Coming off an incredible showing at this year’s SXSW including a headlining performance at Stubb’s, an over-capacity crowd at DirecTV’s “SXSW Live,” and a legendary taping of Austin City Limits, Ben Harper and Relentless7 proudly announce the release of their debut record, ‘White Lies For Dark Times’ on May 5, 2009 on Virgin Records.

The album will be available as CD, deluxe CD with bonus DVD, digital download and 180-gram 2xLP. Rolling Stone calls the new album “an 11-song set soaked with hard rock and Delta Blues.”

Watch “Shimmer and Shine” video:

Ben Harper and Relentless7 on amazon.com

Ben Harper and Relentless7 on amazon.co.uk

Ben Harper and Relentless7’s energetic live performance is the heart of the band. In December 2008, the band embarked on a highly successful short club tour with a handful of dates in California and New York. “The band’s combined force was almost too big for the room,” RollingStone.com said of the band’s intimate performance at Spaceland in Los Angeles.

The sweaty, gritty and energetic vibe of the clubs proved to be an incredible match for the band’s new hard-hitting sound, and they are pleased to announce their return to the road on a larger club tour of the U.S. as well as dates abroad. “We thought, this is a new band, a new opportunity, a new energy. Let’s earn it the way that new bands do…let’s play clubs, let’s play small places,” said drummer Jordan Richardson. Current confirmed tour dates are listed below.

BHR7 will make an early late night television debut on Last Call with Carson Daly on March 27th, and will follow with week-of-release performances on The Late Show with David Letterman (5/6), Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (5/7) and Jimmy Kimmel Live (5/21).

Ben Harper and Relentless7 2009 tour dates:

(Dates and information subject to change.)

US TOUR DATES:
April 30 New Orleans, LA New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
May 1 Memphis, TN Beale Street Music Festival
May 2 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
May 4 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
May 5 New York, NY Webster Hall
May 8 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg
May 9 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts
May 10 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
May 12 Montreal, CANADA Metropolis
May 13 Toronto, CANADA Phoenix Concert Theatre
May 15 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Hall
May 16 Chicago, IL Vic Theatre
May 25 George, WA The Gorge Amp. / Sasquatch Festival
May 27 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
May 28 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern
June 13 Manchester, TN Bonnaroo Music Festival

INTERNATIONAL TOUR DATES:
April 9 Sydney, Australia Metro Theatre
April 11 Byron Bay, Australia Byron Bay Bluesfest
April 13 Byron Bay, Australia Byron Bay Bluesfest
April 19 London, England The Forum
April 20 Paris, France La Cigale
April 21 Bourges, France Le Printemps du Bourges
April 22 Rome, Italy Piazza del Popolo
June 19 Neuhausen ob Eck, Germany Southside Festival
June 20 Scheessel, Germany Hurricane Festival
June 22 Berlin, Germany Columbiahalle
June 23 Munich, Germany TonHalle
June 25 Amsterdam, Netherlands Paradiso
June 27 London, England Hard Rock Calling Festival

BHR7 History:
Harper met guitarist Jason Mozersky in the late nineties, when the lead singer of Mozersky’s then band, WAN SANTO CONDO was working as a van driver shuttling bands back and forth to the venue for a Texas promoter. He asked the then captive Ben Harper, “Can I play you my demo?” Harper obliged, and in his own words “was blown away,” and helped the band secure a record deal and release an album on Everloving Records. The band broke up after one record, but what survived was a lasting friendship between Harper and Mozersky. In 2005, Harper invited now long time friend Mozersky to lay down guitar work on a track during the recording sessions that would become a double record entitled ‘Both Sides of the Gun’. Mozersky brought along bass player Jesse Ingalls and drummer Jordan Richardson and the session would spawn not only the song “Serve Your Soul” but the framework for Relentless7.

To reignite the chemistry discovered during the ‘Both Sides of the Gun’ session, they reunited in the summer of 2008 just to jam and write songs together, and emerged with a new sound and enough tracks for an album. ‘White Lies For Dark Times’ is a timeless rock record, with a cohesive collection of music that is as raw, unrelenting and thunderous, as it is arrestingly haunting and emotional.

Relentless7
Ben Harper MySpace
Ben Harper Official Website

On Wednesday, January 14, 2009, Guitar Center’s Drum-Off ‘08 champion Jerome Flood II made his television debut with a performance on Last Call with Carson Daly.

This past Saturday the 22-year-old resident of Atlanta was crowned winner of Guitar Center’s Drum-Off ‘08, the world’s largest drum competition.

Video: watch Jerome Flood II drum!

Jerome Flood II and the five other finalists were judged by a panel of today’s most prominent and acclaimed drummers including Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), Kenny Aronoff, The Rev (Avenged Sevenfold), Danny Carey (Tool), and Trevor Lawrence Jr. (Snoop Dogg), Drew Hester (Foo Fighters/Joe Walsh), Atom Willard (Angels & Airwaves), Alan White (Yes),Thomas Pridgen (Mars Volta) and Frank Zummo (Street Drum Corps).

After battling through a total of five rounds of competition over the course of four months, Flood triumphed over nearly 5,000 contestants to become America’s next top undiscovered drummer.

For his winning performance he takes home $45,000 in cash and prizes and joins the illustrious group of Guitar Center Drum-Off winners that includes past title-holders Cora “CC” Dunham (Prince; Drum-Off ‘02 Champ), Eric Moore (Bobby Brown, Sly and The Family Stone, Suicidal
Tendencies; Drum-Off ‘03 Champ), Tony Royster Jr. (Jay Z; Drum-Off ‘95 Champ) and Thomas Pridgen (The Mars Volta).

“The world is going to know about me thanks to this,” said Flood. “I’m really thankful to Guitar Center for this opportunity, because it’s really changed my life.”

Guitar Center Drum Off Official Website

Katy Perry, dubbed “internet darling” by the Associated Press after her breakout performances at SXSW in March, will perform on this summer’s Vans Warped Tour Hurley Stage for its entire coast-to-coast run, from June 20th to August 17th, 2008.

The 23-year-old songstress will join the traveling rock circus three days after her debut album, ‘One of the Boys’, is released by Capitol Records on June 17th, 2008.

Katy was one of five performers chosen by Warped Tour to play the official pre-party press conference in Los Angeles in April. “Warped is going to be grueling and hot, but I’m ready to survive it – even without showers,” Katy says. “Gwen Stefani did the tour back in 2000 with No Doubt and she looked fabulous hopping around on stage in her little polka-dotted dresses. I’m so channeling that.”

‘One of the Boys’ – a witty, pop-rock gem that showcases Katy’s sharp, candid lyrics, big voice, and feisty, girl-power swagger, as well as her appealing vulnerability, is the full-length follow-up to her debut digital EP, “Ur So Gay” (available on iTunes since last November), which has already earned the Santa Barbara, CA native a legion of devoted fans.

Those fans include the Queen of Pop herself, Madonna, who recently gave Katy shout-outs on two morning radio shows calling “Ur So Gay” her “favorite song.” She first spoke about it on the Phoenix, AZ KZZP-KRQQ John Jay and Rich Show where she prompted them to “check it out on iTunes.” Then on LA’s KIIS-FM, Madonna called the song “hilarious” and told Ryan Seacrest he “had to hear it”.

Katy performed “Ur So Gay”, a kiss-off to an ex-boyfriend that Billboard has called “zeitgeist-capturing”, on Last Call with Carson Daly on April 8th. The clever low dough video for the song had one million views within a week of appearing on MySpace.

Other tracks from ‘One of the Boys‘ have been gaining attention as well. The first single, “I Kissed A Girl,” has been put in power rotation at New York’s influential Z100. The reaction from listeners was so strong that the single was made available for purchase on iTunes on April 29th, a week before its intended release and ranked #24 on the Pop Singles chart within its first week.

Various other Katy Perry tracks have been heard several times on MTV’s superhot series The Hills, and “Fingerprints” can be heard in the hit comedy film Baby Mama starring Tina Fey.

Katy has also been tapped for Yahoo!’s ‘Who’s Next Critical Eye’, MSN’s ‘Ones to Watch’, AOL’s ‘About to Pop’ and Clear Channel’s ‘NEW! Featured Artist’ for June 2008.

She just wrapped her video for “I Kissed A Girl”, shot by Kinga Burza (Kate Nash, The Thrills), and it will premiere on MySpace on May 21st, less than one month from her album release and before hitting the road all summer.

Katy Perry summer 2008 tour dates are below:

Dates could change! Go to Katy Perry’s Official Website for the latest tour dates and information.

Katy Perry on the 2008 Vans Warped Tour Hurley Stage:
6/20 Pomona, CA, Fairplex Park
6/21 San Francisco, CA, Pier 30/32
6/22 Ventura, CA, Seaside Park
6/25 Phoenix, AZ, Cricket Wireless Pavilion
6/26 Las Cruces, NM, New Mexico State University – Intramural Field
6/28 Salt Lake City, UT, Utah State Fair
6/29 Denver, CO, Invesco Field at Mile High
7/01 Maryland Heights, MO, Verizon Wireless Amphitheater St. Louis
7/02 Bonner Springs, KS, Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
7/03 Dallas, TX, Superpages.com Center
7/05 Selma, TX, Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
7/06 Houston, TX, Sam Houston Race Park
7/09 Atlanta, GA, Lakewood Exhibition Center
7/10 Orlando, FL Central Florida Fairgrounds
7/11 St. Petersburg, FL, Vinoy Park
7/12 Miami, FL, Bicentennial Park
7/13 Elkton, FL, St. Johns County Fairgrounds
7/14 Charlotte, NC, Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
7/15 Virginia Beach, VA, Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
7/16 Columbia, MD, Merriweather Post Pavilion
7/17 Cleveland, OH, Tower Amphitheatre
7/18 Detroit, MI, Comerica Park
7/19 Toronto, ON, Downsview Park Allen Road
7/20 Montreal, QC, Park Jean Drapeau
7/23 Mansfield, MA, Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts
7/24 Darien Center, NY, Darien Lake P.A.C.
7/25 Camden, NJ, Susquehanna Bank Center
7/26 Uniondale, NY, Nassau Coliseum
7/27 Scranton, PA, Toyota Pavilion
7/28 Englishtown, NJ, Raceway Park
7/29 Pittsburgh, PA, Post Gazette Pavilion at Star Lake
7/30 Cincinnati, OH, Riverbend Amphitheatre
7/31 Noblesville, IN, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
8/01 Milwaukee, WI, Marcus Amphitheatre
8/02 Tinley Park, IL, First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
8/03 Shakopee, MN, Canterbury Park
8/05 Saskatoon, SK, Credit Union Centre
8/06 Calgary, AB, Race City Speedway
8/08 Nampa, ID, Idaho Center Amphitheatre
8/09 George, WA, Gorge Amphitheatre
8/10 St. Helens, OR, Columbia Meadows
8/13 Fresno, CA, Save Mart Center
8/14 Chula Vista, CA, Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
8/15 Mountain View, CA, Shoreline Amphitheatre
8/16 Marysville, CA, Sleep Train Amphitheatre
8/17 Carson, CA, The Home Depot Center

Katy Perry on amazon.com

Katy Perry on amazon.co.uk

Photo credit: Michael Elins

Katy Perry Myspace
Katy Perry Official Website

No less a harbinger of ‘what’s hot’ than Perez Hilton who has predicted that L.A.-based singer/songwriter Katy Perry will be “one of the breakout stars of the summer” when Capitol Records releases her debut album, ‘One of the Boys’, on June 17th, 2008.

Katy Perry will also join the traveling rock circus that is the 2008 Vans Warped Tour, for the entire trek this summer.

‘One of the Boys’ is a sharp and witty pop-rock gem filled with candid tales of neurotic ex-boyfriends like “Hot N Cold,” “Ur So Gay” (watch video), “Mannequin”, crazy road trips with friends with “Waking Up in Vegas”, and figuring out who you are along the way, with first single – “I Kissed A Girl” and “Fingerprints”.

While the album displays Perry’s feisty, girl-power swagger, it also reveals her more vulnerable side on such regretful ballads as “Lost,” “I’m Still Breathing,” and “Thinking of You.”

“I think people can appreciate a songwriter who shows different sides, and this album has many different colors,” Perry says. “I can write my share of angry break-up songs but I wanted to balance it out with fun, summertime songs. But there are also sad songs about loss and making the wrong decisions. It’s been blood, sweat, and tears making this record. I’ve put everything into it and I feel like it’s my baby. When people listen to it, I hope they will understand where I’m coming from as a person.”

To showcase her sharp, observational lyrics and big, charismatic voice, Perry worked with a host of noted producers and collaborators, including Greg Wells (Mika, Natasha Bedingfield), Glen Ballard (No Doubt, Alanis Morrisette), Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), Dr. Luke (Kelly Clarkson, Avril Lavigne), Max Martin (Leona Lewis, Robyn), Sam Hollander & Dave Katz (Gym Class Heroes, Boys Like Girls) and Butch Walker (Pink, The Donnas). “You can’t get better than these guys,” Perry says. “I feel like the luckiest bit** in town right now.”

‘One of the Boys’ is the full-length follow-up to Katy Perry’s debut digital EP, ‘Ur So Gay’ (available on iTunes since last November), which has already earned the 23-year-old Santa Barbara, CA, native a solid fanbase.

Perry performed “Ur So Gay,” a hilarious kiss-off to a guyliner-wearing ex that Blender called “wickedly funny” and Billboard called “zeitgeist-capturing,” on Last Call With Carson Daly on April 8th. The video for the clip, which premiered on MySpace had close to one million plays within one week of it being posted to the site. Perry has also been tapped for Yahoo!’s Who’s Next Critical Eye and MSN’s Ones to Watch for June.

Katy Perry will play a handful of live dates this spring on both coasts before heading out on the Vans Warped Tour. “Warped is going to be grueling and hot, but I’m ready to survive it – even without showers,” Katy says. “Gwen Stefani did the tour back in 2000 with No Doubt and she looked fabulous hopping around on stage in her little polka-dotted dresses. You can find YouTube clips of her up there and all the girls in the audience are going nuts. I’m am so channeling that.”

Katy Perry April 2008 shows:

April 11, 2008 – Los Angeles, CA – Key Club (Vans Warped Tour Kick-Off Party)
April 24, 2008 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge

Photo credit: Michael Elins

Katy Perry on amazon.com

Katy Perry on amazon.co.uk

Get to know music’s newest dynamite diva by visiting her websites:

Katy Perry on Myspace
Katy Perry’s Blog
Katy Perry

If his critically acclaimed debut was born of reflection in his basement bound home studio, the triumphant swell of ‘Songs For The Road’ is cut from the breadth of his encounters on the subsequent tour.

Hung around the heartfelt embrace of the title track sat at the apex of the album, David Ford moves on from the self-recrimination of his debut, into the narrative and characterisation of a year on the road. Railing against a deep south fanatic on “St Peter”, adopting the affable yet doomed persona of a bar pushing drunk on “Nobody Tells Me What To Do” and at the album’s close, a troubadour’s message of troubled understanding to a friend who chose to end it all “…And So You Fell”.

As before David Ford never dodges his own bullets; opener “Go To Hell” is a crushing opus that would be spiteful if directed at anyone but himself, and while “Requiem” has our protagonist at his most politically disaffected, its conscience is willing to share the blame.

Amid these compromised characters and bouts of self-flagellation is new warmth to Ford’s music. On the Motown romp of “Decimate”, slow burner “I’m Alright Now” and amongst the album’s sweeping strings, is a greater confidence and appeal.

Ford initially worked alone – as he had on his debut – but sensing some tracks needed more than his DIY magic he brought in James Brown (Nine Inch Nails, The Killers, Ash) to co-produce five of the tracks alongside him. After James went back to the States, the production team of Kevin Bacon and Jonathan Quarmby (Plan B, Get Cape, Ian Brown) were recruited to bring their mixing skills to the final four tracks.

“My first album was basically bedroom demos with ideas way above their station,” Ford says. “This one sounds more like a record.”

Following the acclaimed release of ‘I Sincerely Apologise For The Trouble I Have Caused’ in the UK, David Ford spent much of 2005 in the U.S where his debut album – released on Columbia – met with an equally warm reception. Stunning reviews ran in the New York Times, Rolling Stone and Variety and Ford found himself championed by NBC’s Carson Daly on whose show he appeared three times. Support slots with Richard Ashcroft, Ray Lamontagne and Aimee Mann followed, with Ford now counting Neil Young and Springsteen amongst his fans.

David Ford supported Duke Spirit at the ICA on July 29th 2007 as part of the iTunes festival ahead of two headlining shows at THE SOHO REVUE BAR on 1st and 8th AUGUST 2007.

Listen to David Ford – “Go To Hell” MP3

Praise for David Ford’s debut, ‘I Sincerely Apologise For The Trouble I’ve Caused’:

“Simultaneously lacerating and tender… not for the emotionally fragile” **** Q

“One foot in David Gray’s camp and one in Curt Cobain’s… in between is a life lived.” – WORD

“Continues to show how this “sensitive singer songwriter” should really be done” - SUNDAY TIMES

“as full of romantic doom as anything you’ll hear this year. One to watch.” – UNCUT

“This is brilliant – for people who actually give a s***” – **** THE FLY

“a sublime listening experience” – CLASH

David Ford Official Website
David Ford on Myspace