Alexander Laurence's Blog, page 2410

PHOX - back on tour this fall w/ Paolo Nutini, The Head & The Heart

PHOX ANNOUNCES US TOUR DATES WITH
PAOLO NUTINI (SEP/OCT) & THE HEAD AND THE HEART (DEC)

SELF-TITLED DEBUT OUT NOW ON PARTISAN RECORDS  WATCH: Official video for "Kingfisher" on YouTube

WATCH: La Blogotheque Take Away Show featuring "1936" and "Calico Man"
on YouTube 
 READ: In-depth interview with Monica Martin about the ups/downs/anxieties/hopes of being in a buzz band in 2014 via  Flavorwire  
"PHOX rose to prominence on the strength of its undeniable charisma - particularly that of singer Monica Martin, for whom star power seeps out of every pore" -NPR "Buoyant African and Caribbean grooves behind sometimes moody reflections."-New York Times
"Their debut is cohesive and compelling" -TIME Magazine (9 Under The Radar Bands You Should Be Listening To Right Now)
     

Wisconsin's PHOX are excited to announce that they have confirmed a run of tour dates with Paolo Nutini, followed by a string of dates with The Head and The Heart.  After dazzling audiences on a largely sold-out US headlining tour this summer, this new excursion will find the band playing legendary rooms like New York's Apollo Theater and The Wiltern in Los Angeles, as well as major markets across the country.  Kicking off in Washington, DC on September 17th, the Paolo Nutini tour wraps up on October 7th in Atlanta, followed by a run of East Coast and Midwest dates with The Head And The Heart in December.  The full list of tour dates can be found below.

Recorded at April Base Studios in Eau Claire, WI (Bon Iver's home studio) by Brian Joseph and mixed by Michael Brauer at Electric Lady in NYC, PHOX's self-titled debut is a school of simple folk-pop songs swimming amidst a chaotic eddy of rock, psychedelia, and soul.  Beloved by fans as well as the media, the record has received accolades from NPR, New York Times, Nylon, Vogue, People Magazine, Jay Z's Life And Times, Entertainment Weekly, Refinery 29, and more.  Single "Slow Motion" was deemed the #11 song of the summer by Sirius XMU, and has won over  programmers at College, Non-Comm, and Commercial Triple A radio. 
Tour Dates:
9/17 - Washington, DC - Lincoln Theatre*
9/19 - Boston, MA - House of Blues*
9/20 - Philadelphia, PA - The Trocadero Theatre*
9/22 - New York, NY - Terminal 5*
9/23 - New York, NY - Apollo Theater*
9/25 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater*
9/26 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater*
9/27 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern*
9/29 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues*
10/2 - Dallas, TX - Granada Theater*
10/4 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live*
10/6 - Nashville, TN - Marathon Music Works*
10/7 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse*
10/10 - Austin, TX - Lambert's (Official ACL After Party)
12/6 - Portland, ME - State Theatre^
12/7 - Northampton, MA - Calvin Theatre^
12/8 - Providence, RI - Lupo's^
12/11 - Columbus, OH - The LC Pavilion^
12/12 - Cincinnati, OH - Taft Theatre^
12/13 - Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom^

* denotes w/ Paolo Nutini^ denotes w/ The Head and The Heart

http://phoxband.com/
https://www.facebook.com/phoxband
https://twitter.com/PhoxBand
http://www.youtube.com/user/PHOXfilms
http://www.partisanrecords.com/artists/phox/

Screaming Females Announce National Fall Tour w/ PUJOL

Screaming Females
 
Announce National Tour With PUJOL
 
"What attracted me to punk rock when it first exploded was that it was unpredictable and that no two bands had very much in common. Each band committed itself to a unique set of ideas, and it didn't matter what other bands were doing or what the audience might expect. Screaming Females are that same kind of wide-open punk rock, from before it condensed into a style and every band had to be taken on its own terms. They are a great band and I hope they keep going forever."
- Steve Albini


Photo Credit: Christopher Patrick Ernst
 
Earlier this year New Brunswick, NJ-based Screaming Females released the Steve Albini recorded double live album “Live At The Hideout.” This fall they will be going back out on the road with their explosive live show, supported by PUJOL (Saddle Creek). Fans are encouraged to save their allowance & keep an eye out for something extra special. Check out the raucous live “Boyfriend” video filmed during the “Live At the Hideout” performance, for a taste of what to expect on tour.
 
Tour Dates with PUJOL
10/03: Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar (U+N Fest)
10/04: Brooklyn, NY @ Knitting Factory*
10/05: Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr Roboto Project*
10/06: Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups*
10/07: Chicago, IL @ Logan Square Auditorium*
10/08: Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club*
10/09: Spearfish, SD @ Back Porch*
10/10: Denver, CO @ Lost Lake Lounge*
10/11: Boise, ID @ The Crux*
10/13: Portland, OR @ Holocene*
10/14: Olympia, WA @ Obsidian*
10/15: Seattle, WA @ Black Lodge*
10/17: Oakland, CA @1234 Go!*
10/18: San Francisco, CA @ Hemlock Tavern*
10/19: Los Angeles, CA @ Los Globos*
10/20: San Pedro, CA Harold's*
10/21: Tucson, AZ @ The Flycatcher*
10/23: Austin, TX @ Red 7*
10/24: Houston, TX @ Walter’s Downtown*
10/25: New Orleans, LA @ Community Records Block Party*
10/26: Cleveland, MS @ Green Room (Delta State University)*
10/27: Birmingham, AL @ Seasick Records*
10/28: Nashville, TN @ The Stone Fox*
10/30: Ybor (Tampa), FL @ Pre-Fest 2
10/31: Gainesville, FL @ FEST 13
11/01: Atlanta, GA @ 529 Bar*
11/02: Raleigh, NC @ Kings Barcade*
11/03: Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter*
11/04: Washington, DC @ Black Cat*
11/05: Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s*
11/06: Cambridge, MA @ TT The Bear’s Place*
11/07: Providence, RI @ Spark City*
11/08: Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Lanes*

*=with PUJOL
 
Stay tuned for more news from Screaming Females coming soon!
 
Website | Facebook | Twitter

Adult Swim shares new track from Mastodon

ADULT SWIM SHARES NEW TRACK FROM MASTODON FEAT. GIBBY HAYNES

TRACK AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD NOW AT ADULTSWIM.COM/SINGLES

FORTHCOMING CONTRIBUTIONS FROM KA & RUN THE JEWELS

As the Summer comes to a close, Adult Swim Singles keep things moving with a tremendous ode to their hometown featuring vocals from Butthole Surfers' Gibby Haynes. "Atlanta" finds the band in business mode, churning out a three and a half minute barrage with no frills save one guitar solo. Check out "Atlanta" streaming via Stereogum and available for download now atadultswim.com/singles
 Adult Swim Singles Program 2014
June 9th - Giorgio MoroderJune 16th - MachinedrumJune 23rd - Destruction UnitJuly 4th - Fatima Al-QadiriJuly 7th - Tim HeckerJuly 14th - Speedy OrtizJuly 21st - SleepJuly 28th - FutureAugust 4th - Diarrhea PlanetAugust 11th - Oozing WoundAugust 18th - Captain MurphyAugust 25th - Deafheaven September 1st - RP BooSeptember 8th - Mastodon Feat. Gibby HaynesSeptember 15th - Run The JewelsSeptember 22nd - KA 
About Adult Swim: Adult Swim (AdultSwim.com), launched in 2001, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.'s network offering original and acquired animated and live-action series for young adults.  Airing nightly from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. (ET/PT), Adult Swim is basic cable's #1 network with persons 18-34 and 18-49, and is seen in 99 million U.S. homes. 

Pussy Riot Panel for Riot Fest 2014 Announced

Pussy Riot Panel for Riot Fest 2014 Announced Panelists include Nadya Tolokonnikova, Masha Alekhina,
Henry Rollins, Greg Graffin, Tim McIlrath, Marcelle Karp
and Michael Petryshyn on Sept. 12, 2014 in Chicago, IL
When feminist punk rock activist collective Pussy Riot were arrested for demonstrating inside a Moscow church, the news stunned the world and effectively put human faces on the victims of a crushing totalitarian regime. When the three members were sentenced to serve jail time for “hooliganism” (one was released on appeal) it sent shockwaves across the globe, attracting severe criticism and the advocacy of groups like Amnesty International. In late October of 2012, Masha Alekhina and Nadya Tolokonnikova were sent to separate (reportedly brutal) prisons to serve their two year sentences.
For the 10th Anniversary of Riot Fest, founder Michael Petryshyn is realizing a long-held idea of staging a socio-political discussion within the confines of his music festival. As a person of Ukrainian descent, Petryshyn felt that engaging in a panel discussion with the brave, controversial women of Pussy Riot was the perfect event to launch the Riot Fest Speaksstage.
The inaugural event (Friday, September 12 at Humboldt Park in Chicago, IL) will be moderated by Henry Rollins will lead the panel consisting of Nadya Tolokonnikova (Pussy Riot/Zona Prava), Masha Alekhina (Pussy Riot/Zona Prava), Greg Graffin (Bad Religion, Vocalist/Professor or Geology at UCLA), Tim McIlrath (Rise Against), Marcelle Karp (writer/activist), Michael A. Petryshyn (Riot Fest, Founder), through discussion of social/political movements: their connection to art/music/creative collectives and the cross-pollination that takes place when activists exchange ideas and join each other to generate changes in the traditional soliloquy of thought and action. While addressing urgent issues, the panel will be conducted in a casual manner with a relaxed demeanor and a catalyst for an entertaining and thought provoking experience.
Founded in 2011, Pussy Riot staged gained notoriety for conducting unauthorized provocative guerrilla performances in unusual public locations, which they edited into music videos and posted on the Internet. Since then they have protested at the Olympics (and were re-arrested), published a book called “Pussy Riot! A Punk Prayer for Freedom” and inspired a documentary by the same name, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 2013. They’ve traveled the world speaking about their experiences and elucidating their political philosophies and feminist beliefs.
Now, as reported in Vanyland, Nadya Tolokonnikova and Masha Alekhina are creating their own independent news agency, dubbed MediaZona, that will focus on courts, police stations, law enforcement, and the very prison system/ The group will work with the band’s prison rights groupZona Prava, with Russian political journalist Sergey Smirnov serving as its editor-in-chief. “Since our release from prison six months ago we’ve felt that Russian media are no longer able to cover what is going on,” says Tolokonnikova in a press release. “Because of the heavy censorship by authorities there is no space for anything in the media that criticizes Putin’s policies and tracks human rights abuses by Russian courts and law enforcement. Courts, prisons, arrests, convictions, riots in facilities, political criminal cases, crimes by law enforcement officials – our new media outlet will try to cover it all.”
From its beginnings as a multi-venue festival thriving in a variety of Chicago's clubs, to the full scale, multi-city outdoor event that it is now. Riot Fest has become a premiere festival series that attracts music lovers of all ages from all over the world.  For more information visit riotfest.org
For more information on Pussy Riot: https://www.facebook.com/PussyRiot

Karen O's Crush Songs Streaming Now on NPR

KAREN O’S CRUSH SONGSSTREAMING NOW ON NPR
OUT SEPTEMBER 9 ON CULT RECORDS,PRE-ORDER AVAILABLE NOW
  “Disarmingly charming”

“Raw, downcast and exquisite”

“Dreamlike”

“Top notch O at her stripped down best”
    Karen O’s  Crush Songs , is exclusively streaming now on NPR, listen to it here. The album, O’s first as a solo artist, is out September 9 on Cult Records. Pre-order on CD, LP, download and cassette—also available via indie retail stores September 27 as part of Cassette Store Day—here. CD and LP versions feature O’s personal artwork and handwritten lyrics for each track. Album track “Day Go By” premiered earlier this week on Urban Outfitters, listen here.
O is set to play several exclusive shows this fall in New York, Los Angeles and London—which sold out within minutes of going on sale—as well as San Francisco and Berlin. These special nights include shows at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery’s Masonic Lodge, London’s Bush Hall, Berlin’s Heimathafen, San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall, the Manderley Bar at the McKittrick Hotel and a show in the round at Le Poisson Rouge. Please see below for full tour details and visit karenomusic.com for tickets.
Of the live dates, O says, “I’m very pleased to announce that I’ll be performing Crush Songs to some very intimate audiences. If you’re in the mood for love please come join my crush odyssey at these limited engagements. I apologize in advance that these shows are so few but I guess that makes them all the more special if you can make it SO don’t miss out! LUV KO.”
“When I was 27 I crushed a lot,” says Karen of the new record. “I wasn’t sure I’d ever fall in love again. These songs were written and recorded in private around this time. They are the soundtrack to what was an ever continuing love crusade. I hope they keep you company on yours.”
Recorded in 2006 and 2007, the record is an intimate collection of lo-fi, bedroom recordings in the vein of Karen’s Oscar-nominated “The Moon Song.” Watch the video for first single “Rapt,” directed by Barney Clay with production design from K.K. Barrett, here.
Cult label founder Julian Casablancas says, “So excited, lucky and proud to be involved with such a classic album—I just wanna listen to it all day. Karen is an all-time great.”
Karen O is the frontwoman of Yeah Yeah Yeahs. In addition to Karen’s recent Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for “The Moon Song,” Yeah Yeah Yeahs have been nominated for three Grammy awards. The band has released four studio albums—2003’s Fever to Tell, 2006’s Show Your Bones, 2009’s It’s Blitz and 2013’s Mosquito—to incredible critical acclaim and has played countless festivals including Glastonbury, Coachella, Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo and curated its own All Tomorrow’s Parties.Cult Records is helmed by Julian Casablancas. In addition to Karen O, the Cult roster includes Albert Hammond, Jr., Cerebral Ballzy, Har Mar Superstar, Rey Pila and more.
KAREN O LIVE DATES
September 9                 New York, NY                                  Manderley Bar at The McKittrick HotelSeptember 10               New York, NY                                  Manderley Bar at The McKittrick HotelSeptember 11               New York, NY                                  Manderley Bar at The McKittrick HotelSeptember 12               New York, NY                                                                   Le Poisson RougeSeptember 17             Los Angeles, CA            The Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever CemeterySeptember 18             Los Angeles, CA            The Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever CemeterySeptember 19             Los Angeles, CA            The Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever CemeterySeptember 22            San Francisco, CA                                                  Great American Music HallOctober 4                      London, UK                                                                                  Bush HallOctober 5                      London, UK                                                                                  Bush HallOctober 7                   Berlin, Germany                                                                           Heimathafen
www.karenomusic.comwww.facebook.com/officialkarenowww.twitter.com/KarenOwww.cultrecords.com

Kelela announces new tour dates + Support from Shura

SUPPORT FROM SHURA, NOVELIST, LAFAWNDAH, CHYNNA + MORE
Credit - Franc/FernandezDOWNLOAD: CUT 4 ME Mixtape - http://fadetomind.net/KELELA/
  "A critical darling poised to soon cross over from the realm of cool-kid dance music into that of popular R&B, or perhaps to bring those two worlds together"- T: The New York Times Style Magazine
"Cut 4 Me is an ambitiously catchy record as well as being an aesthetically ambitious one. Essential to this is Kelela's decision to play against the beats' moodiness-that juxtaposition drives the album's likability."- Pitchfork 'Best New Music'

2014 has been a breakout year for Kelela. Beginning with last year's release of her debut mixtape Cut 4 Me, Kelela spent the year criss-crossing the world playing festivals and her own headline shows. Her live sets have evolved from solitary sessions backed by an iPod to immersive multi-media raves. She was named one of BBC Radio1's "Sound of 2014" artists, an incredible feat for an independent musician that remains completely unsigned.
Since the release of Cut 4 Me, Kelela's dropped a few one-off tracks - "OICU" w/Le1f, "Want It" w/Tink, and "The High," tracks that in their own way attempt to draw a thread between her mixtape and the new material she's working on that will contribute to her debut album.
Kelela is rounding out this incredible year with one last round of live headline dates and festival shows. Whether it be an underground club or a festival--like her recent FYF-Fest appearance, which Bullet magazine declared "Won the Weekend--" Kelela has the ability to connect with her audience. 
That audience continues to grow: The tour features shows at Music Hall of Williamsburg, Bowery Ballroom and Los Angeles's Fonda Theatre and are her biggest headline dates yet. Shows will also be supported by her right hand man Total Freedom, with help from some of her favorite artists Shura, Lafawndah, Chynna, Novelist and more TBA. 
European Tour Dates:
10/29 - Paris, France @ Pitchfork festival  TICKETS10/30 - Brussels, Belgium @ AB club - headline show w/Shura TICKETS10/31 - Utrecht, Holland @ CATCH Festival  TICKETS11/01 - Berlin, Germany @ Kantine - headline show 11/04 - London, UK @ Corsica Studios - headline show w/Novelist  TICKETS11/07 - Turin, Italy @ Club to Club festival  TICKETS11/08 - Reykjavik, Iceland @ Iceland Airwaves festival  TICKETS
North American Tour Dates:
11/29 - Washington D.C. @ U-Street Music Hall w/ special guests TICKETS12/01 - San Francisco, CA @ The independent TICKETS12/02 - Los Angeles, CA @ Henry Fonda Auditorium w/ special guests TICKETS12/04 - Miami, Fl - Art Basel @ PAMM w/ Future Brown12/12 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom w/ Lafawndah, Chynna TICKETS12/13 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg w/ Lafawndah, Chynna TICKETS
 

The Presets share Golden Features remix + Check Yo Ponytail Tour

SAINT PEPSI ADDED TO CHECK YO PONYTAIL TOUR 2014 WITH THE PRESETS, LE1F, ANTWON, CHELA, AND FRANKI CHAN
STREAM: The Presets "No Fun (Golden Features remix)" - https://soundcloud.com/the-presets/no-fun-golden-features-remix
The Check Yo Ponytail Tour 2014 is proud to share a very special Golden Features remix of tour headliners The Presets' "No Fun". THUMP calls it "a supremely groovey, slow-burning house track so smokey it's practically on fire." The Check Yo Ponytail Tour brings Australian darlings The Presets across North America with select support from LE1F, Antwon, Chela, DJ Franki Chan, and the newly added Saint Pepsi to create a stellar, multi-genre tour reminiscent of the legendary events CYP and it's parent-company IHEARTCOMIX have been producing for years in Los Angeles. Stay tuned for more exclusive tour-related content from the artists involved and check out the previously released tour trailer and The Presets' tour mixtape below the tour dates.
Tour Dates:

10/26 - Denver, CO @ The Gothic *10/28 - Chicago, IL @ The Vic *10/29 - Toronto, ON @ Danforth %10/30 - Montreal, QC @ Club Tulipe % 10/31 - Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw *11/2 - DC @ 930 Club *11/4 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse *11/5 - Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works *11/6 - New Orleans, LA @ Tipitina's *11/8 - Austin, TX @ Fun Fun Fun Festival (The Presets Only)11/9 -  El Paso, TX @ Tricky Falls #11/10 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater #11/12 - Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl #11/13 - San Francisco, CA @ Warfield 11/14 - San Diego, CA @ North Park Theater #11/15 - Los Angeles, CA @ Regent #
* w/ Antwon# w/ LE1F% w/ Saint Pepsi

Tickets: http://www.checkyoponytail.comSTREAM: The Presets' Check Yo Ponytail Tour Mixtape -  https://soundcloud.com/thepresets/the-presets-check-yo-ponytail-tour-mix
WATCH: Check Yo Ponytail Tour 2014 Trailer - http://youtu.be/OZTpZ4Wgf_c

Stream Duologue's New Album 'Never Get Lost' Now

Stream Duologue's New Album Never Get Lost NowAlbum To Be Released September 9Watch Band's New Music Video For "Memex"New North American Tour Dates With Kodaline Announced
  
London-based band Duologue have unveiled a stream of their upcoming new album Never Get Lost on Soundcloud one week before the album's release on September 9. Never Get Lost was written, recorded and produced by the band themselves in London, New York and Kent. The band co-mixed the record with Ian Dowling (Jungle/Cloud Control). Never Get Lost is a record that best portrays Duologue - an expressive, melodic guitar band with glitchy electronica at their heart and soul. It defies categorization or genre, without being alien. Listen to the album at the link below.
Stream: Duologue - Never Get Lost   
Pre-Order on iTunes


The band also released a music video for Never Get Lost track "Memex," which premiered over at Nowness. The film created with FBFX Digital and Analog was made by rigging 94 cameras to create a high-resolution body-scan of veteran actress Beryl Nesbitt, also capturing a sunset through a window and used it as a spherical panoramic HDR photo. "This project is the beginning of a deeper study into filmmaking for the virtual-reality environment," says Marshmallow Laser Feast's Barney Steel of the collective's film made with Duologue. "We wanted to go beyond the limits of our eyeballs. A friend of ours had passed away and there was a huge outpouring of emotion online, people sending photographs and sharing stuff," says Duologue's Tim Digby-Bell of the emotional roots of the track, taken from the band's forthcoming album Never Get Lost. "It felt like the online world had replaced our memories, our most sacred and intimate space, and replaced them with data. I found it harder and harder to remember her outside of the photos and the comments, so I tried to put it into the music." Watch the mind-bending video collaboration below.
Duologue - "Memex" Video  
The band have also announced a tour this fall with Kodaline. Beginning on October 15 in Anaheim, CA at the House of Blues, the band will travel from coast-to-coast through November, culminating in a November 7 show at Terminal 5 in New York City. For the full itinerary, see below.
Duologue are touring in support of new album Never Get Lost, which finds the quintet in uncompromising form, building ambitiously on their brooding electronic sound from 2013's Song & Dance LP, and nurturing it into somewhere that references their broad range of influences, but finding them come together in a unique and unexpected place. The band released a much blogged about EP Memex in Spring of 2014.
'We wanted to write an album about a person's struggle in the digital age and the changing landscape of relationships, to explore the concept of being alone together in a curious kind of public solitude. The album is a reflection on that anxiety but also a search for some meaning and solace within it."
Duologue on TourOct 15 Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues TICKETS Oct 17 San Diego, CA @ House of Blues TICKETS Oct 18 Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre TICKETS Oct 19 San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore TICKETS Oct 20 Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom TICKETS Oct 21 Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile TICKETS Oct 22 Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom TICKETS Oct 24 Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre TICKETS Oct 25 Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theatre TICKETS Oct 26 Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theatre TICKETS Oct 28 Chicago, IL @ House of Blues TICKETS Oct 29 Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall TICKETS Oct 30 Detroit, MI @ St Andrews Hall TICKETS Oct 31 Montreal, QC @ Metropolis TICKETS Nov 01 Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy TICKETS Nov 03 Boston, MA @ House of Blues TICKETS Nov 04 Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of the Living Arts TICKETS Nov 05 Washington D.C. @ 9:30 Club TICKETS Nov 07 New York, NY @ Terminal 5 TICKETS 

George Fest: A Night To Celebrate the Music of George Harrison

George Fest: A Night To Celebrate the Music of George HarrisonTo Take Place at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles on September 28
100% of Ticket Sale Proceeds to Benefit Sweet Relief Recipients in the LA Area
To Coincide With the Release of George Harrison: The Apple Years 1968-75
  
September 3rd, 2014 - The Harrison Estate is proud to announce the first-ever George Fest: A Night to Celebrate the Music of George Harrison. This special concert event will take place on September 28th at the legendary El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles. Curated in partnership with the Best Fest, an incredible line up of artists has come together to pay tribute to George Harrison through performances of their favorite Harrison classics. As always, the Best Fest's acclaimed Cabin Down Below Band will host the illustrious cast of musicians.
Confirmed performers include Brian Wilson, Norah Jones, Brandon Flowers & Mark Stoermer (of The Killers), Wayne Coyne & Steven Drozd (of The Flaming Lips), Ben Harper, Ann Wilson (of Heart), Britt Daniel (of Spoon), "Weird Al" Yankovic, Nick Valensi (of The Strokes), Dhani Harrison, Ian Astbury, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Butch Walker, Cold War Kids, Karen Elson, Brian Bell (of Weezer), Big Black Delta, Chase Cohl, Jamestown Revival, Matt Sorum, Ryan Miller (of Guster), The Black Ryder, Ginnger Shankar & many more big surprises.
To help local musicians and their communities, Jameson is committed to providing resources and support via The Jameson Neighborhood Fund. Over the past two years, Jameson and The Best Fest together have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support and help musician and the music community.
With George Fest, Jameson and The Fest kick off what they aim to be a third consecutive year of success. Once again, 100% of ticket sale proceeds from this show go to benefit Sweet Relief . Sweet Relief was the natural choice for a charity in LA as they provide financial assistance to all types of career musicians who are struggling to make ends meet. All ticket sale proceeds from George Fest will go to benefit their mission of healing musicians who need it most.  
The Fests started in the same New York community of bartenders, musicians, and craftsmen that adopted Jameson as their drink of choice back in the early 90s. The Best Fest and Jameson forged a relationship based on similar values and shared appreciation and interest in spreading the community spirit.
Tickets go on sale tomorrow, Friday, September 5th. Get tickets here:http://bit.ly/GeorgeFestLA 

Members of Pussy Riot launch independent news service in Russia

Members of Pussy Riot launch independent news service in Russia Members of Pussy Riot launch Mediazona - an independent news service focussing on the courts, law enforcement and the prison system in Russia.

 Pussy Riot members Nadya Tolokonnikova and Maria Alekhina have launched MediaZona - a new independent Russian news outlet focussing on courts, law enforcement and the prison system. (website: zona.media). This project is intended to work hand-in-hand with their prisoners rights NGO “Zona Prava” (“Justice Zone”) which was launched earlier this year and is focused on protecting prisoners’ rights. The new media outlet Mediazona will closely monitor conditions in Russian prisons, police stations and courts with one of Russia's most famous political journalists Sergey Smirnov as its editor-in-chief. Pussy Riot member Nadya Tolokonnikova hopes that this new media outlet will close the void created by the Kremlin's clampdown on independent media which has been ongoing since the beginning of 2014. "Since our release from prison 6 months ago we've felt that Russian media are no longer able to cover what is going on," says Tolokonnikova. "Because of the heavy censorship by authorities there is no space for anything in the media that criticises Putin's policies and tracks human rights abuses by Russian courts and law enforcement. Courts, prisons, arrests, convictions, riots in facilities, political criminal cases, crimes by law enforcement officials - our new media outlet will try to cover it all." Maria Alekhina believes that the focus of Russian social and political life has heavily shifted towards courts and prisons: "There is hardly any political issues left in Russia outside of courtrooms - and there is a great need for transparency and media coverage of things that are happening down there, so we hope that Mediazona will help close that gap and change the face of independent Russian media."
 -------- Nadya Tolokonnikova posted the following statement to Facebook:  Today we opened up our very own NEWS OUTLET. Today's launch is the answer to your questions about what we were doing since we got out at New Years' eve last year. We got out of "the zone" to create our own "zones". And here it is: http://www.zona.media What do you think?
1. Why a news outlet?

Sometimes in prison it was easier to give a fellow prisoner a copy of a good political magazine rather then to answer the same basic questions over and over again. Usually after some reading time questions like "And why the hell are you doing all this protest stuff?" simply went away.

2. Why have Pussy Riot launched their own news outlet? Isn't it better to continue with wild performances?

Firstly, we were always heavily involved with media: our actions were an attempt to break down the information blackout imposed by Putin's authorities. Secondly, our news outlet has a team of the best journalists in Russia. The editor-in-chief is Russia's best political and social news editor - Sergey Smirnov and the other main guys are the best reporters out there - Elena Shmaraeva (former Gazeta.ru, TvRain), Egor Skovoroda (former "Bolshoi Gorod", "Russkaya Planeta", "The New Times"), Maria Klimova (former Polit.ru, "Russkaya Planeta").
Thirdly, myself and Masha - we love to write, and we hope that if we do it well enough our editor-in-chief Mr.Smirnov will kindly allow us to be published in Mediazona too (kidding!). 3. What is the news outlet going to write about?

Courts, prisons, arrests, convictions, riots in penitentiary facilities, political criminal cases, crimes by law enforcement officials, life of present-day and former prisoners and lots of other things.

For instance, today's Mediazona "Number of the day" section tells you that 30% of all criminal acquittals in Russia are when police officers or officials are on trial. And that's when the national acquittal rate in courts is just 0.7%.
4. Why "The zone"?

"The zone" has become something like an umbrella term for all our projects. As you know, in addition to Mediazona, a couple months ago we've launched the prisoners rights NGO Zona Prava. We will take back the rights that belong to us from the state - step by step. Mediazona. Your zone.