Singing the praises of something higher than just parties, Though She Wrote’s spirituality and genuineness shines through on every effort, whether it be their insanely lively stage presence, “Our live show is very spiritual and passionate, we play with all that we have for God” says bassist/vocalist Joey Thompson “When we’re playing a live show, its more like a worship experience rather than a show. We want to play the best we can for Him”, their stellar and brutal tracks off their latest EP The Invitation, or their desire to develop and cultivate new relationships at every show. Though She Wrote is no doubt a batch of hard hitting anthems but don’t think that the boys from Ohio are all metal. Soaring harmonies and whispers that really drive the point home are a mainstay in this camp.

Having shared stages with the likes of Silverstein, Blessthefall, Attack Attack, Chiodos, Gwen Stacy and more, Though She Wrote is poised on the edge of similar greatness. This tour will no doubt catapult them even further into the strata of your next itunes purchase.

“The biggest message I’d say that we want to convey as a band in simply, love. There’s too much hatred and neglect in the world, there’s too much hurting. We want to bring a sign of hope to all people, that hope being the love of Jesus.”

To check out Though She Wrote’s music and current tour dates please visit www.myspace.com/thoughshewrote

Though She Wrote is represented by The Architect Agency (www.thearchitectagency.com)

Making it an even dozen, iconic indie rock act The Choir announces the release of their 12^th studio disc, Burning Like the Midnight Sun. Produced by band members Steve Hindalong and Derri Daughtery, the album was recorded and mixed at Daugherty’s Sled Dog Studio in Franklin, TN, and will be released on the band’s own Galaxy21 Music label.

Boasting a history that spans nearly three decades, The Choir features founders Hindalong and Daugherty along with long time members Dan Michaels and Tim Chandler, and once again Marc Byrd  (Hammock) who produced the band’s ‘05 release O How the Mighty Have Fallen. This critically-acclaimed lineup continues to garner praise and accolades – including a Grammy nod — long after most other bands have burned out or faded away.

“Perhaps more than any other album by The Choir, Burning Like the Midnight Sun integrates the musical personalities of all five individuals,” Hindalong says.  “The recording process was smooth and satisfying. We’re thrilled to offer it to our listening friends.”

In recent months, the band has given fans a peek inside the recording process by releasing a series of “in the studio” videos online. The finished product, Burning Like the Midnight Sun, will be available physically online through www.thechoir.net and sold at live shows. It will also be available in select independent retail outlets for download & streaming on iTunes, Rhapsody, Spotify, Napster and other digital service providers.

Always the innovators, the band continues to find new ways to get their music to the masses. Their die-hard fan base has already responded enthusiastically to pre-order packages that include a “director’s cut” audio interview CD, mix stems so fans can create their own productions of the songs that the band will post and share online, as well as a VIP gathering at Michaels’ Nashville home featuring an acoustic concert, swim party and barbecue.

Complementing this beautiful new music is a cover image by New Orleans-based visual artist R.R. Lyon, known for using salvaged or reclaimed pieces of his own art that he re-contextualizes to give new purpose.   Later this fall, the band will be traveling to The Big Easy, as the artist is creating a painting to go along with each of the songs on Burning Like the Midnight Sun.

The video was directed by Hannah Lux Davis (A Rocket To The Moon, Breathe Carolina) and is taken from the band’s storming new albumWitness. Fans can also catch the video on on MTV Headbanger’s Ballon 7/26.

The band is currently traveling the U.S. on Cool Tour with As I Lay Dying, Underoath, Between The Buried & Me, The Acacia Strain andCancer Bats.

BLESSTHEFALL – Beau Bokan (lead vocals), Eric Lambert (guitar/vocals), Mike Frisby (guitar), Jared Warth (bass), Matt Traynor (drums) – stormed to the forefront of the new evolution of the post-hardcore/metalcore genre with the release of critically-acclaimed second album Witness. Produced by Michael “Elvis” Baskette (Incubus, Escape The Fate, Story Of The Year), the album debuted in the Billboard Top 200 at #56 and the Independent Chart at #6. After Cool Tour, blessthefall heads to South America and Europe with August Burns Red this August-October.

“Over the course of the past year, we have grown together not only as a band but also as friends,” notes singer Petie Pizarro. “We feel that the bond between the four of us makes our relationship with the music that we create that much stronger. We hope that everyone can sense the amount of personal emotion that we have put into the music on the new EP. It means so much to us and we can’t wait to share it with the world!”

Get an early taste for the EP by listening to Amely’s new track “Sing To You”, available as on Fearless Records’ Summer Sampler as a free download – get your copy here!

AMELY – Petie Pizarro (Lead Vocal/Rhythm Guitar), Patrick Ridgen (Bass), Brandon Walden (Lead Guitar), Nate Parsell (Drums) – A bouncy blend of spirited rock spiked with a healthy dose of power-pop influence, Amely’s debut EP Hello World is the perfect introduction to the Orlando, FL quartet. Produced by Zack Odom and Kenneth Mount (All Time Low, Mayday Parade, Cartel) and Mike Green (Paramore, Breathe Carolina), the EP features eight timeless tracks in the vein of pop-rock dynamos such as All-American Rejects and Jimmy Eat World. Having already shared stages with A Day to Remember, Senses Fail, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and Every Avenue, the band will be playing dates on the Shop Till You Rock mall tour this summer, and an east coast run with We Are The In Crowd next month.

Tracklisting is as below:
1. Now Or Never
2. Sing To You
3. I’d Rather Be Alone
4. Say Goodbye
5. Come Back to Me
6. All You Need
7. Have You Ever Known
8. Hello World

Nashville’s GRAMMY nominated singer/songwriter Brandon Heathrecently performed his affectionate tune “Love Never Fails” at Country music superstar Carrie Underwood’s  wedding to Canadian hockey player Mike Fisher. Noted as the couple’s song, Heath’s performance of “Love Never Fails” served as the couple’s first dance, and was a surprise from Underwood to her new husband.

“I was blessed to be part of Carrie and Mike’s big day,” says Heath. “Being among their family and friends, I was honored to have been a witness to something so sacred and special. Performing at weddings can be nerve racking, but Saturday I felt right at home. And it was especially cool to be in on Carrie’s surprise for her groom and their first dance.”

Emmy-Award winning, GRAMMY and American Music Award nominated, Brandon Heath holds multiple Dove Awards including the reigning title as Male Vocalist of the Year for 2009 and 2010, and 2009 Song of the Year for “Give Me Your Eyes.” The Nashville native was featured on the “CBS Evening News with Katie Couric,” while also spotlighted in the Sunday edition of The New York Times as a GRAMMY-nominated newcomer “that shouldn’t be allowed to slip through the cracks.”

Heath released his sophomore album, What If We (8/2008), yielding two No.1 singles, “Wait and See”, and the blockbuster “Give Me Your Eyes” which was selected by NASA as the wake-up song for the orbiting Endeavour shuttle crew on Feb. 8, 2010. The album’s third single “Love Never Fails” recently became a Top 20 hit at Billboard’s AC Monitored radio chart. His third album is scheduled to release earlier 2011.

Huntington Beach, CA’s very own Fearless Records is proud to announce the first ever

The Fearless Friends Tour 2010 will head out across the U.S. this fall, featuring Mayday Parade and some of the hottest artists from the Fearless Records roster - Breathe Carolina, Every Avenue, Artist Vs Poet and Go Radio.

“I have always wanted to do a Fearless Tour, and am so happy that we have a roster of bands that are really good friends and want to tour together,” notes label founder and CEO Bob Becker. “Hopefully this will be something we do on a regular basis. One really exciting aspect of the tour is having both Mayday Parade and Go Radio back on the road together. Could they have something special planned for the show? We shall see!”

Stay tuned for dates and more exciting details! In the meantime, check out new tracks from all the bands on the tour plus other Fearless artists on the Fearless Records Summer Sampler 2010, available as a FREE download here:

MAYDAY PARADE
Current album: Anywhere But Here
New single: ”Kids In Love”
Why they rock: Tallahassee-based infectious rockers, Mayday Parade are currently on the Van’s Warped Tour for the duration of the summer to support their breakthrough major label debut Anywhere But Here. Produced by produced by David Bendeth (Paramore, All Time Low), the album made a stunning chart debut upon its release entering the Billboard 200 at #31. In addition, the band has been featured on the cover of Alternative Press Magazine and has received video support from MTV2 and mtvU.
For more information: www.MySpace.com/MaydayParade

Taken from new album Witness, “To Hell And Back” was directed by Hannah Lux Davis (A Rocket To The Moon, Breathe Carolina), and shot in downtown Los Angeles. The Phoenix, AZ metallers will be premiering the new video on Facebook on 7/21 and on MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball on 7/26 - in the meantime get an exclusive first look below!  

The band kicks off Cool Tour, the hottest metal line-up of the summer with As I Lay Dying, Underoath, Between The Buried And Me,Cancer Bats and The Acacia Strain, this Monday 7/12.

BLESSTHEFALL - Beau Bokan (lead vocals), Eric Lambert (guitar/vocals), Mike Frisby (guitar), Jared Warth (bass), Matt Traynor (drums) – stormed to the forefront of the new evolution of the post-hardcore/metalcore genre with the release of critically-acclaimed second album Witness. Produced by Michael “Elvis” Baskette (Incubus, Escape The Fate, Story Of The Year), the album debuted in the Billboard Top 200 at #56 and the Independent Chart at #6. After Cool Tour, blessthefall heads to South America and Europe with August Burns Red this August-October. Check out the full dates below!

Cool Tour w/As I Lay Dying, Underoath, Between The Buried And Me and more
7/12 - Orlando, FL @ House Of Blues (7 bands only; no
Acacia Strain)
7/13 - Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
7/14 - N. Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues SC
7/15 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore Charlotte
7/16 – Baltimore, MD @ Sonar
7/17 – Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy
7/18 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre**
7/20 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues Boston
7/21 – Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
7/22 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
7/23 – Columbus, OH @ The LC Pavilion
7/24 – Milwaukee, WI @ Eagles Complex
7/25 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
7/27 – Houston, TX @ Verizon Wireless Theater
7/28 – Dallas, TX @ The Palladium Ballroom
7/30 – Mesa, AZ @ Mesa Amphitheatre**
7/31 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
8/1 – San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield

South American Tour w/ August Burns Red
8/21 – San Paulo, Brazil @ Carioca Club
8/22 – Curitiba, Brazil @ John Bull Music Hall
8/24 – Buenos Aires, Argentina @ Niceto Club
8/25 – Santiago, Chile @ Teatro Novedades
8/27 – Bogota, Columbia @ Teatro La Mama
8/28 – Caraca, Venezuela @ Cecim

European Tour w/ August Burns Red
29/9 – Cologne, DE @ Underground30/9 – Antwerp, BE @ Trix
1/10 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg
2/10 – Hamburg, DE @ Logo
3/10 – Berlin, DE @ Magnet
4/10 – Vienna, AT @ Szene
5/10 – Munich, DE @ Backstage Hall
6/10 – Bologna, IT @ Estragon
7/10 – Zurich, CH @ Dynamo
8/10 – Paris, FR @ Trabendo
9/10 – Manchester, UK @ Academy 3
10/10 – London, UK @ 02 Academy Islington

Russian headline tour
10/12 – Moscow, RU @ Tochka Club
10/12 – St Petersburg, RU @ Glav Club

Christian music leader Casting Crowns announces the release of its new live project, titled Until the Whole World Hears LIVE, available Aug. 31, which will offer millions of fans a front-row experience to the platinum-selling music, and discipleship, of 2010’s Dove Award-winning Artist of the Year.

Recorded at Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, N.C. on April 24, with additional footage recorded at North Charleston Coliseum, North Charleston, S.C. and at Von Braun Center, Huntsville, Ala., the band’s unforgettable 2009/2010 “Until the Whole World Hears” national concert tour is captured on this live 2-disc set, sharing the heart and story of such songs as “If We’ve Ever Needed You,” “Glorious Day” and the No. 1 hit single “Until the Whole World Hears.” The powerhouse tour saw over 350,000 fans in 82 cities.

The 54-minute LIVE concert DVD includes an additional 80 minutes of behind-the-scenes content and will launch the premiere of Casting Crowns’ new “Until the Whole World Hears” music video. The music video features fan-submitted clips of audiences singing the anthemic song, literally all across the globe.

DVD highlights include “Mark Hall’s Teaching Video Series” and the “Adopting Hope” story which details the Halls’ heartwarming journey to bringing home their 33-month old daughter, Meeka Hope, from China. The five devotional-styled video lessons led by lead singer/songwriter, author and pastor Mark Hall, give viewers a deeper look at the Biblical studies and personal stories that have inspired the band’s message-driven songs for the family.

Casting Crowns also reveals secrets of the road, with a peek into the creative day-time activities of the seven band members, in clips titled “Laser Tag,” and “Cornhole.” Remaining chapters provide new interviews with the band and “The Crew,” a look at the growing family in “Crowns’ Kids,” an introduction to Brian Scoggin in “Our New Drummer” and the last word with “Inside Scoop: two Minutes with Mark’s Parents.”

Appearing on the LIVE CD are eight live versions of the band’s new songs: “Until the Whole World Hears,” “If We’ve Ever Needed You,” “Glorious Day,” “Mercy,” “To Know You,” “Holy One,” ”Blessed Redeemer,” and “At Your Feet.”

The platinum-selling band’s recent fourth album, Until The Whole World Hears, sold 167,000 copies first-week setting a sales record as the highest debuting Christian Music artist in SoundScan history (week ending 11/22/09). The album certified RIAA Gold in four weeks, with more than 600,000 sold to date. The title track marks a ninth career No.1 radio single for Casting Crowns, as its new single “If We’ve Ever Needed You” moves up the chart.

All of the Atlanta-based band’s projects are RIAA certified, with a monster tally of two RIAA Platinum Albums, two RIAA Platinum DVDs, three RIAA Gold Albums and a Gold DVD, further establishing its unprecedented six-year career, holding position as Billboard’s top-selling act in Christian music since 2007.

About Casting Crowns:

Christian music’s GRAMMY, AMA and Dove Award-winning Artist of the Year, Casting Crowns is headed by frontman/principal songwriter Mark Hall. All of the Atlanta-based band’s projects are RIAA certified, with a monster tally of two RIAA Platinum Albums, two RIAA Platinum DVDs, three RIAA Gold Albums and a Gold DVD, holding position as Billboard’s top-selling act in Christian music since 2007. Despite an unprecedented six-year career with Casting Crowns, the seven band members remain active in student ministry in the Atlanta area and tour part-time around their local church duties. Serving his 18th year in youth ministry, Hall is the student pastor at Eagle’s Landing First Baptist Church in Atlanta. As a remarkable occasion, Casting Crowns performed for a second time in North Korea in April 2009, in partnership with Global Resource Services, as the band continues to forge invaluable relationships with the people in the D.P.R.K. The band’s tours are responsible for uniting more than 50,000 children with sponsors through humanitarian outfit World Vision.