Grace Slick Art Exhibit

PR reports: Wentworth Gallery, the world's leading fine art retailer, announced that rock and roll Hall of Fame member Grace Slick will bring her latest art exhibit to Orange County, making special appearances in Newport Beach and Laguna Beach on Saturday, March 15. I have included all the details below. I thought you might be particularly interested in talking with her about one of her newest pieces called Monterey.

The pinnacle event in Rock and Roll history took place in 1967 at the Monterey pop festival. This was the first time that Jimi Hendrix played in the US. The lineup of bands has never been duplicated. The Who, Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead and the Jefferson Airplane were a few of the bands to converge at this magical event in the summer of 1967 in the town of Monterey California. They were joined by the Mamas and the Papas, Otis Redding Neil Young and many other fellow musicians that came to witness this monumental concert.

Everyone agrees that Monterey was the best festival that ever happened. It was in a time when there was no mega corporate sponsorship or commercialism, just great vibes and fantastic music. "When Jimi took the stage and began to wail everyone's jaw dropped, this was the man and his guitar we had heard so much about in reports from his concerts in England. We all knew that we were in the presence of true greatness. The crowd included almost everyone from the SF and LA music scene. It was an unbelievably cosmic event," says Grace Slick of the festival. - more on this story

Beth Orton Playing Both Coasts

Filter reports: London-based folktronica buff Beth Orton is making her return to the US after a two-year hiatus to perform a series of intimate solo acoustic sessions. The four shows will be split between both coasts.

A seasoned music veteran in the UK folk/electronica scene, Beth has collaborated with everyone from the Chemical Brothers to Jarvis Cocker.

She will be playing material from her latest album Comfort of Strangers released in February 2006, as well as, debut new music to her American fanbase. - dates

Muse DVD Preview

PR reports: Muse have released a live version of their magnetic hit single, "Knights of Cydonia" which is taken from their upcoming HAARP DVD, which hits stores on April 1st. Knights has become a fan favorite and was originally on 2006's Black Holes and Revelations.

Soon after its original release, the song became a top 10 track at rock radio. Since it's inclusion on Guitar Hero 3, fans worldwide have melted their fingers along with Matthew Bellamy's frenzied fretwork!

The power-trio has garnered praise from critics and fans alike for their energetic and all-together mesmerizing stage shows. Muse is now giving you the chance to live out the experience in the comfort of your own home with the April 1st release of their HAARP DVD! - Check out the live version of "Knights of Cydonia"

Maiden Frontman Turns Screenwriter

BBC reports: Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson has co-written a horror film, which is to be unveiled at the Cannes Film Festival in May.

Supernatural thriller Chemical Wedding will then be released in British cinemas in the summer.

The film stars Simon Callow as Professor Haddo, the reincarnation of occultist Aleister Crowley, once described as Britain's most evil man. - more on this story

Graham Colton TV

PR reports: Graham Colton's smash single "Best Days" has been all over the airwaves - a hit at Hot AC radio and widely licensed for television, including episodes of "American Idol" and Oprah's "The Big Give" in the last month alone. Now Colton himself will be getting massive exposure, with three national television appearances in the space of one week.

The singer-songwriter, named an iTunes "Editor's Choice" for Top New Pop Artist, will perform on "Late Show with David Letterman" (March 13th), "Today" (March 14th) and "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (March 19th). He made his network television debut last month on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

The anthemic "Best Days" was most recently featured in the premiere of "The Big Give," Oprah Winfrey's new primetime series airing on the ABC Television Network, and on Fox's "American Idol," which used it as the exit song in four episodes leading up to the Top 12. "Best Days," the lead single from Colton's solo debut album, Here Right Now, is included on the "American Idol" page on iTunes and Colton will be the subject of a "spotlight" feature on the show's website (http://www.americanidol.com/). A poignant reflection on the importance of making the most of the time we're given, "Best Days"Colton originals used in a four-episode block of MTV's "Newport Harbor" as part of the show's "Featured Artist" program. The song has been downloaded nearly 700,000 times since selected as iTunes' "Single of the Week." Check out the accompanying video, lensed by Nigel Dick (Oasis, Nickelback, Travis), - here

Kylesa Team with The Ocean

PR reports: KYLESA will be embarking on a co-headlining tour in May with Germany's The Ocean in May and early June. Also on the tour will be Lair of The Minotaur and KYLESA's Prosthetic Records labelmates WITHERED.

KYLESA continues to support 2006's 'Time Will Fuse Its Worth,' which recently sent the band to Europe alongside fellow Georgians Baroness. WITHERED, meanwhile, will be supporting the band's forthcoming release, 'Folie Circulaire,' which is currently slated for release in June. The effort is currently being recorded by Phillip Cope (Baroness, Kylesa, Black Tusk).

"Everything is going very well," WITHERED guitarist Mike Thompson previously said from the studio. "Phillip has a great ear and a great vision for this album. I think it will likely exceed our expectations. Phillip has really gotten a grasp of how we want the record to sound and done a great job of getting in our heads. We were able to transform The Jam Room into our own little world. We've been sleeping on the floor and have completely lost track of time. There are no windows or clocks. The focus has been incredible." - more on this story

Ike Reilly Set to Poison The Hit Parade

PR reports: Ike Reilly, the leader of Chicago-based band The Ike Reilly Assassination, will be back with a vengeance on April 8th with the release of his latest album, "Poison The Hit Parade." The record is a collection of songs taken from demos from his brilliant debut, "Salesmen and Racists," and alternate versions of songs from the blistering "Sparkle In The Finish" and 2007's "We Belong To The Staggering Evening," as well as the previously unreleased title track and the massive and poignant cancer anthem, "Dragonflies."

"Poison" showcases Reilly and his bandmate Ed Tinley as producers unencumbered by the major label system and willing to frame a song in any vibe needed to hold the melodies and tales of Reilly's unique vision. Beginning with the title track, "Poison The Hit Parade" continues Reilly's prolific assault with images of characters in a conflicted middle America: patriotic doubt, the celebration of life and death, high school girls in summer dresses and more theoretical assassination attempts.

His longtime band, The Assassination, is present on several of the tracks here, but many other fine musicians can be heard on these recordings made in Chicago, Los Angeles, Denver, New York City, Jamaica and Ireland. - Myspace page

Iced Earth Announce New Member

Metal Underground reports: ICED EARTH has issued the following update: "Freddie Vidales from San Antonio, Texas has been selected to pound the pavement (and a few eardrums) on the road with ICED EARTH in 2008 as the band's new bass player.

Prior to joining ICED EARTH, Freddie was the bassist and frontman for 10 years in his own band called INFUSION. Freddie has been influenced by bands such as IRON MAIDEN, BLACK SABBATH, DEATH, KING DIAMOND, and of course, ICED EARTH.

Commented ICED EARTH mainman Jon Schaffer: "I feel like Freddie is the right guy for the gig. He has the chops, the attitude, and from the videos I've seen, a commanding, energetic, and intense stage presence that will fit in nicely with what ICED EARTH has always strived to be. I had a strong feeling about him based on the material that he sent and our phone discussions, so I asked him to fly up here before the slated auditions were to commence later in the month." - more on this story

Karaoke Nights with MxPx

PR reports: For a band that never expected to help spark the pop-punk movement of the early 90's, Bremerton, WA punk rock trio, MxPx has come a long way. Throughout their solid career, they have released diverse records and toured hard, influencing a number of artists, including post-hardcore band Chiodos. They cite MxPx as one of their musical icons, and they will be sharing their stage on a tour beginning on April 1st in Colombia, MO.

During these supporting tour dates, the [ponkers] will introduce, "Karaoke Nights with MxPx," giving fans the chance to karaoke their favorite MxPx songs. The band will choose one lucky fan online through a video submission process, which will guarantee them a slot. The other one or two fans will be chosen directly out of the audience or pre-show at the bands discretion. Exact entry details will be announced shortly on the bands official website, mxpx.com, prior to each tour date.

"It's all about playing with friends and making each show feel like a family setting," said MxPx drummer, Yuri Ruley. "Who knows, we might find someone that could give Mike a real run for his money." - more on this story

SNL Call In The 2nd String

E! reports: Exit Janet, enter Mariah. The latter diva is pinch-hitting for the former on this weekend's Saturday Night Live after Jackson was forced to cancel her appearance due to the flu.

Carey will serve as musical guest, while Superbad star Jonah Hill will host.

It's Carey's first appearance on the sketch comedy series in over 10 years. - more on this story

The Wood Brothers Get Loaded

PR reports: Blue Note Records is proud to present the release of The Wood Brothers' Loaded, available April 1st. Produced by John Medeski, this is the first record where Chris and Oliver Wood combine their songwriting skills.

Ways Not To Lose, the 2006 debut from the Wood Brothers had, in a sense, been a lifetime in the making—the first public collaboration between vocalist and guitarist Oliver Wood, who fronts Atlanta-based blues band King Johnson, and upright bassist Chris Wood, of the long-running, genre-blasting trio Medeski Martin and Wood.

As players, they displayed an easy-going virtuosity; as siblings, they had an extraordinary rapport. Their folk and acoustic blues tunes, tinged with gospel hopefulness and country melancholy, were welcomed like old friends by both fans and pundits. National Public Radio named their debut disc one of their top ten discoveries that year. - more on this story

Accident Prone From Autumn To Ashes Working on Next CD

Metal Underground reports: From Autumn To Ashes is currently writing material for a new album. The group hopes to enter the studio this spring, with a late-2008 release planned.

Meanwhile, drummer Jeff Gretz continues to recover from the broken foot he suffered in January. His cast has been removed and according to the band, "he's ready to start building up to playing again."

Unfortunately, guitarist Brian Deneeve's foot is now in a cast after he injured it during a live performance in Australia. - more on this story

Read The Inspiration Behind the November Rain Video

PR reports: After being out of print for ten years, THE LANGUAGE OF FEAR, a short story collection by Del James is now available once again as a Dell paperback by print on demand.

One of the top-ten most sought after horror/sci-fi titles, THE LANGUAGE OF FEAR featuring an introduction by W. Axl Rose, the book contains fifteen terrifying tales that run the gamut from a married man about to murder his wife on the command of a dial-a-porn hooker, to outlaw zombie bikers, to a stoned teenager locked in a savage war with his television set. THE LANGUAGE OF FEAR also features the short story "Without You" which was the inspiration for the Guns N' Roses video "November Rain."

About the Author: DEL JAMES is a meat-eating, pro-choice, sober, atheist. He writes horror fiction, screenplays, and music. As a lyricist, James has co-written songs with groups such as Testament, The Almighty, The Outpatients, and Guns N' Roses, including two songs on GNR's Grammy-nominated Use Your Illusion album. James has directed several music videos and written live television for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is currently finishing his first novel, A Celebration of Pain. He likes to ignore his acquired wisdom and do things against his better judgment. When he's not touring the world, James lives in Southern California. Visit him on the web at - www.languageoffear.com

Are You Going To The Free Everclear Beer Show?

PR reports: Going.com and Miller Brewing Company have announced the third installment of the "Miller Lite Great Taste Music Series" with alternative rock radio pioneers: EVERCLEAR!

The free show will take place at Parris at Ned Devine's in Boston's Fanueil Hall Marketplace. The concert is the third of a 12-date series hosted by Miller and Event-Based Social Network Going.com.

WHEN: March 25, 2008 Doors Open at 8:00 p.m. Enter through Ned Devine's 21+; valid ID required WHERE: Parris at Ned Devines Fanueil Hall Marketplace Boston, MA TICKETS: FREE with RSVP: - www.going.com/everclear

Strait Country Radio

PR reports: XM Radio will launch a new channel dedicated to the 'King Of Country' George Strait on April 1, to coincide with the release of his 37th album TROUBADOUR. "Strait Country" will feature Music from Strait's entire recording catalog, exclusive interviews with the friends and some of his closest colleagues, and will showcase tracks off the new album every hour.

"It's always a thrill to hear one of your songs played on the radio, but to have XM Radio dedicate an entire channel to my music is just amazing. I'm hoping fans and the millions of XM subscribers will enjoy hearing the new music from Troubadour, as well as revisiting their favorites from years past," said George Strait.

"Strait Country" will be available on XM from April 1 through May 31 on XM channel 17. The channel will also be available on XM Radio Online (http://xmro.xmradio.com). Complete programming information for the channel will be available online at
- http://www.xmradio.com/straitcountry.

.... John (Cougar) Mellencamp Guide - Act IV: John Mellencamp (90s)

To coincide with the Rock Hall of Fame inductions, Tony takes a look at the career of John (Cougar) Mellencamp. He continues today with the John Cougar Mellencamp years. - Read the full John (Cougar) Mellencamp Guide - Act IV: John Mellencamp (90s) review

.... Demon Hunter - Storm the Gates of Hell

This album showcases all facets of the band's style, from the heavy ("Storm the Gates of Hell" and "A Thread of Light") to the not so heavy ("Carry Me Down" and "Fading Away"). The album also features songs that are a mix between the two. - Read the full Demon Hunter - Storm the Gates of Hell review

.... Nathan Lawr and the Minotaurs - A Sea of Lights

Nathan Lawr keeps you guessing and wanting to hear what's next by constantly changing rhythms, time signatures, key signatures, and musical styles. The album opens with a country folk styled tune, but there is also jazz and rock. - Read the full Nathan Lawr and the Minotaurs - A Sea of Lights review

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