Recorded late last year at Black Dirt Studios in upstate New York, The Black Dirt Sessions is a deeply personal record from Deer Tick and most especially from lead vocalist and songwriter John McCauley. It is the sound of a band coming into its own, finding its voice and pouring its collective heart out. The comparisons that have often been thrust upon McCauley by the press seem to fall away…
AM Taxi— so-called because they’re all about moving across the U.S. towards their destination— gets ready to hit the road…hard. The guys will be touring in support of Spill Canvas late Spring with additional dates for this Summer’s Warped Tour, starting June 24 through August 15. AM Taxi are one of the few groups booked for the entire prestigious concert series prior to releasing an album. They’ve already been out…
Greyfield – Soundtrack to Our Summer / Search and Rescue Records, PO Box 8260, Ann Arbor, MI 48107 / 2003 / http://www.searchandrescuerecords.com / http://www.greyfieldrock.com Honestly, to me this band does not sound very innovative, instead striving to glomming onto the many of the emo bands that have been popular in the last half-decade, without really going and making something innovative. In fact, this CD sounds so polished that it really…
The Constellations will release their debut album Southern Gothic on EMI’s Virgin Records on June 8. Rising stars of the Atlanta scene, the band—which is fronted by charismatic vocalist Elijah Jones—is set for a breakout year in 2010. Southern Gothic was produced by Ben H. Allen (Animal Collective, Gnarls Barkley), and features guest appearances by Cee-Lo and Asher Roth. The band is currently giving away a free mp3 of the…
Andrew Gregory – S/T / 2005 Self / 12 Tracks / http://www.andrewgregorymusic.com / Reviewed 29 September 2005 It is almost an immediate thing that the beautiful voice of Andrew hits the listener; “The Line†may be a sparsely-arranged track, but the harmonics achieved by Gregory is equivalent to a full symphony orchestra in that aspect. The slower tempo of “Up Over The Ocean†shows a weakness in Gregory’s vocals as…
Vs. the Earth (VTE), a rock act from the mid-Atlantic region, has been signed by Triumphant Entertainment’s record label Waveland Music Group (WMG). The group will release their debut album “The Initiative” nationwide June 1, 2010 via WMG/E1, and the music video for their hit single “Better off Dead” will hit MTV airwaves April 20. The deal was brokered by Paul Walker, and Aris Tongue of New Horizon Entertainment. “The…
Anime producer and distributor Right Stuf, Inc. and Nozomi Entertainment are pleased to announce the NINJA NONSENSE: THE LEGEND OF SHINOBU DVD Collection will be released on June 1, 2010. The Ninja Nonsense DVD Collection includes the complete, 12-episode anime adaption of Ryoichi Koga’s Ninin ga Shinobuden (2 x 2 = Shinobuden) manga – plus video extras and a 32-page booklet with production journals, “Happy Doodles†from the Japanese staff,…
Back To Love, the latest studio album from renowned singer-songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman, will be released on May 25th on her own independent label, BNC Records, distributed by Thirty Tigers/RED. In conjunction with its release, she’ll launch a North American tour, which will keep her on the road through the fall. Dates are being finalized now, but the first confirmed shows are listed below. Nielsen Chapman returns to her trademark…
Swedish heavy metal powerhouse ENFORCER return with their highly anticipated sophomore album entitled Diamonds, to be released in Europe by Earache Records on May 24th and the rest of the world on Heavy Artillery Records on May 25th. Diamonds picks up where its’ predecessor left off; with a pure old school heavy metal album of the highest caliber, this time showcasing a broader range of talent and metal influences highlighted…
Greenlight – Is This What I Am Here For? / 2005 Self Released / 6 Tracks / http://www.greenlightband.net / Reviewed 12 January 2006 Imagine Mission of Burma mixing with the B-52s, and one starts to get the idea of what Greenlight starts their “Is This What I Am Here For?†EP with. The vocals, which seem to tap an older set of influences, work well with the other trend regarding…
Framing Hanley, the Nashville, TN rock band that burst onto the alternative rock scene last year behind The Moment – selling over 800,000 tracks, 110,000 albums and playing over 300 shows – is back in a big way for 2010. The band is set to release their sophomore album, A Promise To Burn, May 25th via Silent Majority Group/ILG. The double disc package includes a 30 minute DVD, featuring exclusive…
Greenlawn Abbey – Self/Titled / 2004 Diaphragm / 12 Tracks / http://www.diaphragmrecords.com / Reviewed 02 February 2005 Coming forth in a very seventies vein, Greenlawn Abbey seem to me to be a lighter version of Boston with their first track on their self-titled debut, “Ladykickâ€. While the blazing hooks of Boston are not as present on the track as I would personally like, Greenlawn Abbey comes out with a multi-vocal…
Adding to an all ready devastatingly brutal roster of bands, Ibex Moon Records has just signed Chicago’s Cardiac Arrest. In addition to appearing alongside newfound labelmates such as Incantation, Acheron, Fatalist and Gravehill at this year’s Central Illinios and Michigan Deathfests, May 25th, 2010 will also see the release of Cardiac Arrest’s third full-length, Haven For The Insane. The band had this to say about their relationship with Ibex Moon…
On Big Fat Grin (Innova, May 26), composer-guitarist Jamie Begian takes his writing for big band to a new level of refinement, imagination, and surprise. The follow-up to the Jamie Begian Big Band’s 2003 debut CD, Trance, the new release features exuberant readings of new compositions that display Begian’s growing maturity as a composer and arranger. “On my first CD, Trance, I feel as if I was experimenting, figuring out…
The 2010 Pitchfork Music Festival is set to go down at Chicago’s Union Park on July 16 – 18. We are delighted to announce the second batch of bands slated to perform! This year’s festival welcomes the return of Canadian super-collective Broken Social Scene, who will be fresh off the release of their newest full-length due out in April, Forgiveness Rock Record. They will be joining Modest Mouse on Friday’s…
Superfly and A.C. Entertainment are proud to announce that the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival has added several artists to the 2010 event, further diversifying a wonderfully eclectic and stellar lineup. Updates include Bonnaroo veterans Ween, Galactic and Umphrey’s McGee as as well as gifted singer/songwriter Brandi Carlisle and the genre- bending, post-punk trio The Gossip. A full list of confirmed acts follows. The largest and most revered music and…
The guitar work that opens up “You Leave Me Here†is something that feels like it should be back in the middle to late nineties. However, this is not a bad thing. The blend of this older style with a set of vocals that is current, in your face, and is a blend of Kelly Clarkson and Susanne Vega is perfect. The track should be the next big thing out…
03/12 – Goleta, CA The Hard To Find Showspace # 03/13 – Los Angeles, CA Spaceland #$ 03/14 – Tucson, AZ Plush 03/15 – El Paso, TX Black Market # 03/17 – Austin, TX Force Field / Terrorbird Party @ Red 7 (SXSW) 03/17 – Austin, TX HoZac Records Party @ Trailer Space (SXSW) 03/18 – Austin, TX Cafe Du Nord and Sapurros Party @ Cheers (SXSW) 03/18 – Austin,…
I don’t know really if what one could give this album is a title of “Acoustic Versesâ€, but the vocals present on a track like “Sweet Leaf†does not titillate as much as it sound like Bono crooning over the next U2 hit. The instrumentation present on the track is what really gives this song a second life, as the Medieval metal (a la Mortiis) sound of the arrangements really…
Once again Steve Martin has tapped the award-winning bluegrass group the Steep Canyon Rangers to tour with him in support of his Grammy®-winning Rounder Records release, The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo. The Banjo Tour will begin on April 19th in Detroit and is expected to continue into October, with performances scheduled at the New Orleans JazzFest, MerleFest and Bonnaroo. “I am very excited to begin my banjo…