Visionary songwriter and performer Gary Wright enters his fourth decade of musical pioneering with two new releases – the ambient music collection ‘Waiting to Catch the Light’, and an EP called ‘The Light of a Million Suns’ which, with multidimensional experiences in instrumentation and production, recall his enduring 1975 hits “Dream Weaver” and “Love is Alive”.

Watch “Love is Alive” video:

Gary Wright on amazon.com

amazon.co.uk

Gary Wright:

* Collaborated with David Crosby, Joe Cocker & Steve Winwood, Mick Jones and the late George Harrison among many others;
* Covered by Eminem, Anastacia, Joan Osborne and Judas Priest (Spooky Tooth’s Better By You, Better Than Me);
* Sampled by Salt N Pepa, Tone-Loc, Busta Rhymes, & Mya;
* Remixed by Armand Van Helden;
* Championed by Wayne’s World;
* Toured with Jimi Hendrix, Tours with Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band;
* Will play the celebration concert of the 50th Anniversary of Island Records as a re-formed Spooky Tooth in London in May (2009) along with U2 and The Wailers

Always pushing boundaries and exploring new soundscapes, Gary recorded his latest album ‘Waiting to Catch the Light’ using rare vintage analog synthesizers in his desire to create the warm textures for the listener.

“I wanted to record an album that would induce an experience of calmness and get people into a meditative state,” said Gary, whose dedication to spiritual creativity began in the ’70s when he first visited India with George Harrison as a guest of Ravi Shankar.

He ventured into world music in the ’80s with his award-winning album ‘Who I Am’ which featured south Indian musicians, and again in the ’90s with the release ‘Human Love’.

‘Waiting to Catch the Light’ follows the Eastern path of using resonating sound to produce calming effects in the mind and body, an important part of all paths of yoga as well as everyday living.

Adding to his vast pop catalogue is ‘The Light of a Million Suns’, an EP featuring a Hip Hop/R&B-infused remix of Gary’s second smash hit “Love is Alive” – a duet with his son Dorian. Both records are currently available digitally and soon on CD as well.

New ringtones have just been released as well, including an exclusive of the intro to “Dream Weaver,” never before available, accessible by texting DREAMWEAVERINTRO to 71777. Other ringtones are available on his My Space web page.

Gary is headlining two full-band West coast shows – The Canyon Club in Agoura Hills on March 21, 2009 and The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on April 11. Future dates are to be announced.

He will also be performing with his first group from the late ’60s, the progressive British based rock band Spooky Tooth, first at the Shepard’s Bush Empire in London as part of the legendary Island Records 50th anniversary celebration, and then at four other concerts in Germany.

Gary is the CEO of Larkio Music, which releases his music as well as that of Intangible, a rock group based out of Los Angeles featuring his son Justin. Larkio Music is distributed by ADA.

Gary Wright MySpace

Gary Wright Official Website

Innerpartysystem. Type that name into Google. Go on. We’ll wait.

Not much there, right? A few shout-outs, like “Innerpartysystem deftly toe a thin line between anthemic pop-rock and melodramatic electro-pop” says Spin, something about China’s inner-party factional politics and a few torrent streams. Otherwise, the band seems to exist in an ether.

And that’s the point.

“We don’t want attention on us,” says…well, one of the members of the band, who refuses to go on record – and for good reason. “There’s no one leader, no frontman – this is a collective. We’re not concerned about who we are outside of the music. In a way, the less people know about us, as people, the better. Hey, even on stage, we’re backlit, so we just show up as silhouettes.”

After being forced to change their name from The Takeover, the group started playing around with monikers that came closer to describing both its sound and philosophy. Innerpartysystem, the winning title, was adapted from the George Orwell book “1984″ (in that dystopian novel, the Inner Party was one of three classes of people in Oceania; the Party is the highest end of the hierarchy and controls the government, and by extent, the media).

Explains IPS: “As a band, we were fascinated by that concept. It ties into the world of today, the hierarchy of celebrities that people worship.” That anti-celeb swipe is most prominent in the searing “Don’t Stop,” which features Nissley railing against the TMZ-inspired world of fake celebrity. (”I feed the rich and fu*@ the poor,” the frontman chastises over a harsh electro-punk beat.)

For the new record, the band recruited a number of A-level producers and mixers, including Joel Hamilton (Book of Knots, Sparklehorse, Blue Tip), Mark Needham (The Killers, Pete Yorn), Spike Stent (Bjork, Arcade Fire), and Alan Moulder (Smashing Pumpkins, NIN, Jesus & Mary Chain, the Killers), all of whom brought new ideas on sound and instrumentation to the group.

As the band preps its first video for “Don’t Stop,” they also plan to spend most of the spring and summer touring, including several stops at SXSW. And, for the group it’s where the true nature of the band can be found.

Says Innerpartysystem: “We’re keeping it DIY, doing shows wherever and whenever we can. When you see us, there’s a real aggressive vibe in some ways to what we do, and then there’s also this party atmosphere. It’s that old 10 pm to 6 am kind of vibe. The lights never stop. It’s a huge party…and it takes the spotlight off of us, and puts it on the music, where it belongs.”

Listen to this new track from Innerpartysystem – their full length is due out June 2008 on Island / Def Jam Records:

“Transmission” by Innerpartysystem

Innerpartysystem shows at SXSW:

March 12, 2008
Innerpartysystem
Purevolume Party
Time: 3am (Thursday early morning)
Venue: The Purevolume Ranch
323 E. 2nd St

March 15, 2008
Innerpartysystem
Purevolume/Official SXSW Showcase
Time: 10pm
Venue: Habana Annex Backyard
E. 6TH & Red River

Innerpartysystem band members:

Patrick Nissley – vocals
Jarred Piccone – drums
Kris Barman – synth, guitar
Jesse Cronan – synth, samples

For more information, go to:

Imeem Profile
Innerpartysystem Official Website
Innerpartysystem on Myspace

After a year of touring (with Gym Class Heroes, Fall Out Boy and Young Love, among others), Daniel Hunter and his PlayRadioPlay! outfit is ready to unleash his first full-length opus, ‘TEXAS’.

Says Hunter, a die-hard Cowboys fan: “I named it for the love of the state. I assumed somebody had named their album ‘Texas’ before, but no one had. I had to do it before someone else did!”

The songs showcase a slightly heavier guitar sound, but maintain Hunter’s quirky outlook and pop aesthetic. “I actually write my guitar stuff first,” says the musician. “Then I compliment it with some beats or keyboards.” But whatever the case, there’s definitely diversity at work. The ballad “Pirate and Princess” features almost orchestral flourishes, while “Tooth Decay” is more acoustic-based. The album also marks the first time Hunter has worked with a producer (Garrett Lee) and live drums.

Although the Postal Service and “poptronica” have been used to describe PlayRadioPlay!’s gentle beats and keyboard-centric songs, Hunter has created his own phrase to describe the sound. “It’s Texas Straight-edge Softcore,” he says, laughing. “I mean, I’m making fun of straight-edge hardcore…a genre that I am not. Why can’t there be straight-edge softcore?”

PlayRadioPlay! will be on tour this spring with Yellowcard promoting ‘TEXAS’ due out March 18, 2008 on Island Records.

Spring 2008 tour dates with Yellowcard and The Spill Canvas:

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

March 07 Salt Lake City, UT Avalon
March 08 Denver, CO Gothic
March 10 St. Paul, MN Station 4
March 11 Chicago, IL Metro
March 13 Detroit, MI Majestic Theater
March 14 Cleveland, OH House of Blues
March 15 New York, NY Irving Plaza
March 16 Boston, MA Middle East
March 17 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero
March 19 Baltimore, MD Recher
March 20 Greensboro, NC Green Street
March 21 Atlanta, GA Masquerade
March 22 Orlando, FL House of Blues
March 24 Tampa, FL State Theater
March 28 New Orleans, LA House of Blues
March 29 Austin, TX Emo’s
March 31 Albuquerque, NM Sunshine Theatre
April 03 Boise, ID Big Easy
April 04 Seattle, WA El Corazon
April 05 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theater
April 06 San Francisco, CAGreat American Music Hall
April 08 Ventura, CA Ventura Theatre
April 10 Las Vegas, NV House of Blues
April 11 San Diego, CA House of Blues
April 12 Los Angeles, CA House of Blues

For more information, visit:

PlayRadioPlay! Official Website
PlayRadioPlay! on Myspace (New song posted from ‘Texas’ “Madi Don’t Leave”)

Alter Bridge have announced they will release the single, “Ties That Bind” through Universal/Island Records on 21st January 2008.

The track is taken from their Top 40 album ‘Blackbird’ which was out in October, and will be released in three formats – CD, 7″ picture disc and download.

The band comprise of Myles Kennedy (vocals) and former members of Creed – Mark Tremonti (guitars), Brian Marshall (bass) and Scott Philips (drums). They are currently on an extensive US tour which will wrap up in mid December. Alter Bridge have then confirmed a string of UK dates in January.

Watch Alter Bridge “Ties That Bind” video on Yahoo:

Alter Bridge January 2008 UK tour dates:

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

Friday 18 January – Glasgow QMU
Saturday 19 January – Newcastle Academy
Sunday 20 January – Manchester Academy – SOLD OUT
Tuesday 22 January – Birmingham Academy – SOLD OUT
Thursday 24 January – Southampton Guildhall
Friday 25 January – Bristol Academy
Saturday 26 January – London Astoria – SOLD OUT

Tickets are available from the venues and from all usual ticket outlets. Regional tickets are 15 GBP and tickets for the London show are 17.50 GBP.

Alter Bridge Official Website
Alter Bridge on Myspace

Kerli’s life story is nothing short of a Cinderella story. Growing up in Elva, Estonia, a then Russian-occupied town of 5,000 residents, Kerli had dreams and aspirations that pushed way beyond the boundaries of her communist surroundings. A product of “tough love,” she spent most of her childhood trying to mentally escape and did so by immersing herself in the arts, studying singing, ballet, acting and classical piano. However, she soon realized what would be her main focus. “By the time I turned 14, I was so sure that my life was going to be all about singing, I quit everything else,” Kerli recalls.

Her first breakthrough came with participating in Fizz Superstar 2002, a young Baltic talent competition equivalent to American Idol. She first heard of the contest through a television advertisement that stated 15 as the minimum age to enter. Being 14 wasn’t going to stop her, so she lied about her age and entered. Her unquestionable natural talent shined through and she was crowned the winner, gifted with a record deal as the prize. Unbeknownst to her, her career was about to skyrocket.

Eventually she caught the ear of executives at Island Records, a label based over 4,000 miles from where she got her start. In June of 2005, Kerli was invited to perform for IDJ Chairman L.A. Reid; he was blown away by her performance and she was signed to Island on the spot.

Kerli takes inspiration from everything and everyone around her. She cites the universe as her muse. “I appreciate all the music in the world. Music is sacred. It’s the language of God.” Her songs encapsulate emotions of heartbreak and rebellion but are sung with a twinge of playfulness. The songs are somber and intense, but also mischievous and impishly dynamic.

“I’m trying to create a world around my music. And this world needs to be pure, real, honest and beautiful but still a little interesting, dark and definitely mysterious.” Kerli notes “Love Is Dead” as her favorite track off her debut album. “It’s hard and dark enough, yet beautiful and light. When I shot the video for that song, I looked into that camera and sang to every person who has ever hurt me. It was almost like a therapeutic experience.”

Kerli has undoubtedly created anthems for the youth of today. Her beautiful voice is strong, determined and at some times unpredictable, not unlike her personality. She has admitted to not wanting to follow the example of any of her musical peers or predecessors. “Silence and my own thoughts are much more inspiring to me than someone else’s song. I don’t think any other artist has ever even influenced me that much, really. Music just comes from such a sacred place and it either comes to you or not.”

Listen to “Love Is Dead,” the first single from Kerli’s Island Records debut EP ‘Kerli’.

The EP is now available for purchase on iTunes.

For more Kerli information, visit:

Kerli on Myspace
Kerli on Island Records

We have just a handful of bands for you to peruse, here on Band Weblogs. Don’t forget to click on the bands’ website links to learn more about them and to listen to their music.

5 Bands to watch in 2008:

1. The Rushes
The Rushes are Gerard, Dan, Joe and James. Most of them met studying in Leeds. James and Gerard are post-irish, pseudo-catholic-guilt-ridden brothers from Birmingham, Dan is from London and Joe is from Colchester. They like songs more than scenes and are currently near completion of recording their first album for Island Records with producer Victor Van Vugt (Athlete, Nick Cave, PJ Harvey). The Rushes will release the first single from the album, ‘Corners’, in March 2008. Other tracks to watch out for are the brilliant “Will You Won’t You” and “What You Waiting For” – the early demo’s of these songs were released last year and can be heard on the bands myspace.

The Rushes on Myspace
The Rushes Official Website

2. Parka
Hailing from Scotland but now based in East London, Parka have already toured with the likes of Switches, Foals, Boy Kill Boy and The Young Knives this year and amassed more and more supporters along the way. Their recent XFM Scotland session saw the band cover Shakira’s “Hips Don’t Lie” and had the studio rolling about in hysterics by the time they got to the chorus. Parka have also been featured in the Hot New Ones in the NME chart on MTV2 with the angular video for previous single “If You Wanna?”. Parka prepare to release a brand new version of “Disco Dancer” on January 7th, 2008.

Parka on Mypace
Parka Official Website

The three bands below have had a single out in 2007, but we are feeling them for 2008 so have a listen:

3. The Courteeners
Liam Fray was known around the North West prior to the formation of The Courteeners as one of Manchester’s most promising and popular songwriters. Having tired of being unable to make the big sound that he yearned for on his own, he recruited fellow Middleton dwellers, Campbell (drums), Cupello (bass) and Conan (guitar). All known to each other since school days, (Campbell lived next door but one), the transition from solo singer to band was a short and seemingly pre-ordained transition. Early shows at D-Percussion and around the Manchester area saw the band build a fanatical local following in a very short space of time and their shows soon became must attend events in the city.

When the 500 capacity Academy 3 show sold out in July prior to the band signing a record deal or even releasing a note it was clear that they were on the verge of something very special. Tickets for their Academy 2 show (1000) in October sold out as they went on sale. The Courteeners made their first appearance in London in August, playing to another sold out room that saw the mania of their Northern shows translated into a Southern context. That gig saw the music industry fall for the band and “Cavorting” became an NME single of the week whilst mentions in the tabloids and plays on Radio One only served to increase the sense that something important was happening. The next single “What Took You So Long” is set for release January 14th, 2008.

The Courteeners on Myspace

4. The Ghost Frequency
Armed with shards of broken guitar and the acidic crunch of retro analogue synths, The Ghost Frequency came screaming out of North East London like a heart on fire. In a small besmirched bedroom, with a driving fascination with electronic sound and Post-Hardcore, Doran, Murphy, Barney and Ross began piecing ideas together 10 months ago.

An impressive plethora of diverse influences (from At The Drive-In and Dead Kennedy’s, to Dead Boys, Richard Hell and all things New York punk, to the raw driving 80’s synthesis of DAF and The Normal) began to encourage The Ghost Frequency’s fast and unforgiving sound. Coupled with a love for Electro Breakdance from Cybotron plus Spank Rock and MIA and the writings of Haruki Murakami, the amalgamation was set to completion by Doran’s unhealthy preoccupation with Kate Bush, and the arrival of drummer Ben.

The Ghost Frequency are: Doran (vocals / synth), Ross (guitar / synth), Ben (drums), Murphy (guitars) and Barney (synths / computers).

The Ghost Frequency on Myspace
The Ghost Frequency review on Band Weblogs

5. Malakai
Malakai are a two-piece band from Bristol, UK. They comprise of Gee (vocals) and Scott (music). Their sound is a mix of beats and samples, drawing on a wide range of influences from dub to sixties pop, all tied together by Gee’s distinctive voice.

Discovered by Geoff Barrow from the Bristol band Portishead, to date Malakai have released a limited-edition 12″ on Barrow’s Invada label, called ‘Fading World’. ‘Fading World’ was followed up by their debut EP 1 on Island Records in September 2007. The lead track from EP 1, titled “The Battle” was Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe’s “Single of the Week” for w/c 9th July 2007 and The Guardian newspaper featured Malakai as their “New band of the day”.

Malakai on Myspace
Malakai Official Website