Red On Class Of 2009 Tour
Platinum-selling Rock band Saving Abel will headline the inaugural “CLASS OF 2009” TOUR, with Grammy Nominated Red, Pop Evil and Taddy Porter along for the ride. The excursion will get underway on October 27th in San Antonio, TX and continue until the end of the year. The concept behind this new annual tour is to bring together rock artists who have achieved substantial TOP TEN hits at radio in the current calendar year. The concept behind this new annual tour is to bring together rock artists who have achieved substantial TOP TEN hits at radio in the current calendar year. Each year, an unsigned band, a.k.a. “The Freshman,” will be selected to open the show for the full tour, providing an opportunity that is nothing short of a launching pad. Each of the acts on the inaugural run outside of Taddy Porter (this year’s “Freshman”) is riding major airplay at radio, and could be touring as a headliner on their own. RED is offering a very cool “ACOUSTIC EXPERIENCE” offer during the CLASS OF 2009 TOUR, which starts 10/27 in San Antonio. To learn more about this limited, special offer, where you can get an autographed copy of Innocence & Instinct, a t-shirt and gain access to RED’s tour bus to hear the band perform an acoustic song, go here. In addition to the tour, Red has a new video available for their single, “Forever.” It is available for viewing here.
Tour Dates:
10/22 – Houma, LA
10/23 – Tomball, TX
10/24 – Tyler, TX
10/25 – Corpus Christi, TX
10/27 – San Antonio, TX
10/28 – Oklahoma City, OK
10/30 – Kansas City, MO
10/31 – Kearney, NE
11/2 – Fayetteville, AR
11/3 – Sauget, IL
11/4 – Des Moines, IA
11/6 – Minneapolis, MN
11/7 – Chicago, IL
11/8 – Peoria, IL
11/10 – Cincinnati, OH
11/11 – Ft. Wayne, IN
11/13 – Grand Rapids, MI
11/14 – Detroit, MI
11/15 – Saginaw, MI
11/17 – Cleveland, OH
11/18 – Indianapolis, IN
11/20 – Uncasville, CT
11/21 – Sayreville, NJ
11/22 – Albany, NY
11/24 – Baltimore, MD
11/25 – Boston, MA
11/27 – Providence, RI
11/28 – Allentown, PA
12/4 – Charlotte, NC
12/5 – Hilton Head, SC
12/6 – Jacksonville, NC
12/8 – Atlanta, GA
12/9 – Fayetteville, NC
12/18 – Nashville, TN
House Of Heroes To Release Christmas EP
It’s been a busy year for House Of Heroes with the release The End Is Not The End CD followed by two EP releases The Acoustic End and House Of Heroes Meets The Beatles as well as non-stop touring, and it’s not over as the band is looking to end the year with a bang with the release of their first holiday EP on November 10 as well they will be embarking on the biggest traveling Christmas party to date “The Family Force 5 Christmas Pageant Tour” with special guest Remedy Drive kicking off on November 28 for a 3 week trek. House of Heroes Presents The Christmas Classics track list includes the Mariah Carey classic, All I Want For Christmas Is You, Silent Night and O Come, O Come Emmanuel. See the video for Silent Night here.
Tour Dates:
11/28 – Grand Rapids, MI
11/29 – Grayslike, IL
11/30 – Kankakee, IL
12/3 – Indianapolis, IN
12/4 – Cincinnati, OH
12/5 – Nashville, TN
12/6 – Memphis, TN
12/8 – Little Rock, AR
12/10 – Oklahoma City, OK
12/11 – Georgetown, TX
12/12 – Houston, TX
12/13 – San Antonio, TX
12/15 – Orlando, FL
12/16 – Jacksonville, FL
Gwen Stacy’s New Album Streaming Now
Gwen Stacy’s new album A Dialogue is streaming in it’s entirety on AOL Music. The album is releasing this week via Solid State Records and is up for pre-order on Zambooie.com with an exclusive t-shirt and 7”. The band has put up a new video blog on their myspace page and are preparing for their headlining run later this month (with support from Ice Nine Kills and Stray From The Path). A Dialogue is the band’s follow up to their debut The Life I Know (2008) which has scanned close to 20,000 copies and earned praise from outlets like Absolute Punk. A video for the song The First Words was just shot and will be premiering soon.
Tour Dates:
10/23 – Nashville, TN
10/24 – Jacket, MO
10/25 – Oklahoma City, OK
10/26 – Dallas, TX
10/27 – Houston, TX
10/28 – Metarie, LA
10/29 – Montgomery, AL
10/30 – Douglasville, GA
10/31 – Spartanburg, SC
11/1 – Richmond, VA
11/3 – Baltimore, MD
11/4 – Vineland, NJ
11/5 – Poughkeepsie, NY
11/6 – Wilmington, DE
11/7 – Manheim, PA
11/8 – S Hackensack NJ
11/9 – Allentown, PA
11/11 – Charleroi, PA
11/12 – Dayton, OH
11/13 – Toledo, OH
Deas Vail Sign To Mono Vs Stereo
Deas Vail inks a deal with Mono vs Stereo, with 1 full length and 2 EP’s already under their belt the band gets set to release their sophomore full length album Birds & Cages at all digital outlets and available for purchase at all tour dates on October 27 with non-stop touring well into 2010. Currently you can find the band on the road with Mae and look for the band to kick into 2010 in high gear as they hit the road with Owl City on January 21st. The band formed a few years ago while its members were students at Arkansas Tech in the Midwestern hamlet of Russellville, AR. While at school, Blaylock began writing songs he initially envisioned as solo works but as his affinity for the indie-rock scene grew, Deas Vail was born. Mixing a unique blend of indie-rock with Wes Blaylock’s distinctive upper register range and falsetto joined by the unfailingly sharp and frenetic guitar work of Andy Moore, then add in the hauntingly melodic sounds from keyboardist Laura Blaylock and the driving and cunning rhythm section of drummer Kelsey Harelson and bassist Justin Froning you get the original sound that only Deas Vail creates. Deas Vail’s Birds & Cages is the second release from the newly revived record label, Mono vs. Stereo, a partnership between Gotee Records and Relient K. Deas Vail is: Wes Blaylock – Vocals, Keys, Laura Blaylock – Keys, Synth, Kelsey Harelson – Drums , Andy Moore – Guitar and Justin Froning – Bass.
Tour Dates:
10/21 – Salt Lake City, UT
10/22 – Denver, CO
10/23 – Kansas City, MO
10/24 – Minneapolis, MN
10/26 – Fargo, ND
10/27 – St. Louis, MO
10/28 – Chicago, IL
10/29 – Newport, KY
10/30 – Akron, OH
10/31 – Grand Rapids, MI
11/1 – Columbus, OH
11/3 – Philadelphia, PA
11/4 – Philadelphia, PA
11/5 – Boston, MA
11/6 – New York, NY
11/7 – S. Hackensack, NJ
11/8 – Washington, DC
1/21 – Kansas City, MO
1/22 – Oklahoma City, OK
1/23 – St Louis, MO
1/24 – Minneapolis, MN
1/26 – Madison, WI
1/27 – Cincinnati, OH
1/28 – Columbus, OH
1/29 – Towson, MD
1/30 – Norfolk, VA
2/1 – Charleston, SC
2/2 – Jacksonville, FL
2/3 – St Petersburg, FL
2/4 – Ft Lauderdale, FL
2/5 – Orlando, FL
2/6 – Athens, GA
2/8 – Birmingham, AL
2/9 – Baton Rouge, LA
2/10 – Little Rock, AR
For more information on Deas Vail, visit:
deasvail.com
Dreamt Music Sign Shapes Stars Make
Dreamt Music is proud to announce the signing of Dallas trio Shapes Stars Make. Shapes Stars Make is an all-embracing indie band pulling ambience, post-rock guitar hooks, and romantic vocals from a galaxy of influences; but it’s the shimmery texture of their sometimes experimental music that sets them apart. In fact, if Aurora Borealis had a soundtrack, Shapes Stars Make would be it. Songs grow and diminish as if they are alive, evoking a living breathing being made of music and light. This emotionally rich indie rock is heavy with post-rock influence and has been beautifully categorized as an ‘atypical condensation of genre techniques’ (The Neo-Surrealist Movement). Absolute Punk has referred to Shapes Stars Make as ‘airy with gentle flickers that light up small and large.’ Michael Gooden, Jon Cook, and Zach Edwards give their music room to expand and contract organically which, with the help of producer John Congleton (Appleseed Cast, Explosions In The Sky), leads to the sweeping layered melodies that define Shapes Stars Make. Shapes Stars Make will be releasing their debut full length with Dreamt Music in January 2010.
For more information on Shapes Stars Make, visit:
myspace.com/shapesstarsmake
Living Sacrifice Postponed Until 2010
As previously announced, Living Sacrifice are back with their brand new album, “The Infinite Order,” their first release since reforming in 2008. The release has been moved from November 3 to January 26, 2010 on Solid State Records. This will be the band’s seventh studio album. Powerful, forthright, thrashy and skillfully executed as ever, the album serves as an unapologetic reminder as to exactly why so many of today’s heavy music leaders hold Living Sacrifice and in such high-esteem. As I Lay Dying singer Tim Lambesis sums it up best, “You can hear Living Sacrifice’s legacy in the entire generation of bands who’ve come after them. And those bands still haven’t caught up.” “The Infinite Order” was produced in Nashville, Tennessee and Little Rock, Arkansas by the band’s longtime friend Jeremiah Scott (The Showdown, Destroy Destroy Destroy). Mixing duties are once again being handled by Andy Sneap (Megadeth, Machine Head, As I Lay Dying), who mixed the band’s last album, 2003’s Conceived in Fire. The band recently taped the music video for the first single “Rules of Engagement” in Los Angeles. Stay tuned for an early 2010 tour to be announced shortly. Living Sacrifice is one of the legendary Christian metal bands. Former and current members of the metal band went on to play in Evanescence, P.O.D. and Norma Jean. The forthcoming 2010 release, was produced by Jeremiah Scott (Destroy Destroy Destroy) and mixed by Andy Sneap (Megadeth, Machine Head) and announces the return of Living Sacrifice with might and majesty. Living Sacrifice‘s storied career stretches back to 1989. Bruce Fitzhugh (vocals / guitar) and Lance Garvin (drums) remain from the band’s earliest lineup. Rocky Gray (guitar), also known as the drummer for We Are The Fallen and the former drummer for Evanescence, and Arthur Gray (bass) joined for 2000’s The Hammering Process.
Sherwood’s New Album Out Now
Raves Pour In for Sherwood’s Qu. Album Dropped Tuesday, October 13 – Available on MySpace Music through Amazon MP3 for $2.99. For an Extremely Limited Time Only! Qu is without a question the band’s most mature album to date and the result of nearly a year of work. In July 2008 the five members of Sherwood – Mike Leibovich (keyboards), Dan Koch (guitars/vocals), Nate Henry (vocals/bass), David Provenzano (guitar/vocals) and Joe Greenetz (drums) – squirreled away in a rented apartment in Oakland, CA and dove head first into writing music. Never having this kind of freedom to write, they devoted countless hours each day to crafting song after song, a process which Leibovich says “felt like we were testing our limits and abilities.” They emerged 9 months later with 85 songs which they carefully narrowed down to 11 before heading into the studio with Wood.
Tour Dates:
10/22 – Charlotte, NC
10/23 – Myrtle Beach, SC
10/24 – Orlando, FL
10/26 – Birmingham, AL
10/27 – Nashville, TN
10/28 – Atlanta, GA
10/31 – Houston, TX
Stellar Kart Signs To INO Records
Award-winning pop-rock outfit Stellar Kart has landed a new home with Nashville-based label, INO Records. The band will release its forth studio album, Everything Is Different Now, March 9, 2009. A favorite among youth group circles, Stellar Kart looks forward to the next phase of its thriving career with INO’s support. “We’ve been through a lot in the past year and have been searching and praying for what God wants us to do with our ministry,” says Stellar Kart frontman Adam Agee. “We are now proud to say that we have found a home with INO Records! They understand and share our vision, and we can’t wait to take on this new project together. We are very excited to see what God has in store for us as we enter this new chapter in our lives. Everything is different now.” “We are extremely happy to welcome Stellar Kart to the INO family of artists,” says INO Records President Jeff Moseley. “I’m impressed with their heart for ministry, their tremendous work ethic and dedicated fan following. The guys have recorded what we believe is their best project to date, and we are excited to see its impact on youth around the world.”
Stellar Kart will kick off its new label partnership with the release of Everything Is Different Now this spring. The album’s first radio single “We Shine,” debuts at CHR Oct. 30, 2009 and will be available for purchase at iTunes beginning Nov. 3. Punk pop-rock band Stellar Kart launched onto the music scene with its 2005 Word Records debut, All Gas. No Brake. The project landed Stellar Kart a Gospel Music Association Dove Award nomination for Best New Artist, and the band was honored as New Artist of the Year by readers of Ignite Your Faith magazine. In 2006, Stellar Kart debuted at No. 1 on SoundScan’s Christian retail chart with its sophomore release, We Can’t Stand Sitting Down. Furthermore, the band’s single, “Me And Jesus,” held the No. 1 spot at Christian Hit Radio for seven consecutive weeks. The group also received a 2007 Dove Award for Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year (“Me And Jesus”) as well as three other nominations in the categories Artist of the Year, Rock Recorded Song (“Activate”), and Rock/Contemporary Album (We Can’t Stand Sitting Down). Additionally, Stellar Kart was recognized by SESAC with four 2007 National Performance Activity Awards. Stellar Kart’s last release, Expect the Impossible (2008), debuted at No. 66 on the Billboard 200, spawning the tenth most played CHR song of 2008, “Jesus Loves You,” and garnering the band Dove Award nods for Rock Recorded Song (”Shine Like the Stars”) and Rock Contemporary Album (Expect the Impossible). The foursome has toured alongside such CCM powerhouses as Kutless, newsboys, and Superchick, and is currently on “The Revolve Tour,” additionally featuring Britt Nicole and Group 1 Crew, among others.
For more information on Stellar Kart, visit:
stellarkart.com
Jeremy Camp Nominated For American Music Award
Jeremy Camp was nominated today for his second American Music Award in the Contemporary Inspirational category. Nominations were announced this morning in Beverly Hills, CA for the 2009 36th Annual American Music Awards. The live broadcast will take place at the NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE on Sunday, November 22nd (8:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT) on ABC. Camp was nominated along with Brandon Heath and Mary Mary in the Contemporary Inspirational category. For the third year in a row, fans determine the winners of the AMAs. Fans are able to go here to vote for Jeremy Camp. Nominees were selected from data from The Nielsen Company’s Broadcast Data Systems, monitoring radio airplay and Soundscan. A complete list of nominees can be found here. Camp is currently on his headlining tour, “Speaking Louder Than Before,” with Natalie Grant and Bebo Norman. The tour presently spans across the nation through November 21st. To learn about local ministry opportunities to get involved during this tour, visit the ministry homepage. This 30+ city tour is sponsored by Compassion International, as well as media partnered with the Gospel Music Channel. GMC is promoting the tour and presenting exclusive updates both on-air and online. Since his debut BEC Recordings’ project in 2002 (”Stay”), Jeremy Camp has made a definitive mark in the industry with his ability to compose hit songs and capture audiences of all ages selling more than three million records. Following his Gold-selling debut, Camp has released four additional studio projects, which have garnered a total of three RIAA Gold-Selling albums. With 17 career No. 1 radio hits under his belt, Jeremy Camp is clearly a powerhouse on the radio waves nationwide across all formats (CHR, AC, INSPO, and Rock). Jeremy has the most consecutive No. 1 singles at AC Monitored since 2003 when R&R began their Christian chart. His debut single from “Speaking Louder Than Before,” “There Will Be A Day” hit the top on three formats on AC Indicator (16 weeks), CHR (10 weeks) and AC Monitored (6 weeks). Jeremy Camp has also been honored with multiple Dove-nominations and five awards, a 2007 American Music Award nomination, and three-time ASCAP Christian Music Awards “Songwriter of the Year” (2008, 2006, 2005) winner including “Song of the Year” (2006). In 2008, Jeremy Camp was voted for the fifth consecutive year in a row by readers on Christianity Today’s music site as the “Best Male Artist.” Camp was also recently honored with the RIAA Multi-Platinum Certification of his long-form video and worship project “Live Unplugged.” This award ushers in a new project from Camp that is releasing on November 17th, which features a collection of 14 live songs.
Jupiter Wind News
On the heels of launching in early 2009 with their debut single, Everyday, which enjoyed major national connectivity with Christian radio, the talented guys of rock band, JUPITER WIND, are saddling fresh horses this fall with the announcement of several major career advances. The band has signed with the Tate Label Group for release of their first album in 2010. They are currently in studio putting finishing touches on the new music with a radio single in the works for January. In announcing the signing, Brianne Webb, Director of Artist Acquisitions for TMG, noted: “Jupiter Wind combines their original sound, well-crafted music, and industry experience with their intense passion to reach youth with a relevant message for God. Tate Music Group is honored to partner with them in getting their music to the mass audiences at radio and retail.” Grammy Award winning producer, Dale Oliver, has also signed on to manage Jupiter Wind through his own management firm, OTM Production. Oliver, whose production efforts have helped raise Casting Crowns to multi-platinum levels, has been instrumental in the initial studio launch of Jupiter Wind. He will now oversee career direction as well as production of new music. Immediate on the band’s promotional docket is their inclusion in a special promotion this month with Interl’inc. Through the Interl’inc mailing, a targeted market to more than 7,500 youth pastors will be invited to catch the vision of Jupiter Wind’s music and ministry.
Tour Dates:
10/28 – Harrison, AR
10/30 – Quachita, AR
10/31 – Fort Smith, AR
11/17 – Washington, DC
11/20 – Marietta, GA
11/21 – Marietta, GA
12/6 – Columbia, SC
12/31 – Atlanta, GA
New EP From The Rocket Summer
After more than two years of non-stop touring as The Rocket Summer, frontman, songwriter and multi-instrumental mastermind Bryce Avary has finally been able to put the finishing touches on his second major label album release on Island Records, OF MEN AND ANGELS, due to arrive early next year. Single “You Gotta Believe” premiered on AlternativePress.com on October 19th. In advance of the album release, a 4 song EP will be released digitally on October 27th, You Gotta Believe, produced by Bryce Avary and co-produced and engineered by CJ Eiriksson, who served as engineer on Do You Feel, the first major label album release by TRS on Island. EP will include tracks from the upcoming album and bonus song, “You Gotta Believe”, “Hills and Valleys”, “Light” and “The Fight”. Two days before the You Gotta Believe EP release, the Rocket Summer returns to the road, for a 34-city North American tour with Forever the Sickest Kids, opening October 25th in Oklahoma City, ending six weeks later in San Francisco on December 5th. OF MEN AND ANGELS and You Gotta Believe follow-up The Rocket Summer’s Island debut, Do You Feel, released July 2007. After the release of “So Much Love,” as an advance track, the album’s title tune single “Do You Feel” eventually broke through at Alternative and Modern Rock radio in the summer of 2008, while TRS headlined the sold out Alternative Press tour and graced the cover of AP’s magazine as well. TRS then headed out on a successful six-week North American tour with Phantom Planet, Secret Handshake, and the Morning Light, plus two sold out headline tours in the UK! When describing TRS, Austin City Limits states; “We’re not talking simple acoustic solo stuff here, The music Bryce makes as The Rocket Summer is lush, explosively catchy and artful power pop that hints at a new Brian Wilson or Prince in the making. Keep an eye out on this one.” The video for “Do You Feel” turned into a phenom, directed by Bryce Avary and Nate Weaver, with guest appearances by and Jeremy Davis (Paramore), Andrew McMahon (Jack’s Mannequin), Jonathan Cook (Forever The Sickest Kids), Alex Gaskarth (All Time Low), Mike Herrera (MxPx), Forrest Kline (Hellogoodbye), and Matt Theissen (Relient K). To date, the album version of “Do You Feel” has passed 4 million plays on The Rocket Summer’s MySpace page. vary, a phenomenally gifted visionary was a teenager playing local shows around Colleyville, Texas in 1999, when he composed, arranged, produced, sang, and performed every instrumental part on his low-budget self-titled EP, The Rocket Summer. The full-length Calendar Days was recorded in 2002, and released in 2003 by The Militia Group. The grassroots following exploded as TRS toured relentlessly, climaxed by a warm reception in Japan. A second indie album, Hello, Good Friend, recorded in Brooklyn with producer Tim O’Hier, was released in 2005, as the fan base continued to grow.
Tour Dates:
10/25 – Oklahoma City, OK
10/27 – Kansas City, MO
10/28 – Des Moines, IA
10/29 – Minneapolis, MN
10/30 – Milwaukee, WI
10/31 – Chicago, IL
11/1 – St. Louis, MO
11/3 – Detroit, MI
11/4 – Grand Rapids, MI
11/5 – Cincinnati, OH
11/6 – Washington, DC
11/7 – Baltimore, MD
11/8 – Pittsburgh, PA
11/9 – New York, NY
11/11 – Farmingdale, NY
11/12 – Sayreville, NJ
11/13 – Allentown, PA
11/14 – Philadelphia, PA
11/15 – Boston, MA
11/18 – Atlanta, GA
11/20 – ST Petersburg, FL
11/21 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
11/22 – Lake Buena Vista, FL
11/24 – Memphis, TN
11/26 – Dallas, TX
11/27 – San Antonio, TX
11/28 – Houston, TX
11/29 – Pharr, TX
12/1 – Tuscon, AZ
12/2 – San Diego, CA
12/3 – Los Angeles, CA
12/4 – San Francisco, CA
12/5 – Anaheim, CA
Newsboys Launch New Line Of Shoes
Best-selling newsboys recently inked a deal with American Athletics, a licensed Converse distributor, to launch its own line of Converse Chuck Taylor All Star shoes. The joint venture commemorates the first time the shoes have been branded with a Christian music artist’s logo. Chuck Taylors have become a cultural icon, donning the names of legendary bands including Black Sabbath, The Doors, Grateful Dead, The Who, Ozzy Osbourne, and now newsboys. An exclusive partnership developed by Bernard Porter (PCG Nashville) and Robert Michaels with newsboys manager Wes Campbell and American Athletics owner Gary Church made this opportunity a first for the Christian music industry. “American Athletics has placed shoes on the feet of Mel Gibson, Whitney Houston, and the likes of Bob Dylan,” says Church. “But I personally have never been involved with a group as excited to wear Chucks as newsboys. Great group…great shoe. Both are All Stars.” “The opportunity to be associated with Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars is exciting,” says newsboys manager Wes Campbell. “I have personally worn them for years. newsboys is a great choice to break into this market. We launched the shoes on newsboys’ current The Way We Roll Tour, which kicked off October 1 in Greensboro and will run through mid-November.” newsboys branded Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars will be available in red, black, blue, and pink, in either low or hi tops. Shoes can be ordered online only via a special link on newsboys home page. With five gold albums, sales exceeding six million units, 25 No.1 radio hits, and a mantle of Dove Awards as well as Grammy nominations, newsboys has achieved phenomenal success in its two decades together. Known for its amazing live performances and groundbreaking tours, the band continues to sellout festivals and concerts worldwide, satisfying diehard fans and winning new ones in the process. The band’s fourteenth studio project, In The Hands of God, released May 5, 2009, is an autobiographical record and a tribute to God’s divine providence over newsboys’ long-running career. Its first week, In the Hands of God debuted at No. 1 on the SoundScan Christian Albums chart, Christian Adult Contemporary Albums chart, Christian Digital chart, No. 1 on iTunes’ Christian/Gospel Top Albums chart and No. 28 on the Billboard Top 200. The occasion marked Inpop Records’ biggest ever street week in its 10-year history and the first No.1 record for newsboys since releasing Adoration in 2003. Additionally, the album’s first single and title track claimed the No. spot on Radio & Records Christian AC chart.
©2009 HM Magazine All Rights Reserved
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