Emery Announces Thee Summer Bailout
Giving rock fans a helping hand, Emery will be headlining Thee Summer Bailout Tour. The tour starts in Des Moines, IA on 7/16th and wraps up in Richmond, VA on 9/3rd – all this in support of their latest release, … In Shallow Seas We Sail, that hits stores on June 2nd. Also on Thee Summer Bailout Tour will be Maylene and the Sons of Disaster and Closure In Moscow. Labelmates, Secret & Whisper will join the first half of the tour (7/16 to 8/10) and Ivoryline will join the tour on the second half (from 8/11 to 9/3). Kiros will be handling the opening duties every night. Anticipating the tour, vocalist / bassist, Devin Shelton states, “We’re really excited about this tour. I’m going to watch all the other bands play every night, because they’re all great, and they all bring something different to the tour. It’ll be great to headline again. We haven’t headlined in over a year, and the last time was fantastic. I can’t wait for July!”
Tour Dates:
7/16 – Des Moines, IA
7/17 – Omaha, NE
7/18 – Springfield, MO
7/20 – Denver, CO
7/22 – Henderson, NV
7/23 – San Luis Obispo, CA
7/24 – Modesto, CA
7/25 – San Diego, CA
7/26 – Pomona, CA
7/27 – Scottsdale, AZ
7/29 – San Antonio, TX
7/30 – Mission, TX
7/31 – Austin, TX
8/1 – Little Rock, AR
8/3 – Pensacola, FL
8/4 – Jacksonville, FL
8/5 – Orlando, FL
8/6 – Fort Lauderdale, FL
8/7 – Saint Petersburg, FL
8/8 – Atlanta, GA
8/10 – Louisville, KY
8/11 – Cincinnati, OH
8/13 – Franklin, IN
8/14 – New Albany, IN
8/15 – South Bend, IN
8/16 – Detroit, MI
8/17 – Cleveland, OH
8/18 – Buffalo, NY
8/20 – Worcester, MA
8/21 – Portland, ME
8/22 – Clifton Park, NY
8/23 – Farmingdale, NY
8/25 – Towson, MD
8/26 – Norfolk, VA
8/28 – Charlotte, NC
8/29 – Greenville, SC
8/30 – Charleston, SC
9/1 – Columbia, SC
9/2 – Raleigh, NC
9/3 – Richmond, VA
For more information on Emery, go here:
emerymusic.com.
Pillar News
Dove and GRAMMY nominated rock act Pillar recently completed recording its career-shifting sixth album Confessions (Essential/Provident) set to release 9/22. In a bold move by one of Christian music’s preeminent rock bands, Pillar reinvented its approach to songwriting and studio production, as well as half its line-up. The result: a rich, melodic, transparent yet hard-hitting project with weighty appeal. While lead singer Rob Beckley and guitarist Noah Henson have been the band’s principal songwriters the past eight years, Confessions marks the first time the two of them have collaborated with writers outside the band. Guest composers include Chris Stevens (tobyMac, Sanctus Real), Skidd Mills (Saving Abel, Skillet), Keith Wallen (Fuel), Red guitarist Jasen Rauch and Building 429 front man Jason Roy. Confessions’ production marks equally new territory. For all of Pillar’s previous hit albums, the band had teamed with brilliant producer Travis Wyrick (P.O.D., Superchick), this outing, however, Wyrick and other confidants suggested they go with versatile producer/songwriter Rob Graves (Red, Wavorly). The results are dramatic as Confessions’ sound is further enhanced by new bassist Rich Gilliland (KJ-52, Brandon Heath) and drummer Taylor Carroll (After Edmund). “I had never had goose bumps listening to our own music before, but this album is just on a whole different level,” says Pillar’s Beckley. “We’re indebted to everyone who played a role in pushing us out of our comfort zones. And I couldn’t be more proud of our band.” Both in its songwriting sessions and in the recording studio, Pillar decided melody, composition and hooks would rule the day. With that set in stone, the resulting album features songs which range from muscular, guitar-driven gut rock to beautiful, orchestral ballads. “Confessions is the kind of album that will make CHR radio listeners fans of rock music,” says Blaine Barcus, VP of A&R, Provident Label Group. “The goal was that every single song on this album would be a great fit for radio, and I think the overall project reflects that goal. Rob and the guys poured themselves into the music and this project really delivers.” Thematically, the album picks up where Pillar’s profound “Confessions Tour” left off earlier this year. A confessional curriculum–called “My Secret”–being taught in their local Tulsa, Oklahoma church changed the way the members of Pillar wanted to engage their audiences on tour. “We decided to give our fans a way to pour out their hearts anonymously, yet before God” says Beckley. “We took thousands of blank confession cards [distributed via a confessional booth] on the road. It definitely brought kids to the point of acknowledging their sin and what was going on.” The “Confessions Tour” had a defining impact on Pillar as its members read and prayed over each audience’s confession cards. Explains Beckley, “More than ever, it put things into a perspective of ‘what we do matters.’ That approach obviously carried over to the new album. Says Beckley, “1 John 1:9 says, ‘If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ Every song on this album could be broken down to ‘If you just confess.'” Under this umbrella, recurring themes on Confessions include unity, commitment and perseverance. Pillar will hit the road on the Confessions Tour early this fall with KJ-52, Run Kid Run and
7eventh Time Down.
For more information on the upcoming album, visit:
pillarmusic.com
Galactic Cowboys Reunite For Three Shows
Galactic Cowboys, the Houston-based band that made a name for itself with its hard-hitting music and penchant for sarcastic humor, will make its long-awaited return to the stage this 8/with three shows in its native Texas. The three shows – in Dallas, Austin and Houston – will reunite vocalist Ben Huggins, bassist Monty Colvin, guitarists Wally Farkas, and drummer Alan Doss on stage for the first time in nearly a decade. Dane Sonnier, who played guitar on the first two Cowboys records and remains an extended member of the family, will join the group for several songs. “The Cowboys,” as they are affectionately known, played their last show together on December 10, 1999 in Dusseldorf , Germany , before parting ways. “We were cruising in our starship just off the shoulder of Orion and got sucked into a wormhole,” said Huggins. “For the past nine years Galactic Cowboys have been living in an alternate universe where, in large part, we lost touch with one another. It took almost 10 years to find one another again. Immediately we boarded our starship and came out the other side of the wormhole ready to rock!” Or, as Colvin added, “We thought it would be fun. Fans have been asking us to do this for years, but we finally felt like it was the right time for us to get back together and just have fun playing some shows. Well, that, and we finally decided to put aside our intense hatred for each other!” Fans can expect a mixture of songs from all of the Cowboys albums, with an emphasis on the earlier recordings. The group, however, has no plans to showcase any new material. “It’s like when you go see the Stones and they say, ‘Here’s something off the new album!” said Colvin. “That’s usually when everyone goes to the bathroom. I think they can still expect a very energetic show, but it’s always been about the songs. We’ve got great songs, and we plan on playing a pretty long set. They can also expect it to be loud…so bring earplugs.” Galactic Cowboys signed with DGC (Geffen) in 1990 and released two critically acclaimed albums, a self-titled release (1991) and “Space in Your Face” (1993). In 1995, the band moved to Metal Blade Records and recorded “Machine Fish” (1996), followed by the EP “Feel the Rage,” also released in 1996 (which included covers by Paul McCartney’s Wings and KISS). “The Horse That Bud Bought” (1997) followed these releases. In the spring of ’98 the Cowboys began recording again, which resulted in “At the End of the Day.” “We are hoping the true fans who have been asking for this will get themselves to Texas ,” Colvin said. “These shows are for YOU! The fans wanted this, and we are looking forward to jamming for them again. And perhaps even crushing their skulls…and that’s a good thing!”
Galactic Cowboys, with special guests Galea and Leaf, dates are as follows:
8/13 – The Prophet Bar, Dallas, TX.
8/14 – Stubbs, Austin, TX
8/15 – Warehouse Live, Houston, TX
One Bad Pig News
Austin TX based punk outfit ONE BAD PIG will be celebrating their 25th anniversary in 2010. Currently the band is discussing doing shows to mark the occasion, with a possible trip overseas. Hide your guitars. In related news, One Bad Pig guitarist Paul Q-Pek has another new band, We2. We2 is an acoustic duo hailing from the Austin area. What makes the group unique is that they play all U2 songs. Lead singer and guitarist Paul Q-Pek says “We love U2’s music and wanted to present it in a different format and style. When you hear these familiar songs in an unplugged fashion it makes them come alive in a new way.” We2 also features Paul’s daughter Evangeline on guitar and backing vocals.
Aaron & Mike Weiss of mewithoutYou Announce August Tour Dates
Fans of mewithoutYou will get to see another side of the Philly experimental band this fall when the Weiss Family hits the road this August for a tour with Damien Jurado and Psalters. MewithoutYou just completed a sold-out US tour and will be taking to the road with an intimate version of the group, offering audiences an alternate take on their classic songs. Look for a few surprises, friends and additional instrumentalists as well. Joining brothers Aaron on acoustic guitar and Mike Weiss on electric guitar will be Mike’s wife Sarah on keyboards, along with Matt Chapin on trumpet. This is most definitely not an “unplugged” outing; however, the percussion section will be far from the driving rock drums mewithoutYou fans are used to. It is a chance to hear mewithoutYou songs interpreted in a new way as the Weiss Family puts a new twist on their impressive body of work. They’ll also be mixing it up with an eclectic selection of covers, but you’ll have to check out one of these shows to find out what they’ll be! Joining on this tour of family and friends with be songwriter Damien Jurado and gypsy tribal activist band Psalters.
Tour dates:
8/16 – Buffalo, NY
8/17 -Akron, OH
8/18 – Covington, KY
8/19 – St. Louis, MO
8/20 – Memphis, TN
8/21 – Tulsa, OK
8/22 – Springfield, MO
8/23 – Nashville, TN
8/25 – Columbia, SC
8/26 – Carrboro, NC
8/27 – Virginia Beach, VA
8/28 – Baltimore, MD
8/29 – Allentown, PA
Velvet Blue Music Signs Telegraph Canyon
Velvet Blue Music announces a new member to the family : TELEGRAPH CANYON – a 7 piece, Ft. Worth, TX based band. Telegraph Canyon ‘The Tide and The Current’ will be out on 08/18 CD/LP/Digital. This is a co-release with their friends at Spune. 4 tracks from the record can be heard here. For quick reference, tags like Southern Gothic, Alt-Country and Dark Folk could be applied, but none of those convey the earnestness, yearning, and desperation of these recordings.
Lead Singer of Denison Marrs Premieres New Band
Eric Collins (Denison Marrs / The Dark Romantics) has been working on a new solo project which he is calling, “Mrenc”. he indie pop sound is akin to Spoon, Peter Bjorn & John, Cold War Kids, etc. He has released 2 singles so far and is writing more for an upcoming split 7″ with some friends (TBA).
For more information, visit:
myspace/mrenc
Derek Webb News
After nearly two months of silence, and several months of delay Derek Webb and INO Records are announcing the release of his newest album Stockholm Syndrome set to street Sept. 1, 2009. Over two years in the making, Webb co-produced Stockholm Syndrome with former Caedmon’s Call bandmate Josh Moore (Watermark, Bethany Dillon, Bun-B, Slim Thug). Stockholm Syndrome delivers everything listeners have come to expect from Derek Webb: killer pop hooks and lyrics as thought provoking as they are emotionally revealing. Sonically, however, this record is a radical departure for Webb, who has left his acoustic, folk/rock roots behind for a sound he describes as “intentionally inorganic.” Together, Webb and Moore have succeeded in creating a dense, richly absorbing sonic vernacular that pays homage to an entire century of music. From 1920’s jazz to 1950’s doo-wop, from disco and dance music to old-school R&B, Webb uses this album as a means of exploring deep issues through the central metaphor of Stockholm Syndrome, illuminating the ways in which a society can fall in love with an oppressive culture and become enslaved by it. That sound is palpable in every track from the strut of “Black Eye” and “Cobra Con” to the electropop of “Jena & Jimmy” and Webb’s ironic Fred Phelps-inspired love song, “Freddie, Please.” “Instead of writing a dozen songs and then trying to figure out the best way to record them, Josh and I spent a year collecting sounds we loved – beats, loops, odd bits of programming – then weaving those elements into tracks that moved us and made us feel something,” comments Webb. “Only then did we even begin to think about song structures and melodies and lyrics. It was the total reverse of my usual process and by far the most fun I’ve ever had making a record.”
Due to what some are calling the provocative content and nature of the record, Webb has the most pre-release awareness of his career. Nearly 5,000 people regularly followed details of Webb’s release of Stockholm Syndrome daily as he leaked information via websites, twitter feeds, independent blogs, Google searches and more. In that time Google recorded over 7,100 google searches and 1,200 independent blogs reporting on all or some aspect of Webb and Stockholm Syndrome. Webb was also among the top 70 Google searches (internet wide) the first day information was released through his website. As part of the campaign, Webb also engaged 20 cities in the U.S. such as Orlando, Nashville, Dallas, Los Angeles and more on a scavenger hunt for “artifacts,” USB drives that contained new music. 1,500 people participated per day in finding the pieces of music in these U.S. cities. Webb also plans to tour this fall in all 20 markets where the scavenger hunt took place on the ‘Black Eye’ release tour. The search drew to a climactic close on Fri. 7/3 as Webb hosted a “secret” event for over 300 fans at The Rutledge in Nashville, Tenn. to watch a sneak peek of a documentary about Stockholm Syndrome and to participate in a Q&A with Webb and Moore. Supporters came from as far as Seattle, WA, Lincoln, NE and Austin, TX. 18 lucky fans who solved the final puzzle, which actually continued into the venue that night, found themselves whisked away to Webb’s home studio after the Rutledge show for an intimate listening party with Webb and Moore and exclusive, pre-release copies of Stockholm Syndrome. Webb and his free distribution tactics will be among the topics that author and editor Chris Anderson discuss in his upcoming book Free: The Future of a Radical Price, released on 7/7 from Hyperion. A former member of the Houston, Texas-based Caedmon’s Call, singer/songwriter Derek Webb has seen career sales approaching one million records, 10 Dove Award nominations, a Billboard Music Video Award nod and six No.1 radio hits. Webb’s innovative music marketing and distribution strategies have received national news coverage in USA Today and the LA Times.
For more information on the upcoming album, go here:
derekwebb.com
House Of Heroes Infiltrate Radio Charts
House Of Heroes latest full length CD The End Is Not The End out now is infiltrating the Christian radio charts with 3 singles ‘In The Valley of the Dying Sun” #1 on R&R Christian Rock, “Lose Control” #1 on CRW Christian Rock and #4 on R&R Christian Ro ck and “Code Name: Raven” #1 on R&R Christian Rock and CRW Christian Rock. The band also recently released The Acoustic End on Itunes, EP includes new acoustic bonus tracks, “New Moon” and “Ghost” as well as a reworked version of “If”. As well out now is their ode to the Beatles tribute; House of Heroes Meets The Beatles EP available now at all digital outlets, release includes covers of Can’t Buy Me Love, It Won’t Be Long and Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da. House Of Heroes is: Tim Skipper – lead vocals, guitar, Colin Rigsby – drums, backing vocals, AJ Babcock – bass guitar, backing vocals and Jared Rigsby- guitar, backing vocals.
For up-to-date tour information, visit:
myspace.com/houseofheroes
Head To Play Tomfest
Tomfest is excited to announce the addition of Brian ‘HEAD’ Welch to their 2009 band lineup! Brian Welch, better known by his nickname “HEAD,” is one of the founding members of the multi-platinum, Grammy Award winning band, Korn. The band was credited with being THE major influence in the rise of the New Metal movement. While with Korn, Head won two Grammys and sold over 30 million albums to date. In July of 2007, Head gained further acclaim as a successful author when he released his autobiography, titled ‘Save Me From Myself.’ The book immediately soared up the New York Times Best Seller’s list. Head’s debut album, released in September 2008, is also titled ‘Save Me From Myself,’ and is a testimony of his life as he battled drug addiction, leaving Korn, and finding spirituality.
Owl City Snags Single Of The Week On iTunes
Owl City excitedly announces that “Fireflies,” has been chosen as the iTunes Single of the Week and will be exclusively available as a free download beginning Tuesday, July 14th. The highly coveted iTunes feature is the first to reveal a new song from the much anticipated and long awaited physical release debut Ocean Eyes. Originally slated for a September 1st release on Universal Republic, the iTunes feature coupled with overwhelming demand pushed the physical release date up to July 28th and the digital to July 14th. Owl City is poised to take over the national scene with amazing sales, sold out shows, and a fervent fanbase all contributing. Now is your time to get in on the way up!
Sleeping Giant On Tour Now
Sleeping Giant will be headlining a series of tour dates immediately following the Scream the Prayer Tour with support from For Today, The Ghost Inside and The World We Knew. The band is currently out on the 2nd annual Scream the Prayer Tour which also includes For Today, A Plea For Purging, Haste The Day, The Chariot and Oh Sleeper among others. Scream the Prayer is touring the country now through the end of July. Sleeping Giant is promoting their new album Sons of Thunder, which has been hailed as “captivating…enthralling” and “sincere.” Catch Sleeping Giant now on the Scream the Prayer Tour, and later this summer on their headliner, the Messin’ With Sasquatch Tour.
Tour Dates:
7/16 – Willmar, MN
7/17 – Mokena, IL
7/18 – Nashville, TN
7/19 – Raleigh, NC
7/20 – Douglasville, GA
7/21 – Jacksonville, FL
7/23 – Houston, TX
7/24 – San Antonio, TX
7/25 – Dallas, TX
7/26 – Little Rock, AR
7/28 – Dayton, OH
7/29 – Toronto, ON
7/30 – Montreal, QC
7/31 – New York, NY
8/1 – Gilford, NH
8/2 – Baltimore, MD
8/13 – Owensboro, KY
8/14 – Louisville, KY
8/15 – Ooltewah, TN
8/16 – Memphis, TN
8/17 – Herrin, IL
8/19 – Casper, WY
8/20 – Boise, ID
8/21 – Camas, WA
8/22 – Seattle, WA
8/23 – Roseburg, OR
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