Indie pop-punkers Lemuria, fresh off their SXSW showcase, will be heading out on tour this summer with Against Me! and Screaming Females. The tour will start on May 31st in Millvale, PA and roll down the east coast to Maryland before heading back north through New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, and finally ending on June…
MTV RADIO’S MORNING FACTS FOR WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13th, 2011
by •
NICKI MINAJ JOINS SPEARS’ FEMME FATALE TOUR! After weeks of speculation, Nicki Minaj has at last been confirmed to join Britney Spears’s upcoming Femme Fatale Tour. The ladies will also be joined by Jessie and the Toy Boys and Nervo on the all-female lineup. Spears took to her webpage Tuesday morning to make the…
DANE ESTOK RELEASES VIDEO “SEMIAUTOMATIC KIND OF LOVE”
by •
Everyone has a story, something to overcome. If anyone has come out on the other side, it is singer/songwriter Dane Estok. When someone is surrounded by drugs his or her entire life, it’s hard to escape that type of lifestyle.
MIGGS ON TOUR WITH KT TUNSTALL
by •
The vessel for Don Miggs singer/songwriter style comes in the form of the “melodic pop/rock with a bit of an alt-rock edge” band MIGGS with bandmates Michael Lombardo and Walker Adams. The band is currently on tour with KT Tunstall, the famous British artist first known for her breakout performance of “Black Horse and…
FAT BEATS SIGNS CSC / MP3
by •
Fat Beats Records is proud to announce that their first funk signees, CSC Funk Band, will release their album, Things Are Getting Too Casual, on June 14th, 2011. Recognized by the Village Voice as Brooklyn noise-punk scene’s very first funk band, CSC Funk Band is a random, diverse, and eclectic 11-member band hell bent on…
BLACK LIPS RELEASE NEW VIDEO TO KICK OFF THEIR US TOUR
by •
The song marks the first publicly available taste of the nine album cuts (of 16 total) produced by top 40 pop mastermind Mark Ronson, and features some of the long murmured-about new instrumentation that resulted from the collaboration, including a rare pitch-perfect performance on singing saw. [youtube Gj5NoVOEDNg nolink] www.black-lips.com
MTV RADIO’S MORNING FACTS FOR TUESDAY, APRIL 12th, 2011
by •
JESSIE J’S ALBUM IS OUT IN THE U-S TODAY Today (4/12) marks the American release of Jessie J’s much anticipated debut album Who You Are. It’s been out in her native U-K since late February, but Jessie told us that just based on the sheer size of America, releasing a record here is a…
J.J. Ipsen and the Paper Crown, Entertainment Ordinaire
by •
The word “Quirky” often carries negative connotations, but one spin of Entertainment Ordinaire ought to prove otherwise. The debut full length from J.J. Ipsen and the Paper Crown is indeed a diverse listen, full of jangly rhythms and pop-leaning harmonies. But couple that with some fairly left-leaning soft rock hooks and incredibly literate lyrics and…
KAT MCGIVERN REPRESENTS WHAT STOLI LOVES ABOUT POP MUSIC
by •
I will admit that I can be pretty tough on pop artists. Its not that I do not like pop music, I just don’t like when it sounds forced & manufactured. That being said, some of my favorite songs have come from the pop genre for their authentic & genuine sound. My guest today, Kat…
JACK’S MANNEQUIN ANNOUNCES CO-HEADLINING SUMMER TOUR
by •
Jack’s Mannequin has announced a co-headlining summer tour with Guster, which kicks off August 7th in Baltimore and runs through September 4th in Columbus. 2011 is shaping up to be a big year for Jack’s Mannequin. Originally formed as a side project while he was the frontman for the band Something Corporate, Andrew McMahon…
HUGO GEARS UP TO RELEASE DEBUT ALBUM MAY 10th
by •
Roc Nation’s “gangsta-rocker” Hugo, will release his highly-anticipated debut album Old Tyme Religion on May 10th. To coincide with the launch of the album, Hugo will perform on The Late Show with David Letterman. The British-born, Thailand-raised rocker will be on tour this Spring for a headline tour beginning April 11th and then joining…
YOUNG JEEZY SIGNS FREDDIE GIBBS TO HIS CTE LABEL
by •
The ink is drying on the widely rumored agreement between Gary, Indiana lyricist Freddie Gibbs and Atlanta-based CTE Records, the imprint helmed by platinum-selling artist, Young Jeezy. The development is the latest notch in the belt of the upwardly mobile MC whose recent winning streak includes a XXL Freshman Top 10 nod and critical acclaim…
THE INSPIRING AARON LYRD
by •
Aaron Lyrd is a man who overcame enormous adversity and has become a one man band writing and recording everything from guitar to percussion to vocals. He has a huge fan base on myspace and he is catching attention of promoters.
WIZ KHALIFA BLAZES UP THE CHARTS
by •
“ROLLING PAPERS,” the acclaimed debut album from Rostrum/Atlantic recording artist Wiz Khalifa, has debuted at #2 on the Billboard “Top 200 Albums” chart. With sales exceeding 197,000, the album — which marks the rapper’s major label debut — is also sitting at #1 on Billboard’s “Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums” and “Top Rap Albums.” What’s more,…
MY GOODNESS SIGNS WITH SARATHAN
by •
Sarathan Records is pleased to announce today the signing of My Goodness, an explosive rock duo project from guitarist Joel Schneider (Absolute Monarchs) and drummer Ethan Jacobsen. On April 19th, My Goodness will release their self-titled debut album on Sarathan Records, with distribution by Fontana. The record was engineered by Chris Common at Red Rooms…
MTV RADIO’S MORNING FACTS FOR MONDAY, APRIL 11th, 2011
by •
GAGA WANTS TO GO ON MODERN FAMILY? Could we be seeing Lady Gaga make a guest appearance on Modern Family? Star Jesse Tyler Ferguson revealed on Live with Regis & Kelly that Gaga has actually “reached out” to the show about guest starring, but that it would be hard to work her into an…
TOKYO CALLING – BEIJING ROAD
by •
One of the great things about living in a large metropolitan area, such as Tokyo, is that due to the size, you can find almost as much musical variety in one city, as you might find in another small country. Japan, specifically, is currently the second largest consumer of purchased music, so this also adds…
THE REPUBLIC TIGERS: DOWNLOAD “MERRYMAKE IT WITH MEâ€
by •
“No Land’s Man” will be available exclusively at independent record stores on April 16 in celebration of Record Store Day, and will be available at all online retailers the following Tuesday, April 19.
STOLI PREMIERES ANDREW JACKSON NEW VIDEO “ENOUGH BLOOD TO KEEP EM COMING”
by •
Does this Friday get any better. The weather is perfect, the Red Sox opening day is here, and Andrew Jackson has asked Stoli to premiere his video for “Enough Blood To Keep Em Coming.” If you are into zombies like I am then you are in for a treat. This track is off Andrew’s album,…
FOLSOM RECORDS ANNOUNCES ITS DEBUT RELEASE
by •
On May 10th, Nashville-based Folsom Records will release a split 7” from two of punk rock’s finest, Rise Against and Face to Face. The 7” documents the bands mutual musical admiration of each other’s work by featuring them reinventing each other’s songs. Rise Against covers “Blind” from F2F’s classic self-titled album, and Face…
MTV RADIO’S MORNING FACTS FOR FRIDAY, APRIL 8th, 2011
by •
LADY A MAKES HISTORY WITH MOST DOWNLOADED SONG Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now” is now the most downloaded country song of all time. Lady A’s Dave Haywood says making a hit like “Need You Now” takes several great minds, all thinking alike. The triple-Platinum single surpassed Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” to become the most…
CONCERT REVIEW: BOB SEGER – HUNTINGTON CENTER / TOLEDO OHIO – MARCH 31
by •
Bob strutted his stuff and his all night smile for almost two and a half hours, only slowing down to pick up a guitar or sit down at the piano. I don’t have to list everything they played, for the most part, pick up a Greatest Hits CD and there they are!
THE TREWS OFFER MP3 OFF NEW ALBUM ‘HOPE & RUIN’
by •
THE TREWS’ fourth full-length studio album, Hope & Ruin, due on Bumstead Records on April 12, is a level-raising evolution for the Toronto-based rock band with two gold records, ten top-10 singles and 800-plus concerts logged. Recorded live-off-the-floor, they captured lightning in a bottle, resulting in a sound that is raw, electric and igniting.
APRIL 2011 SONICBIDS “ARTISTS 2 WATCHâ€
by •
Welcome to another amazing month of music from the incredible musicians that make up the Sonicbids.com community. We have chose a select group of amazing musicians that will be speaking directly to the Skope readers. As always we encourage readers to dig deeper and check out their EPK’s.
Snailhouse, Sentimental Gentleman
by •
Continuing in a long line of swampy, Canadian acts whose thinly-veiled brand of optimism is only heard through murky guitars and earnest crooning, Snailhouse make great strides with Sentimental Gentleman. The ten emotionally-laden tracks serve to establish Snailhouse not just as a fitting and hauntingly harmonious soundtrack to your last drink of the evening, but…
BAIYU RELEASES NEW SINGLE “TOGETHER” AND ALL PROFITS WILL GO DIRECTLY TO JAPAN
by •
You may remember Baiyu from MTVu’s “The Freshmen”, but she’s graduated and ready to share her soulful sounds with the world. Baiyu has released her new single Together via iTunes, Bandcamp, and GlobalGrind.com. Baiyu’s new EP, Fan Fair, will debut April 15th on her official website www.baiyuonline.com, and will be a free download – this…
INDIE LABEL 37 RECORDS SIGNS SO CAL RISING ROCKERS THE GROMBLE
by •
37 Records, initially known for its talented singer/songwriter roster of artists and publishing and licensing deals, has really been building the label’s now extremely strong artist development and A&R departments, with the addition of White Apple Tree, Nikki Forova and Melody Zephyr in the last four years. Therefore, it is no surprise 37 Records has…
MTV RADIO’S MORNING FACTS FOR THURSDAY, APRIL 7th, 2011
by •
BRITNEY DEBUTS AT NUMBER ONE Britney Spears has landed at number one on the Billboard 200 chart with her latest album, Femme Fatale. The pop star scored impressive first week sales with over 276-thousand copies sold. She recently told us how great it was to take her time recording this project. MARIAH HAS A NEW…
Verlee for Ransom, Happy Like Monkey That Climb
by •
First things first, to say this band is full of youthful exuberance is redundant. With a 20-year old keyboardist and an 11-year old bass player as bookends, their ages speak for themselves. However what their ages belie is the professionalism they bring to album making and the degree of available talent at their disposal (it’s…
MTV RADIO’S MORNING FACTS FOR WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6th, 2011
by •
GAGA RELEASES COUNTRY SINGLE FOR CHARITY Lady Gaga has decided to officially release the country version of her hit song, “Born This Way,” with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit the charity, GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. According to a press release, the tune is available for download right…
BEN GIBBARD & MARK RONSON CONTRIBUTE TO “ARTHUR” SOUNDTRACK
by •
WaterTower Music is thrilled to announce the release of Arthur: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, a 10-song collection for Russell Brand’s upcoming film. Out today, Tuesday April 5th, at all digital retailers, this soundtrack features two new songs by Ben Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie) and four songs produced and co-written by Mark Ronson, including…
KILLINGER SELF-TITLED DEBUT ALBUM DUE OUT JULY 19TH
by •
With a contemporary sound that incorporates the best elements of classic 80s hard rock and metal, Killinger are here to rock you! Hailing from the Western Canadian frontier that is Edmonton, Killinger is the raucous quartet comprised of frontman Dave Williams, lead guitarist Kevin Morin, bassist R. J. Killinger (whose last name serves the…
Neil Thomas, A Century of Lullabies
by •
Over the years we’ve seen punk, rock & even alternative rock bands slowly erode into a dumbing down process of overly commercialized, corporate puppet shows. Unfortunately this form of entertainment not only exists in music but is slowly infiltrating TV Stets & Movie Theatres as well. Talking to many music fans out there, the response…
MEHRAN SHOWS STOLI THE POWER OF THE FLAMENCO GUITAR
by •
I know I need to stick to music but I am freaking out that Japan is dumping radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean. I know they have no other options but jeez! Sometimes I just want to lock myself in my basement with cans of food, water, and the soothing & relaxing CD by Mehran.…
WHISKEY MYERS NEW ALBUM APRIL 26
by •
Outlaw Country and Southern Rock outfit Whiskey Myers is releasing their raw but righteous sophomore album, titled Firewater, on April 26. Led by vocalist Cody Cannon and the twin guitars of John Jeffers and Cody Tate, Whiskey Myers has emerged as one of the Lone Star State’s hottest musical exports with their 2011 effort. …
THE JOLLY BOYS OFFER MP3 OFF NEW ALBUM
by •
For nearly sixty years, the Jolly Boys have been integral to the fabric of Jamaica’s musical landscape and culture heritage. Yes, you read that correctly, sixty years!! Masters of mento, one of Jamaica’s original musics, this band has rocked innumerable private soirees, charmed the traveling elite and toured the world, leaving an indelible mark…
Steve Northeast, Another Day
by •
In true “make it here, make it anywhere” fashion, Aussie singer/songwriter Steve Northeast relocated to New York City in 2002. Honing his craft and pursuing musical stardom in NYC venues, he first gained prominence with the release of his debut album Inside. Recently, Northeast and company released their anticipated follow-up Another Day, a 10-track dynamo…
THE JAPANESE POPSTARS SET TO RELEASE ASTRALWERKS DEBUT
by •
The Japanese Popstars are ravenous. Since they first tasted success in 2006 with their first two releases on a small indie dance label, their career has been one smooth upward curve, but now that line is about to take a sharp rise vertically. Comprised of three lads from Northern Ireland, The Japanese Popstars have spent…
DAVE ALVIN TO RELEASE NEW STUDIO ALBUM
by •
Yep Roc Records has announced the upcoming release of Dave Alvin’s new studio album titled Eleven Eleven on June 21st. Eleven Eleven, described as the “King of California’s” most driving, electric blues and rock oriented album since 2004’s critically acclaimed Ashgrove, includes 11-tracks, for the first time in his career, written and recorded on the…
ANTIGONE RISING PREVIEW “EVERYWHERE IS HOME”
by •
Antigone Rising, the all female rock band from Long Island have paired with Rock Ridge Music for their upcoming release of their newest album, 23 Red. The album is a Kickstarter success story and is to be released in mid-May. A preview of the album is the first release track “Home is Everywhere.”
