Sophomore slump? Not bloody likely. Matt Mays & El Torpedo (MM&ET) return with Terminal Romance, the brilliant follow up to 2005's breakthrough self-titled debut. Terminal Romance was recorded in England with producer Chris Tsangarides (Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy) and mixed in Vancouver with Mike Fraser (AC/DC) with a few sessions home in Halifax thrown in along the way. The album's first single "Tall Trees" is already Top 20 at Canadian Rock Radio.

The album is a huge leap forward, both in terms of Mays' song writing and the band's musical chops. Creating a cohesive whole from diverse influences...the Who-like bombast of "Building a Boat", the retro eighties vibes of "Digital Eyes", the Crazy Horse chug-a-lug of "Tall Trees", the punk snarl of "Rock Ranger Record" and the epic E-Street band workout of the title track... and that's just the first half! Influences aside, it's all MM&ET and it's all good.

MM&ET consists of Matt Mays (guitar, vocals), Jay Smith (guitar, vocals), Andy Patil (bass, vocals), and Tim Jim Baker (drums). Since forming in 2003 to perform shows in support of May's self-titled JUNO nominated debut, the band has toured Canada countless times as well as performed numerous dates in the US and the UK.

The band's self-titled album was released in Canada on Sonic Records in 2005 and a year later in the US on the 00.02.59 imprint. The debut was co-produced by the band and Grammy Award-winner Don Smith (Tom Petty, Keith Richards). The first single "Cocaine Cowgirl" was a massive hit and the album went on to win four East Coast Music Awards in 2006 (Album of the Year, Group of the Year, Rock Recording of the Year, Single of the Year). In late 2006 the band performed on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

Mays followed up the success of the Matt Mays & El Torpedo album by producing with Baker soundtrack to the film When the Angels Make Contact (for which Matt also co-wrote the screenplay.) The project was an adventurous exploration of Matt and Tim's many musical influences and went on to receive rave reviews and two JUNO nominations.

Terminal Romance will be released in the United States on September 30. Matt Mays & El Torpedo will tour incessantly in support of it for the remainder of 2008 and beyond.

Following a sold-out US tour in May and June and his recent performance at the two-date Download Festival in Southern California, M83 (aka Anthony Gonzalez) will be back to tour North America this November. Brooklyn's School of Seven Bells are set to open.

The tour is in support of M83's fifth album "Saturdays = Youth" released April 2008 on Mute. "Saturdays = Youth" debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top New Artist Heatseekers Chart and went #1 on the CMJ Top 200.

It also met with widespread critical acclaim including an 8.5/10 review ranking from Pitchfork, an 8/10 review ranking from Wired, and a Remix Magazine cover story (April). Black Book Magazine says the album evokes "the spiritual atmospherics of Sigur Ros and My Bloody Valentine's epic shoegaze sprawl...the results stun in glorious slow motion."

The M83 live setup for this tour includes Gonzalez on vocals, guitars and keyboards, Loic Maurin on Drums, Pierre-Marie Maulini on bass and guitar and featured album vocalist Morgan Kibby (of LA-based band The Romanovs) on vocals and keyboards.

TOUR DATES
Thu 11/13 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat
Fri 11/14 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall
Sat 11/15 - Philadelphia, PA @ Starlite Ballroom
Sun 11/16 - Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street Nightclub
Tue 11/18 - Boston, MA @ Middle East Downstairs
Wed 11/19 - Montreal, QC @ Studio Juste Pour Rire
Thu 11/20 - Toronto, ON @ Opera House
Fri 11/21 - Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
Sat 11/22 - Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club
Tue 11/25 - Seattle, WA @ Neumo's
Wed 11/26 - Vancouver, BC @ Richards On Richards
Thu 11/27 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
Fri 11/28 - San Francisco, CA @ Fillmore
Sat 11/29 - Los Angeles, CA @ Henry Fonda Theater

Audio: M83 - "Kim & Jessie

Audio: M83 - "Kim & Jessie (DatA Remix)"

Audio: M83 - "Kim & Jessie (Montag Remix)"

Audio: M83 - We Own the Sky (Maps Remix)

Video: M83 - "Graveyard Girl"

MySpace, the world's most popular social network, today announced that Thrice, one of the most well respected and sonically ambitious bands will take part in the latest installment of MySpace Transmissions. The company launched MySpace Transmissions earlier this year to further empower top recording artists with a new platform to create and distribute exclusive video content available for viral distribution and audio tracks available for purchase in the U.S. MySpace Transmissions underscores MySpace's commitment to building unique music programming and business models that benefit labels, bands, and fans.

Thrice, the California-based quartet followed their New Pantheon Award-nominated Vheissu's radical metamorphosis with The Alchemy Index. Their latest offering is a two-volume collection comprised of four EPs, each devoted to one of the essential elements in nature-fire, water, air and earth-with each EP sonically and thematically tailored to evoke the atmosphere inherent in its corresponding element. Fall of 2007 marked the release of the first two volumes of the series-Fire and Water-and Earthand Air followed in April, 2008, completing the tremendous vision and scope of the project. For Thrice, it's the realization of a year-long process of writing and recording, which was self-produced and done primarily in the band's own studio with the band's guitarist Teppei Tengineered engineering. The audio portion of Thrice's transmission will be sold by the band's label Vagrant exclusively through iTunes throughout the world.

The band recorded 6 tracks from their new album for MySpace Transmission, including:
Broken Lungs
The Earth Isn't Humming
Daedalus
Come All You Weary
Lost Continent
The Lion And The Wolf

All content from MySpace Transmissions will be archived and available on-demand on the MySpace Transmissions profile and via MySpaceTV. Users will be able to add the content to their profiles and virally share the artists' videos throughout the network, and purchase the audio tracks via MySpace. MySpace Transmissions represents a progressive music model that truly encourages artists and labels to generate revenue while still maintaining an organic and intimate connection with their fans.

MySpace Music centers on the more than five million major, indie, and unsigned artists that use their MySpace music profiles to communicate and intimately connect with fans and friends. Each music profile empowers artists to upload video content, blog, post tour dates, lyrics, and make their music available to fans for stream or download. As one of the most popular and most trafficked music platforms in the world, MySpace Music has evolved into an offline experience by connecting bands and fans around the world through various concert series and live events including Secret Shows, MySpaceLIVE, and The List.

Straight out of Detroit rock city, The Silent Years are proud to announce the upcoming release of their forthcoming album The Globe, set for release on August 26th (with the iTunes only release coming out on August 12th). The band has been in the studio throughout the harsh Detroit winter of 2007, making the final touches on The Globe with none other than Chris Coady (!!!, TV On The Radio, Grizzly Bear, Architecture in Helsinki, Blonde Redhead). Critically acclaimed by the press and having been compared to and equally inspired by artists such as Elliot Smith, Tim Buckley, Flaming Lips and Sunny Day Real Estate; they combine simple and sweet melodies with sharp and powerful bursts of emotion via instrument and vox; leaving even the most stoic of listeners with goose bumps and a smile. Allow yourself to be taken into the weird and wondrous world created by The Silent Years, a very special band indeed.

And now the band is heading out on the open road to share "The Globe" with the masses. Check out the tour dates below with more to be added shortly.

18.Jul.2008 Vans Warped Tour (Comerica Park) Detroit, Michigan
31.Jul.2008 St Andrew's Hall w/ Margot & The Nuclear So & So's Detroit, Michigan
22.Aug.2008 The Matinee w/ Hot Cha Cha Cleveland, Ohio
23.Aug.2008 Piano's New York, New York
25.Aug.2008 The Middle East Boston, Massachusetts
26.Aug.2008 Black Cat Washington, Washington DC
27.Aug.2008 Garfield Artworks Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
28.Aug.2008 Cafe Bourbon Street Columbus, Ohio

Just when it seemed to be permanently defunct, the British space-rock group Spiritualized returned with its first album since 2003, Songs in A&E, earlier this year. The band is touring in support of the disc, and lands at Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 Club on Friday, July 25 for a live concert, webcast on NPR.org. The performance begins online at approximately 10 p.m. ET. Visit NPR for more information.

High profile Brooklyn, NY rock/metal band FEFF is slated to open for two major acts - Alter Bridge and Sevendust - on Wednesday, July 30th at the Webster Theater, 31 Webster Street, Hartford, CT 06114. Doors open at 7PM. $25 general admission - all ages show. FEFF has won numerous awards including one of the Top 12 Unsigned Bands on XM Radio, has toured cross-country with Jagermeister-sponsored band SiX in 2007 and also toured the Southeast early in 2008.

Imagine this - in a business dominated by plastic pop stars, ready-made radio hits and American idols, there's still a hard rock band doing it all by themselves the old fashioned way - taking the music to the people, winning fans face to face, and in the process, earning the title "The future of Hard Rock" (WRHU 88.7FM). Not too bad for four boys from Brooklyn... The story begins in late 2003, when the New York born and raised Pfeffer brothers Rob (Vocals, Guitar) and Dan (Guitar) set out to create an original hard-hitting sound that would incorporate aggressive melodies, in your face guitars and ear grabbing, radio-ready hooks, while still staying true to the band's old school metal influences. FEFF's lineup solidified with the additions of Pat Crotty (Drums), and Adam James (Bass). The band hit the New York club circuit and beyond with an incredibly powerful, high energy show that won them a loyal following of hard rock fans all over the country.

The band's early demos began receiving airplay on NYC's 92.3 K-ROCK. Due to the overwhelming amount of requests, K-ROCK invited FEFF to their studios for an on-air interview with DJ Matt Pinfield. After K-ROCK began playing FEFF, Q104.3 and 102.3 WBAB followed suit, putting FEFF among the few unsigned bands to be played on all three of NYC's major rock radio stations. In just a few months the band sold every copy of their self titled demo, so FEFF decided it was time to head into the studio to finally record their full length debut album "Question The Motive". Released on Oct. 20th, 2006 to anxiously awaiting fans all across the world, the new LP further proves that FEFF is a force to be reckoned with in the hard rock world. Necessity being the mother of invention, the label-less band has consistently thought up cutting edge ways to utilize the internet to get the CD into the hands of fans worldwide. Astonishing sales of "Question The Motive", and tens of thousands of hits to their website every day has made FEFF one of the most successful unsigned hard rock bands in the United States. Needless to say, this sort of commotion did not go unnoticed. Sirius satellite radio's The Howard Stern Show took a liking to the band and has consistently plugged FEFF on the air while also using tracks from the bands brand new album as bumpers and intros' to the show. XM Satellite Radio also jumped on the FEFF bandwagon, labeling them as one of the top twelve unsigned bands in the country following a long run as one of the most played and requested bands on XM channel 52.

Even with all this, it's the live show where FEFF really shines. The band embarked on their first tour in the fall of 2006, a three week escapade which brought their raw, energetic live show to the entire east coast, and to a sold out New Year's Eve show for 3500 people at Philadelphia's Tower Theatre with Artie Lange of the Howard Stern show. FEFF, always looking to blaze a new trail, performed a 30 date excursion in 2007 which took them from New York to California and everywhere in between. Amidst a mob of apathetic, passionless competitors, FEFF has proven themselves as a band with the attitude and the brains to get what they want. Editor Mike G from Metal Maniacs, said it best; "They're smart, they're talented. Those are the ones who make it, those are the ones who last."

Cape Coral, FL based EkoTren has released the video for the track "Chupacabra" online. The video was directed by Eddie Karam, and animated by Ricco Paiva at The Edge Factory.

"Our manager Eddie has been talking about doing an animation video for a while, he has this friend who is just an amazing artist and he always wanted to work on a music video," says EkoTren frontman John Sheldon.

"We wanted to do something different and honestly to us ‘Chupacabra' is one of those songs that only animation could pull it off. We really loved the way the video came out and hopefully so will our fans."

EkoTren has carved their name deep into the scene with the release of their Paul Trust (Diecast, Endo) produced debut album "Light The Fire", which was released by Blind Prophecy Records. The album's lead single "Light The Fire" spent a whopping 27 weeks as one of the most requested songs on Sirius Hard Attack's Devils Dozen, peaking at #3. The band has been on the road relentlessly since the release of the album on tours alongside Ill Nino, Scum of the Earth, Diecast, Mower, Droid and Bobaflex.

EkoTren gearing up for the Brew-Tality Tour 2008 featuring Bleed The Sky, Straight Line Stitch and Within Chaos at the end of July. Dates are as follows:

Jul 29 2008 7:00P Brew-Tality Tour @ The Clubhouse Tempe, Arizona
Jul 30 2008 7:00P Brew-Tality Tour @ The Jumping Turtle San Marcos, California
Jul 31 2008 7:00P Brew-Tality Tour @ Knitting Factory Hollywood, California
Aug 1 2008 7:00P Brew-Tality Tour @ cheyenne saloon Las Vegas, Nevada
Aug 2 2008 7:00P Brew-Tality Tour @ Gator's Farmington, New Mexico
Aug 4 2008 7:00P Brew-Tality Tour @ Eagles Club Sheridan
Aug 5 2008 7:00P Brew-Tality Tour @ FOE Riverton, Wyoming
Aug 6 2008 7:00P Brew-Tality Tour @ The Oriental Theater Denver, Colorado
Aug 7 2008 7:00P Brew-Tality Tour @ Lizard Lounge Wichita, Kansas
Aug 8 2008 7:00P Brew-Tality Tour @ Big Papa's Pour House Oklahoma City
Aug 9 2008 7:00P Brew-Tality Tour @ The Otherside Tulsa, Oklahoma
Aug 10 2008 7:00P Brew-Tality Tour @ Rockstar Nightclub St.Louis, Missouri
Aug 11 2008 7:00P Brew-Tality Tour @ George's Majestic Lounge Fayetteville
Aug 13 2008 7:00P Brew-Tality Tour @ The Village Little Little Rock, Arkansas
Aug 15 2008 7:00P Brew-Tality Tour @ Station 4 St. Paul, Minnesota
Aug 16 2008 7:00P Brew-Tality Tour @ Tops N Tails creve coeur, Illinois
Aug 17 2008 7:00P Brew-Tality Tour @ Doubles Green Bay, Wisconsin
Aug 18 2008 7:00P Brew-Tality Tour @ Underground sandusky, Minnesota
Aug 19 2008 7:00P Brew-Tality Tour @ Machine Shop Flint
Aug 20 2008 7:00P Brew-Tality Tour @ Wreck Room Toronto, Ontario
Aug 21 2008 7:00P Brew-Tality Tour @ The Ritz Warren, Michigan
Aug 22 2008 7:00P Brew-Tality Tour @ Peabody's Cleveland, Ohio
Aug 23 2008 7:00P Brew-Tality Tour @ AlrosaVilla Columbus, Ohio
Aug 24 2008 7:00P Brew-Tality Tour @ Monkey Bar Huntington, West Virginia
Aug 25 2008 7:00P Brew-Tality Tour @ Croc Rock Allentown, Pennsylvania
Aug 26 2008 7:00P Brew-Tality Tour @ Chasers Keansburg, New Jersey
Aug 27 2008 7:00P Brew-Tality Tour @ Knitting Factory New York, New York
Aug 29 2008 7:00P Brew-Tality Tour @ Jester's Pub Fayetteville, North Carolina
Aug 30 2008 7:00P Brew-Tality Tour @ Ground Zero Spartanburg, South Carolina
Aug 31 2008 7:00P Brew-Tality Tour @ HOOLIGANS MUSIC HALL Jacksonville, North Carolina

Other EkoTren Upcoming Shows:
Jul 27 2008 RockFest @ Pensacola Interstate Fairgrounds
Sep 1 2008 6:00P Masquerade w/ Bleed The Sky Atlanta, Georgia
Sep 5 2008 7:00P Rockstarz All Ages Fort Myers, Florida
Sep 26 2008 12:00P Indianapolis Metal Fest II Indianapolis, Indiana

Video: EkoTren - "Chupacabra"

Year Long Disaster first selected to take the opening slot on five dates during Foo Fighters Midwest run, have now been added to the remainder of the Foo Fighters' US tour that also features special guests, Supergrass.

07/22/08 Grand Rapids, MI - Van Andel Arena
07/23/08 Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse
07/25/08 Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena
07/26/08 Pittsburgh, PA - Petersen Events Center
07/28/08 Rochester, NY - Blue Cross Arena
07/29/08 East Rutherford, NJ - Izod Center

Since the release of their eponymous debut on Volcom Entertainment, Year Long Disaster, the three-piece blues-based rock band of Daniel Davies (son of Dave Davies of The Kinks), Rich Mullins (Karma to Burn, Speedealer) and Brad Hargreaves (Third Eye Blind), have brought their formidable live show to thousands of enthusiastic fans across the globe. They have toured extensively in both the United States and Europe sharing the stage with the likes of Velvet Revolver, The Sword, Clutch, Turbonegro, Nick Oliveri's Mondo Generator, Dropkick Murphys, Valient Thorr, and The Cult.

The website for the wildly popular television network, Adult Swim, is hosting Year Long Disaster's debut video for the single, "Leda Atomica," which was written and directed by Matt Maiellaro of Aqua Teen Hunger Force fame.

Year Long Disaster's debut has consistently received critical acclaim, including Rolling Stone magazine, who heralded YLD as one of 2008's Best New Bands in their annual 10 Artists to Watch feature.

MySpace Secret Shows is pleased to announce that The Hold Steady, one of the most critically lauded bands of the last decade, will play a small intimate show at The Railyard in Billings, MT on Thursday, July 24. The Secret Show featuring Hold Steady is a free, exclusive performance for the MySpace community and is one of the only shows of this nature that the band will play on their current U.S. tour in support of Stay Positive, the new album released July 15 on Vagrant Records. Opening for The Hold Steady is the hook-heavy punk rock band from Philadelphia the Loved Ones who released their latest album, Build & Burn to glowing reviews on Fat Wreck Records this past February.

The Hold Steady celebrated the release of the Stay Positive by appearing on Late Show with David Letterman playing a song as well as taking part in a comedy skit. Rolling Stone recently opined, “Right now, no band displays the ranting soul, haunted heart or diseased liver of the American rock myth with more truth and empathy than the Hold Steady.”

MySpace Music has organized more than 150 Secret Shows since the franchise launched in February 2006 with artists like Gnarls Barkley, Neil Diamond, Slayer, Franz Ferdinand, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs performing in cities around the world.

Norway’s 1349 will return to the US to participate on the highly anticipated Carcass tour this fall. Beginning September 5 the tour, also featuring Necrophagist, Suffocation, Aborted and Rotten Sound, marks the band's third visit to America in support of their third and most successful album, Hellfire. Seven performances as of press time are confirmed with more to be announced in the coming weeks.

"One of the best pure black metal releases of 2005," says Blabbermouth. "Hellfire roils and roars with something approaching bloodlust... even sicker and more merciless than its predecessor," adds Decibel Magazine. Released October 2005, Hellfire has become a milestone recording for the now decade-old band. Far surpassing sales of their earlier recordings (2003's Liberation and 2004's Beyond the Apocalypse), the album was highlighted by the making of their first video (for the album track "Sculptor of Flesh"). The clip received multiple plays from MTV2/Headbangers Ball as well numerous regional broadcast and cable outlets.

From their beginnings 1349 were touted as a band to watch. All Music Guide called them, "a band ripe with promise," on review of their debut, Liberation. Featuring outspoken vocalist Ravn, guitarist Archaron with bassist Seidemann and studio drummer Frost (Satyricon) the band would tour Europe with friends Aeturnus and Red Harvest before settling down to record their second album. A busy touring schedule would follow the release of Beyond the Apocalypse, this time adding prestigious festivals to their accomplishments (to date the band have performed at Wacken Open Air, Graspop, Summer Breeze, Hole in the Sky, Inferno, Hellfest, With Full Force, and the annual/traveling No Mercy Festival). Following the release of Hellfire, the band was invited by Celtic Frost to support them on their Fall 2006 US tour. The band wasted no time pulling together a blistering set that would impress the band's growing American fanbase. In early 2007 the band returned to headline the US for the first time, alongside Goatwhore, Nachtmystium and labelmates Averse Sefira. Nearly twenty shows would see the band visiting cities across the country. Earlier this year the band performed at the annual South-By-Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas as part of the Norwegian arts showcase. 1349 return to the US as writing continues on their fourth, and still untitled, album.

Confirmed performances include:
09/05/2008 The Palladium - Worcester, MA
09/06/2008 Nokia Theater - New York, NY
09/07/2008 Le Medley, Montreal, QC
09/08/2008 Opera House - Toronto, ON
09/09/2008 Starland Ballroom - Sayreville, NJ
09/10/2008 Sonar - Baltimore, MD
09/19/2008 The Grand - San Francisco, CA