SoCal rockers Nations Afire have premiered a new video for their high-energy, anthemic first single, “I Am An Army,” from their forthcoming album, The Ghosts We Will Become, today on BlankTV.com.
Month: May 2012
MENTOS ROCKS WITH ANDY GRAMMER
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On May 8th, Mentos Rocks donated $10,000 in funding, new instruments and uniforms to Bancroft Middle School in Los Angeles. Singer, songwriter, Gold Record Recording Artist and Mentos Rocks Ambassador Andy Grammer surprised the students and joined them for a heartfelt performance of his hit songs, “Keep Your Head Up,” and “Fine by Me.” This…
MIKE SCHEIDT OFFERS MP3 “IN YOUR LIGHT”
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A native Oregonian, Scheidt did time in the ’80s hardcore scene in the mid-Willamette Valley (he’s lived all his forty-one years in the Eugene area). But with Ken Kesey’s Oregon Country Fair so close, and rainbow gatherings on a seasonal basis right next door, Scheidt was inevitably drawn to some roots beyond his punk and…
LIONEL LOUEKE RETURNS WITH AUGUST 28 RELEASE
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On August 28, the acclaimed West African jazz guitarist/vocalist Lionel Loueke will release Heritage, his dynamic third Blue Note album, which was co-produced by label mate Robert Glasper. Heritage finds Loueke–who was hailed by The New York Times as “a gentle virtuoso”–exploring a more electric sound with a new trio featuring Derrick Hodge on electric…
STEREO BOYZ NEW VIDEO “PUNCHLINE DRUNK”
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“Punchline Drunk” is the second single off Mic Audio & Mixo’s’ latest Mixtape “Guten Tag!”. The video was recorded during the Stereo Boyz’ “Midwest Neighbors” Tour, with scenes in Chicago, New York and at the legendary MonkeyBarz cipher at Union Square. “PunchlineDrunk is a rap style we created, it’s the Stereo Boyz Drunken Master Style.…
eM, DHF, Heath Karau Mix
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The first time I heard eM was when I reviewed just two tracks off of her second full-length album ‘DHF’ last year for Skope (http://skopemag.com/2011/10/20/em-dhf-teaser). Now, I get to hear eight songs in full all mixed by Chicago native, Heath Karau. The DJ mix breathes new life into ‘DHF’ and into the progressive…
TABI BONNEY RELEASES FIRST VISUAL FROM NEW PROJECT
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tabi Bonney releases his first visual, “Castle On A Cloud”, from his forthcoming album The Endless Summer. The Ski Beatz-produced track features vocals by Terri Walker and the video was directed by 6ix Shooter. The Endless Summer will be available for FREE download on May 17th. [youtube n1Z8duWCi5c nolink] http://www.facebook.com/tabibonney
MOUNTAIN MAN BRING THEIR HARDCORE TO NO SLEEP RECORDS
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No Sleep Records is proud to announce that Worcester based hardcore outfit Mountain Man has joined their punk rock family with plans to release a new EP later this summer. Rising from the ashes of their former band Last Lights, whose budding career was unfortunately cut short due to the untimely death of their singer,…
BEN FOLDS FIVE STARTS PLEDGEMUSIC CAMPAIGN
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Alt-rock trio Ben Folds Five have launched an interactive pre-sale campaign on PledgeMusic to enable fans to participate in the release of their forthcoming album. Fans will receive exclusive videos, tracks, photos and blogs and will be the first to receive the new album. Throughout the campaign, Ben Folds Five will be raising awareness and…
KADAVAR TO RELEASE DEBUT ALBUM + AUDIO
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Fast rising Berlin rock band KADAVAR will release its self titled debut Kadavar in North America on July 10 via Tee Pee Records. Boasting an absolutely killer sound that will find immediate appeal with fans of Black Sabbath, Pentagram, Sir Lord Baltimore, Witchcraft and Graveyard, KADAVAR’s thunderous gloom sounds as if it was “dug out…
NEW VIDEO OUT NOW BY SHIRE
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Fans of R&B songstress, Shire’, need wait no more for the release of her new single “Beg U Not To Go” now on iTunes. Some may remember Shire`from her former Island/Def Jam all girl group, LovHer, or Trey Songz remix of “Mojo” featuring Freeway (the theme to his BET special). Several producers and top…
PLM SIGNS ELIOT LIPP FOR NEW ALBUM
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PLM is set to release the new Eliot Lipp album, Shark Wolf Rabbit Snake, on May 22, 2012. This release has Lipp breaking new ground with his ever-evolving production style. He has developed a unique sound that is completely its own yet sticks with the PLM axiom of genre bending originality. The album incorporates everything…
TGIF! BIG CHAIN NEW VIDEO “PARTY TIME”
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Jamaican born, London resident Big Chain has released his new summer anthem “Party Time”, video directed by Morgan Keys. Born and raised in St. Catherine, Jamaica, Big Chain’s influences includes the likes of Bob Marley, Regina Belle and 2Pac, he has sung on numerous sound systems and appeared on many live shows. “Party Time” is…
MICHAEL J EPSTEIN MEMORIAL LIBRARY VIDEO “AMYLEE”
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In a world where dolphins have conspired to take over the world, our only hope is a team of superhero librarians known as The Michael J Epstein Memorial Library. MJEML, with the help of the ultimate astronaut, a shark, will fight to stop the evil dolphins from destroying the great human civilization of Earth and…
Kettleblack, Bullfrog
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Kettleblack is back and with a vengeance. They are celebrating their latest release, “Bullfrog”. I did not think it was possible to rock any harder than they did before, but I stand corrected. These guys are putting their abilities to the test and passing with flying colors and soaring guitars. My favorite song on this…
28-200, Gunfire of Angels
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28-200 is a duo out of Denver Co. Their music is more of a feeling that enters through your ears and burrows into your soul. It is a sound that is to the point with edgy moments of attitude. Mister L and Aimee have joined forces and have been pumping out music since 2005. Their…
THE MAGNETIC FIELDS NEW VIDEO “QUICK!”
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Today, the Magnetic Fields premiered the new video for “Quick!” from their new album Love at the Bottom of the Sea. Directed by James Spinney, and showcasing vocals from Shirley Simms’ with harmonies from Claudia Gonson, “Quick!” is one of the standout tracks from an album described by Blackbook as “the band’s most consistently entertaining…
Elwood James Band, Self-Titled
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If you like music with a whole lot of feeling, then you should love Elwood James Band and their debut album. The group has a wide array of musical influences, but what stuck out to me the most was the element of rock. In its simplest form, rock ‘n’ roll plays a huge…
Dwayna Litz, Counting Your Blessings
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Over the years we’ve seen music slowly erode into over-commercialized, corporate puppet shows providing music that is extremely sing songy, predictable, popish & highly corporate. I hereby call this new breed of music “Poser Rock” & I want to personally thank all the corporate giants for successfully transforming “Sex Drugs & Rock n Roll” into…
MONTREAL RAPPER MUGZ SET TO RELEASE DEBUT EP
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Montreal-based rapper muGz will release his debut digital EP, Gone One Day (G.O.D) (Blackrose Music / Aquarius Records), on Tuesday, May 29, 2012. Self produced and recorded in various Montreal studios, the EP contains seven tracks including the first single, “The Dream.” Full track listing below. “I woke up one morning and had the vision…
JIM JONES ENDORSES NEWCOMER J-LIE
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Rapper J-Lie calls on Dip Set capo Jim Jones for an assist on “Get It on the Low”, a single from his forthcoming mixtape, Ears First, Hearts Next, due later this month. “I am here to get the attention of your ears first and then your heart next,” J-Lie says of the project. “‘Get It…
BONNAROO AND YOUTUBE ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP
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Bonnaroo and YouTube are excited to announce Bonnaroo365, (http://youtube.com/bonnaroo365). Set to launch on May 7, 2012, Bonnaroo 365 will take the approach of the festival that Rolling Stone named as “one of the 50 moments that changed the history of rock and roll” and evolve it from an annual terrestrial event into a digital entertainment…
NEW ALBUM FROM THE WALLFLOWERS
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The Wallflowers have announced they are back in the studio and putting the finishing touches on a long-awaited new studio album that will be released by Columbia Records this fall. Currently recording in Nashville at Dan Auerbach’s (The Black Keys) Easy Eye Sound studio, the new album finds frontman Jakob Dylan joining original band members…
LOUDNESS SIGN TO FROSTBYTE MEDIA TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM
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International metal giants Loudness have signed to FrostByte Media to release their new album EVE TO DAWN worldwide, ex-Japan; the offering is slated for a summer release, with exact dates per territory to be announced. This marks the legendary Japanese band’s 26th studio album since their inception in 1981 (Loudness just celebrated their 30th…
JODI SHAW OFFERS MP3 “THE MYSTERY OF LOVE” OFF ‘IN WATERLAND’
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Jodi Shaw is set to release her LP In Waterland on May 15, 2012. Her first single is the playful “The Mystery of Love”. Images of water and the sea drenched her imagination during the conception of this, Jodi’s third full-length album. There is a riptide pull to the music, as it urges the…
CHRISTIE LENEE RELEASES “BEFORE I GO” MP3 SINGLE
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“Christie Lenee is a wonderful spirit making beautiful music on the guitar. She has epic compositions that take one on a journey through time.” (Tim Reynolds, guitarist for Dave Matthews Band)
Billy Ray Deiz, Mighty Girl
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Longtime TV and radio personality, Billy Ray Deiz, has gone from commentary on the music industry to full immersion within it. Riding the 2011 release of The Nashville Tracks, Deiz has released the four-track EP, Mighty Girl–and amalgam album replete with all the groove and soul of R&B; the swagger of horn-laced, radio friendly rock…
JOE WALSH LIVE VIDEO “LUCKY THAT WAY”
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Grammy Award winning rock legend Joe Walsh takes the stage performing his new track “Lucky That Way” from his upcoming release in a BRAND NEW video (see below). Analog Man, Walsh’s first solo album in in two decades, will be released June 5th. SKOPE IT HERE! http://joewalsh.com
STEVE EARLE TAKES ON VERIZON
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Thousands of Verizon employees heard a message from Steve Earle last week calling out Verizon Communications for hitting up workers for another $20,000 a year in compensation cuts while posting another record earnings quarter this year. As part of Shareholder Spring, nearly 1,000 workers, students and progressive activists demonstrated inside and outside Verizon’s annual…
AESOP ROCK TO TOUR NORTH AMERICA
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Renowned rapper and producer, Aesop Rock, is preparing to wax poetically to throngs of fans across North America this summer as he makes his way across the continent touring in support of his upcoming release, Skelethon. The New York-bred, San Francisco-based master of all flows atypical is set to kick off his tour, along with…
JON HOPE POSTS TWO NEW VIDEOS FROM ‘WORK IN PROGRESS’
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Rhode Island buzzmaker Jon Hope has come together with The DJBooth and Surefire Recording > Studios to bring listeners his latest album release, the Work in Progress LP. The project features 16 original records from the Booth favorite, including previously-released singles “Rhode Less Traveled” and “Cashews.”
HILARIOUS PSA/VIDEO ON YOUTUBE
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In Adopt the Arts’ pursuit of music education being made available to all children, in the face of adversity and the school districts trying to pull the arts from the school to save a buck, a bunch of well-known music, movie and Internet stars have gotten together to create an entertaining, hilariously funny and straight…
THE DIRTY HEADS AND MATISYAHU ANNOUNCE CO-HEADLINING TOUR
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So-Cal alternative rockers The Dirty Heads have announced the initial run for their co-headlining summer tour with Matisyahu. The band will be spreading their signature rock/reggae/hip-hop sound that that is synonymous with its good vibes on this 40 plus city US jaunt beginning in Washington, DC on July 8th. Fans can visit the band’s website…
NOW, NOW DEBUT MUSIC VIDEO FOR THE SINGLE “THREAD”
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Now, Now and Trans- Records are excited to present the music video for the single “Thread,” from their impressive sophomore album Threads (March 2012). The band have drawn attention from a broad spectrum of supporters in the press, as well as fans who ended up streaming the album over 350,000 times on Spotify this past…
CITOONTHEBEAT NEW VIDEO “SWAG DRIPPIN”
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Jersey City, NJ, native Cito [aka CitoOntheBeat] is an acclaimed music producer and beatmaker for Fabolous, Red Cafe, Asap Rocky, Trey Songs, Jadakiss, Cobra Starship and many more. His first mixtape “P.I.N.K.S.T.E.R.” is scheduled for release this summer. [youtube Cz3fP3b0MLY nolink] http://youtu.be/Cz3fP3b0MLY www.citoonthebeat.com
FREE ALBUM FROM COOL NUTZ
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Cool Nutz is excited to release his latest album, The Cook Up. The album, which was originally released through retail this past August is now being made available to fans for free download, via Cool Nutz’ Jus Family Records. With nine solo albums under his belt and a career that spans nearly 20 years, Cool…
DADA LIFE NEW VIDEO “ROLLING STONES T-SHIRT”
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Dada Life has outdone themselves once again on the brand new video for their hit track “Rolling Stones T-Shirt.” Just when you think it’s all about a great dance beat and some eye candy, Dada Life shock you with their own twisted strip tease! [youtube WyE99hBLnvA nolink] www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyE99hBLnvA “Rolling Stones T-Shirt” is out now on…
Third International, Entre Las Americas
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Third International is attempting to bridge the gap between cultures of North America vs. South America on ‘Entre Las Americas’. By way of politically & socially-conscious music, Third International is shedding some much needed light on all of the problems this world faces. We can’t possibly fix all the world’s issues but we…
TRUCKSTOP DARLIN’ DEBUT SINGLE “I SEE YOU”
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Taking a page out of the Alt-Country songbook, TRUCKSTOP DARLIN’ show off influences of Wilco, Uncle Tupelo, and hint of Whiskeytown right from the start. The group is gearing up to release their latest album Hope and the Heart It Breaks on June 5th with eager ears awaiting.
COUNTING CROWS CHOOSE GOOD OLD WAR FOR SUMMER TOUR
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Philadelphia indie-folk trio Good Old War is heading back out on the road, this time joining Counting Crows on the first leg of their summer tour, The Outlaw Roadshow. Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz teamed up with Ryan Spaulding (http://www.rslblog.com/) to handpick the bands and venues that they loved. Spaulding said, “Sitting down and…
