Taking Back Sunday's John Nolan To Release Solo Record

PledgeMusic is thrilled to announce a new campaign with John Nolan. He is teaming up with PledgeMusic to deepen his engagement with fans and experience making an album outside of the traditional record label system.

Nolan's influence can be felt throughout the music scene today, especially from his guitar and vocal contributions to Taking Back Sunday's debut album, Tell All Your Friends. Upon leaving Taking Back Sunday, he formed Straylight Run with his sister and pianist/vocalist, Michelle Nolan, drummer, Will Noon, and former Taking Back Sunday bassist, Shaun Cooper. The band went on to release two full-length albums and three EPs, cementing Nolan's place in the music world. After Straylight Run announced their indefinite hiatus, Nolan, along with Cooper, reunited with Taking Back Sunday. The fan favorite lineup has since released two more studio albums and played countless tours. Not only confined to a band setting, Nolan himself has released one studio album, two EPs, and two live albums. This will be his second full-length solo album. He's currently recording it in New York with producer, Mike Sapone (Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, Mansions, Crime In Stereo).

With this PledgeMusic campaign, Nolan is offering fans exclusive items and experiences such as posters, t-shirts, membership to the John Nolan Mixtape club and more. Pledge support at http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/johnnolan. 10% of any money raised after that will go to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

"Making an album this way has been a unique experience for me. It's been refreshing to get outside of the label system and connect more directly with fans during the making of an album. It's also been great to have the support system that PledgeMusic offers throughout the whole process."

PledgeMusic is the world's leading online, direct-to-fan music community, offering artists a unique way to engage their fans in the music making experience while interacting with PledgeMusic's global community of music fans. PledgeMusic artists and President and Founder, Benji Rogers are available for interviews.

Visit www.pledgemusic.com for more information.

Friday's Rockin' Roundup - September 11th Remembered

Today marks the 8th anniversary of the most tragic event that I ever lived through. It was a horrendous day in the annals of American history, but from these violent attacks birthed a new hope. The American people collectively gathered together and had ideas and plans for the future. We did not let this senseless act defeat us and we did not let it destroy and end America as we know it. Instead, we grew stronger, more united, and bonded tighter than ever, which is the American way. Let’s take a moment today to remember those who passed away, the men and women that gave their lives trying to save others, and the American spirit that helped pull everyone through.

Here’s what rocked this week:
Bands That Covered The Beatles
The Beatles were obviously a hot topic of conversation this week with the release of all their remastered albums and Rock Band video game. This was an interesting post reflecting on how many times Beatles songs have been covered by various artists. Some of them I knew well, others I had no idea were ever done. Definitely a fun read.

The Voodoo Experience
As the summer concert festivals have drawn to a close, the fall festivals are heating up. The Voodoo Experience, taking place in New Orleans over Halloween weekend, has announced their lineup and it looks pretty darned exciting to me. Check out the website for all the information.

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers Live Anthology
In an announcement that got me rather excited, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are releasing a live anthology box set that will contain 4 discs and 48 tracks of live material culled over their illustrious history. No release date has been set yet, but it’s safe to say that this set will be available in time for the holidays.

All American Rejects and Taking Back Sunday
And finally, there’s this gem. The All American Rejects and Taking Back Sunday are teaming up to go out on tour this fall. Up and coming rockers Anberlin will man the opening slot. The Guru just may have to travel to Atlantic City or Connecticut to see this one.

Have a great weekend everyone!

New Release Season Has Arrived

Summer is almost here, and with summer come new releases and summer tours. I always love this time of year, because there is a new release by a great artist almost every week. Record marketing executives work furiously to set these release dates during a time they feel will be optimal for the public to spend their hard earned money.

Although we’ve already been blessed with some great releases this year (most notably U2’s No Line On The Horizon, Papa Roach’s Metamorphosis, and Green Day’s 21st Century Breakdown), there are still several more highly anticipated releases due this year.

This week (Tuesday, June 1st) will bring us Dave Matthews Band’s Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King, Taking Back Sunday’s New Again, and 311’s Uplifter. I can not wait to get my hands on the new Dave Matthews disc, and if all goes well, expect a full review next Sunday. I’ll probably pick up the Taking Back Sunday disc as well, but I may want to hear a few tracks from it before I make my purchase. Their last disc (Louder Now) wasn’t up to the level that I expect from this band, and I don’t want to be disappointed purchasing the album based on new-release hype.

Pete Yorn’s Back and Fourth is due out later this month and is another disc that I can’t wait to get my hands on. Although his last disc, Nightcrawler, wasn’t as great as his previous efforts, it was still a solid disc. I have a feeling that his latest release is going to be amazing.

Wilco (the album) will also hit shelves in June. They’ve already released their concert DVD, Ashes Of American Flags, and now by adding a disc full of new material into the mix, this should amount to a great summer for Wilco.

Our Lady Peace will return to the scene with the release of Burn, Burn on July 21st. I haven’t kept up with this band much since their release of Clumsy in 1997, but the word on their latest is that it’s well polished and a return to their signature sound of the mid-nineties that catapulted them to stardom.

There’s also talk of Phish being in the studio with legendary producer Steve Lillywhite (Dave Matthews Band, Guster) with a fall release date slated. I am really intrigued to see what kind of music Phish can make after being apart for so long. The creativity amongst them must b e overwhelming.

And supposedly, Kiss is still on target for a fall release with their, as of now, untitled disc. That would be the perfect capper to the end of the summer new releases.

What about you? Any releases coming out that you are looking forward to, or can’t wait to hear? Post a comment and share your thoughts!

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