MTV is currently launching a program called AMTV which will feature music videos between 3am and 9am. The network, which began in primordial times in this fashion, later changed their focus to reality TV and are currently best known for shows like The Hills, My Super Sweet 16, A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila, and Paris Hilton’s My New BFF.

According to the NY Times report, the network is also bringing back “Unplugged,” its series of acoustic performances by artists. Critics of MTV say that its music brand is all but irrelevant now, since countless music videos and songs are only a click away on YouTube and other Web sites. The network canceled “TRL,” its long-running video countdown, last fall after years of sagging ratings.
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Los Angeles, CA’s Metallica have posted the video for their song “Broken, Beat And Scarred” online. The video is a live performance shot by Wayne Isham split between two performances at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, CA and Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, CA.

Says the band:

We’re having so much fun out on the road that we thought, hey, why not film it? So we invited our good friend Wayne Isham and his crew to join us for a few shows in California in December of 2008 . . . We go way back with Wayne (several vids from the ‘Black’ album up through ‘Frantic’ and the ‘Cunning Stunts’ DVD) and as always, Wayne rocked it!

The song comes from the band’s album Death Magnetic, released last year through Warner Music Group. You can watch the video on the band’s website.
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Former Minutemen and The Stooges bassist Mike Watt will embark on a tour with Tom Watson and Raul Morales backing him as the Missingmen. Watt allso has plans to record his third full length album, titled Ten and Twenty Don’t Make Fifty in Brooklyn during the tour with the Missingmen as his studio band.

Watt last released The Secondman’s Middle Stand in 2004.
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Zao has announced their next full length. The record is titled Awake? and is due out May 5, 2009. It is the follow-up to The Fear Is What Keeps Us Here which was released in 2006.

The album was produced at at Lambesis Studios by Zao guitarist Scott Mellinger (with As I Lay Dying vocalist Tim Lambesis and Daniel Castleman). The record will be a digital release, accompanied by a limited and numbered physical pressing.

The band has posted the track, “What Will You Find?” and you can check it out on their myspace page.
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Transit have posted a new song from their upcoming Run For Cover Records EP, Stay Home.

Check out “Stays The Same” on their myspace page.
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of Montreal recently visited Australia while supporting their new album, Skeletal Lamping. Moshcam recorded the entire show and has made the set available for viewing online.

You can watch the whole show here.
Source Continue reading Of Montreal: live in Sydney →

Beastie Boys have posted a stream of the deluxe version of their 1992 classic, Check Your Head. Due out April 7, 2009, multiple configurations ranging from a high quality DRM-free digital download of the album (including its numerous and classic b-sides and bonus tracks) to an ultra-deluxe 4 LP 180HQ vinyl version packaged in a fabric-wrapped hardcover coffee table book case and limited to 2000 copies. The retail release date of all physical editions other than the 4xLP version will be April 7, with the ultra deluxe following close behind.

The album was particularly notable as it was the first to feature the trio performing live instrumentation since their early hardcore days prior to Licensed to Ill.

You can stream the album (or buy a DRM-free copy) here.
Source Continue reading Beastie Boys: “Check Your Head (Remastered)” →

Bouncing Souls have posted an update on their ongoing tour regarding an unusual delay which delayed their vist to Alaska:

For the first time in 20 years (coincidence?) Mount Redoubt is erupting. Our flight from Honolulu to Anchorage was diverted to Seattle where we have been for 4 hours. Finally reboarded the plane but since the last eruption was 50,000 feet high of ash a couple hours ago we’re not sure where we will land. Souls vs. The Volcano. Destination unknown. Ruby Ruby. Will we make it to the gig tonight and play our last state?

The Bouncing Souls are currently celebrating their 20th year anniversary and this will be their first time in Alaska, the only state in the United States they have yet to play.

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According to Travis Barker’s Twitter page (and first pointed out by the Transformers blog) Barker is working on song with Busta Rhymes for the soundtrack to Transformers 2. He said this:

Listening to a new version of a track I’m playing on for Busta Rhymes for the Transformers 2 soundtrack. Shit is jammin’.

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108 have announced some tour dates next month with Soul Control, I Rise, Blacklisted and others.

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Cursive have posted the official video for their single, “From The Hips.” The song comes from their new album, Mama, I’m Swollen.

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The lineup has been announced for the 2009 All Points West festival. It takes place July 31 to August 2 at Liberty State Park in New Jersey, just across the Hudson River from lower Manhattan. Headliners include Beastie Boys, Coldplay, Tool and others.

Some notable participants include Arctic Monkeys, The Gaslight Anthem, Gogol Bordello, Mogwai, My Bloody Valentine, Neko Case, Q-Tip, Steel Train, The Black Keys, The Cool Kids, The National, Tokyo Police Club, Vampire Weekend, White Rabbits and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

You can find the full lineup here.
Source Continue reading Beastie Boys, Gaslight Anthem, Gogol Bordello, My Bloody Valentine at All Points West →