thePULSEIN THIS ISSUE: Nightwish, Rise to Remain, DJ Premier w/ Nas and the Berklee Symphony Orchestra, Jack’s Mannequin, Machine Head, Dropkick Murphys, XIMENA SARIÑANA, Korn, Dir En Grey, T-Pain, Steve Aoki, Nero, Phish, Graveyard, Rammstein, Gary Clark, Jr., Attack! Attack!, Young the Giant
NIGHTWISH RELEASING IMAGINAERUM ON JANUARY 10 | ALBUM CONCEPT IS TIED TO A CORRESPONDING FILM
Fans of dramatic, symphonic, Euro metal have something to look forward to when the cold, dark, dreary winter sets in. Finnish superstars Nightwish will release their new album Imaginaerum on January 10, 2012 via Roadrunner Records and it will serve as a welcome beacon of warmth and light in an otherwise dark season! The album is the band’s first since 2007’s Dark Passion Play, which was then-new singer Anette Olzon’s debut.
The band examined its catalog when sitting down to write what would become Imaginaerum. The songs for the album were written between 2008 and 2010, after the Dark Passion Play tour cycle ended.
At that point, Nightwish knew they wanted to do something different, new and unique, which is exceptional for a band whose career has been defined by words like different, new and unique.
The band consciously wanted to do something so big, crossover, detailed, innovative and, well, “nuts” that it would leave the band, and with any luck the people experiencing it, completely awestruck. It would be a situation where fans and/or critics would either love it or hate it, but they’d be left awestruck regardless. That’s when the band realized another dimension ~ namely video ~ was necessary for the project.
Instead of a concept album, the band set the album to a film.
“The original idea I had was to film 13 short stories related to the songs with a connected storyline, shot by Stobe Harju,” keyboardist/songwriter Tuomas Holopainen said. It was Harju’s idea to turn the 13 stories and visions into more of a connected cinematic piece ~ essentially, a film. It would have a clear plot, script, dialogue and real actors in an ambitious effort to create something wholly unique. The film was shot in September of this year.
The movie is based on the album and its 13 tracks, honoring the original ideas but evolving radically from the initial plan. Holopainen said,” Still, it was important from the very beginning that the album would work as its own individual piece of art, as well. It is a thematic album about life itself, about imagination, love, goodness and beauty, with a touch of darkness and melancholy, which are strongly included in all of those things mentioned.” As if we could expect anything less from Nightwish!
The band will have but a small part in the film. A 2012 premiere date is tentatively planned.
Imaginaerum: an audiovisual testament of what Nightwish have always been about.
The track listing for Imaginaerum is as follows ~ note that track 12 is broken down into four parts.
01. Taikatalvi
02. Storytime
03. Ghost River
04. Slow, Love, Slow
05. I Want My Tears Back
06. Scaretale
07. Arabesque
08. Turn Loose the Mermaids
09. Rest Calm
10. The Crow, the Owl and the Dove
11. Last Ride of the Day
12. Song Of Myself
Song 1: From A Dusty Bookshelf
Song 2: All That Great Heart Lying Still
Song 3: Piano Black
Song 4: Love
13. Imaginaerum
***
RISE TO REMAIN TO RELEASE THEIR DEBUT ALBUM CITY OF VULTURES
Rise To Remain, riding high on a wave of unparalleled accolades in the UK metal scene, recently announced that the North American release date of their highly anticipated record City of Vultures has been pushed back to January 24, 2012 from the original October 11th, 2011. Vocalist Austin Dickinson gave us the following update addressing the change:
“Hey guys! Just checking in to update you all on some recent developments that will be taking place with us and all our friends in the US of A. As you know, we’ve signed to the awesome Century Media Records, who will be putting out our album, City Of Vultures, for all you guys to hear. We can’t wait to share it with you! We’re so excited to finally have it out. I do have some other news however regarding the release date. Unfortunately, the release date of the album has been moved to January. We’re sorry for all the anticipation which has now been lengthened, but we promise that it will be worth the wait. Huge things are in the pipeline for us and you guys, we will be over soon, and the album will be out! Thank you so much for all your support, time and patience, and we can’t wait to come hang out with you all. Peace, love and thanks again.”
City of Vultures delivers 12 electrifying tracks that will leave all hard music fans pleased. A trending topic overseas, the band has already graced the cover of Kerrang! ~ and Metal Hammer Magazine describes Rise To Remain as a “tight and well-oiled machine, blending elements of thrash and metalcore in an impressively proficient and undeniably catchy manner.” City of Vultures is an explosive, assured and extraordinarily diverse first offering that marks Rise To Remain as an extremely talented standard bearer for a new generation of metal bands.
In the meantime, fans can view two music videos for tracks off of City of Vultures, for a taste of what’s to come: the video for “Nothing Left” can be seen here: youtu.be/qYmArUEpync and the video for “Serpent” can be seen here: youtu.be/fNoodAZtcLg.
For more information on Rise To Remain, please visit:
www.facebook.com/risetoremain
www.myspace.com/risetoremain
www.centurymedia.com
***
DJ PREMIER RECORDS NEW TRACK “REGENERATION” WITH NAS AND THE BERKLEE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
RE:GENERATION, a documentary film directed by Amir Bar Lev ~ who made the award-winning documentaries “My Kid Could Paint That” and “The Tillman Story” ~ is due out February 2012. Produced in association with The Grammys, the film looks at the history, songwriting and studio process of different musical genres through the eyes of five of the most influential electronic producers/DJs in music today. The tag line for the film is “5 DJs Turn the Table of the History of Music.”
Mark Ronson, DJ Premier, The Crystal Method, Pretty Lights and Skrillex each take a specific musical style and explore it by writing and recording a brand new track with a grouping of influential collaborators in that genre. The stories of these five DJs are documented in RE:GENERATION. 
Along the way, these five DJs/producers journey to hotbeds for each genre including New Orleans for jazz, Nashville for country, Los Angeles for rock, Boston for classical and Detroit for R&B. In the film, DJ Premier heads down the Paul Revere trail from Boston, where he conducted the Berklee Symphony Orchestra (from the Berklee College of Music in Boston), to his New York City studio to capture lyrics by NAS for “Regeneration.” Read more about this amazing collaboration on Vibe.com: www.vibe.com/posts/v-premiere-dj-premier-feat-nas-and-berklee-symphony-orchestra-regeneration.
Scott Kirkland of The Crystal Method puts it best, “There is no sound we can’t make. There’s not a beat we can’t create. There’s not an artist we can’t record…Now what?” “You just put me in a whole different way on how to listen,” adds DJ Premier
The five DJs, their genres and collaborators are:
1. Mark Ronson ~ Jazz ~ “A La Modeliste” (with Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Trombone Shorty, members of the Dap Kings and Zigaboo Modeliste)
Listen Here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAP4Y0r8BB4
2. DJ Premier ~ Classical ~ “Regeneration” (with NAS and the Berklee Symphony Orchestra)
Listen Here: www.youtube.com/embed/wAaa7XTtsPE?rel=0
3. The Crystal Method ~ R&B ~ “I’m Not Leaving” (with Martha Reeves of the Vandellas and the Funk Brothers)
Listen Here: www.youtube.com/embed/IiGOb-JW554?rel=0
4. Pretty Lights — Country — “Wayfaring Stranger” (with Dr. Ralph Stanley and LeAnn Rimes)
Listen Here: www.youtube.com/embed/XqMGKf4qSSw?rel=05
. Skrillex — Rock — “Breakn’ A Sweat” (with members of The Doors)
Listen Here: www.youtube.com/embed/E0PfECI4IH0?rel=0
The RE:GENERATION trailer is available at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLlxvrXURoo&feature=player_embedde
For more information, check out:
www.regenerationmusicproject.com
www.facebook.com/regenerationmusicproject
www.twitter.com/regenerationmp
Photo of Mark Ronson by Brian Nevins
***
Jack’s Mannequin Announce 2012 Tour Dates In Support of People and Things
Jack’s Mannequin have announced 2012 tour dates in support of People and Things; the band will perform on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on December 5th, and then in the new year will set off on a string of US dates that kick off in St. Louis on January 19 and run through February 11 in Washington DC. Following the US tour they will head to Australia for the Soundwave Festival before heading to Japan for a handful of dates.
People and Things debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Alternative Albums Chart and at #9 on the overall Billboard 200 chart, as well as at #9 on Spotify’s album chart. American Songwriter called the first single “My Racing Thoughts” “…a superb piece of piano rock that rivals some of Elton John’s best ’70s hits” and calls People and Things “…easily the most musically cohesive album in the band’s catalog thus far.” Absolute Punk agrees that “It isn’t a stretch to call People and Things the best record of Andrew McMahon’s career. It’s almost a given that no pop album this year will be able to match the depth of this release.”
“Release Me” short film: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCwHI8DYA3Y&ob=av2e
“Release Me” Soundcloud Streaming Link: soundcloud.com/jacksmannequin/release-me-people-and-things
Catch the band on February 3 at the House of Blues in Boston.
***
MACHINE HEAD ANNOUNCES U.S. HEADLINE TOUR
Oakland, CA’s Machine Head are pleased to announce their upcoming U.S. headline tour with support acts Suicide Silence, Darkest Hour, and Rise To Remain.
In celebration of the upcoming headline tour, Machine Head and CraveOnline.com are giving away one Epiphone Robb Flynn Love/Death Baritone Flying-V to a lucky winner! Make sure to head to
www.craveonline.com/music/articles/178051-win-an-epiphone-robb-flynn to enter for your chance to win!
Machine Head unveiled their new music video for the single “Locust” exclusively with Pitchfork.com
(www.pitchforkmedia.com/tv/musicvideos/1539-locust). The track is cut from the band’s latest Billboard-charting album Unto The Locust. The video is directed by veteran Machine Head video director Mike Sloat and features motion picture-quality computer-generated imagery that includes a sinister swarm of locusts enveloping the band in a cloud of darkness and chaos, much like the ominous track itself. The incredible effects were all created by an amazing team of Hollywood CGI artists and monster makers ~ including album art designer Paul Gerrard ~ who all helped bring Paul’s amazing album artwork to life.
Be sure to purchase Unto The Locust on iTunes or physically at Best Buy or your local music retailer and catch the band live on February 4 at The Palladium in Worcester.
***
DROPKICK MURPHYS’ 2012 ST. PATRICK’S DAY NORTH AMERICAN TOUR COMES TO MOHEGAN SUN AND TSONGAS ARENA | DELUXE DIGITAL EDITION OF GOING OUT IN STYLE ALBUM FEATURING “LIVE FROM FENWAY” COMPANION DIGITAL RELEASE NOW AVAILABLE
Dropkick Murphys have announced the initial dates for their 2012 St. Patrick’s Day North American Tour with supporting special guest Frank Turner. The annual trek kicks off February 22 in Toronto and wraps with the band’s second appearance at Washington, DC’s ShamrockFest (March 24). The tour includes a matinee and an evening show on St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) at Tsongas Arena in Lowell, MA. Tickets for the St. Patrick’s Day North American Tour went on sale Friday, November 18 at www.dropkickmurphys.com.
In addition, a deluxe digital edition of the group’s critically acclaimed Going Out In Style album ~ on the band-owned Born & Bred Records ~ came out on November 21. The package includes a companion digital release ~ Live From Fenway ~ recorded on September 8 and 9 in front of 20,000 Dropkick Murphys fans at the band’s sold out dates at Boston’s legendary ballpark. An expanded physical version of the deluxe CD package will be released in March 2012. Live From Fenway ~ the HD concert film ~ will be broadcast on a national cable network in 2012. Stay tuned for details!
The track listing for the Live From Fenway digital release is:
Hang ‘Em High
Sunday Hardcore Matinee
Deeds Not Words
Going Out In Style
Broken Hymns
Peg O’ My Heart
The Irish Rover
Cruel
Climbing A Chair To Bed
Take ‘Em Down (acoustic)
Dropkick Murphys ~ Al Barr (lead vocals), Tim Brennan (guitars, accordion, whistle, vocals), Ken Casey (lead vocals, bass guitar), Jeff DaRosa (banjo, bouzouki, mandolin, harmonica, vocals), Matt Kelly (drums, vocals), James Lynch (guitar, vocals), and Scruffy Wallace (bagpipes) ~ recently performed “Going Out In Style” on “Conan” (TBS) and Fuel TV’s “The Daily Habit.”
Check out the clips:
teamcoco.com/video/17985/the-dropkick-murphys-are-going-out-in-style (“Conan”)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sgey_WYwHbk&feature=youtu.be (“The Daily Habit”)
Local North American St. Patrick’s Day Tour Stops:
Sat 3/10 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun
Sat 3/17 Lowell, MA Tsongas Arena (matinee show)
Sat 3/17 Lowell, MA Tsongas Arena (evening show)
***
XIMENA SARIÑANA ANNOUNCES FALL HEADLINING TOUR | DEBUT ENGLISH-LANGUAGE ALBUM OUT NOW
Ximena Sariñana (he-MEN-a sa-rin-YAH-na) has announced a US fall tour with support from Avalanche City and Graffiti 6 on select dates. This is Ximena’s first US headlining run ~ it comes on the heels of a nationwide tour with Sia and Oh Land, which included stops at this year’s Lollapalooza and Outside Lands festivals.
The 25 year-old Mexican singer, songwriter and keyboardist has had an eventful few months. She released her Greg Kurstin (Lily Allen, Bird and the Bee) and Dave Sitek (TV on the Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs) produced English-language debut on August 2, 2011 to effusive critical acclaim.
After fronting a successful indie band in her native Mexico, Ximena released her Spanish-language solo debut Mediocre in 2008. The album debuted at #1 in Mexico and scored two Latin Grammy nods and a US Grammy Award nomination, as well as the Best New Artist win at the Latin MTV Awards.
The daughter of acclaimed film director Fernando Sariñana, Ximena has also been acting since the age of 11. She has starred in three telenovelas and 11 Mexican films, even winning the prize for Best Supporting Actress by the Mexican Film Critics and Press Board.
Don’t miss Ximena on December 14 at T.T. The Bears ~ and for more info please visit www.ximenamusic.com.
***
KORN RELEASES EXPERIMENTAL ELECTRONIC ALBUM THE PATH OF TOTALITY DECEMBER 6 ON ROADRUNNER RECORDS and launches “P.O.T.” TOUR
Korn is back, releasing their new album The Path of Totality December 6 on Roadrunner Records. The Path of Totality is an experimental album which finds KORN shifting gears and exploring new territory with some of the most important, emerging producers on the electronic music scene today. 
For The Path of Totality, Korn has enlisted leading U.S., U.K. and Dutch dubstep trailblazers Skrillex, Feed Me, Excision, Datsik, Noisia, Kill the Noise and 12th Planet. The band’s first offering from the album, “Get Up!,” with Skrillex was the surprise Top 10 rock hit of the summer, with buzz starting in April in Coachella’s Sahara tent when Jonathan and Munky joined Skrillex on stage for a show-stealing, unannounced performance of the song. Check out the track at: http://tinyurl.com/3q3rmqa. Now Korn has unleashed “Narcissistic Cannibal,” another creation with Skrillex and Kill the Noise at: www.youtube.com/kornchannel#p/u/0/fBfuaWu-E5Y.
Other tracks on The Path of Totality include “Kill Mercy Within” and “Let’s Go” with untouchable Dutch production trio Noisia, Excision tracks “My Wall” and “Illuminati” with Downlink and “Way Too Far” per American dubstep pioneer 12th Planet. Deep bass turns come courtesy of the one and only Feed Me on “Bleeding Out.”
For more information, check out:
www.korn.com
www.facebook.com/korn
www.twitter.com/korn
www.myspace.com/korn
***
DIR EN GREY
The unique, artful Japanese rock band Dir En Grey are set to close out the year with a headlining North American tour in support of their latest album Dum Spiro Spero that will be stopping on Tuesday, December 13 at Royale Boston with opening act The Birthday Massacre.
The internationally respected band has earned a reputation for pushing boundaries, breaking rules and continuing to shock and amaze their fans around the world. Dum Spiro Spero ~ released August 2 via The End Records ~ is no different.
Dir En Grey ~ vocalist Kyo, guitarists Kaoru and Die, bassist Toshiya and drummer Shinya ~ has been consistently touring for the last decade but this new stretch holds special meaning since the making of Dum Spiro Spero was directly influenced by the disaster that struck Japan earlier this year. The band explains, “In our personal experience of the earthquake and its aftermath, one thing that really hit home is the reality that you can die at any time without knowing it. We don’t know what is waiting for us as we move forward, but as long as we are alive we want to take on this tour with a sense of determination.”
The band issued an open letter to the world on August 1 regarding the high radiation levels that have been detected in Japan that received international media attention and have since asked the world to help them “Scream for the truth.” On Monday, October 3, the band revealed a new billboard in New York City’s Times Square displaying provocative nuclear images and has launched a new site, Scream4Truth.com, to aid in their mission of demanding accurate information from Japanese officials surrounding the nuclear disaster which took place March 11, 2011 following the massive earthquake and tsunami.
For more information, check out the following sites:
www.direngrey.co.jp/english/top.html
www.facebook.com/direngreyofficial
www.myspace.com/direngrey
twitter.com/#!/DIRENGREY_web
www.youtube.com/direngreyweb
***
T-PAIN TO RELEASE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED NEW ALBUM rEVOLVEr ON DECEMBER 6TH
T-Pain is at it again. After landing another platinum selling radio hit single with “Best Love Song” featuring Chris Brown, followed by quickly rising single “5 O’Clock” featuring Wiz Khalifa and Lily Allen, singer/rapper/producer T-Pain announced that RCA Records will release his fourth studio album rEVOLVEr on December 6. The follow-up to his 2008 platinum-plus selling album Thr33 Ringz, rEVOLVEr (visually spelled as rEVOLVEr for a reason), demonstrates the evolution of T-Pain as an artist.
“rEVOLVEr is drawn from seven albums’ worth of material,” said T-Pain. “There are so many different things on this album. I couldn’t settle on what I wanted to include, but the final result I think will really hit all of my fans and different audiences,” says the singer. “I’ve developed a new audience from the Taylor Swift stuff, the Bud Light and Toshiba commercials, the T-Pain Mic and App. There is music for everyone on this album, but definitely still classic T-Pain at the same time.”
Tallahassee, Florida native, T-Pain burst on the scene in 2005 with his debut Rappa Ternt Sanga and the unforgettable singles “I’m Sprung” and “I’m N Luv (Wit A Stripper),” a song that maintains the title of the highest selling ring tone. T-Pain continued his success with his sophomore effort Epiphany in 2007, which spawned the #1 airplay record of the year, “Buy U a Drank” (featuring Yung Joc) and the ubiquitous #1 hit “Bartender.” In 2008, T-Pain took home his first Grammy for Best Rap Song (for “Good Life”) with Kanye West, which also garnered a BET Award, where he was the most nominated artist of the night. Since the release of his debut album, T-Pain has produced and featured on over 45 top ten songs and 16 #1’s. He has won many awards including two Grammys and continues to expand his brand with fresh and exciting ideas like the innovative I Am T-Pain mobile app, which has now spawned the I Am T-Pain Mic and T-Pain Effect.
***
STEVE AOKI’S NEW ALBUM WONDERLAND AVAILABLE WINTER 2011 VIA ULTRA MUSIC
Steve Aoki ~ international party starter and the man behind the highly influential independent record label Dim Mak ~ will release his highly anticipated debut artist album Wonderland this winter on leading dance label Ultra Music (with whom he has forged a worldwide deal). In support of Wonderland, AOKI is currently on a worldwide tour and coming to Worcester, MA Thursday, December 29 at The Palladium.
Known for his vast collaborations with multiple artists across various genres, Aoki has teamed up with an elite team of guest artists for Wonderland, including Rivers Cuomo of Weezer, Travis Barker, LMFAO, CSS and Kid Cudi. “Earthquakey People,” featuring Cuomo on vocals, is the first single from the album and is available now featuring remixes by the likes of Andrew W.K. and Dillon Francis. Steve’s own big room house remix of the track, entitled “Earthquakey People (The Sequel),” is also available now exclusively via Beatport. A portion of the proceeds from “Earthquakey People” will be donated to Music For Relief. For more information about Music For Relief, please visit www.musicforrelief.org. View the video to “Earthquakey People” here: www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ITuMknU8eVo.
For more on Steve, visit:
www.steveaoki.com
www.facebook.com/djaoki
www.twitter.com/steveaoki
www.myspace.com/steveaoki
***
NERO
Nero, aka North West London producers, remixers du jour, DJs and artists Dan Stephens and Joe Ray, now one of the biggest names in both dubstep and drum and bass, released their indie/dubstep hybrid smash single “Promises” on August 8th. It stormed straight to the top of the UK charts, while their debut album Welcome Reality followed the week after and did the same. Released on Chase and Status’ label MTA, Welcome Reality is quickly approaching Gold. The album features the global smash ~ where stadium rock meets dubstep “Me and You,” which was released in the US on Cherrytree/Interscope Records on November 1st at all digital retail and streaming partners. The EP package features a never- before-released new remix of “Me And You” by Steve Angello of Swedish House Mafia plus a Skrillex remix of “Promises” that had not been available for sale in the US before. “Me and You’ charted at number 15 in the UK and was the most played record on Radio 1 for three weeks in a row. You can watch “Promises” Video HERE.
Track Listing: 
1. Me And You (album version)
2. Me And You (Steve Angello Remix)
3. Promises (Skrillex and Nero remix)
This summer saw Nero DJ on tours through out the UK and US and appeared on various dates on this summer’s Identity Tour, plus all major UK music festivals including Glastonbury, Bestival, Reading, and Wireless. In unison with the release of their debut album and first official US EP release, they are about to premiere their monster of a new live show in North America. The live show sees Dan and Joe performing on keyboards, touch screen lemurs and laptops, and are bringing along guest performer Alana on vocals. “We’ve known her since we were 16,” explains Dan. “She’s always been part of the Nero gang. She’s got a good A&R sensibility, and she’s been on all the singles. She helps give us a ‘band’ feel, a bit like Massive Attack.” It is a visual led performance and sees them performing from a custom-built booth consisting of ghetto blasters, retro TVs, old amps and an arcade machine centerpiece.
Nero have taken the music world by storm. And “storm” is about right when it comes to describing the epic noise they make, with its thunderous dubstep bass, whirlwind drum’n’bass and hail of house rhythms, lightning flashes of rave synths, squall of orchestra, and occasional showers of guitar.
They have had their fair share of releases on all the right labels, won several awards including 2010’s Beatport Awards for Best Dubstep Act and Best Dubstep track for “Act Like you Know,” and receiving nominations for BBC’s Sound of 2011, XFM’s Sound of 2011, and Music Week’s Top 15. They’ve also done remixes for the great and good, including The Streets, La Roux, deadmau5, N*E*R*D and Daft Punk.
Nero comes to Royale Nightclub for a DJ set on December 15.
www.thisisnero.com
www.cherrytreerecords.com
www.interscope.com
***
PHISH’S HAMPTON/WINSTON-SALEM ‘97 SET FOR RELEASE ON DECEMBER 6
On December 6, Phish will release Hampton/Winston-Salem ’97 on JEMP Records. The seven-CD box set showcases three complete concerts from the band’s legendary fall 1997 tour: Phish’s November 21 and 22 shows at Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, VA, where they would later record Hampton Comes Alive, and their November 23 show at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, NC. These are among the most-requested shows from the Phish’s extensive archives. The box set will contain all the music Phish played over the three nights plus never-before-heard material from soundchecks at both venues ~ eight hours and 45 songs in all. Fred Kevorkian has remastered the songs, working from Paul Languedoc’s stereo soundboard mix.
Fans who pre-order Hampton/Winston-Salem ’97 at drygoods.phish.com/ will receive a code for a FREE complete MP3 download of the entire seven-CD box set plus two exclusive bonus tracks from the Phish Archives. Several packages that include items like the 2012 Phish calendar and a reissue of the original Jim Pollock 1997 fall tour t-shirt are also available.
Hampton/Winston-Salem ’97 captures Phish at an emotional peak of execution and flow. The shows were packed with notable renditions of such classics as “Split Open And Melt,” “AC/DC Bag,” “Slave To The Traffic Light,” “Mike’s Song,” “Halley’s Comet,” “Tweezer,” “Run Like An Antelope,” “Stash” and “Bathtub Gin.” The band also showcased a variety of covers – the Rolling Stones’ “Emotional Rescue,” Del McCoury’s “Beauty Of My Dreams,” Jimi Hendrix’s “Izabella,” Clifton Chenier’s “My Soul” and an impromptu take on War’s “Low Rider,” sandwiched inside a blazing “Down With Disease” – plus newer originals like “Dogs Stole Things,” “Ghost,” “Piper” and “Black-Eyed Katy.” See below for the complete tracklisting.
***
GRAVEYARD RETURNS
After months of overseas arm wrestling plus a little bit of back-island voodoo shenanigans that we can’t even begin to comprehend, we’re proud to announce that the Graveyard guys are finally back. Here. As in “gonna play the States again.” Which forces us to ask, “America, ARE YOU READYYYY?!?!?!”
These Swedish Demigods of Psychedelic Classic Rock slayed everyone within earshot of the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival this past June. Don’t miss them. That’s an order.
Graveyard drummer Axel Sjöberg checks in about the band’s eminent return: “At last the circumstances of life and the music industry has allowed us to return to the land of infinite highways and corrupt bankers. Of mighty nature and excellent thrift stores. Of micro breweries and good Mexican food (which you can’t find in Gothenburg). Yes ladies and gentlemen, the boys in the ‘yard are returning to the U S of A in January, 2012. A good way to start the new year and an excuse to get f**ked up and enjoy some good rocking music. With us on our travels across the nation are the very skillful musicians of Radio Moscow. With natural talent and relentless touring they are bound to leave jaws hanging and people wondering what just happened. Blues rock the way it’s meant to be played.”
Hisingen Blues, Graveyard’s second studio album and Nuclear Blast debut, debuted on three Billboard album charts (#48 – Heatseekers, #140 – Top Independent Current albums, and #46 – Current Hard Music Albums) in April and officially entered the Swedish album chart at No. 1 in late March. The album was produced, recorded, and mixed in 100% analog by Don Alsterberg (Gonzales, Junip, Soundtrack Of Our Lives, The International Noise Conspiracy) at Don Pierre Studios in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Listen to the track “Ain’t Fit To Live Here” on NPR’s Media Player
www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=136357079&m=136357621.
View the video for “Hisingen Blues” on YouTube www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnGBa8dVm6k. Check out the “making of” video here www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cm8xTHnKVNY.
Visit GRAVEYARD online at www.facebook.com/GRAVEYARDOFFICIAL, on Twitter
twitter.com/graveyardsongs, at www.myspace.com/GRAVEYARDSONGS &
on YouTube.com/GRAVEYARDSONGS www.youtube.com/graveyardsongs.
GRAVEYARD & Radio Moscow hit the Middle East in Boston on 01/13/12.
***
RAMMSTEIN CONFIRMS NORTH AMERICAN TOUR 2012 IN SUPPORT OF THEIR RETROSPECTIVE ALBUM RELEASE MADE IN GERMANY 1995-2011
Rammstein, the Berlin-based band known for their incendiary live performances, will bring their brand new live production to North America this spring ~ Tickets for the tour, presented by Live Nation, went on sale beginning Friday, Nov. 18 and will be available at Ticketmaster.com and LiveNation.com.
Rammstein first stormed America in 1998, touring with a set based on their Grammy-nominated breakthrough second release, Sehnsucht, featuring “Du hast,” the song that brought the world’s attention to the band. During their 1998 Family Values tour, praise was high, as well as indignation: band members were jailed in the US on indecency charges due to the highly provocative live show.
The Los Angeles Times described the live experience as “…epic stagecraft on a Wagnerian scale, several notches up from most arena rock.”
Rammstein tears it up at the DCU Center on April 19 (Itinerary subject to change). You do not want to miss this rare chance to see them live!!!
www.rammstein.com | www.ticketmaster.com | www.livenation.com
***
GARY CLARK JR. TO PLAY DECEMBER TOUR DATES IN SUPPORT OF DEBUT EP THE BRIGHT LIGHTS
Singer, songwriter, and guitarist extraordinaire Gary Clark Jr. will play a handful of select shows in December in support of his critically heralded debut EP for Warner Bros. Records The Bright Lights, which is out now.
Clark’s international visibility has skyrocketed in recent months based purely on word-of-mouth buzz and his intensely soulful and eclectic live performances in the U.S., U.K., Europe, and South America, most recently with friend and fan Eric Clapton in front of a combined audience of over 75,000 for three massive performances in Brazil. A photo from that show recently graced the pages of Rolling Stone’s “Random Notes.”
Clark’s allure as a live performer not only stems from watching his artistry in action, but also the unpredictability of his live show. The tone is different each night, whether he’s delivering an aggressive rock set, a dreamy trip into a cerebral stratosphere of psychedelia, or a spontaneous burst of classic soul. It all depends on the room, the audience, and his own mood. Each show has its own personality, yet they all fit together seamlessly. Reason enough to catch Gary Clark Jr. live because chances are; you’re going to be surprised.
The Bright Lights EP was released this past August and will provide the listener with just a taste of what this Austin, TX, native has in store for his full-length Warner Bros. Records debut full-length planned for release sometime next year. To date, The Bright Lights EP has garnered consistently enthusiastic reviews including a rave four-star review in Rolling Stone and the first EP in the magazine’s history to ever command a full-page, lead review.
Check out Gary’s new video for the title track “Bright Lights” here, and catch him at TT The Bears in Boston on Monday, Dec. 12.
***
ATTACK! ATTACK! REVEAL ALBUM TITLE, COVER ART AND RELEASE DATE FOR FORTHCOMING RELEASE
Columbus, OH’s Attack Attack! has revealed the album title, cover art and release date for the band’s long awaited new release on Rise Records. This Means War will be available everywhere on January 17, 2012. A headline tour kicks off January 26th in Columbus. The trek, dubbed the This Means War Tour, will be presented by www.Merchnow.com and feature support from The Ghost Inside, Sleeping With Sirens, Chunk! No Captain Chunk! and Dream On Dreamer.
The tour stops at Tuxedo Junction in Danbury, CT on Feb. 25.
www.facebook.com/attackattackus
www.riserecords.com
***
YOUNG THE GIANT ANNOUCE 2012 HEADLINE TOUR
Fresh off the heels of a stellar “MTV Unplugged” performance, Young The Giant has announced dates for their 2012 headline tour. The tour will begin in San Diego on February 10, 2012 and will go through mid-April. 
Young The Giant has enjoyed tremendous success this year with two hit songs ~ “My Body” and “Cough Syrup” ~ massive critical acclaim, and have played the main stages at some of the biggest festivals in the world including the main stage at Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits and Sasquatch, to name a few. Their second single, “Cough Syrup,” is currently #2 at Alternative radio. Their first single, “My Body,” rocketed to the #4 spot on the alternative chart while the band performed the song live at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards. Young the Giant also graced the “MTV Unplugged” stage on Wednesday, November 9, 2011 on MTV.com. The band performed selections from their self-titled debut album, as well as a cover song, “Empire Ants” by Gorillaz.
Young the Giant w/ Special Guest Grouplove hits the House of Blues in Boston on Thursday, March 8.
