The Chariot Announce Limited Edition Vinyl
Georgia’s THE CHARIOT and MetalSucks.net are pleased to announce an exclusive contest giveaway for the band’s new Limited Edition 7-inch vinyl album. Fans can enter the contest here. Fans can also pre-order the vinyl at the GOOD FIGHT MUSIC merch store, here. The winner of the MetalSucks.net contest will receive the #1 pressing of the green glow-in-the-dark color 7-inch. Side A of the 7-inch features two tracks. Track 1 is entitled ‘Music of a Grateful Heart’, and is a brand new unreleased track from the Long Live recording sessions. Track 2 is entitled ‘Graciously’ and is an alternate and extended version of the Long Live track ‘The Audience’. Side B of the 7-inch is an etching of the band’s familiarly infamous skull logo. The vinyl comes in four different colors with 250 pieces pressed per color (total of 1,000 copies). Each color set is hand-numbered 1 through 250. Each set will be available for purchase in a different way; one being available only at official tour dates from the band themselves, one is available at the official pre-order with a limited time bundle package, one will be made available exclusively through Hot Topic, while the remaining color set will be available to purchase at local music retail stores. THE CHARIOT and HM Magazine have teamed up to feature the band on the cover in this month’s issue! Vocalist Josh Scogin is featured in this issue as the guest editor, as well. In celebration of this issue, HM Magazine is offering a great deal on this month’s issue and a total subscription. Magazine purchasers can enter the promo code “GoodFight” (case sensitive) and will receive half off of the cover price on this single issue, or half off of a one year subscription price (full price is $18). This code is only available for 60 days from today, so get your issues now!
Tour Dates:
2/4 – Portland, OR
2/5 – Orangevale, CA
2/6 – Canoga Park, CA
2/7 – Anaheim, CA
2/8 – San Diego, CA
2/9 – Mesa, AZ
2/10 – El Paso, TX
2/11 – Lubbock, TX
2/12 – Dallas, TX
2/13 – Austin, TX
2/14 – San Antonio, TX
2/15 – Houston, TX
2/16 – Pensacola, FL
2/17 – Gainesville, FL
2/18 – St. Petersburg, FL
2/19 – Orlando, FL
2/20 – Atlanta, GA
2/21 – Birmingham, AL
2/22 – Memphis, TN
2/23 – St. Louis, MO
2/24 – Chicago, IL
2/25 – Cleveland, OH
2/26 – Detroit, MI
2/27 – Pittsburgh, PA
3/1 – Montreal, QU
3/2 – London, ON
3/3 – Toronto, ON
3/4 – Syracuse, NY
3/5 – Philadelphia, PA
3/6 – New York, NY
3/7 – Richmond, VA
3/9 – Columbus, OH
3/10 – Louisville, KY
3/11 – Indianapolis, IN
For Today Nominated For Award
For Today has been nominated in the 2011 About.com Readers Choice Awards as the Best Christian Metal Band of 2010 and the Best Band to See in Concert. Nominations will continue until February 4th, so if you would like to see the band included as a finalist and be able to vote for them on February 5th, spread the word and send in your nomination for For Today!
Red’s New Album Hits
Twice GRAMMY-nominated hard rock outfit Red got its street week underway with incredible momentum today as its third project, Until We Have Faces, saw No. 1 on the iTunes Overall Albums chart and simultaneously celebrated a fast rising No. 1 at Christian rock radio with the incendiary, “Faceless.” Known as much for maintaining a rigorous touring schedule as it is for its incredible fan connection, Red members don’t miss a beat. With a day off from its place on the Winter Jam tour, Michael Barnes (lead vocals), Randy Armstrong (bass), Anthony Armstrong (guitar) and Joe Rickard (drums) hosted an exclusive fan-only event in its hometown of Nashville recently. Red fans who participated in this event were contest winners traveling from all around the country, including Arizona, Wisconsin, Florida and Louisiana – some even crossed the border from Canada. The event kicked off at 11 p.m. and ran until 2 a.m. during which the winning fans were offered tips to secret messages on the new album, treated to one-on-one hang-time with the band, cheered together at midnight to celebrate the official release date and experienced an acoustic performance. “This was unlike anything we’ve ever done. It’s important that our fans know we value them. Red fans are the reason we get to do all of this,” shares bassist Randy Armstrong. “We love interfacing with each of them in person and online, and getting to hear their stories of struggle and success. We’re thankful for how they’ve supported us; it’s nothing we’ll ever take for granted.”
Aaron Gillespie Solo Album Drops March 8
Next month on March 8th, Aaron Gillespie will release his solo debut, Anthem Song, on Tooth & Nail Records / BEC Recordings. Fans can pre-order the album in a variety of bundles at aarongmerch.com including autographed packages, t-shirt and sweatshirt bundles as well as a lyrics book. There is even a songwriter package that is complete with an acoustic guitar. Other unique pre-sale options are available here that include a t-shirt and free instant download of the current single. Album pre-orders begin at $8 including the digital download. This solo album was something Gillespie felt compelled to record. “I just felt so pressed upon to make a worship record that ‘the youth’ of our culture could relate with,” shared Gillespie in a recent interview with All Access. “I felt like it was time to help myself and others like myself enter into worship of our great big God.”
Tour Dates:
2/7 – Rochester, MN
2/9 – Papillion, NE
2/10 – Kansas City, MO
2/11 – Poplar Bluff, MO
2/23 – Mena, AR
2/23 – Hot Springs, AR
2/27 – Lawrenceville, GA
3/2 – Biloxi, MS
3/3 – Houston, TX
3/8 – Grapevine, TX
3/9 – Frisco, TX
3/10 – Perryton, TX
3/11 – Santa Fe, NM
3/12 – Lake Havasu City, AZ
3/13 – Rancho Santa Fe, CA
3/14 – Scotts Valley, CA
3/16 – Madera, CA
3/17 – Irvine, CA
3/18 – San Jose, CA
3/19 – Oroville, CA
3/20 – Rocklin, CA
3/23 – Salt Lake City, UT
3/30 – Maple Ridge, BC
3/31 – Lynnwood, WA
4/14 – Panama City, FL
4/15 – Jacksonville, FL
The Choir To Tour Texas As Duo
It’s true. Derri Daugherty and Steve Hindalong of The Choir will be making rare live appearances in the great state of Texas February 2011. We hope you won’t miss this unique opportunity to experience the innovative sounds and stirring lyrics of The Choir in these personal and intimate settings. In addition to the February Texas tour dates, Steve and Derri will be taking these special performances across the country in support of The Choir’s recent releases Burning LIke The Midnight Sun and de-plumed.
Tour Dates:
2/17 – Selma, TX
2/18 – McKinney, TX
2/19 – Lake Jackson, TX
2/20 – Brownsville, TX
2/22 – Tyler, TX
4/16 – Columbus, OH
4/17 – Indianapolis, IN
4/29 – Manchester, NH
4/30 – Quaker Hill, CT
5/1 – Quaker Hill, CT
For more information, visit:
thechoir.net
Invisible Target Releases Album
Invisible Target, an Alternative Rock band from Austin,Texas formed in late 2008. The band name originates from the obvious, worldly moral imbalance and the our consistent tendency as humans to adhere to solely self-serving pleasures and corrupt manipulations of purity rather than what benefits the vast scope of our existence. This negative commonality eventually hardens sensitivity and progressively overshadows any positivity, thus creating an “invisible target” to which we work to reveal. Striving to fulfill that obligation, our band not only represents our love and appreciation for music but also the ultimate aspiration to solidify the good in our own lives that we may become greater influences to the world around us.
Danielson To Tour
Danielson will be embarking on a US tour in support of his first album in five years, Best of Gloucestor County. Five years. A very long time in popular music, especially in the present moment when the delivery systems, the methodologies, are changing weekly. And yet five years is the time it took Daniel Christopher Smith, a.k.a. Brother Danielson, a.k.a. Danielson, to complete this his newest work, Best of Gloucester County. The bulk of Best of Gloucester County revolves around a completely new “team,” as Smith has put it himself (Patrick Berkery- drums, percussion; Evan Mazunik- piano, organ; Joshua Stamper- bass; Sufjan Stevens- banjo, vocal; Andrew Wilson- electric guitar), most of them local players from the Gloucester County, NJ, area where Smith lives and works and has his studio. That means that Best of Gloucester County is not, despite the title, a retrospective “Best of” album (that would be Trying Hartz, the last Danielson-related release), but rather a statement of intention. The whole represents a new and welcome chapter in the Danielson oeuvre—a startlingly effective new band, a new thematic field (the locally-grown opus), produced with more sonic ambition than any recent Danielson effort, but without sacrificing the brave interior journey that we have come to expect from Daniel Christopher Smith: the world is complex, slightly dangerous, full of temptations, but there is still grace, beauty, meaning, and the music that is required to suggest all this is anything but easy, but that doesn’t mean it is not rewarding, beautiful, funny, sad, and generous.
Tour Dates:
3/25 – New York, NY
3/26 – Lancaster, PA
3/27 – Pittsburgh, PA
3/28 – Cincinnati, OH
3/29 – Louisville, KY
3/30 – Chicago, IL
4/1 – Minneapolis, MN
4/2 – Minneapolis, MN
4/5 – Seattle, WA
4/6 – Portland, OR
4/8 – San Francisco, CA
4/9 – Los Angeles, CA
4/10 – Tucson, AZ
4/12 – Austin, TX
4/13 – Dallas, TX
4/14 – Memphis, TN
4/15 – Asheville, NC
4/16 – Washington, DC
4/17 – Philadelphia, PA
A Sequence Of Ghosts Hit The Road
After both releasing amazingly catchy and powerful records this past year, A Sequence of Ghosts and singer/songwriter Jake Germany have joined together to take the Midwest by storm. Look for these up and comers to rock a stage near you for the next month. The package is a unique blend of in your face hardcore and beautifully sweet acoustic guitar alongside Germany’s contagious drawl. These two acts spread a positive message of love and redemption that cannot be ignored.
Tour Dates:
2/4 – Indianapolis, IN
2/5 – Elyria, OH
2/11 – Milford, PA
2/27 – Palmyra, VA
2/28 – Murfreesboro, NC
3/1 – Greenville, NC
3/2 – Fayetteville, GA
3/4 – Madison, AL
3/5 – Fort Smith, AR
3/7 – Wichita, KS
3/18 – Omaha, NE
For more information, visit:
myspace.com/asequenceofghosts
Head News
There’s still time to register to win an Ibanez RG-7321 seven string electric guitar signed by Head. Sign up for Head’s email list at briandheadwelch.net to be entered. Have friends who haven’t signed up? Send them to the website to register. The winner will be picked on Friday, February 4. , Head will be touring exclusively on the Over My Head Tour. The Over My Head nationwide tour will include co-headliners Decyfer Down and supporting acts The Letter Black and The Wedding. If you or someone you know would be interested in booking a date of the tour contact William Morris Entertainment.
Manafest Brings The Ruckus
Manafest has it all. A fresh, inventive sound that borrows equally from hip-hop, rap and some of the more sonically tuned elements of rock and roll? Check. Over 100,000 albums sold worldwide? You got it. Over 1,000 live shows performed in four continents over the last six years? No question. And now Manafest (AKA Chris Greenwood) is releasing three back-to-back music videos featuring some of the most poignant tracks off of his latest full-length album The Chase. ‘Bring The Ruckus’ is the first in the series and it packs quite the punch. Directed by Chris Stacey, ‘Bring The Ruckus’ features fight choreography from the same trainers who worked on Jet Li’s smash movie ‘Hero.’ Throughout the video, Manafest channels his inner Jet Li; he battles his inner demons, personified by a series of vicious street fighters. These fight sequences are interspersed with shots of a rabid, adoring crowd which give weight to the song’s angst-filled yet ultimately optimistic undertones. Displaying intensely personal emcee skills, Manafest fuses his gutsy take on hip-hop with aggressively tuned rock. ‘Bring The Ruckus’ is the kind of video which will stay with viewers long after it fades out and the battle is won. The next video in the series will be ‘Everytime You Run,’ one of the record’s most moving tracks featuring a radio-ready chorus that elevates the track to epic new heights. The video tells the dramatic tale of a car crash, highlighting Manafest’s emotional appeal. He’s no softy, but certainly knows how to captivate audiences as the protagonist of the video comes to terms with his fate. Completing the series is the video for ‘Renegade’ featuring Trevor McNevan from Thousand Foot Krutch and judging from the still pictured above, these videos will only add to the list of accomplishments in what is quickly becoming a storied musical career for Manafest. His accolades speak for themselves, and his future is full of poise and promise. Manafest has already received a Juno nomination and The Chase has sold 30,000 copies worldwide within a year of its release. His videos have been featured on MuchMusic and have received heavy rotation on MuchLoud. February sees him touring New Zealand with a US tour in the spring with Superchick playing 800 plus capacity venues.
Check out the video here:
youtube.com/watch?v=BrByt2YYMBw
Newsboys Announce Tour With Disciple
Award-winning band Newsboys have announced at the completion of headlining 2011’s Winter Jam they will headline the “The Born Again Experience” tour. Presented by Compassion International, “The Born Again Experience” will hit 26 cities across the nation, kicking off the second week of April and running through May. Newsboys are already planning for a revolutionary and jaw-dropping set, and with the support of Compassion International, an exciting evening offering the message of “A Night For The City To Serve The City.” Redefining the live show experience, Newsboys plan to get audiences on their feet and to offer hope, service and compassion to the community and for one another. Making the tour even more exciting for fans everywhere, Newsboys have also announced the VIP Born Again Experience. By purchasing a Platinum or Premium ticket, this allows the VIP ticket holder into an exclusive meet and greet with Newsboys, access to their Pre-Show Experience and to a pre-show acoustic concert. Special Gold Circle seating is available for all Platinum ticket holders.
Additionally, each VIP Born Again Experience ticket holder will receive a tour grab bag, which includes an autographed poster and an autographed CD of Born Again: Miracles Edition, which officially releases March 29th. The VIP Born Again Experience Premium ticket is available now for only $50, and for an additional $25 buyers will receive a Platinum ticket. A portion of these proceeds will go directly to the work and ministry of Compassion International.
Tour Dates:
4/11 – Williamsport, PA
4/14 – Corbin, KY
4/15 – Bowling Green, KY
4/16 – Murray, KY
4/17 – Topeka, KS
4/21 – Florence, AL
4/22 – Atlanta GA
4/23 – Pikeville, KY
4/28 – Houston, TX
4/29 – Wichita Falls, TX
4/30 – San Antonio, TX
5/1 – Corpus Christi, TX
5/3 – Lubbock, TX
5/5 – Albuquerque, NM
5/6 – Phoenix, AZ
5/7 – Santa Ana, CA
5/8 – Sacramento, CA
5/12 – Puyallup, WA
5/13 – Medford, OR
5/14 – Kennewick, WA
5/15 – Spokane, WA
5/17 – Idaho Falls, ID
5/18 – Salt Lake City, UT
5/19 – Grand Junction, CO
5/20 – Highlands Ranch, CO
Bruce Cockburn To Release 31st Studio Album
Small Source of Comfort, celebrated singer/activist Bruce Cockburn’s 31st studio album, is his latest adventurous collection of songs of romance, protest and spiritual discovery. The album, primarily acoustic yet rhythmically savvy, is rich in Cockburn’s characteristic blend of folk, blues, jazz and rock. As usual, many of the new compositions come from his travels and spending time in places like San Francisco and Brooklyn to the Canadian Forces base in Kandahar, Afghanistan, jotting down his typically detailed observations about the human experience. Bruce Cockburn has always been a restless spirit. Over the course of four decades, the celebrated Canadian artist has travelled to the corners of the earth out of humanitarian concerns—often to trouble spots experiencing events that have led to some of his most memorable songs. Going up against chaos, even if it involves grave risks, can be necessary to get closer to the truth. “My mother once said that I must have a death wish, always going to what she called ‘those awful places,’” laughs Cockburn. “I don’t think of it that way. I make these trips partly because I want to see things for myself and partly out of my own sense of adventure.”
“Each One Lost” and “Comets of Kandahar,” one of five instrumentals on the album, stem from a trip Cockburn made to war-torn Afghanistan in 2009. The elegiac “Each One Lost” was written after Cockburn witnessed a ceremony honouring two young Canadian Forces soldiers who had been killed that day and whose coffins were being flown back to Canada. It was, recalls Cockburn, “one of the saddest and most moving scenes I’ve been privileged to witness.” “Here come the dead boys, moving slowly past the pipes and prayers and strained commanding voices,” Cockburn sings solemnly on “Each One Lost.” Over a mournful accordion, the simple chorus sums up the gravity of the hymn-like song: “each one lost is a vital part of you and me.” In contrast, one light-hearted number reflects Cockburn’s frequently underappreciated sense of humour. “Called Me Back” is a comic reflection on the frustrations of waiting for a return phone call that never comes. Meanwhile, listeners are bound to be intrigued by “Call Me Rose,” written from the point of view of disgraced former U.S. president Richard Nixon, who receives a chance at redemption after being reincarnated as a single mother living in a housing project with two children. Brooklyn-based violinist Jenny Scheinman is one of Bruce’s two female collaborators on Small Source of Comfort. Scheinman, best known for her work with Bill Frisell and Norah Jones, provides some thrilling flourishes to instrumental like “Lois on the Autobahn” and the bluesy, gypsy-like swing of “Comets of Kandahar,” a track that Cockburn describes as “Django meets John Lee Hooker.”
Produced by longtime associate Colin Linden, the album also features Annabelle Chvostek, a Montreal-based singer-songwriter with whom Cockburn wrote two songs on which they also harmonize: the introspective “Driving Away” and the driving, freewheeling “Boundless.” In addition to newcomers Scheinman and Chvostek, Small Source of Comfort includes such regular Cockburn accompanists as bassist Jon Dymond, drummer Gary Craig and producer Linden, who also plays guitar. As always, there’s a spiritual side to Cockburn’s latest collection, best reflected on the closing “Gifts,” a song written in 1968 and but recorded here for the first time, and “The Iris of the World,” which opens the album. The latter includes the humorously rueful line, “I’m good at catching rainbows, not so good at catching trout.” That admission serves as a useful metaphor for Cockburn’s approach to songwriting. “As you go through life, it’s like taking a hike alongside a river,” he explains. “Your eye catches little things that flash in the water, various stones and flotsam. I’m a bit of a packrat when it comes to saving these reflections. And, occasionally, a few of them make their way into songs.” Those songs, along with his humanitarian work, have brought Cockburn a long list of honours, including 13 Juno Awards, an induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award and several international awards. In 1982, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada and was promoted to Officer in 2002. Never content to rest on his laurels, Cockburn keeps looking ahead. “I’d rather think about what I’m going to do next,” he once said. “My models for graceful aging are guys like John Lee Hooker and Mississippi John Hurt, who never stopped working till they dropped, as I fully expect to be doing, and just getting better as musicians and as human beings.” Small Source of Comfort, a reflection of Cockburn’s ever-expanding world of wonders, is the latest step in his creative evolution.
©2011 HM Magazine All Rights Reserved
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