Music News Net

Distributor ALLIANCE ENTERTAINMENT Sold to Equity Groups

2010-09-02T15:30:26-04:00

MUSIC NEWS- Florida based DVD/CD distributor, Alliance Entertainment, has been sold by Source Interlink to two equity firms, Platinum Equity and The Gores Group. Details of the transaction were not disclosed.

Alliance has said they do not expect to lay off any employees as a result of the sale reported Michael Rigby, group vice president of business development for AE. "With Platinum and Gores acquiring us, we're set to grow," he said. "Our mode is very much on the acquisition trail."

The company will be operated by Project Panther Holding Corp., a joint venture between Platinum Equity and The Gores Group, which are both based in Los Angeles, CA and contiune to use the Alliance Entertainment name.

Alliance Entertainment, which is based in Coral Springs, FL, is one the largest wholesale distributors of CD, DVD and videogame titles in the USA and provides services to retailers like Barnes & Noble, Borders, Amazon.com, Target.com and BestBuy.com, among its 2,900 unique customers and ships to 14,500 locations throughout the United States, according to a news release from the company.

Like all entertainment content distributors they have been negatively impacted in recent years by the decline in CD and DVD sales. More recently they have been developing a music/video digital download system to provide "back office" services to retailers. Under the arrangement, Alliance provides music / video digital download for internet retailers with the consumer remaining on the retailer's site.

They currently operate a 400,000-square-foot warehouse in Shepherdsville, FL that has a reported physical inventory of 400,000 CD, DVD and videogame titles.

KINGS OF LEON Announce "Radioactive" Single Release

2010-09-02T14:23:23-04:00

MUSIC NEWS- RCA Records has announced that "Radioactive" will be the first single off Kings of Leon's new album, Come Around Sundown with the video premiering on kingsofleon.com and Vevo on September
8th.

Come Around Sundown will be releasing on October 19th, with pre-orders starting on September 14. The set will be available in two configuration; standard as well as a deluxe version that will include bonus tracks. Kings of Leon recorded the new album in New York CIty at Avatar Studios with Angelo Petraglia and Jacquire King producing.

Come Around Sundown Tracklisting:
The End
Radioactive
Pyro
Mary
The Face
The Immortals
Back Down South
Beach Side
No Money
Pony Up
Birthday
Mi Amigo
Pickup Truck

OZZY's Europe and Asia Tour Plans

2010-09-02T14:14:26-04:00

MUSIC NEWS- After wrapping up a successful run of six OZZFest shows that got him some of the best live reviews in his career, OZZY OSBOURNE and his band; new guitar player Gus G., bassist Blasko, drummer Tommy Clufetos and keyboardist Adam Wakeman (son of YES keyboard wiz, Rick) launched the second leg of his overseas tour on Saturday, August 29 at the Ripfest Festival in Prague, Czech Republic.

As part of OZZY’s 18th month world tour, this leg will encompass 16 countries and mixes headlining and festival dates in connection with the multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s album SCREAM (Epic Records) and features the newly released single “Life Won’t Wait.” The trek includes two OZZFest shows, one in London, England at the O2 Arena September 18 and the other in Tel Aviv, Israel at Heyarkon Park on September 28, and plus performances in Russia, Italy, France, Denmark, Sweden, Greece, Finland, Norway, Germany, Romania, and Turkey before wrapping October 4 in Hungary.

The shows dates will be followed by three shows in Japan (October 13, 16 and 17), after which OZZY returns to the USA to headline the Voodoo Experience festival Halloween weekend in New Orleans, LA. A headlining U.S. tour will follow this fall/winter, details of which will be announced in the coming weeks.

Later this year, Epic Records will release will release an expanded two-CD version of the SCREAM album, October 5. The “Tour Edition” package will feature seven bonus songs: a mix of previously unreleased tracks and live recordings. Three of the songs--“One More Time” and “Jump The Moon,” plus the never-before-released “Hand of The Enemy”--are from the SCREAMsessions. The other four songs are live tracks--“Bark at the Moon,” “Let Me Hear You Scream” and “No More Tears,” as well as the Black Sabbath nugget “Fairies Wear Boots--that were recorded this year in Folkestone and Birmingham in the U.K. The package will also contain video content including the Jonas Akerlund-directed video for “Let Me Hear You Scream” and behind-the-scenes footage from the set of the video, along with footage documenting the making of the SCREAMalbum. Epic will also issue a four-sided vinyl edition that includes five bonus tracks: the three aforementioned songs from the SCREAM sessions and the live version of “Let Me Hear You Scream,” along with the single version of “Life Won't Wait” (the second single from SCREAM).

OZZY’s Internation Tour Itinerary:
Date Venue    City
Sat Aug 28     Ripfest Festival    Prague, Czech Republic
Mon Aug 30    Herning Arena     Herning, Denmark
Thu Sept 2    Dognvillfestivalen Tromso, Norway
Sat Sept 4 Ratt Og Rade Festival Stavanger, Norway
Tue Sept 7     Globen Stockholm, Sweden
Thu Sept 9    Hartwell Arena     Helsinki, Finland
Sat Sept 11 New Arena    St. Petersberg, Russia
Mon Sept 13     Khodynka Arena     Moscow, Russia
Thu Sept 16    Koenig Pilsner Arena Oberhausen, Germany
Sat Sept 18 Ozzfest- O2 Arena London, UK
Mon Sept 20    Bercy Paris, France
Wed Sept 22 Palasharp    Milan, Italy
Sat Sept 25 Terra Vibe T     Athens, Greece
Tue Sept 28    Ozzfest - Heyarkon Park Tel Aviv, Israel
Thu Sept 30    Amphitheatre Istanbul, Turkey
Sat Oct 2     Zone Arena     Bucharest, Romania
Mon Oct 4    Arena Budapest, Hungary
Wed Oct 13     Forum     Toyko, Japan
Sat Oct 16 Loud Park – Super Arena Toyko, Japan
Sun Oct 17 Loud Park – Kobe World Kobe, Japan

More @ ozzy.com

OK Go Announce Autumn Tour and "White Knuckles" Contest

2010-08-31T16:18:28-04:00

MUSIC NEWS - OK Go, the most downloaded band ever, will launch an extensive North American
tour with a performance in California at the Los Angeles County Fair on October 3rd. Tickets are on sale now. In addition to their headlining shows, the band will perform at the Discover Louisville Festival (10/12) and the PopTech Conference (10/21, Camden, ME). PopTech is an annual event that convenes a network of visionary individuals in science, technology, design, the corporate and social sectors, entrepreneurship, education and the arts to explore the nature of creative change.

OK Go have partnered with Indaba Music and the Rock Band Network to launch a remix contest for their new single, "White Knuckles." OK Go encourages fans to get as creative as possible, to not feel afraid to redefine the song in both genre and feeling. The contest runs from September 7th through October 14th, details soon @ okgo.net. Each week starting on September 21, Dave Fridmann, producer of "White Knuckles" and the album Of the Blue Colour of the Sky, chooses his favorite remixes to feature across all OK Go web properties.

All featured remixes will also be available for fans to download on the database that accompanies the pre-order for the November 2nd USA release, Of the Blue Colour of the Sky (Extra Nice Edition). The grand prize winner will be announced on October 29th and will have his/her remix mastered and made available for download in Rock Band. The grand prize winner will also receive a gaming console, a copy of Rock Band 3, and a set of Rock Band instruments to jam with friends to their winning remix.

The band's second video for "This Too Shall Pass," is a Rube Goldberg machine created by OK Go and Syyn Labs engineers, and is the #1 Top Rated (All Time) music video on YouTube. OK Go, comprising Damian Kulash, Tim Nordwind, Dan Konopka and Andy Ross, recently contributed a track to the compilation album Dear New Orleans..., which benefits New Orleans-based non-profits working to support the region's culture and community.

OK GO Autumn 2010 North American Tour Itinerary-

October

3 Pomona, CA Los Angeles County Fair
6 Boulder, CO Fox Theater
10 Chicago, IL House of Blues
12 Louisville, KY Discover Louisville Festival
13 Cleveland, OH Beachland Ballroom
14 Toronto, ON Phoenix Theater
15 Ottawa, ON Capital City Music Hall
16 Montreal, QC Le National
17 Burlington, VT Higher Ground
20 Portland, ME Port City Music Hall
21 Camden, ME PopTech Conference
26 Syracuse, NY Westcott Theater
27 Clifton Park, NY Northern Lights
28 Hartford, CT Webster Theater
29 New York City, NY Terminal 5
November

2 Asheville, NC The Orange Peel
3    Charleston, SC The Music Farm
4    Athens, GA 40 Watt Club
5 Nashville, TN Mercy Lounge
6    New Orleans, LA Tipitina's Uptown
19 Santa Barbara, CA The Hub @ UC Santa Barbara

MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD New "The Sound of Sunshine" Video

2010-08-31T15:38:35-04:00

MUSIC NEWS - We just got in Michael Franti & Spearhead's first music video (watch it below) off their upcoming album, The Sound of Sunshine! Shot in Venice Beach by veteran music video director Frank Borin, the new video is for the title track of the album which will be releasing on September 21 via Capitol Records/Boo Boo Wax.

Michael Franti & Spearhead are currently on tour through the fall in support of the new album and will be headlining the upcoming Power to the Peaceful Festival in San Francisco, CA from September 10-12.

SWITCHFOOT Announces Autumn Tour Plans

2010-08-31T13:24:57-04:00

MUSIC NEWS - SWITCHFOOT released their autumn tour plans this week, with news that The Almost will join them. The run starts up on October 1st in Lynchberg, VA with pre-sale tickets available through Friends of the Foot beginning Wednesday, September 1st. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Thursday, September 2nd. More @ switchfoot.com.

The band, which just wrapped up a summer outing with Goo Goo Dolls, will also perform at Celebrate
Freedom Atlanta, the largest free one-day concert in Atlanta, on September 4th, and the Austin City Limits Festival on October 10th. (See below for itinerary.)

"The Sound (John M. Perkins' Blues)," the band's current single, is one of eight songs included on the new Switchfoot iTunes Session, available beginning today. The song was inspired by civil rights activist John M. Perkins, who appears in the video. Jon Foreman, lead vocalist/guitarist for SWITCHFOOT, has penned nine articles for The Huffington Post, including one detailing his recent meeting with Perkins:
huffingtonpost.com/jon-foreman .

The Sound follows SWITCHFOOT's hit, "Mess of Me," which the band has performed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, and Jimmy Kimmel Live. "On their seventh album, Switchfoot set the mood with U2-esque shimmer, fuzzed-out rockers that would make Dave Grohl green with envy, and jangly garage-rock," said Alternative Press in a 3 ½ star review.

SWITCHFOOT is Jon Foreman (vocals/guitar), Tim Foreman (bass), Chad Butler (drums), Jerome Fontamillas (keys/guitar) and Drew Shirley (guitar)

SWITCHFOOT 2010 North American Tour Itinerary-

September

4 Marietta, GA Jim R. Miller Park - Celebrate Freedom Atlanta
5 Lexington, KY Questapalooza

October

1 Lynchburg, VA Liberty University The Almost
2 Cheswick, PA Ches-A-Rena The Almost
3 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory The Almost
5 Richmond, VA The National The Almost
6 Norfolk, VA The Norva The Almost
7 Montgomery, AL Huntington College Top Stage The Almost
8 Baton Rouge, LA Varsity Theatre The Almost
10 Austin, TX Austin City Limits Festival

14 Omaha, NE Sokol Auditorium The Almost
15 St. Charles, MO TBD The Almost
16 Kansas City, KS Memorial Hall The Almost
29 Avila Beach, CA TBD The Almost

Jackson Browne Takes a "Sick Day", Cancels in Buffalo

2010-08-30T21:52:07-04:00

MUSIC NEWS - Due to an unspecified illness and under doctor's orders, Jackson Browne has announced that he is unable to perform his show in Buffalo, NY at the Shea Performing Arts Center on August 30, 2010. His management and promoter are working on re-scheduling, new date currently tbd.

For now his tour (with David Lindley) resumes on September 1, 2010 in Scranton, PA at the Toyota Pavillion. Refunds for the Shea show are available at point of purchase.

biffy clyro Announces US Tour and "Only Revolutions" Release

2010-08-30T21:02:36-04:00

MUSIC NEWS - UK band biffy clyro today announced plans to make their first USA headlining tour, kicking off in Allston, MA on September 13. Their latest album, Only Revolutions, has been nominated for the 2010 Mercury Prize. In good company, past shortlist nominees for the prestigious UK award include Florence and the Machine, Radiohead, and Franz Ferdinand. Only Revolutions is releasing in the USA on September 21 and will be available at select indie record stores through Junketboy Distribution. More at thinkindie.com (click on ThinkIndie Physical) .

The new album was produced by Garth Richardson (Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers), mixed by Andy Wallace (Coldplay, Nirvana, Faith No More), and features the orchestration of multi Grammy-winning composer David Campbell. Only Revolutions is biffy clyro's fifth release and the follow-up to their 2007 break through release Puzzle. Only Revolutions was released in the UK on November 9, 2009 to critical acclaim and great consumer response. The Guardian declared, “ their songs pack a punch, but are full of light, shade and sophistication.” The first UK single off the album, “Mountains,” is a Top 5 radio hit that has sold over 100,000 copies. Current single “Bubbles,” (which features Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age playing additional guitar on the track) is the fifth consecutive single from Only Revolutions to enter the UK Top 40 chart.

The Scottish trio formed in 1995 and quickly began honing their unique sound, a mind-boggling mix of off-kilter tempos, itchy, unpredictable guitars, soulful choruses and feral screams. Relentless touring for years is paying off, as they've built up a dedicated army of followers and turned biffy clyro into one of the most celebrated live bands in the UK. They’ve shared the stage with Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Linkin Park, opened a colossal Wembley Stadium show with Muse and are the first band ever to play in the Houses of Parliament. Making their mark in the USA too, and have opened for Queens of the Stone Age, Editors, and Manchester Orchestra here.

biffy clyro 2010 Headlining USA Tour Itinerary-

September

13 – Great Scott – Allston, MA

15 – DC 9 – Washington, DC

16 – Maxwell’s – Hoboken, NJ

17 – North Star Bar – Philadelphia, PA

18 – The Studio at Webster Hall – New York, NY

20 – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL

26 – Epicenter 2010 Festival – Fontana, CA

29 – Rickshaw Stop – San Francisco, CA

30 – Bootleg Theater – Los Angeles, CA

October

1 – Hard Rock – Las Vegas, NV

More @ biffyclyro.com.

GOOD CHARLOTTE's "Like It's Her Birthday" MP3 and Video

2010-08-30T20:49:07-04:00

MUSIC NEWS- MD pop punkers, Good Charlotte's new single, "Like It's Her Birthday," is available now (buy it here), and the guys took some time to record a video message (see below) for you to announce the release and share how excited they are that the song is out.

"Like It's Her Birthday" will appear on Good Charlotte's fifth studio album, Cardiology, which releases October 26th on Capitol Records.

Guns N' Roses Performance Cut Short at UK's Reading Festival

2010-08-28T17:46:44-04:00

MUSIC NEWS - Rockers, Guns N' Roses had their Reading Festival (UK) headlining performance cut off after they showed up nearly an hour late to the event. The band, led by singer Axl Rose, started their sete at 10:30pm local time on Friday night, August 27.

Festival organisers say they were given an extra half hour to play and released the following statement; "Guns N' Roses wanted to 'extend' the new agreed curfew but were prevented from doing so in order to comply with the entertainment licence issued by Reading Council."

When they arrived on stage, after the one hour delay, they were welcomed with boos from the audience at the Berkshire site. But despite that the BBC reports that they played a set that included hits like Sweet Child o' Mine, Welcome To The Jungle and November Rain plus tracks from their latest album Chinese Democracy. They walked offstage after performing Nightrain from their 1987 debut album, Appetite for Destruction. As they tried to play Paradise City as an encore, the sound system was shut down per instructions by festival director Melvin Benn.

More @ BBC.co.uk

SPRINGSTEEN's "Darkness on the Edge of Town" Re-Issue Announced

2010-08-28T11:01:30-04:00

MUSIC NEWS- Columbia Records has announced plans to re-issue Bruce Springsteen’s fourth album with previously-unreleased audio and video footage on November16, 2010. Called, The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story, the audio portion will include his Darkness On The Edge Of Town remastered for the first time and some 21 previously-unheard tracks from the Darkness... recording sessions. The video, available on dvd or blu ray, portion will feature a new 90 minute documentary film called, The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town, with more than four hours of live concert footage from 1976 thru 1978 and a 2009 performance of Darkness… in its entirety.

And, the set will also include an 80-page notebook with of reproductions of The Boss’s original notebooks from the recording sessions, never-before-seen photographs and a new Springsteen-penned essay.

CD 1: REMASTERED DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN
1. Badlands
2. Adam Raised A Cain
3. Something In The Night
4. Candy’s Room
5. Racing In The Street
6. The Promised Land
7. Factory
8. Streets Of Fire
9. Prove It All Night
10. Darkness On The Edge Of Town

CD 2: THE PROMISE (DISC 1)
1. Racing In The Street ('78)
2. Gotta Get That Feeling
3. Outside Looking In
4. Someday (We'll Be Together)
5. One Way Street
6. Because The Night
7. Wrong Side Of The Street
8. The Brokenhearted
9. Rendezvous
10. Candy's Boy

CD 3: THE PROMISE (DISC 2)
1. Save My Love
2. Ain't Good Enough For You
3. Fire
4. Spanish Eyes
5. It's A Shame
6. Come On (Let's Go Tonight)
7. Talk To Me
8. The Little Things (My Baby Does)
9. Breakaway
10. The Promise
11. City Of Night

DVD 1: DOCUMENTARY: THE PROMISE: THE MAKING OF 'DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN

DVD 2: DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN (PARAMOUNT THEATER, ASBURY PARK, NJ, 2009)
1. Badlands
2. Adam Raised A Cain
3. Something In The Night
4. Candy's Room
5. Racing In The Street
6. The Promised Land
7. Factory
8. Streets Of Fire
9. Prove It All Night
10. Darkness On The Edge Of Town
THRILL HILL VAULT (1976-1978)
1. Save My Love (Holmdel, NJ 76)
2. Candy's Boy (Holmdel, NJ 76)
3. Something In The Night (Red Bank, NJ 76)
4. Don’t Look Back (NYC 78)
5. Ain't Good Enough For You (NYC 78)
6. The Promise (NYC 78)
7. Candy's Room Demo (NYC 78)
8. Badlands (Phoenix 78)
9. The Promised Land (Phoenix 78)
10. Prove It All Night (Phoenix 78)
11. Born To Run (Phoenix 78)
12. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) (Phoenix 78)

DVD 3: HOUSTON '78 BOOTLEG: HOUSE CUT
1. Badlands
2. Streets Of Fire
3. It’s Hard To Be A Saint In The City
4. Darkness On The Edge Of Town
5. Spirit In The Night
6. Independence Day
7. The Promised Land
8. Prove It All Night
9. Racing In The Street
10. Thunder Road
11. Jungleland
12. The Ties That Bind
13. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
14. The Fever
15. Fire
16. Candy's Room
17. Because The Night
18. Point Blank
19. She's The One
20. Backstreets
21. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
22. Born To Run
23. Detroit Medley
24. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
25. You Can't Sit Down
26. Quarter To Three

SPRINGSTEEN's "Darkness on the Edge of Town" Re-Issue Announced

2010-08-28T11:01:29-04:00

PHISH Concert "Jumper" Pleads Not Guilty to Charges

2010-08-27T20:22:49-04:00

MUSIC NEWS- The Maine guy who injured himself after police say he jumped from the upper deck at the Nokia Theatre at Jones Beach concert venue on Long Island, NY at the recent PHISH concert has pled not guilty to reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct charges. Luke Duplessis was released without bail following his arraignment on Friday in a Hempstead, N.Y. court. Dan Russo, a Long Island-based attorney for the 30-year-old Old Town, ME, resident, disputed allegations that his client jumped, saying instead that his client accidentally fell.

Duplessis landed in a seating area about 25 feet below during intermission of the band's August 18 concert. He was treated at a local hospital for head injuries, but Russo said he is recovering. One concert goer below reported a minor injury.

WAAVES Add Tour Dates, Phoenix Opener !!!

2010-08-27T19:30:12-04:00

MUSIC NEWS - Wavves recently announced their opening slot for Phoenix and Dirty Projectors at Madison
Square Garden, NYC on October 20. Since then, the band has also added seven more shows with Phoenix
extending all the way down the East Coast (see full itinerary below).

The band's also released the new music video for their Green Label Sound single "Post Acid" this week (view it below). The "Post Acid" video was shot in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles. Acclaimed DIY photographer/filmmaker Patrick O'Dell directed. Patrick O'Dell, who is best known for his short-form documentary series Epicly Later'd, has also directed music videos for Morrissey and Panda Bear. O'Dell's "Post Acid" video features friend and professional skateboarder Kevin "Spanky" Long as the alien who befriends the band and embarks on a raucous, fun-filled day of skateboarding, hanging out, and playing a party gig.

When asked about the concept for the video, Wavves' Nathan Williams said "I'm glad I finally got to fulfill
my dream of ripping off the premise of the movie Encino Man... except we replaced the caveman with a skateboarding alien!" "I love it when a band comes up with something totally bizarre and ambitious rather than shrugging and saying 'I don't know, what do you wanna do?' as they mope around looking cool,"
O'Dell comments. "I feel like we've almost made one of those fan videos where an anonymous person out there cuts up a movie they like and fits it together with a song they like and uploads it to YouTube. This is one of those videos, but the band just happens to star in the movie."

WAVVES 2010 Tour Itinerary-

August

27 Victoria, BC Sugar
30 Davis, CA Sol Collective
31 Visalia, CA Howie and Sons Pizza Parlor
September

04 Los Angeles, CA FYF Fest
10 Memphis, TN Hi-Tone *
11 St. Louis, MO Billiken *
12 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall *
14 Bloomington, IN Rhinos *
15 Columbus, OH Skully's *
16 Buffalo, NY Mohawk Place *
17 Northampton, MA Pearl Street Nightclub *
18 Waltham, MA Brandeis University
20 Providence, RI Met Café *
21 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg *
24 Kingston, NY 323 Wall Street
25 Baltimore, MD Ottobar *
27 Washington, DC Rock and Roll Hotel *
28 Greensboro, NC Guilford College *
29 Charlotte, NC Milestone *
30 Atlanta, GA Drunken Unicorn *
October

01 Nashville, TN Exit/In - Next Big Nashville *
02 Oxford, MS Proud Larry's *i
18 Boston, MA Agganis Arena !
20 New York City, NY Madison Square Garden $
21 Montreal, QC CEPSUM !
22 Toronto, ON Ricoh Coliseum !
23 Philadelphia, PA Tower Theatre !
25 Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues !
26 Orlando, FL House of Blues !
27 Miami, FL The Fillmore !
November

06 Austin, TX Fun Fun Fun Fest

$ = w/ Phoenix, Dirty Projectors -------- ! = w/ Phoenix ----------- * = w/ Christmas Island