Blue Merle's Luke Reynolds Returns with Solo Debut

The ten tracks, produced by Jacquire King (Modest Mouse, Tom Waits, Kings of Leon) were written over a two and a half year period where Reynolds lead a nomadic lifestyle writing in cities around the world from Barcelona, Spain to the United Kingdom to Los Angeles to Bristol, Vermont. - more on this story

All Access with R.E.M's Mike Mills

PR reports: On this week's episode of maniaTV's hit music show, All Access, host Samantha Maloney spends time with R.E.M bassist and backup singer Mike Mills, at the Spotted Pig in New York City. After a brief three-way chat between Mike, Sam and Ken Friedman (the co-owner of the Spotted Pig), Mike and Sam are left alone to chat about the history of R.E.M, what went into creating their newest album, "Accelerate", and Mike's personal life outside the band. Mike and Sam also talk details behind the making of R.E.M's three new music videos, "Living Well is the Best Revenge", "Supernatural Superserious", and "Hollow". The two chatterboxes end the dinner with a first kiss and a promised second date.

Following Sam's interview with Mike Mills, viewers are treated to a Wrigley Stage 5 live performance of "God Loves You Best", by the rock group, Earlimart. Earlimart is an independent rock band based out of Los Angeles, California, named after the town of Earlimart, California. Their sound resembles to Elliott Smith, The Pixies, and Sonic Youth.

Sam concludes the show at the famous Hard Rock Café in Hollywood, California, with Romy Melhman, the West Coast Regional Marketing Director for Hard Rock International. The two sit down to talk about Romy's role working with top artists to benefit various charities, the history of the Hard Rock Cafe, and end the show by taking a guided tour of the rock n' roll memorabilia that adorn the walls.
- The new episode of All Access premieres this week on maniaTV.com.

Alabama's Jeff Cook Plans Goodtime for Fans

PR reports: Jeff Cook, former vocalist, lead guitarist and fiddle extraordinaire for the Supergroup Alabama, is scheduled to perform with his band the Allstar Goodtime Band, Saturday, August 16th at 7:00 p.m. at Guntersville Civitan Park in Guntersville, Alabama.

Another important performance featuring Jeff will take place during the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He will be performing with Mike Hucakbee's band Capitol Offense on September 2 in support of John McCain.

The Jeff Cook Day concert is being held in association with the Guntersville Professional Firefighters Muscular Dystrophy Association Drive. The concert begins @ 7:00 p.m., August 16th. The featured opening act is Ken Randolph.
- more on this story

August Burns Red on the Road

Adrenaline reports: August Burns Red have announced headlining North American tour dates this fall! The tour kicks off in Lemoyne, PA on August 29 and wraps up at the Blender Theatre in NYC on October 12!

August Burns Red will be hitting the road with A Skylit Drive, Sky Eats Airplane, Greeley Estates, and This or the Apocalypse.

The tour also includes an appearance at Revelation Generation Festival in New Jersey, where August Burns Red will perform alongside As I Lay Dying, Norma Jean, Flyleaf and The Devil Wears Prada. - more on this story

Fun New Format for Nate Ruess

Nettwerk reports: Nate Ruess, Jack Antonoff and Andrew Dost are proud to announce a new band called Fun. Ruess, the former front man and songwriter of the much beloved band The Format, has been quietly assembling songs for Fun, following the dissolution of his former band.

Fun will be comprised of Dost, formerly with Michigan's Anathallo, and Antonoff, who is currently performing double duty with his band, Steel Train. Beginning September 1st, the trio will enter a Los Angeles studio with producer Steven McDonald (Red Kross) and arranger Roger Joseph Manning Jr (Jellyfish), to start work on their debut slated for an early 2009 release on Nettwerk Records. McDonald and Manning Jr both worked on The Format's 2006 breakthrough Dog Problems. The band's first single will be released digitally this November, followed by a full North American tour with Jack's Mannequin beginning November 8th. - more on this story

Bo Bice Welcomes A New Family Member

antiMusic reports: Clay Aiken isn't the only Idol runner-up to become a father recently. Maybe it was the timing of the Aiken news, but we received a press release about Daddy Bo early this morning, though the baby was born early last week. Nevertheless here is the announcement: Bo Bice (age 32) and wife Caroline (age 27) welcomed new baby Caleb James Bice on Tuesday, August 5th in Nashville, TN at 3:32pm. The baby boy was born a healthy 7 lbs 15 oz. at Centennial hospital.

Bo has been on tour all over America this summer eagerly awaiting Caleb's arrival. With the new baby finally here, Bo will be taking some time with his family.

"It's a really awesome experience having a child." Says Bo. "With Aidan, it was all new and unexpected, uncharted territories. With Caleb, we are very excited about him coming and are prepared for certain things, but I'm sure he'll bring a whole new world we've never experienced, just like Aidan. The Lord has blessed us a lot." - more on this story

People in Planes Skybombers Tour

Wind-Up reports: Welsh rock quintet People in Planes have announced a handful of North American tour dates in anticipation of their sophomore release, Beyond The Horizon, due September 9 via Wind-Up. The band will be accompanied on stage by Australian rockers Skybombers.

People In Planes 2006 debut, As Far As The Eye Can See, brought the band massive critical success and was followed by performances on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel Live and tours with The Bravery, VHS or Beta and The (International) Noise Conspiracy.

TOUR DATES:
8/12 - Ferndale, MI - Magic Bag *
8/13 - Toronto, ON - Tattoo Rock Parlour
8/14 - Ottawa, ON - Live Lounge
- more dates

Radiohead Animated Video Contest Winners

PR reports: Radiohead, aniBoom and TBD Records have named the winners of the In Rainbows Animated Music Video Contest, as selected by the members of Radiohead themselves.

Due to the extraordinary quality of the submissions, Radiohead decided to choose four winning videos, rather than a single winner, and is going to provide the additional prize money so that each of the four creators receives $10,000 to produce their full-length video. Radiohead will possibly use the videos in support of future singles from In Rainbows.

The winning video clip submissions and their creative teams are:

"15 Step V2.0" by Kota Totori, Japan, for the song "15 Step" (http://www.aniboom.com/video/236519/15-step-v2.0/)

"16 Tracks Vs. Videotape 2.0" by Wolfgang Jaiser and Claus Winter, Germany, for the song "Videotape" (http://www.aniboom.com/video/236713/16tracks-vs-videotape-2.0/)

"Reckoner V2" by Clement Picon, France, for the song "Reckoner" (http://www.aniboom.com/video/235299/Reckoner-v2/)

"Transmutation" by Tobias Stretch, U.S.A., for the song "Weird Fishes / Arpeggi" (http://www.aniboom.com/video/233397/Transmutation/)

"The aniBoom video competition, totally blown me away it has," said Thom Yorke, lead vocalist of Radiohead. "We are proud that In Rainbows songs were the source of inspiration for so many amazing creations." - more on this story

Earth, Wind & Fire Live In Japan CD/DVD Set Coming

Kayos reports: Eagle Rock Entertainment will release Earth, Wind & Fire Live In Japan in a specially-packaged two-disc CD/DVD set on August 26.

Surely, one of the most successful, dynamic and creative funk bands ever to come out of the 1970s, Earth, Wind & Fire, led by singer/songwriter/producer Maurice White, is captured in this double-disc set on CD and DVD in 1990 during White's final tour with the band after a sterling 19-year run as band leader where the former drummer proved to be the incredible entertainer he ultimately became.

Touring in support of 1990's Heritage album, the show, in front of thousands of adoring and unusually demonstrative Japanese fans, is a tour-de-force of the power, the artistry, the elegance, and the soul of this all-time great funk machine. Spectacularly staged, and beautifully filmed, Live In Japan stands as the ultimate testament to a band whose music will never die. - more on this story

Shwayze Listening Party

antiMusic reports: Shwayze is proud to announce the full-album listening party for his debut album on Interscope.com. Featuring every track from the soon-to-be released album, the site is allowing fans to check out Shwayze's style and clue site visitors into the sound of the summer before the album's proper release. Shwayze's debut album will be in stores and online on August 19 and is being issued by Suretone/Geffen Records.

Currently airing at 10:30PM ET/PT on MTV, fans can catch the misadventures of Shwayze, his wingman and music partner Cisco, best buddy Warren, and manager Jordan as they define a whole new California sound.

Showcasing the long road from the trailer park to the top of the charts, "Buzzin'" follows the unlikely pair - Shwayze, the self-described "only black kid in Malibu" and Cisco, the seasoned singer/producer and regular tabloid bad boy - and their crew as their path to stardom hits all the twists, turns and bumps along the way. - Shwayze's Listening Party

. Sixteen Days in China: A Documentary by Martin Atkins

This documentary follows Martin Atkins (PIL, NIN, Killing Joke, Ministry, Pigface) around Beijing for sixteen days as he attempts to sign Chinese bands to his Invisible Records label and to record material for his China Dub Soundsystem project. (4 stars) - Read the full Sixteen Days in China: A Documentary by Martin Atkins review

. October File - Holy Armour from the Jaws of God

The majority of the cuts on offer here usually tend towards the powerful rather than the pathetic, as truly great punk and all its derivatives do. Holy Armour from the Jaws of God is not exactly snatched direct from the divine but it sure comes fairly close. - Read the full October File - Holy Armour from the Jaws of God review

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