Photo: Mark Seliger

Columbia Records and Starbucks Entertainment announce the co-release of Jakob Dylan’s debut solo album, Seeing Things on June 10, 2008.

Seeing Things was produced by Rick Rubin at his home studio in the Hollywood Hills throughout 2007. Jakob Dylan’s raw and dynamic performance on this primarily acoustic album reflects the continuation of Rick’s spare and compelling production work.

Seeing Things Track listing:
1. Evil Is Alive And Well
2. Valley Of The Low Sun
3. All Day And All Night
4. Everybody Pays As They Go
5. Will It Grow
6. I Told You I Couldn’t Stop
7. War Is Kind
8. Something Good This Way Comes
9. On Up The Mountain
10. This End Of The Telescope

A headlining tour will be announced shortly with festival dates at this year’s Rothbury & Bonnaroo already confirmed and more to come.

Die! Die! Die! announces U.S. tour including Fanatic showcase at SXSW, New Zealand noise-pop trio featured on MySpace and cover of CMJ receives wealth of praise for new album Promises, Promises.

“If the name didn’t tip you off, Die! Die! Die! have little patience for pop concessions. Abrasive and bare-bones, the band makes a lot out of a little… …the result is mind-numbingly satisfying.”– Spin

“Die! Die! Die!’s self-titled debut is a gem, jam-packed with nine tracks of urgent garage- and post-punk coupled with hip-shaking rhythms…” – Alternative Press

“DDD smash head-on the decidedly British post-punk of Wire into the snotty anger of American hardcore act Black Flag, bringing forth an exciting punk fusion from the other land down under.” – Skyscraper

The Dunedin, New Zealand, trio Die! Die! Die! has announced U.S. tour dates, including an intensive run of performances during the South By Southwest music festival in Austin, TX next month where the band will headline the Fanatic Promotion showcase at the Wave on March 12th (please see complete dates below). This news arrives hot on the heels of the band’s lauded gigs at Australia’s massive Big Day Out Festival (a touring show equivalent to 90’s era Lollapalooza), as well as a cover feature story in CMJ New Music Report and praise in Alternative Press, Spin, Paper Thin Walls and more. As if that weren’t enough surmounting excitement, Die! Die! Die! was also recently chosen as one of the highly-sought-after featured artists on MySpace.com, resulting in the band receiving tens of thousands of plays for select songs culled from its sophomore release Promises, Promises.

Die! Die! Die! has been compared to an intriguing mix of bands, including …And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead, Wire, Sonic Youth and kiwi faves like Bailter Space and The Clean. A video for the song “Out of the Blue” from the band’s debut album can be seen HERE.

The boys in the band — vocalist/guitarist Andrew Wilson, drummer Michael Prain and bassist Lachlan Anderson — traveled to Chicago two years ago to cut their first self-titled release with Steve Albini in a brick basement (responsible for some of the greatest records of all time). Needless to say, this record sent the trio on a whirlwind series of countless tours (supporting Blood Brothers, Wire, Slint and Wolfmother) and gained it considerable world wide notoriety which no band from their native Dunedin, New Zealand had seen since the Dunedin sound heyday of the 80’s.

In August 2007, Die! Die! Die! recorded Promises, Promises with popular New Zealand songwriter Shayne Carter producing. The record was engineered by Kevin Mcmahon in upstate New York in The Walkmen’s Marcata studio.

Reminiscent of the spirit and sounds of Black Flag, The Pixies, The Wipers, Wire, and Bailter Space, Die! Die! Die! delivers an unfiltered and powerful stage show. The band’s relentless tour schedule and onstage antics has earned it a reputation as one of the most energetic and hardest working bands around. Shows for Die! Die! Die! go on with fearless and confident delivery. In a wild fit, Wilson occasionally removes his guitar (with microphone in hand) to enter the crowd. This is a most effective way of dissolving the invisible crowd/performer boundary as Prain and Anderson keep the pummeling rhythms flowing without missing a beat.

The trio embodies a vitality that has long since made its way into the recent rock and punk circuits. There isn’t a rehearsed set of messages or stage antics, no glitter, no make-up, no phony sass. Cutting to the quick, Die! Die! Die!’s songs and live delivery are nothing short of awe-inspiring. These three are on the forefront of a new revolution without the aid of gimmicks or pretense.

Cathartic, direct, indispensable… You will know the sound as Die! Die! Die!

Die! Die! Die! On Tour:
03/07 Los Angeles, CA @ Echo
03/08 Los Angeles, CA @ Echo
03/12 Austin, TX @ Red Eye Fly SXSW
03/12 Austin, TX @ The Wave SXSW (Fanatic Showcase)
03/13 Austin, TX @ The Dirty Dog
03/14 Austin, TX @ Emo’s Lounge
03/15 Austin, TX @ 219 West Bar
03/16 Austin, TX @ TBA
03/17 Dallas, TX @ The Cavern
03/20 Orlando, FL @ Taste (Backbooth)
03/21 Tampa, FL @ Crowbar
03/22 Jacksonville, FL @ TSI
03/24 Atlanta, GA @ Earl
03/25 Washington, DC @ DC 9
03/26 Philadelphia, PA @ Northstar Bar
03/27 Toronto, ON @ TBD
03/28 Montreal, PQ @ Zoobizare
03/29 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
03/30 New York, NY @ Highline Ballroom

Blind Melon Tour Dates – Subject to change without notice:

Feb 28 2008 8:00P Dexter’s Riverdale, New Jersey
Feb 29 2008 8:00P Webster Theatre Hartford, Connecticut
Mar 1 2008 8:00P Hiro Ballroom New York, New York
Mar 3 2008 8:00P 9:30 Club Washington DC
Mar 4 2008 8:00P Norva Norfolk, Virginia
Mar 5 2008 8:00P The National Richmond, Virginia
Mar 7 2008 8:00P Tremont Music Hall Charlotte, North Carolina
Mar 8 2008 8:00P Backbooth Orlando, Florida
Mar 9 2008 1:00P Langerado Festival Everglades Nat’l Park, Florida
Mar 11 2008 8:00P Jupiter Bar and Grill Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Mar 12 2008 8:00P Rhythm and Brews Chattanooga, Tennessee
Mar 14 2008 8:00P The Cannery Ballroom Nashville, Tennessee
Mar 15 2008 8:00P The Vogue Indianapolis, Indiana (WRZX St Paddy’s Day)
Mar 16 2008 8:00P St. Andrew’s Hall Detroit, Michigan
Mar 18 2008 8:00P Rave Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Mar 20 2008 8:00P Redstone Room Davenport, Iowa
Mar 21 2008 8:00P Station 4 St. Paul, MN
Mar 22 2008 8:00P Slowdown Omaha, Nebraska
Mar 24 2008 8:00P Pops Sauget, IL
Mar 25 2008 8:00P Beaumont Club Kansas City, Missouri
Mar 27 2008 8:00P Belly Up Aspen, Colorado
Mar 28 2008 8:00P Fox Theatre Boulder, Colorado
Mar 29 2008 8:00p Mesa Theatre & Club Grand Junction, Colorado
Mar 31 2008 8:00P The Big Easy Boise, Idaho
Apr 1 2008 8:00P El Corazon Seattle, Washington
Apr 3 2008 8:00P The Boardwalk Orangevale, California
Apr 4 2008 8:00P Independent San Francisco, California
Apr 18 2008 8:00P House of Blues Dallas, Texas
Apr 19 2008 8:00P Antones Austin, Texas
Apr 20 2008 8:00P Meridian Houston, Texas
Apr 22 2008 8:00P Varsity Theatre Baton Rouge
Apr 23 2008 8:00P Soul Kitchen Mobile, AL
Apr 25, 2008 TBA Juanita’s Little Rock, AR
Apr 26 2008 TBA George’s Majestic Lounge Fayetteville, AR
Apr 27 2008 TBA Otherside Tulsa, OK
Apr 29 2008 8:00P Club Red Tempe, AZ
Apr 30 2008 8:00P Jillian’s Las Vegas, NV
May 2 2008 8:00P El Rey Theatre Los Angeles, California
May 3 2008 8:00P The Coach House San Juan Capistrano, CA
May 4 2008 8:00P Canes Bar & Grill San Diego, CA
May 24 2008 8:00P Summer Camp 2008 Chillicothe, IL
May 25 2008 TBA Rib America Food & Music Fest St. Louis, MO
Jun 14, 2008 TBA Jubilee! Jam Jackson, MS
Aug 30 2008 8:00P Summerfest Grounds/ Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Harley-Davidson 105th Anniversary
Aug 31 2008 TBA Rib America Food & Music Fest Indianapolis, IN

In recent years, the tale of Blind Melon has taken a dramatic turn – from an abrupt and tragic end, to a rebirth and reconnection with their legion of fans. No matter how you slice it, the group was responsible for some of the most memorable and pure-sounding rock music of the ‘90s. And with their reformation in 2007 with singer Travis Warren, Blind Melon are poised to pick up exactly where they left off a decade earlier – as evidenced by their forthcoming CD entitled For My Friends set for release on April 22, 2008.

On February 28th Blind Melon are set to embark on a five month U.S. tour, a continuation of what they built in the 90’s and the beginning of what they are building for the future. “We couldn’t have planned this and we certainly couldn’t have forced this. It was meant to be and it was meant to be now,” commented bassist Brad Smith. Guitarist Christopher Thorn adds, “We weren’t waiting around for Travis to show up in our lives. But when we met Travis, we just knew Blind Melon had to reform and be a band again. We feel so lucky to have this second chance, this new beginning.”

Blind Melon originally formed in 1990 in Los Angeles, California, when five transplants from other states crossed paths - singer Shannon Hoon (from Indiana), guitarist Christopher Thorn (from Pennsylvania), and guitarist Rogers Stevens, bassist Brad Smith, and drummer Glen Graham (all from Mississippi). With a buzz created around the band, the group’s now-classic self-titled debut was released in 1992 and their song “No Rain” became a smash on radio and MTV.

Unfortunately, it was around this time that Shannon Hoon’s drug addiction took a turn for the worse and he overdosed while on tour at the age of 28. The four surviving members regrouped and issued an outtakes collection, 1996’s ‘Nico’ (named after Hoon’s then-baby daughter, and spawning such further Melon classics as “Soup” and “Soul One”), as well as the Grammy-nominated home video, ‘Letters from a Porcupine.’ At that point, an attempt to find a replacement for Hoon was abandoned, and in 1999, the group officially went their separate ways. Smith and Thorn subsequently formed a short-lived group, Unified Theory, as well as opening up their own recording studio (Wishbone), and becoming much-in-demand producers.

In 2006, Smith and Thorn were asked to produce some songs for Texas-based singer/songwriter, Travis Warren, who also happened to be a diehard Blind Melon fan. While working with Warren in the studio, Smith jokingly said to Thorn that Travis “could sing Blind Melon songs in his sleep.” The idea was born. The four remaining members – who hadn’t been in the same room in years – came together to be reacquainted with each other, and to meet with Warren. Soon after, it had become apparent that they had finally located Blind Melon’s new singer. With Stevens and Graham reclaiming their spots as well, Blind Melon was back in business. Setting up shop at Wishbone, the reformed band spent most of 2007 writing and recording. But before issuing a new album, the group decided to introduce their newest member via a highly successful and completely sold out club tour in late 2007. The tour elicited an overwhelming response from audiences and prepped both old fans and new fans for what Blind Melon has in store for 2008. Read the rest of this entry »

The Warped Tour has announced the final lineup for the 2008 edition of the tour. The list includes every band scheduled to perform on the tour and the dates they will appear. Plan accordingly.

3OH!3 whole tour
The Academy Is… whole tour
A Day to Remember jun 20 - jul 20
Against Me! whole tour
Aggrolites whole tour
Alesana whole tour
The All-American Rejects jun 20 - jun 29
All That Remains jul 22 - aug 17
All Time Low jul 22 - aug 17
Anberlin jun 20 - aug 17
Angels and Airwaves whole tour
As I Lay Dying jun 20 - jul 18
The Audition jwhole tour
August Burns Red jun 20 - july 6
Automatic Love Letter jul 17 - july 27
Beat Union whole tour
Bedouin Soundclash jul 3 - jul 17
Between the Trees whole tour
Bouncing Souls jul 16 - jul 25
The Briggs whole tour
Bring Me the Horizon jul 22 - aug 17
Broadway Calls whole tour
The Bronx whole tour
Charlotte Sometimes whole tour
Cinematic Sunrise jul 10 - jul 16
Classic Crime jul 27 - aug 17
Cobra Starship whole tour
The Color Fred whole tour
Confide jul 22 - aug 17
Danger Radio jul 19 - aug 8 / aug 9 - aug 18
The Devil Wears Prada whole tour
The Dillinger Escape Plan jul 9 - jul 15
Dr. Manhattan jul 22 - aug 17
Evergreen Terrace whole tour
Every Avenue jul 9 - jul 26
Everytime I Die whole tour
The Fabulous Rudies whole tour
Family Force 5 whole tour except 6/19, 6/20, 6/26, 7/2, 7/12, 8/8
Forever the Sickest Kids jun 20 - jul 6 / jul 7 - aug 17
Four Year Strong jul 19 - aug 17
From First to Last whole tour
GBH aug 6 - aug 17
Greeley Estates whole tour
Gym Class Heroes whole tour
The Higher jun 20 - jul 20
Horrorpops whole tour
The Human Abstract jul 22 - aug 17
Jack’s Mannequin jul 1 - jul 20
Just Surrender jul 9 - jul 26
Katy Perry whole tour
The Lordz whole tour
Ludo jul 22 - aug 17
Madina Lake jul 9 - jul 25
The Maine jun 20 - jul 18 / aug 9 - aug 17
Mayday Parade whole tour
Maylene and the Sons of Disaster jun 20 - jul 18
MC Chris whole tour
The Morning Light jul 28 - aug 6
Motion City Soundtrack jul 29 - aug 17
MURS whole tour
Norma Jean whole tour
Oreska whole tour
Paramore jul 1 - jul 6
Pennywise jul 15- jul 22, jul 24, jul 29 - aug 3
Pierce the Veil whole tour
The Pinker Tones whole tour
Protest the Hero whole tour
Reel Big Fish whole tour
Relient K whole tour
Rise Against aug 6 - aug 17
The Saint Alvia Cartel jul 9 - aug 3, aug 13 on
Say Anything whole tour
The Secret Handshake jun 30 - jul 9
Set Your Goals whole tour
Shwayze whole tour
Sick City jul 19 - jul 20, aug 6
Sky Eats Airplane jul 27 - aug 17
Stick to Your Guns jun 20 - jul 6
Story of the Year whole tour
Street Dogs whole tour
The Vandals aug 6 - aug 17
We the Kings whole tour