Music News & Notes

Cowboy Junkies are set to release Renmin Park – The Nomad Series Volume 1 on October 25th through Proper Records in the UK.

Renmin Park was inspired by a three-month stay that Michael Timmins and his family spent in China—which he describes as "an other-worldly experience"— Renmin Park is the first of four releases planned over the next 18 months, collectively titled "The Nomad Series."

The album will be followed by 'Demons,' on which Cowboy Junkies will cover the songs of their late friend Vic Chesnutt, who passed away in December 2009.

"His catalogue is so deep and, for the most part, so overlooked," said Michael. "It will be a labor of love." The final two volumes of the Nomad Series will be titled Sing in My Meadow, the contents of which are still being discussed, and The Wilderness, a full album of new songs, some of which ("Angel In The Wilderness," "Fairytale," "The Confession of Georgie E") the band has already introduced on stage.

The band’s recently revamped website will play an important role in the Nomad Series by taking fans inside the creative process and after all four volumes are released, plans call for a book that will delve into the character, nature, and inspiration behind each of the albums. Michael sums up the band's motivation for taking on such a massive project quite simply:

"The main reason for wanting to do it," he says, "is that, as we steam through our twenty-fifth year, we feel that we have the energy and inspiration to pull it off."

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Weezer's Death to False Metal album cover

Considering their controversial album cover for their new album 'Hurley,' Weezer is doing it again with something that is even more bizarre. The cover for their upcoming b-sides and rarities album 'Death to False Metal' has a strange title and equally strange cover art.

The cover does not include the band's logo or any reference to their name. The artwork is a painting of people working on an idyllic farm. 

'Death to False Metal' and a deluxe edition of Weezer's 'Pinkerton' LP are both scheduled to be released this November 2.






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Monster Magnet to release Mastermind

MONSTER MAGNET is set to release their long-awaited new album 'Mastermind' on October 26. AOL Music's Noisecreep premiered the brand new MONSTER MAGNET music video – for the album's roll out single “Gods and Punks." The video was directed by Nathan "Karma" Cox (Queens of the Stone Age, Linkin Park, HIM) and tells the story of “a Super Villain down on his luck” whose “life's mission is to destroy the planet” trying to find a way to make his way back to “respectable evil genus status.”

The album's cover artwork was designed by Invisible Creature (Wolfmother, Chris Cornell, Foo Fighters).

"I'm extremely proud of this new album," says Wyndorf. "It's a big, beefy ball of demented anthems and power rock. The music itself is exaggerated and muscular; like classic rock gone insane! Giant hooks, giant sounds. The rockers are direct and intense. The ballads; trippy and strange. It's guitar heaven."



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Bloodsoaked Reveals New Album "The Death Of Hope" Details

North Carolina's Bloodsoaked has issued the following announcement about revealing the cover artwork for the new album "The Death of Hope:"

"Here it is, the brand new cover art and track listing. The two re-recorded songs are my two favorite songs from the first CD that I feel deserve a much better production. I have been writing the entire new CD with Brent Williams, the drummer for Atrocious Abnormality. Brent has sparked new blood in the writing process as will be very evident once the recording is complete.

"At this time it is still un-clear if I will record with Brent or stick with the programmed drums. Shane McFee is still programming my live drums as he did on the last Bloodsoaked album 'Sadistic Deeds Grotesque Memories.' The cover art for the new CD was done by Jumali Katani, the complete layout will be done by Steve/Comatose Music."

Track list:

1. Wading The Blood Pools
2. Forever Damned
3. Obsessed With Hate
4. No God
5. Consume The Flesh
6. The Death of Hope
7. Infestation
8. TBA
9. Self Mutilation (re-recorded)
10. Grinding Your Guts (re-recorded)