Friday, April 3, 2009

Music News & Notes

Mates Of State Tour, Offer Mash Up, Announce Remix Release Details


Mates of State and Black Kids are set to kick off a US trek that runs the length of April. In celebration of the double-barreled coast-to-coast barn burner, DJA of Mad Decent has created a Black Kids vs. Mates of State mash-up, premiered by the folks at RCRD LBL. Mates' "Re-arrange Us" and the Kids' "Look At Me" act as source material for the bass-heavy mixture.

Additionally, The Mates will be releasing "Re-Arranged: Remixes Volume 1" April 14th on Barsuk Records. This limited-edition 12" vinyl features four reinterpretations of tracks from Mates of State's 2008 release, "Re-arrange Us," with contributions from noted remixologists DJ Sega, Flosstradamus, The Mae Shi, and RAC. Packaged in a classic DJ white sleeve, this 12" EP is limited to 1000 copies worldwide and will be available exclusively on vinyl several weeks before hitting digital retailers.

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Montreux Jazz Festival Lineup

The Montreux Jazz Festival has announced their lineup for this year, which includes B.B. King, Bettye LaVette, Herbie Hancock, Steely Dan, Alice Cooper, Steve Winwood, Grace Jones, Marianne Faithfull, John Fogerty, Jeff Beck, Ray Parker Jr., Donna Summer and many, many more. The festival runs July 3 to 18 on the shores of Switerland's Lake Geneva.

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Ray Charles Goes Digital

The post-1960 Ray Charles catalog of 28 albums is set to go digital next Tuesday thanks to Concord Music. iTunes will have them exclusively for the first two weeks, at which time they will be released to the rest of the digital services.

"Ray Charles was a trailblazer and innovator in his music and the business of music. I am pleased Ray's songs are now available in all current formats. Concord enables the legacy to endure and prosper, " said Valerie Ervin, President of the Ray Charles Foundation.

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Former Genesis Drummer Dead

John Mayhew, the third drummer for Genesis (Phil Collins took his place), died on March 26 from a heart related condition. His only album with the group was Trespass.

Not much is known about Mayhew's lifeafter he left the band. He moved to Australia in the late-70's and worked as a carpenter, coming back just once to his native England. His brother, who had not seen him in 18 years, had started a search just two days before his death.

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Marvin Gaye Reissues


Yesterday would have been Marvin Gaye's 70th birthday. It was 25 years ago that Gaye was tragically killedby his father on the day before his 45th birthday.

Gaye's influence on music is undeniable. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" was Motown's biggest selling single of the 60's and considered an iconic classic. His 1971 album "What's Going On" regularly lands in the lists of the top ten albums ever made and Rolling Stone recently placed him at number six on the list of the greatest singers.

Motown Records, which is celebrating it's own 50th anniversary, is saluting Gaye's birthday with the release of the rarities collection "Now & Then." The 14-track collection is only available digitally and runs from his days with Harvey and the Moonglows (Mama Loocie, Twelve Months of the Year) to a 2009 funk remix of "I Want You." In between are a recently found 1966 recording of a song called "Soulie," the deep vault track "It's Your Party" and tracks from before his hitmaking days (Witchcraft, Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide).

Also coming on April 14 is the vinyl reissue of the album "United" by Gaye and Tammi Terrell. The album includes the hits "If I Could Build My World Around You," "Your Precious Love" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough."

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Kings, Matthews, No Doubt, Taylor Swift On Today

Kings of Leon, Dave Matthews Band, No Doubt and Taylor Swift will take the stage for The Today Show’s annual summer concert series. Fall Out Boy, Jonas Brothers, Katy Perry and Flo Rida will also join Matt Lauer and Co. Get the complete lineup after the jump.

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Jayhawks Reunite For pair Of Shows

Nineties Americana band the Jayhawks will reunite this summer for a pair of reunion shows, Reuters reports. For the first time in a decade, the band’s two principal members Gary Louris and Mark Olson will perform an American show, booking a date at Minneapolis’ Basilica Block Party on July 10th.

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