Music News Net

DALE EARNHARDT JR JR Announce EP Release and Tour Dates

MUSIC NEWS - Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. are back. The Detroit duo of Josh Epstein and Daniel Zott are
currently wrapping up sophomore album, which will be out later this year. But in the meantime, DEJJ will offer a taste of what's to come. Patterns, their brand new EP, will be released by Warner Bros. Records in the USA on April 16th digitally and April 20th physically as a vinyl only Record Store Day piece. The physical version of the EP will include two exclusive remixes. The band just premiered their new song, "If You Didn't See Me (Then You Weren't On The Dancefloor)" on their website, give it a listen below.

The band will be celebrating the release of Patterns with a select number of headlining shows, including a special hometown Record Store Day show in Detroit at The Majestic Theater for the second year in a row. They'll also be performing in NYC, Austin, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago. All confirmed tour dates are listed below.

DAWES Announces More Concert Dates

MUSIC NEWS - L.A. rock quartet Dawes have revealed additional tour dates for 2013. After recently wrapping up a life-changing trip to Rwanda where the band helped the UN charity Nothing But Nets raise awareness & funds to protect refugee families from malaria and a successful run at this year's SXSW Music Festival, Dawes are currently on the road touring a number of independent record stores across America, performing songs off their forthcoming full-length album, the Jacquire King (Tom Waits, Kings of Leon, Norah Jones)-produced, Stories Don't End (out April 9 via HUB Records). Immediately following the current tour, Dawes will then support the legendary Bob Dylan on a number of dates beginning Friday, April 5 at Alumni Arena in Buffalo, NY.

Indie Rocker, JASON MOLINA, Dead at 39

MUSIC NEWS - Ohio-born indie rock singer and songwriter Jason Molina , member of the bands Songs: Ohia and Magnolia Electric Co. passed away on Saturday at the age of 39 after a long battle with alcoholism, his record company announced today.

“Jason is the cornerstone of Secretly Canadian,” read a statement issued Monday by the Bloomington, IN, based label. “Without him there would be no us -- plain and simple. His singular, stirring body of work is the foundation upon which all else has been constructed. After hearing and falling in love with the mysterious voice on his debut single "Soul" in early 1996, we approached him about releasing a single on our newly formed label. For some reason he said yes.”

LORD HURON's "Auld Lang Syne" - Listen

MUSIC NEWS - Lonesome Dreams, the first full-length album from rising LA-based band Lord Huron, is available now on the independent label IAMSOUND Records. Lord Huron is a musical and visual project created by lead singer and Michigan native-turned-Angeleno Ben Schneider. The new record follows the Mighty EP, which Pitchfork called “an invigorating listen” and The Los Angeles Times described as “full of lush acoustic guitars and Midwestern-accented harmonies as warm as a winter fireplace.”

The debut continues to garner widespread praise—USA Today explains, “the indie-folk band paints a vivid landscape with upbeat, warm melodies and the dreamy vocals,” The New York Times described the music as, “pretty, multilayered Americana strumming and harmonizing,” and Esquire furthers they’re “the last true New Band You Need to Hear This Year.”

Lord Huron made their network television debut on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” and performed on KCRW’s “Morning Becomes Eclectic.”  Additional tour dates to be announced soon. Originally a solo project by Schneider under the alter ego Lord Huron, collaborators now include Mark Barry (percussion, vocals), Miguel Briseno (bass, percussion), and Tom Renaud (guitar, vocals).

PASSION PIT Announces February USA Tour

MUSIC NEWS - With 2013 coming up fast, Passion Pit has announced a headlining North American tour in February and March with special guests Matt & Kim. The tour starts on February 5 in Norfolk, VA, just three nights before the band's previously announced headlining debut at Madison Square Garden. The tour continues with a hometown show in Boston, MA on February 9 at the Agganis Arena, before heading west for theater and arena shows in Denver, Salt Lake City and more, making this the band's largest headlining tour to
date! See the full tour itinerary, below. 

The band recently completed a three night stand at the noted Washington D.C. 9:30 Club, where the Washington Times raved that “Passion Pit is the personification of pop music.” While in D.C., Michael Angelakos and Ian Hultquist from the band stopped by the NPR offices to perform a Tiny Desk Concert. After a triumphant return to the stage this fall, Passion Pit will finish out this year with a small European tour and a series of USA radio concert dates.

Passion Pit 2013 Tour Itinerary-

Note; Additional concert dates for this tour will be announced in the upcoming weeks.

2/5       Norfolk, VA               NorVa*

2/8       New York City, NY     Madison Square Garden*

2/9       Boston, MA                Agganis Arena*

2/12     Portland, ME              State Theater*

2/15     Montreal, QC              Metropolis*

2/16     Toronto, ON               Kool Haus*

2/18     Rochester, NY            Main Street Armory*

2/23     Madison, WI               Orpheum*

2/25     Columbia, MO            Jesse Auditorium*

2/28     Ames, IA                    Hilton Coliseum at Iowa State University*

3/1       Denver, CO                 First Bank Center*

3/2       Salt Lake City, UT      Complex*

 *all dates are with Matt & Kim

PASSION PIT Adds USA Tour Dates, NYC's Madison Square Garden

MUSIC NEWS- Just after their triumphant pair of performances on Saturday Night Live, Passion Pit announce their first block of 2013 tour dates including a headline performance on February 8 at New York City’s legendary Madison Square Garden with very special guests Matt & Kim.  With a capacity of over 13,000, the Madison Square Garden show will be the bands largest headlining show to date. 

Passion Pit is currently in the midst of a USA headline tour that will continue through the end of 2012.  The band will complete their run of three sold-out shows at Washington D.C.’s 9:30 Club today, before continuing southeast for sold-out shows in Raleigh and Charleston. This tour also sees the band playing two nights at Minneapolis’ First Avenue, along with twelve other headline dates across the U.S. in October/November. After a quick trip to the UK and Mexico, the band finishes the year with a run of radio shows in December.  A full list of USA dates is included below.

CIRCA SURVIVE Take to the Road for "Violent Waves" Release

MUSIC NEWS - Progressive rock band CIRCA SURVIVE began a 33-date U.S. tour this week to promote their recently released fourth album, VIOLENT WAVES. The five-piece band from Doylestown, Pennsylvania self-produced the eleven-track album earlier this year at Studio 4 in suburban Philadelphia and opted to release the album independently — without the
involvement of any record label or major distribution company. Violent Waves debuted last week at #15 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and was the #1 Alternative album on iTunes during the week of release.

Prog rockers, Circa Survive first performed new material from Violent Waves in August with two sold-out hometown shows at Philadelphia's Union Transfer. The band used footage shot by fans at the shows to create a 47-second tour commercial, watch below.

 

GARBAGE Kicks Off USA Tour

MUSIC NEWS - After months of extensive international touring to rave reviews, Garbage return to the USA tonight to kick off a series of live dates to promote their highly acclaimed album, Not Your Kind of People, which the band released on May 22, 2012 on their STUNVOLUME record label. This run will also mark the start of the band's monthly Instagram photo stream contest. Concert goers who upload Instagram photos of the show tagged #garbagetour will be entered for a chance to win a piece of Garbage merch. 

More information @ garbage.com/pics.

 

Forever the Sickest Kids Move to Fearless Records

MUSIC NEWS- Fearless Records has announced their latest signing; and today welcomes Forever The Sickest Kids to the family!

"We are thrilled to officially announce our signing with Fearless Records," notes singer Jonathan Cook. "This label has a huge amount of success, history, great bands, and their staff's love for music makes this a great fit for the future of Forever the Sickest Kids, saddle up! Fearless + FTSK = Amazing." 

DIIV Continues North American, and Announces Euro Tour

MUSIC NEWS - DIIV is currently on tour across North America with Wild Nothings. To celebrate, DIIV has blessed MUSIC NEWS NET with a music video for album standout "Doused," which premiered recently. Watch it, below.

 

After throuroughly rocking out all across North America, Brooklyn, NY indie rockers, DIIV will take their stellar live show overseas for a European tour. Full tour itinerary is listed below-

THE KILLERS Announce September Werner Herzog Directed Livestream Show

MUSIC NEWS - The Killers, who will release their anticipated fourth studio album, Battle Born, on September 18, 2012 via Island Records, have announced that they will be participating in the latest “American Express Unstaged” livestream event.  The show takes place on September 18 at 7:00 pm ET / 4:00 pm PT.  The Killers’ exclusive performance will be livestreamed from the Paradise Theater in the Bronx, NY, and directed by legendary film director Werner Herzog.   Watch the trailer for this show below-

Award-winning director Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man, Aguirre: The Wrath of God, Bad Lieutenant:  Port of Call New Orleans, Fitzcarraldo [Mick Jagger], Encounters at the End of the World), known for pushing cinematic boundaries, was hand-selected by The Killers to capture the performance with a visually stunning home viewing experience.  “We’re so honored to work with Werner Herzog,” said Killers front man Brandon Flowers.  “"He's made some legendary films and we can't believe we got him to do this.”

The Joy Formidable Teases Us With WOLF'S LAW Video

MUSIC NEWS - The Joy Formidable have spent the first half of 2012 gearing up for the release of their second album, 'Wolf's Law', due out in early 2013. As a small taste for fans of the new material, the band has released a new video for a track inspired by the album title. 'Wolf's Law'.  The tune won't be released on the album but is a perfect pointer for the band's second album, both musically and thematically. Check it out, below.

The Joy Formidable have always been intimately involved in all areas of their music, with Rhydian Daffyd designing the covers for their singles and their debut album, 'The Big Roar'. With the film for 'Wolf's Law' the band worked with director Cat Botibol to create a film that, in the words of Ritzy and Rhydian: 'captures the unforgiving momentum of life, the restlessness of nature's cycles and the parallels as well as the uniqueness of each creature's journey. Contrasting images of the forces of nature at its most violent and destructive with nature as creator, the film poses essential questions which have been at the forefront of our minds throughout the recording process of 'Wolf's Law'. Recording in Wales, London, upstate New York and downtown Manhattan presented us with the extremes of existence from rural solitude to some of the busiest and most developed urban environments on our planet and those contrasts and the thoughts they provoked very much filtered into the choice of images that comprise the film'.

WYE OAK's Jenn Wasner's New "Flock of Dimes"

MUSIC NEWS - On September 25, Merge records will release “Curtain” b/w “Apparition,” the second in a series of 7-inch singles from Flock of Dimes, the solo project of Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner. Limited to 1,000 copies, each 7-inch includes a download coupon for both tracks.

Jenn launched Flock of Dimes in 2011 as her way to explore more experimental recording and songwriting outside of the burgeoning success of Wye Oak.  A tour opening slot for Sharon Van Etten followed, and a debut 7-inch, “Prison Bride” b/w “I Can’t Tell You Why (screwed mix),” was released by Baltimore, MD based Friends Records in April of 2012. There are more singles in the works as part of this series, but a full-length release is not currently planned.

FREELANCE WHALES Ready "Diluvia" and Reveal SPITTING IMAGE- Listen

MUSIC NEWS - This morning, NPR's All Songs Considered unveiled the new single from Freelance Whales' Diluvia. The song, "Spitting Image" (listen below) will be available for download tomorrow on iTunes. The album is bundled with a limited-edition star projector custom-designed for Diluvia, and is also available in standard CD and vinyl formats.

After two years and over a dozen tours, Freelance Whales were feeling road-worn and eager to rediscover their creative process. They had been building on the grassroots appeal of their earthy debut, Weathervanes, for tens of thousands of miles. To tare the scale, the band embarked on a many faceted journey during which they found themselves isolated in West Kill, sprawled with their instruments in Hoboken, NJ and packed into studios in Brooklyn and Manhattan. What resulted from nearly a year’s worth of creative productivity is the group’s second full-length,  Diluvia (out October 9th on Mom+Pop/French Kiss).

SILVERSUN PICKUPS Back With "Neck of the Woods" Tour

MUSIC NEWS- The Silversun Pickups (lead vocals/guitar Brian Aubert, drums/percussion Christopher Guanlao, bassist/vocals Nikki Monninger and sounds/keyboards Joe Lester) will be heading back on the road for a fall headlining tour in support of their latest record Neck of the Woods. After several festival dates, the band will tour from the Malkin Bowl in Vancouver on September 4th to the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, IL on September 21st. Throughout the tour, they will be supported by School of Seven Bells and Atlas Genius.

 

Neck of the Woods was produced by the Grammy Award-winning Jacknife Lee (U2, Weezer, REM, Snow Patrol).   The Los Angeles Times praised Neck of the Woods, awarding it three out of four stars, noting "its allusions all nod to the best stuff from a time when rock acts could be experimental, heavy and platinum-selling at once."