Indie Music

Music News   NJ Songwriters in the Round PR GIRL'S NIGHT OUT AT THE BITTER END! WEDNESDAY, MAY 21st, 2008 NJ SONGWRITERS IN THE ROUND LAUNCHES A NEW EVENT Wednesday, May 21st marks the first in a series of NJ Songwriters in the Round showcases to focus solely on female songwriters. It's GIRLS NIGHT OUT and these girls are headed for the legendary Bitter End on Bleecker Street in NYC. The Jersey based organization is loading 5 talented female singer/songwriters, a few guitars and a bunch of fans into a bus and crossing the river for this debut event. And what better way to make a splash than in front of a TV audience. On The Beat (Time-Warner) is NY1's entertainment program and they will be on location to capture the fun. The feature will air on-demand in all 5 boroughs in June. Performing on May 21st will be ASCAP songwriters Jaclyn Brown, Carrie Cheron, Lisa Coppola, Eryn Shewell and the show's director, Deb Ferrara. Showtime is 7:15 and in keeping with the show's tradition, there is no cover charge. Tom DeSavia, Senior Vice President of Rock/Pop, ASCAP said: "ASCAP is proud to be a supporter of the NJ Songwriters Girls Night Out event. They continue to not only provide singer/songwriters an outlet to perform, but bring together these creators in a sense of true musical community." Now in it's 6th year, NJ Songwriters in the Round is an original music showcase series founded by NJ songwriter/producer Deb Ferrara. The regular monthly event takes place every 3rd Tuesday at Maxwell's in Hoboken and is sponsored by ASCAP, BMI, Rainmaker Public Relation & Artists Development and GoGirls Music. In addition to featuring the most promising up-and-coming songwriters from across the country and beyond, the organization regularly presents educational and networking events as well as charity concerts and auctions. Twice yearly, GIRLS NIGHT OUT will take the show to different locations in the tri-state area for a night of Girl Power. Deb organized NJ Songwriters in the Round because she felt there wasn't much support for original music beyond open mic nights. The goal was to provide an outlet for serious songwriters, and to that end she fills the show's precious slots using her discriminating ears. Unfortunately not everyone who submits to play gets the nod. Said Ferrara, "New Jersey has an incredibly rich music history. The next Paul Simon or Bruce Springsteen could be on our stage and we urge the music community: fans, industry, press, and colleagues to check it out." For more on NJ Songwriters in the Round, including event and showcase submission information, visit: http://www.myspace.com/njsongwritersintheround or http://www.moregoodmusic.com/swrnj For information on Deb Ferrara, visit http://www.myspace.com/debferrara or http://www.debferrara.com Information on the May Girls Night Out artists can be found on their websites: http://www.myspace.com/lisacoppola http://www.myspace.com/erynmusic http://www.myspace.com/carriecheron http://www.myspace.com/jaclynbrownsongs    Ben Weaver PR For Immediate Release Acclaimed Songwriter Ben Weaver Signs Multi-Album Deal with Bloodshot Records The Axe and the Oak In Stores August 12, 2008 The songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/artist Ben Weaver has signed a multi-album deal with Bloodshot Records, with his label debut set for release August 12, 2008. The Axe and the Oak is Weaver's 6th album at the ripe old age of 27; it is by far his most adventurous to date. Weaver explains, "The majority of this record was written in Berlin, the summer of 2007. I was staying in a friend's flat in Prenzlauer Berg. I had many pictures in my head at that time. This record is not about Berlin, but about what being in Berlin allowed me to create." Produced by Brian Deck (Modest Mouse, Iron & Wine), the album juxtaposes electronic musical sounds with warm acoustic instruments with textural results that defy the usual expectations of the singer/songwriter genre. It's hard to argue with the results - evocative, hushed songs that illuminate Ben's affinity for the natural world of birds, phone booths, empty parking lots, strangers in the checkout line, plastic bags stuck in trees and whatever else typically goes unnoticed in the sidewalk cracks. A former Casket Company warehouse is Weaver's current world headquarters. Multitudinous organs, synthesizers, guitars, a sampler, a piano, a dog, Polaroid cameras, sketch books, New Yorker back issues, boxes of CDs and a PowerBook mark the territory. There is an air of controlled chaos and the musty smell of old tube amps. Weaver writes continuously, a process perhaps more akin to breathing than composing, "I have always identified with those people who make art because they have to, that sense of necessity and urgency. That is why I make art, to fulfill that need within myself and to connect with the people of the world who also cannot live without it." Aside from his prolific and constant songwriting and recording, Ben has created a handmade book of his poems and drawings and contributed a story to an upcoming Anthology being gathered by Steve Horowitz for Abrams - each selection of fiction is written by a songwriter. Expect to see this hit bookstores in March 2009, Ben will be featured along with the likes of Renee Sparks of the Handsome Family, Greg Brown and Jolie Holland. Hear the song White Snow and Alligators and Owls at- http://www.myspace.com/benweavermusic Heather West - Publicity Bloodshot Records    CIAM PR Art and Rock Converge in an Anonymous space on CIAM's Debut Album to Be Released This Summer Hollywood, CA - Art Rock gets a minimalist makeover when London-based CIAM release their debut record Anonymous this summer. The brainchild of vocalist/guitarist Jeff Shapiro and viola/violinist Hadar Goldman, CIAM create cinematic music with a sleek rock edge. With nods to the seminal art rockers Velvet Underground and more recent British counterparts Radiohead, Anonymous is a collection of densely-layered musical instrumentation, alternately complex and refined rock for the progressive listener. The scope of Anonymous demands repeated plays, each listen revealing subtleties and nuances of arrangement that suggest a rare clarity of thought and expression. The opening track, "Here I Am" begins with a floating mix of vocals and guitars, with viola weaving in and around the melody like a thread pulling together a strange embroidery. Likely to cause a stir is a cover of the Velvet Underground's "Venus In Furs". Shapiro admits it was done tongue-in-cheek, just as a little nod to the forbearers of the art & rock confluence of the '60s, taken to dazzling heights by the searing relationship between the Velvet Underground and visual artist/ filmmaker, Andy Warhol. There's dark humor here too - the Eastern sounding electric violin and cello of "It Takes A Friend (To Bring You Down)" smirk mercilessly at the protagonist's plight, while the plaintive bass melody of "The Journey", sends the listener into an intricate phalanx of acoustic and wah-wah guitars. It's a highly developed and intelligent record, extraordinarily assured for a debut album. Featuring support from drummer Chris Hall, who worked with Shapiro previously in a band named Astrohound, Farrell Lennon on programming, sound architecture and guitars, as well as Mark Ferguson on bass, CIAM has designs on a most untraditional touring experience and show for audiences - playing the famed modern art museums of the world. Conceived as a multi-sensory experience, Anonymous serves as only part of the total visual concept that includes short films. Unlike traditional music videos, where the visuals serve to highlight the music, CIAM's shorts films are entities unto themselves; living a symbiotic relationship with the music, where each may thrive on its own in terms of art, though combined achieve greater dimension and depth. It’s a heady concept born from the imagination of Shapiro. Every song will be matched with a cinematic representation, the first being "Here I Am", which may be viewed now at: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=NbzXCk28Mbs. "Here I Am" has already been the most viewed video of the day at YouTube in the UK and Japan, among other honors. Look for CIAM's live performances-come-art installations at select modern art museums later this year. http://www.ciammusic.com Publicity Contact: Gorgeous PR / 323 782 9000 / http://www.gorgeouspr.com    Erik Norlander PR Press release: Erik Norlander's "Neurosaur" Included in MTV Fashion Show Models walk the runway to "Neurosaur" in MTV's "If I Were King" April 2008 El Dorado Hills, CA- Models walked the runway to keyboard virtuoso Erik Norlander's song "Neurosaur" in the new Bad Boy Films MTV show "If I Were King" which premiered April 9th. The documentary celebrates the 10th anniversary of Diddy's Sean John fashion line. It offers a private look at one of the most public figures in entertainment. "Neurosaur" songwriter Erik Norlander comments, "I was really impressed with how well my song suited Diddy's event. The cathedral - like hall in which the runway segment was staged -- giant hanging chandeliers and all -- certainly called for a weighty, epic soundtrack with some strong gothic and classical overtones. I am happy to have provided it with "Neurosaur". The show's producers have really shown some great vision, both optically and sonically." "Neurosaur" was originally released in 1997 on Erik Norlander's debut solo CD "Threshold" and then re-released and remastered on the "Threshold Special Edition" 2CD reissue in 2007 on Norlander's Think Tank Media label, distributed by ProgRock Records / Ryko Distribution. Norlander's strong compositional vision, state-of-the-art production sensibility, command of vintage technology and masterful keyboard technique permanently burned "Threshold" into progressive rock history. Virtuoso keyboardist Erik Norlander was joined by drummer / percussionist Greg Ellis (The Matrix films, Vas) and bassist Don Schiff (Rocket Scientists, Lana Lane) to create a prog rock power trio whose depth and range matched past greats such as ELP, Rush and Cream. In 2007, Erik re-released the astounding 2CD version of "Threshold" complete with 10 bonus tracks and a high-resolution Quicktime video of Erik performing his legendary "Trantor Station" live at the California ProgWest progressive music festival on his famous modular Moog synthesizer. In addition, the Special Edition package includes an ultra-deluxe 20-page full-color CD booklet with extensive liner notes by Erik, rock keyboard icon Keith Emerson, the participating musicians and numerous others contributors associated with the album. "Neurosaur" also appears on Erik Norlander's two live releases, the "Stars Rain Down" CD (2004) and "Live in St. Petersburg" DVD (2006). For more information about Erik Norlander, please visit: http://www.eriknorlander.com and http://www.myspace.com/eriknorlanderandlanalane For more info about "If I Were King", please visit: http://www.mtv.com/ontv/dyn/if_i_were_king/series.jhtml Media contact: Sandy Serge, Think Tank Media, email: SergeEnt@aol.com. Disclaimer: Erik Norlander, Think Tank Media, and Serge Entertainment PR are in no way affiliated with Bad Boy Entertainment or Bad Boy Films.    Greater Des Moines Music Coalition PR FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Jill Haverkamp Greater Des Moines Music Coalition 773.597.527 THE FLAMING LIPS, THE ROOTS, YONDER MOUNTAIN, GIRL TALK, DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS, AND OTHERS TO PERFORM AT 80/35 IN DES MOINES DES MOINES, Iowa - National headliners will converge with top local and regional acts at 80/35 on July 4th and 5th in downtown Des Moines' Western Gateway Park. 80/35, the inaugural summermusic festival, organized by the Greater Des Moines Music Coalition (DMMC), announced 10 of more than 40 acts scheduled to appear the 4th of July weekend. Acclaimed national acts The Flaming Lips, The Roots, Yonder Mountain String Band, Girl Talk, and Drive-By Truckers will celebrate their Independence Day weekend at the epicenter of Interstates 80 and 35,that is 80/35 in downtown Des Moines. Up-and-comers Radio Moscow, Public Property, Poison Control Center, Mr. Baber's Neighbors: Solar String Band, and The Vandon Arms are among the Iowa-homegrown bands announced. Additional bands will be released in the coming weeks. "Many of the top live acts are playing theatres, ballrooms, and festivals across the country and driving right through Des Moines, but don't always stop. 80/35 is giving them a reason to stop," said Amedeo Rossi, project manager for the DMMC. "The acts playing this year's 80/35 are known for their progressive music and 'must see' live sets. This is an event for true fans of live music, regardless of genre." 80/35 will feature more than 40 cutting-edge, progressive acts performing on four stages — two main stages in a gated paid-area and two free side stages. Both areas will house interactive art, activities, vendors, resting places, food and beverage sales, and plenty more. A fireworks display is planned for both nights. Organizers are expecting 15,000 people to flood the streets of downtown Des Moines for the two-day summer music festival. The annual festival is poised to become one of the top urban music festivals in the Midwest. Interstates 80 and 35 connect several Mid-western cities. A number of bands and fans travel the festival circuit, touring over the summer between major music festivals in Chicago, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis. Many pass through Des Moines — 80/35 will catch them at the crossroads, providing the opportunity for a successful annual festival that is expected to grow each year. 80/35 is a chance to put Des Moines on the national music map. "Investing in the live music economy in Des Moines makes sense, not only for the entertainment value but also by means of economic impact," says Michael Kiernan, Des Moines City Council. "Having progressive bands stop in Des Moines draws people all over the Midwest to our revitalized city." "Des Moines has made a tremendous investment in infrastructure in recent years," said G. David Hurd, board chair of the Greater Des Moines Community Foundation, the founding sponsor of 80/35. "The Community Foundation's investment in this festival recognizes the need to enhance the cultural opportunities for central Iowans aged 15-35 years old. This is an important demographic to attract and retain for our future." A limited number of pre-sale tickets go on sale Friday, April 18 for the discounted price of $40 for a two-day pass at IowaTix.com. General ticket sales begin May 1st with two-day passes at $50 and single day passes at $30. Day of show pricing is $35 for single day or $60 for a two-day pass. More information is available at: http://www.80-35.com and http://www.desmoinesmc.com About Greater Des Moines Music Coalition The Greater Des Moines Music Coalition (DMMC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and collaborative movement committed to building a stronger and more diverse live music economy in greater Des Moines. For more information visit www.desmoinesmc.com. About Greater Des Moines Community Foundation The Greater Des Moines Community Foundation is a donor-driven public foundation whose purpose is to improve the quality of life in Greater Des Moines through philanthropy.    Bloodshot Records PR For Immediate Release Bloodshot Records Signs Musician/Artist/Author Exene Cervenka To A Worldwide Multi-Album Deal X Anniversary Tour Features Labelmates The Detroit Cobras Bloodshot Records is proud to announce the signing of a worldwide, multi-album deal with singer, artist and author Exene Cervenka. Her first album for the label is in the works, and will be released in 2009. Exene will be recording this fall, fans of her mixed-media collages can look forward to new artwork for the CD packaging as well. Label co-owner Nan Warshaw said, "Bloodshot would not exist without the seminal bands, like X and The Knitters, who mix traditional roots into their punk rock. X was an essential band on the soundtrack to my college years and those albums are still relevant today. I likely wouldn't have considered working in (the venal snake pit that is) the music business had it not been for women like Exene who first broke that ground. Exene may commercially be best known for her early work with X, however artistically her music and visual art has continued to grow and develop. We're honored to work with and for Exene." A true renaissance woman, Exene is a singer, artist and poet whose work traverses virtually every aspect of those disciplines. She is known for her work as singer for the legendary punk band X as well as The Knitters and The Original Sinners. Her spoken word performances with Lydia Lunch in the 80's led to the publication of "Adulterers Anonymous" and another four volumes of poetry followed. In 1992, Exene collaborated with photographer Kenneth Jarecke on "Just Another War", a volume of images and verse concerning the 1991 war in Iraq. A lifelong visual artist, Exene’s drawings paintings and collages were exhibited at the Santa Monica Museum of Art in 2006 and were the subject of a monograph, Magical Meteorite Songwriting Device, published by Perceval Press. As X's anniversary trek, known as The 13 X 31 Anniversary Tour 2008, has been traversing the country; the next leg starts in Detroit on May 15 at the Majestic Theater. X brings Bloodshot Records band the Detroit Cobras in support through June 7th. Dates can be found here: http://www.xtheband.com/showdates.html or http://www.bloodshotrecords.com/tour/ For more information about Exene Cervenka, visit: http://www.exenecervenka.com Heather West - Publicity Bloodshot Records http://www.bloodshotrecords.com    35th Annual Topanga Days PR 35TH ANNUAL TOPANGA DAYS FAIR ANNOUNCES THE FIRST SET OF BANDS TO PLAY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND May 24 - 26, 2008 FEATURING: Chevy Metal (Foo Fighters' Taylor Hawkins), Jim Lauderdale & The Dream Players (feat. James Burton & Al Perkins), TIM EASTON, Johnathan Rice, Shurman, Gary Louris, Chris Laterzo & Buffalo Robe The Living Sisters (feat. Inara George, Eleni Mandell and Becky Stark), Spindrift, EVEREST and Many Others The three day event promises more live performances on two stages, a colorful Memorial Day parade, crafts, jewelers, dancing and more. Free shuttle service will run along Topanga Canyon Hollywood, CA --The 35th Annual Topanga Days Country Fair proudly announces their initial artist lineup for the three day event to be held Memorial Day Weekend - May 24 - 26, 2008. Celebrated for its family friendly atmosphere with an eye on preserving the Earth for generations to enjoy, the country fair organically blends cutting edge musical acts, eclectic side stage attractions and booths peddling great food and award-winning contemporary crafts, all handmade in the U.S. and selected in competition by a jury panel. Situated in an idyllic canyon within the beautiful Santa Monica Mountains, just 6 miles north of Pacific Coast Highway and 6 miles south of Ventura Blvd., Topanga Days is a short journey and welcome respite from the daily grind of life in a sprawling metropolis. The festival has an ethereal way of transporting even the most blackberry/ pinkberry-addicted urbanite to another time and place with great music in a feel-good community environment. As Topanga Days 2008 celebrates its 35th anniversary, the festival promises to be better than ever. Confirmed musical acts performing on the two stages include Chevy Metal (Foo Fighters' Taylor Hawkins), Jim Lauderdale & The Dream Players (feat. James Burton & Al Perkins), Jonathan Rice, Brian Wright & The Waco Tragedies, Shurman, Gary Louris, The Living Sisters (feat. Inara George, Eleni Mandell and Becky Stark), Tim Easton and many others. A complete list of confirmed artists follows, with many others to be added in the coming weeks. Other featured mainstays of the festival include the legendary annual Memorial Day Parade, holistic therapists, environmentally-friendly products from local artists and producers, and the staples of any great fair - distinctive food and cold beer! Topanga Days 2008 full lineup is as follows: Outdoor Stage: Annmarie Solo, Chevy Metal (Foo Fighters' Taylor Hawkins), Chris Laterzo & Buffalo Robe, Eliza Jane & The Barnyard Gypsies, Everest, Gary Louris (The Jayhawks), Jim Lauderdale & The Dream Players (feat. James Burton & Al Perkins), Johnathan Rice, Jonathan Wilson, Killing Cassanova, Old Bull, Shurman, Spindrift, Studebaker, The Inclined, The Living Sisters (Feat. Inara George, Eleni Mandell and Becky Stark), Tim Easton, Tom Freund, and Venice. Indoor Stage: 29 Mules, Aint Dead Yet, Alan Boivin, City Fritter, Dawn Divina, Downward Facing Dog, Humdinger, Jamie Sol Black, Los Duggans, Making Love to Life, Merle Jagger, Phil Cody, Psychedelic Cowboys, Sandara Bacal, The Roger Len Smith Band, Tim O'Gara, Train Wreck, Welldiggers Banquet, and bellydancing! Come visit the regal countryside in your own backyard and enjoy the spectacular view and vibe that is Topanga Days. Fun for the entire family! Memorial Day Weekend May 24 - 26, 2008 Adults $18.00 | Kids 6-12 (5 and under free) & Seniors $10.00 Doors open at 10:00am - 1440 N. Topanga Canyon Boulevard, Topanga, CA 90290 For more information please visit: http://www.myspace.com/topangadays Publicity contact: Gorgeous PR - http://www.gorgeouspr.com    Sean Costello PR Miles High Productions Press Release: Sean Costello 1979 - 2008 It is with the deepest sadness that we issue this press release, and the news that Delta Groove recording artist Sean Costello passed away in Atlanta, GA on Tuesday, April 15th, one day before his 29th birthday. Sean was not only a member of the Delta Groove musical family, he was also a friend, and words cannot express the sorrow we feel at having to say goodbye so soon. As blues music fans, we unfortunately grow somewhat accustomed to the sadness of the inevitable passing of musical elders after long and fruitful careers. Losing someone as young, vibrant, and talented as Sean, who had accomplished so much in just a few short years and still had so much potential, is a terribly difficult blow, not only to those who knew him personally, but for the music community as a whole. He had been unanimously praised as one of the main torch-bearers of the blues flame for the coming generations, and now that potential will go sadly unfulfilled. Costello was born in Philadelphia in 1979, moved with his family to Atlanta at the age of 9, and soon afterward picked up the guitar. Within a few short years he’d won the Memphis Blues Society's new talent award, and was on the road with his own band. At age 17 he released his first album, "Call The Cops", acclaimed by Real Blues Magazine as "an explosive debut." He soon joined forces with fellow blues guitarist Susan Tedeschi, with whom he toured and recorded, laying down tasteful lead guitar work on her Gold-certified Tone-Cool debut "Just Won’t Burn". In 2000, Costello released "Cuttin' In" on Landslide Records, which earned him critical acclaim as well as a prestigious W. C. Handy Award nomination for 'Best New Artist Debut.' With 2002's "Moanin' For Molasses", also on Landslide, came a Blues Revue cover story touting Costello as "the top contender to be the next blues star - and soon." Costello's hometown paper The Atlanta Journal-Constitution called his guitar playing "masterful" and of "remarkable maturity." The paper also compared him to such legends as B. B. King, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. In 2005, his self-titled fourth CD "Sean Costello" was released by Artemis Records. Produced by Steve Rosenthal (The Rolling Stones, Suzanne Vega, Freedy Johnston), it was an appealing blend of soul, funk, upbeat rock. He was joined by some very special guests: Levon Helm of The Band sits in on two tracks, as does his daughter, Amy Helm, with her group, Ollabelle. Steve Jordan, Willie Weeks and the Conan O'Brien horn section also appear. Sean's Delta Groove debut CD "We Can Get Together", just released in February, was produced by Costello himself. He was justly proud of "We Can Get Together", calling it the best work he’d ever done, and the critics agreed, with excellent reviews from radio and press alike lauding it his most impressive and mature work to date. Costello was fortunate enough to earn the respect and admiration of many of his own idols, and had the opportunity to perform with his mentors. He shared stages with B.B. King, Buddy Guy, James Cotton, Pinetop Perkins, and Bo Diddley among many others. He recently said, "All I've ever wanted to do was play the guitar well. I've been fortunate to be able to make a living doing it, and I plan to keep it up for the rest of my life." Rand Chortkoff and Robert Fitzpatrick, the CEO and President respectively of Delta Groove Music, issued the following joint statement: "Sean Costello was a genius. He was destined to go down in music history as a blues legend. His musical legacy will live on through his music forever. We at Delta Groove Music and all his fans everywhere are devastated by the untimely news of his death. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, loved ones and friends and to all of his many fans around the world. He will not be forgotten. http://www.myspace.com/seancostello http://www.myspace.com/seancostello    The Frontier Brothers PR The Frontier Brothers will be performing songs on their current tour from their new album "Space Punk Starlet", which will be released in September of 2008. They recorded at Wire Recording in Austin, Texas with Stuart Sullivan. Stuart has produced, mixed, or engineered albums by Sublime, Okkervil River, Meat Puppets, etc. Austin, TX- The Frontier Brothers come in peace. Beings from somewhere beyond in outer space, they've entered the realm of our solar system to brighten our musical soundscape. Proofs that garage rock knows no celestial boundaries, the three lads bear guitars for the good of all humankind, to free us from the constraints of the three-chord hook. With their keen extra-melody perception, The Frontier Brothers have crafted an aural manifesto foretelling our future: "Solar Power Struggle!" Disseminated exclusively via Final Frontier Records, SPS! is a generous display of goodwill as we all strive toward tolerance and inter-SOLAR-tary harmony. From the initial pulsating beat looping beneath "Jump Blues", The Frontier Brothers signal for our attention with a form of Morse code. Then lead singer Marshall Galactic's voice bellows in with a rebel rousing yell befitting of our time. Suddenly we are at attention and transfixed by the jangley rock and psychedelic guitar-strumming streaming through the five-track EP. By the time T.E.S.S. "TechnicalElectronicSupersonicRobot" arrives we are fully enraptured in an intergalactic dance party. Born in space, razed in Fort Worth, and now regenerating in Austin, The Frontier Brothers have only just arrived, yet early notices are truly something for the E.T.s to phone home about. "The Frontier Brothers cover the wicked terrain between The Beach Boys and The Kinks with just a touch of mad Syd Barrett," says Vivien Goldman (BBC America). While the Fort Worth Weekly declares, "(The Frontier Brothers) have a love for the pure pleasures of music-making." Individually known as Marshall Galactic, Brett Moses, and Travis Newman, TFB craft a new breed of danceable indie-pop inspired by artists ranging from David Bowie and ELO to Wilco and Arcade Fire. However you describe them, The Frontier Brothers are simply out of this world. The trio is currently on tour recruiting more terrestrial visionaries for their intergalactic exchange program. The Frontier Brothers- http://www.myspace.com/thefrontierbrothers Cristina Parker- Gorgeous PR Inc. http://www.gorgeouspr.com    Silent Majority Group PR Tantric's "The One" featuring candlebox singer Kevin martin is now available on Itunes! To purchase the new track visit Tantric's Itunes store! Tantric has just recorded acoustic versions of their hits, old and new, and has announced plans to start an innovative plan to continuously deliver new versions of their songs, old and new, to fans every month. Details to be announced soon! Tantric's "Down and Out" is now the number one most requested track on the Sirius Octane Rock 20 countdown. Tantric will be filming footage for a new video of "Down and Out" as well as a forthcoming Documentary DVD at their April 24th show in LA at the Key Club. Candlebox's new single "Stand" will be at radio in mid-late May and their first studio album in years titled "Into The Sun" will be available everywhere in mid July. A national tour will kick off in June. Look for new music and upcoming tour dates at: http://www.myspace.com/candleboxrocks or http://www.silentmajoritygroup.com. The Not So Silent Tour, featuring Tantric, Framing Hanley, and Fosterchild kicks off this week in Texas. Info and dates on the tour can be found at: http://www.myspace.com/notsosilenttour Vayden will be featured on the June leg of the Not So Silent Tour, then they will join Sick Puppies on their Summer tour that starts in early July. Vayden's debut single "Anthem of the used" is at radio now. Check them out at: http://www.myspace.com/vayden Course of Nature will be supporting Hurt on their Summer tour which starts May 2nd in Johnson City, TN. Congratulations to Nashville's Framing Hanley who recently won 5 "Buzzies" at the Nashville Music Awards. Look for the ILG booth at the Rock on the Range show May 17th and 18th to receive a download card for the new SMG 2008 free sampler with new music from Candlebox, Tantric, Framing Hanley, Vayden, Course of Nature, Fosterchild, and Signum. Silent Majority Group http://www.silentmajoritygroup.com.    Under The Black Sails PR JUST ROCK PR PRESS RELEASE UNDER THE BLACK SAILS ANNOUNCE DATES FOR FIRST LEG OF U.S. TOUR KANSAS CITY, MO - KC Punk outfit Under The Black Sails are embarking on U.S. dates to support the release of their new self-titled EP. UTBS quickly and firmly established themselves as one of the area's best live punk bands with a victory at the 2007 Kansas City Punk Wars Championship. With that under their belts, they began writing and recording their debut release, now ready for public dissemination. Information on UNDER THE BLACK SAILS' music and tour dates can be found at: http://www.myspace.com/blacksails    Save My Soul PR Press Release: Record Label to Save Over 100,000 Lives From Malaria With New Album Compact disc release aimed at fighting malaria and increasing awareness about the fatal disease that kills more than one million people every year. For each album sold, the label will procure and distribute 2 insecticide treated mosquito nets in Africa. Bed nets are the most cost effective way to combat malaria. Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) February 7, 2008 -Independent record label releases album Save My Soul - Music To Prevent Malaria, a compilation of songs performed by children affected by malaria. Proceeds from each 21-track disc sold will be used to fight malaria. For every album sold, the label will procure and distribute 2 insecticide-treated mosquito nets in Zambia, Africa, where malaria is a pandemic. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Malaria kills 3,000 children a day. Mosquito nets are the most cost-effective way to prevent this tragedy. Nets are placed over beds to shield people from malaria-carrying mosquitoes, which bite their victims primarily at night. "We plan on saving more than 100,000 lives with this album," said the album's producer, Edward Lyman. Lyman and his crew traveled to Zambia with a group of humanitarians from Los Angeles that distributes free mosquito nets throughout the country. "We followed the group to Africa, initially filming a documentary about its efforts. We were inspired by their story and used our resources to create a product that we know is going to save lives," Lyman said. The music compilation showcases the optimistic spirit of children living in extreme poverty. "To record this live album, we set up our microphones on location in bush camps, remote villages, orphanages, tribes, places of worship and inner cities." The CD retails at $20 on the Official Save My Soul - Music to Prevent Malaria Website. The record label, Sonicwave(TM) Media, LLC, will procure and distribute 2 nets for every album sold. Website- http://www.savemysoulcd.com    Holly Long PR Singer-Songwriter Holly Long Digs Deep Leaving Kansas Long Pulls From Life Experience To Create Gripping Record Nashville, Tenn.- As her own heroine, Holly Long tells a realistic and unapologetically frank story in every one of the thirteen tracks on her latest release, Leaving Kansas, available April 15, 2008. Reminiscent of Annie Lennox, Sheryl Crow, Sarah McLachlan and Fiona Apple, Long's piano-infused album is the epitome of candid beauty. Her songs, all self-penned, are like personal conversations with her favorite people and private moments with the ones she loves. A grace and effortless poise ties the music together; the tracks weave in and out of soulful gospel and quiet poetics. Regardless of the song's tempo or subject, Long's conviction bleeds from every line. Mortality and redemption are central themes on Leaving Kansas and, like all good writers, Long draws from personal experience. After becoming ill with what she initially thought was the flu, Long was diagnosed with Endocarditis, a severe heart infection. The infection soon wreaked havoc on her entire body and she fell into a coma. The coma, which lasted a week, forced her to begin the process of rebuilding her strength. She began reconditioning her muscles and relearning how to walk, putting her resiliency to the test. On Leaving Kansas, Long contributes the same strength she used to recover from illness to her songwriting, and the incident seems to have removed all shades of fear from her craft. She uses the near death experience to humbly offer up the entirety of herself for her art. Her sentiments echo through the song, "Excess" where she refuses to find herself "dying from an excess of no living." In 2000, shortly after her recovery, she released City Girl, a record that illustrated her determination to free herself from something still so close and so raw. The record was met with critical adoration. Every Little Seam, City Girl’s follow-up, came four years later and drew from her new family, especially her young daughter Josephine. Today, Long lives in Venice, California, known as a hangout for the creative and the artistic, with her husband, concept creator of the ABC hit television show, Lost. As a mother, a wife and an artist, Long finds herself invigorated by the everyday, genuine love around her. "He and I," written for her son, Truman, is one of the most personal tracks onLeaving Kansas and illustrates the closeness of their relationship. Leaving Kansas is Long's third full-length release. For this project Long compiled a stellar production team to help achieve her sonic aspirations, including respected music producer Anthony J.W. Benson, renowned recording engineer Ian Terry (David Bowie, Diana Krall, Leonard Cohen) and mastering wiz Dominick Maita (Fall Out Boy, Jewel, Curtis Stigers). The results of their collective efforts and years of experience are evident in their organic approach and the intimacy of the recording. Like the music of the muses, Holly Long is able to take any listener away with her, captivating us with her enticing stories of love and life. Long’s voice is smooth, inviting and comfortable-at moments powerful, strong and committed and at other times vulnerable, seductive and real. In Leaving Kansas, Long inspires, hypnotizes and asks the listener to trust her, and the captivated are happy to oblige. http://www.hollylong.com http://www.myspace.com/hollylongmusic Patrick Steven Patterson- Lotos Nile Media.    Dick Prall PR FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Jill Katona at Paperwork Media jill@paperworkmedia.com CHICAGO (April 2008) - Dick Prall will be touring the Midwest with New Yorkers Pete Francis and Matt Pond PA at the end of this month. After recently signing with Authentic Records - based in his home state of Iowa - Chicago's own Dick Prall is capitalizing on his growing following nationwide. His much-anticipated album, Weightless, evokes Ryan Adams and late Beatles, but is grounded by Prall's own "porch pop" genre of beautiful pop melodies inflected with a solid rock foundation. Musical great Glen Phillips (Toad the Wet Sprocket) is featured on the album's single, "The Cornflakes Song," as well as "If It Bends," with vocal harmonies that match perfectly with Prall's melodies. "Halfway To Hollywood" and "B&W" are currently live show favorites and bring out the album's essence: the venting of untold life stories that have weighed heavily on him for the last three albums. Now that he has achieved master storyteller status, Dick Prall is finally, at long last, weightless. "Brooklyn band Matt Pond PA has carefully built a catalog of pleasantly jangling, classically crafted guitar- and cello-driven tunes. With a new album, Several Arrows Later, and three songs on the O.C. soundtrack, the band may soon shake off two persistent labels: 'chamber pop' and 'under the radar.' Singer-songwriter Matt Pond took a moment to discuss his juvenile delinquency, his dalliance with the french horn, and how he narrowly escaped his mom's dream of a family band." -New York Magazine Pete Francis is an NYC-based singer-songwriter who began his career with the band DISPATCH. Over a decade, the 3 members of Dispatch released 4 studio albums, a live CD, and a DVD under their own label, Bomber Records. They gained dedicated fans without the assistance of a major record company and became pioneers in the music industry, playing to capacity at major venues across the country and selling more than 600,000 albums. In 2004 Dispatch celebrated a remarkable eight-year run by performing a farewell show in Boston, MA. Over 110,000 fans were in attendance, making it the largest independent music event in history. In 2007, the band reunited at Madison Square Garden in New York City playing three sold-out nights benefiting charities to combat famine, disease, and social injustice in Zimbabwe. They made history once again as the first independent band to headline the Garden. For upcoming tour dates: http://www.dickprall.com http://www.mattpondpa.com    Evil Maria PR NEO-SIXTIES GARAGE BAND EVIL MARIA RELEASES FIRST ALBUM Self-Titled Album 'Evil Maria' Released Through Spill Records LOS ANGELES, - After releasing and touring behind three CDs on his Spill Records label, singer/songwriter and guitarist Evren Goknar named his rock band Evil Maria for his fourth release. Their music is best characterized as neo-sixties garage pop, infusing edgy rock elements with pop and early new wave. Bands such as Elvis Costello and The Attractions, The Kinks, The Pixies, and Nirvana influence their music. Add in his clever lyrics and strong melodies and you get "inherently catchy, consistently enjoyable and melodically proficient" songs as described by Performing Songwriter Magazine. Evil Maria's sound is framed by the pumping and driving rhythm section of Pete Finestone (Bad Religion) on drums and June Kato on bass. The Farfisa organ adds a certain "B horror film vibe" to the album. Finally, Evren's vulnerable and resonant voice creates a familiar sense of empathy in the listener as he rants and croons his way through the stories and observations in the songs. Spill Records' fourth release, 'Evil Maria', is filled with brooding melodies in minor keys, and embellished with poignant vocal harmonies. The album is packed with eleven radio-ready songs containing wry observations of Los Angeles/Hollywood urban life in the new millennium. The songs tackle a range of subjects including the Hollywood dream machine, illegal immigration, love lost and broken, and profiles of compelling characters. For example, "Along the Way" explores the machinations and remorse of a serial killer, "California" is a story about the hopes that drive an immigrant to risk his life, "Hand of God" examines the Hollywood myth of life transformation from ordinary to celebrity, "Kiss Your Scars" suggests that we let go of past pains and press on amidst life's constant changes. When asked why he named the band Evil Maria, Evren says, "It is a reference to the 1927 Fritz Lang film 'Metropolis'. The heroine in the film is named Maria and she is the voice of workers who toil underground, below the metropolis to keep it running for the king. As the workers become rebellious, the king conspires with a scientist to make a cyborg version of Maria to deceive the workers and thwart a revolt. I refer to the cyborg as Evil Maria. To me, independent musicians are like those workers, toiling to be true to one Maria (our artistic vision), while avoiding the misleading temptations of a false one." http://www.myspace.com/evilmariatheband L E G A C Y MEDIA RELATIONS http://www.MySpace.com/legacymediarelations    Brittney Elizabeth PR FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Brittney Elizabeth Breathes Emotional Truth Into The Soundtracks To Some Of Your Favorite Television Shows Hollywood, CA -Fresh, young singer/songwriter Brittney Elizabeth has become the go-to-gal for setting the musical backdrop to some of television's most talked about programs, with a pair of songs from her debut album, Breathe In finding their way onto nearly a dozen television series. Music Supervisors have gone positively Elizabethan, lusting over the songs, "Last Song For You" and "Los Angeles With Open Arms", both co-written by the 20-year old singer and scheduled to lend their emotional impact to an impressive array of shows including upcoming MTV’s The Real World: Hollywood, The Paper, My Super Sweet 16, Engaged and Underage, The Diary Series, Trick It Out, Cribs, High School Stories, Newport Harbor and True Life. Other shows that will be including Brittney's songs include Lifetime Television's American Psychic Challenge, E! Entertainment Television’s top rated show Keeping Up with the Kardashians and Oxygen Network's Bad Girls Club. Musical placement on TV, especially on the pop cultural institution MTV, has become the recording industry's most sought after commodity. Television is the "new" radio, becoming THE place to be heard for any artist looking to break in the marketplace. With labels and artists vying for airtime, Elizabeth's achievement is all the mightier having risen to the top of the stack without major label backing. The talented young singer's debut release, "Breathe In" is a songbook of poetry and prose revealing the wishes, dreams and heartache of a girl coming of age. Elizabeth's voice rises over poignant confessionals that cut straight to the heart - delving directly into the core of the relationship dynamics. At once sassy and sexy, but also refined and idealistic, Brittney Elizabeth's music captures the very essence of young womanhood. And very soon, she will be heard broadcasting from sets in homes throughout American neighborhoods. Please welcome Brittney Elizabeth into your living rooms - a breath of fresh air in music today. http://www.myspace.com/brittneyelizabeth19 Cristina Parker- Gorgeous PR Inc.    Mind Drop PR Already topping the IAC Hard Rock Charts and Cashbox Magazine Charts with their singles "Situations" and "Monster", Mind Drop is kicking ass and taking names. Mind Drop has been nominated for a 2008 IAIA Golden Kayak award for "Monster" which is the most prestigious award an unsigned band can acheive. Comprised of Tim Bourbon (Vocals), Adam Deases (Guitar), Chris Ruzic (Bass) and Robert Bull (Drums), Mind Drop has already completed a three song EP with plans to release another four song EP this May. They can best be described as a mix of Nu Metal beat over the head by Old School Metal, but don't think that means they don't offer their own, unique mix to the hard rock/metal genre.Mind Drop has shared the stage with bands such as FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, Oblige, OTEP and ANEW REVOLUTION. Be sure to check them out live this Spring and listen to their current single "Situations" and "Monster" at: http://www.myspace.com/minddropband    Wyman Records PR Win Free Recording Time With Mixer - Producer - Engineer Jeff Kanan. Submit now and be The Last Band Standing! Go to http://www.wymanrecords.com to enter! First Place Receives 3 Songs / 5 Days at Wyman Records Studio to Record and Mix a Professional Demo! Second Place Receives 1 Day / 10 Hours in the Studio. Third Place Gets 50% Off One Day at Wyman Records Studio. All Entries Receive 20% till 12/31/08 On 5/1/08 Ten Bands Will Be Chosen. These Top Bands Will Have 2 Weeks to Spread the Word and Get Their Fans to Vote For Them. Wyman Records: http://www.wymanrecords.com http://www.myspace.com/wymanrecords http://www.myspace.com/wymanstudio    Disc Makers PR Disc Makers and Penton Media Team Up to Present 2008 Seminar Series for Indie Musicians and Bands Music industry heavyweights combine forces to present twenty-seven free seminars in 8 U.S. cities and Puerto Rico over the next 6 months PENNSAUKEN, NJ - April 4th, 2008 - Disc Makers, the nation's leading independent media manufacturer, is teaming up with Penton Media, leading publisher of Mix, Remix, and Electronic Musician magazines, to present a series of seminars for indie musicians and bands that will take place throughout 2008 across the United States. The seminars, featuring a variety of topics and expert speakers from Disc Makers and Penton's magazines, will take place starting next month (April 16-23), continue during the summer (June 16-27) and later into the fall (September 22-October 3) in the nine cities where Disc Makers has local store fronts - New York, Philadelphia / South Jersey, Nashville, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Berkeley / San Francisco, Seattle, and Puerto Rico. Topics for this year's seminars include... Spring: "Sounding Your Best: Mastering Tips and Techniques from the Pros." Summer: "Designing for Success: Packaging & On-Disc Design Ideas" Fall: "Marketing for Musicians: Serious Marketing Tips for Serious Musicians" Disc Makers and Penton Media developed this series of instructional seminars to help musicians and bands further their musical career, and to learn about the most efficient and effective ways to execute their CD and DVD projects. The events allow participants to meet and greet Disc Makers representatives and Penton's magazine editors, and to learn from the pros about topics ranging from mastering and design to marketing, promotion and distribution. All seminars are free and open to the public, and will begin at 7:00pm local time. Space is limited and early signup is encouraged. To register for a seminar, or to get seminar location addresses, visit http://www.discmakers.com/request/seminar.asp or call 1-866-534-3610. For additional information about the Disc Makers and Penton Media Seminar Series for 2008, a listing of the locations, and a listing of the topics and speakers, http://www.discmakers.com/request/seminar.asp.   All Crazy PR FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Philadelphia based band All Crazy Releases New Album "Sex, Drugs, and Hip-Rock" Philadelphia, PA--Philly's own premier "hip-rock" band All Crazy is an appealing crossover mixture of rock and hip-hop that is gaining momentum and pulling in a large audience with their charismatic performances along the east coast. On March 1st, their new video for their first hit single, "Wrong Time," debuted on Facebook and You Tube and have received over 11,000 hits within a month. Their loyal fan base is helping to make the band more visible with thousands of views of the video and healthy CD sales of their latest release, "Sex, Drugs, and Hip-Rock". Since the band's formation, All Crazy has been working for the past year to bring the spirit of brotherly love back to its native city. Comprised of Billy "Godfather" Pounds (a rock guitarist who's been playing on the Philly scene since he was 16), Marquise "Dimes" Fordham (a jazz musician who learned to play drums in his local church), Kenneth "Big Soup" Worley (a smoothly dressed MC who owns a barbershop in North Philly), Geoff "Limbs" Lyman (a heavy metal bass player and music producer from Drexel Hill) and Adam "Shalom Skinny" Serlin (a classically trained violinist and the band’s resident pretty boy), All Crazy has managed to channel rock, hip-hop, blues, soul, gospel, and (yes, even) classical influences to form their very own genre of music: hip-rock. All Crazy's musical style of hip-rock is a unique blend of rock melodies and hip-hop beats that feature funky base lines, guitar driven rock, an electric violinist and it is all set to hip-hop vocals that demand a rabid following that is currently spreading and will continue to grow thanks to the new video and the grassroots marketing in place on the Internet. All Crazy is equal parts partiers, socially conscious poets and musical innovators that start a fire in the hearts of their fans at live performances. People attending their concerts dance and sing all the words to their songs by memory, let their hair down and become one with the band and the All Crazy family. Recent live performances in Philadelphia, New York and Boston have given them a reputation that is putting them on the map very quickly in the hearts and minds of the twenty something college audiences along the East Coast. Visit the All Crazy Myspace page for a sample of their work and get updates and performance dates on a regular basis. Do not forget to check out their new video for "Wrong Time," and see for yourself what All Crazy can do to get your blood pumping and feet moving. Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/allcrazyphilly You Tube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMeFkP0qEwQ Contact: Chip Schutzman- Company: Miles High Productions    Arts Alliance America PR CONTACT:Jill Goldstein or Maggie Cortes at J.Goldstein PR (212) 463-7300 or maggie@jgoldsteinpr.com ARTS ALLIANCE AMERICA Announces the DVD release of THE PIED PIPER OF HUTZOVINA Featuring Eugene Hutz of Gogol Bordello "Gogol Bordello is an underground phenomenon."- The New York Times "There couldn't be a better ambassador for gypsy music's infectious appeal.Hutz draws a crowd no matter what he does."-The Times "Hutz's epic odyssey to explore the land and music of his Ukrainian forebears is actually fantastic."- Time Out "Moving, Funny, Insightful, Inspiring" - Esquire New York, NY (March,2008)- In the summer of 2004, on a car journey in Eastern Europe, Pavla Fleischer met and fell in love with Eugene Hutz, lead singer of the New York-based Gypsy Punk band Gogol Bordello. Captivated by his energy and his musical verve, and desperate to get to know him better, she decided to make a film about him. The Pied Piper of Hutzovina follows Eugene and Pavla on their subsequent road trip through Eugene's' home country, Ukraine. The film is the story of two people traveling together on two very different courses. Her aim is to rediscover a forgotten romance; his is to rediscover his roots. She hopes to find love on the road; he hopes to find musical inspiration from the gypsy culture he is determined to preserve. The Pied Piper of Hutzovina is an intimate portrait of a filmmaker with a passion for her subject, and a punk musician with a longing to revisit his past. The journey, which tests their relationship and challenges their perceptions of the music they both love. The Pied Piper of Hutzovina will be released onto DVD by Arts Alliance America on April 15, 2008 for a suggested retail price of $19.95. The DVD includes over an hour bonus features that include: Minidoc Music Clips, the music video "Start Wearing Purple," Theatrical Trailer and Pilot Promo. Eugene Hutz's band Gogol Bordello is part of a musical phenomenon that bridges the gap between Eastern European and Gypsy influence with Western culture. This new direction in music is described by Hutz as, "Transglobal Gypsy Punk Rock." Gogol Bordello's live shows and Hutz's captivating and unpredictable stage presence has earned them invitations to some of the world's most progressive venues including The Whitney Museum in New York, The Tate Modern in London, and the Venice Biennale in Italy. As a musician Eugene's success has risen from cult status as a local band to international stardom. Eugene has appeared on the Jools Holland show and has had his story told in a half hour documentary piece on BBC Radio 1. He has featured in articles in all manner of publications, from newspapers such as The Times and The Guardian to weekly magazines and specialist music publications, like Rolling Stone. Filmmaker Pavla Fleischer discovered documentary filmmaking in 2003. Her first film, the award-winning Blues by the Beach (2003), in collaboration with Israeli filmmaker Joshua Faudem, is a portrait of life under constant terror in modern Israel, and has been screened at festivals worldwide. Since The Pied Piper of Hutzovina, she has been focusing on documentary filmmaking with themes of music and ethnography. She has also made a short fiction film, Tulips and Raspberries (2006), which has been selected for a number of festivals. Arts Alliance America Arts Alliance America (AAA), is part of Arts Alliance Media (AAM), Europe's leading provider of digital film distribution services to the cinema, home and entertainment industry. Arts Alliance America, formerly Hart Sharp Video, was founded in 2003 by Joe Amodei to develop, acquire, market and distribute DVD product in the theatrical feature film, documentaries, special interest and sports categories. The company has built partnerships with Sundance Channel Home Entertainment, ESPN, MLB Productions, Bombo Sports and Entertainment, TV Guide and NESN and other high profile entertainment brands since their inception. Some upcoming AAA releases include: "Heavy Metal In Baghdad," the ground-breaking doc from VBS-TV, that follows the Iraqi heavy metal band Acrassicauda from the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 to present day; "East LA Marine," the full-length feature film that tells the captivating story of WWII Marine Guy Gabaldon who single-handedly captured over 1500 Japanese during the bloody battle of Saipan; "Never Forever," a melodrama about passion and forbidden love, starring award-winning actress Vera Farmiga and, "Blessed: Still We Believe II", a thrilling tribute film dedicated to The Boston Red Sox' most recent history-changing seasons. For more information please visit http://www.artsallianceamerica.com PIED PIPER HUTZOVINA Available on DVD April 15, 2008 Order Date: March 11, 2008 By Arts Alliance America Suggested Retail Price: $19.95 Running Time: 65 Minutes plus over an hour of Bonus Footage Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0_Or6lQqyo    Two Side Moon Promotions PR SHANNON - ANGEL IN DISGUISE Release Date - 28/03/2008 MySpace:http://www.myspace.com/artitservice French melodic hard rockers SHANNON are impressively back with their long awaited 2nd full length album. Shannon are delivering a perfect blend of west coast inspired US hard rock and NWOBHM that fans of the genres will surely go for. Mighty melodies, powerful riffing and forward pushing beats - that's what Shannon stand for. 'The best and most autheic LA hard rock album from France that ever has found the way into my player- a must for all fans of Dokken, Danger Danger, Hurricane etc...' Andreas Schowe Rock It/Metal Hammer GHOST CIRCUS - ACROSS THE LINE Release Date - 08/04/2008 http://www.progrockrecords.com Ghost Circus return with their stunnig second album 'Across The Line' which is a concept album following one man's path from death to the hereafter; a ghost story from a unique perspective. Combining elements of AOR and Progressive Rock, there is so much to enjoy with the album. Significant equipment upgrades to both studios has allowed for a wider and more accurate expression of the duos' unusual musical vision. 'Across The Line' proves that Ghost Circus has melded into a cohesive blend of the eclectic talents of Chris Brown and Ronald Wahle. The sound is huge and poweful and Ghost Circus are truly    Metal Queen Management Betty Dworatschek- Metal Queen Management- Management, Promotions, Publicity http://www.MetalQueenMgmt.ca FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: BLIND RACE & AFTERMATH - DOUBLE CD RELEASE PARTY SATURDAY APRIL 26- THE OPERA HOUSE 735 QUEEN STREET EAST AFTERMATH Releasing Self-Titled "Aftermath" (Independent, April 26 2008) **on at 10:00 p.m. Aftermath is the reason true old school metal will never die! Remaining true to their roots, Aftermath's music has evolved into a hard-hitting heavy weight that never stops! To see Aftermath live, you will notice two things, these guys will never quit, even when you are gasping for a new breath of air, they are quickly slamming you with another tune, keeping you hooked to their raw energy and awe inspiring music. Members, Chris Mathews (vocals), Tim Lessard (guitarist), Joel Dwyer (guitarist), Craig Ross (bassist) and Adam McLaughlin (drums) ruptured onto the Toronto scene in 2001 as Aftermath, influenced by old heavy metal warhorses such as Ozzy Osbourne, Alice in Chains and Metallica. Their debut E.P. entitled "Firebringer" was a raw production that saw the band shape into their sound. Aftermath recently won the MQM Metal Band Competition held in Toronto on January 18, 2008. Eric Alper of Koch Entertainment, Aaron Small of Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles/Metal Maniacs and Richard Tanana of Caustic Truths/Heavy Metal Music Biz judged the MQM Metal Band Competition. "Aftermath", which Aftermath is releasing on April 26, 2008 at The Opera House, 735 Queen Street East, Toronto (appearing at 10:00 p.m.), blends passionate vocals with gnashing drums to forge a disc overflowing with pulse-pounding scorching solos, adding vocal harmonies to their repertoire. With standout tracks like "Blood Uncle", "This Is Our life" and "Just Another Kill", the music of Aftermath progresses to no end and appeals to metal fans and non-metal fans alike. Official Website: http://www.aftermathmetal.com BLIND RACE RELEASING "SEEING RED" (12 Songs, Independent, April 26 2008)**on at 11:00 p.m. Blind Race started with the dream and the need to express beliefs, experiences and feelings through music. "Seeing Red" gives you the amazing words that engulf a range of musical style that is one to Blind Race. You will be mesmerized with the soft heartfelt acoustic sounds and velvet vocals and then thrown onto a metal pedal-stool with their trembling riffs and shattering screams. Blind Race means not being able to see what we are doing to one another, as well as not being able to see where we are going. The title track entitled "Seeing Red" puts forth the band's views on mankind's being. Songs like "Retaliate" send messages to be stronger and have discipline. The band takes on a more mature attitude in life, on how to move forward, and make the world a better place. Some deeper messages are in "Looking Down On Me" that expresses glorification and manipulation. Zakk Wylde shred like guitars compliment the music throughout! "Seeing Red" also includes a cover to Cream's "Sunshine of your love" and a tribute to Dimebag Darrell entitled "Cold As Death". Brothers, Costas (guitar) and Stelios (drums) Kentros, Tommy Geraldes (vocals) and George Ceron (bass) joined together in late 2005 and began writing and then recording. With almost two full length CD's mastered and close to 50 other songs in the process of being completed (song writing monsters!), the band releases the first CD "Seeing Red" a compilation of their favorite original songs to date. Bands like Pantera, Stone Sour, System of a Down, Alice in Chains, Mudvayne, Godsmack and Ozzy Osbourne influence Blind Race's unique sounds. 12 songs on the CD 1 cover "Sunshine of your love" by Cream and one tribute "Cold As Death" to Dimebag. Come checkout what the hype is about! Blind Race is ready for you! Blind Race Official Website: http://www.myspace.com/blindraceinc Blind Race's & Aftermath's supporting bands will be: Man The Destroyer http://www.myspace.com/manthedestroyer Steve Hill- http://www.myspace.com/thestevehill and guest @ The Opera House, 735 Queen Street East, Toronto Saturday, April 26 $12 with ticket; $15 at the door includes 1 free CD; additional CDs are $5 Doors at 8 pm19+ only Tickets available from any band or contact info@metalqueenmgmt.ca    Admiral Twin PR ADMIRAL TWIN FEATURED IN PASTE RECOMMENDS Admiral Twin has received the great honor of being selected in Paste Magazine's coveted "Paste Recommends." Being a part of this program allows the three-piece from Tulsa to be featured at the Paste Recommends listening stations at 56 of the nation's leading independent record stores. Also included in this month's class are Bon Iver, Jon Forman, Allison Moorer, and eight others. This month's list can be seen at http://www.pastemagazine.com/recommends along with a list of participating stores. "It's a great feeling to be a part of a magazine that you've been reading for years," states Mike Flatt, the band's manager. "We realize that this market is perfect for the band, and hope that Paste readers will enjoy Center of the Universe. We have high hopes for Admiral Twin, and know this promotion will be a great launching point for the album." Admiral Twin is an alternative pop-rock trio known for their harmony-infused, three-minute rock explosions and eccentric pop experimentation. Center of the Universe is the band's fifth release, and it's first on the Pop Collective label. Paste Magazine is one of the fastest growing independently published entertainment magazines in the country, recently named "Magazine of the Year" at the 2007 PLUG Independent Music Awards for the second year in a row. Providing thoughtful analysis on the best in film, books and other aspects of popular (and alternative) culture, Paste is the premier magazine for people who still enjoy discovering new music, prize substance and songcraft over fads and manufactured attitude, and appreciate quality music in whatever genre it might inhabit. Now in their sixth year, Paste has grown quickly with international distribution in over 12 countries. Paste is available on newsstands all over the U.S. and Canada. For more information or to schedule an interview, contact: Lori Lenz - Biscuit PR lori@biscuitpr.com http://www.popcollective.com http://www.admiraltwin.com    Cinema Cinema PR We are proud to announce the release of our new EP. It's a soundtrack record. A truth based play & a relic/monument to what was the 1st great tragedy of the place we so proudly call our home, BROOKLYN. It was written with congruous intention to the following facts: On the night of December 5, 1876, over 300 people (including some of the actors) who had come to see the popular actress Kate Claxton in "The Two Orphans" died in a fire that engulfed the Brooklyn Theatre. The L-shaped theatre built in 1871, occupied a large portion of the Johnson Street block front. Started by a kerosene lamp, that swept up the ceiling and turned the auditorium into an inferno. The theatre had no fire escapes and only 5 narrow exits. Finally, someone shouted "FIRE"!! It is available at any/all digital distributors you choose - Itunes, Emusic, Rhapsody, Amazon, Napster, etc...(the ITUNES link is on our site and myspace) or come out to one of the upcoming shows and the old-fashioned hard copies will be available...the price? your attention for & true want of the 16 minutes of sound on the record. The art we make is not commerce nor are our feelings commodity...but a game is a game because it plays you and you play it and it plays you and you play along, like air and the number zero and the last night on earth and the bell jar and a view from a bridge. We have released it on our own new label - THE LUMIERE LABEL...and will be having a kickoff show for the label in April at Bar Matchless (rather than a lame-o overrated needless "release party" for the record alone, the music is the celebration and our ego's are big enough) moving fwd there will be more news and reviews and madness as it all ensues again, cinema is in flux! http://cinemacinemaband.com/ http://www.myspace.com/cinematwice    Disc Makers PR FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Disc Makers Kicks Off 2008 Independent Music World Series with More Prizes, New Sponsors & Exposure for Indie Artists Disc Makers' premier showcase, with over $250,000 in cash & prizes, gives independent artists the opportunity to play for top industry professionals in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Atlanta PENNSAUKEN, NJ - March 27, 2008 - Disc Makers, the nation's leading independent CD manufacturer, is kicking off their 13th annual Independent Music World Series (IMWS), the biggest installment yet of the nation's longest running and most successful indie music showcase series. Over 5,000 bands are expected to enter the 2008 IMWS, and Disc Makers has sweetened this year's pot by elevating the total prize package to over $250,000 in cash and prizes. The IMWS consists of four showcase events in four major U.S cities (2008 cities include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta). Each regional event features six acts selected as finalists by the editors of Billboard Magazine. The six finalists in each showcase compete for the grand prize in front of music industry professionals at some of the hottest live music venues in America, such as the Knitting Factory in Los Angeles and Crash Mansion in New York. "The Independent Music World Series is all about helping artists make it on their own," commented Tony van Veen, President of Disc Makers. "We're looking for the best original artists in the U.S. Unlike other events that reward just a great voice or a good song, the IMWS is about the whole package: originality, great songwriting, and the artist’s on-stage performance. Between the opportunity to network and be noticed by industry insiders and win enough gear to outfit their own home studio, the showcase slots at the IMWS offer independent artists’ careers a shot in the arm like no other opportunity today." The four regional IMWS winners will claim a grand prize package worth over $50,000 that includes world-class gear from leading manufacturers, recording time in select studios, and cash. Furthermore, each act chosen to perform at the four showcases (24 acts total) will receive $1,000 in cash and gear from selected sponsors. This year's grand prize package features everything independent musicians need for a career boost including a complete CD manufacturing package, post-production sweetening, and promotional posters and T-shirts from Disc Makers, a Digital Studio Workstation from Zoom Audio, studio recording software from Cakewalk, professional Shure microphones, Ibanez guitars and basses, a drum kit from Tama, Electric Guitar andElectric Bass Strings from Dean Markley, Remo drumheads, a Sabian cymbal package, and a year-longmembership to TAXI. Additional event partners include Samson Audio, Sonicbids, Billboard, Electronic Musician, Remix and Drum! magazine. The IMWS is open to all musicians not currently signed to a major record label. All styles and genres of music are welcome. Past winning genres and their winners include: Singer Songwriter (Amber deLaurentis, Chinua Hawk), Hard Rock (Dirty Power), Punk/Pop (Bang Sugar Bang), Pop Rock (Plain Jane Automobile, Rich Creamy Paint), Hip Hop (The Urban Sophisticates, BurnDown All-Stars, Dura Hale), Electronic Pop Rock (Brice Woodall), Jazz (Orbert Davis), Bluegrass Rock (Rose's Pawn Shop), Rock (Shipwreck Union), Salsa (Bio Ritmo), Country/American (Deadman), Jam (Gamble Brothers Band). Registration is now open for this year's showcase series at: http://www.discmakers.com/imws. Submissions must be postmarked by May 14th, 2008. Press Contact: Jessica Darrican Max Borges Agency jessicadarrican@maxborgesagency.com    Cherry Poppin' Daddies PR FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MARCH 19, 2008 MULTI-PLATINUM SELLING CHERRY POPPIN' DADDIES ARE BACK WITH A NEW ALBUM, "SUSQUEHANNA"; ALBUM SET FOR RELEASE JUNE 10, 2008 ON DADDIES' OWN SPACE AGE BACHELOR PAD RECORDS Eugene, Oregon's horn-heavy, genre-bending eight-piece act Cherry Poppin' Daddies will be releasing their sixth full-length recording, "Susquehanna" (Space Age Bachelor Pad Records) nationally on June 10, 2008. After selling two-million copies of "Zoot Suit Riot: The Swingin' Hits of..." and dominating the swing and ska revivals in both the mainstream press and commercial radio, Cherry Poppin' Daddies eventually parted ways with Mojo Records/Universal Music after Universal sold Mojo Records to Jive/Zomba (home of Britney Spears, N'Sync, Backstreet Boys) and retreated into the regional iconoclasm of the Pacific Northwest. During their hiatus band members spent time with families, finished college degrees, and imagined what might be their response, if any, to an increasingly orthodox, cynically targeted pop landscape. With a major network TV show, "So You Think You Can Dance", still playing Zoot Suit Riot, the hit that made Cherry Poppin' Daddies a household name, the group entered the studio to begin work on what would become "Susquehanna". Written mostly in 2007, "Susquehanna" brings together the Daddies West Coast and Latin influences: flamenco, greaser rock, swing, ska, glam, and soca - to name a few. Named after a muddy, flood-prone river in upstate New York; the Susquehanna, on which front man Steve Perry grew up, the album is a story of memory and time, a tale of losses, love, doubt, and fatigue. But as the end of the record approaches, there is grace and gratitude. Surprisingly, the albums stylistic diversity emerges as a bittersweet thematic unity upon its close. Like its predecessors, "Susquehanna" revisits facets of the group's oeuvre, ranging from the familiar ("White Trash Toodle-oo" begins with the same type of Krupa-joins-Motorhead tom intro heard on 1989's "Dr. Bones") to areas where the musicians might well have had to reach for their compasses. Opener "Bust Out" begins with a blast of trumpets and Spaghetti Western guitar, like a sonic inverted-exclamation mark at the start of the record. A nod to the Rock En Espanol of bands like Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, the tune explores what Perry sees as an important strand of pop music¹s future tapestry. "My prediction is that in 30 years, American pop will owe a huge debt to world sensibilities", he says, "these I wanted to explore and potentially boil down to some fundamental building blocks that might lead toward a new, more international style." "Mongoose and the Snake" might be the Daddies' first stab at Psychobilly, while "Julie Grave" picks up on a glittery vibe first attempted in a previous single by The Daddies, "Diamond Light Boogie" ("Soul Caddy", 2000). "Roseanne" frames Leonard Cohen-esque lyrics in flamenco guitar and percussion sounded by real dancing feet, altogether a lovely and dark meditation on the sway of sex and its proximity to dissolution and death. "Wing Tips" will feel most comfortable to neo-swingers; that is until the Mel Brooks reminiscent chorus continues " ...Black Socks/And Diaper". Despite its melange of styles, "Susquehanna" is lyrically perhaps the band's most cohesive. "I guess I hoped for each song as a chapter in a modernist novel", Perry says of the record, "like James Joyce's, Ulysses, where the literary style/genre that each chapter is written in is radically different. So a pop album, disjointed and maybe even jarring, in style and structure, but thematically coherent". So does he think such an approach will succeed in the age of YouTube? "Its a little ambitious, I suppose, but you know, why not shoot for something special? You only live once. I've been trying to do a version of this with my genre experiments for five albums. I think this one feels the most right." Following the release of "Susquehanna", the Cherry Poppin' Daddies will be hitting the road throughout the summer and fall, and into winter, reminding fans that they're alive and well. And "Susquehanna" proves they're as entertaining, thoughtful and energetic as ever. Alex Steininger In Music We Trust (PR, label, zine)    Jason Ricci and New Blood PR Artist: Jason Ricci and the New Blood Style: Harp Blues/ Jam Band Website:http://www.jasonricci.com In just a few short years, Jason Ricci has compiled a musical resume and Blues credibility that most musicians don't achieve in a lifetime. By the time he was 21, he had won the Sonny Boy Blues Society contest, had performed on the main stage at the King Biscuit Blues Festival, been featured on the Memphis evening news, and had worked with Susan Tedeschi, Billy Gibson, and Bobby Little. Before you knew it, Jason was gigging with Jr. Kimbrough's son, David, and frequently performed with Junior himself as well as with R.L Burnside in clubs throughout the South. During this period Jason recorded Down at the Juke with Kinney Kimbrough. After Junior's death, Jason returned home to Portland, ME and formed a band with guitarist Nick Curran. A year later, Jason won the Mars National Harmonica Contest, beating out over 1,000 contestants, and earned himself the opportunity to perform with the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Hohner harmonicas quickly signed Jason on as an endorsee. After touring nationally with Big Al and the Heavyweights, Jason released a solo album, Feel Good Funk, but he needed new blood to take his music where he wanted it to go. Jason joined with young guitar phenom Shawn Starski, flamboyant Argentine drummer Maki Bergara, and veteran first Beale St. bassist Slim Louis to form, appropriately, Jason Ricci and New Blood. JRNB has been on a rigorous, 300 gig-a-year schedule for a couple years now, thrilling audiences, defying musical genre labeling, and constantly evolving. No two JRNB shows are alike. After one deportation and one retirement, Steve Johnson now supplies an infectious swing on drums, and Todd "Buckweed" Edmunds brings a jazzy funky groove on bass that adds a whole new dimension to the band's sound. The band has released two albums - Live at Checkers and Blood on the Road, and the awards and accolades have flowed in - including the coveted "Muddy Waters Award" for most promising new talent. However, Jason Ricci is no flash in the pan. He is a seasoned, road-tested and proven musician with a fire and passion to take his music to unheard of heights and innovations. He is an inspiration, a rare talent, and is a performer not to be missed. Rocket Number 9 Now available at Amazon, ITunes and most record stores! Tour Dates: March 27-Mobile,AL , 28-Auburn,AL, 29-Macon, GA, April 5-Jacksonville Beach, FL , 6-Cocoa Beach, FL June 8- Hughesville, PA   The Hard Lessons PR Take The Road In Support Of Their Latest Album Release http://www.thehardlessons.com "B & G Sides" WHO: The Hard Lessons (Augie, Ko Ko and The Anvil) are coming to play your town! Fresh off their SPIN Magazine SXSW performance opening for Vampire Weekend (the also played four other amazing shows) The Hard Lessons are tossing away the rule book on the conventional regimen of selling records and are taking an unsullied approach to their upcoming release. The Hard Lessons are in the middle of their second release in a four part series titled "B & G sides." Each CD jacket has special interrelating puzzle-like artwork, while the music will chronicle the day-to-day of modern relationships from both a male and female perspective, as told by the band's male and female vocalists (and songwriters) Augie and Ko Ko. The first record features the songs "See and Be Scene" and "Don't Shake My Tree," written and sung by Augie and Ko Ko, and the second record features "Everything Away", "I Like Your Hair Long" respectively. In a music world forever altered by digital downloading, The Hard Lessons are making record collecting fun again. WHAT: Making a name for themselves performing over 400 sweaty, sexy and dangerous shows alongside acts ranging from Vampire Weekend, Wolfmother to Augustana, Iggy and The Stooges to Rodrigo Y Gabriela, and touring partners OK Go, The Hard Lessons live show is an action packed mess of a Rock N Roll symphony, with songs that flow beautifully from one to the next, and a stage presence that incites crowds to clap and shout along at the top of their lungs. Their newest collection of songs is a stunning, catchy and brilliant follow-up to their celebrated EP debut, Wise Up. WHEN: March 26th 2008 8:00pm WHERE: Roustabout @ The Darkhorse Tavern - State College, PA THE HARD LESSONS "Artist of the Year" - Real Detroit "A racy bash and crash groove, laden in guitar and vocal hooks" - SPIN Magazine Dayna Ghiraldi Big Picture Media Dayna@BigPictureMediaOnline.com   HAARP DVD PR Matt Marcheschi- Total Assault LLC 3272 Motor Ave. Suite G Los Angeles, CA 90034 P: 310-280-3777 AIM: DJtiger008 With the April 1st release of Muse's new live DVD, HAARP, two new clips have been posted here: clip 4- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DmRZNCZ6rc clip 5-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUcBtTdx0dU&feature=related Muse have also set up five special screenings of the new DVD around the country for fans and press to attend which will coincide with the release of the DVD. Muse will release a super-limited HAARP DVD/CD Special Edition containing full video and audio sets from the band's command performances at Wembley Arena on June 16th and 17th 2007. The set also contains a rare set of 3 postcards and exclusive backstage footage of the band. With only 1,000 copies available, this is a must have for any Muse fanatic and is only available online at the Warner Bros. record store! http://store.wbr.com/prod.aspx?sys=wbr&upc=825646968244 Filmed at London's Wembley Stadium on June 17, 2007, the DVD captures the exuberant spectacle of the band performing in front of a sold-out crowd of nearly 75,000 ecstatic fans. The CD features audio from the band’s show on the previous night, June 16th. The power-trio's performance style can be described as a potent blend of Pink Floyd's arresting stage show with the bombast of U2 firing on all cylinders! Both discs include tracks from their latest album, Black Holes and Revelations, including Modern Rock chart hits "Knights of Cydonia," Starlight," and "Supermassive Black Hole."   Mike Montrey PR Press Contact: Water Productions, LLC FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Music and Entertainment, New Jersey: CENTRAL JERSEY SINGER/SONGWRITER/GUITARIST MIKE MONTREY TO RELEASE EAGERLY AWAITED DEBUT SOLO ALBUM A PERFECT REALITY APRIL 19th 2008 Mike Montrey's debut solo release will be commemorated with a launch party on April 19th at The Old Bay, New Brunswick NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY (PHANTOM POWER PRODUCTIONS) March 14, 2008 - Three years after the release of his band Water's last collaborative effort, renowned frontman and inventive guitarist Mike Montrey is set to release his debut solo effort, A Perfect Reality on April 19th, 2008. Mike Montrey is a Singer/Songwriter/Lead Guitarist based out of New Brunswick, New Jersey. Credited with creating a style that is a "melodic achievement," Montrey mixes somber acoustic drones with upbeat saxophone laced grooves and driving guitars, while adding an alt-country feel with thought provoking lyrics. The culmination - a sound that is truly original. "The recording process for A Perfect Reality was completely unique from anything I've done before," says Montrey. "Obviously, it is different when you are in control of the project from start to finish as opposed to a full band weighing in with their opinions. There are positives and negatives to both, but (here) I was better able to evaluate the end result because it's what I intended it to be from the very beginning." The much anticipated A Perfect Reality release will be celebrated with a performance and launch party at The Old Bay, 61-63 Church Street, New Brunswick on April 19th at 10PM. A Perfect Reality features Adam Garnys (saxophones) formerly of New Blood Revival, Rob Smith (drums), John Mangan (bass), Karl Dietel (keyboards) of The Samples, Kim Williams (piano, strings) performed with Bernie Worrell, Garth Hudson and many others and Andy Keenan (pedal steel guitar) of John Eddie fame and Citizen Band Radio. Recorded in Philadelphia, the album was engineered and co-produced by Mike Tarsia. Tarsia, whose credits include work with Billy Preston, Joe Pass and a Grammy Award earned for his engineering work on Patti LaBelle’s Burnin'. Track List: 1. World Full Of Dreams 2. Take Me Down Mississippi 3. Embrace The Darkness 4. A Space Inside My Head 5. Dance Studio (On My Own) 6. Newport, Molasses 7. All Of This And More 8. Care For Me Tomorrow 9. Tin Can 10. Montana's Eyes 11. Mr. Last Night "This album means more than I can say, it is the closest I've come to creating the music that’s in my head." says Montrey. "And I’m astounded by the performances of the others on the album, and how they made these songs what they are." A founding member of the popular jamband Water, Montrey built his own solo band over time, and has performed as a member of The Samples on the 2007 Rehearsing For Life national tour. Montrey has released three studio efforts with Water; The Grass Sun (2002), Dig (2003) and The Spectacular Elevator (2005) which has earned the band and Montrey local acclaim. "Obviously believers in letting their music speak for itself... Singer /Songwriter Mike Montrey - a vocal cross between Bob Weir, Donovan and Dave Matthews – guides (his) talented 5-piece through well constructed songs that embrace country, stoner-jazz, folk, fusion, funk, world beat, rock, reggae, metal, mariachi, samba and soul in a quest for the perfect groove…" reported The Aquarian Weekly on The Spectacular Elevator in April of 2005. Mike Montrey appears regularly at such New Jersey venues as The Old Bay, Harvest Moon and Court Tavern (New Brunswick), The Saint (Asbury Park) and Triumph Brewery (Princeton). More notable appearances include The Stone Pony (Asbury Park), The House of Blues (Dallas, TX, Boston, MA), The Starland Ballroom (Sayreville, NJ), Tipitina's Uptown (New Orleans, LA), Nectar’s (Burlington, VT), Ascot Terrace (Hollywood, CA), Smith’s Old Town (Atlanta, GA), Musikfest (Bethlehem, PA), New Hope Arts Fest (New Hope, PA), Black Potatoe Musi c Fest (Clinton, NJ) and the coveted SXSW Music Fest (Austin, TX). Montrey has also graced stages alongside celebrated artists Jimmy Cliff, The Wailers, Keller Williams, Dickey Betts and more. Currently Montrey can be seen performing locally in support of A Perfect Reality and with The Samples and Water. Beginning on April 19, A Perfect Reality will be available at area retailers Jack's Music in Red Bank and online at cdbaby.com and the iTunes Music Store. For more information… The official Mike Montrey website: http://www.mikemontrey.com   Disc Makers PR Disc Makers launches Green CD/DVD packaging initiative -- Introduces 1,000 CDs in recycled eco-wallets for just $990 Special offer highlights company's 2008 switch to recycled paper and board for its CD and DVD packaging PENNSUAKEN, NJ - March 19, 2008 - Disc Makers, the nation's leading independent media manufacturer, today kicks off its 2008 "Green" initiative with a special eco-friendly packaging offer to musicians of 1,000 CDs in eco-wallets for just $990. At the same time the company announced that as of January 1st 2008 it has switched to chain-of-custody certified recycled paper and board stock for virtually all its CD and DVD packaging materials, including jewel case and DVD inserts, Digipaks, jackets, wallets, and other board products. Eco-wallets are printed on recycled board, and use no plastic in the packaging. The card stock is a hefty 15 pt. for extra quality and durability, and the wallets also include the choice of high-gloss or matte UV coating at no extra charge. The Eco-Wallet offer is just one component of Disc Makers' 2008 Green campaign, a company-wide initiative aimed at reducing the company's carbon footprint and encouraging their customers to choose eco-friendly packaging options. The company's other Green initiatives include: Designing and promoting green products Disc Makers has always been in the forefront of designing and promoting low or no-plastic CD and DVD packaging and making them affordable, mainstream options for their customers. These include eco-wallets, Digipaks and wallets; all manufactured using recycled content with little or no plastic. Recycled paper and board Disc Makers has switched to recycled stock for virtually all the paper and board it prints on. The company uses materials that contain at least 10% post-consumer recycled content. Disc Makers sources all its paper products from mills that procure raw materials from lands that are forested in a sustainable manner, without clear-cutting. Vegetable based inks All printing is done with non-toxic vegetable-based inks. Internal recycling Disc Makers has an aggressive internal recycling program for all waste that can be recycled, including paper trimmings, plastic waste from production overruns or rejects, nickel from CD and DVD stampers, and more. Smaller minimum orders to reduce unused items Disc Makers is also reducing waste by allowing customers to buy products in smaller quantities. Disc Makers' manufacturing facility can produce smaller quantities of replicated products - as low as 300 units. Plus, Disc Makers offers a Short Run Self Service option that allows customers to order smaller duplication orders, even if it's only 50, 10, or even one disc. "At Disc Makers, we are working hard to reduce our carbon footprint and be an industry role model when it comes to making environment-friendly products affordable to our customers," explains Tony van Veen, President of Disc Makers. "Five years ago we made the CD jacket, which contains no plastic and very little board, one of the dominant packaging formats for independent artists. Today we hope our new eco-wallets will be the next format to get market-wide acceptance. It's got the same height and width as a standard jewel case, comes with an optional spine, and contains no plastic, so we're optimistic that it will be well received by independent artists." To learn more about all of Disc Makers' Green initiatives, visit http://www.discmakers.com/community/sustainability. Media Contacts: Ted Miller Max Borges Agency for Disc Makers tedmiller@maxborgesagency.com   OurWorldMusic.Com PR For Immediate Release! Meridian Entertainment OurWorldMusic.com officially debuts premiere Global Digital Distribution and Social Networking Website (March, 2008) OurWorldMusic is the first global digital distributor, social network, and network marketing destination website that allows anyone to build their own global music business!. OurWorldMusic provides a platform and tools for artists and consumers to connect within a right business model, and provides an opportunity to discover, share, promote, and distribute content from around the world, and earn money and free music doing it!. OurWorldMusic specializes in Hip Hop, R&B/Soul, Lounge/Downbeat, Jazz, Reggae, World, Alternative, Spoken Word, and other quality music made with consciousness that we like and know our community will to. OWM was created in NYC, close to the pulse, cultivating true relationships with the artists, and facilitating the same type of relationships between our artists and our community. OurWorldMusic's mission, unique suite of tools and services, user friendliness, and exclusive content is what differentiates it from other music and networking sites. The site is free for artists and users, offers a streaming media jukebox of OWM content, exclusive artist profiles and content, previews of entire songs before purchase, and access to your music catalog anytime, anywhere. With one of the highest revenue shares in the industry, OWM empowers artists to take control of their music and careers by earning 80% of the revenue on their music and still retaining complete ownership of their product. OWM has the industry low full album price ($5.50) for DRM-Free, IPod compatible MP3 files. OWM has revenue generating opportunities for all users. There are special incentives for purchasing music from OWM and referring artists and friends, such as free downloads, access to exclusive content and performances, and cold cash! With the OWMLife.com profile pages, like-minded individuals can connect while sharing their music and lives. OWM will allow users to use their preferred social site while accessing and staying up with all the happenings utilizing a Facebook Application and a Google Open Social Widget. Whether on our social network or another, you can always access OWM, your personal OWM music catalog, and stay in tune with the OWM Community! Co-founder of OurWorldMusic, Cedric Watkins, sums it up best, "OurWorld Music was created for artists and we are about creating a right market for the exchange of quality music and ultimately bringing about positive change in the world. We are about connecting and mobilizing artist and people in a creative and right way in order to share ideas, culture, and the message." Some of the artist featured on the site; Big Pooh, Little Brother, Kaze, Earthman Experience, Julie Dexter, Peter Hadar, Trizonna McClendon, Shae Fiol, Shu, O’Neal McKnight, Heston, Brandon Beal, W. Ellington Felton, Shayna Steele, Kween Kash, Empire Isis and Loot. Visit the OWM website at http://www.OurWorldMusic.com Planet Meridian Public Relations http://www.planetmeridian.com   Harptallica PR HARPTALLICA GEARS UP FOR SECOND FULL U.S. TOUR BATON ROUGE , LA - In answer the extraordinary response from fans to their 2007 tour and the release of the clasically trained harp duo's album, "Harptallica - A Tribute", Harptallica is taking their harps on the road once again with tour dates across the Midwest, South and West Coast in April and May. Ashley Toman and Patricia Kline, both recipients of Master of Music Degrees from Rochester, NY's Eastman School of Music, formed Harptallica originally to perform a series of arrangements based on the music of Metallica. The duo's arrangements bring the famed metal band's songs into a new light, illuminating the comfortable transition metal makes into classical music theory and opening those songs to a wider array of listeners. In bringing their harps on the road, Harptallica hopes both to introduce audiences to new and original combinations of musical styles and to of course give tribute to a band they were both introduced to as a 'musical giant': Metallica.. Information on HARPTALLICA's music and projects can be found at: http://www.harptallica.com http://myspace.com/harptallica   The Dead Prophets PR The Dead Prophets - Texas' best psychedelic rock band New Release March 2008 - The Dead Prophets: Bonus Edition The Prophets have chosen their 8 best recorded performances and gathered them here. This CD opens and closes with two killer instrumentals featuring the amazing fingers of Mike Clark on lead guitar and two polar opposite punk vs. grunge versions of Camille (the little filthy skank), showcasing the versatility of the Prophet's main songwriter, transgender guitarist and vocalist Beth Isbell. With Ms. Morgan on drums laying down some monster grooves, this Dallas-based classic rock jam band just rocks! Pure Texas psychedelic blues rock at it’s best! If you like The Doors, the tracks sandwiched in-between the opening and closing musical parfaits will certainly satisfy your appetite. Given an initial leap of faith, even the included bootleg tape recordings of TDP’s live performances quickly draw you into the band's mesmerizing manage of musical poetry. The bonus edition includes two bonus tracks, the grunge version of Camille, by Isbell's earlier Popesoldier project, and the rockin American Love Song, the anti-American Idol. This CD captures some truly great classic TDP performances showcasing their magic and pure firepower. This band very artistically combines what was & what is to create what will be. Excellent songwriting & performances. http://www.myspace.com/thedeadprophets   Boost Independent Music PR Boost Independent Music- http://www.boostindependentmusic.com We are basically an online music store selling mp3 downloads from independent and unsigned artists. We split all sale proceeds 50/50 with the artist. We are a relatively new site but are already going strong with big expansion plans over the coming months, including a host of new functions. We are hoping to be the first (or at least I can't find anyone else doing it!) online music store that allows indie music labels to sign up and create profile pages listing their catalogue for sale. This allows artists on labels to get their music heard, as othewise their agreement might preclude them from selling their content directly to anyone.    Scotty Hard Benefit Show PR SCOTTY HARD BENEFIT SHOW @ HIGHLINE BALLROOM NEW YORK CITY WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19 , 2008 FEATURING: JOHN MEDESKI / BILLY MARTIN / DJ LOGIC / JOHN SCOFIELD / SEX MOB / ANTIBALAS + Downtown NYC luminaries unite for one astonishing benefit concert at the Highline Ballroom in New York City on Wednesday, March 19 , 2008 , coming to the aid of beloved record producer Scott Harding and the Scotty Hard Trust. At 3am on Friday, February 15, music producer Scott Harding was a victim of a car crash in which he was a passenger of a car service, returning home from a late night mixing session. The cab he was riding in was broadsided by a stolen car; the impact crushed Harding's T5 vertebrae, leaving him partially paralyzed. Scott Harding's condition is serious and like many dedicated musicians he is without health insurance and is facing very large medical and legal fees. The short term need to raise cash in order to handle Scott Harding's affairs is very real. His friends and the dedicated musical community that Scott has long been a part of quickly united, offering performances in the form of a benefit concert for The Scotty Hard Trust, a special account that has been set up by friends of Harding which helps to handle Scott's short-term financial needs through private monetary donations. A benefit show featuring DJ Logic, John Scofield, John Medeski, Billy Martin, Bill Laswell, Eric Krasno, Neal Evans, Marco Benevento, Joe Russo, Antibalas, Sex Mob, John Ellis, Michael Blake, Vijay Iyer, Tommy Hamilton, Kevin Kendrick and more will be taking place at The Highline Ballroom, in NYC, on March 19th. Vancouver native and longtime New Yorker Scotty Hard has a long and varied list of production credits, including New Kingdom, Positive Black Soul, Charlie Hunter, Barney Bentall & the Legendary Hearts, Tricky, Crooklyn Dub, Dubadelic, Bailter Space, DJ Logic, Badar Ali Khan, Sex Mob, Medeski, Martin & Wood, Material, Soul Crib, Michael Blake, Chris Brown/Kate Fenner, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Metabolics, and Organ-ized. He also engineered and mixed pioneering music by Wu-Tang Clan, Gravediggaz, Jungle Brothers, Vernon Reid, Chris Rock, Ultrmagnetic MC's, Salif Keita, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, PM Dawn, De La Soul, Boogie Down Productions, Brand New Heavies, Prince Paul, Biz Markie, Chubb Rock, Teo Macero, and others. For tickets head to http://www.highlineballroom.com/bio.php?id=427. 100% of proceeds will be going to the Scotty Hard Trust. We need your support ! Hope to see you there! Hear a Scotty Hard Produced Track by Kill Dog E here: http://www.wordsound.com/wscd034Fr.html    Audio Imagery PR To all our fans and supporters, We want to thank everyone for their support and dedication and for those who traveled with us to our recent show at Irving Plaza in Manhattan, NY. You all made that show the most energetic and enjoyable show we have ever played. Our presence was surely felt by all in attendance that evening. Although we were disappointed with the outcome of the event we still made an impact. We hope that this show has won over some new fans and invigorated some of the old ones. Recently it has come to our attention that the Battle of the Bands will open up 2 spots for bands to be voted in by their fans online. This will be a great opportunity for us to push back into this competition and show them what Audio Imagery is made of. The voting will begin in April. We will let everyone know when this is available. We have a lot of things happening for us in the next couple months: We will be releasing an EP with new songs We will be performing every Friday night at Lulu's (State College) We will be hosting a local hip hop open mic known as Hip Hop Anonymous (HHA) (State College) We will be playing for the Obama convention when they come to State College We will be playing for Movin' On in April (State College) And hopefully with all your help we will play in the Bodog Battle of the Bands once again. We thank you again for all your time and effort and hope that we can count on everyone for support in the future. Tell your friends about us. Tell your families about us. Just let everyone know that Audio Imagery is a musical powerhouse and we're going to the top. We can't thank you all enough. And here's what you've all been waiting for NEW AUDIO IMAGERY "Game To Play" http://www.myspace.com/audioimagerymusic Downlaod link http://www.zshare.net/audio/8775997674deb3/ Feel Free to send this to everyone you know!!!!!! From Everyone in Audio Imagery...... Thank You   Sonicbids PR Sonicbids Gives Indie Artists a Chance to be Featured on Fuse TV On Demand One Sonicbids artist's music video or live performance to be selected each month starting in June, reaching millions of potential viewers across America BOSTON, MA - March 4th, 2008- Sonicbids, the leading Web site that empowers emerging bands from around the world to find gigs, today announces the opening of submissions for a unique opportunity that gives artists a chance to have one of their music videos or live performances played on Fuse TV On Demand. Fuse On Demand will start airing the videos in June. Fuse On Demand offers hours of the biggest and best music videos in all genres, interviews with the coolest artists, live performances, and favorite Fuse Network shows like "The Sauce" and "Steven's Untitled Rock Show." It is available in millions of homes across America as part of the free on demand offerings from cable carriers like Comcast, Cox, and Cablevision. The opportunity is open to all Sonicbids' member artists who submit their Supersonic EPK, an online electronic press kit that contains uploaded music videos and live performances. Fuse will select one music video or live performance each month starting in June 2008. "Fuse is thrilled to be collaborating with Sonicbids to provide an opportunity for its dedicated community of artists to have a voice on Fuse On Demand," says Beth Lewand, vice president, digital media, Fuse. "By offering a chance for Sonicbids members to share the spotlight with other top acts currently available on the channel, Fuse continues to show the music community they have a home." To submit your Sonicbids' Supersonic EPK, or for additional information about this unique opportunity, visit http://www.sonicbids.com/fusetv. Media Contact:Ted Miller- Max Borges Agency for Sonicbids   Muse PR MUSE TO RELEASE LIVE CD/DVD ON APRIL 1ST HAARP CAPTURES BRITISH TRIO'S TRIUMPHANT SOLD-OUT SHOWS AT LONDON'S WEMBLEY STADIUM FOR 150,000 FANS British trio Muse will release a live CD/DVD titled HAARP on April 1st. Filmed at London's Wembley Stadium on June 17, 2007, the DVD captures the exuberant spectacle of the band performing in front of a sold-out crowd of nearly 75,000 ecstatic fans, while the CD features audio from the band's show on the previous night, June 16th. Both discs include tracks from their latest album, Black Holes and Revelations, including Modern Rock chart hits "Knights Of Cydonia," "Starlight," and "Supermassive Black Hole." Muse's electrifying shows at Wembley demonstrate the raw power and ambition of one of Britain's most successful bands. The shows were heralded by the U.K. press: Kerrang! said of Saturday's show: "What a gig. What a night. What a band," while The Guardian suggested that "few are more suited than Muse to take on what Pele described as the 'cathedral of football.'" Muse was the first band to play the recently rebuilt stadium, which had previously played host to a number of prestigious musical events over the years, including Live Aid in 1985 and the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute concert in 1988. Muse, who is vocalist/ guitarist Matt Bellamy, bassist Chris Wolstenholme, and drummer Dom Howard, played sold-out crowds throughout the U.S., Asia, Australia, and Europe in support of Black Holes and Revelations, which debuted at Number 9 on Billboard's album chart in July 2006. The band plans to write and record their fifth album in 2008. http://www.myspace.com/muse   NAMM PR Submissions Now Open for 8th Annual FORTUNE Battle of the Corporate Bands Presented by NAMM and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Corporate bands from around the world can enter starting today at Sonicbids.com CLEVELAND, OH -February 26, 2008 - The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and NAMM, the International Music Products Association, are proud to announce the opening of submissions for this year’s 8th Annual FORTUNE Battle of the Corporate Bands, the country’s biggest celebration of "musicians with day jobs." Corporate bands from around the world can enter starting today at http://www.sonicbids.com/fortunebattleus (U.S. bands) and http://www.sonicbids.com/fortunebattleint (international bands). Proceeds from the competition will help support the Rock Hall's education programs. Additional event sponsors include KeyBank, Gibson, and Air Products. This year, a total of 18 bands will be invited to play 20-minute sets in one of three U.S. Regional Competitions, to be held in New York City on May 17; Nashville on June 21; and Los Angeles on July 19. Six bands will be invited to play the European Regional Competition in London as well, to be held on August 23. The top two finishers in each U.S. regional, the winner of the London regional and one wild card band will make it to the Finals at the Rock Hall in Cleveland, OH on Saturday, October 4, 2008. The submissions this year are being hosted by Boston-based Sonicbids, the leading web site that empowers emerging bands from around the world to find the right gigs. Interested bands must enter using their Sonicbids EPK (Electronic Press Kit) or sign up for an account and create one. The deadline to submit entries is March 31, 2008 for US company bands and April 21, 2008 for International company bands. Past winners include Soul Focus from American Century Investments in 07, Cambridge Australia, PANTS! From McKinney, Negative Feedback from eBay, The Residuals from Banc of America Leasing, The Raving Daves of PeopleSoft and the inaugural winners, The Difference from Air Products and Chemicals. For more information on the contest, visit- http://www.rockhall.com/fortunebattle. About the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is the world's foremost authority on the history of rock and roll. It is a vibrant monument to the energy and power of one of the most important art forms to impact society. It honors the history and celebrates the impact of a music form that has changed the world's landscape. The Museum presents dynamic world-class exhibitions and varying educational programs to a variety of audiences that vary from pre-school aged children to the baby boomer generation. About FORTUNE FORTUNE is the premier business storyteller, helping senior executives understand the complex business landscape while honoring their time outside the office. While the FORTUNE Battle is certainly a competition on stage, the real magic of this event is uncovering so many passionate artists who practice and perform for the love of music. About NAMM NAMM is the not-for-profit association that unifies, leads and strengthens the $17 billion international musical instruments and products industry. NAMM's activities and programs are designed to promote music making to people of all ages. NAMM is comprised of approximately 9,000 Member companies. For more information about NAMM or the proven benefits of making music, interested parties can visit http://www.namm.org or call 800-767-NAMM (6266). About Sonicbids Sonicbids is a matchmaking website for bands and people who book or license music. With a registered membership exceeding 130,000 bands and more than 10,000 music promoters from over 100 countries, Sonicbids expects to enable over 60,000 successful deals this year. Some of the best-known events exclusively using Sonicbids include MIDEM, South By Southwest (SXSW), CMJ, Summerfest, the Billboard Song Contest, EuroSonic, WOMEX and many, many more. For more information, visit: http://www.sonicbids.com. Media Contact: Ted Miller- Max Borges Agency for Sonicbids   Brittney Elizabeth PR FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Hollywood, CA - Fresh, young singer/songwriter Brittney Elizabeth has become the go-to-gal for setting the musical backdrop to some of television's most talked about programs, with a pair of songs from her debut album, Breathe In finding their way onto nearly a dozen televi