Like heavy metal and album cover art? Then head on over to Roadrunner's official site and take a look at the iconic hard rock/metal label's feature on the Top 10 Roadrunner-released album covers of all time (as selected by their staff). Each day for the next week-and-a-half, a new cover will be unveiled, counting down from 10. There have been iconic, blasphemous, painted, photographed, found and commissioned artworks used for these album covers and several of the artists comment on the artwork and its place in time and what it means or meant, looking back. An interesting project, it should have some great album cover art to explore!
Check out their first installment here:
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/news/Ten-Greatest-Album-Covers-in-Roadrunner-History-10-21075.aspx
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Passion Pit To Reissue Debut Album
The band Passion Pit is reissuing their 10-month old debut 'Because Of Course They Are.' The reissued version, due out on April 13, will feature the original album with new artwork, two "stripped-down" tracks ("Sleepyhead" and "Moth's Wings") and a cover of the Cranberries' "Dreams," which the band plays live all the time.
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Teenage Fanclub Announce Comeback Album 'Shadows'
Fortunately, it looks like the band is getting behind 'Shadows,' and has already announced a short tour of the U.K. in May and June to promote the record. The chances of a few North American dates don’t look promising—it’s not even clear yet who will be releasing the album on this side of the Atlantic—but U.S. fans will no doubt be keeping their fingers crossed.
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LCD Soundsystem confirm their third album will be their last
It's being reported that LCD Soundsystem's upcoming third album will be their last. James Murphy has made good on a string of earlier comments, confirming plans to wrap up the project "and then go do something else".
"It just [seems] perfect," Murphy told BBC Radio's Zane Lowe in an interview this week. "We'll make this the last record and we'll do exactly what we want and go out happy." Murphy's use of the first person plural is telling. Although most see LCD Soundsystem as the DJ's solo project, it's a group involving several consistent collaborators, including Pat Mahoney, Al Doyle and Nancy Whang.
"I feel good about it and really positive," Murphy said. "I think that it's nice to feel like it's the last one and we'll tour really hard and then go do something else."
We already have some hints of Murphy's future plans. "[James] is quite keen to do a disco thing," band-mate Al Doyle said in 2008. Murphy is also about to release a soundtrack album for director Noah Baumbach's film, Greenberg. The soundtrack includes seven songs with vocals, Murphy told Pitchfork, inspired by the 1970s home-recording techniques of Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson and Harry Nilsson.
LCD Soundsystem's third album will be released on 17 May. Their next – and possibly last – UK/Ireland tour begins 20 April.
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Cauldron Black Ram Releases New Album, To Play Black Mass Ritual III This Fall
Adelaide’s Cauldron Black Ram released their new album, 'Slubberdegullion,' in Australia on March 14th.! Copies will be available through The Cave Distro and Abysmal Sounds Distro, with the vinyl release available soon through Blood Harvest. The band will also be appearing at the Black Mass Ritual III in Helsinki, Finland in October.
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Behemoth Frontman Nergal Facing Prison Time Over Bible Tearing Incident In Poland
Personally, although I am not an overly religious man, this isn't "artistic work," but rather a very sad attempt at gaining some PR for the band. Come on, you knew that it would offend somebody!
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Escape The Fate To Release Special Edition Album
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Guns N Roses Announces New Chile, Argentina Dates
Guns N Roses was forced to cancel their March 14th show in Rio De Janeiro at Apoteose Stadium due to the stage collapsing as a result of heavy rains. The collapse resulted in injuries from both our camp and Rio crews and a truck with part of Sebastian Bach's band's gear rolled on the trip from Sao Paulo to Rio.
In related news, the Argentina and Chile shows have new dates announced:
MAR 20th Santiago @ Movistar Arena
MAR 22nd Buenos Aires @ Estadio Velez Sarsfield
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Phish Announce Tour and Phish3D Film
Phish will kick off an extensive summer tour on June 11th at Toyota Park in Chicago, IL. Tickets will go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, April 2nd.
The band performed Genesis' "Watcher of the Skies" and "No Reply at All" this week at the 25th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and guitarist/vocalist Trey Anastasio had the privilege of inducting the group.
After the sold-out summer tour last year, Phish delved into another ambitious undertaking: Festival 8. Held October 30th, 31st and November 1st at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, CA, it was the band's eighth festival and attracted over 40,000 fans. Highlights from the celebration are captured in the new film, Phish 3D, which will be released in theatres this April.
The group played eight sets over the course of the weekend, including its first-ever full acoustic set and, reviving a longtime Phish tradition, a Halloween set that featured them donning a "musical costume," covering a full album by another band. This year's selection was a double album - the Rolling Stones' 1972 classic, Exile On Main Street. Complete ticketing and theatre information for Phish3D will be announced shortly. Here are some of the tour dates:
6/11 Chicago, IL Toyota Park
6/12 Cuyahoga Falls, OH Blossom Music Center
6/13 Hershey, PA Hersheypark Stadium
6/15 Portsmouth, VA nTelos Pavilion at Harbor Center
6/17 Hartford, CT Comcast Theatre
6/18 Hartford, CT Comcast Theatre
6/19 Saratoga Springs, NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center
6/20 Saratoga Springs, NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center
6/22 Mansfield, MA Comcast Center
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James Taylor and Carole King Announce Live Album and DVD, Add New Tour Dates
In November of 1970, James Taylor and Carole King first performed together at the Troubadour on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, California. Taylor had just released his debut album for the Beatles' newly-formed Apple Records and King was finding her way as a first-time solo performer even though by then she was a famous songwriter with a string of hits for other artists. When they returned to the club for a two-week co-headlining run in 1971, their lives were somewhat different. That summer Taylor's "Fire and Rain" was topping the charts and King's landmark Tapestry was on its way to making her a music superstar. Thirty-six years later, in November 2007, James Taylor, Carole King and members of their renowned original band "The Section" (featuring guitarist Danny Kortchmar, bassist Leland Sklar and drummer Russell Kunkel) returned to the Troubadour for a three-night, six-show run to celebrate the venue's 50th anniversary. Those historic shows are documented in Live at the Troubadour, a special 2-disc CD/DVD available May 4th from Hear Music/Concord Music Group.
This remarkable recording, culled from these unforgettable string of shows, features 15 songs and 75 minutes of pristine video and audio, including stunning performances of the pair's most beloved hits such as Carole King's "So Far Away," "It's Too Late," and "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?," as well as James Taylor's "Carolina in My Mind," "Sweet Baby James," and "Fire and Rain," to name just a few.
The return to the intimate Troubadour--the fertile ground that served as the unofficial home to a some of the era's defining musicians such as the Eagles, Elton John, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt and Joni Mitchell--rekindled King's and Taylor's love for making music together. Variety enthused at the time, "Taylor and King reminded us about the intensity of the song, that the artistically-rich and commercially-viable are not mutually exclusive and how one tiny club continues to be a birthing room for some of this city's most memorable music." The experience was deeply felt by everyone - the musicians on stage, the fans in attendance, as well as the project's technical crew: audio producer Peter Asher (an instrumental figure throughout Taylor's career) and Emmy-winning video director, Martyn Atkins. Live at the Troubadour is captured in sterling 5.1 stereo and state-of-the-art high definition video.
In the album's liner notes, Taylor states: "The Troubadour in 1971 wasn't the beginning, but it was a big step into the light for both of us. When we reunited for the Troubadour's 50th Anniversary celebration in 2007, it felt like yesterday. It was, and still is, all about the music and the celebration of performing together." King adds, "What's even more remarkable is that James's and my musical connection and friendship continue to transcend time and place. Whenever we're together, there we are. I feel a tremendous gratitude to be able to share this experience with James, with this fine band, and most of all, with the fans."
This memorable event was also the inspiration for the recently-announced 60-concert "Troubadour Reunion" world tour that will kick off in Melbourne, Australia on March 26th and will travel to New Zealand and Japan before coming to North America starting in May. For the Troubadour Reunion tour, King and Taylor will once again be joined on stage by Kortchmar, Sklar and Kunkel. The tour has so far generated an overwhelming response exemplified by numerous sold-out shows including multiple nights at The Hollywood Bowl on May 13th, 14th and 15th, New York's Madison Square Garden on June 15th, 16th and 30th and Tanglewood on July 3rd, 4th and 5th.
Live at the Troubadour track listing:
1. Blossom (James Taylor)
2. So Far Away (Carole King)
3. Machine Gun Kelly (Danny Kortchmar)
4. Carolina in My Mind (James Taylor)
5. It's Too Late (Carole King - Toni Stern)
6. Smackwater Jack (Gerry Goffin - Carole King)
7. Something in the Way She Moves (James Taylor)
8. Will You Love Me Tomorrow? (Gerry Goffin - Carole King)
9. Country Road (James Taylor)
10. Fire and Rain (James Taylor)
11. Sweet Baby James (James Taylor)
12. I Feel the Earth Move (Carole King)
13. You've Got a Friend (Carole King)
14. Up on the Roof (Gerry Goffin - Carole King)
15. You Can Close Your Eyes (James Taylor)
Here are a few of the latest Dates according to Carole King's Website:
Mar 26, 2010 Rod Laver Arena Melbourne, AUS
Mar 27, 2010 Rod Laver Arena Melbourne, AUS
Mar 29, 2010 Entertainment Centre Adelaide, AUS
Mar 31, 2010 Entertainment Centre Brisbane, AUS
Apr 1, 2010 Entertainment Centre Brisbane, AUS
Apr 3, 2010 Hope Estate Hunter Valley, AUS
Apr 5, 2010 Entertainment Centre Sydney, AUS
Apr 6, 2010 Entertainment Centre Sydney, AUS
Apr 8, 2010 Westpac Arena Christchurch, NZ
Apr 10, 2010 Vector Arena Auckland, NZ
Apr 14, 2010 Nippon Budokan Tokyo, JPN
Apr 16, 2010 Nippon Budokan Tokyo, JPN
Apr 17, 2010 Yokohama Pacifico Yokohama, JPN
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Robert Randolph Announces New Album Plus Experience Hendrix Tour
Robert Randolph & The Family Band's new album 'We Walk This Road' is scheduled for release this June on Warner Bros. Records.
Produced by the legendary T-Bone Burnett, the album continues the Sacred Steel tradition for which Randolph has earned wide praise. Accompanied by his Sacred Steel mentors, Randolph will embark on the "Experience Hendrix Tour" beginning March 10 in San Francisco. The tour also features Los Lobos, Ernie Isley, Joe Satriani, Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and others.
Throughout the recording of 'We Walk This Road,' Randolph and Burnett worked closely together as archivists, discovering songs—decade by decade—from the 20th century American music canon.
The songs they uncovered, ranging from blues and rock to field recordings and gospel, serve as the inspiration for the 11 songs on 'We Walk This Road.' Recorded at the Village Recorders and Electro Magnetic Studio, the album includes "If I Had My Way" (featuring Ben Harper), "Salvation" (featuring Leon Russell), and reinterpretations of Prince's "Walk Don't Walk," Bob Dylan's "Shot Of Love," (featuring Jim Keltner, who played drums on the original version) and John Lennon's "I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier Mama" (featuring Doyle Bramhall II).
Of the album, Randolph says "T-Bone and I drew a lot from the past while we were making this record, but I think it really is a record for these times. I think the fact that I, as a young guy who likes hip-hop and gospel, am reaching back into this rich history of American roots music will appeal to people who are fifteen, and people who are seventy-five years old. T-Bone opened my eyes to great archival music. He's a link between the past and the present."
*"Experience Hendrix Tour"
†Featuring B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Albert Lee, The Allman Brothers Band and more
March 10 Warfield Theatre San Francisco, CA*
March 11 Warfield Theatre San Francisco, CA*
March 14 Paramount Theatre Denver, CO*
March 16 Uptown Theatre Kansas City, MO*
March 17 Orpheum Theatre Minneapolis, MN*
March 18 Chicago Theatre Chicago, IL*
March 20 Fox Theatre St. Louis, MO*
March 21 Riverside Theatre Milwaukee, WI*
March 23 Civic Theatre Akron, OH*
March 24 Wellmont Theatre Montclair, NJ*
March 25 Count Basie Theatre Red Bank, NJ*
March 27 Fox Theatre Atlanta, GA*
May16 First Flush Festival Wadmalaw Island, SC
June 13 Hollywood Bowl Los Angeles, CA
June 26 Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival Bridgeview, IL
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Infected Mushroom - Killing Time Remix EP
Infected Mushroom have announced their participation in this year's official Record Store Day with the exclusive import of the Killing Time Remix EP, a five-song collection of brand new versions of the track "Killing Time" from their latest album LEGEND OF THE BLACK SHAWARMA. Featuring hypnotic vocals from alt-rock trailblazer Perry Farrell, "Killing Time" is a bare, slow-burning anthem that epitomizes INFECTED MUSHROOM's brand of electronic rock, mixing heavy synths and digitized drums.
The Killing Time EP features remixes from music giant Paul Oakenfold (whose Perfecto Records released Legend of the Black Shawarma), Israeli psy-trance artist Astrix, English trance producer John "00" Fleming, and INFECTED MUSHROOM themselves. The EP, an exclusive import from the band’s native Israel, will be available at numerous independent record stores participating in Record Store Day Saturday, April 17, a day before the band is set to take the stage at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, where they will appear in the Sahara tent (INFECTED MUSHROOM also appeared at Coachella in 2007). For a list of participating record stores where the Killing Time Remix EP will be available, visit: www.recordstoreday.com/Venues
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Echo & The Bunnymen - The Fountain
'The Fountain' started to come together in 2007 when frontman Ian McCulloch and guitarist Will Sergeant started working on new songs. For the next year, the group brought the album together in Liverpool’s Parr Street Recording Studios. McCulloch calls 'The Fountain' “the best thing we’ve done since Ocean Rain.” The press has been raving about the record with Alternative Press praising its “brisk, vibrant pop songs” and Filter calling it “ replete with shimmering, flaw-repellant pop, all glorious melodies and gorgeous atmospherics”
Echo & The Bunnymen Tour Dates
4/16/10: Indio, CA @ Empire Polo Grounds (Coachella Festival)
4/18/10: Sparks, NV @ John Ascuaga’s Nugget
4/19/10: San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
4/21/10: Chicago, IL @ Metro
4/23/10: Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
4/25/10: Glenside (Philadelphia), PA @ Keswick Theatre
4/26/10: Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
4/27/10: Fairfield, CT @ Fairfield Theatre Company
4/28/10: State College, PA @ State Theatre
4/30/10: Washington, DC @ Black Cat
5/1/10: New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
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Record Store Day Vinyl Reissue of Modest Mouse's The Moon & Antarctica
New pressing from 2004 master.
For the LP's 10th anniversary, Epic/Legacy are re-issuing Moon on vinyl. The set, due on April 17 for Record Store Day, has been remastered using the band's preferred 2004 master, but it contains the original tracklisting, without the extras found on the expanded edition. It also features the original artwork and contains the locked groove found at the end of the first side.
