Archers Of Loaf founding member Eric Bachmann, better known as Crooked Fingers, will on Aug. 22 issue his solo debut “To The Races” via Saddle Creek. The self-produced effort features violinist Tom Hagerman (Devotchka) and vocalist Miranda Brown. The album was recorded over a week’s time in rural North Carolina.

Pearl Jam has unveiled its first music video since the 1998 clip for “Do the Evolution” in the form of “Life Wasted,” the first video directed by visual artist Fernando Apodaca. The clip is available from various sites through Wednesday (May 24) as a free download under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Drivers license. It premiered […]

Kaiser Chiefs and Snow Patrol are to headline a two-day festival in Belfast this summer.The bands play the Tennent’s Vital 06 bash, which takes place at the city’s Botanic Gardens.Kaiser Chiefs will headline on August 22, while local heroes Snow Patrol close proceedings the following day.

New Order have announced a new UK tour for this autumn. The Manchester legends will head out for a series of big shows this October.Meanwhile New Order will release a live DVD, taken from 2005 concerts in New York and London, on June 19.

Lordi are to release ‘Hard Rock Hallelujah’, the track that won them the Eurovision Song Contest, as a single on June 6. The band have also been confirmed to play the Download Festival on June 11.

Chicago trio American Heritage have signed to Translation Loss. The band will issue their new album, ‘Millenarian‘, in September.

The Red Chord are to call their new album ‘Birdbath‘. No news yet on when it will be recorded, but it should include the songs ‘I Am Not A Lawnmower’, ‘The Robot From The Future’, ‘Skin Beef’, ‘The Brian Slagel Song’.

These Arms Are Snakes are to call their new album ‘Easter‘. This should be released in October.

Staind are to perform at this year’s Indianaopolis 500 event, which happens on May 28. It’s the 90th running of this famous motor race.

Sweden’s Hammerfall are currently recording their new, as yet untitled album with producer Charlie Bauerfeind. To be released in October by Nuclear Blast, it will feature the following songs ‘Natural High’, ‘The Fire Burns Forever’, ‘Titan’, ‘Rebel Inside’ and ‘Carved In Stone’.