First Annual ROCKSTAR Energy Drink GET A LIFE TOUR

The ROCKSTAR Energy Drink Get A Life Tour presented by Samung Mobile will hit 25 college campus venues throughout the United States from April 2, 2008 until May 10, 2008. The tour will combine music with active lifestyle activities.

The tour will be headlined by Reprise recording artist THE USED. The Used have a new iTunes only release entitled “Shallow Believer” which debuted on February 19, 2008 and is currently #13 on the iTunes Top 100 Chart. “Shallow Believer” consists of B Sides and Rarities from past recording sessions and were favorites from the band. A selection of new songs from “Shallow Believer” will be performed on the tour.

Performing each night with The Used will be STRAYLIGHT RUN, ARMY OF ME, STREET DRUM CORPS and the Samsung Mobile Unsigned Battle of The Bands Winner.

ROCKSTAR Energy Drink is the title sponsor of the 2008 tour and will be sampling their products, as well as coming up with exciting surprises for attendees. Other sponsors include presenting sponsor Samsung Mobile and DiNGSTORE.com.

THE USED, one of the most successful bands in alternative music over the past six years, are launching their first full college foray after receiving unprecedented demand from colleges throughout the country. Bert McCracken, lead vocalist, states, “Even though I never went to college we are gonna rock all of those smart kids that come to the show with some of our new songs from ‘Shallow Believer’ as well as our older stuff.”

Samsung Mobile is the Presenting Sponsor of the tour. In addition to being on site, Samsung is currently hosting a national online battle of the bands contest for hundreds of unsigned artists. Fans can visit www.samsungunsigned.com through March 2 to listen and vote for their favorite band. The winning band will receive an opportunity of a lifetime to tour across the nation with The Used. With each vote, fans are entered to win $5,000.00 and a trip to see the tour in the city of their choice. Voters are able to vote up to three times a day.

THE USED
The Used are one of the most successful bands to emerge over the past 6 years and have sold in excess of 3 million albums worldwide. Their debut album “THE USED” was a genre defining work that helped usher in a new time in music that touches legions of fans. Their second album “IN LOVE AND DEATH” continued to expand their fanbase worldwide. The band’s third album “LIES FOR THE LIARS” debuted in the Top 5 in over seven countries throughout the World in May 2007. The Used headlined the inaugural Taste of Chaos Tour in 2005 and returned in 2007 to headline the tour that has become a phenomenon across the globe. The Used have performed to over 5 Million people at over 1000 shows in the past 6 years. They have performed in over 30 countries and have headlined arenas all over the globe. They have achieved Gold or Platinum status in over 6 countries. Their next release is an iTunes only release of B Sides and Rarities entitled “Shallow Believer.”

Straylight Run
Do John and Michelle Nolan think too much? Straylight Run’s sibling frontpeople – both sing, write, and play guitar and piano, ably enabled in their musical ruminations by bassist Shaun Cooper and drummer Will Noon – don’t seem like eggheads; but there’s no doubting the intelligent design of their gloriously adventurous off-kilter pop and the existential underpinnings of their lyrics. And yet, there’s nothing pretentious here; despite their emergence as songwriters to watch, John and Michelle are just a couple of kids from suburban Baldwin, Long Island. John did take guitar lessons for a time, but neither has received any real formal training. John and Shaun’s reputation from Taking Back Sunday, coupled with considerable buzz generated by demos Straylight had posted online, resulted in a sold-out hometown crowd of 600 for their first performance – Michelle’s first show ever. In 2004 the band released Straylight Run. First single “Existentialism on Prom Night” made inroads at Modern Rock radio, and the following year SR issued the EP “Prepare to Be Wrong.” Word of mouth, frequent touring and glowing reviews pushed combined sales to more than 200,000.

More and more, Straylight Run is defined not only by its creative fearlessness, but by the interplay of John and Michelle’s voices; Michelle’s counter-melodies lend “The Needles The Space” considerable depth and texture (gorgeous string arrangements, among other instrumental flourishes, don’t hurt either).

ARMY OF ME
Army of Me made a record that would communicate with everyone. No matter when a band breaks on to the national scene there is always some history. For most of the real bands there are years spent in obscurity working their butts off. Army of Me have been a band for seven years, they broke onto the national scene last year, and they are still working their butts off. Coming out of DC’s music scene Army of Me wrote songs that you would want to hear seven years from now. Rock songs that spoke about loyalty, commitment and mistakes. Rock songs that needed to be played live on stages as big as possible. So after Army of Me was played on MTV, featured on MySpace, their music played on many of the biggest modern rock stations in the country Vince, Brad and Dennis see things changing. The biggest change so far…the stages are getting bigger.

Street Drum Corps
Known for their high-energy percussion shows which Kevin Lyman (founder of the Vans Warped Tour) calls a “Punk Rock Stomp,” Street Drum Corps bring an unparalleled dynamic element to the evening’s event. Bobby Alt, Adam Alt, and Frank Zummo formed Street Drum Corps in Los Angeles during 2004. They use found and traditional instruments. SDC has been touring the world the past four years. Tour highlights include: Vans Warped Tour, SXSW, Coachella, Matisyahu, Australian Tour, MTV $2 Bill Tour with 30 Seconds To Mars, Six Flags Magic Mountain, The Used, Guitar Center Drum Off and Taste Of Chaos. SDC recently was inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame’s “Warped Tour Exhibit.” They also performed on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” Fuse TV.

About ROCKSTAR Energy Drink- Developed to increase the recovery time of those who lead active and exhausting lifestyles, ROCKSTAR Energy Drink is available in ten amazing flavors. You can find original, Sugar Free, Juiced, Zero Carb, Guava, Pomegranate, Punched, Roasted Mocha, Roasted Vanilla Light and Roasted Latte at convenience and grocery retail outlets across the United States, Canada, Australia and the UK.

For more information go to www.rockstargetalifetour.com
 
Wed     4/2     Las Cruces, NM  NMSU Recreation Center
Thu     4/3     Pueblo, CO      Massari Arena 
Sat     4/5     Columbia, MO    Hearnes Center Field House    
Sun     4/6     Champaign, IL   Foellinger Auditorium 
Mon     4/7     Columbus, OH    LC Pavilion   
Wed     4/9     Rochester, NY   Armory
Fri     4/11    Worcester, MA   Palladium     
Sat     4/12    Hampton, NH     Hampton Beach Casino  
Sun     4/13    Providence, RI  Lupo’s
Tue     4/15    Albany, NY      Northern Lights
Wed     4/16    Scranton, PA    Scranton Cultural Center      
Fri     4/18    Raleigh, NC     Lee Field     
Sat     4/19    Norfolk, VA     Constant Convocation Center   
Sun     4/20    Toms River, NJ  Ritacco Center
Mon     4/21    East Stroudsburg, PA    Recreation Center     
Wed     4/23    Richmond, VA    Innsbrook Pavilion    
Fri     4/25    Tulsa, OK       Cain’s Ballroom
Sat     4/26    Lubbock, TX     The Pavilion  
Sun     4/27    Austin, TX      Stubb’s
Wed     4/30    Laramie, WY     Arts and Sciences Auditorium  
Thu     5/1     Salt Lake City, UT      The Great SaltAir     
Sat     5/3     Reno, NV        Lawlor Events Center  
Sun     5/4     Stockton, CA    University of the Pacific     
Mon     5/5     Bakersfield, CA Icardo Center 
Wed     5/7     Irvine, CA      Bren Events Center    
Thu     5/8     San Diego, CA   RIMAC Arena   
Fri     5/9     Phoenix, AZ     Mesa Amphitheatre     
Sat     5/10    Tucson, AZ      Rialto Theatre

NINE INCH NAILS PRESENTS GHOSTS I-IV FAN FILM FESTIVAL ON YOUTUBE

Nine Inch Nails today announced the first-ever online festival showcasing fan-made short films created to accompany the music of a major musical artist on YouTube.

The NIN YouTube channel (http://youtube.com/user/ninofficial) goes live at 6:00 p.m. PST today and will immediately begin accepting submissions through May 1 from fans creating visual accompaniments to selections from NIN’s recently released Ghosts I-IV.  The music of Ghosts I-IV, which was released under the Creative Commons license (http://creativecommons.org), will be readily available via YouTube’s AudioSwap April 1 (http://youtube.com/audioswap_about).

Submissions will be reviewed by Trent Reznor, who will ultimately host a festival at a later date TBA featuring an assortment of outstanding contributions, among other surprises.

“Trent Reznor and NIN have yet again blazed a new path in music,” said Glenn Otis Brown, strategic partner manager for Music, YouTube. “Not only with the songs themselves — which go in amazing new directions in instrumental electronica — but also in their use of technology.  With Ghosts, NIN have brought music fans into the process in an unprecedented way: by inviting the whole world to create films to accompany every one of their 36 new tracks.”

The NIN/YouTube alliance finds NIN once again at the vanguard of intersecting creative and technological worlds. From producing soundtracks to 1994’s Natural Born Killers and 1997’s Lost Highway to creating the original music for the video game Quake to last year’s  intricate, months-long Year Zero alternate reality game (which Rolling Stone called “way cooler than Lost”) and the recent establishment of the interactive fan community Remix.NIN.com, Trent Reznor/NIN  has consistently presaged the direction and evolution of entertainment media.

Ghosts I-IV was released 6:00 p.m. PST March 2, 2008 via NIN.com: a four volume collection of 36 untitled instrumental tracks, nearly two hours of music, recorded over a 10-week period last fall.

WHO WILL BE THE FIRST TO OFFER ‘KRISTEN’ A RECORD DEAL?

Kristen, the high-priced prostitute described in a federal affidavit as having a Feb. 13 rendezvous with Mr. Eliot Spitzer at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington. When Kristen is not working for her clients she is a pop singer too.

On MySpace, it says: “I am all about my music and my music is all about me. It flows from what I’ve been through, what I’ve seen and how I feel.”

Who will be the first record label to sign her? Who knows maybe the next cover of Skope Magazine? This is America people and there is no such thing as bad publicity especially in the music industry!

http://www.myspace.com/ninavenetta

JASON MRAZ CONJURES UP UNIQUE SPRING ITINERARY

Atlantic recording artist Jason Mraz has announced details of his upcoming North American tour.  The dates herald the San Diego-based troubadour’s much-anticipated new album, “WE SING. WE DANCE. WE STEAL THINGS.” which will be released on May 20th.

The “Music, Magic and Make Peace Tour” will hit the road on April 4th at The Catalyst in Santa Cruz, California, with dates continuing throughout the month (see attached itinerary).  The unique multi-artist bill sees Mraz accompanied by a widely varied group of like-minded performers, including magician Justin Kredible, freestyle acoustic rapper Bushwalla, and world music-inspired folk quartet, the Makepeace Brothers.

“The concept began among the musicians in the communities of San Francisco and San Diego,” Mraz explains.  “I look forward to it being a great experience for the audience and performers alike.  It will feature a variety of talent not unlike the vaudeville format where different musical genres, magic, poetry, and educational themes will come together in one night.”

Pre-sale tickets for a number of shows – including stops in San Francisco, West Hollywood, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Atlanta, and New York – will be available for members of Jason’s online and mobile fan club on March 18th.  All remaining dates are on sale now.

Skope’s Favorite Jason Mraz Song:

The “Music, Magic And Make Peace Tour” is presented in association with Reverb, a non-profit organization designed to educate and engage music fans to promote environmental sustainability.  Reverb works closely with artists to create earth-friendly events and tours.  “Working with Reverb has always been a dream of mine,” says Mraz.  “I am very happy to be doing my part to make less of a mess while we roll through each city on this tour.”

Among the organization’s environmental efforts are the use of B20 Biodiesel (20% biodiesel, 80% petroleum diesel) in all tour buses and trucks; neutralizing CO2 emissions from venue energy use, hotels, flights, touring vehicles, and fan travel by supporting the construction of new renewable energy projects such as wind farms that reduce energy demands from carbon-emitting power sources such as coal-fired power plants; reducing and recycling plastic, aluminum, paper, and cardboard waste backstage; using sustainable supplies and goods such as biodegradable and reusable catering products and local, organically-produced food; and offering eco-friendly organic cotton merchandise for fans.

Mraz’s first set of all-new material in nearly three years, “WE SING. WE DANCE. WE STEAL THINGS.” was produced by Martin Terefe, known for his work with KT Tunstall, Ron Sexsmith, and James Morrison.  The album sees Mraz continuing to tread his own distinctive artistic path, melding a variegated musical tapestry with passionate, personal lyricism.  Among the highlights are collaborations with British tunesmith James Morrison and singer/songwriter Colbie Caillat.

“I’m Yours,” the album’s first single, was chosen due to the undeniable fan response to the song.  A demo version of “I’m Yours” originally appeared on a limited release bonus EP Mraz put out with his last album.  Today the song is an online sensation, with hundreds of user-generated videos from more than 25 different countries now appearing on YouTube.

Always an active online presence, Mraz has kept his loyal fanbase abreast of his recent activities via a series of video blogs, dubbed “Crazy Man’s Ju-Ju.”  The clips – along with a variety of other travel adventures, live performances, and studio sessions – can be accessed at “Jason Mraz TV,” the Official Jason Mraz YouTube channel, located at www.youtube.com/user/OfficialJasonMraz. 

“WE SING. WE DANCE. WE STEAL THINGS.” will be preceded by a trio of individual EPs:  “WE SING,” due March 18th; “WE DANCE,” out April 15th; and “WE STEAL THINGS,” which will be available as a digital bundle with purchase of the album on iTunes, and as part of a bundle when purchased via JasonMraz.com or AtlanticRecords.com.  The EPs will feature unique versions of various album tracks recorded during special intimate sessions.

A compelling and inventive live performer, Jason is now in the midst of a multi-continent international tour.  Having already visited Europe – recent  highlights include performances at iTunes Live: London Sessions in the UK and the Uken Festival in Bergen, Norway – Mraz is currently winding his way through Australia and Asia, culminating in a major concert appearance in Seoul, Korea on March 28th.

“WE SING. WE DANCE. WE STEAL THINGS.” follows Mraz’s two previous studio releases:  2002’s RIAA platinum-certified breakthrough, “WAITING FOR MY ROCKET TO COME,” and 2005’s “MR. A-Z,” which debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200, with career-best first week sales exceeding 80,000.  Mraz has also released a series of concert recordings, including 2004’s “TONIGHT, NOT AGAIN:  JASON MRAZ LIVE AT THE EAGLES BALLROOM” and 2006’s digital-only release, “SELECTIONS FOR FRIENDS.”

For further information, including as-yet-unannounced tour dates and up-to-the-minute news and on-sale bulletins, please see http://www.jasonmraz.com/ or www.myspace.com/jasonmraz.

JASON MRAZ “MUSIC, MAGIC And MAKE PEACE TOUR” – APRIL 2008
Featuring Justin Kredible, Bushwalla, and the Makepeace Brothers

APRIL

4                      Santa Cruz, CA                     The Catalyst
5                      San Francisco, CA                 The Fillmore
6                      West Hollywood, CA            Troubadour
9                      Chicago, IL                            Metro
11                    Selingsgrove, PA                   Susquehanna University
12                    Pittsburgh, PA                       University of Pittsburgh
13                    Philadelphia, PA                    World Café Live
14                    New York, NY                       Highline Ballroom
16                    Winston-Salem, NC              Wake Forest University
17                    Davidson, NC                        Davidson College
18                    Richmond, VA                       The National
21                    New Orleans, LA                   House of Blues
23                    Atlanta, GA                            Variety Playhouse
25                    Charleston, IL                        Eastern Illinois University
27                    Toronto, ONT                        Kool Haus
28                    Montreal, QC                        Metropolis

POLO GROUNDS MUSIC HELPS FIVE KATRINA EFFECTED FAMILIES

Polo Grounds Music, The Core DJ’s, FILA, Capital One Bank And Juggie of Q93 All Give Back To New Orleans Families

Polo Grounds Music, The Core DJ’s, FILA, Capital One and Juggie of Q93 – in conjunction with the Core DJ’s Retreat – will unite in efforts to provide support to five struggling New Orleans families during the Core DJ’s retreat which is from Thursday, March 13 to Monday, March 17, 2008. A special dinner attended by Juggie, Polo Grounds Music artists Diamond and Lil Josh & Ernest, along with several of the Core DJ executives will be held for the five families on Thursday night at Montrel’s Bistro in New Orleans, LA. This dinner provides the opportunity for this group of industry elites to present the families with various gifts provided by Polo Grounds Music, FILA and several other sponsors.

“It’s great to see the music industry not only contributing to our economy, but also giving back to our community in a personal way,” says Juggie, New Orleans Clear Channel Q03 radio personality, “it just goes to show that the music industry has a lot of heart.” Polo Grounds – which was brought on to this great cause by Founder and President Bryan Leach’s non-profit organization FanMale Inc. – along with The Core DJ’s, FILA, Capital One and Juggie all heard about the obstacles that these families have jumped through due to Hurricane Katrina, and will now provide them with necessary tools to embrace their road to recovery.

Tony Neal, CEO of The CORE DJ’s, founded the organization in December of 2003. Tony’s purpose for organizing a DJ coalition was to empower and educate the core of the music industry, the DJ’s. To date, the Core DJs have expanded to international lengths with a Latino division, DJ’s in Canada and as far away as Australia. Some of the most influential DJs and music executives are members of The Core DJs including, New Orleans own Juggie of Q93 and host Phat Phat N’ All That, Big Tigger, Clinton Sparks, The Baka Boys, Mr. Collipark and Kid Capri to name a few.
 
The Core DJs Retreat acts as a reunion for DJs by inviting all DJ organizations to network with one another while attending various listening sessions, artist meet & greets and several artist/label showcases which have seen participation from Atlantic Records, Warner Brothers Records, Def Jam, Virgin, So So DEF, Sony BMG, Rap-A-Lot Records, Jive, Bad Boy Entertainment and a host of others.

Polo Grounds Music is a full service entertainment & marketing company with a focus on publishing, management, and brand marketing. Founded in 2006 by Bryan Leach, the New York based company is home to record label Polo Grounds Music, which is distributed through RCA Records.