Month: April 2012

LAWRENCE ARABIA NEW ALBUM TEASER VIDEO

New Zealand songwriter / producer Lawrence Arabia returns with The Sparrow, the follow up to the critically-acclaimed and award-winning Chant Darling. Venturing away from the harmony-laden, classic pop production of that release, The Sparrow is a more measured and minimalist work, drawing particularly on the influence of the symphonic late-sixties work of Scott Walker and…

HALESTORM UNVEILS MASSIVE WORLD TOUR

Atlantic recording group Halestorm has slated an epic touring schedule in support of their chart-topping new album, “THE STRANGE CASE OF…”   The new dates comprise a wide range of shows, including a U.S. headline tour, high profile festival appearances, a much-anticipated European trek, and a series of support slots alongside Avenged Sevenfold. Meanwhile, Halestorm…

JOHNNY HICKMAN TO RELEASE LONG-AWAITED SOPHOMORE SOLO ALBUM

It’s been 20 years since the release of Cracker’s self-titled album, but despite the band’s longevity, multiple gold records, worldwide tours, accolades for their nine studio albums and ever-growing fanbase, the band’s two creative fountainheads – Johnny Hickman & David Lowery – aren’t entertaining any nostalgic trips down memory lane this year with career spanning…

LETTERIST DEBUT “100MPH” VIDEO

The band who has started generating attention lately, are taking it to the next level with a gorgeous new video that features singer Pamela Bell being chased by bandmates Rammy Yogendra and Alex McCown. Shot in Brooklyn, NY, the members of LETTERIST came up with a Spy vs. Spy concept for the video upon a…

GREGG ALLMAN POSTPONES BOOK TOUR

Following the recent sold out Allman Brothers Band concerts at the Beacon Theatre in New York City and last week’s Wanee Festival in Florida, rock music legend Gregg Allman will undergo diagnostic cardiac testing stemming from   his hernia operation. The procedure, scheduled for April 27th   at   Mayo Clinic’s campus in Jacksonville, Fla.,…

DZ DEATHRAYS UNLEASH “DOLLAR CHILLS” VIDEO

Destruction, flares, florescent light bulb fights, chrome skull masks, boredom, and rebellion are some of the themes present in DZ Deathrays’ newest music video for “Dollar Chills”. Foo Fighters, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, F*ucked Up, and Dananananaykroyd are some of the bands DZ Deathrays has recently toured with.   Sold yet?

THE VERY BEST NEW ALBUM ‘MTMTMK’ + VIDEO

THE VERY BEST make their much-anticipated return this July with second album MTMTMK, the follow-up to their celebrated genre-smashing debut Warm Heart Of Africa. Comprised of Malawian singer Esau Mwamwaya and London-based Swedish producer Johan Hugo (We Don’t Belong in Pacha), the group garnered extensive critical praise for both Warm Heart of Africa and their…

Xenia Dunford & The Eastern Exile, Lonely Streets

Are you ready for a   pure voice that needs to be heard?   Well then you’re in luck because I have got just the right singer/songwriter for you and her name is Xenia Dunford.   The talented indie artist along with her band The Eastern Exile invite listeners near & far to find peace…

Ash Gray And The Girls, Born In The Summer

Ash Gray and The Girls are back with their famous oldies sounds on the new album ‘Born In The Summer’.   Just as this group brought the 60s to life on their first EP ‘This Could Be A Wild Night’ (http://skopemag.com/2010/02/12/ash-gray-and-the-girls-this-could-be-a-wild-night), they take a trip through time once again.   Many people might think that…

No Blitz, Never Satisfied

Get ready for the band No Blitz as they come fast & furious on their 4-track EP.   The four songs on this recording are in anticipation of the group’s full-length, debut album titled ‘Never Satisfied’.   No nonsense and No cheap imitations is what No Blitz is all about. The Virginia-based band is made…

ROGER WATERS THE WALL SMASHES ATTENDANCE RECORDS IN SOUTH AMERICA

Roger Waters’ extraordinary production of The Wall has smashed attendance records in South America with a record breaking 15 open-air stadiums shows in Chile, Brazil and Argentina, playing to over 750,000 fans.   This is the largest number of stadium shows ever played in South America by an international artist on one tour. The South…

LEIGH MARBLE ADDRESSES BREAST CANCER IN VIDEO “WALK”

Portland, Oregon-based artist Leigh Marble celebrates the national release of Where The Knives Meet Between The Rows today.   The album is a ten-track follow-up to Red Tornado, which Portland alternative weekly Willamette Week proclaimed “a burning, angst folk-rock masterpiece.”   Further extending beyond the pop-rock and folk of Red Tornado, Where The Knives Meet…

KEAIRA LASHAE CLUB HIT AND FEMALE EMPOWERMENT ANTHEM “SUPERHERO”

With a dash of electrifying vocals, a smidgen of gravity defying choreography and a whole lot of Superhero Swag, newcomer R&B/Pop superstar Keaira LaShae is the epitome of all-encompassing talent. Having a natural flair for music, fitness and dance, the advocate for female empowerment is gearing up to make a permanent indentation in the industry…

A CITY ON A LAKE DEBUTS SELF-TITLED LP AVAILABLE JULY 17th

From the first moments of A City On A Lake’s self-titled debut listeners are transported from an aural urban landscape to a sonic oasis of organic/electronic textures, classically influenced songwriting and unique arrangements. It will be released July 17th on High Ceilings Music. Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Alex Wong is the primary force behind City…

THE PIERCES TO TOUR WITH COLDPLAY + LIVE VIDEO

Following shows in Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver, The Pierces have made their way back to the US with Coldplay on their west coast tour in support of their new album, You & I. After last night’s show in Portland, they continue with Seattle, two nights in San Jose and conclude with three nights at LA’s…

THOUSAND FOOT KRUTCH LAUNCH BAND’S BIGGEST DEBUT EVER

Announcing their independence from label life altogether last year, THOUSAND FOOT KRUTCH takes over the reigns and releases its seventh studio album, The End Is Where We Begin, to not only wide critical acclaim, but also its biggest sales debut ever.     Since its release last week, the album reached #6 on the iTunes…

NEW VIDEO BY IT’S A MUSICAL

Berlin-based duo It’s A Musical has debuted a brand new video for the title track off their sophomore LP, For Years And Years, out now with Morr Music. Premiered at NYLON, the video is a lo-fi blend of carefully planned visuals and hand-crafted quirky effects. It was directed by Sven Flesch and Sebastian Nehen, with…

D. GOOKIN OFFERS MP3 “WAY TO GROW” AND PROMO VIDEO

New York-based producer, songwriter and percussionist D. Gookin (aka Mike Birnbaum) is on a mission. Think of it as retaliation against a recession both economic and emotional. While his peers delve ever deeper into sonic murk, Gookin flips life’s unsavory bits into maxed out, genuinely uplifting music.

BRIDGE NINE ADDS THE UK’S GOODTIME BOYS TO LABEL ROSTER

Bridge Nine Records is excited to welcome another amazing addition to the family: The UK’s Goodtime Boys.   As announced today, the label will be releasing new material from the band in Fall of 2012.   Goodtime Boys will start recording five new songs that will become the What’s Left to Let Go EP this…

HAVE YOU HEARD OF MURFIE.COM?

Who doesn’t want free music?   Murfie.com, THE destination for music collectors, and a friendly place to buy, sell and trade CDS, is offering consumers a chance to win one free album per week for the rest of their lives during the “Free Music 4 Life” sweepstakes.   With more than 200,000 discs – and…

IDENTITY FESTIVAL RETURNS THIS SUMMER

North America’s first and only touring electronic music festival experience, IDENTITY, will return this summer, visiting major amphitheaters in fifteen cities throughout July and August. IDENTITY will kick-off in the afternoon, running through into the night, and will be centered on each venue’s central amphitheater stage. A full list of cities and dates are listed…

MUSICIANS FROM ISIS AND DEFTONES FORM NEW BAND: PALMS

Meet Palms, a newly formed Los Angeles based quartet featuring three former members of ISIS (Aaron Harris, Clifford Meyer and Jeff Caxide) with Deftones’ vocalist Chino Moreno.   “Clifford, Jeff and I started Palms a little over a year ago out of a desire to continue making music together after ISIS ended,” explained Harris.  …

Rat Wakes Red, Acres

Harmony, harmony, harmony and musicianship at its finest is what you will get from Rat Wakes Red and their new release titled ‘Acres’.   Just from the name of the band alone, I am already very intrigued and I so badly want to get to the bottom of this Rat Wakes Red.   Their story…

George Cahill, Relevant

George Cahill has been rocking the Philly scene for awhile and is now celebrating his latest release, “Relevant”. It is 9 tracks of brutal honesty accompanied by some tight instrumentation to drive his point home. Cahill does a nice rendition of Bob Seger’s, “Still the Same”. He has a unique portrayal of the song and…

THE CULT REFLECT DYSTOPIAN YOUTH IN PROVOCATIVE NEW MUSIC VIDEO

The Cult’s film clip for their new single, “For The Animals,” from their forthcoming Choice of Weapon album, reflects the socially and economically divided world that we find ourselves facing.   The clip can be viewed here: http://bit.ly/thecultfortheanimals “‘For The Animals’ is a metaphor for people existing in a realm outside of structured society and…

AABARAKI NEW VIDEO “DANCESHEE”

In response to an overwhelming demand by fans, Aabaraki pushed the release date for their music video “Danceshee”, the debut single off their forthcoming album The Emancipation, from Tuesday, May 1st to Tuesday, April 24th. Aabaraki worked closely with music video director Brian Robinson of Hyer Ground to bring their video concept to life.

THENEWNO2 ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM

thenewno2 announces the release of their second full-length album, thefearofmissingout, on July 31 via H.O.T. Records Ltd. The album was produced by pHd, the moniker for band members and Grammy Award winners Dhani Harrison and Paul Hicks, and recorded in both Los Angeles and London. thenewno2 have confirmed a performance at Lollapalooza 2012 in Chicago…

NEW BOOK EXPOSES THE MUSIC CONCERT INDUSTRY

On April 24, just in time for the summer amphitheatre season, Plume will release the expanded, revised version of Ticket Masters: The Rise of the Concert Industry and How the Public Got Scalped. The Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone, Maclean’s and Pollstar are among the many outlets that have issued rave reviews of the book.…

SKOPE EXCLUSIVES: NATSTAR “DON’T TAKE MUCH”

We at Skopemag.com get hundreds of exclusive tracks via various vendors on a daily basis. The goal for us is to share with our readers as many tracks that come in. Please note that some of these links expire so you got to get it while it’s hot! NATSTAR “DON’T TAKE MUCH”: [youtube ZyjQfpLv3RY nolink]

ERIC PRYDZ TO HEADLINE IDENTITY FESTIVAL IN 15 CITIES

In conjunction with his forthcoming Astralwerks release Prydz Presents Pryda on May 22nd, Eric Prydz is excited to announce his first live dates in the U.S. since 2007 by joining the IDENTITY festival in 15 cities across the U.S. in July and August. The IDENTITY festival is North America’s first travelling electronic music festival and…

HE IS WE “GIVE IT ALL” ON TOUR

HE IS WE are set to hit the road on the “Give It All Tour”, commencing May 2, 2012 in Minneapolis, MN at the Varsity Theater and including an appearance at the Bamboozle Festival. Supporting their recently released EP, SKIP TO THE GOOD PART, the duo’s shining folk-infused pop will cast a spell over audiences…

ASH KOLEY NEW VIDEO “MARY THE INVENTOR”

Canadian alt-pop duo Ash Koley–Ash Koley and Phil Deschambault–will release debut album Inventions in the U.S. and rest of the world on May 8, 2012. The album, which was previously only available in Canada, was produced by Deschambault and mixed by Grammy Award-winning mixer Tom Lord-Age. In anticipation of the release, the band has unveiled…

WIZ KHALIFA IS BACK WITH “WORK HARD, PLAY HARD” AUDIO

Rostrum/Atlantic Records artist, Wiz Khalifa has released “Work Hard, Play Hard,” the lead single from his upcoming, sophomore album, “O.N.I.F.C.” The track, produced by Stargate and Benny Blanco, is available at all digital retailers today. [youtube 13Gu9p0fM5w nolink] What’s more, the companion video for “Work Hard, Play Hard,” was shot earlier this month in Khalifa’s…

FREE LP BY KOOL A.D.

Kool A.D. / Victor from Das Racist came home to California from tour in December and recorded an album named after the Oakland bus he rode to school. 51 is his love letter to The Bay Area, with almost exclusively Bay collaborators- Main Attrakionz, Young L, Trackademicks, and even Boots Riley from The Coup are…

ALABAMA SHAKES ANNOUNCE SUMMER HEADLINE TOUR

Alabama Shakes will extend their U.S. tour with a headline run that kicks off July 29 at the Paper Mill in Syracuse, NY and includes a show at Los Angeles’ Music Box on August 14. A ticket pre-sale for the newly added dates is currently underway at: http://alabamashakes.com Tickets will go on sale to the…

I FIGHT DRAGONS LIGHT THE FUSE ON NEW 3D VIDEO

Photo Finish/Atlantic recording group I Fight Dragons has teamed with Nintendo to create an extraordinary 3D video available exclusively to users of the Nintendo Video service for Nintendo 3DS.   The premium 3D video for “Save World Get Girl” premiered yesterday, April 23rd — for complete details, please visit www.nintendo.com/3ds/nintendo-video. “Save World Get Girl” is…

SKOPE EXCLUSIVES: Skool Boy “BE HER MAN”

We at Skopemag.com get hundreds of exclusive tracks via various vendors on a daily basis. The goal for us is to share with our readers as many tracks that come in. Please note that some of these links expire so you got to get it while it’s hot! Skool Boy “BE HER MAN”: [youtube vGsqlyRKBwU…

BEN SOLLEE INDEPENDENT RELEASE MAY 1ST

Indie-folk cellist Ben Sollee will release Live at the Grocery on Home on May 1, 2012. Joined by fiddle player Casey Driessen and percussionist Jordon Ellis, the album was recorded over a four-night residency at the Grocery on Home in Atlanta, GA and features live interpretations of songs from Sollee’s studio releases. A limited edition…