Decemberists Poster Contest

To mark the occasion Capitol Records, who will release The Hazards of Love on March 24th, and imeem are inviting fans to design the official poster for the showcase with a contest here. The winning design will be hand-picked by the band.

As previously announced, on the opening night of the festival at 10PM (CT), NPR Music will present a SXSW showcase headlined by The Decemberists at Stubbs Bar-B-Q. The Portland-based band will give the first live performance of its new album, The Hazards of Love, which the band will play in sequence, in its entirety. - more on this story

Late Of The Pier Plot US Tour

PR reports: Eclectic modern-rock Nottingham, England quartet Late Of The Pier is preparing a month of U.S. tour dates that will span such major springtime festival events as Austin, TX's South By Southwest and south Florida's Winter Music Conference, and will also include a series of headline gigs and an appearance on the closing day of Indio, CA's Coachella Festival

Praised at its U.K. release last year for its "spirit of invention, its surfeit of ideas and its ear for a good tune" (The Guardian), Late Of The Pier's ambitious and genre-confounding album 'Fantasy Black Channel' was released January 13th 2009 on Astralwerks in a special U.S. edition with two U.S.-only bonus tracks. The American response was instant, and unanimous: "The quartet's fervent debut, produced by DJ Erol Alkan, offers a fabulous simulation of 80's new wave, with burping, sputtering synths and sleazy, Bowie-inspired crooning from frontman Sam Eastgate," said Spin. Blender was no less of a convert, saying: "(Late of the Pier) have made one of the most vital EPs of the year." Teen Vogue, Billboard, and a host of local papers agreed, praising the band's "loud, feverish thrills" (Marie Claire) and "the most genius, gonzo anthems you'll have heard come the New Year" (Filter). - more on this story

Sweet Water Return

PR reports: Seattle quartet Sweet Water, known for their loud, combustible rock and sweet, catchy melodies, will release "Clear The Tarmac" (Golden City Records), the band's first record in nine years, and fourth full-length overall.

A collection of ten new songs, Sweet Water proves they haven't slowed down or lost their ability to play loud and hard, all while showcasing their growth and diversity, creating a record that is as much guitar-rock as it is psychedelic, Brit-pop, and power-pop influenced: think big hooks, charged melodies, plenty of rock momentum, and a wiser more emotional lyrical bite.

Releasing their debut, "Ter" in 1991 on Seattle tastemaker indie at the time C/Z Records, the album soon landed the band a deal with Atlantic Records, whom in 1993 released their sophomore, self-titled full-length. The band wasted no time once the heavy touring cycle for the self-titled record was over, quickly entering the studio, and recording their third record and major label follow-up, entitled, "Superfriends", released on Atlantic subsidiary EastWest. - more on this story

Todd Rundgren Signs Up For Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp

PR reports: The legendary Todd Rundgren will be a guest star at the upcoming session of Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp, the phenomenon that's been pairing music fans with rock stars since 1997. The multi-faceted artist, now known as TR-i, has garnered acclaim not only as a musician but also as a songwriter, record producer, video pioneer, computer software developer and interactive artist.

The five-day session, which runs April 29th through May 3rd in Hollywood, CA, gives music lovers - regardless of their musical ability - a once-a-lifetime opportunity to live like a rock star and jam with their idols. Participants form separate bands, each of which receives intensive coaching from a different rock star in preparation for the two big events that cap off this unforgettable experience. Each band records an original song with renowned engineer/producer Eddie Kramer (Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix) at the historic Capitol Studios. Located near Hollywood and Vine, the famed studios have hosted recording sessions for everyone from Frank Sinatra and the Beach Boys to Green Day and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Then the bands will rock all night, performing at the world-famous Whisky A Go Go on the Sunset Strip, where Todd Rundgren will join them on stage.

This session's stellar group of camp counselors includes Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver), Steve Lukather (Toto), Bruce Kulick (KISS), Mark Farner (formerly of Grand Funk Railroad), Slim Jim Phantom (Stray Cats), Mark Hudson, Alan White (Yes), Elliot Easton (The Cars), Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge) and Earl Slick (David Bowie's band). Additional rock stars and special guests will be announced soon. Campers can also purchase a "spouse package" if they'd like to bring along a friend or family member. - more on this story

Russia's Mumiy Troll Set US Release and Tour Dates

PR reports: Russia's biggest band Mumiy Troll announced today their debut North American release Comrade Ambassador will be distributed via DisManic and Ryko Distribution on the band's own imprint, Mumiy Troll Records, pushing the release date from March 24 to April 7, 2009.

"I am so pleased DisManic and Ryko Distribution are on board to get our debut release in North America Comrade Ambassador into the hands our American and Canadian fans," said Mumiy Troll Lead Singer Ilya Lagutenko. "We have had eight releases in Russia and Eastern Europe but this is the first time our music will be available in stores and online from California to Canada. We are committed to touring and supporting Comrade Ambassador for our Russian friends and our new American fans as well." - more on this story

Landmine Marathon Ink With Prosthetic Records

PR reports: The Phoenix-based death/grind quintet Landmine Marathon, whose late 2008 release Rusted Eyes Awake continues to earn critical acclaim, has officially signed with Prosthetic Records. The band, whose three-release Level Plane Records discography has drawn frequent comparisons to Napalm Death, Carcass and Bolt Thrower, will tour throughout the spring and perform at both the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival and the Los Angeles Murderfest in the coming weeks.

"We're extremely excited about signing with Prosthetic and can't wait to forge new friendships and relationships with them," says guitarist Ryan Butler. "They've been nothing but a blast to work with through the signing process, and we can't wait to see what the future holds for this partnership." - more on this story

Solitude Aeturnus Hour Of Despair Limited Edition CD

PR reports: Get ready for an hour of despair with the uncanny doom metallers! Metal Mind Production presents a CD audio version of the latest Solitude Aeturnus DVD entitled "Hour Of Despair".

Robert Lowe's haunting vocals, unbelievably heavy and slow riffs, strange melodies and sublime compositions - all this complemented by the band's desperate, insane personal appeal. The tracklist comprised of songs recorded during their live show in Poland. It includes songs from their latest album "Alone" as well as from some of their previous releases (from the classic debut "Into the Depths of Sorrow", from "Through the Darkest Hour", "Downfall", and the cult album "Adagio").

"Hour Of Despair" CD will be released on 2nd March in Europe and 10th March in USA (via MVD). Digipak edition is limited to 1000 copies! - more on this story

Elegy Catalog Revisited

PR reports: Looking back on the long career of the band, who have sold more than 250,000 albums in more than 30 countries worldwide, the name Elegy might not have been the best one to choose, even though the dictionary's explanation is rock solid. Considering the ups and downs the band has gone through, the name has covered a lot for the past 17 years. Metal Mind Productions is proud to present a set of 7 albums covering the band's entire musical history to date.

Elegy's reissues will be available in a new digipak edition, digitally remastered using 24-Bit process on a golden disc. Each title is limited to 1000 copies. The release date is set up for 23rd March in Europe and 5th May in USA (via MVD). - more on this story

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