The Godfathers of Swedish modern metal SOILWORK are pleased to announce that they will embark on a North American headlining tour this Summer with San Francisco Bay Area thrash legends DEATH ANGEL! Joining them will be Quebec’s tech-death masters AUGURY, Roadrunner Records recording artists MUTINY WITHIN, and pirate themed thrashers SWASHBUCKLE.

SOILWORK vocalist Bjorn “Speed” Strid commented: “We are stoked to tour with the most vicious thrashers from the west, famous for their gin drinking and intense live shows. DEATH ANGEL is a classic band that we’ve wanted to tour with for a long time. A perfect fit for the bill and surely an awesome touring companion. The summer of mosh is upon us. Don’t miss out!”

DEATH ANGEL frontman Mark Osegueda added: “I can’t begin to tell you how excited we are about the upcoming tour! I think the musical styles and live performances of both bands will make every show on this tour a show not to be missed by any true fan of HEAVY music! So don’t just hear about the aftermath, experience it for yourself!”

SOILWORK, DEATH ANGEL, AUGURY, MUTINY WITHIN, SWASHBUCKLE

07/14/10 Jaxx – W. Springfield, VA

07/15/10 The Trocadero – Philadelphia, PA

07/16/10 The Gramercy Theatre – New York, NY

07/17/10 The Palladium – Worcester, MA

07/18/10 FouFounes Electriques – Montreal, QC – CANADA
07/19/10 The Opera House – Toronto, ON – CANADA

07/20/10 Peabody’s – Cleveland, OH

07/21/10 Blondie’s – Detroit, MI

07/22/10 Reggies Rock Club – Chicago, IL

07/23/10 The Rave – Milwaukee, WI

07/24/10 The Rock – Maplewood, MN

07/27/10 El Corazon – Seattle, WA

07/28/10 Rickshaw Theater – Vancouver, BC – CANADA

07/29/10 Hawthorne Theatre – Portland, OR

07/30/10 Slim’s – San Francisco, CA

07/31/10 The Galaxy Theatre – Santa Ana, CA

08/01/10 Ramona Mainstage – Ramona, CA

08/02/10 The Clubhouse – Tempe, AZ

08/03/10 The Rock – Tucson, AZ

08/05/10 Emo’s – Austin, TX

08/06/10 Ridglea Theater – Ft. Worth, TX

08/07/10 Meridian – Houston, TX

08/09/10 The Club at Firestone – Orlando, FL

08/10/10 Volume 11 – Raleigh, NC

08/11/10 Headliner’s Music Hall – Louisville, KY

08/12/10 Gil’s Bar and Grill – Virginia Beach, VA

08/13/10 Sonar – Baltimore, MD

08/14/10 Diesel Nightclub – Pittsburgh, PA

08/15/10 Webster Theater – Hartford, CT

DEATH ANGEL Spring 2010 European Tour Dates

Apr 3 2010 Inferno Fest Oslo, NORWAY
Apr 4, 2010 The Engine Room Brighton, UK
Apr 5, 2010 Sub89 Reading, UK
Apr 6, 2010 Rio’s Leeds, UK
Apr 7, 2010 Central Station Wrexham, Wales, UK
Apr 8 2010 Sweden Rock Cruise Stockholm, SWEDEN (AT SEA!!)
May 13 2010 Metalfest Open Air Pratteln, SWITZERLAND
May 14 2010 Metalfest Open Air Dessau, GERMANY
May 15 2010 Metalfest Open Air Mining, AUSTRIA
May 16, 2010 Biebob w/ Nevermore Vasselaar, BELGIUM
May 17, 2010 OFF
May 18, 2010 O2 Academy w/ Nevermore London, UK
May 19, 2010 De Pul w/ Nevermore Uden, HOLLAND
May 20, 2010 OFF
May 21 2010 Metalfest Open Air Pilsen, CZECH REPUBLIC
May 22 2010 United Titans Festival Krakow, POLAND
May 23 2010 Metalfest Open Air Budapest, HUNGARY
June 10, 2010 Sweden Rock Fest Solvesborg, SWEDEN
June 11, 2010 Sauna Open Air Tampere, FINLAND

DEATH ANGEL / ARSIS FREE ALL AGES SHOWS (sposored by Scion)

April 13, 2010 Masquerade Atlanta, GA

April 14, 2010 Roxy Hollywood, CA

SOILWORK and DEATH ANGEL have now added a special event VIP ticket for a pre-show meet-and-greet to take place one hour before doors. Each night, fans will get to meet and greet SOILWORK and DEATH ANGEL for a special event that is being offered. Fans will also receive a customized poster to get signed by both bands. These special VIP tickets are on sale now at EnterTheVault.com .

SOILWORK are currently wrapping up the mixing process of The Panic Broadcast with the renowned Jens Bogren (OPETH, AMON AMARTH, BLOODBATH). The album is tentatively scheduled for a June release via Nuclear Blast Records and is the first to feature guitarist/producer/songwriter Peter Wichers since his return to the band in 2008.

DEATH ANGEL are currently at Audio Hammer Studios in Sanford, Florida with production genius Jason Suecof (TRIVIUM, AUGUST BURNS RED, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, ALL THAT REMAINS, WHITE CHAPEL, DEVILDRIVER) tracking the new record, tentatively scheduled for a September of 2010 release.

The past couple of weeks have brought about a lot of exciting Manchester Orchestra news – the split digital bundle with Kevin Devine, Manchester Orchestra’s appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Manchester Orchestra at Bonnaroo this summer, the band’s appearance on Live At Abbey Road, new tour dates, the iTunes SoHo session, and more.

Of course you knew we couldn’t stop there…

Don’t miss the May issue of AP where Manchester Orchestra
grace the cover!!!

MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA ON THE ROAD

Manchester Orchestra press photo – credit: James Minchin III

And the tour is still going strong!

3/18 – Gothic Theatre – Denver, CO
3/19 – The Beaumont Club – Kansas City, MO
3/20 – The Slowdown – Omaha, NE
3/21 – The Varsity Theater – Minneapolis, MN
3/23 – Metro – Chicago, IL
3/24 – St. Andrews Hall – Detroit, MI
3/25 – Mr. Small’s Theatre – Pittsburgh, PA
3/26 – Water Street Music Hall – Rochester, NY
3/27 – The Phoenix Theatre – Toronto, ON
3/29 – Northern Lights – Clifton Park, NY
3/30 – Paradise Rock Club – Boston, MA
3/31 – Chameleon – Lancaster, PA
4/1 – Toad’s Place – New Haven, CT
4/2 – The Fillmore @ Irving – New York, NY
4/3 – The Trocadero – Philadelphia, PA
4/5 – The Recher Theatre – Townson, MD
4/6 – The Norva – Norfolk, VA
4/7 – Cat’s Cradle – Carrborro, NC
4/8 – The Music Farm – Charleston, SC
4/9 – Jillian’s – Columbia, SC
4/14 – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA **
4/15 – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA **
4/16 – The Howlin Wolf – New Orleans, LA **
4/17 – The Lyric Oxford – Oxford, MS **
4/18 – WorkPlay Theatre – Birmingham, AL **
4/20 – House of Blues – Cleveland, OH **
4/21 – Bogart’s – Cincinnati, OH **
4/22 – Newport Music Hall – Columbus, OH **
4/23 – The Pageant – St. Louis, MO **
4/24 – The Rave – Milwaukee, WI **
4/25 – People’s Court – Des Moines, IA **
4/27 – Eagle’s club room – Vermillion, SD **
4/29 – The Railyard – Billings, MT **
4/30 – Knitting Factory – Spokane, WA **
5/1 – McDonald Theater – Eugene, OR **
5/3 – Knitting Factory – Reno, NV **
5/4 – The Catalyst – Santa Cruz, CA **
5/6 – Majestic Ventura Theatre – Ventura, CA **
5/7 – House of Blues – Las Vegas, NV **
5/8 – Rialto Theatre – Tucson, AZ **
5/9 – Sunshine Theatre – Albuquerque, NM **
6/10 – Bonnaroo – Manchester, TN

** co-headlining dates with Thrice

Even as they move to annihilate the city of Austin at this years SXSW music festival, Antarctic beast-lords GWAR are setting their sights on an event that is destined to go down as one of the most insane experiences in their long and obtuse career. The CRACK-A-THON is on!

GWAR is staging their first CRACK-A-THON April 16th and 17th at the MF Gallery in Brooklyn, NY. Starting at 7:00 pm on April 16th, Oderus, joined by his co-host and band mate, Balsac the Jaws of Death, will star in GWAR’s very own variety show which will be broadcast free of charge to anybody with an internet connection. In the tradition of “The Carol Burnett Show” or the Jerry Lewis MS telethon, Oderus will attempt to entertain and milk the viewing audience for every penny they have while presenting an assortment of guests that glitteringly represent the sub-middle-upper-lower strata of entertainments elite!

Today GWAR announced the first confirmed guest on the program, Oderus’ Red Eye buddy and confirmed nose-bleeder, Andrew W.K. who will be performing live. Andrew W.K. is stoked about his upcoming appearance on the CRACK-A-THON, “I am very excited to have an intimate experience with Oderus. I’ve admired his physique for so long, and now I finally get to see it up close… very up close.”

Lead singer of GWAR and CRACK-A-THON host Oderus Urungus is known for sharing his crack.

Deep within the bowels of the Earth, preparations for GWAR’s first fund-raising drive have reached a fever pitch. As guests are lined up, sets are constructed, and scripts have bongwater spilled all over them, Oderus had this to say…

“I didn’t realize that so much work would be involved, and that sucks…I thought I would just kinda show up and get high. But I am undaunted by the complexity of the task as I just hired a bunch of other people to do it for me!”

This star-choked assault marks Oderus’ last-ditch attempt to raise funds in order to pay off his considerable crack-debt, owed to GWAR manager and underworld tyrant, Sleazy P. Martini, who had the following to say about the matter:

“Oderus’ crack debt makes the U.S. federal deficit look like fucking lunch money. If he wants to continue to “hook-up on the cook-up” then I need to see some cash.”

He continued: “If Oderus is unable to “lock- up on the rock-up” he gets violent, nasty, and confused, even more so than normal. So giving money to Oderus for crack isn’t just a nice thing to do, it’s also saving the human race from annihilation! So if the human race wants to survive they need to pony up.”

At this point Urkel has yet to confirm

GWAR’s 25th Anniversary epic of earthen escape “Lust in Space” is undeniably still out on Metal Blade Records. Go out and buy a copy even if you have already.

TONS MORE GUESTS TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON! FOR INFO ON SHOW TIMES, GUESTS, HOW TO DONATE MONEY, HOW TO RESERVE YOUR SEAT AND WHERE TO WATCH THE CRACK-A-THON GO TO:

Playing For Change Records/Concord Music Group will make legendary New Orleans street performer and Playing for Change vocalist, “Grandpa” Elliott Small’s debut album Sugar Sweet available at traditional retail outlets nationwide on April 6. Sugar Sweet was previously only available exclusively on Amazon.com. Living Blues Magazine recently enthused, “Sugar Sweet will not leave you disappointed.”

After nearly sixty years of captivating crowds on the streets of New Orleans, Grandpa Elliott will make his debut at the 2010 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. His popularity has gone global in the last year after the Playing for Change hit viral video for Stand By Me, featuring 37 musicians from around the world, received over 30 million views on sites like YouTube and Vimeo.

After so many years persevering through incredible hardships and performing for free on the streets of New Orleans, Grandpa Elliott has become an unlikely cultural icon. He has performed as part of the Playing for Change Band twice on NBC’s The Tonight Show, The Bonnie Hunt Show and has led the band in an emotional rendition of “Stand By Me” on Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report.

Sugar Sweet is produced by Playing For Change founder Mark Johnson and Reggie McBride and was recorded in New Orleans with the Playing For Change Band. Their ability to lay down sturdy, elastic grooves is evident throughout the album, adding sympathetic backing to Elliott’s soulful vocals and sinuous harmonica.

“Grandpa Elliott embodies everything the Playing For Change project is about,” Johnson says. “Soul, talent, and perseverance. He brought the rawness of the street into the studio and cut the tunes in one take, with no set list and made every song his own. There’s a line in ‘Sugar Sweet’ that says ‘I love you more than the blood that runs through my veins.’ That’s how Grandpa feels about music. You can hear it in every note he sings.”

On the title track, the guitars of Jason Tamba from the DR Congo and Zimbabwe’s Louis Mhlanga play a New Orleans style Rumba with a hint of Ska, while drummer Peter Bunetta lays down subtle percussion fills. Grandpa Elliott’s voice is fluid, with quicksilver phrasing that falls before and behind the beat, playing with rhythm and meter. “Ain’t Nothing You Can Do,” an early hit for Bobby “Blue” Bland, gets a makeover that combines the swing of Tamba and Mhlanga, with an R&B feel, Elliott’s vocal slips from a buoyant tenor to a playful, bluesy growl as he adds subtle harmonica accents. Grandpa Elliott learned “Share Your Love With Me” from an Aretha Franklin recording and the band gives it a stripped down, old school R&B reading. “Fannie Mae” was cut at a rousing live concert performance with Keb’ Mo’ sitting in on electric guitar. It includes a blazing harp solo from Grandpa Elliott and lets the band show off its considerable instrumental prowess.

ABOUT PLAYING FOR CHANGE:

Grammy-winning producer/engineer/filmmaker Mark Johnson founded Playing For Change on the simple idea that the world can find peace through music. It’s been an incredible year for the project and momentum continues to build as Johnson and the musicians of Playing For Change were named “Persons of the Week” on ABC’s World News Tonight with Charlie Gibson last month and have been profiled many times nationally including NPR’s Morning Edition, CBS News Sunday Morning and PBS’ Bill Moyers Journal just to name a few.

Playing For Change was one of 2009’s most unlikely and startling cultural phenomenons. Hear Music/Concord Music Group’s two-disc CD/DVD Playing For Change – Songs Around the World, released April 28th, stunned the music industry selling over twenty-six thousand copies in it’s first week and landing at #10 on Billboard’s Top 200 Pop chart. This remarkable and unpredicted popular response has been driven by tens of millions of video hits, countless blogs and pure viral communication between fans and followers. The project’s deep emotional resonance, combined with the muscle of the internet and word-of-mouth has struck a profoundly enduring chord world-wide.

Most recently, with the Concord Music Group, Playing For Change announced the launch of a new record label that will support releases from select artists associated with the global music and multi-media collective Playing For Change. The first artist signed to Playing For Change Records/Concord Music Group is Grandpa Elliott.

Sugar Sweet Track Listing

1. Ain’t Nothing You Can Do

2. This Little Light of Mine (Medley)

3. Sugar Is Sweet

4. Baby, What You Want Me to Do

5. We’re Gonna Make It

6. Share Your Love With Me

7. Another Saturday Night

8. Fannie Mae (Live) – featuring the Playing For Change Band

9. Please Come Home for Christmas

*Produced by Mark Johnson and Reggie McBride

“Honest and life-affirming and infectious, and it’s that rare concentration of directness and simplicity that makes Fang Island so uniquely and wonderfully inclusive.” Best New Music — Pitchfork

“Totally triumphant guitars, giant choruses, and an overload of positive charm made this a perfect summertime album. I stand by my prediction: it’s going to be huge.” — Seattle Stranger

“Marries complex math-rock with a life-affirming energy that could soundtrack the next Spike Jonze film.” — Los Angeles Examiner

Brooklyn guitar-anthem optimists Fang Island — who describe their sound as “everyone high-fiving everyone” — have been receiving a wealth of high-fives right back. Esteemed website Pitchfork showed ample praise for Fang Island’s Sargent House debut album this week, making it a Best New Music pick. Likewise, fan buzz on Twitter and other social networks has been voluminous. Album sales topped charts on both iTunes (Top Alternative Albums) and Amazon (#1 Mover & Shaker Album) this week.

Just days after the quintet’s newly purchased van was stolen on the eve of their current U.S. tour, Brooklyn police safely recovered the vehicle. On tour right now, Fang Island supports The Chinese Stars on dates surrounding both bands’ SXSW performances. Then, Fang Island again hit the road supporting Red Sparowes in April. Please see complete tour dates below.

Fang Island’s self-titled debut album hit shelves on February 23rd via Sargent House amid a wealth of praise from press, with many writers declaring it one of the Best of 2010, just two months into the new year. A digital EP featuring the popular album track “Daisy” backed with Chris Keating of Yeasayer’s remix of “Absolute Place” off their Sky Gardens EP preceded the full length in January.

Back in December, Pitchfork debuted the quirky video for “Daisy” directed by Carlos Charlie Perez (Li’l Wayne, Vampire Weekend). A new clip, also directed by Perez, for the song “Life Coach” followed in March.

Fang Island’s finger-tapping guitar lines, chanted vocals, triumphant harmonies and overall perky songs hearken to the sort of “Total Music” of Jay Reatard, Ponytail, Kraftwerk, Marnie Stern, Thin Lizzy, et al. But, perhaps more so, its songs are like the music in your head at that moment when everything feels just right: that first kiss, that high score on the video game, buying your first small nation in cash… you know, good stuff.

Fang Island began, oddly enough, as an art school project while the band members were attending the prodigious Rhode Island School of Design (also the foundation for Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Les Savvy Fav, Six Finger Satellite, Lightning Bolt and some band called the Talking Heads.) According to guitarist Jason Bartell, the goal was to “make music for people who like music.” That is, music without irony that harnesses its uplifting qualities. Just like a classic rock song or classical symphony can stir us emotionally, Fang Island exists to unlock that spirit.

Fang Island is guitarist Jason Bartell, bassist Michael Jacober, guitarist Chris Georges, guitarist Nicholas Andrew Sadler, and drummer Marc St. Sauveur. They all share collective group vocal harmonies and the occasional hand claps. While Sadler is also known for his role in the debauched rock band Daughters, it is only his fretboard skill that translates between the two groups.

Fang Island / The Chinese Stars:
03/16 Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar
03/17 Lawrence, KS @ Reply Lounge
03/18 Hot Springs, AK @ Hot Springs Nat’l Park – VOV Fest
03/19 Austin, TX – SXSW @ Habana Calle 6 (Sargent House Show)
03/20 Austin, TX @ Club Primo’s
03/21 Austin, TX @ RED 7
03/23 New Orleans, LA @ Dragon’s Den
03/24 Athens, GA @ Caledonia Lounge
03/25 Atlanta, GA @The Drunken Unicorn
03/26 Greenville, NC @ Tipsy Teapot
03/27 Baltimore, MD @ Floristree

04/03 Hartford, CT @ Trinity College (w/ Sleigh Bells and Brahms)
04/05 Brooklyn, NY @The Knitting Factory (Fang Island headline)

Red Sparowes / Fang Island
04/11 Washington DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel **
04/15 Boston, MA @ the Middle East Downstairs **
04/16 Montreal, QC @ La Sala Rossa **
04/17 Toronto, ON @ the Garrison **
04/18 Cleveland, OH @ The Grog Shop #
04/19 Indianapolis, IN @ Radio Radio #
04/21 Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall #
04/22 Madison, WI @ High Noon #
04/23 Minneapolis, MN @ 400 Bar #
04/24 Omaha, NE @ Slowdown Jr. #
04/26 Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
04/27 Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
04/29 Seattle, WA @ Neumo’s #
04/30 Vancouver, BC @ the Biltmore #
05/01 Portland, OR @ the Hawthorne #
05/02 Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall #
05/04 Sacramento, CA @ Blue Lamp
0/505 Santa Cruz, CA @ Crepe Place
0/506 Santa Cruz, CA @ Crepe Place
05/07 San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
05/08 Los Angeles, CA @ the Echoplex
05/09 San Diego, CA @ the Casbah

** With Doomriders
## With Caspian

Artist: Fang Island
Album: Fang Island
Label: Sargent House
Release Date: February 23, 2010

01. Dreams of Dreams
02. Careful Crossers
03. Daisy
04. Life Coach
05. Sideswiper
06. The Illinois
07. Treeton
08. Davey Crockett
09. Welcome Wagon
10. Dorian

“Breathlessly Dramatic!” – Boston Globe

With their marathon winter-spring U.S. concert tour expected to stretch into the summer, Irish Music phenomenon, Celtic Woman will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on national TV tomorrow with a special visit to Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa to perform on their hit morning show, Live with Regis & Kelly.
Celtic Woman will be performing one of their newest songs, “Níl Sé’n Lá,” (which means ‘Seize the Day’) for Regis and Kelly, while the group is in New York supporting their recent chart-topping CD/DVD, Songs from the Heart. After the show, Celtic Woman heads to the nation’s capital to continue their holiday celebration that evening with a concert performance at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA.
The group continues to delight live audiences with what critics are calling an “uplifting” and “beyond captivating” concert experience. The 60 city journey, which kicked off February 9th in Virginia, is confirmed through May 22 in Salt Lake City while additional dates are expected to be added this summer due to popular demand.

Songs From the Heart, (Manhattan Records) the group’s fifth CD and DVD debuted at #9 on Billboard Top 200 and #1 Billboard World Music Chart. In addition, the companion live concert DVD hit #1 on the Billboard Top Music DVD Chart. Musical director David Downes beautifully captures the pure essence of Celtic Woman showcasing the celestial sounds of vocalists Lisa Kelly, Chloë Agnew, Lynn Hilary and Alex Sharpe along with the dynamic inventiveness of Celtic Violinist Máiréad Nesbitt. The CD features studio recorded versions of songs performed during their PBS TV Special “Songs from the Heart- Live at Powerscourt House & Gardens.” The TV special began airing Nov 28th on PBS stations around the country as part of the network’s quarterly pledge drive and has immediately yielded outstanding viewership results.

Deemed a “phenomenon” by the Boston Globe, the group continues to enchant fans live – moving seamlessly between Irish classics, contemporary covers and original compositions. During the 2010 tour, fans have the opportunity to experience Celtic Woman’s most dazzling production yet, featuring renditions of Jimmy Webb’s “The Moon’s a Harsh Mistress,” Billy Joel’s “Goodnight My Angel,” “Amazing Grace,” with world champion bagpiper Anthony Byrne, and Irish classics “My Lagan Love,” “Galway Bay,” as well as a new favorite “Níl Sé’n Lá.” The tour also includes an original composition, “Songs from the Heart” written specifically for this for this and has not yet been recorded.

In just five short years, this unique all-female ensemble continues to have mainstream success without the aid of traditional sales drivers such as radio or video airplay. No other group of this particular adult contemporary genre can claim 5 million albums sold, two top 10 album debuts on the Billboard Top 200, 3 gold and platinum albums, 4 Top 5 Releases on the Billboard Top Video chart and a million concert tickets sold. They have succeeded by connecting directly to fans via their Public Television specials, their frequent touring and then having those fans share the experience with friends and loved ones.

As a testament to the group’s ability to cross musical and cultural boundaries, the group recently performed at the National Christmas Tree Lighting in Washington D.C and ABC’s Dancing With The Stars singing for millions of viewers while their PBS TV specials have dominated the broadcast airwaves over the past five years.

A true celebration of Ireland with an unforgettable signature style, don’t miss an “evening of spectacular entertainment” (Kalamazoo Gazette) when Celtic Woman comes to a town near you.

SONGS FROM THE HEART 2010 TOUR

3/16 Hershey, PA GIANT Center
3/17 Fairfax, VA Patriots Center
3/19 Pittsburgh, PA Mellon Arena
3/20 Cleveland, OH State Theatre
3/21 South Bend, IN Morris PAC
3/23 Madison, WI Alliant Energy Center
3/24 St. Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center
3/25 Milwaukee, WI Milwaukee Theater
3/27 Indianapolis, IN Murat Theatre
3/28 Cincinnati, OH Arnoff Center / 2 shows
3/30-31 St. Louis, MO Fabulous Fox Theatre
4/1 Ft. Wayne, IN Embassy Theatre
4/2-3 Louisville, KY Palace Theatre / 2 shows
4/6 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena
4/7 Detroit, MI Fox Theater
4/9-10 Rosemont, IL Rosemont Theatre
4/11 Peoria, IL Peoria Civic Center
4/13 Knoxville, TN Civic Auditorium
4/14 Birmingham, AL BJCC
4/16 Pensacola, FL Pensacola Civic Center
4/17 Jacksonville, FL Moran Theatre
4/18 St. Petersburg, FL Mahaffey Theater
4/20-21 West Palm Beach, FL Kravis Center
4/22 Orlando, FL Amway Arena
4/23 Tallahassee, FL Leon County Civic Center
4/24 Baton Rouge, LA Baton Rouge River Center
4/26-27 Memphis, TN Orpheum Theater
4/28 Little Rock, AR Robinson Center
4/30 Houston, TX Toyota Center
5/1 Grand Prairie, TX Nokia Theatre
5/2 San Antonio, TX Majestic Theater / 2 shows
5/5 Tempe, AZ Gammage Auditorium
5/6 Los Angeles, CA Gibson Amphitheater
5/7 San Diego, CA Civic Theatre
5/8 Ontario, CA CB Bank Arena
5/9 Sacramento, CA Memorial Auditorium
5/11-13 Seattle, WA Paramount Theater
5/15 Vancouver, BC General Motors Place
5/17 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place
5/18 Calgary, AB Stampede Corral
5/20 Spokane, WA INB Performing Arts Center
5/21 Boise, ID Morrison Center
5/22 Salt Lake City, UT Energy Solutions Arena

“Like a gilded window to both the past and the future with the listener on the deciding end.”
- All Music Guide
“Chock-full of delicate melodies and sweet instrumentation”
- PopMatters

Louisville, KY natives Follow the Train spent the last year in the studio crafting their shimmering new album Mercury, a lushly detailed collection of music that is packed with ideas and brimming with emotion at every corner. Produced by Kevin Ratterman (VHS or Beta), the album is available today through Removador Recordings and Solutions, the label run by My Morning Jacket frontman Yim Yames and former My Morning Jacket guitarist Johnny Quaid.

Follow the Train began in 2004 as Dennis Sheridan’s solo musical project, paying tribute to the shoe-gaze of the late 80s and early 90s. The project found an audience with the self-released EP, The Great Disturbance, followed by a full-length album called A Breath Of Sigh. Sheridan eventually found an ear in his longtime friend Yames, who brought Follow The Train to Removador.

The band moved through a few different ensembles before settling on a six-piece group that came together for the new album. Sheridan is joined by James Hewett (drums), Mike Sabo (guitars), Brandon Jones (percussion), Carlos Ramos (bass) and David Cronin (keyboards).
Mercury has emerged as a nine-song, space-maddening, psychedelic, operatic brain-cookie. At the center is Dennis Sheridan’s beautifully tattered yet commanding voice, which carves out a trail in the sky and bursts with lyrics that yearn for exploration.

The “Fearless Love” single and album were produced by John Shanks, whose first producer credit was Etheridge’s Breakdown, her four-time Grammy-nominated album of 1999. Since then, Shanks has risen to the top ranks of rock and pop producers with credits including Sheryl Crow, Alanis Morissette and Bon Jovi, earning him a 2005 Producer of the Year Grammy Award.

Fearless Love expands on the multiple strengths that have made Etheridge one of the most beloved figures in rock. It follows The Awakening, her revealing album of 2007, with a rousing tone at once tough and tender, as only she can be. It is that force of presence which has earned her, among other accolades, the 2007 Academy Award for Best Original Song (“I Need to Wake Up” from the documentary film An Inconvenient Truth) and two Grammy Awards.

About Melissa Etheridge:
Melissa Etheridge has been a core Island Records artist since the release of her critically-acclaimed eponymous RIAA double-platinum debut album, which led to an invitation to sing on the Grammy Awards broadcast. For several years, Melissa’s popularity built around such memorable songs as “Bring Me Some Water” (from her debut), “No Souvenirs” (from Brave And Crazy) and “Ain’t It Heavy” (from Never Enough), for which she won her first Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal.

Melissa hit her commercial and artistic stride with her fourth album, Yes I Am, featuring the massive hits “I’m the Only One” and “Come to My Window,” a searing song of longing that brought her second Best Female Rock Grammy. The album went six times platinum and spent more than two and a half years on the album chart. Her highest charting album, Your Little Secret (#6 on the Billboard Top 200), included the hit single, “I Want to Come Over.” Her astounding success led Etheridge to receive the Songwriter of the Year honor at the ASCAP Pop Awards

The 88 announced today that they have released a new five-song EP No One Here exclusively via iTunes. The title track of the EP is something fans of the hit CBS comedy show How I Met Your Mother should be especially interested in, as the song was featured on the episode “Something Borrowed” from season two, episode 21 which first aired May 7, 2007.

The release of No One Here coincides with an incredibly busy time for The 88. The band is currently on the road through March with Kinks frontman Ray Davies. The band both opens the show with their original material and also close each show backing Davies, performing classic Kinks tracks. For the annual SXSW music convention beginning tomorrow in Austin, TX., The 88 will perform at La Zona Rosa on a power packed bill with Davies, Nicole Atkins featuring Future Clouds and Radar, John Hiatt and Roky Erickson with Okkervil River on Thursday March 18, 2010.

Additional tour dates and information include:
3/17 @ Palladium Ballroom, Dallas, TX (w/Ray Davies)
3/18 @ SXSW, Austin, TX – La Zona Rosa: 2 sets 9:30 pm (solo) & 10:30pm (w/Ray Davies)
3/19 @ The Shadow, Wichita, KS
3/20 @ Ogden Theatre, Denver, CO (w/Ray Davies)
3/21 @ Mike’s Music Exchange, El Dorado, NM
3/22 @ Hotel Congress, Tucson, AZ
3/23 @ Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
3/24 @ The Grove, Anaheim, CA (w/Ray Davies)
3/25 @ The Canyon Club, Agoura Hills, CA (w/Ray Davies)
4/14 @ Cal State Fullerton, Fullerton, CA
4/28 @ Ground Zero, USC, Los Angeles, CA

The 88 have seen significant interest in the song “No One Here” from fans the song on How I Met Your Mother nearly three years ago. Fans of the show have blogging about this unreleased track and petitioning The 88 directly via their social networking pages about to make it available. Full track listing for No One Here is: “Think You Broke My Heart”, “If Anyone Should Call”, “I’ve Got a Name”, “No One Here”, “Not That Bad”.

The 88 entered the studio prior to the Ray Davies tour to begin recording their next proper full-length and will resume recording when they return home to Los Angeles.

ABOUT THE 88
Founded in Los Angeles in 2002, The 88 have released four albums and one EP – Kind of Light, Over and Over, Not Only…But Also, the digital-only release This Must Be Love and the EP No One Here. The band is perhaps best known for their staggering number of music placements in film (Failure to Launch, You Me and Dupree), television (NBC’ Community theme song, CBS’ How I Met Your Mother) and advertising (Sears, Target) among others. Aside from extensive touring in North America, they have appeared on numerous national talk shows including Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson, Jimmy Kimmel Live and Last Call With Carson Daly. In 2009, The 88 became the first band to record a track entirely on an iPhone. The 88 are lead singer/guitarist Keith Slettedahl, pianist Adam Merrin, bassist Todd O’Keefe and drummer Anthony Zimmitti.

I Declare War has officially been signed as the fifth band to Artery Recordings, the new joint venture between The Artery Foundation and Razor & Tie. Founded in 2005, the death metal band is comprised of five guys in their 20s out of Seattle, Washington. On June 1st, their self-produced album Malevolence will be released.

While the band can definitely be described as heavy and aggressive, guitarist Evan Hughes states, “We have elements of a lot of different styles but keep things interesting by straying from sticking to a formula and not writing the same song 11 times.” The band agrees that Malevolence is their heaviest and most focused record to date. When discussing the album, Evan states, “The lyrics are based on a lot of what we think is corrupt in the world today – government, religion, and the self-inflicted downfall of humanity. The title reflects the overall feeling of the lyrics and a basic view of how we see the world today.”

During I Declare War’s first tour in 2007, the band happened to cross paths with well-known death metal band Whitechapel, and played what Evan calls “one of the worst shows both of us ever played.” The unfortunate show turned into a lasting friendship and one of the best things to happen to the band. When Alex Wade from Whitechapel was approached by Artery in regards to possible bands to sign, he suggested I Declare War, and so the relationship began. Artery and I Declare War are equally excited to begin working together. Evan says, “Being recognized by everyone at Artery is an honor and we’re really happy to have found a home with them. It’s been a long road to get to this point, but it really feels like our hard work is paying off.”

Artery Recordings is the label home to The Artery Foundation and is an imprint of independent label Razor & Tie, whose first two releases are from Chelsea Grin and Bury Tomorrow. A management company since 2004, Artery has a knack for finding diamonds in the rough and nurturing them into worldwide prominence. Some of their recent artists flooding the Billboard charts have included Top 40 releases with The Devil Wears Prada and A Day To Remember as well as Top 100 releases with Alesana and Breathe Carolina and additional artists such as Dance Gavin Dance, Attack Attack! and Whitechapel. The Artery Foundation will be hosting a showcase at the SXSW Music Festival in March.

New York-based Razor & Tie is one of the fastest growing independent record labels in the United States. The label has garnered both Platinum sales and Grammy awards, and is rapidly increasing their presence in the rock and metal genres. Their ever-expanding roster includes artists such as All That Remains, Day Of Fire and Dead Confederate, as well as upcoming releases from Norma Jean and Just Surrender.