Music News & Notes

Jackson Film Opening Simultaneously in 15 Countries, Soundtrack Details Revealed

The movie on Michael Jackson's last days as a performer, This is It, will open in 25 countries on October 27, including 15 that will open the film simultaneously. The actual premier will take place that night at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles and will then spread around the world.

Jeff Blake of Sony Pictures said in a statement, "Michael Jackson has an army of fans everywhere around the world. We are giving the audiences an incredible opportunity to join together in celebration of Michael Jackson's incredible career."

Details about the soundtrack for the Michael Jackson documentary This Is It have been revealed, and the biggest news is that the two-disc collection will feature two versions of a brand new Jackson song titled “This Is It.” The song, which will feature in the film’s closing credits, includes background vocals by Jackson’s brothers. The previously unreleased track will be released as a single on October 12th, two weeks before the This Is It film hits theaters for a two-week limited engagement starting with advance screenings on October 27th.

“This song only defines, once again, what the world already knows — that Michael is one of God’s greatest gifts,” said John McClain, a co-producer of the This Is It film and soundtrack and a co-executor of Michael Jackson’s estate. The soundtrack, like the film, will be released on October 27th. Disc one of the This Is It album will contain the original album masters of the hit songs included in This Is It, sequenced in the order that they appear in the film. The first disc will close out with the two versions of “This Is It.”

Disc two will feature previously unreleased versions of some of Jackson’s most famous songs, plus an unreleased spoken word track of a poem written by Jackson titled “Planet Earth.” The set will also come with a 36-page commemorative booklet stocked with photos of Jackson’s last rehearsal for his planned This Is It concerts. As Rolling Stone previously reported, a brief clip of Jackson rehearsing “Human Nature” was unveiled on the This Is It official YouTube page. The trailer for the film premiered during this year’s MTV Video Music Awards.

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Van Zandt Chimes In On Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Nominees

Most likely sometime in the next week we should know the nominees who may make it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Steven Van Zandt decided to start the controversy a little early by telling Rolling Stone, "There's dozens of early rock & roll groups that should be in (the Hall of Fame). I notice a bias toward the post-art-form rock critics' sensibility... We'll probably never get Paul Revere & The Raiders in.

"It's very difficult for me to justify the Talking Heads being in the Hall of Fame before The Hollies, or Michael Jackson being in before Johnny Burnette."

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Vinyl Collective Restocks

Stop by www.vinylcollective.com for some great vinyl, tell Virgil hello!

AGAINST ME! “Live In London” dbl LP
AGAINST ME! “Searching For A Former Clarity” dbl LP
AMERICAN STEEL “Dear Friends and Gentle Hearts” LP
AMERICAN STEEL “Destroy Their Future” LP
BISHOP “Asylum” 7
BULLET TREATMENT “Designated Vol 1″ 7″
DEAD TO ME “Cuban Ballerina” LP
DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR “Our Glory Days” 7″ red vinyl
FUGAZI “Red Medicine” LP w/ digital download
GORILLA BISCUITS “S/T” 7″
MAD CADDIES “Just One More” LP
NO DOUBT “Tragic Kingdom” LP green vinyl
NOFX “Regaining Unconsciousness” 7″
O’ DEATH “Head Home” LP
PAINT IT BLACK “Amnesia” 7″ white vinyl
PAINT IT BLACK “Surrender” 7
POLAR BEAR CLUB “Sometimes Things Just Disappear” LP green vinyl w/ CD
RISE AGAINST “Revolutions Per Minute” LP
SHAI HULUD “A Profound Hatred Of Man” LP pic disc
SMOKE OR FIRE “Above the City” LP
TEXAS IS THE REASON “Do Yo Know Who You Are?” LP
TEXAS IS THE REASON “S/T” 7″
THE BROKEDOWNS / TURKISH TECHNO split 7″ black vinyl
THE EVENS “Get Evens” LP
V/A “Bridge Nine Summer Compilation 2009″ LP
V/A “Dangerous Intersections II” 7″ black vinyl
V/A “Dangerous Intersections IV” 7″ black vinyl

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Boris 7" Vinyl Series To Be Released Via Southern Lord Records

For over 15 years Boris has lead the charge as Japan's most exciting experimental rock act. This fall marks yet another first for the band as they release Japanese Heavy Rock Hits, a series of 7"s showcasing their wide-reaching, genre-smashing sound. The band has been locked in the studio over the last few months and in association with Southern Lord are ready to bring to you their latest offerings. Over the course of the next three months three brand new exclusive vinyl 7"s will be released.

September
Japanese Heavy Rock Hits Vol. 1
Side A: "8″
Side B :" Hey Everyone"

October
Japanese Heavy Rock Hits Vol. 2
Side A: "H.M.A. - Heavy Metal Addict"
Side B: "Black Original"

November
Japanese Heavy Rock Hits Vol. 3
Side A: "16:47:52..."
Side B:" ..and Hear Nothing"

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Terrible Vinyl

(PR) Brooklyn-based Terrible Records, formed by Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear, and Ethan Silverman of Lust Boys, are excited to announce the launch of their label with the release of the first in a series of 7-inches recorded at Terrible Studios, followed by the release of NY quintet Acrylics' debut EP, All of the Fire.

The 7-inch features Chris Taylor's first solo release as well as a previously unreleased song by Arthur Russell. CANT, as Taylor has chosen to call his project, offers the aptly-titled "Ghosts." The song is a haunting underwater trip through his familiar sonic territory that is found on each Grizzly Bear release. "Come To Life" is a previously unreleased folk track written and recorded by Arthur Russell in the late '70's. Its origins are a mystery but the beauty of the song shines brightly. Initially intended for inclusion on last years compilation of unreleased folk, pop, and country tunes "Love Is Overtaking Me." The track comes courtesy of Audika Records who will release the digital download of the song on October 13th. The CANT 7-inch release is limited to 1000 copies and will be available at the label's website and select retailers.

The 7-inch series will continue with songs produced by Taylor, recorded at his church-studio in Brooklyn where Taylor produced much of the latest Grizzly Bear record, Veckatimist.

The label will subsequently release a Taylor-produced 5-song, 10" EP from NY group Acrylics on October 28th, entitled All of the Fire. Acrylics will be at the Mercury Lounge on Saturday, October 3, and will be performing at several shows and parties at this year's CMJ Music Marathon.

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Neutral Milk Hotel Albums to Be Reissued on Vinyl by Merge

It has now been 11 years since the last time we heard a new album from Elephant 6 soul-stirrers Neutral Milk Hotel, and we still don't know if we're ever going to hear another full-on rock album from the band or reclusive leader Jeff Mangum. If anything, NMH's two albums have only grown in stature, especially 1998's In the Aeroplane Over the Sea.

On November 3, Merge will reissue both Neutral Milk Hotel albums (Aeroplane and the 1996 full-length debut On Avery Island) on 180 gram vinyl. Both records will come with download codes so you'll be able to get the albums at 320 kpbs. No bonus tracks or anything, but there's no bad reason to buy these albums again.

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HORSE The Band plan 10 bonus tracks for digital release, vinyl

HORSE the Band have announced some details on what kind of bonus material to expect on the forthcoming digital and vinyl versions of their Vagrant Records debut, Desperate Living. The album is due out October 6, 2009.

iTunes purchases will include ten bonus tracks that include remixes by some of HTB’s favorite artists and friends. The tracks will also be included in the upcoming vinyl versions. The band also just announced a pre-order through Newbury Comics. Fans that buy the album will receive an exclusive signed booklet, autographed by the entire band.

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Sony Music Entertainment Releases Entire Catalog on AmieStreet.com

Pioneering Startup Inks First Deal With Major Label

NEW YORK, Sept. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- AmieStreet.com, the up-and-coming music retailer and discovery service, today announced an agreement with Sony Music Entertainment to sell music from the major label's vast catalog of legendary artists.

The deal covers both current hits and classic recordings from Sony Music. Under the agreement, tracks will be priced at set levels of $.69, $.99 and $1.29 per song.

Sony Music becomes the first major label to offer its content through AmieStreet.com, which was founded just three years ago in the dorm rooms of Brown University.

In adding one of the world's most important music catalogs, the deal marks a significant next step in Amie Street's mission to offer its users the richest and most diverse music experience possible, and to create a service that appeals to a broad base of mainstream music fans.

"Amie Street has proven to be an innovative platform for engaging music fans and introducing them to both emerging and established artists," said Michael Paull, Executive Vice President, Global Digital Business, Sony Music Entertainment. "We look forward to our music being available to Amie Street's growing community."

For today's release, Amie Street has created a special section on it's website (http://amiestreet.com/blog/sony) highlighting just a small sample of the great artists, both old and new, that are now available, including dozens of classic albums that have been discounted to $4.99.

"The partnership with Sony Music is a huge development for Amie Street," said Peter Asbill, Co-Founder of AmieStreet.com. "We want to be the best place to discover new music for all types of customers, from indie to mainstream, and adding the unparalleled Sony Music catalog is a critical step towards fulfilling that promise."

About Sony Music Entertainment(R)

Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a roster of current artists that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. It is home to premier record labels representing music from every genre, including American Recordings, Arista Nashville, Arista Records, Aware, Battery Records, Beach Street Records, Black Seal, BNA Records, Cinematic, Columbia Nashville, Columbia Records, Epic Records, Essential Records, Flicker Records, Fo-Yo Soul, GospoCentric, Hitz Committee Entertainment, J Records, Jive Records, LaFace Records, Legacy Recordings, Masterworks, Polo Grounds, RCA Records, RCA Nashville, RCA Red Seal, RCA Victor, Reunion Records, Slightly Dangerous, Sony Classical, Sony Music Latin, Star Time International, Verity Records, and Volcano Entertainment. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America.

About AmieStreet.com(R)

AmieStreet.com is a place to discover, download and share music of every genre, from all over the world. It is the first store where the customers collectively determine the price of music. On AmieStreet.com, most songs start free and increase in price up to 98 cents, based on their popularity among members. Members are also rewarded with credit for more downloads when they recommend songs--the more a song increases in price after it's been recommended the more credit the they receive. Amie Street is one of the easiest ways to discover new music online, and with over 1.5 million songs on the site, from the most recognizable musicians to the most promising unsigned acts, there is plenty of music to choose from. AmieStreet.com was founded in 2006, by three then Brown University seniors, and is now headquartered in New York City.

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Avenger To Release New Album "Feast of Anger - Joy of Despair" On Vinyl

Doomentia Records has issued the following brief update about releasing the "Feast of Anger - Joy of Despair" album by Avenger on vinyl:

"Vinyl version of fourth full-length album of legendary Czech black metal horde AVENGER will be released through DOOMENTIA RECORDS later this year."

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ANVIL: 'This Is Thirteen' First-Week Sales Revealed

ANVIL's re-release of the group's latest album, "This is Thirteen", sold around 1,400copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. (Note: Internet/digital sales **ARE** included in the SoundScan totals.) The CD landed at position No. 19 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

"This is Thirteen" was finally given proper national distribution on CD and vinyl on September 15 via VH1 Classic Records. The collectible double vinyl LP boasts newly re-recorded versions of ANVIL classics "Metal on Metal" and "666". The album, originally recorded in 2007 and produced by Chris Tsangarides (JUDAS PRIEST, THIN LIZZY), was primarily available directly from the band via their web site and at their concerts.

ANVIL will take part in an in-store performance and signing session at Vintage Vinyl in Fords, New Jersey on September 27, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. A free screening of the band's acclaimed documentary, "Anvil! The Story Of Anvil", will take place at Vintage Vinyl on September 25, 2009 at 7:00 p.m.

ANVIL, considered a major influence for a generation of hard rockers including METALLICA, SLAYER, ANTHRAX, and GUNS N' ROSES, was the subject of a critically acclaimed, must-see rock-doc, "Anvil! The Story of Anvil", directed by Sacha Gervasi. And in the process, the film has made the group (led by Kudlow and Reiner — both founding members) a household name. But the group's story will certainly not end with the film.

According to RollingStone.com, ANVIL is currently re-recording several other classics with producer Chris Tsangarides, which will be included on a forthcoming "Anvil!" soundtrack. "What happened was the label that owns the old material wanted so much money to license the songs, that it became ridiculous," explained Lips. "In fact, it was far cheaper to go in and re-record in the same studio [Phase One], with the same producer, and re-do the songs. The new version of 'Forged in Fire' is amazing — I think the original version was played too fast. Remarkably, we're getting a second chance to record the songs."

Other freshly re-recorded tunes are "Winged Assassins", "March Of The Crabs", and "School Love". "It's going to be a true 'Best of Anvil', in a way," added Reiner.

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Metal Blade Records to reissue two King Diamond albums


King Diamond has to be the most unique character in the world of heavy metal. Having a career that has spanned a quarter century and divided between time in Mercyful Fate and his self-titled band, the man shows no sign of letting up. Metal Blade Records will be reissuing two classic King Diamond albums on October 13th, just one day before my birthday!

The Spider’s Lullaby and The Graveyard have both been re-mastered by King Diamond guitarist Andy LaRocque and are set to be released on October 13th. Each album will include bonus material that purchasers will be able to obtain digitally. Both The Spider’s Lullabye and The Graveyard will include live “bootleg” versions (with video footage) of the following songs: “The Spider’s Lullabye” from the album of the same name, and ‘Trick Or Treat’ and ‘Up From The Grave’ from The Graveyard.

The King had this to say about the upcoming reissues:


“Andy LaRocque re-mastered both records and you can really hear more details and sounds that I remember recording but didn’t come through in the original mastering. The records have much more bottom end this time around. There’s even more details and clarity than the original version and you’ll hear things you’ve never heard before in both releases. Andy did a great job re-mastering and improving these albums above and beyond my expectations. The artwork has also been completely redone for Spiders and Graveyard and is just amazing. I did not expect them to come out this good and am just completely thrilled with the result.

We originally were going to include bonus footage on the albums as a CD-ROM,but the sound and video quality was going to suffer tremendously and that is just unacceptable. Instead, the bonus footage is going to be available for download to those who purchase the albums. The video downloads will be available in multiple formats so everyone can see them”

In related King Diamond news, Both King Diamond and Mercyful Fate have worked out a deal with C1rca Shoes to have featured artwork on several of their sneakers, the first pair set to arrive in October 2009 with more to follow in 2010.

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THROUGH THE EYES OF THE DEAD: New Album Details Revealed


South Carolina death metallers THROUGH THE EYES OF THE DEAD have set "Skepsis" as the title of their third full-length album. The CD, which will be released via Prosthetic Records, was recorded at New York's Gellar Cellar Studios and will be mastered by Alan Douches (CONVERGE, MISFITS, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, HATEBREED, MASTODON) at West West Side Music in New Windsor, New York.

Commented guitarist Justin Longshore: "The recording process for 'Skepsis' has been going really well. We really focused on writing a record that will satisfy fans of our previous two records along with pushing new boundaries. Danny is currently finishing up vocal tracking and we couldn't be any more satisfied with the way things are sounding. I'm really stoked for everyone to hear these new songs."

The cover art for the album was created by Paul Romano, who has previously worked with THE ACACIA STRAIN, MASTODON, and THE RED CHORD.

Stated Longshore, "We had Paul Romano do the artwork once again and it is easily one of my favorite pieces he has done. It really captures the concept and music that is behind the album. We wanted the art to really project and not look like every other metal album that you see at your local record shop."

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Blasphemous Creation Reveals Debut Album, "Diabolical Kingdom," Cover Art


Reno, Nevada blackened thrash metallers Blasphemous Creation will be releasing their debut album, entitled "Diabolical Kingdom," on Apocrypha Records. The album drops on December 4th. The cover art was done by Dimitar Nikolov.