Fleetwood Mac Announces Tour

Fleetwood Mac will definitely hit the road again as its four members, Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, have just announced that they'll embark on a U.S. tour in 2013. One of rock's most enduring and successful bands, Fleetwood Mac will play 34 cities beginning in Columbus, Ohio April 4th. "Having started Fleetwood Mac with John McVie in 1967, it has always been so gratifying that despite the various incarnations, the band has survived. Throughout the years, though, the one thing that has remained constant is our fans. I am looking forward to getting back behind the kit, reconnecting with the fans and sharing the stage with my fellow band members," said Fleetwood. The band's tour was confirmed by Nicks in July after she shot down comments from the drummer though; when he said he believed the band wouldn't "ever tour again" after their plans for a 2011 trek were scrapped. Fleetwood made the remarks to Playboy magazine after Nicks and Buckingham both extended their solo tours.

"The tour will be next year... That's the plan. Because that's what we do. I do my thing. And Lindsey is out doing his thing now... everybody's on board," she explained. The tour also marks the 35th anniversary of the band's most famous  Rumours (and classic) album, which has sold over 40 million copies to date. Rhino records will also reissue the album in a deluxe edition early next year. The group also revealed a few new songs will debut next year also, but it's still unknown whether or not they'll be releasing an additional album or just debuting them on the road. As for the new tour, the band is very excited to be getting back together.

"After spending four days at Lindsey's house working on music and one really fun day doing a crazy photo session, I am quite excited about next year. Everything seems to be falling into place. 2013 looks like the year of Fleetwood Mac," Nicks said. "I'm really looking forward to hitting the road with Stevie, Mick and John in 2013," said Buckingham. "It's been over three years since we've toured together and happily the break allowed me to explore a lot of uncharted territory as well as experience tremendous growth creatively. I'm excited to bring that back to the band. When everyone in FM wants the same thing at the same time, it's cause for celebration. Long Live Fleetwood Mac!"

"I'm really looking forward to going back on the road," added McVie. Tickets for the shows begin going on sale December 14th at Ticketmaster.com and Live Nation.

Dierks Bentley— Somebody Call The Po-Po

Dierks Bentley is climbing up the Billboard Country Singles chart with 5-1-5-0. If you've been singing along with the song and wondering what you're singing about, we've got the answer. Bentley recently revealed to Taste of Country the meaning behind 5-1-5-0, "I had written this song on the beach one day and I said, 'Let's get 5150." Rock fans know it as a Van Halen album and song from 1986, but the "Free and Easy" singer explains that it's also the police code for a criminally insane person. The song is featured on Dierks Bentley's album Home. While it's not a reflection on his own experience with the law, the title of the song is California police code for a person involuntarily confined by officers after being deemed mentally unstable and potentially dangerous. Dierks explains that the whole idea for the song may have been planted in him as early as 13 years old.

"I was at a birthday party and this kid had an electric guitar. Up to that point, music had always been something I listened to. We went back to his room and listened to Van Halen and I dropped everything, and that's all I listened to for a while. They had an album titled 5-1-5-0, which featured them on the cover in straight jackets. I found out that it was the police code for a crazy person. Now come forward to the current time, and in my Country and Cold Cans song I had a line that was; Are y'all with me, let's go 5-1-5-0.' I told Jim Beavers about it and the next day I saw him at the gym. He started singing to me, '5-1-5-0, somebody call the po-po.' I thought that was just about the stupidiest thing I'd ever heard. But he kept after me all the time. Every time I'd see him, he'd sing it to me. He told me his kids loved it and sang it all the time. So one day we were at a writing session. We were stuck and I said, 'OK, let's write 5-1-5-0. So we wrote it and it caught on. It's a fun song to come back with after Home. Home was such a heavy song and had so much depth to it. It's nice to have something out there to help lubricate cold beer going down real easy! It's good to have something out there that is a fun song for the summer. It will keep fans excited and they can crank up their cars when it comes on the radio. It's not gonna change the world, but it is a fun song."

Dierks Bentley has written or co-written many of his hit songs, including What Was I Thinkin', My Last Name, How Am I Doin', Lot of Leavin' Left to Do, Come a Little Closer, Every Mile a Memory and Feel That Fire. His musical influences include George Jones, Hank Williams Jr. and The Del McCoury Band.

Dead Confederate— Challenges Inspire

After a few years of touring hard in the States and overseas, recent times have been seemingly low-key and quiet for a loud band like Dead Confederate. They've more or less remained off the radar for the last year. In this short time, the band adapted to their drummer leaving to start a family, learning to work with a handful of new drummers, and half of the remaining members getting married (not to each other). 2011 saw it's fair share of music from them, although not the typical side of Dead Confederate: There were many solo performances from members, an expanded incarnation of the band that ventured out on minitours playing Neil Young's Tonight’s The Night in it's entirety and, most recently, the formation of Diamond Rugs (a "super group" featuring Dead Confederate's Hardy Morris, Deer Tick's John McCauley & Robbie Crowell, Black Lips' Ian St Pe, Los Lobos' Steve Berlin, and Brian Dufresne of Six Finger Satellite).

It is in times like these that some bands discover what success really means to them. As the band began mixing their third, currently-untitled LP (this time in their home of Athens, GA with producer David Barbe), singer/guitarist Hardy Morris had this to say about Dead Confederate's success— "I don't think any of us have a desire for any kind of quote-unquote fame. All we want is to be able to make records. No one's ever been looking to own Bentleys and swimming pools. We are happy calling 'making records and playing shows' our job. If you would have told me when I was a kid that I would have seen half the world and done a fraction of the stuff we've done, I would have called you crazy."

Challenges and changes do nothing, if not inspire.

On their new album— "I think these songs are kind of a culmination of all the stuff we've done. I know for me, I wanted to approach this album like it was the last thing I was going to do; the last album I'd make. I knew that wasn't the case, but that's the mindset I held going in because I think, in some ways, that's what people want to hear.  I know that's what I want to hear... Songs that feel like it might be someone's last breath. Some desperation, some personality. Not to say it's going to be an exceptionally bleak album or anything, but most of the songs we've recorded for this album hold onto that darker, quasi-southern vibe we do. I think it has some similarities to both of our previous records, but in the end it will certainly be its own thing." 

Neon Trees— Slick Pop Hooks & Organic Rock

"I wanna shake up your system/I wanna rattle your bones/I wanna take you to the stars/And then I’ll leave you alone." —Farther Down

Like their name, Neon Trees are a combination of slick pop hooks and sturdy organic rock, both melodic and hard-hitting, their anthems of adolescent angst, longing, love lost and found, delivered with the kind of heart-on-the-sleeve passion that only comes from hard work and commitment. Their Mercury Records debut, Habits, produced by friend, singer/guitarist Tim Pagnotta, is a refreshing blast of timeless rock energy and spirit that wouldn’t sound out of place at any point from '60s garage-rock to 2010 dance rock, with the first single, Animal, taking off from a round of weaving, angular guitars into a song equally at home in the arena as on the dance floor, a paean to sexual longing in which singer/front man Tyler Glenn wails, "Take a bite of my heart tonight.," and you have no reason to doubt his sincerity. Take hook-happy new wave, add to it the classic-rock story-telling humanity and leaven with other-worldly charisma, and you begin to understand the palette Neon Trees are working from. "I have this weird, obsessive nature of wanting to be a superhero," admits Glenn, who cites his two favorite performers as the Boss and the King of Pop. "I just want to help my friends and the people I love by saving them, only to realize they’re really saving me by listening to the music. The songs are all about forgiveness, love and passion, which basically sums up the whole vibe of what we’re about as a band, professionally and spiritually."

In the opening Sins of my Youth, Tyler reminisces about a childhood of trial, error and eventual self-discovery. "I've got these habits I cannot break… Call me crazy/I was born to make a mess." Your Surrender takes Roy Orbison’s romantic plaint and sets it up against Phil Spector's Wall of Sound, while Girls and Boys in School speaks for itself, with a playground chant over a dark yet sing-along synth-pop chorus. Chris Allen has a quirky, edgy Johnny Marrr-meets—The Edge guitar playing while drummer Elaine Bradley drums with the intensity of John Bonham adding a heartbeat to the sensuality of the songs.

"We’re all about songs which relate the human experience," says Las Vegas native, bassist Branden Campbell. "The emotion is very important to us. Our logo is a human heart with wings. We try to keep it real, but we’re not afraid to dream, either, work hard and admit we want success."

"We approach the songs from a classic perspective," adds guitarist Chris Allen, who formed the initial group in Southern California with neighbor Tyler, who lived around the corner. "Even from the start, it was all about the music for us. We didn’t even talk, just practice."

"I've always tried to keep my feet on the ground with my songwriting," adds Tyler, a self-taught musician who began composing when he was six. "I try to focus on getting out what I'm thinking and feeling. It's a tool to help me cope with all the weird things that come into my mind. I'm just happy to have found that outlet." When Allen moved to Provo, UT, to attend school, Glenn followed him, knowing he wanted to play music with Allen. "That was a real awkward trip," laughs Chris. "We drove all the way out there and hardly said a word to each other. All we knew was we wanted to play music together." 

Once there, they were soon joined by Campbell on bass and drummer Bradley, a Midwestern Led Zeppelin/Depeche Mode fan, a combination that clicked despite the fact the individual members eventually discovered they were all very different people. "“We are all so fascinatingly different," explains Bradley, who has been playing in bands since she was 14, first as a guitarist then as a drummer. "Tyler's the quirky serious type who is really a goofball. Branden's the musical history encyclopedia. Chris is the manual labor. Being in this band is like an arranged marriage where divorce is not an option, and I'm ok with that." Being signed to a major label hasn't changed Neon Trees one bit. "Our goal and how we play are still the same," insists Tyler. "We've always tried to evoke a larger-than-life feel, even if we're playing to 10 people in a garage. We're just trying to keep our feet on the ground and remember why we started doing this in the first place."

"Music is a sacred act of communion for me, offering hope and love," says Tyler. "That's the heart of this band. Just like in life, though, you need to have fun, too, you have to laugh and dance and sing. The songs that last and get people to feel something are the ones they can sing along to and really identify with. 

"There's so much breath to what we do," adds Elaine. "Every song represents a different aspect of our sound. We don't stick to a single formula. And we have the goods to back it up live."

"Our favorite thing is playing live shows, traveling, seeing new places, meeting new people," adds Chris. "We just want to share that feeling we got from the bands that inspired us, and then We want to pass the torch." With their major label debut, Habits, Neon Trees light the fire...

http://www.fameisdead.com/ or

http://www.myspace.com/neontrees

Paws— Bash Out Infectious

PAWS bash out infectious, lo-fi, garage pop-rock that can quickly shift from cute melancholia to an unnerving territorial roar. On top of the pulsating fuzzy noise the three-piece produce, sit dreamy melodies that bare the bones of their author. Lyrical topics slide between sarcastic self-analysis and, onto more so than often, brutal home truths. Phil, the band's resident lyricist sums the album's themes;  "All of the lyrics are pretty much a documentation of the past 2 years. A lot of crazy things have happened in our lives - some good, some horrific. I'd like to say that there is a strong feeling of positivity and hope running throughout this record, light piercing through some distinctly dark times. We're playing in this band to keep going and stay alive."

PAWS rose out of the demise of a living room recording project, that after losing a member, was renamed and redirected into a raw nerve of DIY punk/garage that's vibrant yet familiar and built on the traditions of English pop from Buzzcocks to Yuck. The band has spent its tenure opening for the likes of No Age, Wavves, Happy Birthday, The Babies, Harlem, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti and Black Lips and that DIY spirit pops up in the fact that they've done so in spaces as diverse as bathrooms, skate parks and a particularly difficult show on the top of a double-decker bus.

True to its name, Cokefloat! is, as the band puts it, "like a sugar high...with the sugar comedown." Recorded with Rory Attwell (of Test Icicles) at Lightship95, a floating recording studio located on a boat moored at Trinity Buoy Warf in East London, the album has managed to capture the punch of the band's live shows. Listeners can practically hear the energy vibrate out of the speakers and feel the band's smiles radiate through the ruckus with their stories about love, insecurities, self-alienation and paranoia. Wrapped in artwork designed by comic artist and friend of the band Jessica Penfold, the album is the perfect audio allegory for its namesake. Slurp it up. Feel the buzz.

http://soundcloud.com/fatcatrecords/paws-miss-american-bookworm/

MOOZAR.com— Helping Musical Artists

MOOZAR.com has created an easy way for artists to be "rewarded" for their efforts... on line. The "reward button" can be placed anywhere on the web for the artist's work to be shared. This system creates a direct way for music fans to financially "reward" an artist when and where they appreciate the artist's tracks on Facebook, YouTube, Soundcloud and most places it's listened to and shared. An example of the entire set-up can be found here: http://reward-my-music.com/526 Music is shared; and the reward link should be shared as well! Moozar on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/M00ZAR

What is special about the notion of a reward? When you place a reward on Moozar you'll help non mainstream artists to grow and continue making music you like, enabling them to set up a gig, produce an EP, or buy new instruments ... Best of all, the artist gets the money you donate via the reward without having to sell a thing. But what is the Moozar Reward worth to the artist? Aren't you profiting from their music?

With a service like Moozar you are helping musicians outside the industry to find another means to make money. The reward is something controlled by the fans, with the money going directly to the artist for nothing more than their music being heard. An artist can be rewarded for a video seen on YouTube that is watched on Facebook or by streaming their album via Soundcloud. You have probably even thought about contributing something to these artists in the past, but the question has been how. What about copyrights? Moozar has no effect on copyrights. There are no downloads, no sales. The "reward" is nothing more than a financial gesture... just like giving a busker a coin from you pocket.

Seeking A Friend For The End of The World... Procrastinate.

Okay... we procrastinated about seeing the film Seeking A Friend For The End of The World... which is probably PRECISELY what we would do if we were faced with this dilemna... put it off... think about Douglas Adams and why we we weren't blessed with an alien friend to allow us to hitchhike our way out of it all. But, here we are, all the better for having seen this film because... it gave us a tremendous insight into the human mind's inability to just "accept and be"... for now. It is indeed a speculative little film that provides plenty of psychological enigmas. But it also allows each of us to stare a tad bit longer a the oncoming stranger we might have never bothered to notice. So this is our answer to the film... procrastinate. But do it for all of the reasons you use to put things off. You see, when take the time to procrastinate, you wallow about in that which you never usually stop to notice.  Seeking a Friend For The End of The World provides a charming, emotional and thought-provoking ride through a somewhat confused apathetic society facing certain death; a beautiful story told with exceptional confidence by Scafaria.

And with any Carell movie, awkward humor is never far away. What's more, the Mayans aren't mentioned once— so... no ancient mesoamerican culture's thought was abused in the making of this film. Seeking Friend for the End of the World takes place sometime in the future— but not too far away. Writer/director Lorene Scafaria explains, "I always intended to be vague about it in the telling. The only time we see a date is on a bottle of cough syrup, and we don't know if the expiration date is coming up or it's already come and gone. "By being only relatively in the future, I had options to play with the look of the film. [Production designer] Chris Spellman and [director of photography] Tim Orr helped to create the entire aesthetic for the movie." Spellman remembers, "When Lorene and I first met up, we talked quite a bit about some films that she wanted me to see."

"I was inspired by films like Defending Your Life and Songs from the Second Floor, movies which created their own world," says Scafaria, who also discussed with Spellman how the design, sets and set dressing should not overpower the story and characters— as in many an end-of-the-world tale— but instead inform them. "Chris and I figured out the tiny little stories within our story, whether it was for an object or for a person you see only fleetingly." Producer Mark Roybal found that "the aesthetic that's been achieved is that of a future which is recognizable. Since things are not overdesigned, there is no detracting from the heart of the story. "Chris was so good at doing research when it was needed; for example, the plot point, of if a small plane could in fact transport someone overseas was something that he ratified."

Spellman notes, "We went with what the script dictated. Tim— whom I've worked with before— and Lorene and I went through it page by page, and discussed what the mood might be in terms of lighting, for instance." Scafaria reveals, "I had had high hopes we would get Tim for Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist; I'd seen and loved his work. When that didn't pan out, I became obsessed with working with him some day, and I felt so fortunate when we landed him for this— my first time out as director. "We mapped out the entire shot list well before production started, then revised it as we went along, and certainly improvised when we had to on a given day. It was a very symbiotic collaboration. We agreed on our process together out of the gate, coordinating on shot composition. I come from a theater background, so I had to keep reminding myself to try to get as much coverage as possible. I learned more from Tim than from anyone else, and often referred to our time together as 'my film school with Tim Orr.'"

The writer/director also worked closely with Orr's actual film school classmate and longtime collaborator, film editor Zene Baker; during filming, Scafaria would watch all of the dailies as she went along and then discuss them with Baker, which in turn made the post-production phase progress that much more efficiently. Like Spellman, costume designer Kristin Burke was tasked with anticipating the near future. She notes, "When a script ventures even a little bit into the future, you naturally wonder, 'Okay, what are we going to be wearing? What fabric are we going to have that we don't have now?' "But Lorene wanted to make the clothing as classic as possible, so that the film doesn't date itself and also so it wouldn't be implausible. For example, where were we 10 years ago and how much is the fashion sensibility different from today's? Well, it's not that far; between 1972 and 1962, now there was a huge gap."

She elaborates, "What we were trying to do overall was 'retro future,' and as accessibly as possible for the viewer. As apocalyptic as this story might seem, it's not depressing, and our costuming reflects that." Burke was particularly pleased to be able to costume Knightley for a rare non-"costume" role. The designer says, "Penny is eclectically minded; we were looking to create a look for Keira which spoke to that. The way Penny dresses incorporates vintage elements and something of that mindset. "While there were no corsets for Keira on this movie, Penny is accessorized with something from the past— vinyl record albums." The Next and Last Songs You Hear— While Dodge totes along the scruffy dog Sorry, Penny hand-carries vinyl albums from her coveted record collection.

As Lorene Scafaria muses, "There's always that 'what if' question; in case of a fire, what are you going to grab when you're on your way out the door? What can you in fact physically carry? "Dodge by then feels responsible for the dog, but for Penny these all of these albums have long had meaning to her; her record collection is something that she's taken care of for years and years— in part because it is a real connection to her parents."

Scafaria reveals, "Music is important to me, so I felt that this story wouldn't be complete without it. Part of showing Penny's journey was through what— if not who— she has." Production designer Chris Spellman and his team didn't have to search far for the record albums that Keira Knightley would be clutching; Penny's urgently streamlined collection is curated from Scafaria's own. Specific songs, albums, and artists had been written into the script from the earliest drafts. When asked which albums she would rescue in case of fire— or worse— the writer/director says, "Lou Reed's 'Coney Island Baby,' some Gene Clark, The Beach Boys' 'Pet Sounds,' The Beatles." Knightley states that her top music picks would have to be, "Supertramp and Talking Heads. Also, if in fact the world were ending, I would get on the road to North Devon."

Steve Carell would not take "albums because my car lacks a turntable. My family would go to Disney World, with a steady stream of Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez; what the kids are listening to these days— "'What the kids are listening to these days?' I just sounded about an 85 year old would eat... a lot of junk food, but I wouldn't steal it; I would purchase cupcakes and brownies. Chinese food and pizza, too." Scafaria muses, "I might stay put; I'm happy in L.A. I might drive north. I do have a 'what if' box ready to grab, plus my dogs and the person I'm with. I would want to be with friends and family as much as possible."

Producer Mark Roybal says, "There would have to be one serious sized camper with full entertainment, and a limitless supply of gas so we could go anywhere we wanted. There would be debaucherous eating and drinking— within the confines of safety, since I have kids. But I do think there would be hot dogs for breakfast. "Our family road trip's soundtrack would include 'Harvest Moon,' by Neil Young. That was our wedding song. Also, U2's 'Joshua Tree,' The Band, and lots of Adele, because my kids love to belt out her songs." Producer Joy Gorman Wettels demurs, "I'd do anything within reason that's under a good rationale. If the idea of living on an island in Greece is moot, I would just try to relax." For everyone on the set, variations on these questions and answers were invariably put forth and debated on a daily basis. What Scafaria had described as the "wonderful group of actors," many of whom were on-set for just a couple of days, proved eager to chat with each other and the crew between takes, comparing notes on ultimate musical collections and cities of their final destinations. Actor Derek Luke offers, "I'd go and find people to help, or friends that I need to apologize to." Actress Connie Britton reflects, "I would probably drive across the country and I would listen to every single kind of music, especially music from my childhood and Prince's '1999,' even though he was off with the year by just a little bit."

Expanding on Britton's playlist, Scafaria's assistant Virginia Shearer "would take 'Purple Rain,' 'Sign o' the Times,' 'Dirty Mind,' and 'Controversy.' And, Prince himself." Actress Melanie Lynskey comments, "My husband and our dog and I would hopefully go to Savannah. I'd bring The Cure and The Smiths and Pavement, and just listen and feel comforted." Camera loader/production assistant Josh Novak picks "anything by Otis Redding— let's just say 'Greatest Hits,' for the sake of not carrying bulk on the road trip to somewhere peaceful and tropical." Opting for neither peaceful nor tropical, actress Gillian Jacobs enthuses, "I've never really broken any laws in my life, so I'd probably break a lot of them. I would probably destroy a lot of buildings using heavy equipment from construction sites. Maybe crash cars into medians on the highway, firebomb empty buildings— standard stuff." Actor Patton Oswalt states, "I would have the theme to the TV show The Facts of Life on a loop, and drive towards Elton John, wherever he was. Because I'd want to hear him sing 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' while the meteor was approaching us; I just don't think there's any better way to end the world." Gail Scafaria, the writer/director's mother, says, "Just to be with Lorene. Yeah, that would be it."

Lay Your Burden Down— Bayou Spirit

"Stanley 'Buckwheat' Dural leads one of the best bands in America. A down-home and high-powered celebration, meaty and muscular with a fine-tuned sense of dynamics, propulsive rhythms, and incendiary performances which are rarely seen twice." —The New York Times

LAY YOUR BURDEN DOWN is the most ambitious, deepest and varied recording of Buckwheat Zydeco's career. It is a remarkably conceived, rocking album featuring five new Buckwheat originals and complete reinventions of songs by Memphis Minnie (When The Levee Breaks, made famous by Led Zeppelin), Bruce Springsteen (Back In Your Arms), Gov't Mule (Lay Your Burden Down), Captain Beefheart (Too Much Time), Jimmy Cliff (Let Your Yeah Be Yeah) and JJ Grey & Mofro (The Wrong Side). Guests on the album include Sonny Landreth, Warren Haynes, Steve Berlin, JJ Grey and Trombone Shorty. In this, Buckwheat's first post-Katrina album, Louisiana's life-affirming jazz funeral philosophy of renewal— partying in the face of adversity— is on full display, with joyful, rhythmic dance music and deeper, more intense songs sharing the same celebratory bayou sprit.

Lay Your Burden Down received some of the best reviews of 2009 for a roots/blues album. Living Blues says, "Buckwheat Zydeco returns with a new release on famed Chicago blues label Alligator Records, and the results are stunning." Blues Revue continues, saying the album "is as steeped in blues as in the joyous Louisiana soul at the heart of this outstanding, wonderfully diverse set." Chris Morris, writing in Sonicboomers.com, which named it an "Album Of The Week," called it... "a vastly entertaining and appealingly diverse package." UPBEAT Entertainment's Music News & Notes described it all as... "Lay Your Burden Down ends up being Dural's most accomplished and mature album yet, moving from start to finish like everything belongs together... He has given us Something else again, an album that works both at the dance party and still rings clear the very next day when maybe it's time to dig much deeper and do a little thinking. It's the best kind of musical synthesis."

Scott Simon, on National Public Radio's Weekend Edition Saturday— in a nearly 10 minute feature airing shortly after the album's release— brought Buckwheat Zydeco's music to millions of isteners across the country. Simon called leader Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural, Jr., "the go-to guy for Zydeco music... a master of accordion and organ," and praised the new CD's scope from "feel good, get-up-and-dance music to slow R&B grooves and brooding blues." Simon's far ranging discussion with Dural was heard by more than five million listeners worldwide, helping to start the 30th anniversary celebration.... which just kept going.

The album remained on the Billboard Blues Chart for weeks, and has landed in rotation on top tastemaker radio stations nationwide including WXPN in Philadelphia, WYEP in Pittsburgh, WYMS in Milwaukee, WFDU in Teaneck, NJ, KRSH in Santa Rosa, CA, KUT in Austin, TX, with new music airplay from WXRT in Chicago and WFUV in New York City, among many others. As Living Blues says, "The entire work is a vibrant testament to Buckwheat Zydeco's spirit, reminding us that Louisiana's musical heritage has taken all the hurricanes could give. This is an album that can introduce a new generation of music fans to the world of zydeco music and serve as a wonderful reminder about what a great zydeco band can do."

Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural, Jr. was born in Lafayette, Louisiana in 1947. He acquired his nickname because, with his braided hair, he looked like Buckwheat from The Little Rascals. His father was an accomplished, non-professional traditional Creole accordion player, but young Buckwheat preferred listening to and playing R&B. He became proficient at the organ, and by the late 1950s was backing Joe Tex, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and many others. In 1971 he formed Buckwheat and The Hitchhikers, a 15-piece funk and soul band. They were a local sensation and found success with the single, "It's Hard To Get," recorded for a local Louisiana-based label. Never a traditional zydeco fan when growing up, Buckwheat nonetheless accepted an invitation in 1976 to join Clifton Chenier's Red Hot Louisiana Band as organist. He quickly discovered the joy and power of zydeco music, and marveled at the effect the music had on the audience. Everywhere, people young and old just loved zydeco music," Buckwheat says. "I had so much fun playing that first night with Clifton. We played for 4 hours and I wasn't ready to quit."

Buckwheat's relationship with the legendary Chenier led him to take up the accordion in 1978. After woodshedding for a year, he felt ready to start his own band under the name Buckwheat Zydeco, and began his recording career with the small Blues Unlimited label. By the mid-1980s there were more offers to perform than he could possibly accept. Recordings for Black Top and Rounder followed before Buckwheat befriended New York-based journalist Ted Fox, who championed Buckwheat to Chris Blackwell at Island Records in 1986. 

In 1988, Eric Clapton invited the band to open his North American tour as well as his 12-night stand at London's Royal Albert Hall. As even more doors opened, Buckwheat found himself sharing stages and/or recording with Keith Richards, Robert Plant, Willie Nelson, Mavis Staples, David Hidalgo, Dwight Yoakam, Paul Simon, Ry Cooder and many others, including indie music stalwarts Yo La Tengo on the soundtrack to the Bob Dylan bio-pic, I'm Not There. His music has been featured in films and on television. Buckwheat won an Emmy for his music in the CBS TV movie, Pistol Pete: The Life And Times Of Pete Maravich. Buckwheat Zydeco has played just about every major music festival in the world, including the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (numerous times), Newport Folk Festival, Summerfest, San Diego Street Scene, Bumbershoot, Montreaux Jazz Festival and countless others.

During the 1990s and 2000s Buckwheat recorded for his own Tomorrow Recordings label and maintained an extensive touring schedule. Along with his remarkably talented band, he brings his music to fans all over the world. Now, with his new relationship with Alligator and LAY YOUR BURDEN DOWN, his massive instrumental and vocal talents and boundless energy, Buckwheat, already the most popular zydeco artist in the world, will find the largest and most enthusiastic audience of his long and storied career.

Elvis Lives— The Ultimate Elvis Tribute

On Stage Touring, LLC, in association with Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc., announced today that it will kick off their 2012/2013 touring season of ELVIS LIVES "THE ULTIMATE ELVIS TRIBUTE ARTIST EVENT"  in Wilmington, DE on October 2nd, 2012. Due to incredible demand from audiences coast to coast, this season’s tour will travel to sixty cities, presenting 100 performances, more than triple the number of last season’s tour. ELVIS LIVES, which keeps on capturing the imaginations and interests of fans of all types including Broadway, concert and Elvis aficionados, is an unforgettable multi-media and live musical journey across Elvis' life featuring finalists from Elvis Presley Enterprises' annual worldwide Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest, each representing Elvis during different stages in his career. The Elvis tribute artists will be joined by a live band, back-up singers and dancers, along with an Ann-Margret tribute artist, as well as iconic imagery made available from the Graceland archives; which includes a never-before-seen exhibit of life-size images of Elvis’ stage-wear that will be on display in the lobby of each theater hosting a performance.

"We are very pleased that ELVIS LIVES continues to delight audiences all over the nation and that even more Elvis fans will be given the opportunity to see these talented entertainers in these expanded markets. We hope to see finalists from the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest starring in ELVIS LIVES for years to come," said Scott Williams, Vice President of Marketing for Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. "The partnership between On Stage Touring and Elvis Presley Enterprises provides the only authentic touring showcase of Elvis tribute artists for fans who want to experience the music and live performance charisma of one of the most popular recording artists in history," said Brian Brigner, Chief Operating Officer of On Stage. "Our thriving production showcases each performer portraying Elvis in one of four eras: the 1950s, 1960s, his movie career and his concert years, so it is the complete musical package."

The kick-off in Wilmington, DE, on October 2nd, 2012, will be part of an eight show performance week in celebration of the 100th Season Anniversary of the DuPont Theatre. The nationwide tour is scheduled to begin in January 2013 with performances in over 60 markets. On Stage has retained Columbia Artists Theatricals to further develop and expand the markets for the tour. For links to purchase all of your tickets directly from individual theaters in your area, please visit http://www.elvislivestour.com or contact your local authorized box office or official ticketing agency. Elvis Lives fans are also invited to enter the "Elvis Lives" sweepstakes for a chance to win a seven-day cruise for two in an oceanview stateroom on board Norwegian Epic. For more information, visit http://www.elvislivestour.com.

Too High to Die: Meet the Meat Puppets

For the first time ever, the Meat Puppets' story will be told in book form, when the authorized band bio, Too High to Die: Meet the Meat Puppets, was released. Journalist/book author/long-time Puppets fan Greg Prato wrote the book with full cooperation from the band. In addition to featuring interviews with band members past and present, many renowned rock names were interviewed for the 407 page book, including Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Peter Buck (REM), Kim Thayil (Soundgarden), Henry Rollins (Black Flag/Rollins Band), Ian MacKaye (Minor Threat/Fugazi), Scott Asheton (Iggy & the Stooges), Dean DeLeo (Stone Temple Pilots), Doug Martsch (Built to Spill), Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth), Dave Pirner (Soul Asylum), J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.), Mike Watt (Minutemen/fIREHOSE), Chad Channing (Nirvana), and Paul Leary (Butthole Surfers), among many many others.

Set up in an "oral history format," the book is comprised entirely of never before published interviews, which were conducted solely for this book. Also included are 15 rarely seen and/or never-before-published photos of the entire band from several time periods throughout the years. All eras of the band are covered, including the writing/recording of such classic albums as 'Meat Puppets II' and 'Up on the Sun,' the group's appearance on Nirvana's classic 'MTV Unplugged' episode, the story behind their inevitable breakthrough hit single "Backwater," and how the Kirkwood brothers reunited in 2006, after being apart for nearly a decade.

As the group's singer/guitarist/songwriter Curt Kirkwood says on the book's back cover, "It's a very strange, wonderful experience to read... I love the way it all flows...a linear time capsule compendium of the band's past... so many perspectives tied together so well. I feel like I've been hanging out in these scenes just yesterday. Folks I know well and folks I've never even met giving me insights and perspectives on the band and myself that I've never considered or been aware of. Eerie and fun to find myself so captivated reading about something that has held me captive for my entire adult life... sometimes it's hard to see the forest for the trees. This is giving me a brief glimpse of the forest... thanks for the bitchin' experience."

Later this summer, look for Meat Puppets to bring their pioneering legacy into the interactive world, as the band helps launch a new interactive music app called JamBandit. Fans will be able to experience Meat Puppets as never before, feeling the rush of genuinely playing in realtime with Cris, Curt, Ted, and Shandon, regardless of their musical ability or training. To sign up for a sneak peek of everything visit www.jambandit.com. For all pre-order information (and for more than just a whole ton of detailed information about every single one of the Meat Puppets), visitwww.themeatpuppets.com.

The Lion The Beast The Beat

The Lion The Beast The Beat, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals' fourth studio album for Hollywood Records, will be released on June 12th. The musically powerful and conceptually dazzling work was produced by Jim Scott (Tom Petty, Wilco, the Tedeschi Trucks Band’s 2012 Grammy winner Revelator) and Potter at Scott’s studio PLYRZ in Santa Clarita, CA, with the exception of "Loneliest Soul," which was produced by Dan Auerbach and engineered by Collin Dupuis at Easy Eye Sounds in Nashville, TN. 

David Campbell (Beck, My Morning Jacket, Jackson Browne) arranged and conducted the strings on the album. The album was mixed by fellow Vermonter and Grammy award winner Rich Costey (Foo Fighters, TV on the Radio, Bruce Springsteen’s Wrecking Ball) and mastered by Grammy award winner Bob Ludwig (David Bowie, Rolling Stones, Radiohead, Foo Fighters). The first single from The Lion The Beast The Beat  is "Never Go Back," written by Dan Auerbach and Grace Potter & The Nocturnals. The track went to radio on March 23rd for an April 9th impact date. GPN's debut performance of "Never Go Back" is set for April 5th on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. A companion video for the track will be shot in Los Angeles in April. 

"I think there’s a Lion and a Beast within all of us— as humans. There's also true goodness, and the appearance of goodness…" says Grace. "Maybe I’ve watched too much Mad Men, but I'm in love with the idea of a story with no heroes and no villains. I've never really even dipped my toes in the whole 'concept album' thing but these themes just kept creeping into all the new songs and I didn’t fight it. I decided to embrace it."

Among the song titles are Stars, The Divide, Steady, Parachute Heart, Never Go Back, and Loneliest Soul, both co-written with Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, and the title track The Lion The Beast The Beat. 

"Each song stands upright on its own, but these songs really belong to this album. The way we’ve always made records is to put together a list of 30 or so songs, pick the best ones, throw them together and hope it congeals. I didn’t wanna do that this time. I came up with the track order before we recorded so we could really bring you in and out of these songs like scenes in a movie. I want to bring the listener into our weird fantasy and keep them there."

Norah Jones— Little Broken Hearts

Norah Jones is unveiling something new at South By Southwest— again. Ten years after she shook Austin and the entire music world with "Come Away With Me," the 25 million-selling debut she released just weeks before the 2002 conference and festival, she returned to play her entire new album "Little Broken Hearts" at La Zona Rosa in Austin on Saturday night. "It seemed to make sense to come back to my new record," Jones explained. "I'm just going to play the new record. I'm not even going to play any old songs because it's South By Southwest. It doesn't seem wrong to me to do it that way. It's fun. This is a festival. It's for new bands but it's also just for new stuff, so it feels right to do the new record."

The stylish yet deeply emotional and introspective collaboration with Danger Mouse is due to be released on Tuesday, May 1st. In a brief interview on Friday, Jones described "Little Broken Hearts" as a concept album of sorts that examines a difficult breakup. She said she and Danger Mouse, the producer whose given name is Brian Burton, wrote most of the songs as a team, working out lyrics and the instrumentation together. It's something of a departure for Jones and yet another step in her evolution away from the jazz of the Grammy-winning tune "Come Away With Me."

Jones came back to SXSW in 2006 with her side project The Little Willies, a group that she played two shows with on Thursday. The experience performing as a solo artist will be a little less discombobulating this time around. "It was kind of crazy," Jones said. "I remember 10 years ago when I came... and it was insane. It was like we were doing four shows a day or something. I don't know. It felt very strange, but it was fun."

IAMDYNAMITE— Irresistibly Explosive

Exploding with thunderous beats and crunching power chords, IAMDYNAMITE establish themselves as a two-piece rock and roll force to be reckoned with on their debut LP SUPERMEGAFANTASTIC. Armed with a single guitar, a basic drum kit and locked-in harmonies, the energy from the duo burns through speakers and electrifies off the stage whenever IAMDYNAMITE unleashes their unprecedented brand of noise. Recorded at Willie Nelson's famous Pedernales Recording Studio with super producer Matt Noveskey, IAMDYNAMITE's charged drive coalesced into the 10 tracks of dirty blues-rock crowd-pleasing scorchers found on SUPERMEGAFANTASTIC.

It would be reasonable to suspect a band who borrowed their name from the works of Friedrich Nietzsche might just be yet another pretentious act arriving on the scene but, when it comes to the rock and rhythm duo IAMDYNAMITE, it would be safer to assume the exact opposite. In truth, the choosing of the name might just be a perfect example of the band's playful and self effacing sense of humor. At first listen it becomes clear, IAMDYNAMITE, with their thunderous beats and crunching power chords, are actually the anti- pretentious and with American cynicism at an all time high, the timing of their arrival could not be more perfect.

Armed with a single guitar and basic drum kit, IAMDYNAMITE have quickly established themselves as a rock and roll force to be reckoned with. The musicianship is solid, the tunes are irresistible and infectious and their energy on stage has been appropriately described as "feverishly fun". The band's distinctive sound is influenced, in part, by what Drummer Chris Phillips calls "the power rock of the 90s", while Guitarist/ Lead Vocalist Christopher Martin points to "strong melodies and lots of energy" as a primary focus for the songwriting. Though some may assume a band made up of only two instruments might be rather limited, the big explosion of sound they bring to the stage has inspired more than a few critics to observe, "IAMDYNAMITE are two guys who sound like five". Add it all up and there can be no doubt, the fuse has been lit and IAMDYNAMITE are ready to explode!

John Fogerty— Still Prolific

John Fogerty was the lead vocalist and lead guitarist for the extremely successful 1960's band, Creedence Clearwater Revival. Following a prolific run of hit albums and singles between 1968 and 1970, Fogerty's productivity slowed to a crawl; his solo career became dogged with legal troubles, and he practically disappeared from the radar for a brief period time. The public's expectations of Fogerty were stratospheric, based on the music he'd produced with Creedence, and this proved to be a hopeful look at possibility. "Don't You Wish It Was True" opens the album Revival, which was released in 2007 [but we HAD to mention it] with John Fogerty dreaming of looking into heaven and seeing light, beauty, and harmony.

The music shuffles and swings, evoking pictures of porch swings in front of grand, Southern houses and kids playing in parks. It's a bittersweet wish for freedom from earthbound tribulations that evokes the best of the CCR years. The lyrics infuse such a laid back Zen-like attitude that you'll find yourself thinking about the fact that maybe you should talk to your neighbors a bit more... "An angel took my hand, said you don’t have to hurry/ Got all the time in the world, don’t worry/ Don’t you wish it was true/ What if tomorrow everybody was your friend/ Anyone could take you in/ No matter what or where you been."

Fogerty's writing process hasn't changed much over the years but the artist admits that it's definitely evolved. "The thing is, when you're writing a song, let's say you've got a good verse going and your next move is the bridge or the second verse or whatever. That's when you have to want it to be a good song— not a throwaway song or in-a-hurry song. So that's when the labor begins. That's when you don’t settle for the first thing that occurred to you. You stick with it until it really fits. Sometimes that comes to you in an instant, and other times it doesn't occur to you. And then one day you’re riding along in the car and you step out into the parking lot in the mall, or maybe you're brushing your teeth... and suddenly that thing you've been thinking about for a long time just goes through your brain at a different angle, and you go— of course! And then it's clear as a bell."