The cover artwork for “Vincent Price”, the new single from Deep Purple. It will be released on June 7 as download, CD single and seven-inch transparent vinyl.

“Vincent Price” will become a Purple collector’s item, due to the inclusion of the song “First Sign Of Madness”, which was recorded during the “Now What?!” sessions and not included in the final selection.

Seven-inch single:
Side A: Vincent Price
Side B: First Sign Of Madness

CD single and download:
01. Vincent Price
02. First Sign Of Madness
03. The Well Dressed Guitar (from the now-deleted “Rapture Of The Deep” limited-edition CD)
04. Wrong Man (live) (from the now-deleted “Rapture Of The Deep” limited-edition CD)
05. Vincent Price (video)

Deep Purple’s first video in over 20 years — for “Vincent Price” — The track comes off the band’s latest album, “Now What?!”, which sold 4,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 115 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

According to a press release, “Now What?!” was recorded with no musical rules… and it shows a modern and fresh production… to the point that Deep Purple have never sounded so close to the spirit of the ’70s in the last 20 years as they do now. The CD has the excellence and elegance of “Perfect Strangers” and the wild freedom of “Made In Japan”.

The title “20/20″ first of all refers to the album being the 20th of Saga returning to The Netherlands and Germany.

With striking keyboard sounds and Michael Sadler’s stunning vocals, the album has all that it takes to become an instant fan favourite as well as a worldwide hit. The opener “Six Feet Under” features a dominant keyboard sound, roaring guitars and a chorus you can’t get out of your head. Followed by the catchy, high energy driven “Anywhere You Wanna Go”, Saga clarify that their original trademark sound is still going strong. The emotional ballad “Lost For Words” once again demonstrates Sadler’s incredible vocal range.

Michael Sadler reflects his return to the band: “One thing that we agreed on was that, if and when I ever were to return, it would have to feel like it was exactly the right thing to do and exactly the right time to do it!” And clearly, there has never been a better time than now!

Dutch band Silhouette released their third studio album, Across The Rubicon last year and did quit a lot of touring in Europe to promote the album.

Across the Rubicon was recorded and produced between July 2011 and March 2012 at the Brewery in Vleuten (The Netherlands). Music composed by Silhouette, music arranged and performed by Silhouette and Aldo Adema. Production by Erik Laan, mixing by Aldo Adema, mastering by Han Uil. Artwork and layout by Ed Unitsky. Special appearance by MaryO on flute and backing vocals. Silhouette is back in the studio to record the 4th album. Before release they will tour with Landmarq again through Europe later this year.

20 june 2013 – ECI – Roermond – The Netherlands – TICKETS
21 june 2013 – Patronaat – Haarlem – The Netherlands – TICKETS
22 june 2013 – Rheinlandpfalztag – Pirmasens – Germany

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

You’ve got it! Insomniac was a riff that haunted me for years. Add a headache-inducing cowbell and the mood is just right. Having experienced lots of sleepless nights, the words didn’t take long to form. Many a time I stay up all night pondering about my reactions and behavior. Life is a process: Treat others like you would want to be treated. And maybe you’ll get some sleep. Just maybe.”

VHB’s new album has received high praises and the new album’s tracks have already been well established during the spring tour. This summer the band can be seen at festivals and events as well as a tour in Great Britain during October:

24.05. Klubi, Turku, Finland
25.05. JBFT 2013, Loimaa, Finland
01.06. Rock Cafe, Tallinn, Estonia
08.06. Kivenlahti Rock, Espoo, Finland
14.06. Provinssirock, Seinäjoki, Finland
22.06. The Voice Juhannus Himos Festival, Jämsä, Finland
06.07. Ruisrock, Turku, Finland
13.07. Pioneerifestivaali, Kouvola, Finland
14.07. Ilosaari, Joensuu, Finland
19.07. Tammerfest, Tampere, Finland
26.07. Qstock, Oulu, Finland
27.07. Työväen Musiikkitapahtuma, Valkeakoski, Finland
02.08. Kuopiorock, Kuopio, Finland
03.08. Porispere, Pori, Finland

18.10. King Tut’s, Glasgow, United Kingdom
19.10. Duchess, York, United Kingdom
20.10. Globe, Cardiff, United Kingdom
25.10. Garage, London, United Kingdom
26.10. Eric’s Live, Liverpool, United Kingdom
27.10. Robin 2, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom

The band – who began in London during 1982, before splitting up six years later and then being reactivated in Scotland during 1990 – released current album Skies Darken last year on the same label; it was their first new album in 10 years.

Now the rest of their catalogue (five albums in all) is to be made available again, with each having been fully remastered. These are:

Serpents In Camouflage (originally released in 1993)
Somewhere But Yesterday (1994)
Ghost Dance (1996)
Raising The Stones (1997)
Playing Dead (2002)

Each will be in a single CD format, apart from Serpents In Camouflage. This is to have a bonus CD, featuring their first four-track demo, from 1991.

Currently, bassist/vocalist Cyrus and keyboard player/drummer Stewart Bell are working on solo projects. The former’s will be called Arculus, while the latter is to title his concept album The Oneironaut.

Leprous, the Norwegian proggers, have just released their new album on InsideOut Music.

It’s called Coal, and is the fourth full album from the four-piece. The full track listing is: Foe, Chronic, Coal, The Cloak, The Valley, Salt, Echo and Contaminate Me. The album is available as a standard CD and digitally. There are also two special formats, each of which have the bonus songs Bury and Foe Re-mix. These are a limited edition Mediabook CD (this has an expanded booklet as well) and a double LP, which is pressed on 180g black vinyl. There are also both white and transparent vinyl versions available, but each is limited to just 100 copies.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

After playing a number of European festivals in the summer, Leprous will start a major European tour in Trondheim, Norway on September 6.

London-based prog guitarist Matt Stevens has signed a solo deal the Esoteric Antenna label.

The news comes swift on the back of Stevens’ other band, The Fierce And The Dead signing to the Bad Elephant label (also home to Simon Godfrey’s Shineback project) and the London-based multi instrumentalist will release Lucid, his fourth album, in February next year.

Stevens has often been compared to the likes of Radiohead and Robert Fripp. He has played live with Jon Gomm, Mike Keneally, Colin Edwin, Barclay James Harvest, Fish, Touchstone and The Reasoning and will appear with label-mates Tin Spirits and Sanguine Hum at London’s Borderline on Friday 7 June and Manchester’s Band On The Wall on Friday 21 June.

Stevens’ 2010 album Ghost, his second release, was described in Prog as ‘ a phenomenal piece of work that has already garnered countless frothing plaudits within the online prog and post-rock firmament. Wholly instrumental and insanely inventive…an internet phenomena in the making’.

Australian prog rockers Karnivool are to release their third album later in 2013. You can check out the first track from the album, The Refusal, which was the first song written for the album and which Karnivool have already been playing it live, here. The album was produced by Nick DiDia, who has also worked with Mastodon.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Karnivool have also just shot a video for the first single from the as-yet untitled new album. This was directed by Christopher Frey. Mysteriously, all Karnivool are saying about the video is: “We are breaking showbiz rule #1. Don’t work with children. Stay tuned”.

“The way festivals used to be, we were always prevented from bringing our full show to them, so things changed in the last couple of years,” the frontman tells VH1′s Radio Network. “We’ve started playing a couple of outdoor venues that allow us to do our full show. We did a few in Canada that are multiple-day festivals, where you have a stage to yourself that can accommodate, so that started to turn us around a little bit about playing festivals.

“We’ll see how this one,” he adds. “This one in Sweden is kind of a test case for the European festivals, and if we like the end result, then I think we might start doing more of those, because we can play to more people and shorten the show a little bit and just hit more countries that way. That’s kind of what’s at the back of our minds — if this goes well, maybe we can go to some countries we haven’t visited yet.”

So, could we be seeing Rush at Download or Hard Rock Calling next year? Let the rumours commence…

Trevor Bolder was born in 1950. He was active in his local R&B scene in the mid 1960. He first came to prominence in The Rats, which also featured Mick Ronson on lead guitar.

His big break arrived in 1971, when he replaced Tony Visconti in David Bowie’s backing band, which would soon be known as the Spiders from Mars. Bolder’s bass (and occasional trumpet) work appeared on the studio albums Hunky Dory (1971), The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972), Aladdin Sane (1973), and Pin Ups (1973), the Spiders’ swan song with their leader.

In 1976 Bolder joined Uriah Heep, replacing John Wetton. Bolder’s tenure with Uriah Heep was, initially, relatively short-lived. Although he did contribute to the albums Firefly, Innocent Victim, Fallen Angel and Conquest, when the line-up that had recorded the latter disbanded Bolder alone was left with Mick Box, guitarist, founder-member and legal owner of the band’s name. The attempt to put a new line-up together temporarily stalled and Bolder, needing to earn a living, accepted an offer in 1981 to join Wishbone Ash. Bolder had, coincidentally, again swapped places with John Wetton, becoming The Ash’s bass player for their 1982 album Twin Barrels Burning. It was another short-lived connection, as by 1983 he returned to the rhythm section with Uriah Heep, playing on the Head First tour (although Bob Daisley played on the album) and all albums since.

As well as his usual bass-playing and backing vocal duties, Bolder also produced Heep’s 1991 album Different World. He sang lead on “Fear Of Falling”, one of the tracks he had written for Sea Of Light in 1995. Although credited on the album cover with lead vocals on “It Ain’t Easy”, the last track on Conquest (1980), it is not Bolder singing. It was simply too late to amend the sleeve. He does, however, contribute lead vocals to “Lost”, a track on Uriah Heep’s 2011 album Into the Wild.

While on tour with the Cybernauts he painted his face blue but then found out the paint was semi permanent and would not come off. Bolder had to sell his car to raise the money needed for a specialist skin peeling process at a Swiss clinic. To this day he had still has traces of blue paint behind his left ear.

During his spare time in his hometown of Hull, Bolder was an avid collector of whippets and was highly regarded in the North of England for his knowledge and expertise of the breed.

Iconic Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek has died at the age of 74, it’s been confirmed.

He passed away in a clinic in Germany after having fought cancer of the bile duct for some time. He was surrounded by his family.

Manzarek founded the band with Jim Morrison, Robby Krieger and John Densmore in 1964. They became icons of the psychedelic era, having found the inspiration for their name in a poem by William Blake: “If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite.”

A statement from his family says: “Ray passed away today at the RoMed Clinic in Rosenheim, Germany, after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his wife Dorothy and his brothers Rick and James.

“The Doors formed when Ray had a chance encounter on Venice Beach with poet Jim Morrison. LA Woman, Break On Through To The Other Side, The End, Hello, I Love You, and Light My Fire were just some of the band’s groundbreaking songs.

“After Morrison’s death in 1971, Ray went on to become a best-selling author and a Grammy-nominated recording artist in his own right. In 2002, he revitalized his touring career with Doors guitarist and long-time collaborator, Robby Krieger.”

Guitarist Krieger says: “I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of my friend and bandmate. I’m glad to have played Doors songs with him for the last decade. Ray was a huge part of my life and I will always miss him.”

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

PB will tour more dates later this year, more info next week!

Julianna Barwick is to release a new album on August 19 through the Dead Oceans label.

It’s her third album and is called Nepenthe and is to be available in CD, vinyl and digital formats. The album was recorded in Reykjavík, Iceland during February.

“I was inspired just by being there, and the gorgeousness of that place,” she says. “Your eyes can’t believe what they’re seeing. I walked home one night and got totally lost in Reykjavík. I ended up walking alongside the ocean – and it was glowing blue. It looked like it had a lamp underneath it. This is a completely different experience than recording myself in my Brooklyn bedroom.”

There’s a teenage choir on the song Forever, while Icelandic band Amiina guest on the track The Harbinger.

“I had never had anyone play on any record before, so this was a 180 turn.”

Here’s a trailer for the album, featuring the song Forever….

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Incidentally, if you are wondering where the album title comes from, in ancient Greek literature, nepenthe is a drug used to wipe out grief and sorrow by making you forget the cause of the emotional pain.

Barwick, who was commissioned to remix Radiohead’s Reckoner in 2010, will be headlining Yoko Ono’s Meltdown Festival in London on June 18. This happens at the Purcell Room at the Southbank Centre. She also plays the End Of The Road Festival in North Dorset on September 1.

In a limited capacity venue (200 seats only), bigger parts of the album plus some extra special treats will be played live for you by Kristoffer Gildenlöw and some of the fines hand picked musicians around.

Please give it up for:
Dirk Bruinenberg – Drums
Paul Coenradie – Guitar
Robby Valentine – Keyboards
Mark Brekelmans – Bass
Laura Schrijver – Violin

There will also be a meet and greet/signing session and the show will be filmed and recorded for future use.
You can be there too!

Special guest: A Liquid Landscape (NL)

Don’t miss out!

Reserve your tickets today as the seats fill up quickly. Reserved tickets cost €10 (or €15 including the album). Tickets at the door is + €3 (but don’t bet your butt that there will be any left). Doors open at 19:00

You can reserve your tickets through this e-mail address: info@glassvillemusic.com

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

It’s taken from their sixth album All Is One, set for release on June 24 via Century Media.

Singer Kobi Farhi recently said: “I feel that we took all aspects to a new level: the way we write, arrange, play and produce. We can’t stop listening to it. It’s very rich in sound with more than 40 people participating – choirs, violins and traditional instruments.”

The Israeli outfit visit Europe: CHECK!

All Is One tracklist
01. All Is One
02. The Simple Man
03. Brother
04. Let The Truce Be Known
05. Through Fire And Water
06. Fail
07. Freedom
08. Shama’im
09. Ya Benaye
10. Our Own Messiah
11. Children

It’s called Flash Featuring Ray Bennett & Colin Carter and it’s their fourth LP, coming after Out Of Our Hands, which was launched in 1973.

Vocalist Carter formed the band in 1971 with bassist Bennett, original Yes guitar icon Peter Banks and drummer Mike Hough. Bennett now plays lead guitar with Carter on rhythm guitar and vocals, alongside bassist Wayne Carver, keyboardist Rick Daugherty and drummer Mark Pardy.

The album has been three years in the making. Bennett says: “Colin and I did write a large chunk of the old Flash material, and our sensibilities as writers haven’t changed a huge amount. We still write all the time.

“But we’ve developed, we’re more sophisticated, and we have a few more tricks up our sleeves. I think that all shows up on the new CD. I saw a lot of magic happen on this new album – as it grew into a finished thing, all kinds of excellent stuff popped up as we let it develop. There’s a lot to be said for giving it time.”

Flash Featuring Ray Bennett & Colin Carter is available for preorder now.

The lineup features guitarists Dave Hull-Denholm, Charlie Harcourt and Steve Daggett alongside bassist Ian Thomson and Roxy Music drummer Paul Thompson. Every member asides from Thompson has been in a previous version of Lindisfarne, although not all at the same time.

The move came after Jackson performed for the first time with Hull-Denholm in 2012, at the unveiling of a memorial plaque to co-founder Alan Hull, who died in 1995. Earlier this year Jackson announced a one-off Christmas show in Newcastle City Hall, to help save the venue which was threatened with closure at the time. The speed of ticket sales encouraged him to take the idea further.

As a result Lindisfarne will play the following shows:

Dec 15: Middlesbrough Town Hall
Dec 16: Harrogate Town Hall
Dec 17: Hull City Hall
Dec 20: Newcastle City Hall
Dec 22: Newcastle City Hall
Dec 23: Newcastle City Hall

Tickets are on sale now, although the last two dates have already sold out.

Jackson says: “Dave is one of the very few performers who could stand in Alan’s shoes and front Lindisfarne with me. When we first got together earlier this month to rehearse, it was absolutely amazing. It felt like the original Lindisfarne, only better.

“We’re all looking forward to the Christmas shows and, from 2014, to touring and performing at music festivals here and abroad. It’s about time there was a permanent Lindisfarne band representing the North-East for fans old and new.

“I’ve got a few good years left in me – and after that, there’s no reason why Lindisfarne should not live on with a new generation of great musicians; and, most certainly, continue the tradition of the Lindisfarne Christmas Shows at Newcastle City Hall.”

Hull’s widow Pat has given her blessing, saying: ““This is the Lindisfarne that Alan would have been happy to see performing his music. It was never the same after Ray left, and Alan missed him. I’ll be in the audience at all of the Newcastle Christmas shows along with my family.”

Hi everyone,

Thank you so much to everybody who came to see us last weekend, it was great to get back on the road. Your appreciation was superb and it seems we have discovered a wonderful new venue – The Citadel in St. Helens – what a great place – I think we’ll be back there! As you will have noticed if you came to any of the gigs, there was a different drummer – in order for Mostly Autumn to progress and move forward freely I have had to take the decision to choose the line-up on a tour by tour basis, as members sometimes, quite rightly, have their own commitments. For the rest of the year, barring 3 concerts, Alex Cromerty from the Heather Findlay Band, will be drumming with us in place of Gavin.

Hannah Hird (most recently seen harmonising with Ellie Golding on her recent tour) will be fulfilling the rest of the year on harmony vocals and keys in place of Anne-Marie. We sincerely wish Anne- Marie and Gavin the best of luck with anything they do and look forward to embracing the many talents of Hannah and Alex. The rest of the band will be as normal.

Can’t wait to see you all again.

Bryan Josh

Friday 28 June – Dru Cultuurfabriek Ulft (NL)
Saturday 29 June – De Boerderij Zoetermeer (NL)

New live DVD at De Boerderij! Stunning, filmed by John Vis and his team. Get it here!

She tells: The time has come for me to announce that I am retiring frommy music career into private life. I have enjoyed 18 years of recording (with some performances), have 7 wonderful albums, and have worked with some of the best musicians in the industry. Some, as members of my band, and some as paid session players. I have been nominated for many awards such as the Los Angeles Music Awards’ Best Instrumental Artist, the Hollywood Music Awards, and several others, and have won some, too. I’ve also had the opportunity to do many benefit and charity projects, some which even weren’t public. I have developed a fan base around the world, particularly in South America and Russia, and have made many good friends through it all. Some have become real life friends, others just ‘pen pals.’ But it doesn’t matter – a friend is a friend. And I value all of you.

Many transitions have taken place in the last year or so in my life, and through it all the expense of maintenance of a website is kind of moot, as sales have dropped to zero. My arm condition is not continuing to improve, and I do not forsee being able to produce any new music in the near future, so as of June 1, 2013, http://www.lisalaruemusic.com will be retired, as well. CD’s will continue to be for sale through the website until that time.

The Lisa LaRue 2KX fanpage on Facebook will remain active if you wish to read archives such as reviews, etc. Over the next month, I will be making sure that all the archives from the website are included on that page. If you haven’t liked that page yet, you can find it at http://www.facebook.com/lisalarue2kx

It’s been a great 18 years, and I’ve seen most of my dreams come true, in the music field, even though it’s cost me my life’s savings to produce the last 3 albums and market them. Now it’s time to enjoy family, home and all of the other things I enjoy in life such as my job, photography, cooking and antiquing (and rebuilding a savings! lol).

Special thanks to many people for the wonderful 18 years…… Tom Bee, Will Alexander, Keith Emerson, Tommy Zvoncheck, Steve Adams, Don Schiff, Merrill Hale, Mike Alvarez, Dave Schiff, Amy Simmons, Sandy Serge, Barry Solomon, Federico Fantacone, and especially John Baker and John Payne. There are many others too numerous to mention, but you guys have been there through thick and thin.

Featuring rare and exciting performances by Pink Floyd, Santana, T.Rex, The Byrds, Canned Heat, Jefferson Airplane, Soft Machine, It’s A Beautiful Day, Family, Country Joe, Dr. John & The Night Trippers, Flock and Al Stewart, makes this extraordinary release a must for fans of music everywhere! The three-day festival was held in August 1970 at the Kralingse Bos (Kralingse Forest) in Rotterdam, and despite the rain, an estimated 100,000 people attended the astounding event!

To purchase The Dutch Woodstock double CD/DVD set: Just HERE!

Featuring…

Pink Floyd – Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun, A Saucerful Of Secrets
Santana – Gumbo, Savor, Jingo
The Byrds – Old Blue
Canned Heat – Human Condition, So Sad
T-Rex – Pavillions Of Sun
Jefferson Airplane – Saturday Afternoon, White Rabbit, Ballad Of You & Me & Pooneil plus interviews with Paul Kanter & Grace Slick
Soft Machine – Esther’s Nose Job
It’s A Beautiful Day – Wasted Union Blues, Open Up Your Hearts
Family – Drowned In Wine
Country Joe – Freedom Is A Constant
Dr. John & The Night Trippers – Mardi Gras Day
Flock – Big Bird
Al Stewart – Zero She Flies

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

TumbleTown is a studio project by Han Uil (Seven Day Hunt, Antares and solo works) and Aldo Adema (Egdon Heath, Seven Day Hunt). A collaboration between two skilled producers, guitarists and composers.

Both played together in the progressive rock formation Seven Day Hunt, a continuation of Egdon Heath. The 2008 debut release ‘File This Dream’ was hailed by the press as ‘the album of the year has come early’ (Progwereld) and ‘vette krent’ (recommended by iO pages). This album was produced and mixed by guitarist Aldo. Han was the band’s vocalist/lyricist who also co-produced and mastered the album.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Aldo left Seven Day Hunt in 2009 and the band disbanded soon after. Aldo wanted to concentrate more on studio recording and production work. Meanwhile Han recorded and produced his second solo album ‘Dark in Light’ (2010). Han and Aldo co-operated on one songs of this album ‘Memento’. Because this successful cooperation, they both decided to start a new studio project. TumbleTown was born.

In 2011 Aldo was asked by the Dutch neo-proggers Silhouette to produce their third album ‘Across the Rubicon’. TumbleTown took an half-a-year break so Aldo could focus on this production. Aldo had already appeared with a guest performance on their second album ‘Moods’. Han mastered their highly successful album which was released June 2012.

In the same month the first TumbleTown video saw the light featuring the song ‘One Goal’. This is a protest song against the Syrian regime and in support of the Syrian resistance.

Musically TumbleTown is a brilliant mix of progressive and mainstream rock. They are influenced by a wide scale of artists like; Blackfield, Pat Metheny, The Beatles, Spock’s Beard, Neil Young, David Bowie, Nick Cave and Pink Floyd.

Just before Christmas 2012, a second youtube video was released ‘The End of Hyde’.

The album features guest appearances by Erik Laan (Silhouette) on keyboards, Marcel Copini (Egdon Heath & Seven Day Hunt) on bass and Carola Magermans (Seven Day Hunt) delivered a vocal contribution. TumbleTown’s debut album will be released by FREIA Music, a Dutch independent music label in June 2013.

Comedy Of Errors reformed in late 2009 with original members Jim Johnston (Keyboards), Joe Cairney (Vocals) and Mark Spalding (Guitar) realising they had some unfinished business to attend to!

The Disobey album was released in May of 2011 to critical acclaim and had two tracks featured on the Classic Rock Presents Prog Magazine. This release saw them joined by Bruce Levick on drums and John Fitzgerald on bass, making up the touring band..

The CD’s have been distributed worldwide via a network of international dealers as well as being available directly from the band website and on download from CD Baby, Bandcampm Amazon, and many other music download retailers.

The band’s second release, Fanfare and Fantasy, sees the band exploring some more complex themes both musically and lyrically. In addition to a CD release Fanfare and Fantasy has been issued as a double vinyl album, with bonus track.

Both albums have been mixed and mastered by Rob Aubrey, a well-respected producer/engineer, working out of Aubitt Studios, Southampton, UK since 2002.

Comedy Of Errors plan to tour and appear at festivals, as the band has something special to offer both in the studio and on the live stage soon to be yours.

14 June – Bannersman – Edinburgh (UK)
24 August – Stereo – Glasgow (UK)
13 September – Parktheater – Alphen a/d Rijn (NL)
14 September – Het Podium – Hoogeveen (NL)
15 September – ECI Cultuurfabriek – Roermond (NL)
23 November – Danfest 3 – The Musician – Leicester (UK)
and more soon to be announced

The bands, both of whom appeared at the inaugural HRH Prog Festival in Rotherham last month, are regarded as two of the most dynamic up-and-coming acts on the circuit.

VHB are riding high with positive reviews for fifth album Nine Lives, released in March via Spinefarm Records. Meanwhile Touchstone are gearing up for the release of their follow-up to 2011′s The City Sleeps, which will be detailed ahead of the tour.

Tickets are on sale now from the respective venues.

Touchstone / Von Hertzen Brothers UK tour
Oct 18: Glasgow King Tut’s (08444 999 990)
Oct 19: York Duchess (08444 77 1000)
Oct 20: Cardiff Globe (07590 471 888)
Oct 25: London Garage (08448 471 678)
Oct 26: Liverpool Eric’s Live (0151 236 9994)
Oct 27: Bilston Robin 2 (01902 401211)

Asia will perform their first-ever show with new guitarist Sam Coulson at the Stables in Milton Keynes on June 5, they’ve confirmed.

The 26-year-old was named as the band’s latest member following Steve Howe’s surprise departure in January. He’s been working on Asia’s upcoming album Valkyrie, and makes his festival debut with them at Sweden Rock two days after the Milton Keynes show.

The band say: “As well as an opportunity to introduce Sam, this intimate show is also intended as a thank-you to Asia fans after the 2012 tour had to be cancelled due to Carl Palmer’s health.”

Frontman John Wetton adds: “Asia is ready to take its next steps. We can’t wait to see Sam take his place on stage for the first of many shows with us.”

The show will feature an acoustic section of songs the band have never played live in the UK before, in addition to a full electric set.

Howe recently told Prog he’d been considering leaving the band for some time before his departure was announced.

Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre will embark on a solo band tour of England and the rest of Europe at the end of September.

He’s concentrating on Martin Barre’s New Day while his Tull colleague Ian Anderson focuses on his Thick As A Brick 2 project. The guitarist recently said: “Since Ian and I have been playing together for many years, we have a mutual respect for one another – both as people and as musicians.

“It’s a marriage of understanding and giving the other person space, and knowing that the history and catalog of Jethro Tull’s music was of our making.”

Barre heads out on tour after appearing at Fairport’s Cropredy Convention on August 9. He recently completed work on his fifth solo album and is negotiating over a release in the near future.

Meanwhile, Tull will release a four-DVD set entitled Around The World Live on June 3 via Eagle Rock. It comes packaged in a 32-page hardback book containing photos from Ian Anderson’s personal archive and explanatory text on each live show.

Martin Barre’s New Day tour
28th September – Tavistock Wharf
3th October – Brighton Komedia
4th October – London Borderline
5th October – Banbury Mill
6th October – Hebden Bridge Trades Club
8th October – Sheffield Greystokes
10th October – Bilston Robin 2
11th October – Bristol Tunnels
12th October – Falmouth Blues In The Bay Festival
14th October – Milton Keynes Stables

17th October – B-Verviers – Spirit of 66
18th October – NL-Ulft – Dru Cultuurfabriek
19th October – NL-Zoetermeer – De Boerderij
20th October – Münster – HotJazzClub
22nd October – Bamberg – Live Club
23rd October – Fulda – Kreuz
24th October – Isernhagen – Blues Garage
25th October – Buchholz – Empore
26th October – Siegburg – Kubana
28th October – Aschaffenburg – Colossaal
29th October – Augsburg – Spectrum
1st November – Bruchsal – Fabrik
2nd November – Fischbach – Bahnhof Fischbach
3rd November – CH-Pratteln – Gallery
5th November – Stuttgart – LKA Longhorn

It’s taken from new pledge-funded album Truth, Lies & Half Lies, which is released on May 15.

The band say of their fifth long-player: “It’s the best-sounding album that we’ve ever done. Not only that, but we’re hugely proud of the songs too. There is a band philosophy that each record has to be better than our last – and this is very much the case here.”

Pre-order Truth, Lies & Half Lies.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Mainly comprising ethereal textural and evocative piano backdrops to readings of Geraci’s work (by Geraci, Cavanagh and Heather Leah Huddleston), the album also contains two new songs by Cavanagh. Within (Part 2) and Brief are also based on the words of Geraci and in their heartfelt and emotive delivery, the songs act as an ideal coda to the more tender moments on Anathema’s recent albums.

Presented as a 17 part continuous suite of textures, poetry and songs, The Passage is a seductive and unpretentious marriage of spoken word and music that highlights the growing sophistication in Daniel Cavanagh’s compositional capabilities.

The Tangent will release seventh studio album Le Sacre Du Travail – The Rite Of Work – on June 24 via InsideOut, mainman Andy Tillison has confirmed.

And although their his first-ever concept album, it deals with something almost everyone has experienced: a day at work.

He describes the work, inspired by Stravinsky, as a five-movement “electric sinfonia” and says it has a “very personal feel.”

Tillison – who came to the rescue when Frost* ran the risk of cancelling their headline slot at Celebr8.2 this weekend – previously explained: “I have never had any desire to sing about The Hobbit. I live in a semi-detached house, near a little supermarket and a comprehensive school. The things I want to write about have always taken place in this world, be they for good or for ill.

“It’s a working day in England, but could be anywhere. This is our first full foray into the bombastic and supposedly pompous world of ‘classical rock’.”

He describes the work as a “more demanding listen,” but adds it’s “not in any way less prog.”

The version of The Tangent that recorded Le Sacre Du Travail includes former members Jonas Reingold, Jakko Jakszyk and Theo Travis, plus Gavin Harrison and David Longdon. Cameo appearances come from Rikard Sjoblom and Guy Manning, among others.

InsideOut CEO Thomas Waber says: “It’s a very mature album with stellar musicianship.”

Profuna Ocean will release their next album of the FREIA Music label. They are curently recording the yet untitled album.

Now available on FREIA Music:
Fanfare & Fantasy – Comedy Of Errors [cd digipak]
1.000 Wishes – PBII [cd digipak]
Moods – Silhouette [cd digipak]
Zoe – ENorm [CD+DVD in cardboard sleeve]
The Final Battle – Haze [cd digipak]

Britain’s hardest working prog musicians have reformed as Haze to record a new album after more than 20 years. The album again is a blend of prog, heavy metal, folk and pop. To promote the album the band will play live regularly. They are looking at touring Europe later this year, beginning 2014.

Comedy of Errors will perform in the UK and The Netherlands upcoming months.

Watchig The Closing Sky – Profuna Ocean [CD jewelcase]
Not surprisingly FREIA Music are offering the debut album of Dutch Exposure winners Profuna Ocean. The album was originally released in 2009 and is now available as a midprice CD.

Upcoming releases:
FREIA Music has three new releases planned for the coming months.

Done With The Coldness – TumbleTown
TumbleTown is a renewed collaboration between guitarist/producer Aldo Adema (Egdon heath, Seven Day Hunt, Silhouette) and singer-songwriter Han Uil (Seven Day Hunt, Han Uil solo). After their succesfull cooperation in Seven Day Hunt the two of them decided to start working on a joint effort. Based on the songs of Han the two of them added the influences of Aldo’s distinctive style to produce an album that is a brilliant mix between progressive and mainstream rock. Most of the instruments are played by the two but there are some cameo appearances such as Erik Laan (Silhouette) on keyboards.

TumbleTown is a studioband and currently there are no plans to perform live. As a preview of the album the band recorded a videoclip of one of the songs on the album, The End of Hyde…..

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

1000Wishes [Live DVD] – PBII
FREIA Music has kindle agreed to finance the production of the Live DVD of the 1000Wishes Rock Opera by PBII. Recorded during the theatre-concerts in Rijswijk the DVD will see it’s release during the extra show of this extra ordinary Rock Opera on 9th of June.
All net proceeds of this DVD go to the Dutch Children’s Cancer Fund KiKa. The review on DPRP is just HERE!

Cold Steel [remastered & expanded] – Cliffhanger
We will be rereleasing the 1995 debut-album ‘Cold Steel’ of the Dutch band Cliffhanger. This original recording is remastered and we have added 11 until now unreleased tracks from the same era. The ‘remastered & expanded’ version will be available in a luxury 2CD twofold digipak complete with new artwork and linenotes.

Cliffhanger was formed in 1993 and released 4 albums between 1995 and 2001. They built up a good trackrecord especially in Europe and did quite some touring in the Netherlands and Belgium. The band split up in 2011 but did work together on the NovoX-project.
After the dissolvement of the band all members have been talking about a reunion but this is impossible due to other engagements. The only active member of the band in the scene is Gijs Koopmans. After having played for Knight area for over 10 years he recently teamed up with Ulysses. The release is planned end May/early June. Next to ‘Cold Steel’ we also have the ‘DugOut Alive’ DVD available with one of the bands last concerts on video and over 10 hours of music available.

FREIA Music will start the distribution of the vinyl version of One Eye On The Sunrise, the latest album by Nine Stones Close. The album is released as a double HQ-vinyl (180 grms) album in a gatefold sleeve. The pressing is limited to 250 copies only!