Grupo Fantasma News and Tour Dates

It has been busy for Grupo Fantasma as of late! The orchestra's horn section appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno recently, providing backup for Prince as well as supporting the pop icon at his 2008 Coachella performance.

According to Jose Galeano, Grupo Fantasma's elder statesman, "Prince's seal of approval sends a message that the band's music and performances are of the highest quality, and that we can conquer anything we put our minds to. It was quite an accomplishment. Even if the masses don't know it yet, he believes that we kick some serious ass!"

The band's relationship with Prince began with a two-month residency at his Las Vegas nightclub 3121 (guest appearances included Marc Anthony, Mary J. Blige and will.i.am) and evolved into a series of backing roles at events including his famed "21 Nights in London" residency at London's 02 Arena, his Golden Globes after party, the CBS Superbowl Bash in South Beach, the ALMA Awards and an exclusive private party in their hometown of Austin, Texas.

The band is currently out on the road in support of their new album Sonidos Gold set for release June 17th on Aire Sol Records/High Wire Music.

TOUR DATES

May
2 Private Laredo, Texas
3 Old Pecan Street Festival Austin, Texas
4 Jazz & Heritage Festival New Orleans, Louisiana
5 Private Austin, Texas
9 Lorraine’s Marble Falls, Texas
10 Rock Bottom Tattoo Bar San Antonio, Texas
30 Mohawk - CD Release Party Austin, Texas
31 Pachanga Festival Austin, Texas

June
4 Take 2 El Paso, Texas
5 Santa Fe Brewing Company Santa Fe, New Mexico
6 Old Town Plaza Albuquerque, New Mexico
7 Telluride Jazz Festival Telluride, Colorado
8 Walnut Room Denver, Colorado
9 Los Fuentes Topeka, Kansas
10 Blue Note Columbia, Missouri
12 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival Manchester, Tennessee
14 Columbia Festival of the Arts Columbia, Maryland
15 Arts Center Carrboro, North Carolina
19 Bottom Lounge Chicago, Illinois
21 Black Cat Washington DC, Washington DC
22 Festival of Arts & Ideas New Haven, Connecticut
25 Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Massachusetts
26 Ironhorse Northampton, Massachusetts
27 SOB’s New York, New York

July
1 Club Absinthe Hamilton, Ontario
2 Horseshoe Toronto, Ontario
3 Comerica Cityfest Detroit, Michigan
4 Sun Fest London, Ontario
5 Sun Fest London, Ontario
7 Festival D’Ete Quebec, Quebec
9 Cisco Bluesfest Ottawa, Ontario
18 The Earl Atlanta, Georgia
19 Tipitina’s New Orleans, Louisiana
26 Antone’s Austin, Texas

August
1 Cambridge Folk Festival Cambridge
2 Riverside Festival Nottingham

September
18 Krannert Center for Performing Arts Urbana, Illinois

MONOLITH 2008 Festival Lineup Announced

MONOLITH FESTIVAL returns to Red Rocks Amphitheatre September 13-14. The festival, which debuted in 2007 as the first multi-day, multi-stage festival ever held at Colorado's outdoor venue, was instantly adopted as an indie fan favorite and warranting a second festival.

MONOLITH hand picks an impressive lineup of indie favorites and blog darlings, which for 2008, includes Denver's own DeVotchKa and French electro-buzz-band Justice as headliners.

MONOLITH co-producer Josh Baker explains, "It's a true testament to Colorado's burgeoning music scene that one of this year's national breakout acts is also a hometown favorite." Joining the 2008 headliners is a deep and diverse roster including Silversun Pickups, Band of Horses, TV on the Radio, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Vampire Weekend, Avett Brothers, Neko Case, Del tha Funky Homosapien, Mickey Avalon, CSS, Cut Copy, The Kills, Tokyo Police Club, and many, many more. A complete list of currently confirmed acts is included below, with additional artists still to be announced. Visit www.monolithfestival.com for ongoing updates.

MONOLITH fills a niche in Colorado's burgeoning indie music scene, and even within a seemingly-saturated U.S. festival market. With five stages and premium facility amenities, MONOLITH builds on the natural splendor of Red Rocks and has quickly become a requisite for festival goers and indie hipsters. As Billboard Magazine reviewed, "The outrageously beautiful Red Rocks has been screaming out for an underground/indie-style music festival for many years...Thanks to the tireless work of an elite group of Colorado scenesters, the dream is now a reality."

Tickets on sale beginning Friday , May 2, 2008 at 10am MST at www.monolithfestival.com and www.ticketmaster.com.

The complete confirmed lineup is below. Other acts, however, are still being added.

Saturday, September 13
Devotchka
Silversun Pickups
Neko Case
Vampire Weekend
Mickey Avalon
Del tha Funky Homosapien
Cut Copy
The Fratellis
Superdrag
The Kills
Holy Fuck
White Denim
The Night Marchers
A Place to Bury Strangers
The Photo Atlas
The Hood Internet
John Vanderslice
Darker My Love
Cameron McGill & What Army
Blitzen Trapper
The Presets
Pop Levi
Pwrfl Power
The Morning Benders
Boyhollow

Sunday, September 14
Justice
TV on the Radio
Band of Horses
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings
CSS
The Avett Brothers
Tokyo Police Club
Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip
Akron/Family
The Bronx
Tilly and the Wall
The Heavy
The Cribs
The Ting Tings
Airborne Toxic Event
Bright Channel
Chester French
Grampall Jookabox
The Rosewood Thieves
Hearts of Palm
The Giraffes
The Elms

Sargent House Signs Good Old War

Sargent House has signed Good Old War, and is pleased to announce that the band, featuring Keith Goodwin and Tim Arnold from Days Away, will be releasing their debut full length album (not yet titled) digitally in late Summer 2008 and physically in October of 2008.

The band will begin recording on May 14th in Los Angeles with Rick Parker who produced the last Days Away EP, Ear Candy For The Headphone Trippers.

While in California, Good Old War will play a few live shows as well, when we get more details here at Blog Rockin' Beat, we'll pass them along. They will also be shooting their first music videos the new songs via the Sargent House sister company: Refused TV.

In August-September, Good Old War will be touring with Anthony Green, performing their own set as well as accompanying Anthony on his live sets in support of their upcoming releases. All three members of Good Old War (Keith Goodwin, Daniel Schwartz and Tim Arnold) perform on multiple tracks on Green’s upcoming album entitled Avalon, due out in August on Photofinish Records.

Flat Duo Jets :: Two Headed Cow

From the late ‘80s to mid-90s, the intrepid garage-blues duo -- that’s right, such a thing did exist before the White Stripes -- the Flat Duo Jets paved a rollicking path with its raw intensity and soulful charm. While the band is now long gone, the duo has announced release of Two Headed Cow, the soundtrack to the 2006 documentary of the same name. The disc contains seventeen unreleased tracks recorded in 1986, ranging from early FDJ favorites (“My Life, My Love”, “Mexicali Baby”) to jaw dropping cover tunes (The Collins Kids’ “Hoy Hoy”, Ray Charles’ “Mary Ann”).

Two Headed Cow is a movie about roots rocker Dexter Romweber and his music. His original band, the Flat Duo Jets was one of the most influential bands of the last two decades and has been an inspiration for many other musicians from Jack White and Cat Power to the Rev. Horton Heat and Neko Case (White, Chan Marshall aka Cat Power and Case appear in the film along with Exene Cervenka and Jason Edge of the Original Sinners.) Visually stunning and filmically poetic -- and featuring original black and white footage dating back to 1986 -- Two Headed Cow traces the formative years of the band through their signing to a major label through the break-up and Dexter’s life today. It tells the story of an artist who never compromised and never backed down. The film was directed by Tony Gayton (Athens, Ga. - Inside/Out, Murder By Numbers), produced by Emmy winning casting director Lisa Wells Fincannon and Bill Cody along with executive producers Craig Fincannon and Frank Capra, Jr. premiering at the Full Frame documentary film festival in Durham, NC April 8th, 2006.

With origins dating back to the mid-80s, Chapel Hill, North Carolina’s Flat Duo Jets finally made the leap to a major label in 1998. However, it was not coincidental that the label they moved to, Outpost Recordings, was overseen by highly esteemed alternative rock forefather and R.E.M. producer Scott Litt. He had seen the band develop over a 10-year period and considered the duo (vocalist/guitarist Dexter Romweber and drummer Crow) to be “phenomenal’. Their energetic revival of early rockabilly had first come to prominence after featuring in the 1986 music documentary, Athens, Ga. - Inside/Out. They subsequently released a series of independent albums for a variety of local labels, with highpoints including 1990’s self-titled long-playing debut and 1993’s White Trees.

For Flat Duo Jets’ Outpost debut, Lucky Eye, Litt contracted dB’s alumnus Chris Stamey, who worked alongside him as co-producer. Sessions were completed at the Muscle Shoals Sound studios in Alabama, and over 18 tracks explored roots rock, traditional R&B and surf guitar with Romweber’s distinctive playing being influenced by old rockabilly records, and Charlie Feathers in particular. A 12-piece orchestra, arranged and conducted by Susie Katayama, contributed to songs such as “New York Studio 1959” and “Lonely Guy”. Other contributors included Tom Maxwell and Ken Mosher, the horn players for the Squirrel Nut Zippers. By 1999, the band had broken up. It was nevertheless stated that there was a “strong possibility” that the duo would work together again in the future. Romweber carried on the Flat Duo Jets mix of rockabilly, blues and surf music on a number of well-received solo releases.



Track Listing
01. Intro
02. Hoy Hoy
03. Rawhide
04. Everybody’s Movin
05. Frog Went A Courtin’
06. Tidalwave
07. Never No More
08. Mr. Guitar
09. Rock House
10. Mary Ann
11. Torquay
12. Itty Bitty Everything
13. Golden Strings
14. Rockin’ Bones
15. My Life My Love
16. Mexicali Baby
17. Rock Boppin’ Baby
18. Bonus Track: Burning Bridges

The Local Anesthetic :: Rare Punk Singles

For over 20 years, record collectors have bought and sold copies of extremely rare and highly-sought-after punk singles with legendary songs like “My Dad’s a Fucking Alcoholic” and “Drunken Sex Sucks.” Now, these classic releases by the Denver label Local Anesthetic are available to us all on CD/LP at a considerably lower price. Included in this bargain compendium are rare recordings -- the likes of which inspired REM’s Peter Buck and Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore to later seek out details on how they were engineered -- by The Frantix (featuring members of later Sub Pop grunge co-founders The Fluid), Bum Kon, The Nails (later to score a Top 40 hit with “88 Lines About 44 Women”), Defex and more.

In 1981, Denver’s Wax Trax Records co-owner Duane Davis formed the in-store label Local Anesthetic and released the debut single by Denver band Gluons featuring part-time Colorado resident Allen Ginsberg on vocals.

Local Anesthetic pushed forward as the only continuous independent label in Colorado, staunchly documenting the underground music scene of the early ‘80s. In tribute to the long-gone label’s influential releases, Smooch Records has compiled all the 7-inch singles released by the label, along with three other CO punk gems released prior to Local Anesthetic’s launch. This release arrives as part of a triad of Smooch archival reissues from early Mile High City bands which includes the Soul Merchants double-disc collection and the forthcoming studio discography by 80s thrash punks Bum Kon (authors of the aforementioned “Drunken Sex Sucks” masterpiece.)

Although all the singles fall under the punk umbrella, Local Anesthetic features a diverse collection of hardcore, new wave, ‘77 punk, artsy fartsy, goth, and experimental recordings from 1977-1983. Ginsberg may be the biggest name on the compilation, but “My Dad’s a F*cking Alcoholic” by The Frantix was and is the biggest hit released by Local Anesthetic. Drug-damaged punk played through broken amps, the catchy little number caught the attention of record collectors across the country and even Peter Buck from REM and Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth hunted down Denver producer Bob Ferbrache (Soul Merchants) to learn every detail about how it was recorded.

It was grunge before grunge. Bum Kon and White Trash played short, fast, and loud hardcore on par with any hardcore band from the era. The Nails and Defex were Boulder-based punk bands from 1977 who were the only two from the early era fortunate enough to release singles (not on Local Anesthetic). Only 100 copies of the Defex single made it out of the basement and existing copies fetch over $400 on eBay.

Two to three decades later, listeners are finally able to discover these landmark releases, record collectors be damned.

TRACKLIST
01. Frantix “My Dad’s a Fucking Alcoholic”
02. Frantix “Car”
03. Frantix “You’re Ill”
04. Frantix “My Dad’s Dead”
05. Your Funeral “I Wanna Be You” (MP3)
06. Your Funeral “The Abyss”
07. White Trash “Wake Up” (MP3)
08. White Trash “Nazis in My Neighborhood”
09. White Trash “Ballad of Ronnie Raygun”
10. White Trash “I Hate Toes”
11. White Trash “Daddy Warbucks”
12. Young Weasels “Twist & Burn”
13. Young Weasels “Happy Feathers”
14. Bum Kon “Bum Kon”
15. Bum Kon “Forced Away”
16. Bum Kon “Drunken Sex Sucks”
17. Bum Kon “The Draft” (MP3)
18. Bum Kon “Slow Death”
19. Gluons w/ Allen Ginsberg “Birdbrain”
20. Gluons “Sue Your Parents”
21. Frantix “Face Reality”
22. Frantix “Cat Mouse”
23. Frantix “Sharin’ Sharon”
24. Frantix “New Questions”
25. Jeri Rossi “I Left My Heart But I Don’t Know Where” (MP3)
26. Jeri Rossi “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World”
27. Rok Tots “Suicide Weekend”
28. Rok Tots “Situation Kid”
29. Defex “Psycho Surfer”
30. Defex “Machine Gun Love”
31. Nails “Cops Are Punks”
32. Nails “Big Star”
33. Nails “Another Lesson”

Black Francis Talks About The New Album

Got this message straight from Black Francis himself. Rather than trying to right it, We'll just let you hear from him. Hold on. It's a fun ride.

Cooking Vinyl has agreed to release my latest session (thank you CV!), which I have called SVN FNGRS, on April 1, 2008 [in the U.S.]. It was written, recorded and mixed in six days, and on the seventh day, Mark Lemhouse did artwork.

The band for the session was myself, of course, on guitar, vocals and harmonica, Jason Carter on drums, and Violet Clark on bass. The session was produced by Jason Carter. There are seven (7) songs clocking in at 20 minutes and so I suppose it qualifies as a mini-LP under the old formats. No one seems to know or care what the current format models are (a very weakened LP on compact disc continues to rule the roost by default), which is WONDERFUL; so let's just call it music and pay whatever price your Google research turns up. If you want it for free, you can usually find some tracks for free download on my Myspace page or on my own blackfrancis.net.

The production is sparse in terms of the band, which, by the way, seems to be a kind of 'Black Francis' thing that has been developing ever since I went back to the old stage name, but is much more produced in terms of the vocal layering of my own voice, perhaps along the lines of TEENAGER OF THE YEAR. I won't bother you here with what the damn concept is, but let's just say the theme revolves around a lot of NASTY sex, NASTIER death, and beautifully strange birth. It was a coincidence that the whole 'finger' thing turns up again; management asked for a digital b-side for a BLUEFINGER track and what they got was this seven fingered thing which is not related to the HERMAN BROOD concept, although I assure you he would approve of all this nasty business.

I have made a video for the song I SENT AWAY (one of the birth songs) and you can see it on YouTube and other places, so I guess that qualifies as the first single as released by the impatient artist. I believe the more pragmatic record company is releasing another song (THE SEUS - Charles Normal re-mix) as ITS first single and I'll make an Internet vid for that one too, as soon as I finish recording the digital b-side for THAT (maybe I'll do a self indulgent symphony - note to myself; symphony wiki - written in 10 minutes); DAMN! That espresso this morning was BLACK and STRONG! BLACK & STRONG & LONG!! MUDDY BLACK WATER! My brain is exploding.....

--Black Francis
Eugene, Oregon

Really, we couldn't have rewritten that if we wanted to. Anyway, no need to jump over to YouTube, we've embedded the video here. Who loves you, baby?




Svn Fngrs Tracklisting:
1. The Seus
2. Garbage Heap
3. Half Man
4. I Sent Away
5. Seven Fingers
6. The Tale of Lonesome Fetter
7. When They Come to Murder Me

Crash Romeo :: News & Tour Dates

New Jersey’s Crash Romeo is back with their sophomore album, Gave Me The Clap, which is due out March 25 on Trustkill Records. The album was produced by Chris Badami (The Starting Line, The Early November).

A video for the album’s first radio track, “Popular,” was recently shot in New Jersey with director Jason Marsden (actor from “Full House,” “Boy Meets World”) and will be hitting the TV and Internet airwaves within the coming weeks. It's also going to be included in Mountain Dew’s Amp 6 Pack, a compilation of new songs that goes out to over 250 college radio station DJs nationwide. And if that wasn't enough, they've even got a custom T-shirt to be sold exclusively at Hot Topic stores throughout the Northeast.

"We think the new songs rock,” says singer Travis Weber. “This next record will have something for everyone. We have songs that make you dance, songs that make you want to party, songs that will make you cry, and songs that will make you just want to break something in your room."

No strangers to the U.S. concert trail, Crash Romeo will be hitting the road with Tub Ring, Driver Side Impact, and School Boy Humor starting April 13. Before that, however, the band will be doing a handful of FREE acoustic in-store performances at the following New Jersey stores:

Tuesday, March 25
6:30pm – 9pm
Vintage Vinyl
RT 1 and Ford Ave
Fords, NJ

Thursday, March 27
6pm – 8pm
FYE Bridgewater at the Somerville Circle
309 U.S. Hwy 202-206
Somerville/Bridgewater, NJ

Saturday, March 29
6pm – 8pm
Curmudgeon Music Store
31 West Main St.
Somerville, NJ


Here the first tour dates. We'll update them as we learn more.

APRIL
13 Allentown, PA Crocodile Rock
16 La Crosse, WI The Warehouse
17 St. Paul, MN Station 4
23 San Antonio, TX White Rabbit
24 Austin, TX Red 7
25 Houston, TX Javajazz
26 New Orleans, LA The High Ground

Bassnectar :: Tour Dates

Bassnectar, voted San Francisco's "number one DJ" three years in a row, is on tour this Spring in support of his acclaimed album, Underground Communication, released on OM Records in Spring 2007. Featuring original and memorizing mixes, big bass drops and contagious energy , you can bet it'll be a show you won't want to miss.

Catch him in these places on these dates:

MARCH
12 El Rey Theatre Albuquerque NM
13 Club Red - Inside the Red Owl Tempe AZ
14 Roosevelt's Tavern Ketchum ID
15 Boulder Theater Boulder CO w/ Eliot Lipp and Kid Beyond
28 Laundry Bar Miami Beach FL w/ Z-Trip, Drop The Lime, DJ Swamp
29 Antone's Austin TX
30 Circa 28 Miami FL w/ Freestylers, Evil 9, Fort Knox 5

APRIL
02 The Pour House Charleston SC w/ Eliot Lipp
03 Georgia Theatre Athens GA w/ Eliot Lipp
04 Zydeco Birmingham AL w/ Eliot Lipp
05 Orange Peel Asheville NC w/ Eliot Lipp, Telepath
07 Soap Box Wilmington NC w/ Eliot Lipp
08 Cat's Cradle Carrboro NC w/ Eliot Lipp
09 The Mix One 6 Roanoke VA w/ Eliot Lipp
10 8x10 Baltimore MD w/ Eliot Lipp
12 Mr. Smalls Theatre Millvale PA w/ Eliot Lipp
13 Pearl Street - Club Room Northampton MA w/ Eliot Lipp
14 Higher Ground South Burlington VT w/ Eliot Lipp, Pnuma Trio
15 Paradise Club Rock Boston MA w/ Eliot Lipp, Pnuma Trio
27 SUNY New Paltz Quad - Rock Against Racism New Paltz NY

MAY
17 The Fillmore San Francisco CA

JULY
05 ROTHBURY - Double JJ Ranch Rothbury MI
12 All Good Music Festival - Marvin's Mountaintop Morgantown WV

Health :: News & Tour Dates

L.A.’s beautiful-noise quartet, HEALTH, will continue on playing all shows as scheduled while the vocalist for tour-mates Crystal Castles recovers from two broken ribs. Alice Glass of the Toronto electro-punk duo is expected to be able to rejoin the tour with HEALTH following each band’s individual performances during SXSW in Austin later this month.

Here are some tour dates for you.

MARCH
08 San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
09 West Hollywood, CA @ The Roxy
10 San Diego, CA @ Casbah
11 Phoenix, CA @ The Rhythm Room
12 Albuquerque, NM @ Launch Pad
14 Austin, TX @ La Zona Rosa 1 PM
14 Austin, TX @ The Side Bar 4 PM (Fanatic Day Party)
14 Austin, TX @ The Flamingo Cantina 11:30 PM
15 Austin, TX @ Austin Convention Center 2 PM
15 Austin, TX @ Volume 4 PM
15 Austin, TX @ Mrs. Bea’s 7 PM / Todd P Party
16 Denton, TX @ Hailey’s
17 Springfield, MO @ Randy Bacon Studio & Gallery
19 Dekalb, IL @ House Cafe
21 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
22 Philadelphia, PA @ Transit
23 Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
24 Annandale on Hudson, NY @ Bard College
25 Brooklyn, NY @ Studio B
26 New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
27 Montreal, PQ @ Musee Juste Pour Rire
28 Toronto, ON @ Circa
29 Rochester, NY @ Bug Jar
30 Purchase, NY @ Suny Purchase

APRIL

02 Providence, RI @ As220
03 Philadelphia, PA @ Danger Danger Gallery
04 Washington, DC @ Velvet Lounge
05 Baltimore, MD @ Wham City
06 Richmond, VA @ The Camel
07 Raleigh, NC @ Downtown Events Center
08 Columbia, SC @ 112 Huger St (House Party)
09 Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn
10 Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree
11 Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon
12 Houston, TX @ The Mink
13 Austin, TX @ Emos
15 Denton, TX @ Rubbergloves
16 Lubbock, TX @ Bash Riprocks
18 Phoenix, AZ @ Trunk Space
19 Claremont, CA @ Kohoutek Festival at Pitzer College
20 Los Angeles, CA @ The Smell
25 Troy, NY @ EMPAC

MAY
07 London, UK @ TBD
13 Brussels, Belgium @ Les Nuits Botaniques *

Om Chilled Volume 2

Artist :: Various Artists
Album :: Om Chilled Volume 2
Label :: Om Records

In a Word :: Eclectic

Play This Cut First :: Lullaby (Edison Gem)

Om Records pitches itself as a practitioner of future music. And looking at their roster over the last decade, you can see that they've stayed ahead of the curve, launching a team of artists the rank among the biggest names in club music: Mark Farina, Colette, Greenskeepers, Derrick Carter, Kaskade, and so many more.

While they turn out so many great mix CDs and original artist discs, it's easy to forget that they release some damn good compilation discs. With a collection of artists, though, how do you live up to the future music moniker? If you are Om Records, you do it through an amazing display of eclecticism.

These days the chill genre is so wide open. From ambient glitch, to traditional acid jazz, to Rhodes-laced dream pop, to sample-based salsa, it's anybody's game. On Om Chilled Volume 2, they touch all the bases. And it works to perfection.

From the lead track, "Love Comes First", Techno Squirrels' Lisa Eriksson melts you with her voice. It's a tone-setter. Over ultra clean beats, the production is so tight that you could hear a pin drop in the gaps. From that point on, it's hard to pick out a "best" track, because the level of musicianship is so fantastic.

Similar to the cut from Techno Squirrels, is "Lullaby" from Edison Gem. Jadis's vocals are stupid good. Seriously. It's a voice made for a lullaby. Their combination of dnb and chill is a stunning dynamic. On this collection, we get the chill with the undercurrent that makes their dnb so potent. Oh, so damn good.

Other standout tracks are Samantha James's "Angel Love". And you know how much I love Samantha James. If you haven't picked up her "Rise" disc, you can get a nice preview here. And, of course, King Kooba's organic sound is chill to the core, with the slap and clap of acoustic instruments kickin' chill right from the roots.

The Bottom Line :: Om Chilled Volume 2 is like a dictionary of chill. Every style and approach is present. And it's all so pure in its delivery that, even though the genres can be quite different, the overall level of consistency is so high, all of these cuts work together. In fact, they belong together. And leave it to Om to put them all on the same playlist.

Enough, really, just go buy it already.

The Pharmacy :: Tour Dates

Scott Yoder and Brendhan Bowers made plenty of noisy racket in the local garages and teen centers growing up on Vashon Island. They moved across the Puget Sound to Seattle and booked their first tour as The Pharmacy (with then-member Joey Seward) in 2003. They have pretty much kept the show on the road ever since.

Along the way they've transformed from the synth-heavy overdrive of their 2005 debut album "B.F.F." through the drizzly sunshine of the "Overcast Summer" 7" at last landing on the off-kilter psychedelic pop of "Choose Yr Own Adventure."

TOUR DATES

February
24 Portland, OR @ Backspace
29 Seattle, WA @ Healthy Times Fun Club Record Release Show

March
01 Seattle, WA @ The Comet Tavern Record Release Show Pt. 2
12 Austin, TX @ Todd P SXSW Showcase
13 Austin, TX @ Starcleaner SXSW Showcase
14 Austin, TX @ Monkey Wrench Books SXSW Showcase
21 Pensacola, FL @ Sluggo’s
22 St. Augustine, FL @ TBD
23 Lake Worth, FL @ Klein Dance Studio
24 Jacksonville, FL @ Shanty Town
25 Athens, GA @ Fag Farm
26 Richmond, VA @ Nara Sushi
27 Baltimore, MD @ Lo-fi Social Club
28 College Park, MD @ WMUC
29 Brooklyn, NY @ Market Hotel
30 New York City, NY @ Cake Shop
31 Brattleboro, VT @ The Tinderbox

April
02 Hudson, NY @ The Garage
03 Columbus, OH @ Monster House
04 Detroit, MI @ Trumbullplex Theatre
05 Western Springs, IL @ Church of Rock
07 Milwaukee, WI @ Project Lodge
10 Pierre, SD @ The Jam Spot
12 Missoula, MT @ The Lab
13 Spokane, WA @ The Blvd.

Of course, if you can't wait until they roll into your town, here's a little taste of The Pharmacy.

Junkie XL is Booming Back at You

As the one man band known as JUNKIE XL gears up for the March 11 release of his fifth studio album Booming Back At You, he will release two exclusive EPs for Beatport with Beating Back At You Vol 1 and Vol 2. The two EP's-both set for release February 26-each feature a brand new track exclusive only to Beatport and a cut from Booming Back At You.

The more progressive Beating Back At You Vol 1 will feature the new song "Roux" and a dub remix of "Not Enough" featuring Willoughby and Nicole Morier of Electrocute from the album. Beating Back At You Vol 2 is more techno with versions of "Prevent Confusion" for Beatport and "Zage" from Booming Back At You.

Around the same time, Artwerk Music will also issue the album's second single, "Cities In Dust," a high-voltage Siouxsie and the Banshees cover. Details will be unveiled at a later date. The song follows the international club smash "More" (also featuring vocals by Lauren Rockit) which Playboy magazine tapped in their February issue 'Hot Tunes' list, "A return to form: banging electro and a girl shouting 'Fuck More.'"

Leading up to the release of Booming Back At You, Junkie XL is confirmed for three high-profile appearances: SXSW at Vice Friday, March 14, the ULTRA Music Festival on Friday, March 28 and the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival Saturday, April 26. A national tour is being planned for the months of April and May, for which details will be announced soon.

Shirley Bassey Gets The Party Started

In her five decades as a vocalist, Welsh powerhouse Dame Shirley Bassey has been thrilling fans old and young with her booming voice and dazzling, diva-esque delivery. Bassey’s constant reinvention has earned her a tremendous following and a slew of adulation from fellow musicians, including Arctic Monkeys. They performed “Diamonds are Forever” at last summer’s Glastonbury Festival and dedicated it to Bassey; after her own rendition of the number, Bassey exclaimed "Arctic Monkeys, that's how it's done!"

Bassey’s first new album in almost a decade Get the Party Started is set to drop March 18th on Decca and features new recordings, new vocals and remixes of classic Bassey tracks including “Big Spender,” “You Only Live Twice,” “I Will Survive,” the new single “The Living Tree” and the searing first single - a newly recorded version of Pink's “Get The Party Started”, which, believe it or not, is currently climbing up Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Play chart. You can check it out at her Myspace page. Seriously...it's hot.



Of her superstar status, Bassey has said "I didn't mind becoming famous because I did it gradually. Probably that's why I'm still here."

Bullet For My Valentine on Jimmy Kimmel

Bullet For My Valentine, currently at #4 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums charts with their sophomore release, "Scream Aim Fire" (Jive/Zomba) will make their U.S. network TV debut on Wednesday, February 27 when they rock the house on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live." The Welsh metal-core band will play the title track from their brand new album, currently Top 30 at Rock radio, as well as "Tears Don't Fall," one of the hit singles from their first album, "The Poison." "Jimmy Kimmel Live" airs at 12:05 ET/11:05PM CT.

Immediately following their Kimmel appearance, Bullet For My Valentine will fly to Denver, CO where they will join fellow headliners Avenged Sevenfold and Atreyu to launch the 40-plus-city North American Taste of Chaos tour on Friday, February 29.

Laromlab :: Tour Dates

Laromlab is hitting the road, equipped with an arsenal of Atari 1040STE, Atari Falcon 030, Commodore 64 emulators, samplers and laptops, Laromlab -- the nom-de-tune of Brandon Harrod -- calls out every '80s child to the dance floor through the classic blips of old school video game systems. To understand and appreciate what this means, one needs only to have been a video game addict in the days of the Commodore 64, Atari or the almighty Nintendo Entertainment System.

The chiptunes maestro will be out in support of his self-titled CD out on Mushpot Records. Wait, you don't know what chiptunes are? Chiptunes are songs composed in a format whereby all the sounds are synthesized in real time by a computer or video game console sound chip, instead of a sample-based synthesis.

Check it out:


TOUR DATES (w/ Robot Cowboy)

FEBRUARY
13 Portland, OR Holocene
14 Olympia, WA Le Voyeur
15 Seattle, WA Dog Park (House Show)
16 Missoula, MT The Palace
17 Bismarck, ND Youthworks
18 Minneapolis, MS 400 Bar
19 Ames, IA TBD
20 Chicago, IL AV-Aerie
21 Detroit, MI Scrummage University
22 Toronto, ON Sneaky Dees
23 Albany, NY Valentines
24 New York City, NY 200 Orchard
25 New York, NY Cake Shop
26 New Brunswick, NJ Hidden Cities
27 Philadelphia, PA The Fire
28 Arlington, VA Metro Gallery
29 Washington, DC TBD


MARCH
01 Fredricksburg, VA TBD
03 Bloomington, IN The Cinemat
05 Louisville KY TBD
06 Bowling Green, KY Retrograde Studios (End of Tour Party!)

Slayer's Rockhard Helmet

Slayer has joined forces with O'Neal USA, one of the leading manufacturers of motorcycle and BMX accessories, to produce a limited edition of Slayer helmets that feature the band's distinguished and celebrated artwork. The helmets will launch under the name of RockHard, and will be sold at all Cycle Gear locations and at finer motorcycle dealerships worldwide . In addition, each helmet will be certified and numbered with its own Certificate of Authenticity. Slayer's RockHard Helmets go on sale on Monday, February 25 and once they're gone--that's it, man--they are GONE.


Every helmet will be boxed in a custom-made container patterned after the Anvil road cases, which are used to transport band equipment while on tour.

"The RockHard Helmet line, and the Slayer helmet in particular, has generated a huge amount of buzz with our retail outlet buyers," said Jim O'Neal. "Personally, I'm very psyched about this product as it takes Slayer to another merch level."

Oh yeah, and in case you are keeping track at home, Slayer just bagged another Grammy for 2008 Best Metal Performance.

Emmanuel Jal, Sudanese Child Soldier Turned Rapper

Musician/songwriter/rapper Emmanuel Jal has one of the most extraordinary life-stories you'll ever hear, and has incorporated his experiences onto "Warchild," his brand new album due out May 13, 2008 (Sonic360/Fontana/Universal). "Warchild," recorded in London between 2006 and 2007, was mixed and additionally produced by Grammy winner Neal Pogue (Outkast, Talib Kweli, Stevie Wonder, TLC), and produced by UK-based writer/producer Roachie who co-wrote most of the 13 songs with Jal.

In addition, a full-length documentary on Jal's life, entitled "War Child," will have its world premiere on February 10 at the Berlin Film Festival, and his autobiography will be published by St. Martin's Press late this year.

Emmanuel Jal was born in war-torn Sudan, and while he doesn't know exactly when, he believes it was in the early 1980s. He was taken from his family home in 1987 when he was six or seven years old, and sent to fight with the rebel army in Sudan's bloody civil war. For nearly five years, he was a "child warrior," put into battle carrying an AK-47 that was taller than he was. By the time he was 13, he was a veteran of two civil wars and had seen hundreds of his fellow child soldiers reduced to taking unspeakable measures as they struggled to survive on the killing fields of Southern Sudan. After a series of harrowing events, he was rescued by a British aid worker who smuggled him into Nairobi to raise him as her own. To help ease the pain of what he had experienced, Emmanuel started singing. In 2005, he released his first album, "Gua" ("peace" in his native Nuer tongue), with the title track broadcast across Africa over the BBC and becoming a number one hit in Kenya. "Gua" also earned him a spot on Bob Geldof's "Live 8" concert in the U.K.

The inspirations for the 13 songs on "Warchild" are rooted in Jal's impossible past.

In "Forced to Sin," Jal recounts, "I lived with an AK-47/By my side/Slept with one eye open wide/Run/Duck/Play dead."

His love and loyalty for his homeland of Sudan shines in "Stronger" - "I pledge allegiance/To My Motherland/That I'll do everything possible/To make a stand/Yes I can."

Jal pleads with rapper 50 Cent on "50 Cent" to be a better role model for his young fans: "You have done enough damage selling crack cocaine/now you got a kill a black man video game/We have lost a whole generation through this lifestyle/now you want to put it in the game for a little child to play..."

From the CD's title track, "I'm a war child/I believe I've survived for a reason/to tell my story/to touch lives."

And, "Emma," the album's closer, is a heartbreaking tribute to Emma McCune, the "angel" who rescued Emmanuel. McCune, who died in 1993 in a car accident in Nairobi, was the subject of a book, "Emma's War," by Deborah Scroggins, and producer Tony Scott ("The Assassination of Jesse James," "Top Gun") is in pre-production on a film based on the book. "This one goes to Emma McCune/Angel to the rescue one afternoon/I'm here because you rescued me/I'm proud to carry your legacy/Thank you/Bless you R I Peace."

Prior to the recording of "Warchild," Emmanuel's music has been heard alongside Coldplay, Gorillaz, and Radiohead on the fundraising album "Warchild - Help a Day in the Life," on John Lennon's "Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur," on the TV series' "ER" "Out of Africa" episodes, and most recently in the feature film "Blood Diamond" that starred Leonardo DiCaprio.

Jal plans to support the release of "Warchild" with a tour of North America; details will be announced shortly. In addition, he frequently speaks on college campus about his experiences in an effort to raise awareness of and halt the inhumane treatment of children in Sudan. "I believe I've survived for a reason," says Jal in "Warchild." "To tell my story, to touch lives."

Hoots and Hellmouth :: Tour Dates

Philadelphia-based, Hoots and Hellmouth, will be playing East Coast dates to kick off the new year in support of their self-titled debut album, which was released last year by MAD Dragon Records and distributed by Ryko Distribution (WEA).

"Hoots and Hellmouth exists because we wanted to come together and write songs that are alive. It's about bleeding, sweating, crying, rejoicing... it's raw soul," Hoots says of the band's music.

Check 'em out when they roll into your town.

FEBRUARY
14 - The Tin Angel (Philadelphia, PA)
15 - Jammin' Java, Vienna, CA
17 - Gravity Lounge, Charlottesville,VA
19 - Rhythm & Brews, Chattanooga, TN
22 - The Basement, Nashville, TN
23 - Headliner's Music Hall, Louisville, KY
24 - The Dame, Lexington, KY
26 - World Grotto, Knoxville, TN
27 - The Handlebar, Greenville, SC
28 - The Evening Muse, Charlotte, NC
29 - Village Tavern, Mt. Pleasant, SC

MARCH
1 - Five Points Pub, Columbia, SC
3 - Town Pump Tavern, Black Mountain, NC
4 - The Melting Point, Athens, GA
5 - Eddie's Attic, Decatur, GA
6 - Crimson Moon, Dahlonega, GA
7 - Jack Rabbits, Jacksonville, FL
9 - Langerado Music Festival. Big Cypress, FL
11 - WorkPlay Theatre, Birmingham, AL
12 - Chelsea Café, Baton Rouge, LA
13 - Bend Studios, Dallas, TX
19 - Santa Fe Brewing Co., Santa Fe, NM
21 - Soiled Dove, Denver, CO
25 - The Bottleneck, Lawrence, KS
26 - Mick's Music Bar, Omaha, NE
27 - The Cabooze, Minneapolis, MN
28 - CSPS Legion Arts Center, Cedar Rapids, IA
29 - Alvord Theatre at Northland College, Ashland, WI
31 - Schuba's Tavern, Chicago, IL

APRIL
2 - The Ark, Ann Arbor, MI
10 - Middle East Upstairs, Cambridge, MA
17 - The Haunt, Ithaca, NY
18 - Valentine's, Albany, NY
19 - Gullifty's, Camp Hill, PA
25 - Monmouth Acadmey of Music Arts, Morganville, NJ

MAY
7 - Larsen Student Union, Grantham, PA
12 - the Windjammer, Isle of Palms, SC
17 - Tampa Cuban Club, Tampa, FL
22 - Downtown Alive, Greenville, SC

AUGUST
2 - Blue Skies Music Festival, Clarendon, ON, Canada

Mimi Fishman Online Charity Auction

The Mimi Fishman Foundation has launched another in their continuing series of on-line charity auctions.

The auction, which concludes February 21, 2008, includes rare and signed memorabilia donated by Phish, Oysterhead, moe., Michael Kang (The String Cheese Incident), and artist Scramble Campbell.

A sample of items include:

• Signed Oysterhead poster (Trey Anastasio, Stewart Copeland of the Police, and Les Claypool)
• Signed Trey Anastasio Band poster
• Hand written lyrics from Michael Kang of the The String Cheese Incident
• Original artwork by Scramble Campbell
• Signed poster and more from moe.
• Signed Page McConnell (Phish) poster
• Rare Phish shirts (Coventry, 20th Anniversary show)

The Mimi Fishman Foundation is a non-profit organization founded as a vehicle to raise funds for various charities. The charities of concentration include The American Glaucoma Society, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Healing the Children, Solace House, and YMCA's Partners Program, which runs several summer camps for children living with Cancer, HIV/Aids, severe Asthma, or eye problems.

To view and/or bid on the auction, as well as read about the charities the auction supports, please visit the Mimi Fishman Foundation Auction Page.

Om Records Launches Digital Store

The Om Records catalog is finally available as high quality re-mastered DRM free MP3s!

The Om Digital Store is a direct source for all things digital and downloadable from Om Records. The store features the Om Records catalog in high-quality MP3 format. Listen and download anything you want! The store also features exclusive Om Records gems such as Live, Rare, Unreleased and B-Sides tracks that you won't be able to find anywhere else! Tons of great stuff available...and at extremely reasonable prices.

I'm really pumped about this.

Check out the Om Digital Store