Skope

SLASH NEW ALBUM LISTENING PARTY & COVER ART

Focused on delivering the most individual, personal project of his career, Slash enlisted the services of producing partner Eric Valentine (Queens of Stone Age, The All-American Rejects) and compiled a rhythm section of bassist Chris Chaney (Jane’s Addiction) and drummer Josh Freese (Nine Inch Nails). Slash handled the majority of arranging and songwriting duties and…

BIZ TALK: ASSEMBLING AN EFFECTIVE STREET TEAM

Many bands have learned the power of “word of Mouth” via an effective Street Tea. Street Teams’ are a powerful promotional tool that has been adopted industry wide as a standard line item in marketing budgets by entertainment companies, record labels, the tech industry, corporate brand marketers, new media companies and direct marketers worldwide.

CLAY AIKEN & RUBEN STUDDARD JOIN FORCES FOR 17 CITY NORTH AMERICAN TOUR

After much anticipation and speculation, Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard confirmed today plans to tour North America. Kicking off July 23, 2010 in Asheville, North Carolina, Clay and Ruben will bring their “Timeless” tour to 17 cities including appearances at famed venues such as New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom, LA Nokia Live in Los Angeles, and…

WORDSMITH DEBUT ALBUM OUT NOW

It is officially past March 30th and the curtains for Wordsmith’s “Vintage Experience” album have officially been lifted for the feature presentation. Broken up into 4 chapters with unique movie scores; the album plays out like a Movie on Wax. Featuring the singles “Hook-up Hotline,” “Tour Guide to New Bride” and “As the Art Fades…

THE END RECORDS SIGN DANZIG

The charismatic and complex singer/songwriter Glenn Danzig is set to unleash his first new Danzig studio album in six years.   Deth Red Sabaoth, produced by Glenn and recorded in Los Angeles over the course of 2009, will be released on June 22, 2010 (Evilive/The End Records).   The 11-track collection, penned by Danzig, is…

MTV RADIO’S MORNING FACTS FOR THURSDAY, APRIL 1st, 2010

JUSTIN BIEBER JOINS LUDACRIS ON STAGE Justin Bieber made a surprise appearance during Ludacris’ set at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Tuesday night.   Bieber joined Luda for a version of their collaboration, “Baby.”   Justin took to his Twitter after the show and said: “Crazy night…got to surprise the crowd at the…

RANDOM STABBINGS & ARTLESS CRITIQUE, APRIL 2010

Miracle Condition, Miracle Condition (Tizona Records) Consider yourself forewarned: your bliss-out flavor of the year is this veteran outfit, two-thirds of whom survived the sinking of US Maple, a band whose stock-in-trade was ostensibly a variety of “reactions to shoegaze” but actually a mishandled, unsellable crapshoot of indie, crazy-ass math-rock and, take a wild guess,…

CBS.COM RELEASES “ROAD TO THE ACM AWARDS” DOC

On Monday, March 29, in anticipation of the 45TH ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS, CBS.com premiered the first episode of Road to the ACM Awards, a four-part documentary series featuring country music star Josh Thompson. The web series gives fans an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Josh’s life on the road during his current nation-wide…

JASON CASTRO ANNOUNCES FIRST EVER HEADLINING TOUR

Atlantic recording artist Jason Castro has announced plans for his first-ever headlining tour.   The dates herald the release of his much-anticipated debut LP,   “JASON CASTRO,” which arrives in stores and at all online retailers on April 13th. Castro will kick off his first headlining tour in his home state of Texas with an…

ACTIVE CHILD TO RELEASE EP JUNE 1ST ON FILTER US RECORDINGS

LA-based indie artist ACTIVE CHILD (a.k.a. songwriter/musician Pat Grossi) will release his highly-anticipated EP June 1st on Filter US Recordings. Titled Curtis Lane, the EP is ACTIVE CHILD’s first stateside offering; he released several singles in the UK to significant critical acclaim.   Track listing for Curtis Lane below.     In support of the…

GUITAR HERO 5 AND BAND HERO ROLL INTO APRIL WITH HOT NEW ROCK ADDITIONS

Activision Publishing, Inc.’s (Nasdaq: ATVI) April lineup of downloadable songs is sure to satisfy with huge rock bands and popular tracks for Guitar Hero ® 5 and Band Heroâ„¢ players this month.   With the addition of tracks from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Fall Out Boy, Blur, The All-American Rejects, Saving Abel, Phoenix and Black Sabbath, the…

THE DIRTY HEADS PERFORM “LAY ME DOWN” LIVE WITH ROME

The Dirty Heads are quoted by ROLLING STONE as one of the “Best New Bands of 2010” and have released a live music video for “Lay Me Down” featuring Rome of “Sublime with Rome” on Vevo.com. The video gives fans a taste of the reggae rockers energetic live performance and what is to come in…

MTV RADIO’S MORNING FACTS FOR WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31st, 2010

JUSTIN BIEBER WILL “NEVER LET YOU GO” Justin Bieber has just released the video for “Never Let You Go.”   The clip was shot in the Bahamas and features the 16-year-old singing and getting cozy with a lucky young lady.   Bieber’s My World 2.0 is the currently the most downloaded album on iTunes.  …

Matt Pond PA, The Dark Leaves

The shuffling nature of The Dark Leaves, the latest from Matt Pond PA brims with a distinct optimism, if only musically. The manner in which he delivers his warbling lyrics above heartfelt acoustic pop is a little bewildering, but for some reason, when the whole package is delivered together it works with alarming effciency. Tracks…

WIN A SAMSON AUDIO PRIZE PACK FROM RECORD STORE DAY

The countdown to Record Store Day is on and the people behind it are excited to bring you another great contest. Samson, a pioneering audio company, and maker of ZOOM products is helping celebrate Record Store Day with some new and awesome audio-video gear.   One very lucky winner will receive a Samson prize pack…

JANGO AIRPLAY POPSCORE TOP 20 ARTIST FOR MARCH 2010

Every time we play a Jango Airplay emerging artist to one of Jango.com’s 7 Million listeners, we ask them to rate the song. We enter all the listener reactions into a formula to determine which songs, and therefore which bands, are most popular with our listeners.

KOTTONMOUTH KINGS NEW VIDEO “MUSHROOMS”

The Kottonmouth Kings newest member, the Dirtball, is currently tripping on psychedelics in the group’s new video for the track “Mushrooms”, which can be seen online. The song is part of the group’s new album, “Long Live The Kings”, which hits stores on April 20th, 2010 through Suburban Noize.   [youtube 6sdmzzD_MTU nolink] www.SubNoizeStore.com

BAMBOO KIDS ANNOUNCE EUROPEAN TOUR DATES

Brooklyn’s most notorious garage rockers, The Bamboo Kids, will tour throughout The Netherlands, Belgium and Spain from April 28 through May 8, including a stop at the Queensday Festival with The Bouncing Souls and Banner Pilot. Bamboo Kids 2010 European Tour Dates 4/28 – Utrecht, NL @ ACU 4/29 – Den Helder, NL @ Café…

HUGH CORNWELL IS PRO-FREE DOWNLOADING / MP3

In a recent BBC News interview, former Stranglers frontman Hugh Cornwell endorsed free music downloading, coming just as the British government plans to crack down on illegal downloaders. Hugh, currently touring the United States, argues that a new generation is exposed to his music through the Internet and they, in turn, spend more money on…

CYPRESS HILL DEBUT VIDEO FOR “RISE UP”

As Cypress Hill gear’s up for the April 20th release of their highly anticipated new album Rise Up, the multi-platinum hip-hop group has released a video for the album’s explosive lead single/title track, “Rise Up,” featuring Rage Against The Machine/Street Sweeper Social Club/The Nightwatchman guitarist Tom Morello (who pulled double duty as the song’s producer…

ONEREPUBLIC TO OPEN UP FOR BON JOVI IN NJ

OneRepublic are set to open for legendary rockers Bon Jovi as they christen the soon-to-be-opened New Meadowlands Stadium.   OneRepublic, along with Train and Gavin DeGraw, were just announced as special guests for the series of inaugural concerts which are part of Bon Jovi’s “The Circle World Tour.” Catch Ryan, Zach, Eddie, Drew and Brent…

“CHRISTINA AGUILERA RADIO” TO DEBUT HER NEW SINGLE TODAY AT 5PM EDT

Multi-platinum, five-time GRAMMY-winning artist Christina Aguilera is making history on the virtual airwaves once again, as the singer prepares to debut brand new music from her highly anticipated album, Bionic, exclusively on her A.P.E. Radio   station, “Christina Aguilera Radio.”   On Friday, March 26 at noon EDT, listeners tuned into the station to preview…

MONGREL MIX OFFER MP3 ‘IN THE EROTIC’

Catch mongrel fever at Sullivan Hall in New York City – April 1st, 2010. Mongrel Mix brings American music history into the now with a groundbreaking sound incorporating elements of funk, rock, and latin styles. The mix ranges from acoustic folk tales to angular post-pop and rock. Mongrel Mix is a global band with a…

Aloha, Home Acres

Home Acres, the third and latest release from Aloha takes a leap into some strange and bold new territory for the band; and it’s a leap that may very well pay off for Aloha. Though the amps are still cranked and they’re doing whatever they can to keep their feet planted firmly in the dirt…

MTV RADIO’S MORNING FACTS FOR TUESDAY, MARCH 30th, 2010

RICKY MARTIN REVEALS HE’S GAY Today on his Web site, Ricky Martin revealed that he is gay.   The singer wrote about his plans to pen his memoirs and how working on the book would “free” him from something he was “carrying within [himself] for a long time.”   He adds that he’s spent years…

Sweethead, Sweethead

Initially, Sweethead’s self-titled album evokes neither regret nor awe but a feeling eerily in between.   It feels repetitive, at first, with a steady dissonant bass and indecipherable lyrics muddled into one. But if you have the patience for another go, this album proves more intricate and layered. Sweethead is decadent and dark, and can…

ON STAGE: STAMPEDE

It’s Saturday night and Stampede is performing at the local bar, O’Brian’s. The place has filled up as the band charges through a raw live show.

SKOPE EXCLUSIVES: NatStar “I KNOW (Orig/Radio)”

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 “I KNOW (Orig/Radio)”: SKOPE IT HERE!

MELISSA JOAN HART TO BEWITCH OFF BROADWAY

Melissa Joan Hart joins the cast this week of Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron’s smash-hit Off Broadway show, Love, Loss, and What I Wore, which has been playing to sold-out houses at the Westside Theatre (407 W 43rd Street).   Hart will be a part of the star-studded cast (Lucy DeVito, Judy Gold, Shirley Knight,…

THE DEVYL NELLY TO RELEASE SECOND EP

The Devyl Nellys, a NYC band known for its varied gypsy-like rhythms and razor sharp lyrics will be releasing their second EP, Airport, on April 6, 2010. They will support this release with a nationwide tour throughout the year.   Possessing an unrestrained and decidedly fresh, bohemian-rock sound, the Devyl Nellys came together organically within…

KELIS “ACAPELLA” VIDEO PREMIERE

The video for Kelis’ new single, “Acapella,” will premiere today at www.iamkelis.com. Based on a treatment written by the GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter, the video was lensed in Los Angeles by co-directors Chris Cottam, Rankin and Nicole Ehrlich. Kelis performed at numerous events during last week’s Winter Music Conference 2010 in Miami, including shows with will.i.am, Benny…