Music News Net

moe. Unveils 10th Annual moe.down

     MUSIC NEWS-  The Tenth Annual moe.down has been announced for September 4, 5 and 6 at the Snow Ridge Ski area in Turin, NY !  moe.down has become known as Upstate NY State's most musically diverse festival.  moe. will perform a total of six sets throughout the weekend.  moe. has finalized this year's line-up: moe., CAKE, Umphrey's McGee, Method Man and Redman, Ani DiFranco, Matthew Sweet, Sam Bush, The New Mastersounds, Ominous Seapods, The Heavy Pets, Okemah, Nate Wilson Group, Family Groove Company, Lynch, My Dear Disco and The London Souls.

Over the past nine years, more than one hundred bands have performed at moe.down, including The Flaming Lips, Perry Farrell's Satellite Party, The Roots, The Levon Helm Band, They Might Be Giants, Meat Puppets, Medeski Martin & Wood, Matisyahu, Blues Traveler, The Presidents of the United States of America, Fishbone, Leo Kottke, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Nellie McKay, Cracker Van Beethoven, David Grisman, and Les Claypool.

The moe.down festival promises three days of music, camping and fun at the Snow Ridge Ski Area in Turin, NY. The site is about an hour northeast of Syracuse, at the edge of the beautiful Adirondack Mountains. Ski lifts will be open, so bring your mountain bikes!  And, for the last eight years, members of the band have hit the greens with friends and fans for the annual moe.down Charity Golf Outing. The event takes place at the Turin Highlands golf course and has raised almost $25,000 for various charities.  moe.down will also feature a Kids' Tent on Saturday and Sunday from 12 - 4p that promises to entertain even the toughest critics! This year's Kids' tent theme is "Mexico" in honor of the moe. song. There will be parades, crafts and activities for the youngest moe.rons and their caregivers.

More moe.down news at SnowRidge.com and moe.org.

GONG Reunites, "2032" Album Announced

     MUSIC NEWS- Legendary psychedelic prog rockers, GONG,  today announced the release of their new album "2032" on Monday, September, 21, 2009. It will be released in the UK on Steve Hillage and Miquette Giraudy's subsidiary G-Wave label, out two months before Gong's anticipated UK tour which kicks off at the Bristol 02 Academy on Thursday, November 19.

Described as exhilarating, compelling and other worldly, "2032" represents the first time Hillage has recorded with original Gong founder, Daevid Allen, since 1974's "You" album.  "2032" is a new installment that continues GONG's famous 'Radio Gnome' album trilogy which includes the milestone psychedelic progressive rock albums - "Flying Teapot" (1973), "Angel's Egg" (1973), and "You" (1974).

The line-up on the album includes Daevid Allen (guitar, lead vocal): Steve Hillage (lead guitar), Gilli Smyth (Space Whisper and poetry), Miquette Giraudy (synthesizer), Mike Howlett (bass), Chris Taylor (drums), and Theo Travis (sax and flute). Special guest performances on selected tracks include former Gong member Didier Malherbe (soprano sax, duduk, and flute) and Yuji Katsui (electric violin) of the Japanese progressive/psychedelic jam band Rovo.   "2032 is when Planet Gong makes full contact with the Planet Earth; a major new chapter in the continually evolving Gong mythology," says Daevid Allen. 

Jackson Browne HERE Video, from Kevin Spacey Film- SHRINK

     MUSIC NEWS -  We're pleased to offer up the music video for the new Kevin Spacey film, SHRINK (only in theatres, July 24 from Roadside Attractions & Lionsgate Films).  The clip features footage from the film in addition to footage of Jackson Browne performing his song, “Here”, from the motion picture soundtrack.

More at ShrinktheMovie, and news here on Jackson Browne's World Tour!

DEAD BY SUNRISE, New with Linkin Park's Chester Bennington

      MUSIC NEWS - CHESTER BENNINGTON, lead singer for rockers LINKIN PARK, has just put the finishing touches on OUT OF ASHES, the debut album from his new band DEAD BY SUNRISE, tentatively scheduled for a fall '09 release via Warner Bros. Records.

The band, which has Bennington on vocals, guitarists Ryan Shuck and Amir Derakh (from Orgy/Julien-K), bassist Brandon Belsky, drummer Elias Anda (also from Julien-K), and keyboardist Anthony Valcic, recorded OUT OF ASHES in Los Angeles with producer Howard Benson (Motorhead, My Chemical Romance). The tunes on OUT OF ASHES took shape during some downtime Linkin Park had before the band began recording their double-platinum 2007 album Minutes to Midnight. "I came up with a few songs that felt and sounded really good, but I knew they weren't right stylistically for Linkin Park," Bennington says. "They were darker and moodier than anything I'd come up with for the band. So I decided to work on them on my own rather than turn them over and have them transformed into Linkin Park tracks."   Bennington says that the music he wrote for Dead by Sunrise is darker, sexier, and more personal than anything he's done before. "It's got me all over it," he says. "This is the music I hear in my head." Indeed the creative freedom that Bennington felt making OUT OF ASHES is evident on songs like "Crawl Back In," "Let Down," and "Walking in Circles." "There are no hip-hop influences at all on this record, which is obviously a big difference," he says. "Also, the amount of vocal layering and use of harmony really showcase my voice in a new way. I was involved in the entire process of making the record, including the programming and the production, which was not only a great educational experience, it was very empowering. I'm really excited that the album is finally going to see the light of day!"

MNN looks foward to some song samples and the full release!

McCartney Adds More Shows to His "Not a Tour" Tour

     MUSIC NEWS- Though he says he’s not touring, Sir Paul McCartney has been adding concerts to his "not a tour" tour.  With NYC (Citi Field), Boston and Washington DC, Atlanta all a go, we now  have word that the former Beatle is adding two more shows; August 17 in Tulsa, OK at the BOK Center and the still new Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas on August 19 !   The Tulsa date is a non-stadium gig, his only arena show so far announced and these two shows are said to be his "final" USA summer concerts.

Tickets for Tulsa and Dallas go on sale Monday, July 20 at 10:00 AM local time. For more info, check out BOK Center and/or  DallasCowboys.com.

HEARTLESS BASTARDS Continue Touring Routine

      MUSIC NEWS - The Heartless Bastards have confirmed a very impressive and exciting summer 2009 touring schedule, after finishing up their first tour overseas and a powerful performance at Bonnaroo, and supporting Wilco.  

Next happening for the Austin, TX-based quartet are three of this summer's high profile tours ---supporting Jenny Lewis, The Decemberists and The Avett Brothers, as well as being invited by Andrew Bird himself to open for him at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles and festival performances at Lollapalooza, All Points West, Outside Lands and Austin City Limits.   Main Bastard Erika Wennnerstrom and her fantastic new backing band (Dave Colvin on drums, Jesse Ebaugh on bass and Mark Nathan on guitar) are touring to support the critically acclaimed The Mountain, and are garnering new fans and rave reviews along the way. 

The Decemberists' guitarist Chris Funk has said, "It's been a few years since I've had a voice on repeat in my mind. This voice seems to arrive in my ears while sound checking, often before the shows on a pre-show play list and after shows too -- the songs are just perfect and the band has found their spots behind this incredible woman. A unique and enduring artist arrived into our world once again."

Trent Reznor Explains Final NINE INCH NAILS Concerts

     MUSIC NEWS - Trent Reznor is back on the internet, and used the Nine Inch Nails website yesterday to offer up some details about NIN's farewell performances. Straight from Mr Reznor:

"Getting right to the point, we're going to play a handful of shows in NYC, Chicago and LA starting August 22nd. They will be informal affairs in medium to small venues with longer set-lists, possible special guests, cool openers and other surprises."

"Upon reflection, the NIN/JA tour felt like we had to rush through sets due to a limited allotted set length and many shows were in daylight - it just didn't feel right to end NIN that way.

"An offer to headline V-Fest in Toronto (being announced soon) set the idea in motion to play some FUN shows to end this up with. If we can get it together we'll film these shows, too." "Upon reflection, the NIN/JA tour felt like we had to rush through sets...it just didn't feel right to end NIN that way" Trent Reznor

He further explains"In NYC we'll be playing Bowery Ballroom, Webster Hall and Terminal 5. In Chicago, the Aragon Ballroom. In LA we'll be at  The Wiltern, The Henry Fonda, The Palladium and The Echoplex. These should be cool, unusual and unique shows and I hope you come out - this is it."  "So far, The Horrors will be joining us for some shows in NYC, Mew will be with us at other shows in NYC, Chicago and LA, and perhaps more. Details and ticket info will be announced shortly, so check back. Thanks, Trent"

Yes, I know, we've heard it before from artists; Farewell Tour, Final Shows, Good bye Tour, but we can only take Trent at his word, this is it!!!  But time will time if he gets the itch to re-visit NIN someday in the future. Just in case, go see one/two of these shows !!!  And, you could always go the reunion tour, too!

U2 Tour's Massive Carbon Footprint Revealed

     MUSIC NEWS -  Dispite U2's "save the planet" positions, actions like Bono and team's decision to register their companies off-shore, and therefore avoid Irish tax, impacts on Ireland's ability to give aid to the third world and the Edge's multi-unit construction project in Malibu, CA, many question the band's sincerity.  And now, a new green report on their current tour is quite shocking.  It seems their new 360 Degree World tour will have a carbon footprint equivalent to that of 6500 average UK residents combined for an entire year.  Or, 65,000 tons of CO2 !!!

Helen Roberts, environmental consultant at CarbonFootPrint.com told The Quietus: "The carbon footprint generated by U2's 44 concerts this year is equal to carbon created by the four band members travelling the 34.125 million miles from Earth to Mars in a passenger plane. You also have to add the carbon emissions from the same number of concerts again next year. Just looking at the 44 concerts this year, the band will create enough carbon to fly all 90,000 people attending one of their Wembley concerts to Dublin. To offset this year's carbon emissions, U2 would need to plant 20,118 trees". WOW !

DEAD WEATHER Album Premieres On Line Before its July 14 Release

     MUSIC NEWS - Time's running out to listen to the new DEAD WEATHER album in its entirity.  Plug-In Music reports that the band's highly anticipated debut album, "Horehound," is available to listen to exclusively on iLike for the next 24 hours at iLike.com/thedeadweather.  Prior to the July 14th release of "Horehound," you can experience the album for the first time today. "Horehound" was produced by Jack White on his Third Man Records imprint and was the first record to ever be recorded at his new Nashville-based studio.

And order your copy of Horehound thru MNN (below).  More at PlugInMusic

GET UP KIDS Are Up Again, and a 10th Anniverary Release Announced

     MUSIC NEWS - After several instantly sold out reunion shows at NYC's Gramercy Theater, Los Angeles' Troubadour and San Francisco's Great American Music Hall, the Get Up Kids have announced a full USA tour. The tour kicks off September 11 at Harrah's in the band's native Kansas City and will coincide with the 10th anniversary deluxe reissue of its landmark second album, Something to Write Home About, releasing September 8 via Vagrant Records.

The Get Up Kids formed in 1995, released a series of formative singles and EPs and in 1998 gave us the first album, Four Minute Mile, before establishing  the lineup that debuted on 1999's Red Letter Day EP and recorded Something To Write Home About; vocalist and guitarist Matt Pryor, brothers Ryan and Rob Pope on drums and bass respectively, guitarist Jim Suptic and keyboard player James Dewees. Subsequent Get Up Kids studio albums included the Scott Litt-produced On A Wire (2002) and Guilt Show (2004). The band officially broke up after a July 2, 2005 hometown swansong at the Uptown Theater in Kansas City.

But the Get Up Kids members have kept themselves active in the interim between their original break-up and the current reunion: the Pope brothers now run Black Lodge, the studio (which is for sale, btw) formed to record the Guilt Show album,  while Rob Pope now plays bass in Spoon.  Pryor has continued the New Amsterdams band he formed while still in the Get Up Kids, and has also released two albums of children's music with the Terrible Twos as well as his first solo album, Confidence Man. Suptic formed Blackpool Lights and co-founded the Curb Appeal label, while Dewees has continued his Reggie and the Full Effect project, and served as touring keyboard player for My Chemical Romance and New Found Glory.

LISSY TRULLIE Signs to Downtown Records, Recovers from Flu

      MUSIC NEWS - New Yorkers' Lissy Trullie have recently signed to Downtown Records in North America, and Wichita Recordings for the UK and other territories, and are currently in the studio writing songs and prepping to record their debut full-length, with a planned early 2010 release. With that, the band is excited to build upon the success of their debut EP Self Taught Learner, which since its release in February '09, has garnered praise from many corners including SPIN, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, Blurt, and VICE among others.

This spring they also made their late night debut on Last Call With Carson Daly and played for and chatted with ABC Amplified's Dan Harris at their practice space.  Following a summer full of writing and recording, Lissy Trullie returns to the road in the UK with The Cribs and Adam Green this September. USA  tour dates are in the works.

Though they did have a challening Spring! After completing a tour of the US with The Virgins and Anya Marina in May, Lissy Trullie trudged on and crossed the Atlantic for what was to be a very fun and successful run through Europe and the UK. Yet after a couple of shows prospects headed south in Hamburg as bass player, Ian Fenger was diagnosed with the H1N1 virus (aka Swine Flu) on June 7th and was committed to a local hospital. 

SOULIVE New "Up Here" Release Out Now

     MUSIC NEWS - Soulive, the New York-based funk-powerhouse trio, now with their own record label, Royal Family Records, having released it's latest studio effort, UP HERE, as a download earlier this year, today released it on CD with a bonus live DVD. The band has toured nationally this past Spring, launched their own festival, the Royal Family Get Down, and will hit the road again this Fall (itinerary below).

The physical release of UP HERE includes a bonus DVD of footage filmed live at the Blue Note in Tokyo in Summer 2008. UP HERE is the debut release on the band's Royal Family Records. The album was recorded in Soulive drummer Alan Evan's Play on Brother Studio in Hatfield, MA in Fall 2008. "This is the Soulive album I've always wanted to record - I've been hearing it in my head for years," says Evans, who also tracked and mixed the record.

Soulive's fall tour begins on Sept 12 at their festival, The Royal Family Get Down. The line up features Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Charlie Hunter Trio, Nigel Hall and Soulive's own headlining set with special guest, jazz guitarist,  John Scofield. Soulive then heads out west for a series  of dates anchored by stops at the Monterey Jazz Festival and four nights at Yoshi's in Oakland and San Francisco. The fall tour will then head back east for a series of Northeast dates including the Bowery Ballroom in NYC and Burlington's Higher Ground.

ALICE IN CHAINS New Video for "A Looking in View"

     MUSIC NEWS - Alice in Chains has released the new video today for their recently leaked track "A  Looking In View." The video can be viewed at their site, on their MySpace page and below.

The mp3 single was released for free download at the band's site last week as well as on iTunes and Amazon is the first new music to be released from the band in 14 years. It will be on their forthcoming album Black Gives Way to Blue, scheduled for a Sept 29 release through Virgin Records.

More at AliceinChains.com

 A Looking In View - Music Video

Bret Michaels' Latest Mishap --- Tour Bus Accident

      MUSIC NEWS - After recovering from last month's Tony Awards show incident, we now have word that Bret Michaels' tour bus was involved in a multi-vehicle collision following Poison's show at Molson Amphitheater in Toronto, CN.  Michaels was travelling to a solo gig in St. Paul, MN, after performing with his band on Saturday, July 4.   "Police reports indicate a car lost control and slid into the side of Mr. Michaels' tour bus causing a five-car pile-up on the roadway," a posting on the rocker's website said.

"There was damage to all vehicles involved, but no serious injuries were reported," the message said. "Michaels and his immediate crew were released from the scene following an investigation. Mr. Michaels was on his way to perform at the 'Taste of Minnesota' music festival with his solo band. He'll rejoin the Poison tour on July 7 in Hartford, Conn."  And tonite he'll be filming VH1's new Live and Loud series.