by Sharon Gissy

Nashville band The Delta Saints just released a special digital edition of their album Bones on July 15th. The special edition includes three B-sides and three live versions of album tracks recorded during the filming of live performance music videos at Downtown Presbyterian Church in Nashville.

Live For Live Music just premiered the video for "Dust" in time for the band's summer tour, which kicks off in Raleigh, NC on August 17th. You can watch the  video here.

The Delta Saints have been continually earning praise through their live performance that combines elements of blues, gritty rock, folk, and country to create a sound that has been compared to artists like My Morning Jacket and The White Stripes, but which remains thoroughly their own. You can catch their live performance on one of the tour dates below.

​Aug 17 - Pour House in Raleigh, NC             
Aug 18 - Clementine Café in Harrisonburg, VA                                 
Aug 19 - Mercury Lounge in New York, NY               
Aug 20 - Milkboy in Philadelphia, PA             
Aug 21 - The Hamilton in Washington, DC                
Aug 22 - Club Café in Pittsburgh, PA             
Aug 24 - Rumba Café in Columbus, OH                    
Aug 25 - Beat Kitchen in Chicago, IL            
Aug 26 - Duck Room @ Blueberry Hill in University City, MO            
Aug 27 - Jackpot Music Hall in Lawrence, KS                      
Aug 31 - Black Sheep in Colorado Springs, CO                     
Sep 01 - Marquis Theatre in Denver, CO                  
Sep 03 - New Belgium Tour De Fat in Fort Collins, CO                     
Sep 09 - Black Swamp Arts Festival in Bowling Green, OH
Sep 10 - Zanzabar in Louisville, KY

by Sharon Gissy

Riot Fest just announced a contest giving their fans a chance to have a stage named in their honor at this year's festival. Teaming up with the RedEye in Chicago and Westword in Denver, one lucky fan in each Riot Fest location will win the chance to have a stage named just after them. All fans are required to do is to write a 200-word essay arguing why a stage should be named after them. The essay should touch upon what music means to you, and essays will be judged on "enthusiasm, creativity, capturing the essence of Riot Fest, and making us feel the feels."

Riot Fest fans in Chicago can enter the contest here, and those in Denver can enter the contest here. 

 by Sharon Gissy

Ireland's beloved Bell X1 is slated to release their seventh studio album, Arms, on October 14th. Arms is a nine-song collection of soft, spare, and melancholy gems that often express a theme of heartbreak tempered by optimism or determination. "This is the most difficult record we've made, in terms of feeling like it was good enough to share, to let it go and no longer be just ours," said vocalist Paul Noonan. "That we'd made something different to what's come before."

Paul Noonan's bittersweet vocals are joined by David Geraghty's rising and falling guitar lines and Dominic Philiips' bass to create a full, rich sound, sad and hopeful by turns. The record was produced by the band and recorded in Dublin and Donegal by Tommy McLoughlin (from the Villagers) and Glenn Keating (from Jape). The record was mixed by Peter Katis (Jonsi, The National) with Ross Dowling mixing the hit "Out Of Love." "The title Arms is about the idea that, as the world feels like it's becoming a harsher place (maybe there's just more damn noise?), we seek out the comfort of the familiar and familial....arms," says Noonan. 

Bell X1 will be on tour throughout Ireland, the UK and Australia for the rest of the year, with more dates to be announced. You can watch the video for track "The Upswing," by animator Anna Eijsbouts, here. You can pre-order Arms  here and instantly receive three tracks. 

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by Sharon Gissy

Rickey Medlock of Lynyrd Skynyrd originally formed Blackfoot in the 1970s to carry on the Southern American hard rock tradition of that band. Re-formed and signed to Loud & Proud Records, the band now boasts a strong ensemble including lead guitarist/vocalist Tim Rossi, guitarist/vocalist Rick Krasowski, bassist Brian Carpenter, and drummer Matt Anastasi. The band recently released the music video for "Southern Native," the title track for their upcoming release Southern Native, and you can watch it here. Ultimate Classic Music, who released the video, said "....it's clear that Blackfoot retain the hard-edged Southern rock sound that defined earlier favorites..."

In addition to recruiting the band, Medlock wrote, performed on, and produced Southern Native, which will be released on August 5. He is proud of guiding this new incarnation of Southern heavy rock, and hopes the live show will recruit fans new and old and the band tour in support of the new record. Tour dates are listed below.

Aug 18 – Tulsa, OK @ The Vanguard
Aug 19 – Dallas, TX @ Trees
Aug 20 – San Antonio, TX @ Cadillac Bar
Aug 21 – San Leon, TX @ 18th Street Pier Bar And Grill
Aug 27 – Castle Hayne, NC @ Redneck Yacht Club
Sept 2 - Tazewell, TN @ Smoke In The Valley
Sept 17 - Bainbridge, GA @ Flint River Jam
Sept 23 - Stafford Springs, CT @ Palace Theater
Sept 24 - Kent Narrows, ND @ Island Bay Day
Sept 25 – Stanhope, NJ @ The Stanhope House
Oct 1 – Marietta, GA @ 120 Tavern And Music Hall
Oct 2 - Knoxville, TN @ The Open Chord
Oct 6 – Blackfoot, ID @ Blackfoot Performing Arts Center
Nov 15 – New York, NY @ BB Kings
Nov 23 – St. Charles, IL @ Arcada Theatre
Nov 26 – Palm Bay, FL @ Space Coast Harley Davidson
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Black Tape For A Blue Girl's These Fleeting Moments limited deluxe edition of 500 is set to ship in August. The band have been making their brand of goth tinged ambient-y music for over three decades. This release sees the return of Oscar Herrera after a decade and a half absence. You can order HERE.

The package includes a CD in a 7 by 5 inch over-sized digipak, a 12 page booklet, signed on the back cover. There were 500 of these made and over 200 have already sold.

The group has had many creative divergences in their eclectic career. This 11th record is a return to the early days.