Category Archives: Press Releases

PJ HARVEY SAN FRANCISCO & NEW YORK APPEARANCES CONFIRMED

‘LET ENGLAND SHAKE’ OUT FEBRUARY 15

PJ Harvey has confirmed two U.S. headline shows in addition to her appearance at the already sold out Coachella festival.

The headline dates—April 14 at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco and April 20 at Terminal 5 in New York—fall on either side of the April 17 Coachella set.

Tickets for the San Francisco show are on sale now and New York tickets will go on sale February 4 at http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0000462BAF666421

PJ Harvey’s eighth studio album, ‘Let England Shake’, will be released February 15 in the U.S. by Vagrant Records. The record’s release is already being heralded by some of the most enthusiastic critical notices of her distinguished career: In her native UK, ‘Let England Shake’ has received 5 star reviews from Q and MOJO, while UNCUT named it Album of the Month.

While here in the U.S., pre-review reception has been equally enthusiastic, with “Written On The Forehead” inspiring THE NEW YORKER to posit that PJ Harvey may well be “still the single most uncompromising, restless presence in modern rock,” while “The Words That Maketh Murder” earned a ROLLING STONE Top Singles review and news of the new album’s impending release moved NEW YORK magazine to remark “PJ Harvey, we’ve missed you.”

Preorders for Let England Shake are live now at iTunes:

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewMultiRoom?fcId=414764830

And  Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Let-England-Shake-PJ-Harvey/dp/B004GHYCKW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1294356601&sr=8-1

PJ Harvey’s band for these rare U.S. headline gigs and Coachella will be John Parish, Mick Harvey and Jean-Marc Butty.

For further information, check back at http://www.pjharvey.net/ and/or contact Steve Martin or Amy Grote at nasty little man amy@nastylittleman.com

EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY Take Care, Take Care, Take Care

Out April 26 on Temporary Residence Ltd.

2011 Tour to Begin with April 6 Radio City Music Hall Headline with Special Guests Low and Eluvium

Explosions In The Sky will release its fifth album, titled Take Care, Take Care, Take Care, April 26 on Temporary Residence Ltd. Recorded at Sonic Ranch in El Paso TX by John Congleton and produced by the band, Take Care, Take Care, Take Care is the West Texas quartet’s first full length studio effort since 2007’s All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone. The record was mixed by Congleton at Austin TX’s Public Hi Fi studio and features artwork by longtime visual collaborator Esteban Rey.

Tickets are on sale now for Explosions In The Sky’s biggest headlining show to date: April 6 at New York City’s famed Radio City Music Hall featuring special guests Low and a first ever solo piano performance by Eluvium. The Radio City date is the first confirmed stop on Explosions In The Sky’s forthcoming 2011 tour, whose UK/Europe leg commences May 16 in Dublin and runs through May 25 in Amsterdam. Further dates will be announced as they are confirmed.

A second snippet of music from Take Care, Take Care, Take Care can be previewed at http://explosionsinthesky.com. A first 47-second sample appeared on the site in conjunction with the announcement of the Radio City show.

The track listing for Take Care, Take Care, Take Care is:
1.  Last Known Surroundings
2.  Human Qualities
3.  Trembling Hands
4.  Be Comfortable, Creature
5.  Postcard From 1952
6.  Let Me Back In

EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY 2011

April 6     New York, NY, Radio City Music Hall
May 16    Ireland, Dublin, Vicar St
May 17    UK, Manchester, Academy
May 19    UK, London, Roundhouse
May 20    France, Paris, Bataclan
May 22    Germany, Berlin, Postbahnhof
May 23    Germany, Koln, Essigfabrik
May 24    Belgium, Brussels, Ancienne Belgique
May 25    Holland, Amsterdam, Paradiso

RA RA RIOT CONFIRM ADDITIONAL 2011 TOUR DATES

DEBUT PERFORMANCE ON JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE THURSDAY JAN 20th

“The Orchard’s 10 songs positively burst with sophistication precision and polish.”- NPR

“Well poised to become the soundtrack of your life.”  – New York Magazine

Ra Ra Riot continue touring in support of their acclaimed sophomore effort The Orchard with a March 2011 run of new U.S. dates. These shows extend their successful U.S. run whose  January 21-27 west coast swing begins with a sold out appearance at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall and builds on highlights like last year’s capacity crowd drawing four-night stand in NYC, a packed to the walls 9:30 headline in DC and more.

Ra Ra Riot is also set to perform January 20 on Jimmy Kimmel Live, where their new single Too Dramatic will make its television debut. Ra Ra Riot’s first ever Kimmel appearance follows recent TV triumphs on the Late Show with David Letterman:

http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/video/?pid=X8ncz68m74PHhSumKtDEtZScFtedralM

and Last Call with Carson Daly, where they performed Boy, live from the Music Box at the Henry Fonda  Theater:

http://www.nbc.com/Last_Call_with_Carson_Daly/video/ra-ra-riot-boy/1262958

Released August 24 on Barsuk (U.S.) and Arts & Crafts (Canada/Mexico), Ra Ra Riot’s sophomore effort The Orchard debuted #36 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart. The album was produced by Ra Ra Riot  and Andrew Maury and mixed by Chris Walla (with the exception of “Do You Remember,” which was mixed by Rostam Batmanglij). Its August 24 release date marked two years, nearly to the day, since the release of the band’s debut album, The Rhumb Line, which debuted at #109 on the U.S. album chart and went on  to sell in excess of 70,000 copies.

Full list of U.S. dates here:

Wed-Jan-19 Santa Barbara, CA Soho ^
Thu-Jan-20 Los Angeles, CA Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Fri-Jan-21 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall ^
Sat-Jan-22 Sacramento, CA Harlow’s & ^
Sun-Jan-23 Sonoma, CA Gundlach Bundschu Winery & ^
Tue-Jan-25 Eugene, OR Wow Hall & ^
Wed-Jan-26 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theatre & ^
Thu-Jan-27 Seattle, WA Neumo’s & ^
Fri-Jan-28 Victoria, BC Sugar ^
Sat-Jan-29 Vancouver, BC The Biltmore ^
Thu-Mar-3 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live
Fri-Mar-4 Charlottesville, VA Jefferson Theatre
Sun-Mar-6 Jacksonville, FL Jack Rabbits
Mon-Mar-7 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Culture Room
Tue-Mar-8 Orlando, FL The Social
Wed-Mar-9 Tampa, FL Crowbar
Fri-Mar-11 New Orleans, LA One Eyed Jacks ^
Sat-Mar-12 Baton Rouge, LA Spanish Moon
Mon-Mar-14 Columbia, MO Mojo’s
Tue-Mar-15 St. Louis, MO Firebird
Wed-Mar-16 Indianapolis, IN Earth House
Fri-Mar-18 Louisville, KY Headliners Music Hall
Sat-Mar-19 Newport, KY Mad Hatter Club 219

Givers ^
Pepper Rabbit &

FOO FIGHTERS NEW ALBUM TEASER SOARS PAST 300,000 PLAYS IN 48 HOURS

FIRST SINGLE AND RELEASE DATE STILL TBD

http://foofighters.com/
http://www.facebook.com/foofighters
http://twitter.com/foofighters

The first taste of the new Foo Fighters album at http://tease.foofighters.com/ (See embed code below) has rocketed past 300,000 plays in barely two days since its launch.

The preview features a snippet of “Bridge Burning,” the opening track of the band’s seventh full length studio album, due out this spring on Roswell/RCA.

The first single from the album will not be “Walk” as previously and erroneously reported. The single will be announced as soon as it is confirmed.

The as yet untitled album, produced by Butch Vig and mixed by Alan Moulder, was recorded entirely on analog tape in the garage of Dave Grohl’s home in California’s San Fernando Valley. The new record also marks the Foo Fighters’ first full length effort with legendary producer Butch Vig, who produced new tracks “Wheels” and “Word Forward” on 2009’s Greatest Hits and with whom Dave Grohl (of course) first worked on Nirvana’s classic Nevermind. Nirvana co-founder Krist Novoselic also makes a cameo, contributing bass and accordion to “I Should Have Known,” while former Nirvana touring guitarist and longtime extended FF family member Pat Smear now joins the permanent FF core of Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel and Chris Shiflett.

FOO FIGHTERS UNVEIL FIRST TASTE OF NEW ALBUM AT http://tease.foofighters.com/

CONFIRMED FOR SPRING 2011 RELEASE ON ROSWELL/RCA

Butch Vig-Produced Seventh Studio Record To Hit Simultaneously With Theatrical Release Of Feature-Length Foo Fighters Documentary Directed By Academy Award Winner James Moll

http://foofighters.com/
http://www.facebook.com/foofighters
http://twitter.com/foofighters

Foo Fighters have launched http://tease.foofighters.com/ (See embed code below) featuring a first taste of “Bridge Burning,” the opening track of the band’s seventh full length studio album, due out this spring on Roswell/RCA.

The album, produced by Butch Vig and mixed by Alan Moulder, was recorded entirely on analog tape in the garage of Dave Grohl’s home in California’s San Fernando Valley. The no computers/no software/flesh blood and tape only approach has resulted in arguably the strongest and most cohesive effort of the band’s 15-year-plus career: From the soaring melodies of first single “Walk” to the  beautifully bipolar “These Days” to the stunning duet with Bob Mould on “Dear Rosemary,” the record is a singular triumph: a band that’s headlined arenas, stadiums and festivals the world over stripping itself down to the bare essentials–a bunch of friends recording an album to tape in a garage—and coming up with its finest hour.

The new record also marks the Foo Fighters’ first full length effort with legendary producer Butch Vig, who produced new tracks “Wheels” and “Word Forward” on 2009’s Greatest Hits and with whom Dave Grohl (of course) first worked on Nirvana’s classic Nevermind. Nirvana co-founder Krist Novoselic also makes a cameo, contributing bass and accordion to “I Should Have Known,” while former Nirvana touring guitarist and longtime extended FF family member Pat Smear now joins the permanent FF core of Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel and Chris Shiflett.

Concurrent with the album’s release, Exclusive Media Group’s documentary division Spitfire Pictures will be producing a feature documentary about the Foo Fighters to be directed by Academy Award winner James Moll (The Last Days, Running The Sahara).  Co-produced and co-financed by Exclusive Media Group and RCA Records, Moll’s documentary will chronicle the entire history of the Foo Fighters, from the cassette demos Grohl recorded during his tenure as Nirvana’s drummer through their ascent to their Grammy-winning, multi-platinum, arena and stadium headlining status as one of the biggest rock bands on the planet.   This chronicling of the Foo Fighters’ triumphs and tragedies  will culminate in an in-depth behind the scenes perspective on the making of the new album: A process in which the band pushed itself forward by going back to basics and recording in Grohl’s garage completely on analog tape.

The new Foo Fighters record will of course be supported by an extensive world tour, of which the first dates to be announced, the band’s own July 2 & 3 Milton Keynes Bowl headline stint, blew out all 130,000 tickets within hours of on-sale. Additionally, the Foos are confirmed to headline across the worldwide summer festival circuit, including Washington state’s Sasquatch!, the UK’s  Isle of White, Pink Pop in the Netherlands, Germany’s Southside and Hurricane, Oxegen in Ireland, T in the Park in Scotland, Optimus Alive in Portgual, and more to be announced as they are confirmed.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE TO REISSUE REMASTERED EXPANDED DEBUT ALBUM MARCH 1

QOTSA’s Eponymous Debut To Be First Release From Joshua Homme’s Rekords Rekords Label In Conjunction With Domino

Queens Of The Stone Age’s Joshua Homme’s Rekords Rekords label has entered into a worldwide alliance with Domino Records to market, promote and distribute selected titles from their catalogue. The first release under this new arrangement will be an expanded and remastered reissue of the eponymous debut album from Queens Of The Stone Age, to be released in the United States on March 1.

Commenting on this alliance enabled by Queens’ newfound label independence, Joshua Homme said, “My desire to work with Domino comes from witnessing the relationships Laurence has with his artists. The songwriting/recording process is a completely tailored and creatively supportive affair. His presence without meddling gives Domino a great edge. It is as if Domino has done due diligence and therefore know exactly what they’re selling the kids: some artist helmed rock n roll. “

The genesis of Queens Of The Stone Age—the band and the first album—goes back to the 1995 dissolution of the criminally overlooked Kyuss, specifically founding guitarist Homme’s migration from the California Desert to the Pacific Northwest to work on a new project concurrent with spending time on the road as second guitarist in Screaming Trees. Homme discarded the sludgy low-end expanses of his former band for much tighter song structure (for the most part) and honest-to-goodness capital ‘H’ hooks and what was originally christened Gamma Ray was quickly changed to Queens Of The Stone Age shortly after its 1996 birth.

Homme returned to his old stomping grounds and reunited with latter day Kyuss drummer Alfredo Hernandez to record as a fake trio (bass player “Carlo Von Sexron” is a nom-de-boom for Homme) and QOTSA came into full bloom, releasing the original version of this first album in 1998. If this re-issue doesn’t document “hour zero,” it’s only a few minutes past. “Regular John” introduces Homme as a smooth and assured vocalist with great melodic instinct. Tracks like “Avon” and “Walkin On Sidewalks” lock into heavy riffs that are in entrancing in their repetition and subtle shifts. And it’s hard to believe that insistently catchy “How To Handle A Rope” didn’t make a greater impact on mainstream radio upon its initial release. Amidst the mid-fi riffage and willful experimentalism of an artist forging a new sound for himself are some killer guitar melodies that could have easily come from 1971, 1991 or 2011. And that’s part of the timelessness of this unassuming debut album. QOTSA can only truly be classified as a “rock band;” Any attempt to narrow that down further would be to neglect the scope of Homme’s broad body of work and the band’s wide-reaching appeal.

This Rekords Rekords re-issue, in conjunction with Domino, has been fully remastered from the original tapes and has been expanded by three tracks. “The Bronze” and “These Aren’t the Droids Your Looking For” from the  long out of print 1998 QOTSA/Beaver split EP and “Spiders and Vinegaroons” which was part of the posthumous Kyuss/QOTSA split EP. Listen to album opener, Regular John, here: http://soundcloud.com/qotsa/regular-john

Queens Of The Stone Age will be available on CD (REK001CD), double vinyl LP (REK001LP) and via digital download (REK001D).  The tracklisting is as follows:

1 – Regular John
2 – Avon
3 – If Only
4 – Walkin On The Sidewalks
5 – You Would Know
6 – The Bronze
7 – How to Handle a Rope
8 – Mexicola
9 – Hispanic Impressions
10 – You Cant Quit Me Baby
11 – These Arent the Droids You’re Looking For
12 – Give the Mule What He Wants
13 – Spiders and Vinegaroons
14 – I Was A Teenage Hand Model

EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY TO HEADLINE RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL

TICKETS FOR APRIL 6 SHOW ON SALE JANUARY 7
NEW ALBUM OUT SPRING 2011

Explosions In The Sky has confirmed its first ever show at New York City’s famed Radio City Music Hall on April 6, 2011. Tickets for the show—the band’s biggest ever headline date worldwide and first NYC area appearance since selling out Central Park Summerstage in 2009—will go on sale January 7.

The Radio City date is the newest confirmed addition to Explosions In The Sky’s forthcoming 2011 tour, which will be the band’s first series of headlining shows since its four-city 10th anniversary trek in summer 2009. A previously announced UK/Europe leg of the tour commences May 16 in Dublin and runs through May 25 in Amsterdam, and includes Explosions’ biggest London headline engagement to date at the 3000-capacity Roundhouse.

The world-spanning tour precedes the release of Explosions In The Sky’s eagerly awaited new album, scheduled for a spring 2011 release on Temporary Residence Ltd.

More details on the new record and further dates will be announced as they are confirmed.

EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY 2011

April 6     New York, NY, Radio City Music Hall
May 16    Ireland, Dublin, Vicar St
May 17    UK, Manchester, Academy
May 19    UK, London, Roundhouse
May 20    France, Paris, Bataclan
May 22    Germany, Berlin, Postbahnhof
May 23    Germany, Koln, Essigfabrik
May 24    Belgium, Brussels, Ancienne Belgique
May 25    Holland, Amsterdam, Paradiso

BAND OF HORSES AUSTIN CITY LIMITS EPISODE TO AIR JANUARY 15, 2011

INFINITE ARMS NOMINATED FOR BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM GRAMMY

Birdsmell & Friends Featuring Ben Bridwell Playing Dec. 10 Benefit for the Andy Kotowicz Family Foundation

Band of Horses’ Austin City Limits TV performance, taped in October the weekend the band appeared at the ACL Festival, has been confirmed for a January 15, 2011 airdate on PBS (check local listings at http://austincitylimits.org/).

The performance culls material from all three of Band of Horses’ records, Cease To Begin, Everything All The Time and this year’s Infinite Arms, recently nominated for a Grammy in the Best Alternative Music Album category. The epic set captured the grandeur and sweep of the Band of Horses live experience in the unique and intimate setting of one of the final episodes to be recorded at the the original ACL soundstage.

On the immediate horizon, Birdsmell and Friends featuring Ben Bridwell of Band of Horses will play a very special benefit show at the Pour House in Charleston SC on December 10 with proceeds going to the Andy Kotowicz Family Foundation. Kotowicz, a friend and professional colleague of the band’s from their Sub Pop tenure, was tragically killed in an October 21 car accident that his young daughter survived. Birdsmell and Friends will perform songs old and new at the benefit and special guest Holopaw will open. Tickets are $25 and available at:

PAUL McCARTNEY NOMINATED FOR BEST SOLO ROCK PERFORMANCE GRAMMY

APPEARING ON SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE DECEMBER 11

APOLLO THEATER CONCERT TO BE BROADCAST LIVE ON SIRIUS XM DECEMBER 13

RECEIVING KENNEDY CENTER HONOR DECEMBER 5

Paul McCartney continues to wind down yet another banner year in the most distinguished career in modern music with yet another in his cavalcade of Grammy nominations: The live version of “Helter Skelter” from last year’s gold-certified Good Evening New York City (Hear Music/Concord Music Group) will be up for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards.

Paul’s schedule will be anything but idle leading up to the February 13, 2011 Grammy ceremony. Having just wrapped the sold out Up & Coming 2010 tour with two shows for over 130,000 fans at Sao Paolo’s Morumbi Stadium, Macca heads to the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington DC this weekend to receive a Kennedy Center Honor on Sunday, December 5. Kennedy Center Honors, now in their 33rd year, are awarded to five special recipients annually for their lifetime contribution to American culture through the performing arts.  Honorees are received by the President of the United States and the First Lady at a reception at the White House, then proceed to the Opera House for a Gala featuring surprise performances and tributes.  The Kennedy Center Honors medallions are  presented on Saturday 4th December, the night before the gala, at a State Department dinner hosted by Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.

The following week, Paul and his ace band of Paul “Wix” Wickens, Rusty Anderson, Brian Ray and Abe Laboriel Jr. will appear on Saturday Night Live, marking the first time in some 17 years that Paul has graced the famed music stage of 30 Rockefeller’s Studio 8H.

Barely 48 hours later, Macca will play Harlem’s world famous Apollo Theater for the first time. The intimate show will celebrate Sirius XM’s reaching the 20 million subscriber mark and launching a month-long “Paul McCartney’s Band on the Run Radio” channel. The concert, which will be held on Monday, December 13 at 8:00 pm ET, will feature McCartney performing songs from his unrivalled back catalog, including many Beatles, Wings and solo classics. The concert will air nationwide live on six channels including “Paul McCartney’s Band on the Run Radio,” Howard 101, one of Howard Stern’s two exclusive SIRIUS XM channels, Underground Garage, Classic Vinyl, The Coffee House and ‘70s on 7.

The last leg of Up & Coming, the SNL appearance, the Apollo show and the Sirius XM channel’s launch all coincide with the recent re-issue of Paul McCartney & Wings’ number one album from 1973, Band on the Run, the first title to be released as part of an extensive overhaul of McCartney’s complete catalog of solo recordings. The month-long “Band on the Run Radio” channel will also feature a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this landmark album, hosted by McCartney himself, as well as newly-discovered live performances of Wings tracks recorded at Abbey Road Studios from The Paul McCartney Archive.