We’ve been singing the praises of ECHOBOY for a while now so you could only imagine our joy when we discovered the new video for the song “Lovesick Antelopes” in our inbox. The first thing we thought was that we just had to share with you all. So without further adieu we give you “Lovesick Antelopes”, from the most recent Echoboy album, Eletrik Soul Psymphonie.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5017428520493444649

[adult swim] will be airing a very special episode of Robot Chicken in the very near future.

It will be a 30 minute episode completely dedicated to the movie Star Wars and will have a reunion between the movie’s creator George Lucas and Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill. The show will debut on June 17 at 10pm.

George Lucas and Mark Hamill will reunite for “Robot Chicken: Star Wars,” a 30-minute stop-motion animation special for Adult Swim, Cartoon Network’s programming block.

The special spoofs key scenes and favorite characters from the “Star Wars” universe. It was done in collaboration with Lucas’ production company Lucasfilm. Lucas, the creator of the “Star Wars” franchise, will voice a cartoon version of himself, and Hamill will resurrect Luke Skywalker.

The special, set to premiere at 10 p.m. on June 17, comes from “Robot Chicken” creators Seth Green and Matthew Senreich. Green directed. (more…)

Bob Lefsetz just sent this around to his email list and it’s pretty awesome. Very well done.

Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip - “Thou Shalt Always Kill”

DAVE MATTHEWS AND TIM REYNOLDS took the stage at New York City’s famed Radio City Music Hall on Sunday night for a very rare acoustic performance. The night was so special that they’ve decided to release a CD/DVD version of the concert. Details on the release are forthcoming. Check the setlist after the break.
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ROCKY VOTOLATO has been a busy person as of late. He’s currently touring the states with DRAG THE RIVER.

Not only is he prepping the world for his new studio album The Brag And Cuss, the followup to Makers, but he’s also putting out 2, count ‘em, 2 other records in addition.

End Like This EP
End Like This consists of three B-sides from Rocky Makers album. Recorded in 2004, these songs went hidden from the world for almost 3 years. These songs have the same gritty and organic feel of Makers, and his crew didn’t want them to go unheard so they are making it available an internet-only album that can be downloaded at iTunes.

Track Listing:
1. 20 Degrees
2. One Day You Won’t Be Here
3. End Like This

Download from iTunes [here]

A Brief History EP
A Brief History gives an interesting perspective on where Rocky’s early writing style began as well as the path his career has taken. The majority of these songs were written when he was between 16 and 18 years old, showing a songwriter in his formative years. Only 1000 copies were ever pressed on the now defunct label Your Best Guess records. Second Nature records is now re-releasing the long out-of-print EP so fans will no longer have to resort to getting overpriced copies on ebay.

Track Listing:
1. One More Work Song Blues
2. Silent
3. These Old Clothes
4. Temperate
5. Plastic Jesus
6. In a Cabin Mp3
7. Blues Shaker

Order A Brief History Of [here]
Download from iTunes [here]

Yesterday, PORCUPINE TREE released their new and best album, Fear Of A Blank Planet with a flurry of activity that includes a major US and European tour.

The video, which is a compelling and cautionary tale about modern life where parents ignore children, drug them up, and pay no attention to their lives.

The video can be located in three different places…
High Res: “Fear Of A Blank Planet”
Myspace: “Fear Of A Blank Planet”
Youtube: “Fear Of A Blank Planet”

The video is directed by acclaimed Danish artist and photographer Lasse Hoile, who also designed the multimedia backgrounds for the tour.

Their tour kicked off April 18 in Glasgow, UK, and arrives in the US on May 8th. The band plans to play the new album in its entirety on this tour. Meanwhile, the demand for the band’s music in Europe has literally been overwhelming: Record stores in Europe sold out of the special edition of the CD by the end of release day copies are already being found on eBay selling for hundreds of dollars.

Q Magazine has already declared Fear Of A Blank Planet “a dramatic, wide-screen, expertly executed, even genuinely thrilling rock record worthy of an audience way beyond nu-prog’s regular constituency,” while Decibel enthuses that “Porcupine Tree prove they can play with the best of ‘em.”

The new album and video comes on the heels of frontman Steven Wilson’s other project Blackfield. Which is a collaboration with Israeli star Aviv Geffen. Back in March, the duo had released their second album II.

Fear of a Blank Planet 2007 US Tour

Tue 08 May - SEATTLE, WA - SHOWBOX
Wed 09 May - PORTLAND, OR - ALADDIN
Fri 11 May - SAN FRANCISCO, CA - WARFIELD
Sat 12 May - LOS ANGELES, CA - AVALON
Sun 13 May - ANAHEIM, CA - GROVE OF ANAHEIM
Tue 15 May - BOULDER, CO - FOX THEATRE
Thu 17 May - CHICAGO, IL - PARK WEST
Fri 18 May - CLEVELAND, OH - HOUSE OF BLUES
Sat 19 May - NY, NY - NOKIA THEATER
Tue 22 May - BALTIMORE, MD - RAM’S HEAD LIVE
Wed 23 May - PHILADELPHIA, PA - ELECTRIC FACTORY
Fri 25 May - BOSTON, MA - ROXY
Sat 26 May - MONTREAL - SPECTRUM DE MONTREAL
Sun 27 May - QUEBEC - SALLE ALBERT - ROUSSEAU
Mon 28 May - TORONTO, ON - DANFORTH MUSIC HALL
Wed 30 May - DETROIT - THE MAJESTIC
Thu 31 May - GRAND RAPIDS - INTERSECTION
Fri 01 Jun - CHICAGO, IL - PARK WEST
Sat 02 Jun - MILWAUKEE - THE RAVE

Remember to set the TiVo’s for MANDO DIAO has been confirmed to appear on the Late Show with Conan O’Brien. So on May 25th get yourself in front of a tv to make sure you see the band tear up some songs from their latest album Ode To Ochrasy.

The band also just launched their new street team, The Citizens Toolkit. Go to www.mandodiao.com and you can join. Become a part of the team will and help promote the band in various ways. In return you will be able to get some exclusive benefits from the band (advance tickets, limited edition schwag, etc.)

The band is in the states as we speak wreacking havoc on unsuspecting US audiences. Go see them, you will be glad you did.

4/29/07 INDIO, CA Empire Polo Field (Coachella Music & Arts)
5/01/07 SAN FRANCISCO, CA Bottom of the Hill
5/03/07 PORTLAND, OR Dante’s
5/04/07 SEATTLE, WA Crocodile Cafe
5/05/07 Vancouver, BC The Plaza Club
5/08/07 MINNEAPOLIS, MN The 400 Bar
5/09/07 CHICAGO, IL Double Door
5/11/07 ANN ARBOR, MI The Blind Pig
5/12/07 Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern
5/13/07 Montreal, QC Petit Cafe Campus
5/14/07 NEW YORK, NY Bowery Ballroom
5/16/07 HOBOKEN, NJ Maxwell’s
5/17/07 WASHINGTON, DC Black Cat
5/18/07 PHILADELPHIA, PA Johnny Brenda’s
5/19/07 CAMBRIDGE, MA T.T. the Bears
5/21/07 SAN DIEGO, CA Casbah
5/22/07 LOS ANGELES, CA The Troubadour

A new MINUS THE BEAR mp3 has been made available on the Suicide Squeeze website. The song is called “Dr. L’ling” and is said to be on their band’s new record Planet Of Ice which is their followup record to the 2006 awesomeness known as Menos El Oso.. The new record is due in stores August 21st, but you do not have to wait that long to see them live. They are kicking off a tour at the end of April.

MP3: “Dr. L’ling”

Current tour dates for the band can be seen after the jump. (more…)

The cover artwork for the new AGAINST ME! album has been released. It’s minimal like the band’s previous album covers. We can only speculate that they make all their album art minimal because they are too busy putting way too much awesome on the record istelf. Yeah that’s what we think for sure.

The new record New Wave will be the band’s Sire Records debut and is due out this July. In the meantime make sure you see them when they go on the road with Mastodon. This tour will also here and forever on be known as the most ass-kicking tour of the summer.

For you faithful Los Angeles-area based readers of Synner Nation, this is your chance to catch Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s performance for Jimmy Kimmel Live at 6:15 PM on Wednesday, May 2nd…FREE. More details after the jump.

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