Just a quick update on some tour announcements, and a reminder about some Shad stuff that was announced this week…
SHAD
Lots of stuff going on, so rather than write it all into a flowery paragraph, deal with these links! IN STORE PERFORMANCE: Monday, May 24th @ Sonic Boom, 7PM ALBUM PREVIEW: exclaim.ca - Shad’s video was #1 on Exclaim’s Click Hear in April, lets make him #1 again in May! “YAA I GET IT” SINGLE: Available now on iTunes! PRE ORDER: maplemusic.com (comes with an exclusive hand-screened poster) TOUR: Edmonton show rescheduled to June 7th at The Brixx (full dates in the shows section) ALBUM RELEASE: May 25th!!
LIVING WITH LIONS
LWL just launched their new MySpace last night, which features an in-studio video blog (stay tuned for more coming soon!), tour announcements with Polar Bear Club and Sights & Sounds (full dates in the shows section), and a note about Shayne leaving the band and Bill Crook from A Textbook Tragedy joining. Go to http://myspace.com/livingwithlions for all the info, and make sure to follow the band on twitter - @lwlband.
THE WOODEN SKY
The Wooden Sky have announced a run of dates in the US - some headline dates, and some alongside Indiana’s Austin Lucas (full dates in the shows section). We’ve also announced several festivals for the summer, so pack a blanket and come hang out. More news about some fall headline touring is coming, as well as the European/UK release of ‘If I Don’t Come Home You’ll Know I’m Gone”.
Hey all. It’s opening day for our Toronto Blue Jays, and hopefully that along with another Maple Leafs (and soon to be Raptors) elimination from the play-offs, the SUMMER is almost here! Here’s the latest…
SHAD
If you were living under a rock last week, you missed our big announcement via Exclaim that Shad’s new record, TSOL will be hitting shelves on May 25th. In support of the record, Shad also announced tour dates with Grand Analog and D-Sisive, as follows:
w/Grand Analog
5/27 Winnipeg, MB - Pyramid Cabaret
5/28 Saskatoon, SK - Amigo’s
5/29 Edmonton, AB - Starlite Room
6/3 Vancouver, BC - The Biltmore Cabaret
6/4 Victoria, BC - Sugar Nightclub
6/5 Kelowna, BC - Habitat
6/6 Calgary, AB - Republik
w/D-Sisive
6/12 Toronto, ON - The Opera House
6/15 Hamilton, ON - Casbah
6/16 Peterborough, ON - The Red Dog
6/17 London, ON - Call The Office
6/18 London, ON - Call The Office
Keep your eyes peeled this week - we’ll be launching the new video for the first single off of TSOL, “Yaa I Get It”, directed by HotDogGarbage. You can see a quick teaser HERE- just TRY not to watch it more than once!
JUNOS
Black Box is heading to St. John’s later this week for the 2010 Juno Awards! Ten Second Epic and Classified are nominated for awards, and both have very busy weekends scheduled. Classified, and Ten Second Epic’s Andrew Usenik and Patrick Birtles will be taking part in the Juno Cup (musicians vs. NHL alumni). Check out Andrew and Pat training HERE.
Beyond that, both artists are playing shows as part of Junofest on Friday night - visit the JUNO FEST WEBSITE for details, and make sure to tune in on Sunday night for the red carpet and award ceremony!
AND IN OTHER NEWS…
- The Wooden Sky have launched part 9 of their “Documentary In Parts” series from last summers Bedrooms & Backstreets tour on their VIMEO CHANNEL. The band is home for now after 2 solid months on the road. We’ll be announcing some summer festival appearances in the coming days…
- Living With Lions is now confirmed to be in studio with Dan Weston in May to record the follow up to 2008’s Make Your Mark. Expect the record out this fall on Black Box in Canada and Adeline in the US. We’ll be announcing some tour dates for June in the next week or so as well!
- Northcote continues across Canada with Dave Hause from The Loved Ones this week, culminating in a show with Frank Turner at the Media Club in Vancouver. Visit his MYSPACE for all the details. Northcote is also confirmed for Sled Island Festival in Calgary this summer - hit up SLEDISLAND.COM for the full lineup.
- Crash Parallel is back in studio recording some new tracks for their forthcoming release. More info is coming, so stay tuned or visit CRASHPARALLEL.COM for more details.
As always, make sure you’re following Skate4Cancer’s skate through Australia. They have a lot of exciting stuff happening, including C1rca’s commitment to donate $1 toward a S4C drop-in centre in Toronto for every time THIS VIDEO is viewed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg_zrN9_W5c
Check it out and please pass it along!
It’s been a while since our last update, so here’s a real quick one
First off, Northcote’s (Matt from Means) new EP “Borrowed Chords, Tired Eyes” is available on iTunes today! It also features a bonus track that you won’t find on the actual CD called “Peacemaker”. You can pick up your copy HERE
You can also purchase a physical copy at any upcoming show, or online at MAPLEMUSIC.COM.
Secondly, The Wooden Sky’s new album “If I Don’t Come Home You’ll Know I’m Gone” is now available on 12″ Vinyl! The LP can be purchased at shows, or on MAPLEMUSIC.COM and comes with a high-quality digital download of the full record and a bonus track called “Leave A Light On”. The record will also be available in stores as of December 21st - what a perfect Christmas gift! It’s a really beautiful piece - gatefold, nice stock. Definitely worth checking out.
Lastly, The Wooden Sky will be performing on MTV Live tomorrow! The show airs tomorrow at 6pm (live) and 11pm (taped), and you can get all the info on how to attend HERE!
We’re close to shutting it down for the holidays. So if we don’t span you between now and then, have a happy, safe and enjoyable holiday from Jason, Sarah and myself here at Black Box. We had a great ‘09, and are looking forward to another big year in oh-ten (including Shad and Living With Lions albums!!)
We have a few really important things to share as we approach the weekend, so here it goes…
1) We are very excited to welcome Northcote to the Black Box family! Northcoate is the solo moniker of Matt Goud, former member of Means and The Emerson Letters. Matt has been layign low since Means parted ways at this time last year, and has recorded a phenomenal EP called “Borrowed Chords, Tired Eyes” that will be released for purchase online and off-stage later this month. You can hear the EP in its entirety on the Northcote - MySpace. Also check out the upcoming November tour dates with Andy Shauf.
2) Living With Lions have finally announced more Canadian Dates, after almost a year working hard down in the States. They’ll trek up this way following The Fest 8 in Gainesville, and head across Canada with our good friends/up and comers, Toronto’s Brighter Brightest. Check the tour section for all the details, and keep an eye out for a new Brighter Brightest video coming to your internet/tv very soon.
3) Shad is in Toronto working hard on his follow up to 2007’s ‘The Old Prince’. He is playing some select dates though, including his first headline performance in New York City at Pianos on November 4th. If you’re planning to be in the Big Apple, or have friends in the area please spread the word! And stay tuned for new music!
4) Skate4Cancer is in the Aviva Community Fund competition. We started the competition about 3 weeks late, and about 3000 votes behind. As of today, we have taken the lead by about 250 votes! If you have already voted, thanks for your support - and please keep voting once a day so we can maintain/build our lead! If you haven’t voted yet, WHY NOT?? Do it now! VOTE!
5) The Wooden Sky is home from tour, and gearing up for their next run of dates through Ontario and Quebec in November! Check out all the dates in the tours section, and make sure to pick up your tickets for the Toronto date ASAP - this will not be a show to miss. Info is here!
So when The Wooden Sky embarked on the “Bedrooms & Backstreets” tour last month, they brought along our good friend and world famous (or soon to be) director Scott Cudmore to capture the trip on film. The result is “If I Don’t Come Home, You’ll Know I’m Gone - A Documentary In Pieces”. It’s a dark, weird and beautiful look at some of the unique spaces the band found themselves in, performing songs from the new album as well as “When Lost At Sea”. Part one has just been released. You can view it here, or visit our Vimeo Channel.
Part 2 in the ongoing series will be released on October 14th. Stay tuned, and let us know what you think! The band has also announced their first headline show in Toronto since the release of their album - Friday, November 13th @ Lee’s Palace w/Hooded Fang and Brian Borcherdt. Tickets are available at Rotate This, SoundScapes, The Horseshow and online at ticketmaster.ca. You never know what The Wooden Sky have in store, so make sure you pick up your ticket’s early.
In other news, Ten Second Epic will be on Much On Demand tomorrow prior to their show at Sound Academy with Silverstein! Make sure to check it out. Also tomorrow, Skate4Cancer’s Rob Dyer will appear on LA Ink on TLC - check your local listings for air times.
Finally, we’re stoked to confirm that Crash Parallel has announced tour dates in October with none other than Collective Soul. The dates run across the country, so make sure you check crashparallel.com for more info.
So September is here, and the unofficial summer appears to be upon us. Here’s a real quick run down of what we have going on right now.
1) The Wooden Sky’s new record, “If I Don’t Come Home You’ll Know I’m Gone” is out now. Reviews have been great - if you haven’t checked it out yet, make sure you do. We’ll be launching the first in a series of documentary-style videos from their summer tour in the coming week or so. They’ll be busy this Fall on tour with Elliott Brood, and some headline shows to be announced next week!
2) As school and work are back in full session, we’re getting our Black Box Street team back in order. If you’re into our diverse roster, helping out some great artists and getting some cool stuff in return, e-mail Sarah - street@weareblackbox.com. If you are in college or university, we especially need your help, so get in touch!
3) Shad is home from a long but successful haul on the 2009 Vans Warped Tour. He’s got a few shows this fall but we’re especially excited that he will be settling in to record his next album before the year is out. Expect new Shad music sometime in early 2010.
4) Classified hit the road again this week with his new Australian BFF’s, Hilltop Hoods. Check out the dates and make sure to get your tickets early.
5) Ten Second Epic’s video for “Every Day” continues to climb the MuchMusic countdown. Thanks for your continued support on that front. Check them out on tour w/Silverstein and A Day To Remember this fall!
6) Living With Lions album “Make Your Mark” hit shelves in the US at the end of July through Adeline Records. They’ll be heading down to The Fest 8 in October with our good friends in A Wilhelm Scream.
Make sure to check out our tours section for information on:
Classified w/Hilltop Hoods Sept 9-26
The Wooden Sky w/Elliott Brood Sept 25-Oct 22
Ten Second Epic w/Silverstein Sept 16-Oct 3
Living With Lions w/A Wilhelm Scream Oct 9-Nov 7
Shad headline dates!
Happy warm weather to you all. It’s been a bit since our last update, so here’s a quick note on what everyone is up to.
We’re extremely excited to announce that Black Box will be releasing Shad’s record, “The Old Prince” in the United States on June 30th! We recently inked a distribution deal with Caroline, and we’re honoured to have Shad as our first Black Box release in the US. The record will be out just in time for Warped Tour. Make sure you check out Shad’s brand new MySpace profile at myspace.com/shad, and stay tuned for clips from his forthcoming video for the song, “Compromise”!
Ten Second Epic’s video for “Welcome To Wherever You Are” continues to climb the MuchMusic Countdown, and has found itself atop the MOD Daily 10 on a number of occasions this month. Thanks for the ongoing support. The band is shooting their next video for the song “Every Day” on June 2nd, so stay tuned! Also, heads up to Southern Ontario - London, Guelph, Hamilton, Toronto - TSE is coming your way this week!
Living With Lions continue their assault on the US, having just announced a run of dates in June with our friends in The Swellers from Detroit, MI. They’ll also be announcing some select Western Canadian dates in the coming days. If you haven’t checked it out already, Adeline has released the Dude Manor EP on 10″ Vinyl - click HERE to order.
The Wooden Sky sold out The Music Gallery in Toronto last Friday in what can only be described as a breathtaking and inspiring performance. Joined by Evening Hymns and The Silver Line, this was a very special night for us. The band is finishing the mix of their new record, which we can now tell you will hit shelves on August 25th! More tour news and new music coming in the next couple of weeks!
Valery Gore has been confirmed on handful of summer festivals, including Ottawa Bluesfest, The Atlantic Jazz Festival, and the Evolve Music Festival. She’s also confirmed a performance at NXNE on June 19th as part of the Now Magazine showcase, and a slot opening for Sea & Cake at Supermarket on June 27th! Also, the winner and runners up have been announced in the Valery Gore Remix Competition. The winner is Kidstreet from Toronto - you can download their mix of “Shoes Of Glass”, along with the mixes of the 3 runners up HERE. Make sure you check them out and pass them along to your friends.
Classified is off for a couple of days before finishing the final 3 dates of his national tour. Hopefully you caught one of the shows, as it has been epic from coast to coast. The sold out show at the Phoenix in Toronto was a strong indicator that the new record is really connecting with people. We should have some exciting news regarding the MMVA’s to announce in the coming weeks as well, so stay tuned!
Crash Parallel is finishing up mixing their new record in LA with Matt Wallace. Keep an eye out for some select summer tour dates, and an album release date announcement coming soon!
Ever wonder what it’s like to spend a scandalous weekend with the Black Box family in Texas? Well you don’t have to wonder anymore. Head over to weareblackbox.blogspot.com and check out the photo-blog I made to chronicle our trip to SXSW. I’m by no means a pro photographer, but its a fun look at a busy weekend. Here’s a quick taste of what you can expect:
Thursday night parties…
The aftermath…
The festival…
The bros…
The feasts…
and the debauchery…
Oh yeah, and all the bands and stuff. Let us know what you think!
Also, if you haven’t already, make sure you hit up the “Welcome To Your Hometown” tour event on FACEBOOK! We’re posting all the show and ticket information there, so it’ll be your one stop shop for the tour.
If you’re in Irvine, CA this weekend for Bamboozle Left, make sure you check out Ten Second Epic and Living With Lions on Sunday!
And Classified’s new record “Self Explanatory” hits shelves next week…GET IT!
That’s about all for now. Stay tuned, and make sure to check out the PHOTO BLOG!
It’s been a bit since our last update, so check out the hotness!
Classified has announced a national tour starting in Vancouver, BC on April 23rd. The tour is in support of the new record, “Self Explanatory”, which drops April 7th. Classified will be appearing with his HalfLife crew, including Mic Boyd, Chad Hatcher, J Bru and DJ IV. Check the tours section for all the dirty details and stay tuned for contests and other fun junk associated with the upcoming dates.
Ten Second Epic plan to announce national dates for May as well in the next week or so, in conjunction with the launch of their new video for “Welcome To Wherever You Are”. MuchMusic is planning some excusive behind-the-scenes coverage, so keep an eye out for that up on MuchAXS.
It’s CMW this week, and we’re stoked to have Crash Parallel, Ten Second Epic and Valery Gore all playing showcases. Check the tours section for all the details. Shad is also up for Urban Artist of the Year at this year’s Indie Awards. The award will be presented as part of the CMW festivities.
Also, keep an eye out for Valery on CBC’s “Here and Now” with Matt Galloway this Friday. Check valerygore.com for all the info. Shad is also appearing on AUX.tv’s Alt. Sessions program on March 23rd. The program runs from 9-11pm, and can be seen on the Bite TV digital channel - available for free during the month of March (Rogers 322, Bell 530, Cogeco 123).
Other than that, The Wooden Sky is mixing their record this week, Crash Parallel is preparing to go into studio and Living With Lions are on tour in the US. SXSW is coming up, so we’re jazzed about that. Come visit us at the Indie Village if you’re around.
On another note, if you’re not cheering for Canada in the World Baseball Classic…shame on you. GO CANADA GO!
Just a quick update on a number of things going on over here. First off, I’m starting to do these updates in video-blog form, so if you like watching instead of reading, here you go:
It’s a little longer than anticipated - future blogs will be shorter, I promise. On with the update!
1) We’re extremely proud to welcome a new member to the Black Box family on the management side. Her name is Valery Gore, and she’s from right here in Toronto. Her new record, “Avalanche To Wandering Bear” was released in November on Do Right Music and has been getting some very positive feedback. Exclaim calls it “One of the best written and produced records of the year that should establish Valery Gore among the strongest female voices currently writing music.” Make sure you check her out at: valerygore.com myspace.com/valerygore facebook fan page
2) Living With Lions have a couple of sweet announcements. Firstly, their video for “A Bottle Of Charades” is being played on MuchMusic now. To encourage their fans to get requesting, the band has set up a contest to be entered into a draw for some great prizes including tickets to a show, and LWL vinyl courtesy of our friends at Adeline Records. To check that out, hit up their blog!
The band has also been confirmed on this year’s Bamboozle Left happening April 4th and 5th in California. They’re playing on the Sunday, along headliners like Taking Back Sunday, Deftones, Thrice and 50 Cent…yes, actually 50 Cent. More info at: thebamboozle.com
3) Ten Second Epic’s record “Hometown” is in stores now! Released on January 27th, the album debuted at #16 on the Canadian charts, the 4th highest debut of the week. We’re going to have some behind the scenes footage from their new video for ‘Welcome To Wherever You Are” up in the next week or so, so keep your eyes peeled for that.
4) It’s conference season, and we’re lucky to have almost all of our artists representing! Canadian Music Week is in Toronto from March 11th-14th. Two of our artists have showcases, so if you have a CMW wristband, come check them out:
Ten Second Epic - March 13th @ The Kathedral
Valery Gore - March 14th @ The Supermarket
South By Southwest happens the following week, and we have no less than FOUR artists performing this year!
The Wooden Sky - March 20th @ Volume
Classified - March 20th @ Music Gym Patio
Living With Lions - March 20th @ Buffalo Billiards
Shad - Date/Venue TBA, but he will be there!
If you’re at either CMW or SXSW, come say whats up!
5) Random notes:
Shad - Hitting up some Western Canadian dates this week. Check them out if you can! shadk.com for more info.
The Wooden Sky - Are finishing up vocals on their new record before heading to SXSW. We’re REALLY excited for the album, hopefully you are too. They’re also playing some shows in Quebec and Ontario in the next couple of weeks. thewoodensky.com for more info!
Crash Parallel - Just finished up some East Coast dates, and will finish off this album touring cycle this Saturday, February 14th @ The Mod Club. They’re heading to LA to record with Matt Wallace (Maroon 5, Deftones, REM) this Spring, so stay tuned for more updates there.
Classified - “Self Explanatory” is out April 7th across Canada. The single, “Anybody Listening” is in the top 40 on radio in Canada, and the video should be hitting the airwaves before March. Following SXSW, he’s headed to Europe with D-12, then back to do a tour across Canada following the album release. For more info, visit his myspace!
That’s about all for now. I feel like I’m out of breathe. Remember to visit us online:
Ian
