News From The Great Beyond

Stuart A. Staples releases his second solo album, Leaving Songs, June 6, 2006, on the Beggars Banquet imprint. The disc will be a double CD that will include Staples debut solo release from 2004, Lucky Dog Recordings '03-'04. Leaving Songs is a collection of songs written over the last year, recorded at Mark Nevers' studio in Nashville, with Dave Boulter, Neil Fraser and drummer Thomas Belhom. Further sessions at Lucky Dog studio featured Tindersticks' stalwart Terry Edwards and longtime collaborator, Gina Foster. This album also features duets with Maria McKee ('This Road Is Long') of Cowboy Junkies fame, and Lhasa de Sela ('That Leaving Feeling').

From Oakland, California, by way of Level Plane Records, comes The Saviours to save the day. The band hellbent on "saving heavy metal from its current state of lackluster purgatory" (that's what their website says) will be releasing Crucifire on May 16th. The band consists of Austin Barber (vocals, guitar), Scott Batiste (drums), Mag Delana (guitar), Cyrus Comiskey (bass) and D. Tyler Morris (guitar). Fans of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Saviours' sound takes on a deeper, darker tone that will remind fans of death metal stalewarts Venom and Bathory.

Bouncing Souls are a name that should be familiar to many. They've been around for 15 years perfecting their sound and entertaining fans through constant touring. Now, Epitaph Records is set to release Gold Record, on June 6th. To celebrate, the band will play six soldout performances at the Knitting Factory in NYC.

Count Jonah Smith as another artist who has benefited from being featured at SXSW. Smith, who has been called the future of music, landed both a management and booking agent deal in the week following the convention. Now, Smith is preparing to release his self-titled debut on June 27th for the Relix Records imprint. Look for a tour this summer.


Bouncing Souls photo by Zak Kaplan