Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club. Beck's presentation of the Beatles' classic "A Day In The Life" was announced as a candidate for the "Best Rock Instrumental Performance" Grammy Award.

Performing This Week…Live At Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, released November 25, 2008, was recorded over a series of nights at the famed London jazz club in 2007. Backed by bassist Tal Wilkenfeld, drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, and keyboardist Jason Rebello, Beck presents 16 genre-spanning songs, incorporating Blues, Boogie, Ballads, Bolero, Rock and Jazz. His unique interpretation of the Beatles' tune is just one example of the brilliance of this guitar virtuoso.

"It gives us a great deal of pride to be associated with an artist such as Jeff Beck," says Mike Carden, Eagle Rock Entertainment's President of Operations North America. "His guitar playing sets him apart and in a class of his own. His nomination for a Grammy is a fitting tribute to his performance on this project." - more on this story

R.E.M. Announce Free iPhone/iPod Touch App

As part of its ongoing desire to give fans multiple ways to hear their music in the digital age, R.E.M. have launched a new iPhone/iPod Touch application that will be available to users free of charge.

R.E.M. iPhone is the official app that enables fans to stay up-to-date on all the latest R.E.M. happenings direct from the band's headquarters in Athens, GA. Features include access to the latest R.E.M. news and tour dates, which are updated instantly, 30-second song clips from the band's complete catalog, a photo gallery that spans the band's entire career, full-length videos from every R.E.M. album, and a guide to selected sights in the band's hometown of Athens, GA, complete with built-in Google Maps locations.

Users will also be able to upload their own live R.E.M. photos directly from their phone to Flickr, watch fan YouTube videos from any date on the band's 2008 world tour, purchase R.E.M. songs from Apple iTunes, and purchase t-shirts, videos, and more from the R.E.M. store. In addition, a feature called R.E.M. & You enables users to listen to a specific R.E.M. song and upload a photo of themselves listening to it at that very moment, as well as check out photos other fans have uploaded while listening to R.E.M. songs. - more on this story

Mastodon Add Totimoshi To February Tour Dates

Mastodon's recently announced February 2010 Europe and U.K. headlining tour with direct support being provided by recent Los Angeles, CA transplants, Totimoshi.

This will be Mastodon's first headlining European tour in support of their groundbreaking new album, Crack The Skye, which the U.K.'s Rocksound Magazine just named their 2009 Album Of The Year!

Mastodon's fans can't seem to get enough of their favorite band. As their coast-to-coast U.S. co-headline tour with Dethklok, High On fire and Converge draws to a close, a brand new, limited version of their current album Crack The Skye will become available online only. The last limited edition item sold out well in advance of the on-sale date.
- more on this story

Katatonia Announce Spring Euro Tour

Swedish progressive metal titan, Katatonia, has announced dates for a headlining European run, to kick off this spring.

The "New Night Over Europe" tour will begin in Germany on March 3rd, and will hit over 30 cities, spanning across 14 countries, before wrapping up in early April. More details will be released in the coming weeks.

The "New Night Over Europe" tour is Katatonia's first tour in support of their eighth studio album, Night is the New Day, which released last month on Peaceville Records. - more on this story

Rockin' The Beer Gut This Holla Day

Santa Claus looks suspiciously like Trailer Choir's Big Vinny in the band's fun, new animated video for "Rockin' The Beer Gut ('Holla' Day Version)."

The group's Crystal Hoyt makes an appearance as a sexy Mrs. Claus while the trio's Butter shows up in 'holla'-day attire. There's also an antlered, red-nosed rein-cow. You just have to see it to believe it.

Written by Butter and co-produced with Toby Keith, "Rockin The Beer Gut ('Holla' Day Version)" is a hilarious re-working of the group's country hit, complete with new lyrics and the addition of a children's chorus. The song is available now at all digital retailers, including iTunes and Amazon.com.

The Show Dog Nashville band is performing it at all of their concerts this holiday season, including upcoming shows in St. Louis (12/8), Greeley, Colo. (12/9), Tampa (12/18) and Nashville (12/19). You can also check out their special 'holla'-day segment on CMT's Hazel's Southern Fried Flicks premiering on Dec 12 and re-airing on Dec. 13 (check local listings for times and channel). - Check out all the fun right here

Raised by Swans Release Party

Raised by Swans has built a small but devoted international audience with their critically-acclaimed, independent debut, Codes and Secret Longing (2005), and are tremendously excited to announce the upcoming release of No Ghostless Place.

This Friday, December 11th at The Horseshoe Tavern celebrates the official CD release party and the bands first performance in over a year and a half. It's also the first chance to score a copy of the album, still warm from the manufacturing plant.

Haunting and atmospheric, the band has drawn comparisons to Sigur Ros, Mew, and The Cure. No Ghostless Place is a 13-song album with all music and lyrics written by Eric Howden (formerly of The Gandharvas) and mastered by Andy Magoffin whose producing credits include The Constantines, Great Lake Swimmers, and The Hidden Cameras. Raised by Swans is Eric Howden (vocals, guitar), Alex Wright (guitar), Andy Magoffin (bass), and Brady Parr (drums). - more on this story

N.A.M.B. Set U.S. Release

Amid a wealth of praise overseas, the mysterious Italian quartet N.A.M.B. announces the stateside release of its second album, BMAN in February 2010.

The album will be issued via UK label Monotreme Records (65Daysofstatic, Thee More Shallows) in a deluxe package with a 96-page full-color booklet illustrating an epic tale of an otherworldly robot and his quest for self-identity

N.A.M.B.'s heavy-leaning, electronic psychedelic sound elicits comparisons to the Flaming Lips, Muse, Girls Against Boys, et al. - more on this story

. David Archuleta Christmas Album: Dolly & Family Dogpile

Dolly has a holiday treat for you. She held a listening party with her sister and niece where they listened to American Idols David Archuletas new Christmas album. The result varied, but one of them summed it up as a vomit inducing landfill of suck. - Read the full David Archuleta Christmas Album: Dolly & Family Dogpile review

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