Switchfoot To Release Vice Verses
On September 27th, Credential Recordings/lowercase people and Atlantic Records will release Vice Verses, the eighth studio record from multi-platinum rock band SWITCHFOOT. Working with producer Neal Avron (Weezer, Linkin Park), the band recorded most of the album in their San Diego, CA home studio. Mike Elizondo (Eminem, Regina Spektor) who produced SWITCHFOOT’s GRAMMY-winning album, Hello Hurricane, served as executive producer. Released in 2009, Hello Hurricane entered The Billboard 200 at No. 13 and contained the Modern Rock hits “The Sound (John M. Perkins’ Blues)” and “Mess of Me.” “Vice Verses is a record of tension and release. It’s an attempt to describe the polarity of the human experience. The sunlight and shadow. The highs and lows, laughter and pain, hope and fear, doubts and belief,” says lead singer/guitarist Jon Foreman. In the title track, he writes, “‘Every blessing comes with a set of curses. I got my vices. I got my vice verses.’ So we live in the tension – pulled and stretched thin. Vice Verses is soul music – attempting to get to the heart of the human experience: Living in the tension and turning it into song.” Vice Verses is the work of a band that is so restless, they devote an entire song (“Restless”) to the condition. It’s that very uneasiness – an unwillingness to choose the treadmill over the triathlon – that fuels the band’s forays into new musical territory and Jon Foreman’s unflinchingly honest lyrics. You can hear the tension build along with the first chords of album opener “Afterlife,” leading into a bold statement of intent: “I’ve tasted fire I’m ready to come alive/I can’t just shut it up and fake that I’m alright/I’m ready now/I’m not waiting for the afterlife….I believe we start forever now.” Songs like “Afterlife” and “The War Inside” take the harder-edged approach of Hello Hurricane a step further, creating what Billboard has called “powerful, anthemic rockers…like an amalgamation of U2’s ‘Achtung Baby,’ Linkin Park.” Overall, Vice Verses is a more eclectic collection than its predecessor with quiet gems like “Souvenirs” and the title track next to the infectious “The Original,” reminiscent of Foo Fighters, and the biting, largely spoken-word “Selling the News.” The latter is a poetry slam Beck-meets-Beastie Boys style examination of a media-mad nation: “America listens the story is told/the hard sell, all caps, all bold…begging the question mongering fears/stroking the eye and tickling ears/the truth ain’t just what it appears/we’re selling the news.”
Track Listing:
1. Afterlife
2. The Original
3. The War Inside
4. Restless
5. Blinding Light
6. Selling the News
7. Thrive
8. Dark Horses
9. Souvenirs
10. Rise Above It
11. Vice Verses
12. Where I Belong
Tour Dates:
6/23 – Mineral City, OH
6/25 – Irving, TX
7/5 – Milwaukee, WI
7/9 – Doswell, VA
7/13 – Willmar, MN
7/22 – Enumclaw, WA
7/30 – Chicago, IL
8/5 – Midland, TX
8/6 – Gilford, NH
8/11 – Muskegon, MI
8/12 – Huntington, IN
9/9 – Orlando, FL
9/10 – St. Louis, MO
9/23 – Leesburg, VA
P.O.D. & Red Head Out On Rock Allegiance Tour
Take the pledge this summer and celebrate American rock & roll with the debut of an exciting new package tour: the ROCK ALLEGIANCE TOUR featuring co-headliners Buckcherry and Papa Roach with Puddle of Mudd, P.O.D., Red, Crossfade and Drive A. Set to kick off August 24 in Dallas, TX, the tour will unite these seven rock bands for an unforgettable American summer rock & roll party with a ticket price under $30. The month-long ROCK ALLEGIANCE TOUR is presented by RIGHT ARM ENTERTAINMENT.
Tour Dates:
8/24 – Grand Prairie, TX
8/26 – Oklahoma City, OK
8/27 – Miami, OK
8/30 – St Charles, MO
9/1 – Rockford, IL
9/2 – Mt Pleasant, MI
9/4 – Orange Beach, AL
9/9 – Winston Salem, NC
9/10 – Portsmouth, VA
9/11 – Rochester, NY
9/14 – Columbus, OH
9/20 – Grand Island, NE
9/21 – Colorado Springs, CO
Stars Go Dim Launch FB Contest
Stars Go Dim are officially launching the biggest, baddest contest they could possibly dream up. They asked you, the fans, what you would want for prizes. How does this sound:
Grand Prize Winner: First listen of their new album “Between Here and Now” and Choose your prize:
1) Day w/SGD and private concert.
2) Star in next SGD music video.
3) Autographed guitar or snare drum.
4) Instrument or voice lesson with SGD.
5) Record a song with SGD.
5 Runner-ups: First listen of their new album “Between Here and Now”, concert tickets and backstage passes, and autographed merchandise. The Contest: Stars Go Dim currently has 33,400 Facebook “Likes”. Enter the contest and help us reach 40,000 by July 15th for your chance to win one of the amazing prizes. Create a Facebook Event encouraging your friends to “Attend” and then “Like” their Facebook page. If they reach 40,000 “Likes” by July 15 (11:59pm EST) winners will be chosen randomly by members of Stars Go Dim and announced July 20th. Stars Go Dim will pay attention to “effort” more than anything else. How to Enter: Details on how to enter this contest are posted on starsgodim.com and facebook.com/starsgodim. Enter now!
Relient K To Drop New EP
The name Relient K has always been synonymous with melodic songwriting, tongue in cheek humor, and all around good music. The band is set to release what is easily one of the most fun and indiscriminate cover albums to grace alternative music to date. Relient K’s, K is for Karaoke EP, produced by Mark Lee Townsend and Matthew Thiessen, will be available digitally and at the Vans Warped Tour 2011 starting June 28th on Mono vs Stereo. “We have always talked about wanting to do a covers record, and we are excited to finally release one. We always try to include cover songs in our live show, so it was nothing new for the band, and working through the songs was fairly easy. We tried to put our own take on the songs, but while retaining the melody and other musical sections from the original songs” –Explains Matthew Hoopes.
Track Listing:
1) Girls Just Want to Have Fun (Cyndi Lauper)
2) Here Comes My Girl (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers)
3) Baby (Justin Bieber)
4) Doctor Worm (They Might Be Giants)
5) Crazy (Gnarls Barkley)
6) Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Tears for Fears)
7) Surf Wax America (Weezer)
Tour Dates:
6/24 – Dallas, TX
6/25 – Houston, TX
6/26 – San Antonio, TX
6/29 – Las Cruces, NM
6/30 – Las Vegas, NV
7/1 – Pomona, CA
7/2 – Mountain View, CA
7/3 – Ventura, CA
7/6 – Bonner Springs, KS
7/7 – Noblesville, IN
7/8 – Detroit, MI
7/9 – Tinley Park, IL
7/10 – Shakopee, MN
7/12 – Darien Center, NY
7/13 – Mansfield, MA
7/14 – Scranton, PA
7/15 – Mississauga, ON
7/16 – Montreal, QC
7/17 – Hartford, CT
7/19 – Milwaukee, WI
7/20 – Cleveland, OH
7/21 – Camden, PA
7/22 – Burgettstown, PA
7/23 – Uniondale, NY
7/24 – Oceanport, NJ
7/26 – Columbia, MD
7/27 – Virginia Beach, VA
7/28 – Charlotte, NC
7/29 – Orlando, FL
7/30 – West Palm Beach, FL
7/31 – St. Petersburg, FL
8/1 – Atlanta, GA
8/2 – Cincinnati, OH
8/3 – St. Louis, MO
8/4 – Council Bluffs, IA
8/5 – Denver, CO
8/6 – Salt Lake City, UT
8/7 – Phoenix, AZ
8/9 – San Diego, CA
8/10 – Carson, CA
8/11 – Marysville, CA
8/12 – Nampa, ID
8/13 – George, WA
8/14 – Hillsboro, OR
12 Stones Push Release Date To September 6
The new release date for 12 Stones new album is September 6, not August 23 as originally indicated in the press release. 12 STONES is Paul McCoy (vocals), Eric Weaver (guitars), Justin Rimer (guitar), Michael McManus (drums). ONLY HUMAN is being released on the Executive Music Group label via Fontana/Universal. The band joined forces once again with producer Skidd Mills (Saving Abel, Skillet, Saliva), who had previously worked with 12 STONES on 2007’s ANTHEM FOR THE UNDERDOG, which was inspired by the effects of Hurricane Katrina on their hometown of New Orleans. “Bulletproof” is the album’s first single–mixed by Mike Shipley (Green Day, 30 Seconds To Mars)—which will impact radio next month although it’s getting early spins at stations such as KXXR (Minneapolis), KMYZ (Tulsa), WIIL (Chicago), KILO (Colorado Springs), WJJO (Madison), KDJE (Little Rock), KFMA (Tucson) and WWBN (Flint). A video is currently in the works.
Two Elefante-sung Kansas Albums Re-released
Kansas ‘Vinyl Confessions’ CANDY095 / Despite the fact that Kansas went relatively unheard of in Europe, they were one of America’s most successful rock bands during the mid to late ’70s. Their brand of progressive pomp rock had spawned several multi platinum albums and hit singles, including the ubiquitous radio staples ‘Carry On Wayward Son’ and ‘Dust In The Wind’. However, by the early 80s all was not well within the Kansas camp. Singer Steve Walsh had elected to leave the band, paving way for the appointment of a new vocalist, the previously unknown John Elefante. Recorded in Los Angeles at Chateau Recorders with producer Ken Scott (Supertramp, Jeff Beck) and featuring Queen’s Roger Taylor on backing vocals, the band crafted a winning slice of melodic rock with all the twists and turns that you might expect from such masterful musicians. ‘Vinyl Confessions’, originally released in 1982, manages to remain true to the roots of Kansas, while at the same time noticeably moving from the band’s traditional sound of the ’70s into the more AOR-friendly ’80s. The impact of spiritualism on this version of Kansas can certainly be heard in the lyrics, too, but it would be wrong to define this album as a Christian record. It doesn’t attempt to bludgeon you to death with its message and, above all, it doesn’t neglect the most important thing of all, which is, of course, the music. 24-bit remastering from original source tapes, 3,000 word essay about the making of the album, interview with John Elefante and additional photos spread out over a 12 page full colour booklet.
Track Listing:
1. Play The Game Tonight
2. Right Away
3. Fair Exchange
4. Chasing Shadows
5. Diamonds And Pearls
6. Face It
7. Windows
8. Borderline
9. Play On
10. Cross Fire.
Downhere To Drop New Album On August 23
One of Christian music’s premiere bands, Downhere, is scheduled to release their eagerly anticipated new studio album, On The Altar Of Love, August 23, 2011 on Centricity Music. The album once again teams the group with Grammy and Dove award-winning producer Mark Hiemermann (Michael W. Smith, Tait, Stacie Orrico). The new CD is a pop-driven project that offers a positive outlook for our future, while maintaining the integrity and artistry of Downhere. All songs on the CD were written by Jason Germain and Marc Martel. Let Me Rediscover You, the first single from the album, was written by Marc Martel two weeks before Downhere entered the recording studio for On The Altar Of Love. The song is already resonating with listeners and radio programmers, as it’s New & Active at AC Monitor (#3) and at #28 on AC Indicator. Thirty one radio stations are currently playing the song including; KSBJ/ Houston, WCIE/Tampa, Sarasota, FL, WBSN / New Orleans, LA, New Life Media, WBFJ / Winston-Salem, NC, KSGN / Riverside, CA. On The Altar Of Love is being described as one of the most “pop-friendly” albums that Downhere has recorded to date, with heartfelt lyrics that are a return to the core of Christianity. The CD kicks-off with Only The Beginning that focuses on how our Christian walk of new life and continual mysteries always feels like a new beginning, while the hard rocking Seek describes how God searches for us “like a kid with a crush” in order to make us whole, and the title track says to lay down your possessions and obsessions. Love will ask of you more than treasure/When you’re willing to trust/Blessing far outweighs the loss/When you lay it all at the altar of love. “On the Altar of Love is really a proclamation of faith,” explains band member Jason Germain. “It’s an encouragement to continue on regardless of circumstance, to continue this journey with joy and celebration, because we have a promise. We know where the journey ends. And we know that we’re not alone as we make our way. We have the companionship of Christ, and we have this vast family of brothers and sisters, and we have this great cloud of witnesses that have gone before us, who are cheering us on. So we want to cast aside the distractions, return to what is essential, and spend ourselves completely in response to the love we’ve been given.”
Phinehas & A Past Unknown Offer Pre-releases
Pre-orders are now available for Phinehas “thegodmachine” and A Past Unknown “To Those Perishing.” ach album has two package options available. Choose between a CD + shirt or just a CD. Please make sure to check out both package for Phinehas and A Past Unknown and get your order in!
For more information on the pre-orders, visit:
indievisionmusic.com
Ska Lives, Volume 2 To Be Released
“Ska Lives Vol. 2? follows close on the heels of our widely successful first album “Ska Lives Vol. 1?, which featured many well respected Ska bands including The Insyderz, Christafari, A Billion Ernies, and Five Iron Frenzy as well as up and coming bands such as Send Out Scuds, October Light, Blood and Water, and Dime Store Heist, and gained recognition from Absolute Punk and the German Kirchencore music blog. “Ska Lives Vol. 1? also received radio airplay when it was featured on the Broken Record Hour on BrokenFM. Ska Lives artists The Insyderz, Blood and Water, and PayPer Chainz were interviewed shortly afterwards. “Ska Lives Vol. 1? was also voted Indie Vision Music’s most popular compilation of all time, and has been downloaded an estimated number of 4,000+ times since October 1st (IVM switched hosts, so we lost track of the exact number), and has been streamed via Soundcloud 4,483 times! This means that “Ska Lives Vol. 1? has been heard over 8,483 time worldwide! “Ska Lives Vol. 2? promises to be even more successful, featuring an all star lineup including of, once again, the likes of The Insyderz, October Light, Blood and Water, Send Out Scuds, etc. as well as many other great bands including Make Up Your Mind, Good Weather Forecast, Upstanding Youth, The Nova Ray, and The O.C. Supertones!
For more information, go here:
victoryrecords.com/distro
Anthem Lights Appeared On JCTV
Pop group Anthem Lights recently taped a featured episode of the Trinity Broadcasting Network’s “1 Music Village,” a JCTV exclusive weekly show highlighting the best in contemporary Christian music. The group performed a mini-concert of songs from its May 10, 2011 self-titled debut, including current hit single, “Can’t Shut Up.
Brandon Bee Plays At Pure Rebellion
Popular worship leader, recording artist and producer Brandon Bee recently performed at Pure Rebellion, a high-energy youth event held at Grace Calvary Chapel in Amarillo, Texas. Bee shared his testimony and songs from his latest CD, Inside These Walls. Best described as a radical presentation on sex and relationships, Pure Rebellion openly addresses various sexual issues and pressures affecting both youth and adults today. “The heart of Pure Rebellion ministry is to equip young people to live life with no regrets,” says Todd Gatlin, CEO of Pure Rebellion ministry. “Brandon Bee is a vital part of this ministry as he brings powerful, relevant music and lyrics along with a life story that he shares during the event. His story is one of redemption and the truth that turning to God always brings forgiveness and healing. Brandon’s life has been abundantly blessed and I know he attributes it all to the love that God has for him and his family.”
We Shot The Moon’s Jonathan Jones Releases Album
The highly anticipated solo release from singer-songwriter JONATHAN JONES (We Shot The Moon, Waking Ashland), COMMUNITY GROUP, is now available. Located at his website, you can purchase the album, stream the entire record for free, and download three songs – including a cover of Arcade Fire’s “Wake Up” – in exchange for an email address. Community Group is a fan-funded, self-released album, made possible by Kickstarter, a website where supporters were given the opportunity to pledge money to Jones in order to help him finance this new release. “The title of the album largely (but not entirely) comes from the Kickstarter experience of making a record in a non-traditional community setting with my fans,” says Jones. “I wrote this album looking to challenge myself on making a recording that was a departure from my previous projects’ over-produced sound.” Community Group features an array of instruments, such as a string quartet, brass, harp, and a heavy dose of piano that accompany Jones’ smooth vocals. “I was dependent on these instruments as the backbone to this project, instead of always going to the guitar.”
©2011 HM Magazine All Rights Reserved
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