Prior to the commencement of their UK tour, The Boxer Rebellion will celebrate the physical release of their highly-acclaimed album UNION with a series of free shows and signing sessions at HMV stores, including a performance at hmv’s flagship Oxford Street store on 13 September, 2009 which will be introduced by Radio 1 DJ Edith Bowman.

After each 30-minute show, the band will remain in the store to meet fans and sign advance copies of UNION.

HMV 2009 shows and signings:

(Dates and information subject to change.)

11 September – hmv Dublin, Grafton Street – 5pm
13 September – hmv London, Oxford Street – 1pm
14 September – hmv Manchester, Market Street – 5pm
15 September – hmv Newcastle, Northumberland Street – 5pm
17 September – hmv Nottingham, Wheelergate – 5pm
18 September – hmv Bristol, Broadgate – 5pm

The Boxer Rebellion shot to fame earlier this year when the digital version of their album UNION went Top 5 on both iTunes UK and US Album Charts with 48 hours, resulting in the band entering the Top 100 US Billboard Album Charts with no label backing whatsoever.

UNION also knocked My Morning Jacket off the iTunes US Alternative Albums No.1 that week, and at one point was outselling the likes of Coldplay and Kings of Leon. The CD version of the album is being manufactured and promoted in partnership with hmv, marking a ground-breaking collaboration between an artist and retailer.

The Boxer Rebellion have infamously suffered a stop-start career at the hands of a volatile music industry. The aptly-titled and self-produced UNION is the triumphant result of what can be achieved when ability, commitment and relentless drive converge towards a shared, immovable goal.

From the opening assault of “Flashing Red Light Means Go” through the insistent “Spitting Fire” to the redemptive closer “Silent Movie”, the overriding effect of UNION is of going through an emotional storm and arriving replenished on the other side.

UNION will be on sale at hmv and Fopp stores across the country, as well as in selected independent retailers. The CD version of the album includes bonus tracks as well as exclusive interviews, track-by-track commentary, and filmed lessons from the band, powered by Opendisc technology.

Buy Music:

The Boxer Rebellion on amazon.com

The Boxer Rebellion on amazon.co.uk

For more information about Boxer Rebellion, go to:

The Boxer Rebellion MySpace

The Boxer Rebellion Official Website

Lots of stuff happening around A-ha this week, with a big signing and performance at HMV / Westfield shopping centre in London.

Photos from the day:

Read More:

A-Ha Blog

More signing and performance pictures from the day on Flickr:

A-ha photos

A-ha Official Community Website
A-ha on Twitter

The Boxer Rebellion have today announced a groundbreaking collaboration with HMV, which will see the retailer act as a strategic partner for their second album UNION.

In the first deal of its kind, HMV will advance the costs of the album and give it promotional support, in exchange for a share of the revenues. The partnership allows The Boxer Rebellion to remain proudly independent, and continue to find innovative ways to engage with their fans.

‘Union’ will be released on CD on 14 September, 2009 in HMV and selected independent retailers, and can also be pre-ordered via hmv.com and other online stores in both physical and digital formats. The release will be supported with a week of live in-store performances and album signings at HMV stores around the country, including the flagship Oxford Circus store.

The Boxer Rebellion will also commence a UK tour on 22 September, for which HMV will have an exclusive window on ticket sales.

Tickets go on sale at hmv.com on 23 July, 2009, and will also be available to fans as part of a special album bundle for just £15 (including the ticket’s booking fee).

The band most recently performed on Glastonbury’s Other Stage and will also be playing thelondonpaper’s Headliners Festival on 17th September.

Since being signed on the back of an explosive Glastonbury performance in 2003, The Boxer Rebellion have infamously suffered a stop-start career at the hands of a volatile music industry. The aptly-titled and self-produced ‘Union’ is the triumphant result of what can be achieved when ability, commitment and relentless drive converge towards a shared, immovable goal.

From the opening assault of “Flashing Red Light Means Go” through the insistent “Spitting Fire” to the redemptive closer “Silent Movie”, the overriding effect of ‘Union’ is of going through an emotional storm and arriving replenished on the other side.

‘Union’ follows the band’s 2005 debut LP EXITS on Alan McGee’s Poptones/Mercury imprint. NME proclaimed at the time, ‘This band can alter your life.’ Kerrang! wrote, ‘If you’re crying out for substance in music, The Boxer Rebellion are here to soothe your soul,’ and both The Fly and MusicOMH dubbed the album ‘flawless’.

As their label imploded, and singer Nathan Nicholson found himself critically ill on a life-support machine, EXITS took on a life of its own, passed quietly from person to person until it had amassed an army of feverishly devoted fans.

Following Nicholson’s difficult but eventual recovery the band continued to perform live, and it was at these decisive shows – always underpinned by new songs well before they could ever be recorded – that the spirit of a new album came into being.

Ultimately taking matters into their own hands, The Boxer Rebellion self-released ‘Union’ through iTunes on 13 January 2009, with lead track “Evacuate” becoming the first ever global iTunes Single of the Week and amassing an astonishing 560,000 downloads in seven days.

‘Union’ went Top 5 on both iTunes US and UK Albums Charts within 48 hours, resulting in The Boxer Rebellion becoming the first unsigned band to break into the Billboard Top 100 Albums Chart on a digital-only release.

‘Union’ also knocked My Morning Jacket off the iTunes US Alternative Albums No.1 that week, and at one point was outselling the likes of Coldplay and Kings of Leon.

The album release will be preceded by a limited-edition double A-side single, “Semi-Automatic/Flashing Red Light Means Go”, released 7th September on 10″ vinyl picture disc. Only 500 copies will be pressed.

Buy Music:

The Boxer Rebellion on amazon.com

The Boxer Rebellion on amazon.co.uk

For more information, go to:

The Boxer Rebellion MySpace

The Boxer Rebellion Official Website

Pearl Jam Play Shepherd’s Bush Empire, August 11, 2009

48hr HMV Pre-Sale, July 21st – 22nd

Tickets Go On General Sale, Thursday 23rd July

New Album ‘Backspacer’ Out September 21st On Universal/Island Records

Set to be one of the highlights of the year, Pearl Jam will play what will be a legendary one-off show at Shepherd’s Bush Empire, August 11th.

August 2009
Tue 11th LONDON, Shepherd’s Bush Empire www.hmv.com

A special pre-sale link will run from July 21st and July 22nd for fans who pre-order ‘Backspacer’ from www.hmv.com.

Fans will be delivered a link to an exclusive 48 hour pre-sale for tickets to the Shepherd’s Bush Empire show.

Tickets go on general sale from www.hmv.com on Thursday July 23rd
Tickets are priced at £40 + booking fee

The band are gearing up for the release of their eagerly anticipated new studio album ‘Backspacer’, out September 21st, produced by Brendan O’Brien. Their highly charged new single “The Fixer” is out September 7th.

Buy Music:

Pearl Jam on amazon.com

Pearl Jam on amazon.co.uk

Pearl Jam – Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, guitar), Jeff Ament (bass), Stone Gossard (guitar), Matt Cameron (drums) and Mike McCready (guitar) play two additional UK shows at Manchester’s O2 (August 17th) and London’s O2 (August 18th), which completely sold out in a cool 17 mins.

Other shows:

August 2009
Thu 13th ROTTERDAM, Sportspaleis Ahoy
Sat 15th BERLIN, Wuhlheide
Mon 17th MANCHESTER, MEN Arena
Tue 18th LONDON, O2 Arena

For the latest tour dates, music and information, go to:

Pearl Jam – MySpace
Pearl Jam Official Website

With ‘Quicken The Heart’ finally released this week, it’s now time for a bit of news we’ve been itching to share with you for a while now…

Maximo Park will be opening Glastonbury this year in a first for the world’s most famous festival!

On Thursday 25th June, 2009 at 4pm, the band will take to the stage of the brand new William’s Green area (named after Michael Eavis’ grandfather) to kick off this year’s festivities a day early. While only 1,500 people will be able to squeeze into the tent itself, an estimated 50 thousand people on site at that time will be able to see and hear the set on huge screens and speakers outside!

Maximo Park will also play The Other Stage on Saturday evening.

From Paul: “Glastonbury’s still a festival that takes chances, as proven by Jay-Z’s triumphant appearance last year, so it’s an honour for us to be the first band on, in such intimate surroundings. It’s also an excuse to hang out and watch loads of brilliant music ’til we play the Other Stage on Saturday!”

From Glastonbury: “We are really excited about this extra special Maximo Park gig to kick off the festival. William’s Green is brand new for 2009, what better way to introduce festival goers to the area.”

Glastonbury Festival Official Website

In other news

Maximo Park Glasgow instore – Friday 15th

There will be an instore signing at HMV, Buchanan St, Glasgow on Friday 15 May 2009 @ 5.00pm. This precedes the band’s show later that evening at The Glasgow Academy.

NB – There will be no wristbands – first come, first served.

Buy Music:

Maximo Park on amazon.co.uk

Maximo Park on amazon.com

Maximo Park Official Website

Bryan Adams storms back with his 11th studio album, entitled ‘11′ on March 17th, 2008 through Polydor Records, packed full of unmistakeable rockers and signature ballads.

The lead single “I Thought I’d Seen Everything” is a Bryan Adams classic in the making – a rocky, mid-tempo track that has already gone onto radio playlists on both side of the Atlantic.

The track is out now and available: Free download – “I Thought I’d Seen Everything” from hmv.com!

‘11′ was recorded largely in hotel rooms and backstage dressing rooms around the world during the past two years and feature the return of his long time collaborator Jim Vallance on three cuts. The Adams/Vallance partnership was responsible for many of Bryan’s classic hits including “Heaven”, “Summer of 69″ and “Run To You.”

From the uplifting “Broken Wings” to the sultry “Mysterious Ways” to the anthem-like “Something To Believe In” [that's boasts a chorus that should fill stadiums across the world], Bryan Adams’ 11th recording of original material is yet another milestone in a career that has spanned two and a half decades.

Whether it is the plaintive guitar solo in “Oxygen” or the reflective strains of “I Ain’t Losin’ The Fight,” the songs hold the listener and transport them, underscoring once again why Adams is in such demand as a songwriter and concert performer. ‘11′ is destined to bring new live favourites to the stage that would easily sit alongside Adam’s extensive catalogue of greatest hits.

In support of the release of the album, Adams will be putting on a unique ‘11 concerts, 11 cities’ tour, taking in 11 different countries in just 11 days. The intimate shows at some spectacular venues will see Bryan perform an acoustic set, on stage, with just his guitar and harmonica. The London show will be on 11th March, 2008 at St James Church in Piccadilly.

To coincide with the album and tour, an exhibition of Bryan Adams photographs will be held at London’s historic National Portrait Gallery, entitled ‘Modern Muses’.

The full list of dates for the ‘11 Dates, 11 Cities’ tour in March 2008 are as follows:

Dates could be added or changed! Go to Bryan Adams’ Official Website for the latest tour dates and information.

7th Lisbon Maxime
8th Barcelona Espacio Movistar
9th Milan Theatre Metropol
10th Hamburg St Pauli Theatre
11th London St James Church
12th Paris Reservoir
13th Amsterdam De Koepelkerk
14th Brussels Vaudeville
15th Zurich Kaufletien Festaal
16th Vienna Birdland
17th Copenhagen Pakhus 11

Bryan Adams on Myspace
Bryan Adams Official Website

I wonder if there are kids still selling papers on street corners yelling out the headlines over and over to passersby. If they still exist that’s what they will be yelling this Sunday in England.

If you haven’t already heard the news, Prince will be giving away his new ‘Planet Earth’ CD in the Mail on Sunday. That’s this Sunday (July 15th 2007) mind you. There’s been so much talk about this free CD that every Sunday for the last month or so, I’ve been stealing cheeky glances at the papers to see if the Prince CD has been packaged yet.

Actually the hype has reached its peak this week and now the story has been all over the major TV news channels. I admit – the hype has worked it’s magic and I will be taking a trip to my local Londis early Sunday morning to buy my copy of the Mail on Sunday.

The negativity surrounding Prince’s decision to give away his CD for free in what the Mail on Sunday calls “The World’s Greatest Newspaper Giveaway Ever”, has created what I would call an interesting intentional or unintentional publicity stunt.

There have been many stories and articles mentioning that Sony BMG in the UK is so upset with this move that they have “refused to handle the release”.

Music retailers in the UK are upset with the concept of giving away CDs for free in the paper, that this devalues music. Virgin is angry with HMV for deciding to stock the papers in their stores this Sunday.

This is certainly interesting dinner table conversation for music industry types. Going over the pros and cons of the move. Prince apparently wants to reach as many people as possible with his music – so at least his fans are happy.

(Update: I’ve listened to the CD – Read my review of Planet Earth!)

Watch Prince “Guitar” video preview:

Buy: Prince – Planet Earth on amazon.com.

Prince will be playing his 21-date “The Earth Tour” at the new O2 Arena in London beginning August 1st 2007. Apparently a copy of ‘Planet Earth’ will be included with each ticket sold for the O2 Arena dates.

Prince: The Earth Tour dates at the O2 Arena are as follows:

Dates could be added or changed! For the latest tour dates and information go to Prince’s Official Website.

August 2007 – Wednesday 1st, Friday 3rd, Saturday 4th, Tuesday 7th, Friday 10th, Saturday 11th, Tuesday 14th, Friday 17th, Saturday 18th, Friday 24th, Saturday 25th, Tuesday 28th, Friday 31st.

September 2007 – Saturday 1st, Thursday 6th, Sunday 9th, Wednesday 12th, Thursday 13th, Sunday 16th, Thursday 20th, Friday 21st.

The O2 Arena

Mail on Sunday

Prince Official Website – 3121.com

Prince on Myspace

By: Jenny May