Music News & Notes

New Brian Jonestown Massacre

The Brian Jonestown Massacre is back and set to release their tenth studio album, Who Killed Sgt. Pepper? on February 23rd. The 13-track album was recorded throughout 2009 in Iceland and Berlin and features Spaceman 3 legend Will Carruthers on bass, vocalist Unnur Andrea Einarsdottir and a variety of international musicians contributing textures not previously heard on a BJM album. It is to be released on bandleader Anton Newcombe’s own label, “a recordings LTD”, distributed though Red Eye.

The album marks the return of guitarist/vocalist Matt Hollywood, an original member/co-founder of the band who helped write some of the BJM’s classic material from their early albums (Strung Out In Heaven, Their Satanic Majesties Second Request, Take It From The Man, Spacegirl & Other Oddities, Give It Back) as well as penning the infamous dig at the Dandy Warhols, “Not If You Were The Last Dandy on Earth”.

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Johnny Cash Album to be Released

Another Johnny Cash album from the Rick Rubin-produced American Recordings sessions will be released, reports Pitchfork. Four albums from the sessions were released before the country singer's death, in which he sang covers of Beck, Danzig and the popular Nine Inch Nails cover of "Hurt."

On Feb. 26, the final volume of the series, "American VI: Ain't No Grave," will be released via American/Lost Highway.

The album is yet again produced by Rick Rubin and features covers of Sheryl Crow's "Redemption Day," Tom Paxton's "Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound" and Bob Nolan's "Cool Water," among others. It will also feature a new Cash song titled "I Corinthians: 15:55."

Indie rocker Matt Sweeney of Zwan fame and Smokey Hormel of Beck's band play on the album and Scott Avett, of the Avett Brothers, guests on the title track.

"Johnny said that recording was his main reason for being alive," said Rick Rubin in a statement. "I think it was the only thing that kept him going."

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Jay Reatard death treated as murder

Memphis Police are treating the death of garage rocker Jay Reatard as a murder and are calling for anyone with information for the investigation. The 29-year old (real name Jay Lindsay) was found dead at around 3:30am Sunday at his home in Cooper-Young, Tennessee.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crimestoppers at (901) 528-CASH or submit a tip to the website www.528cash.org. Information leading to an arrest has a $1000 bounty attached to it.

Jay Lee Lindsay Jr was born on May 1, 1980. He signed to Goner Records when he was 15-years old and scored an opening act slot soon after with Rocket From The Crypt. Jay named his first band The Reatards and adopted the surname.

The last album for Jay Reatard was 'Watch Me Fall’ in 2009.

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Bobby Charles has died

Singer-songwriter Charles – who penned hits such as 'Walking to New Orleans’ and 'See You Later Alligator’ – passed away at his home in Abbeville, Louisiana, at the age of 71 and while the cause of his death remains unknown, he suffered from diabetes and was in remission from kidney cancer.

His publicist Karen Johnson said: "He is a classic American songwriter. His songs are real American songs."

His long-time friend and music collaborator Dr. John said of Charles:

"We were very close for 40, 50 years. We started writing stuff together in the 70s. He was very easy to work with and a special guy."

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Alkaline Trio Addiction Coming Next Month

Alkaline Trio have announced the release of their forthcoming album, This Addiction, on February 23 via Epitaph Records/Heart & Skull.

Recorded and produced by the band with help from longtime cohort Matt Allison at Atlas Studios in Chicago, This Addiction marks Alkaline Trio’s first release on their imprint label Heart & Skull and first with their parent label Epitaph Records. The album also finds the Trio revisiting their punk roots while moving forward creatively.

"This record is a rock record but our punk rock upbringing definitely shines through, more so than our last few records," singer/guitarist Matt Skiba recently told .com. "The vibe is similar to our humble beginnings. It's a step forward but I also think it has glimmers of our past in it."

The album’s title track and first single wastes no time in setting the tone of the album as it rips and roars with Matt Skiba’s exceptional vocals and signature guitar riffs, bassist and co/vocalist Dan Andriano’s thumping low-end and drummer Derek Grant’s steadfast beats. From soon-to-be fan-favorites like the Andriano led rocker “Dine, Dine My Darling” and politically charged anthem “The American Scream” to the sonically mesmerizing rhythm and lyrics of “Dorothy” and the thrilling sing-along “Draculina,” This Addiction showcases Skiba, Andriano and Grant’s abounding gift for songwriting and crafting passionate punk fueled rock that will make fans fall in love with them all over again.

"I think that we wanted to make a punk rock record that we've been describing as 'thinking-man's punk,'" said Skiba. "We wanted to do something that's fun but also interesting and lyrically, something that will be fun for people to read along to and hopefully understand."

The band’s seventh studio album, This Addiction, will be available as a standard CD, a limited Deluxe CD/DVD edition (containing two bonus songs, four acoustic tracks and a full length concert DVD), as well as Gatefold LP vinyl. Epitaph will also have exclusive items signed by the band, rare vinyl and Limited Collector’s bundles - all with a standard digital download or a Deluxe Digital Download.

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DANZIG's '777 - I Luciferi' Released On Vinyl

Night Of The Vinyl Dead has released a limited-edition vinyl version of DANZIG's 2002 album, "777 - I Luciferi".

The package contains a 12-page photo book and screenprint by M. Fumi and is limited to 500 hand-numbered copies.

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EMI to Reissue Expanded John Lennon Albums

It's has been reported that EMI is planning on reissuing five of John Lennon's albums in expanded editions along with a box set retrospective. No titles or dates have been announced but it is known that the campaign will be based around what would have been his 70th birthday on October 9.