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Ryan Cabrera Goes Indie

PR reports: After conquering radio and the pop charts, Ryan Cabrera is now moving onward and upward in pursuit of what has always mattered most to him -making the music that's in his soul, and now with a greater musical and lyrical maturity as well as the confidence that comes with his success in music. And he is doing so by breaking with the major label system and taking the reins of his career to independently produce and market his third album which is due in-stores April 2008.

"It feels right," says the 25-year-old native Texan of the music he's been creating with the transplanted Australian production team of Daniel James and Leah Haywood. "I really wanted to take my time and not have a huge company telling me what I should be making." - more on this story

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Anthrax on Sirius Hard Files

PR reports: This week on Sirius Hard Files, Dan Nelson, the NEW singer for metal legends Anthrax, stops by the Hard Attack studios for an exclusive interview with Anthrax super fan and Sirius host Jose Mangin.

Listen to hear the entire story of how Dan went from local New York band to fronting one of the world's most dominating metal acts. Plus you'll hear Jose challenge Dan to a Sirius Anthrax trivia challenge to see if he really knows his s**t about the band he just joined. There's always "room for one more" Anthrax fan inside the Hard Attack studios during this special Hard Files.

Hard Files is a weekly one hour aural glimpse into the music and lives of some of your favorite metal bands. The show airs Thursdays at 7 pm ET, and is rebroadcast Fridays at noon ET, Saturdays at 3 pm ET and Sundays at 6 pm ET. - Sirius Hard Files

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Dem Franchize Boyz Soph

PR reports: Dem Franchize Boyz have completed their second album, DA POINT OF NO RETURN, for planned release March 25, 2008. Collaborators in the studio have included T-Pain and Pleasure, of the vocal group Pretty Ricky. Track producers include superstar beatsmiths Mannie Fresh and Jazze Pha, Southern upstart Marvelous J, longtime collaborators Maestro and Young Juve, and DFB member Parlae.

DEM FRANCHIZE BOYZ, hailing from Atlanta's Westside, are Bernard "Jizzal Man" Leverette, Maurice "Parlae" Gleaton, Gerald "Buddie" Tiller and Jamal "Pimpin'" Willingham. They debuted on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart in 2004 with the top 25 single "White Tees," but broke through on a mass level on their Virgin Records debut with the single release of "I Think They Like Me," a three-week No. 1 in the R&B/Hip-Hop radio format in late 2005 that ushered the sparse but irresistibly hookish "snap music" into clubs and radio. - more on this story

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Onesidezero Tour Plans

PR reports: Los Angeles based Onesidezero have announced a series of headlining tour dates in January and February. The band will also perform a free acoustic in-store set for fans in both Denver, CO and Las Vegas, NV.

"We are looking forward to getting back to our fan base, in a more grass roots way," says frontman Jasan Radford. "The in-stores are a great way for us to get face to face with some of the people that have supported us over the years." - dates

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Real World Road Rules Challenge Returns

PR reports: MTV is back with more fights, drama and extreme challenges as "Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Gauntlet III" (gauntlet3.mtv.com) premieres January 23rd at 10:00PM (ET/PT) in a new hour long format.

This season, 32 favorite "Veterans" and "Rookies" from "The Real World" and "Road Rules" will battle it out for $400,000 in cash and prizes, in a winning team takes all competition. Pro BMX dirt jumper, TJ Lavin will be back again as host to lead the teams through the challenges. Players find themselves competing in some of the hardest obstacles yet, both on and off the playing field. - more on this story

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The Funeral Pyre Hit The Road

PR reports: Southern California's THE FUNERAL PYRE hit the road today for tour alongside Book of Black Earth. The tour will begin on Friday in Book of Black Earth's hometown of Seattle, finishing in THE FUNERAL PYRE's hometown of with Book of Black Earth and fellow Los Angeles band Intronaut.

As the final tour in support of THE FUNERAL PYRE's latest second full-length, 'The Nature of Betrayal,' the band will hit the studio to track with John Haddad (Eyes of Fire, Intronaut, Abysmal Dawn) in late February and March before sending tracks off to Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal, Cannibal Corpse, Through The Eyes of the Dead) for mastering. The album, tentatively-titled 'Wounds,' is scheduled for a July release through Prosthetic Records.

Currently planning on playing a handful of new tracks while on the road, THE FUNERAL PYRE saw the re-release of 'The Nature of Betrayal' in March 2007 after a distribution deal with Bay Area label Creator-Destructor Records, which initially released the album in late 2006. - dates

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October File Withdraw From Prong Tour

October File reports: Due to illness and with deep regret and disappointment we have had to cancel our participation in the Prong tour. Steve our bassist contracted an ear infection over Christmas, which aggravated what was previously only very mild Tinnitus. Steve sought immediate treatment and advice during the Xmas break and we had hoped it would clear up in time for him to participate in the tour. After rehearsal on Sunday just prior to the tour his condition got much worse to the extend he was in severe pain.

The doctors have advised him that he cannot until after seeing specialist advice and getting the correct ear protection continue to be exposed to loud noise. We had hoped Steve's infection would clear up enough so that he could get proper protection fitted in time to do the tour but they cannot fit these plugs for him until his infection has cleared, which unfortunately for him his infection and severe Tinnitus is still on- going.

We cannot express the disappointment we feel at this time, we were so looking forward to this tour and we know a lot of people were looking forward to seeing us. We can only hope Steve gets well enough to continue and we hope that soon we can announce new dates. We wish Prong the very best for the dates. - more on this story

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LA Music Academy Hires Josh Groban Music Director

PR reports: LA Music Academy kicks off 2008 by announcing Tariqh Akoni, fresh off his recent world tour as Musical Director and guitarist for Josh Groban, will take over as head of the guitar department, effective immediately. Also, the Academy is now offering guitar scholarships to international and domestic candidates who possess exceptional musical potential, feel, skill, vision and overall musicality.

Akoni says, "One of my main priorities is to seek out the best and the brightest in the guitar community and bring them to LA Music Academy." The school has secured a number of scholarships and incentives for advanced and otherwise high potential students wishing to attend. He adds, "I am thrilled to be a part of the school and the program during this amazing period of growth" Akoni's other plans include helping to build the roster for the school's new Artist in Residence program, whose ranks already include noted guitarist Carl Verheyen. - more on this story

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Luke Doucet Releases 7th Album

PR reports: Twenty-seven months after the release of his Juno-nominated Broken (and other rogue states), Luke Doucet releases his seventh career album and third solo record, Blood's Too Rich, while taking on a full-fledged national tour with Canadian mainstays, Blue Rodeo.

Blood's Too Rich takes Luke's songwriting and his status as revered guitarist to the next level. From its 70's concert-poster inspired artwork to its luscious guitar solos and bluesy riffs, Blood is hi-fi meets high-ball, less jam-band and more The Band. This is the core of the rock and roll scene. It's a record that harkens back to his days fronting surf-noir trio, Veal, his youth spent admiring Neil Young, Howlin' Wolf and Stray Cats, one that retells his tales of living at the heart of Country � Nashville, TN, where he wrote the record in early 2007. - more on this story

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Tift Merritt Returns

PR reports: After two records and a Grammy nomination, Tift Merritt took hiatus with a piano in Paris and was rewarded with an unbridled inspiration and a wealth of her most accomplished songs to date. On February 26, Concord Music Group's Fantasy Records will release Merritt's Another Country.

Another Country was written by Tift Merritt, produced by George Drakoulias, and recorded by David Bianco. The players include guitarists Charlie Sexton and Doug Pettibone and Tift's longtime band, Zeke Hutchins (drums), Jay Brown (bass) and Danny Eisenberg (keyboards).

Merritt will also host her very own public radio program starting in early '08. A program of artist-to-artist radio interviews entitled "The Spark" will debut on Marfa, Texas Public Radio on January 27, 2008. Merritt's very first guest is Nick Hornby.
- more on this story

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Gibson Brothers Set Release

PR reports: Sugar Hill Records is set to release their fourth album with bluegrass stalwarts The Gibson Brothers on April 8, 2008. Iron & Diamonds showcases the brothers' trademark harmonies as well as songwriting that is among the best in the genre. Interspersed with original songs like the title track -- a snapshot of the miners' baseball league in their upstate-NY home -- are carefully chosen covers like Tom Petty's "Cabin Down Below" and others.

Iron & Diamonds boasts the brothers' best vocal mix to date thanks to being able to record live on one mike, capturing the energy and closeness that concert audiences rave about. The band -- Mike Barber on bass, Clayton Campbell on fiddle, and Rick Hayes on mandolin -- is tighter than ever, complementing the brothers' harmonies with adept instrumental performances. - more on this story

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Nicole Atkins Tour

PR reports: After Mon night's successful performance on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien", Nicole Atkins will be kicking off her 2008 US Tour at New York's Bowery Ballroom on January 25th. See full tour dates below.

Stay tuned for the video for Nicole's upcoming single, "Maybe Tonight", directed by Josh Forbes (The Shins, Cold War Kids).

January 25 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY
February 14 - Algonquin Arts - Manasquan, NJ
February 15 - T.T. The Bear's - Cambridge, MA
February 16 - Soundlab (Big Orbits Soundlab) - Buffalo, NY
February 17 - Lee's Palace - Toronto, ONT - more on this story

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.... The Biz: Don't Fight The Future

Illegally downloading music is wrong and everyone knows it, but the problem is that the major labels have refused to make changes and as they slowly embrace them I unfortunately feel it is too little too late. They have refused to embrace the future. - Read the full Don't Fight The Future op/ed

.... Course of Nature Interview

Debuting in 2001, Los Angeles, California's Course of Nature instantly made a splash. Now, some six years later, the band will soon return with its sophomore album "Damaged." Mark Hensch caught up with vocalist/rhythm guitarist Mark Wilkerson. - Read the full Course of Nature Interview

.... Axel Rudi Pell - Diamonds Unlocked

Covering material that reaches beyond a group's certain identity has rarely been successful before, and Axel Rudi Pell's ghastly attempt at making a tribute CD only proves it'll usually blow complete ass if you spin the wheel. - Read the full Axel Rudi Pell - Diamonds Unlocked review

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