PRETENDERS NEW ALBUM BREAK UP THE CONCRETE TO BE RELEASED THROUGH SHANGRI-LA MUSIC SEPTEMBER 23; LABEL TO TAKE UNPRECEDENTED INITIATIVE: ALBUM GIVE-AWAY TRACK BY TRACK, ONE NEW MP3 DOWNLOAD PER WEEK UP TO RELEASE; 11 MAJOR PARTNERS JOIN THE CAMPAIGN - AOL/SPINNER, APPLE QUICKTIME, CLEAR CHANNEL, CMT, ILIKE, IMEEM, MSN WINDOWS MEDIA, MP3.COM/DOWNLOAD.COM, VH1 CLASSIC, YAHOO, AND CBS
SANTA MONICA, CA - July 23, 2008 - Shangri-La Music is proud to announce the newest album by one of rock’s seminal bands with the release of The Pretenders’ Break Up The Concrete out September 23rd. The album, the ninth in the band’s illustrious career and its first in 6 years, has band leader Chrissie Hynde collaborating with a new group of musicians. Recorded in 10 days the result is a stripped down roots album, pure and raw, which highlights Hynde’s timeless vocal sound.
While the music for Break Up The Concrete may have its origins in rock’s beginnings, the marketing of the album has Shangri-La Music boldly embracing the present and future. Starting today, the label is launching a massive MP3 Countdown campaign where each week a new song will be available for free download through a different media partner. This week’s song, “Boots of Chinese Plastic,” will be available through AOL’s Spinner.com. In subsequent weeks downloads will be available through Apple QuickTime’s site, ClearChannel.com, CMT.com, iLike, iMeem, MP3.com/Download.com, MSN Windows Media, Vh1 Classic, Yahoo and CBS Radio Online. Fans will be able to find where the next free MP3 will be available by going to www.thepretenders.com. Says Shangri-La’s Jeff Ayeroff, “The oldest and most basic form of exposing music is through word of mouth and the newest way is through the internet. This campaign combines both word of mouth and the muscle of 11 major online media partners and will allow people to hear how truly great this album is. Anyone who hears any of the tracks on Break Up The Concrete is going to tell everybody about it.”
Backing up Hynde on the album is a band that has no problems conjuring the true spirit of rock’s earliest days. Classic leads by guitarist James Walbourne, the twang of pedal steel from Eric Heywood, and backed by a concrete foundation laid by the rhythm section of bassist Nick Wilkinson and legendary drummer Jim Keltner, this band allows Hynde to show off her best vocal work and songwriting since the early days of The Pretenders.
