Marlee Scott Releases New Single for 2012, Train Wreck

Country artist Marlee Scott is releasing her new single, "Train Wreck," to Country radio on Jan. 23 and to iTunes on Jan. 24.

"Train Wreck" is the second single from Scott's forthcoming U.S. debut, due out in spring 2012 through Big Ride Records.  Scott has been recording the album in Nashville with engineer/producer David Kalmusky, who produced the project's first single, "Beautiful Maybe."  In addition to the Country radio single version, a dance remix of "Train Wreck" will also be available for purchase at iTunes on Jan. 24.

"Train Wreck grabbed me right out of the gate the first time I heard it," says Scott.  "The Country/Rock groove and Bluegrass down-home Country chorus had me dancing around my condo!  It brings such a fun tongue-in-cheek outlook on what it's like to fall for the wrong person, but you just can't seem to get enough.  I love making people smile and chuckle and want to sing along, and 'Train Wreck' seems to do it every time."

Nashville songwriting vets Marcus Hummon, Jedd Hughes and Sarah Buxton penned the rhythm-heavy number, with Country superstar Vince Gill contributing backing vocals to the track.
 
"Canada has had a great history of some of the best music I have ever heard," says Gill.  "My wish for Marlee is to be part of that rich history."

Adds producer Hummon, "Marlee is kind of a dream artist for a writer/producer because she has a lot of courage in choosing her material to record.  There's nothing 'safe' about Marlee, and there is far too much 'safe' out there.  She comes into the studio prepared vocally, but also prepared emotionally, with a strong sense of the story she is telling."

In December, Scott filmed the "Train Wreck" music video with award-winning director Roman White (Taylor Swift's "Fifteen," Blake Shelton's "Hillbilly Bone," Lady Antebellum's "Hello World").

Scott is currently visiting radio stations on a nationwide radio tour in support of "Train Wreck."  In 2011, she visited more than 100 stations in the U.S. and Canada, while maintaining a busy schedule of appearances that included performances at The Breeders' Cup World Championships, the Clemson/Virginia Tech ACC Championship college football game and several MLB baseball and NHL hockey games.

The Canadian-born Scott also launched her "Make It or Bake It" webisode cooking series in 2011 to enthusiastic response.  The humorous videos (view them here) feature the singer sharing and cooking some of her favorite recipes.

Visit www.MarleeScott.com for music, tour dates, "Make It or Bake It" episodes and more.

About Marlee Scott:
Big Ride Entertainment artist and Nashville resident Marlee Scott will release her debut U.S. Country album in early 2012.  Her current single, "Train Wreck," was released in January and followed her successful 2011 single, "Beautiful Maybe," and her holiday release, "Someday At Christmas."  A native of Ontario, Canada, Scott was nominated for the CCMA Rising Star Award in 2010 at the prestigious Canadian Country Music Awards.  Her single, "Here to Heaven," was an international success, going Top 20 in Canada and Australia and No. 1 in England, Germany and Holland.  For more information, visit www.MarleeScott.com.

Introducting Tiny Victories -- Debut EP out Feb 28th

Tiny Victories is excited to announce the release of their debut EP Those Of Us Still Alive, out February 28th via their own BirdDog Records. In celebration of the upcoming release of their first album, they've released the track "Lost Weekend" for free download, available for posting HERE.

 

"Lost Weekend" provides the perfect introduction to Tiny Victories, showcasing the band's array of samplers, gadgets and live drums, coupled with singer Greg Walter's self-assured vocal melodies. Living up to the band's namesake, the track focuses on small moments of redemption, amplified, with the spirit of a marching band at a funeral.

 

Those Of Us Still Alive has an uncommonly organic, improvisational feel for electronic music. As Greg explains, "We make simple songs out of complex pieces. Take a melody that works on an acoustic guitar, then orchestrate it with samples that have been reprocessed beyond recognition-like the sound of trash being thrown into a Manhattan dumpster." 

 

Comprised of Cason Kelly and Greg Walters, the duo formed Tiny Victories in 2010. Prior to their transplant to Brooklyn, Cason spent his early 20s doing social work with inner city kids, while Greg spent six years as a foreign correspondent, covering a war (Russia-Georgia) and two revolutions (Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan).

 

Previously having shared bills with Hooray for Earth, The Hood Internet, Bear Hands, and Braids, Tiny Victories plans to tour this spring, including a stop in Austin, TX for SXSW.

 

Those Of Us Still Alive Tracklisting:

1. Mr. Bones

2. Gravitron

3. Lost Weekend

4. Longevity

5. Get Lost

VINTAGE BLUE TO RELEASE STRIKE THE MICS IN FEBRUARY 2012

Chicago-based five-piece rock band Vintage Blue (formerly known as Tanglewood) will be releasing its debut full-length record, Strike The Mics, on February 14, 2012.  The new album is the follow-up to their 2010 debut recording, California Road, a seven-track EP.  For the Strike The Mics sessions, Vintage Blue enlisted producer Jamie Candiloro (The Eagles, Luscious Jackson, Willie Nelson, Ryan Adams), who not only ensured a sparkling, 13-track-strong sonic result, but also drove the band to write their most concise, structurally impactful songs to date.  "Absolutely every ounce of our love of music was poured into Strike The Mics," says singer/guitarist Ben Bassett.  "Our passion was drawn out by our producer Jamie Candiloro who demanded nothing but the best, and found unique, odd and hilarious ways to bring out our talents." 

 

One of the key factors underlying Vintage Blue's strengths as an original rock act is the dual writing tandem of Bassett and singer/guitarist Ryan Tibbs, who each pen and sing their own respective material.  Both recently single after long-term relationships, Bassett and Tibbs admit that affairs of the heart dominate much of their lyrical content, with a range of emotions from blissful to vitriolic. Bassett's "Speak," the first track that will be released from the forthcoming album, plumbs the idea of recognizing love and not quite being able to get it, while "Just Breathe," another Bassett-penned track, reminds listeners of the importance of letting things fall into place: stepping back, taking a breath, and trusting that things will work. Tibbs' "What Lies" is based on the idea of two people who don't really know each other, yet who are swept up in a beautiful place for a very short period of time.

 

Vintage Blue—which includes singer/lead guitarist Bassett, singer/guitarist Tibbs, drummer Will Crowden (the grandson of the founder and former owner of Ludwig Drums), bassist Cesar Corral, and saxophonist/keyboardist Matt Zimmerman—formed as the band Tanglewood in Chicago several years ago as a cover band, and as time passed and the group solidified, the outfit started to compose their own original material. Tanglewood then released the aforementioned California Road, a home studio recording. Lineup changes ensued, partly prompting the name change to Vintage Blue, but the core roster persevered. Recently, the band played the House of Blues, Double Door, and Cubby Bear in Chicago, as well as several Chi-Town summer festivals (including Party at St. Mikes, Chicago Ribfest and Taste of River North), and a show is planned at the Mint in Los Angeles on December 3, 2011, further building the momentum toward their next release.

 

With Strike The Mics, Vintage Blue are eager to share a much-anticipated batch of new material with fans, and bring their eclectic blend of soulful rock to their largest audience yet. Although the band are regulars in the ever-thriving Chicago club scene, a regional tour will follow the release, traveling from Madison, Wisconsin, to East Lansing, Michigan, and then to downstate Illinois, where several band members attended college.

 

"To a man, Vintage Blue believes the music on our album is truly us," says Bassett.  "It speaks to our lives, our loves and our passion.  We truly love what we gained from the process and look forward to making music for many more years to come. We could not be more excited to have listeners get to know the guys behind the sound."  Agrees Crowden:  "We so excited to get this new material out to the public and truly think there is something unique for every different music fan out there."   

 

www.vintagebluemusic.com

Flying Colors Featuring Morse And Portnoy Announce Album

Mascot Label Group has announced a March 27 release date for the debut from Flying Colors (available the day prior overseas) on their Music Theories Label. The formation of the ensemble began with a simple idea: virtuoso musicians and a pop singer joining together to make new-fashioned music the old fashioned way.  Refreshing, classic, old and new, the recordings are saturated with the many styles, tones and hues of the players who in becoming a band have delivered a unique fusion of vintage craftsmanship and contemporary music.  Flying Colors is Mike Portnoy (drums, vocals), Dave LaRue (bass), Neal Morse (keyboards, vocals), Casey McPherson (lead vocals), and Steve Morse (guitar).  Portnoy shares, "This album has bits and pieces of what you'd expect from each of us. However, the sum of all its parts led to brand new, unchartered territory for all involved."

 

In 2008, executive producer Bill Evans brought the idea to the world renowned musicians and producer Peter Collins. Intrigued by the idea, and the prospect of working together, the four signed on to form a band and record a first album.  Steve Morse and Dave LaRue have developed a magical music chemistry over the years, that began early in their careers as partners in Dixie Dregs.  Morse subsequently became a member of Deep Purple in 1995, while LaRue's ongoing musical adventures include Joe Satriani, John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess, Steve Vai, and the aforementioned Portnoy.  Multi-instrumentalist, composer and singer Neal Morse is one of the leading figures in progressive rock, who's significant notoriety follows his co-founding of the seminal band, Spock's Beard in 1995, recordings as a solo artist, and contributions to the super-group Transatlantic.  Mike Portnoy is one of the most popular and respected drummers in both metal and rock, and an accomplished writer and producer.  He is the recipient of numerous industry accolades, including 26 Modern Drummer awards, Revolver Magazine's Golden God award for "Best Drummer" and Drum Magazine's "Drummer of the Year".  He rose to prominence as the leader, drummer, producer, and co-writer for metal/prog juggernaut Dream Theater, before moving on in 2010. That same year, he worked on Avenged Sevenfold's #1 album Nightmare and their subsequent tour.  And, it was Portnoy who recommended Alpha Rev's emotive singer Casey McPherson as a contender to join Flying Colors.

 

McPherson, who's 2010 Hollywood/Disney album New Morning debuted in the Top-5 on two Billboard charts, enjoyed major success at radio with multiple hits.  The track "New Morning" spent 17 weeks in the Top-10 on Triple A Radio, and enjoyed a run on Vh1's Top-20 Countdown for months. Steve Morse offers, "Casey was a glorious find, because he could make anything sound fantastic, and is a multitalented like the others."  

 

Flying Colors convened for just nine days in early 2011, and composed and recorded this album during a short and intense session.  Dave LaRue recalls, "It was quite an experience - the band moved at a fast pace, ideas flying around the room at all times. Sections of tunes were arranged, then re-arranged, ideas were tried every which way until we made them work, or, in some cases, discarded them altogether. Just keeping track of everything was a challenge!"  McPherson adds, "This record is filled with trial and triumph. Raw and delicate songs alike amidst the swirling and daring orchestration of Steve, Neal, Mike and Dave. It's been such an inspiring challenge melding folk, prog, pop, and metal all into one big recording."

 

Touring plans for Flying Colors will be announced in the coming months. 

Dierks Bentley Scores GOLD with "Am I The Only One"

Multi-PLATINUM singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley's rowdy party anthem "Am I The Only One" has officially been certified GOLD by the RIAA for digital sales of over 500,000 song downloads. The smash hit became Bentley's eighth career No. one song as an artist and writer last fall when it topped country radio charts and served as the lead track off of Bentley's upcoming sixth studio album HOME, in stores Feb. 7.
 
"'Am I The Only One' seems to really have resonated with country fans looking to get out, drink some cold beer on the weekends and have a good time…it's become one of the rowdiest songs in our set," says Bentley.  "It's now the moment in the show when girls go up on shoulders and beer cans go up in the air."
 
The new album's current single and title track "Home" is currently climbing toward the top of the chart. Bentley will return 'Home' for a special album release show at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium on Feb. 2.  The second leg of the Country & Cold Cans tour will resume on Feb. 15 with the first dates scheduled internationally in Canada and Australia.
 
For more album details and for a full list of tour dates, visit www.dierks.com.

Ivan & Alyosha Announce Fall Tour Dates and Festival Appearances

In a year which has seen the band play more than 150 shows, Ivan & Alyosha will hit the road again next week touring across the Rockies into the Midwest with performances at the Pygmalion and Midpoint Music Festivals, highlighted by a hometown show at Seattle's Columbia City Theatre.  I&A will be paired with The Watson Twins for several of these gigs.

The band will perform songs from their first two EPs as well as tracks from their upcoming debut album, scheduled for an early 2012 release; they recently spent time in the studio working on material for their full-length debut album with producer Kevin Augunas (Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, Cold War Kids).

The band's current release, Fathers Be Kind just showed up on Amazon's  Best Music of 2011 Thus Far, with that EP's "I Was Born to Love Her" ranked  at #4 on their Songs You May Have Missed round-up. This echoed the earlier inclusion of Fathers on NPR's Best of the Year (So Far) list.

Sneak previews of new Ivan & Alyosha songs can be heard right now. They recently debuted an acoustic demo for the song "Don't Wanna Die Anymore," showcasing "catchy choruses and stunning vocal harmonies reminiscent of early Fleet Foxes" (Paste Magazine). A download of the song can be found HERE. The boys also stopped by Seattle's KEXP studios to perform live on air for their hometown station. Take a listen at the link below, and get a sneak preview of the new song "God or Man". http://blog.kexp.org/blog/2011/07/21/live-video-ivan-alyosha/

Since the release of Fathers Be Kind in February, the band have gained recognition from American Songwriter, Alarm, and Brooklyn Vegan, have been featured as a band "On The Verge" in Relix Magazine, have recorded sessions for NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series, Daytrotter and IFC at SXSW.

"Think of a literary-minded cross between Local Natives and Fleet Foxes" - FILTER

http://www.ivanandalyosha.com

http://www.facebook.com/ivanandalyosha

http://www.myspace.com/ivanandalyosha

http://twitter.com/ivanandalyosha

 

Upcoming Tour Dates:

SEPTEMBER
19 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court
20 - Denver, CO - Hi Dive
21 - St. Louis, MO - Off Broadway w/ The Watson Twins
23 - Urbana, IL - Pygmalion Music Festival
24 - Cincinnati, OH - Midpoint Music Festival
26 - Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Center

OCTOBER
07 - Seattle, WA - Columbia City Theatre  

The Melismatics to Release “MANIA!” on Pravda Records January 10th, National Tour Kicks Off January 12th

Minneapolis rock band The Melismatics are set to release their latest album, "MANIA!" on January 10th through Chicago's Pravda Records. They'll start a national tour on January 12th at the Zoo Bar in Lincoln before heading to the West coast. "MANIA!" was produced by Jon Auer of The Posies and Big Star, along with Ed Ackerson (Motion City Soundtrack, Golden Smog, The Replacements) and was mixed by John Fields.  The LP  features collaborations with Dan Wilson (Adele, Semisonic) and Jon Auer who lends vocals to several tracks.

 

The Melismatics formed at the turn of the century in the fertile ground of the Minneapolis indie-rock scene. Their debut album "Postmodern Rock" quickly caught the attention of college radio stations around the country and garnered favorable reviews from critics around the world. Shortly thereafter, Minneapolis indie-rock king pin Ed Ackerson (Motion City Soundtrack, The Replacements, The Jayhawks) signed the band to Susstones Records and produced their next two albums "New Infection" and "Turn It On".

 

The Melismatics toured the country numerous times over and continued to win loyal fans with their high-energy and unpredictable live shows. Their music has been featured on MTV's "The Hills," "The City"and "Laguna Beach," NBC's "Windfall", Animal Planet's "Jockeys" and they've played such notable events as Lollapalooza, Summerfest, and CMJ.

 

The Melismatics released "The Acid Test" on CC Entertainment/E1 Music (2008). Renowned producer John Fields (Jimmy Eat World, Rooney, Har Mar Superstar, etc) caught the band performing at 2007 SXSW in Austin, Texas and signed on to produce the album.   The music video for "Digging Deep" charted at #4 on MTVU and received widespread airplay. Indianapolis' Nuvo Weekly described them thusly, "Whether it's Ryan's high energy guitar playing paired with his raw, yet trained, voice, Mark's innovative and effects-laden bass with equally impressive backing vocals, Ron's powerful and unique drumming, to the sultry and mesmerizing Pony who shifts between playing guitar, piano, and vocals as if it were breathing."

 

The Melismatics have found a sound all their own that is familiar yet unique, euphoric and adventurous. The Melismatics' sound is constantly evolving and developing– as The Onion put it, "no one ever accused The Melismatics of being predictable."

 

Video for "Your Love Is a Poison" here: http://youtu.be/O_0nBnLfluA Band Website:www.melismatics.com

 

THE MELISMATICS ON TOUR

January 12 Zoo Bar, Lincoln, NE

January 13 Triple Nickel Tavern, Colorado Springs, CO

January 14 Hi-Dive, Denver, CO

January 15 Senate Bar, Pueblo, CO

January 16 Piper Down Pub, Salt Lake City, UT

January 18 Soda Bar, San Diego, CA

JANUARY 19 Silverlake Lounge. Los Angeles, CA

JANUARY 20 Hotel Monte Vista Cocktail Lounge, Flagstaff, AZ

JANUARY 21 Hotel Monte Vista Cocktail Lounge, Flagstaff, AZ

JANUARY 22 Launchpad, Albuquerque, NM

JANUARY 23 The Conservatory, Oklahoma City, OK

JANUARY 24 Record Bar, Kansas City, MO

FEBRUARY 3 R, Dubuque, IA

FEBRUARY 4 Upfront & Co, Marquette, MI

FEBRUARY 16 Otto's, Dekalb, IL

FEBRUARY 17 Melody Inn, Indianapolis, IN

FEBRUARY 18 Cactus Club, Milwaukee, WI

MARCH 14 Barley House, Dallas, TX

MARCH 18 The Grotto, Ft Worth, TX

MARCH 20 The 806, Amarillo, TX

MARCH 22 The Lost Leaf, Phoenix, AZ

MARCH 30 Malarkey's Pub, Wausau, WI

MARCH 31 The Crunchy Frog, Green Bay, WI

APRIL 13 Upfront & Co, Marquette, MI

Bloodshot signs Cory Branan

 

 

We've had our eye on Cory for just about as long as he's been honing his air-tight, clever version of the perfect storysong. For those who don't know him, though, Branan is the owner of two well-crafted, kinetically charged albums - 2002's The Hell You Say and 2006's 12 Songs – on Madjack Records. From the two releases came standouts ("The Prettiest Waitress in Memphis," "A Girl Named Go," "Tall Green Grass," and many others) that we've listened to in embarrassing amounts, and then probably annoyed our friends with to boot. He has garnered praise from Rolling Stone, GQ, Billboard, and performed on Late Night with David Letterman (look at that baby face, here).

 

Cory has a well-documented history with groups like former label mates Lucero, musicians of his ilk who trend toward the rawer end of roots music (The Loved Ones' Dave Hause, Chuck Ragan, Two Cow Garage, Drag the River's Jon Snodgrass), and rock stars like Chris Carrabba (Dashboard Confessional), who has covered Cory's gorgeous "Tall Green Grass" and been a reoccurring tour mate.

 

And that touring element was just the icing on the cake for us. Never one to shy away from an itinerary of non-stop cross-country shows, Cory possesses a unique performance style that enables him to gravelly sing a coy double entendre in one ear of the audience, while yelling the most beautiful love song into the other. So after falling in love (!!!) with a demo of his new material, we jumped at the chance to add him to the fold. We're excited to say that his label debut is on its way in Spring 2012 under the title Mutt.

 

Upcoming shows:

-Every Monday in January, residency at The Basement in Nashville (w/ special guests)

-February 3 – Little Rock, AR – White Water Tavern Anniversary show (w/ Ben Nichols of Lucero)

 

Cory Branan Bloodshot artist page

Cory Branan Website

The Wood Brothers Announce Tour Dates and New Live EP

The Wood Brothers have announced the second leg of their North American Tour in support of their 2011 record Smoke Ring Halo, which was the #1 Most Added Album on Americana Radio this past week and debuted this week at number 32 on the AMA Americana Airplay Chart. The second leg of their tour will kick off in Chicago, IL on March 8 and continue through March 24, ending in Connecticut after a northeastern string of shows. Tour dates are listed below.

 

The brothers are set to release their latest EP, Live, Volume 1: Sky High on the Southern Ground Artists label. The 7-track CD was recorded live during their Fall tour and features songs from the provocative and charming Smoke Ring Halo, along with tunes from their first record, Ways Not To Lose, plus a Mississippi John Hurt gem, "Pay Day".

 

Previously Announced Tour Dates:

1/25/12            Belly Up Tavern, Solana Beach, CA

1/26/12            Largo, Los Angeles, CA

1/27/12            Soho Restaurant & Music Club, Santa Barbara, CA

1/28/12            Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA

1/29/12            Don Quixote's Int'l Music Hall, Felton, CA

1/31/12            Harlow's Night Club, Sacramento, CA

2/1/12              McNears Mystic Theatre, Petaluma, CA

2/2/12              WOW Hall, Eugene, OR

2/3/12              Aladdin Theater, Portland, OR

 

Newly Announced Second Round of Tour Dates:

3/8/12              Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago, IL

3/9/12              Earth House, Indianapolis, IN

3/10/12             3^rd and Lindsley, Nashville, TN           

3/11/12            Headliner's Music Hall, Louisville, KY

3/13/12            Track 29, Chattanooga, TN

3/14/12            Orange Peel, Asheville, NC

3/15/12            Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA

3/16/12            Workplay, Birmingham, AL

3/18/12            The Southern, Charlottesville, VA

3/19/12            The Abbey Bar, Harrisburg, PA

3/20/12            Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY

3/22/12            World Café Live, Philadelphia, PA

3/23/12            Triumph Brewing Company, New Hope, PA

3/24/12            StageOne, Fairfield, CT

Korallreven Announce First Live Shows in the US, Release Extended Remix of "Sa Sa Samoa (For Real For Sure For You)"

Download "Sa Sa Samoa" Here  

Swedish duo Korallreven aka Marcus Joons and Daniel Tjäder (of The Radio Dept) have announced their first US shows ever, with select east and west coast dates behind their critically acclaimed debut album, An Album By Korallreven, available now on Acéphale. The forthcoming March performances follow Korallreven's live debut in Europe this past December that featured an ethereal light display and a few sets with Air France. Korallreven's production focuses on melodic evolution rather than following a distinct structure and one can expect this sublime execution with their live shows. A few performances will include special guest appearances by Victoria Bergsman (Taken By Trees, The Concretes), who was featured on the duo's lauded single "As Young As Yesterday," which was named one of Pitchfork's "Best New Tracks" and held a steady #1 position on the Hype Machine charts for several weeks.

Korallreven's first single "Honey Mine" was released earlier this year, alongside their summer-released A Dream Within A Dream mixtape that featured an extremely well-received remix of Britney Spears' "Till The World Ends." They followed with "As Young As Yesterday, including remixes by Panda Bear and Girl Unit, and debuted their third single "Sa Sa Samoa" featuring Brooklyn-based vocal experimentalist Julianna Barwick. An Album By Korallreven is "crisp as Autumn in Stockholm" says BlackBook, "punctuated by sudden bursts from electronic synths and drums to kick up the groove."

  Korallreven Live in Concert      

3/4 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom 
3/5 - Washington DC - Black Cat

3/6 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
3/7 - San Francisco, CA - Independent*
3/8 - Los Angeles, CA - Echoplex*

*Guest appearance by Victoria Bergsman

American Songwriter Premiers Young Hines' "Rainy Day" first single of new album news

Young Hines and Readymade announce the April 10th release of Give Me My Change, the label debut for Nashville based and Georgia born and raised musician. Discovered by Brendan Benson by chance as painters working on his house listened to one of Young's demos, Young is the first artist signed to Benson's newly launched label and publishing company Readymade. This spring Young will make his SXSW debut and tour with Benson in May. The first track off his new album is "Rainy Day," a bittersweet melody showcasing the impressive songwriting that first caught Benson's ear.

 

"Give Me My Change is brimming with vintage keyboard sounds and a wonderful, warm production." - American Songwriter

 

Stream "Rainy Day" at AmericanSongwriter.com 

Download the mp3 HERE (OK To Share)

 

The youngest of seven siblings, Young grew up in Griffin, Georgia.He began playing music at age 12 and hasn't stopped since. Within a few years he was recording his first songs, and in high school began releasing his music via tape cassette, selling copies out of a local record shop called Turtles. After performing in a successful 60's cover band in college, Young left the group to produce a record for his eldest brother Matt Jordan. Together they played as the duo Bailey Jester, touring extensively and releasing two albums together over the course of four years before deciding on a hiatus.

 

Without a current gig to tie him down and excited to explore a new scene, Young accepted a job in Chicago and made the move to the Windy City. Needing an outlet for the creative forces brimming inside him, Young got back to old habits of writing, recording, and self-releasing. He began recording demos in a home studio, selling hand-packaged copies at his occasional solo shows, never expecting much to come of them as they left his hands other than a satisfaction that somebody liked his music enough to pay for it. But unknown to him the universe had other plans.

 

Credit: Shelby Dockery

Then one day out of the blue he received an email from none other than Benson containing a cover of one of Young's own songs. Benson invited Young to travel to Nashville to meet in person, and impressed with Young's talent, expressed his interest in helping him produce an album. The decision was easy for Young to make. Young wasn't going to pass up a chance to seriously pursue his own songwriting and moved to Nashville where he immersed himself in the city's live music scene, and began recording Give Me My Change with Benson at the all-analog studio Welcome to 1979.

 

The past year has been full of heady times for Young, reaching a highpoint while opening for The Raconteurs this past fall at The Tabernacle Atlanta with home town family and friends in attendance. 2012 should bring more adventure with his first trip to SXSW, the April 10th release of Give Me My Change, and a tour with Benson to follow in May.

 

Upcoming U.S. Tour Dates:

*= w/ Brendan Benson

 

MARCH

13 - 16 - Austin, TX - SXSW

 

APRIL

28 - Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge* (Additional support by The Howling Brothers)

 

MAY

03 - Philadelphia, PA - World Café Live*

05 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom*

10 - San Diego, CA - Casbah*

12 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour*

Brendan Benson Launches Record Label and New Album news

Beloved musician, songwriter/producer and co-founder of The Raconteurs, Brendan Benson is thrilled to announce the launch of his own record label and publishing company, Readymade. This spring, Readymade will make its debut on the international stage with new releases from Benson (What Kind of World - 4/21 through BrendanBenson.com to coincide with his son's 2^nd birthday with a 4/24 street date) and the first artist signed to the label, Young Hines (Give Me My Change - 4/10). Benson will be showcasing his new album at SXSW 2012 as well as on May tour dates where Young Hines will support in the U.S.

 

Readymade was born in the 90's when Benson released the Wellfed Boy demos under the imprint as a 12" vinyl. At the time Readymade was merely a concept due to a lack of resources to build a proper record label. Over a decade later Benson partnered with manager Emily White, who brought the idea to fruition, making Readymade a legitimate label around Benson's musical output. Says White, "Brendan produced 5 albums in 2011, including his own. Launching Readymade gives us the option of a release platform tailored to each album under the same home. We wanted a way for Brendan to be able to create music when and how he wants and be able to put out the music sans any barriers. The answer to what we were looking for is Readymade."

 

Launching an artist-owned label has its obvious creative and business benefits from artistic freedom to master ownership. But it can hit roadblocks when it comes to funding the team members that help promote a new release. This is where Readymade has found a truly innovative approach to the traditional business model. Rather than forego promotion or production quality, Benson and his manager developed a team of credible individuals and companies within the industry to work on album releases for a commission taken from music sales and song placements. The new approach allows them to operate without front-end costs while providing greater motivation and potential payoff for all parties involved.

 

Readymade will be bringing us Benson's What Kind of World and Young Hines' Give Me My Change, the first two Readymade releases, as well as the upcoming Benson produced album from Irish duo The Lost Brothers. Each album will benefit from team members and relationships with Thirty Tigers, Downtown Music Publishing, Terrorbird, Big Hassle, Hard Boiled Inc., Toolshed, and Music Alternatives.

 

Stay posted for music and further news from Readymade and their upcoming releases.

 

Upcoming Brendan Benson U.S. Tour Dates w/ Young Hines supporting:

 

MARCH

13 - 16 - Austin, TX - SXSW (Brendan Benson only)

 

APRIL

28 - Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge (Additional support by The Howling Brothers) *

 

MAY

03 - Philadelphia, PA - World Café Live*

05 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom**

10 - San Diego, CA - Casbah*

12 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour*

 

*On-sale Friday January 6^th

**Amex Pre-sale Wednesday January 11^th, General on-sale Friday January 13th

 

 www.brendanbenson.com 

Jason Aldean Smashes Venue Attendance Records on Opening Weekend!

Jason Aldean kicked off the 2012 leg of his MY KINDA PARTY TOUR with a sold-out first run in Greenville, SC, Fayetteville, NC and Orlando, FL this weekend.  Each of those shows set new attendance records for the arenas.  Fellow Georgia natives Luke Bryan and Lauren Alaina joined Aldean, with DeeJay Silver returning to the tour to keep the party going between sets with his signature rock and country mixes. 

Due to overwhelming demand for this final leg of the MY KINDA PARTY TOUR, the new production features a 360-degree configuration that allows fans who couldn't get tickets before to purchase a view from the rear of the stage.  The 2012 MY KINDA PARTY TOUR is an extension of the record-breaking 2011 leg that sold one million tickets across the country last year. 

"I'm not gonna lie…its a big challenge to try and entertain people who are on all sides of you.   I have to work a lot harder, and I come off the stage absolutely drenched.  The opening weekend was unbelievable, and I had a blast pulling Luke and Lauren up on stage during different parts of the show. It's fun to keep the fans guessing and surprised.  Sometimes, I even get surprised…we had a few stage jumpers, so that kept it interesting for all of us!   The fans were out of their minds this weekend!."

Additionally, Aldean is releasing "Fly Over States" to radio this week.  The fifth single off his DOUBLE PLATINUM album MY KINDA PARTY, the song is an ode to the beauty and hardworking spirit of our country's heartland. Entertainment Weekly said, "The song has the kind of soaring chorus that makes you want to press 'repeat' as soon as it ends.

To stream "Fly Over States," click here: http://www.thegreenroompr.com/jasonaldean.html 

Aldean's DOUBLE PLATINUM fourth record MY KINDA PARTY was the top-selling country album of 2011 and the No. five best-seller in all genres.  The CMA Album of the Year was also named iTunes' "Country Album of the Year" and came in at No. four on Billboard's all-genre Year End Top 200 Albums chart.

For a full list of appearances and upcoming tour dates, visit www.jasonaldean.com.

Five Finger Death Punch Announce Canadian Tour/Select West Coast US Dates

American Capitalism will be heading to the Great White North this spring.  Five Finger Death Punch has announced they will tour Canada as well as the Western US beginning this March, with legendary Soulfly as support, as well as Windowpane and Persist.  5FDP will headline Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg and more, while also playing a special Las Vegas hometown show alongside other western-US markets.  Singer Ivan Moody shared, "The few times we've been to Canada it's been absolutely phenomenal.  The fact that we get to take a band like Soulfly with us on a tour like this says it all.  This is going to be one hell of a great time, in no uncertain terms."  Guitarist Zoltán Báthory added, "We only played a handful of dates in Canada, but they were all sold-out so we are really looking forward to a headlining tour up there.   What makes it even sweeter is taking one of our favorite bands Soulfly with us on this trek.  As we are playing bigger and bigger venues, I think it became our responsibility to help expose some great metal bands to our more diverse audience ."

 

This will be 5FDP's first proper headlining tour in Western Canada, where their current album, American Capitalist is already more than halfway to CRIA-Certified Gold Record Status - a mere three months after its release.  5FDP's previous album, War is the Answer, is projected to hit CRIA-GOLD Status this spring, right around the time of the tour.

 

In the US, 5FDP continues to rack up impressive sales with over 280,000 copies of American Capitalist already sold.  Incredibly, American Capitalist is selling twice as fast as their previous Gold record, War Is the Answer- which itself has been one of the best-selling hard rock/ metal albums of the last five years.5FDP's current hit single, "Remember Everything" is already Top Five at Active Rock and climbing; their lead single, "Under and Over It," was recently named Sirius Octane's Song of the Year, and American Capitalist was named a Top Album of 2011 by ARTISTdirect. 

 

Tickets go on sale to the general public the weekend of January 27^th and 28^th, but special VIP packages and tickets will be available starting WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25^th 3pm LOCAL at www.fivefingerdeathpunch.com.

 

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH HEADLINING TOUR W/ SOULFLY, WINDOWPANE, PERSIST

 

 

MARCH 2012

FRI           23             Las Vegas, NV                      The Joint             

SAT          24             Pomona, CA                           Fox Theater      

MON        26             Fresno, CA                             Rainbow Ballroom       

TUE         27             Modesto, CA                         Modesto Center Plaza   

WED        28             Redding, CA                           Redding Convention Center        

FRI           30            Yakima, WA                           Yakima Valley Sundome        

SAT          31            Seattle, WA                           Paramount Theatre        

 

APRIL 2012

MON        2            Dawson Creek, BC                 EnCana Events Centre   

WED        4            Calgary, AB                            MacEwan Hall, University of Calgary    

THU         5             Edmonton, AB                     "Thaw at the Shaw" @ Shaw Center      

SAT          7            Regina, SK                             Agribition            

MON        9            Winnipeg, MB                         Burton Cumming Theater            

WED       11            Rapid City, SD                         Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Arena           

THU        12            Casper ,WY                            Casper Event Center 

Pulp Returns To The U.S. for First time in over a Decade

FIRST U.S. PERFORMANCES SINCE 1998

Pulp will return to the U.S. this spring for the first time in more
than a decade to play Coachella, The Warfield in San Francisco, and
Radio City Music Hall in New York. The shows will involve all the
original members of the band -- Nick Banks (drums), Jarvis Cocker
(vocals, guitar), Candida Doyle (keyboards), Steve Mackey (bass),
Russell Senior (violin, guitar) and Mark Webber (guitar) -- and they
will be playing songs from all periods of their career.

April 11 -- New York, NY -- Radio City Music Hall
April 13 -- Indio, CA -- Coachella
April 17 -- San Francisco, CA -- The Warfield
April 20 -- Indio, CA -- Coachella

Pulp returned from a nine-year hiatus last summer, performing at
festivals in Europe and Australia. They last played in the U.S. on a
June 1998 tour in support of their "This Is Hardcore" album.

# # #

official site: http://pulppeople.com/

Esperanza Spalding Tour Dates Announced

Esperanza Spalding has announced world tour dates beginning April 18, 2012, as the bassist, vocalist and composer unveils the brilliant compositions of her new release, Radio Music Societyinto a dynamic "big band" format. 

 

It has not taken Spalding long to emerge as one of the brightest lights in the musical world. Listeners familiar with her stunning 2008 Heads Up International debut, Esperanza, and her best-selling 2010 release Chamber Music Society, were well aware that the young bassist, vocalist and composer from Portland, Oregon was the real deal, with a unique and style-spanning presence, deeply rooted in jazz yet destined to make her mark far beyond the jazz realm. That judgment was confirmed on February 13, 2011, when Spalding became the first jazz musician to receive the GRAMMY^®Award for Best New Artist.

 

Spalding's latest release, Radio Music Society, set for March 20, 2012, is her most diverse, ambitious and masterful recital yet. Each of the 12 songs are accompanied by conceptual music videos, which further express her inspiration and story behind each track. Shot in various locations including New York City, Barcelona and Portland, all videos will be available to purchasers of Radio Music Society as a digital download or a DVD on the deluxe version.

 

Upcoming national TV appearances for Spalding include the Late Show with David Letterman, The View and Jimmy Kimmel Live. Look for features on Radio Music Society in O! Magazine, Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, Latina Style, Glamour, W Magazine, Essence, Vibe, Men's Journal and Hemispheres in-flight magazine,as well as USA Today, the New York Times, Associated Press and the Wall Street Journal, among others.

 

Fans of Spalding who purchase tickets thru Ticketmaster will receive a free song download of "City of Roses" from Radio Music Society, and in celebration of Black History Month, can purchase the e-single "Black Gold" (which includes a music video) on iTunes beginning February 7.

 

April 18 - Buffalo, NY - Center for the Arts - tickets onsale January 20

April 19 - Cleveland, OH - Metro Campus Auditorium - tickets onsale January 20

April 21 - New York, NY - Webster Hall - tickets onsale January 20

April 22 - Boston, MA - Orpheum Theatre - tickets onsale January 17

April 24 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre - tickets onsale January 27

April 25 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom - tickets onsale January 27

April 27 - Hollywood, CA - The Music Box - tickets onsale January 21

April 28 - Phoenix, AZ - JW Desert Ridge Jazz Festival - tickets onsale January 16

May 1 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues - tickets onsale January 16

May 2 - Houston, TX - House of Blues - tickets onsale January 16

May 3 - New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival - tickets on sale now

May 5 - Austin, TX - Paramount Theatre - tickets onsale January 20

May 23 - Paris, France - La Cigale - tickets onsale TBD

May 28 - London, UK - KoKo - tickets onsale TBD

June 27 - Ottawa, ON - Ottawa Jazz Festival - tickets onsale TBD

June 29 - Montreal, QC - Metropolis Theatre - tickets onsale now

June 30 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Saratoga Performing Arts Center - tickets onsale TBD

 

More dates will be announced in the coming weeks. Follow the Radio Music Society online at: www.esperanzaspalding.com