news

Deftones bassist Chi Cheng improving

Tim Karan on 5/7/09 @ 2:11 PM

Deftones bassist Chi Cheng, although still in a coma, was recently taken off life support and according to his One Love for Chi website, his symptoms are improving:

"hi all - just wanted to update everyone and let you know that chi was released from ICU over the weekend and is no longer on any sort of life support. his symptoms continue to improve. so keep the prayers coming.. they are obviously helping a great deal!"

Manchester Orchestra video for "In My Teeth" now streaming

Tim Karan on 5/7/09 @ 12:51 PM

The fifth video from Manchester Orchestra's sophomore full-length, Mean Everything To Nothing, is now streaming at Amazon.com. The video for "In My Teeth" is the most recent video in the series conceived by directors Clay Lipsky and Jason Bognacki, the pair who directed the clip for "I Can Barely Breathe" from Manchester's debut, I'm Like A Virgin Losing A Child.

Portugal. The Album Art

Tim Karan on 5/7/09 @ 10:22 AM

While everyone else seems preoccupied with streamlining digital downloads, Portugal. The Man are working to keep album art alive and, well, elaborate. The band have revealed the artwork for their upcoming full-length, The Satanic Satanist, and it's a doozy.

Frontman John Baldwin Gourley collaborated with art designer Austin Sellers to an intricate package featuring the surreal drawings of Gourley in a fold-out that can be manipulated into different shapes.

Gourley says, "I've had this idea for a little while, but what it would take to actually make it happen seemed overwhelming. We had been talking about doing an album package without the plastic, to make the package one, solid piece where all the elements worked together from both an artistic and practical point of view. Every time you folded or unfolded it, everything still lined up to be a picture. Also, we wanted to incorporate a lot of [Gourley's home state] Alaska into the artwork, which is where all the photos of mountains in the artwork were taken. I'd like to say that's the reason and that it's some sort of marketing tool to get people to buy the album, but really, it's just such a huge part of what we do. Austin and I love sitting down and putting the packages together, and it's something that is really important to the band--to be able to offer fans something visual as well as the music. As musicians and artists, we're so lucky, because we get to be involved with all sides of art - album artwork, videos, posters, and t-shirts.""

The Satanic Satanist drops July 21 on Equal Vision Records.

Check out the artwork below.

So Many Dynamos post summer tour dates

Julie Nguyen on 5/6/09 @ 9:03 PM

So Many Dynamos have released tour dates supporting Maps and Atlases. They will also headline in June.

SMD's The Loud Wars, their third full-length and first on Vagrant, will drop June 9th. Maps and Atlases' You And Me And The Mountain was released in 2007 on Sargent House.

Dates with Maps and Atlases:
Jun 7 - Toronto, ONT @ El Mocambo
Jun 8 - Montral, QC @ Il Motore
Jun 10 - Hamden, CT @ The Space
Jun 11 - Albany, NY @ Valentine's
Jun 12 - Philadelphia, PA @ M Room
Jun 14 - Baltimore, MD @ Sonar: Club Stage
Jun 15 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Garfield Artworks
Jun 16 - Lexington, KY @ Al's Bar
Jun 17 - Bloomington, IN @ Russian Recording

So Many Dynamos Headlining Dates:
Jun 27 - St. Louis, MO @ Firebird (Record Release Show!)
Jul 8 - Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room
Jul 9 - Kansas City, MO @ The Record Bar
Jul 11 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
Jul 17 - Visalia, CA @ The Cellar Door
Jul 19 - Phoenix, AZ @ First Christian Church
Jul 28 - Brooklyn, NY @ Union Hall

Video of new Cartel song live

Julie Nguyen on 5/6/09 @ 8:51 PM

Cartel performed a new song at Bamboozle this past weekend. A live fan video can been seen below.

Cartel's upcoming record is still in the works. It is anticipated later this year on Epic.

Green Day to perform free show in NYC

Tim Karan on 5/6/09 @ 7:23 PM

A few days after Green Day release their new album, 21st Century Breakdown, the punk trio will play a free concert for 300 fans at Webster Hall in New York City. Fans can enter to win tickets by responding to blogs and bulletins through MySpace.com/thelist. Tickets will also be sold to the public beginning May 9.

If you're in the unlucky majority who can't get into the show, you can watch it broadcast online shortly afterwards here.

21st Century Breakdown will be released May 15.