Gregg Allman to Launch Hep C Public Awareness Campaign

Gregg Allman will work together with the company and the American Liver Foundation on Tune In to Hep C, a public health campaign to help raise awareness of chronic hepatitis C virus infection.  To help turn up the volume around hepatitis C a benefit concert featuring The Allman Brothers Band will be held in New York on July 27, the eve of World Hepatitis Day.

This week marks the one-year anniversary of Allman's liver transplant, which he received after his liver had become damaged from chronic hepatitis C infection.  Allman has returned to performing and recording music, and now wants to help raise awareness of hepatitis C. 

"I'm excited to be working with Merck and the American Liver Foundation because there are many people who have been diagnosed with chronic hepatitis C, but aren't taking action.  I want to tell them, don't wait.  Doing nothing is not an option; they need to talk with their doctor," said Allman, a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band.  "I made the decision to take action and talk to my doctor, so that I could get back to making the music I love.  I want others to take that action too, and if I can help make that happen, I've done my job."

Nearly 3.2 million Americans have chronic hepatitis C virus infection, a potentially serious disease that can damage the liver over time and lead to cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease and liver cancer.  Many people infected with chronic hepatitis C do not know that they have the virus - approximately 60 to 80 percent of people infected with chronic hepatitis C virus do not have symptoms.

The American Liver Foundation (ALF) joined the Tune In to Hep C campaign to help elevate awareness of this important public health issue.  ALF is a national organization advocating for those living with liver disease and their families, and provides education, support and research for the prevention, treatment and cure of liver disease.  

"We are thrilled to work with Merck and Gregg Allman to help educate and empower patients with chronic hepatitis C - this has been a focus of the American Liver Foundation for 35 years," said Newton Guerin, acting CEO and chief operating officer, ALF.  "People don't often talk openly about their hepatitis C, which contributes to misinformation and isolation for those infected with the virus.  Gregg's willingness to share his story will open the door for meaningful dialogue that can help reduce stigma and the lack of understanding surrounding chronic hepatitis C." 

Merck recently announced the Hope Against Hepatitis C initiative, in which the company restated its long-standing commitment to supporting the hepatitis C community through a variety of public-private partnerships that will involve public education, patient support programs and collaborative research efforts.  Working with Gregg Allman and the ALF is an example of this ongoing commitment. 

"When a person like Gregg Allman comes forward to speak about his personal experience it is extremely powerful, and we are grateful to him for his commitment to helping motivate other people with chronic hepatitis C to take action," said Mark Timney, president, Global Human Health - U.S. Market, Merck. 

 

About the Benefit Concert

The concert, Tune In to Hep C Presents The Allman Brothers Band, will take place at The Beacon Theatre in New York City on July 27, the eve of World Hepatitis Day.  The Beacon Theatre has special meaning for Allman, who has played there every year since 1991 with the exception of 2007, when the band had to cancel their performance because Allman was too ill from his chronic hepatitis C to play.  Tickets will go on sale tomorrow, Wednesday, June 22 at 12:00PM EDT.  Tickets are available at LiveNation.com, Ticketmaster.com, select Ticketmaster locations and charge by phone at 800-745-3000.  Tickets also will be available at The Beacon Theatre box office beginning June 23.

Proceeds from the benefit concertwill be donated to community-based organizations that provide education and support services to people with chronic hepatitis C.

 

 

About Gregg Allman

Allman is a legendary performer who is both a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band and a critically acclaimed solo artist.  He has several gold records to his credit and his distinctive voice placed him on the Rolling Stone list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time."  More than 40 years down the road, Allman still loves making and performing music as much as ever. 

In addition to his singing and playing, Allman wrote many of The Allman Brothers Band's most memorable signature hits, including the classics "Whipping Post" and "Dreams" from their self-titled debut album, "Midnight Rider" and "Please Call Home" from their second album "Idlewild South," and "Melissa" from 1972's classic "Eat A Peach" album.  The Allman Brothers Band went on to become the principal architects of Southern rock and were inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.  Allman's latest solo album "Low Country Blues" was released in 2011, debuting at No. 5 on the Billboard Top 200,the highest chart position of his solo career, and continues to gain critical acclaim and commercial success.

 

About The American Liver Foundation 

The American Liver Foundation (ALF) is the nation's leading nonprofit organization promoting liver health and disease prevention.  ALF provides research, education and advocacy for those affected by liver-related diseases, including hepatitis.

 

About Merck

            Today's Merck is a global healthcare leader working to help the world be well.  Merck is known as MSD outside the United States and Canada.  Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, and consumer care and animal health products, we work with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions.  We also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to healthcare through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships.  For more information, visit www.merck.com. 

 

Forward-Looking Statement

This news release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Such statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about the benefits of the merger between Merck and Schering-Plough, including future financial and operating results, the combined company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical facts.  Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Merck's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties.  Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements: the possibility that the expected synergies from the merger of Merck and Schering-Plough will not be realized, or will not be realized within the expected time period; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation; the risk that the businesses will not be integrated successfully; disruption from the merger making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; Merck's ability to accurately predict future market conditions; dependence on the effectiveness of Merck's patents and other protections for innovative products; the risk of new and changing regulation and health policies in the United States and internationally and the exposure to litigation and/or regulatory actions.

            Merck undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.  Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in Merck's 2010 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC's Internet site (www.sec.gov).

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Date: Tue, Jun 21, 2011 at 11:40 AM
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    Gregg Allman Joins Merck and American Liver Foundation to Launch Tune In to Hep C Public Awareness Campaign   Benefit Concert to be Held in New York on July 27, the Eve of World Hepatitis Day   WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J., June 21, 2011 - Merck (NYSE: MRK) (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada) today announced that Rock 'n Roll Hall of Famer Gregg Allman will work together with the company and the American Liver Foundation on Tune In to Hep C, a public health campaign to help raise awareness of chronic hepatitis C virus infection.  To help turn up the volume around hepatitis C a benefit concert featuring The Allman Brothers Band will be held in New York on July 27, the eve of World Hepatitis Day. This week marks the one-year anniversary of Allman's liver transplant, which he received after his liver had become damaged from chronic hepatitis C infection.  Allman has returned to performing and recording music, and now wants to help raise awareness of hepatitis C.  "I'm excited to be working with Merck and the American Liver Foundation because there are many people who have been diagnosed with chronic hepatitis C, but aren't taking action.  I want to tell them, don't wait.  Doing nothing is not an option; they need to talk with their doctor," said Allman, a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band.  "I made the decision to take action and talk to my doctor, so that I could get back to making the music I love.  I want others to take that action too, and if I can help make that happen, I've done my job." Nearly 3.2 million Americans have chronic hepatitis C virus infection, a potentially serious disease that can damage the liver over time and lead to cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease and liver cancer.  Many people infected with chronic hepatitis C do not know that they have the virus - approximately 60 to 80 percent of people infected with chronic hepatitis C virus do not have symptoms. The American Liver Foundation (ALF) joined the Tune In to Hep C campaign to help elevate awareness of this important public health issue.  ALF is a national organization advocating for those living with liver disease and their families, and provides education, support and research for the prevention, treatment and cure of liver disease.   "We are thrilled to work with Merck and Gregg Allman to help educate and empower patients with chronic hepatitis C - this has been a focus of the American Liver Foundation for 35 years," said Newton Guerin, acting CEO and chief operating officer, ALF.  "People don't often talk openly about their hepatitis C, which contributes to misinformation and isolation for those infected with the virus.  Gregg's willingness to share his story will open the door for meaningful dialogue that can help reduce stigma and the lack of understanding surrounding chronic hepatitis C."  Merck recently announced the Hope Against Hepatitis C initiative, in which the company restated its long-standing commitment to supporting the hepatitis C community through a variety of public-private partnerships that will involve public education, patient support programs and collaborative research efforts.  Working with Gregg Allman and the ALF is an example of this ongoing commitment.  "When a person like Gregg Allman comes forward to speak about his personal experience it is extremely powerful, and we are grateful to him for his commitment to helping motivate other people with chronic hepatitis C to take action," said Mark Timney, president, Global Human Health - U.S. Market, Merck.    About the Benefit Concert The concert, Tune In to Hep C Presents The Allman Brothers Band, will take place at The Beacon Theatre in New York City on July 27, the eve of World Hepatitis Day.  The Beacon Theatre has special meaning for Allman, who has played there every year since 1991 with the exception of 2007, when the band had to cancel their performance because Allman was too ill from his chronic hepatitis C to play.  Tickets will go on sale tomorrow, Wednesday, June 22 at 12:00PM EDT.  Tickets are available at LiveNation.com, Ticketmaster.com, select Ticketmaster locations and charge by phone at 800-745-3000.  Tickets also will be available at The Beacon Theatre box office beginning June 23. Proceeds from the benefit concertwill be donated to community-based organizations that provide education and support services to people with chronic hepatitis C.     About Gregg Allman Allman is a legendary performer who is both a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band and a critically acclaimed solo artist.  He has several gold records to his credit and his distinctive voice placed him on the Rolling Stone list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time."  More than 40 years down the road, Allman still loves making and performing music as much as ever.  In addition to his singing and playing, Allman wrote many of The Allman Brothers Band's most memorable signature hits, including the classics "Whipping Post" and "Dreams" from their self-titled debut album, "Midnight Rider" and "Please Call Home" from their second album "Idlewild South," and "Melissa" from 1972's classic "Eat A Peach" album.  The Allman Brothers Band went on to become the principal architects of Southern rock and were inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.  Allman's latest solo album "Low Country Blues" was released in 2011, debuting at No. 5 on the Billboard Top 200,the highest chart position of his solo career, and continues to gain critical acclaim and commercial success.   About The American Liver Foundation  The American Liver Foundation (ALF) is the nation's leading nonprofit organization promoting liver health and disease prevention.  ALF provides research, education and advocacy for those affected by liver-related diseases, including hepatitis.   About Merck             Today's Merck is a global healthcare leader working to help the world be well.  Merck is known as MSD outside the United States and Canada.  Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, and consumer care and animal health products, we work with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions.  We also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to healthcare through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships.  For more information, visit www.merck.com.    Forward-Looking Statement This news release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Such statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about the benefits of the merger between Merck and Schering-Plough, including future financial and operating results, the combined company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical facts.  Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Merck's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties.  Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements: the possibility that the expected synergies from the merger of Merck and Schering-Plough will not be realized, or will not be realized within the expected time period; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation; the risk that the businesses will not be integrated successfully; disruption from the merger making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; Merck's ability to accurately predict future market conditions; dependence on the effectiveness of Merck's patents and other protections for innovative products; the risk of new and changing regulation and health policies in the United States and internationally and the exposure to litigation and/or regulatory actions.             Merck undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.  Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in Merck's 2010 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC's Internet site (www.sec.gov).   ###     For more information contact: Ken Weinstein at Big Hassle | 212.619.1360 | weinstein@bighassle.com

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Kenny Wayne Shepherd Announces New Record

Kenny Wayne Shepherd  will release a new CD,  How I Go, on August 2. The disc not only serves as a strong reminder of the chops that caused Guitar World magazine to place him right behind B.B. King and Eric Clapton on their list of best blues guitarists, but it's the strongest indication yet of his gifted songwriting talent. The first single from the record, "Never Lookin' Back," is impacting at radio stations across America this week.

 

Still barely in his 30s, the Louisiana born axeman and songsmith has been selling millions of albums, throwing singles into the Top 10, shining a light on the rich blues of the past and forging ahead with his own modern twist on a classic sound he has embodied since his teens. He met Stevie Ray Vaughn at 7, toured the U.S. with B.B. King at 16 and toured Europe with The Eagles at 17. As an adult, he continues to create genre-defining blues-infused rock n' roll.

 

The name "Kenny Wayne Shepherd" is absolutely synonymous with "young blues guitarist" but that phrase isn't the totality of his person. "Blues player is definitely one of the labels I've accumulated, because I'm a huge blues fan and I love to play the blues," Shepherd says. "But if you listen to my music, especially over the course of my career, everything that I do is not blues. It's the foundation of what I do, but my stuff has a lot more of an edge to it. It's a little more contemporary. And there's a certain youthfulness to what I do. I started writing and recording music when I was a teenager and that energy has been consistent throughout my career."

 

The hard-rocking, blues-based, guitar-driven How I Go sounds young and fresh. Yet it has that distinctive energy and vibe drawn from the deep heritage of the genre. It shows how Kenny Wayne Shepherd is growing as a songwriter, musician and producer. Which isn't to say he's not proud of his past. "I don't have any regrets, other than maybe a couple of outfits that I wore on stage," he laughs.

 

The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band starts their extensive touring in support of How I Go on July 29 in San Diego, ending this first leg in Orlando, FL.

 

The full tour schedule is below:

 

July

29                                    San Diego, CA                                    Humphreys

30                                    Las Vegas, NV                                    Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

31                                    Los Angeles, CA                                    The Greek Theatre           

 

August

2                                    Saratoga, CA                                                The Mountain Winery

7                                    Sturgis, SD                                                Full Throttle Saloon

12                                    Fort Worth, TX                                    Billy Bobs Texas

13                                    Bossier City, LA                                    Horseshoe Casino

18                                    Sedalia, MO                                                Missouri State Fair

19                                    Arnolds Park, IA                                    Amusement Park

20                                    Milwaukee, WI                                    Pabst Theatre

21                                    Rochester Hills, MI                                    Meadowbrook Amphitheatre

25                                    Foxborough, MA                                    Showcase Live

26                                    Hampton Beach, NH                        Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom

27                                    Ridgefield, CT                                    Playhouse Theatre

28                                    Atlantic City, NJ                                    Borgata Spa & Resort Casino

30                                    Allentown, PA                                    Crocodile Park

 

September

1                                    Salem, OR                                                LB Bay Amphitheatre

3                                    Coachella, CA                                    Spotlight 29 Casino - The Spot

6                                    Annapolis, MD                                    Ramshead

8                                    New York, NY                                    The Fillmore

9                                    Morristown, NJ                                    MayoPAC

 

More dates to be announced soon.

 

http://www.kennywayneshepherd.net/

Tristen Tours with The Elected - Delights at Bonnaroo

Fresh off a successful Bonnaroo debut, Tristen hits the road with The Elected in June and July ahead of her run for the Canadian border and the Ottawa Blues Fest July 17th. This Friday June 17th, fans can hear Tristen's Mountain Stage performance on affiliated stations across the country. For a list of stations and broadcast times visit this link.

http://www.mountainstage.org/mtnstagebroadcast.aspx 

 

Tristen's Bonnaroo debut was successful from the outset as she was named by Spin as one of the "Must Hear Artists" artists at the fest, and by American Songwriter as one of the "Top 10 Bands We're Excited To See." Living up to the hype, her sets were met with kind words like "mesmerizing" (Cincinnati City Beat), and "refreshing" (Mountain Express). On Saturday night Tristen had the unenviable task of going up against the re-united Buffalo Springfield. The atmosphere was actually quite memorable, and the competition was nothing Tristen couldn't handle. "A freak thunderstorm came up," wrote Jim Riddley of Nashville Scene,  "and I didn't really feel like getting struck by lightning while listening to Buffalo Springfield. Besides, who was that terrific singer who kept drawing people from the fringes of the Buffalo crowd to her nearby tent - well, blow me down! There was Nashville's Tristen."

 

Aside from playing, Tristen kept busy, speaking with fellow artist Nicole Atkins for Paste, and snapping Polaroid shots for Stereogum and The Impossible Project.

 

For even more Tristen, take a listen to her live in office performance at Rolling Stone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cahjtHksDbQ&feature=relmfu 

 

iPhone Users Concert Videos In Danger

Could concert iPhone photography be a thing of the past? Might you actually be able to see a band without the obstruction of tiny glowing screens? A new patent may limit iPhone capabilities at concerts; according to Business Insider, "Apple wants to use infra-red receivers that disable your video camera when it's held up to film live performances." Other texting and phone capabilities would still work normally, as the goal is to protect those who hold rights to concerts... like, say, event organizers, or the band.

For the full scope of the patent, check out the U.S. Patent site, where it's all explained in nerd talk, like: "Systems and methods for receiving infrared data with a camera designed to detect images based on visible light are provided. A system can include a camera and image processing circuitry electrically coupled to the camera. The image processing circuitry can determine whether each image detected by the camera includes an infrared signal with encoded data"... and so on.

Morbid Angel To Begin Worldwide Tour Overseas, US Dates to Follow

After a fifteen year hiatus from recording together, original Morbid Angel members Trey Azagthoth and David Vincent have returned with Illud Divinum Insanus. Upon release, a global wave of success has greeted the band.  Outside of performances in front of tens of thousands, brisk sales of the album can be seen worldwide.  The line-up now includes Tim Yeung (drummer Pete Sandoval is recuperating from a back injury), and highly accomplished Norwegian guitarist Destructhor, who has been with the band for over five years, and performs on the album alongside Azagthoth.

 

Illud Divinum Insanus has been greeted with praise from critics across the globe.  In its July issue cover story on Yeung, DRUM! Magazine shares, "The band's first album since 2003's Heretic, Illud Divinum Insanus is a death metal riot of oceanic proportions."  The periodical also states, "The high priests of U.S. death metal are back with their sickest offering yet…"  Alongside DRUM!, Morbid Angel will grace the covers of Decibel Magazine here in the U.S., Terrorizer in the U.K., as well as Legacy (Germany), Metallian (France), Inferno Rock (Italy), 7Gates (Poland), Metalized (Denmark), Inferno Magazine (Finland) and three more major European periodicals confirmed and to be revealed soon.  Kerrang and Terrorizer applauded the effort with a 4/5 ratings, while across the continent the reception has been simply stellar with 9/10 reviews from the likes of Rock Hard Germany, Dark Scene Austria and Italy's Metal Maniac, an amazing 97/100 from Lords of Metal in the Netherlands, while Schock Magazine Hungary and Metalized Denmark offered the rare perfect 10/10 review.

 

Over the past five years, Morbid Angel has been conquering stages across the world, and a return to the studio was inevitable.  Vincent shares, "We've been told that this is one of the most anticipated recordings and we pulled out all the stops and pushed things to a new level. This is exciting!"  

 

The career of Morbid Angel is simply iconic in status. The line-up has changed multiple times through the years, but with 2011 comes a return of the original duo of David Vincent (Vocals, Bass) and Trey Azagthoth (Guitars).  Since the band's formation in 1984, and their true rise through Altars of Madness (1989), the band unleashed a new level of extreme music on the Earth's consciousness.  Blessed Are The Sick (1991), considered by many to be a true musical masterpiece, Covenant (1993) the first major label release from a death metal band, and Domination (1995), display living proof that creativity does not have to meet conformity in order to achieve commercial success.  The live album Entangled In Chaos (1996) followed, as did the departure of vocalist / bassist Vincent.  An Azagthoth-led Morbid Angel recorded three great albums in Vincent's absence - Formulas Fatal to the Flesh (1997), Gateways to Annihilation (2000), and Heretic (2003) continued to feed the fan base and cement the band's notoriety in the pantheon of Metal.  Over the past five years, an Azagthoth / Vincent led Morbid Angel has been performing in South America and Europe, reclaiming a place high atop the pedestal of extreme music. 

 

Morbid Angel has begun a tour that will touch down across the globe in 2011.  Over the past month, the band has appeared in Singapore, Australia, and Europe, while these dates are currently on the itinerary:

 

June 17                        Clisson (FR)                                     Hellfest

June 18                        København (DK)                             Copenhell

July 22                        Helsinki (FL)                                    Tuska Festival

July 24                        Montreal (CAN)                               Heavy MTL Festival

Aug 05                       Wacken (DE)                                    Wacken Open Air

Aug 06                       Calvão (PT)                                      Vagos Open Air

Aug 10                       Katowice (POL)                               Metal Hammer Festival (Spodek)

Aug 11                       Jaromer (CZ)                                    Brutal Assault

Aug 12                       Schlotheim (DE)                              Flugplatz Obermehler (Party.San Open Air)

Aug 14                       Walton-on-Trent (UK)                     Bloodstock

Sep 1-12                    Central & South American Tour  (Dates to follow)

Sep 26                        Tokyo (JAPAN)                              O-East

Sep 27                        Nagoya (JAPAN)                            Club Quattro

Sep 28                        Osaka (JAPAN)                               Big Cat

 

U.S. Dates will be announced in the coming weeks.

Bella Union to Release Jonathan Wilson Record in September

Bella Union Records is excited to announce that Jonathan Wilson's debut solo album, Gentle Spirit, will be released on September 13. Gentle Spirit is not simply the name of the album by songwriter/musician/producer Wilson, it also represents the ethos of the artist himself.  Warm, supple melodies etched in layers of stringed instruments and willowy organ motifs accompany his earnest, North Carolinian drawl as he tells tales of humane values lost and found. Wilson produced the record which features Gary Louris, Vetiver's Andy Cabic and Otto Hauser, pedal steeler Josh Grange, Black Crowes singer Chris Robinson and their organist Adam McDougal, Brian Geltner, legendary bassist Gerald Johnson, keyboardist Barry Goldberg and Gary Mallaber, former drummer with the Steve Miller Band and Van Morrison.

 

Wilson's music is steeped equally in the woodsy contours of his Blue Ridge experiences and the atmospheric guitar reveries of Neil Young and Quicksilver Messenger Service.  In fact, Gentle Spirit, an expansive double vinyl set recorded direct to analog tape using Wilson's 1972 console that used to belong to Shelter Records, is remarkably evocative of that golden late '60s, early '70s period when rural and urban sensibilities colluded in producing some of rock's most imperishable recordings. The album features all original Wilson compositions with the exception of his "psyched out" rendition of Gordon Lightfoot's "The Way I Feel." Wilson crafted the album between tours, album producer jobs and the never-ending jam sessions that constituted canyon life. He began tracking in Lauren Canyon, but finished it in his new Five Star Studio in the Echo Park section of LA.

 

While writing and recording Gentle Spirit, "I was consciously trying to convey a 'dreary day in the canyon,' that was the original concept," admits Wilson.  "That was what it was supposed to be. I feel like I achieved that. But, you have to remember the album took a long time, the tracking was done a while ago, and there's a distance there that I guess was supposed to happen.  And it's not hot off the tape machine.  Things transpired...I was never in conflict or had a self-imposed timetable around this album. Time went by and things were cool and I never felt anything was on a back burner because it was all sort of my process. I was better served by having the material and album unfold over time."

 

Although an official release of the album didn't materialize until now, Gentle Spirit has circulated underground on sharpie-labeled CDRs through the hands of a select few members of his friends and family.  This hand-to-hand virality has created a certain mystique about the album in a manner consistent with its, and the artist's, character and ideals.

 

Wilson, a native of Forest City, North Carolina, has been quietly earning a reputation as a musical jack-of-all-trades.  He is adept behind the recording console, possesses a luthier's knowledge of all things strummed, and maintains the innate ability to conceptualize an instrument essential to providing the right color to a track in need of a defining detail.  Whether producing promising new recording artists like the band Dawes, or collaborating with renowned artists, such as Jackosn Browne, Erykah Badu and Elvis Costello, Wilson, a tall, slim, long-haired presence, provides direction and support as tasty and soulful as anyone in the business today.

 

Given the popular culture's preoccupation with all things digital, Gentle Spirit draws a line in the proverbial sand; the album was conceived for vinyl. "I would say vinyl is the only real tangible format that contains meaningful value and the only one you can sell to me that retains any value," says Wilson. "To me, that's on both sides of the table, the consumer and the artist. Even as a record collector I've always been vinyl driven. With vinyl, this is when the record sounds the best and when it comes alive.  To me, this project and the album represent many things tangible and even more things intangible, those that can only be felt."

 

Bella Union is also excited to announce that Wilson will be heading overseas to perform a few festival dates with Jackson Browne -- he will be opening for Jackson and also collaborating onstage as part of his band along with the band Dawes.  More information on dates, cities, venues, and tickets coming soon.

SWITCHFOOT'S VICE VERSES SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 27th RELEASE

On September 27^th, Atlantic Records will release Vice Verses, the eighth studio record from multi-platinum rock band SWITCHFOOT. Working with producer Neal Avron (Weezer,Linkin Park), the band recorded most of the album in their San Diego, CA home studio. Mike Elizondo (Eminem, Regina Spektor) who produced SWITCHFOOT's GRAMMY-winning album, Hello Hurricane, served as executive producer. Released in 2009, Hello Hurricaneentered The Billboard 200 at No. 13 and contained the Modern Rock hits"The Sound (John M. Perkins' Blues)" and "Mess of Me."

 

"Vice Verses is a record of tension and release. It's an attempt to describe the polarity of the human experience. The sunlight and shadow. The highs and lows, laughter and pain, hope and fear, doubts and belief," says lead singer/guitarist Jon Foreman.  In title track he writes; 'Every blessing comes with a set of curses. I got my vices. I got my vice verses.' So we live in the tension - pulled and stretched thin. Vice Verses is soul music - attempting to get to the heart of the human experience: Living in the tension and turning it into song."

 

Vice Verses is the work of a band that is so restless, they devote an entire song ("Restless") to the condition. It's that very uneasiness - an unwillingness to choose the treadmill over the triathlon - that fuels the band's forays into new musical territory and Jon Foreman's unflinchingly honest lyrics. You can hear the tension build along with the first chords of album opener "Afterlife,"leading into a bold statement of intent: "I've tasted fire I'm ready to come alive/I can't just shut it up and fake that I'm alright/I'm ready now/I'm not waiting for the afterlife....I believe we start forever now."

 

Songs like "Afterlife" and "The War Inside" take the harder-edged approach of Hello Hurricane a step further, creating what Billboard has called "powerful, anthemic rockers...like an amalgamation of U2's 'Achtung Baby,' Linkin Park." Overall, Vice Verses is a more eclectic collection than its predecessor with quiet gems like "Souvenirs" and the title track butting up against the infectious "The Original," reminiscent of Foo Fighters, and the biting, largely spoken-word "Selling the News." The latter is a poetry slam Beck-meets-Beastie Boys style examination of a media-mad nation: "America listens the story is told/the hard sell, all caps, all bold...begging the question mongering fears/stroking the eye and tickling ears/the truth ain't just what it appears/we're selling the news."

 

But SWITCHFOOT isn't content to merely detail the gaping contradictions they find within themselves or the surrounding culture. As the rousing lead single "Dark Horses" makes abundantly clear, we were designed to transcend, to stand up against the darkness. It's a theme echoed in Foreman's latest Huffington Post piece (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jon-foreman/meaning-of-life_b_874934.html), excerpted here:

 

"The art comes from the awkward ache. The knot in my stomach usually teaches me more than comfort ever could. The sculptor's chisel carves away at the block to bring something new into being. In the same way, we hammer away at the world we're given to bring something new into being. We re-appropriate the past and present to create the future - breath by breath."

 

SWITCHFOOT - comprising Jon Foreman (vocals/guitar), Tim Foreman (bass), Chad Butler (drums), Jerome Fontamillas (keys/guitar) and Drew Shirley (guitar) - will launch a world tour in conjunction with the release of Vice Verses. This weekend the band is hosting what is, to them, one of the most meaningful concerts of the year: the Switchfoot Bro-Am Presented By Hurley (http://www.switchfoot.com/c/bro-am). The Howls, The Romany Rye, The Silent Comedy and Jon Foreman & Friendswill perform at the concert/surf contest, to be held Saturday, June 18^th, at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas, CA. An Auction Night Soiree (set for June 16^th at a private La Jolla Farms residence) and a post-concert after-party at the nearby Belly Up Tavern featuring performances by Johnny Rzeznik (Goo Goo Dolls), Fiction Family and Little Hurricane round out the weekend's activities. Now in its seventh year, this year's Bro-Am will benefit the San Diego and Oceanside chapters of StandUp For Kids (www.standupforkids.org), a national nonprofit volunteer outreach organization dedicated to making a difference in the lives of at-risk, homeless and street kids. Since its inception in 2005, theBro-Am has raised almost $500,000 for San Diego-based children's charities.

 

The track listing for Vice Verses is as follows:

 

1.             Afterlife

2.             The Original

3.             The War Inside

4.             Restless

5.             Blinding Light

6.             Selling the News

7.             Thrive

8.             Dark Horses

9.             Souvenirs

10.         Rise Above It

11.         Vice Verses

12.         Where I Belong

 

Truth & Salvage Co 6-10-11 Boulder (ENTIRE SHOW)

Get A Sneak Peek Of The Summer Set's New Album "Everything's Fine"

The Summer Set's new album, Everything's Fine, (July 19th Razor & Tie), is available today for pre-order at iTunes and fans can hear 90 second clips of all 11 tracks.  Fans can get the inside story behind the songs at AltPress.com with an exclusive track-by-track feature as they hear them for the first time.  Vocalist Brian Dales gives readers an inside look at the meaning behind the band's highly anticipated sophomore album.  Accompanying this is a full stream of the first single, "Someone Like You."   

 

Last week, The Summer Set asked fans to vote between three tracks ("When We Were Young," "Thick As Thieves," and "Back To The Start") to select the second full song the band previews off their new record.  The results are in and the winning song is "When We Were Young," now featured here at AOL's JSYK. 

The Summer Set's new album, Everything's Fine (Razor & Tie) was recorded in Los Angeles with super-producer John Fields (Jimmy Eat World, Jonas Brothers, Switchfoot, Andrew W.K.).The band hits the road this summer as direct support for We The Kings on July 10th (dates below).  Fans can also personalize and share the new TSS logo HERE and upload towww.everythings-fine.com.  

The Arizona based The Summer Set is Brian Dales (vocals), John Gomez (guitar), Stephen Gomez (bass), Josh Montgomery (guitar) and Jess Bowen (drums).  The Summer Set has quickly become a phenomenon throughout the independent music scene, being named one of the 100 Artists To Watch by Alternative Press in 2010 with vocalist Dales featured on the cover, and what appeared to be a never-ending two years of successful tours with high profile artists including All Time Low, Never Shout Never, and Cartel, as well as being part of the AP Tour, Vans Warped Tour, Bamboozle and Hoodwink Festival. 

   

 

THE SUMMER SET TOUR DATES:  
July 10 - Eureka, MO - Six Flags St. Louis
July 12 - Tulsa, OK - The Marquee
July 13 - Austin, TX - Emo's Alternative Lounge
July 14 - San Antonio, TX - Six Flags Fiesta Texas
July 16 - Arlington, TX - Six Flags Over Texas
July 19 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
July 21 - St. Petersburg, FL - State Theatre
July 22 - Jacksonville, FL - Freebird Café
July 23 - Atlanta, GA - Six Flags Over Georgia
July 24 - Raleigh, NC - The Brewery **
July 26 - Agawam, MA - Six Flags New England
July 27 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre
July 28 - Jackson, NJ - Six Flags Great Adventure
July 29 - Pittsburgh, PA - Altar Bar **
July 30 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
Aug 2 - Pontiac, MI - The Crofoot
Aug 3 - Chicago, IL - The Bottom Lounge
Aug 4 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave
Aug 5 - Palatine, IL - Durty Nellies
Aug 6 - St. Paul, MN - Station 4
Aug 7 - Iowa City, IA - The Blue Moose Tape House
Aug 9 - Denver, CO - Marquis Theatre 
Aug 10 - Salt Lake City, UT - Club Sound
Aug 12 - San Francisco, CA - The Regency Ballroom
Aug 13 - Anaheim, CA - House of Blues
Aug 14 - Mesa, AZ - The Nile
Aug 15 - Tucson, AZ - The Rock   

*Friday Is Forever Tour with We The Kings, The Downtown Fiction, Hot Chelle Rae & Action Item

Live Oak Revue Set to Release Debut EP June 21, 2011

Orange County based Indie Rock/Americana band Live Oak will release their debut EP When The Dawn Breaks on June 21st, 2011, through Adamant Records.  The band includes Brian Ireland of Something Corporate, his 2 brothers (Matt and Derrick) and Zak Salazar.  Also featured is Andrew McMahon of (Something Corporate/Jack's Mannequin) on piano for one of the songs, "Sinner's Heart." For full track listing, see below.

The band will play these new songs alongside Jack's Mannequin and Steel Train for a show at the Majestic Ventura Theatre in California on Tuesday, June 14^th.

After the loss of a close friend, Zak and the brothers Ireland rekindled a bond that naturally led them back to music. The band was birthed out of the whiskey fueled nights at "the Amber Lantern House", a Dana Point, California residence, where friends would gather together to sip spirits and make noise.  

"We never wanted to try and force anything, it was never our intention to start a band and cut a record," says Salazar. "Everything happened so organically. We took to writing and playing music together because that's what we do... it's what we've always done. Everyone was welcome to play; we had an open door policy. It was less of a band and more of a family.  If you had a washboard or an empty beer bottle, you made the cut. And we became known for that. We found there was a need at times for something more intimate and concrete than the late night sing-alongs.  Live Oak Revue filled that need and we took it from there."
  For Pictures, Bio and Music:  http://mail.adamantrecords.com/liveoakrevue/lor-assets.zip

When The Dawn Breaks track-listing

1.    When The Dawn Breaks

2.    County Line

3.    Sinner's Heart

4.    Abelene

5.    We Don't Belong

Tour Dates:
6/14 - Venutra, CA @ Majestic Ventura Theatre w/ Jack's Mannequin and Steel Train

Gillian Welch Announces North American Tour

Gillian Welch has confirmed the first leg of a North American tour.  Welch and David Rawlings will play 31 cities in July and August, beginning July 6 in Santa Cruz, CA and ending August 28 in Charleston, SC.  In addition, they will play the High Sierra Music Festival on June 30 as well as the Vancouver Folk Festival and the Newport Folk Festival.  More dates will be added in the fall, including the already announced Austin City Limits Festival in September.      

 

The tour is in support of Welch's new record, The Harrow & The Harvest, which is due to be released on June 28. The Harrow & The Harvest, "is a new Southern sound," writes Colin Meloy of The Decemberists, "with the sort of songs you wouldn't be surprised to hear issuing from some verdant, wooded hollow in Appalachia;  Songs you'd expect to hear hollered from an Asheville grange hall, all too late in the evening.  Songs with the wry humor of the back porch.  Listen to this record with the lights low.  Listen to it on an old radio, cradled next to your ear."

 

The complete list of dates is below: 

 

Thu Jun-30                    Quincy, CA                     High Sierra Music Festival                       

 

Wed Jul-06                    Santa Cruz, CA               Cocoanut Grove Ballroom                      

 

Thu Jul-07                     San Francisco, CA          Warfield Theatre                  

 

Sat Jul-09                      Grants Pass, OR              Rogue Theatre                            

 

Sun Jul-10                     Eugene, OR                    McDonald Theatre

 

Tue Jul-12                      Portland, OR                  Roseland Theater                           

 

Wed Jul-13                     Seattle, WA                    Moore Theatre                               

 

Fri Jul-15                       Vancouver, BC               Vancouver Folk Festival                

 

Sat Jul-16                      Olympia, WA                 Capitol Theatre               

 

Sun Jul-17                     Missoula, MT                 Wilma Theater                  

 

Wed Jul-20                     St. Paul, MN                  Fitzgerald Theater                         

 

Thu Jul-21                     Madison, WI                   Capitol Theatre               

 

Fri Jul-22                       Chicago, IL                     VIC Theatre                         

 

Sat Jul-23                      Royal Oak, MI                 Royal Oak Music Theatre

 

Mon Jul-25                    Toronto, ON                   Phoenix Concert Hall  

 

Sat Jul-30                      Newport, RI                     Newport Folk Festival                  

 

Tue Aug-02                   Bethesda, MD                 Music Center at Strathmore     

 

Wed Aug-03                  Raleigh, NC                   North Carolina Museum of Art  

 

Thu Aug-04                   Winston-Salem, NC      Ziggy's             

 

Fri Aug-05                     Asheville, NC                 The Orange Peel    

 

Sat Aug-06                     Atlanta, GA                    Variety Playhouse        

 

Thu Aug-11                   New Orleans, LA            Tipitinas Uptown                             

 

Fri Aug-12                     Birmingham, AL             Workplay Soundstage          

 

Sat Aug-13                     Huntsville,AL                 Von Braun Center Concert Hall

 

Sun Aug-14                    Athens, GA                     Georgia Theatre                             

 

Wed Aug-17                   Roanoke, VA                   Jefferson Cent/Shaftman Performance Hall

 

Thu Aug-18                    Charlottesville, VA          Paramount Theatre             

 

Fri Aug-19                     Richmond, VA                  Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden  

 

Sat Aug-20                     Charlotte, NC                   Knight Theater at Levine Cent. for the Arts 

 

Sun Aug-21                    Greenville, SC                  Peace Center Concert Hall             

 

Tue Aug-23                    Bristol, VA                        Paramount Center for the Arts 

 

Wed Aug-24                   Knoxville, TN                   Tennessee Theater             

 

Sat Aug-27                     Wilmington, NC                Winoca Festival - Battleship Park     

 

Sun Aug-28                    Charleston, SC                  Charleston Music Hall                      

 

Sat Sep-17                      Austin, TX                         ACL Festival

 

 

In the week leading up to release, 46 independent record stores across the country will be hosting special preview listening parties for The Harrow & The Harvest.  Here is the full list of stores:

 

Bull Moose Bangor                    Bangor, ME

Bull Moose Brunswick              Brunswick, ME

Bull Moose                                  Portland, ME

Bull Moose Portsmouth            Portsmouth, NH

Bull Moose Scarborough           Scarborough, ME

Cactus Music & Video               Houston, TX

CD Central                                  Lexington, KY

CD World                                    Eugene, OR

Criminal Records                       Atlanta, GA

Dearborn Music                         Dearborn, MI

Decatur CD                                 Decatur, GA

Disc Exchange                            Knoxville, TN

Down Home Records                El Cerrito, CA

Ear X-tacy                                    Louisville, KY

Earshot                                         Greenville, SC

Elderly Instruments                   Lansing, MI

Euclid Records                            St. Louis, MO

Fingerprints                                 Long Beach, CA

Good Records                              Dallas, TX

Grimey's                                       Nashville, TN

Harvest Records                         Asheville, NC

Homestead Pickin' Parl              Richfield, MN

Horizon                                        Greenville, SC

Landlocked Music                      Bloomington, IN

Love Garden Sounds                  Lawrence, KS

Music Millenium                         Portland, OR

Park Avenue CD                          Orlando, FL

Plan 9                                             Richmond, VA

Pure Pop Reco                              Burlington, VT

Ramalama Rec                              Toledo, OH

Shake It                                          Cincinnati, OH

Silver Platters                                Seattle, WA

Sonic Boom Records - Ballard    Seattle, WA

Sound Garden Baltimore             Baltimore, MD

Sound Garden Syracuse               Syracuse, NY

Streetlight Records - San Jose      San Jose, CA

Streetlight Records - Santa Cruz  Santa Cruz, CA

Strictly Discs                                   Madison, WI

Telegraph                                        New London, CT

The Executive Co. #6                     Milwaukee, WI

Twist & Shout                                Denver, CO

Vintage Vinyl Fords                      Fords, NJ

Waterloo                                         Austin, TX

Zia Enterprises, Inc. #70               Tucson, AZ

Zia Records #45                             Las Vegas, NV

Zia Records Tempe #20                Tempe, AZ

 

 

Visit gillianwelch.com for up to the minute tour dates and album news.