Staind’s seventh release (2011’s self-titled album) was touted to mark a return to a more in-your-face sound for the band. It was well received in the US, peaking at #5 on the Billboard chart. As part of the on-going promotion for the album, Staind have released a new single ‘Eyes Wide Open’, the video for which can be viewed below.

‘Staind’ (the album) is the band’s first work since frontman Aaron Lewis’s solo debut ‘Town Line’ released in early 2011 (read a review here.)

Following the release of their 2011 disc ‘Comeblack’, legendary German rockers Scorpions have announced a string of US tour dates. Their 2012 US tour stops at the following venues this summer:

June 08 – Reno, NV – Reno Events Center
June 09 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheater
June 11 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre
June 12 – Denver, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
June 14 – Albuquerque, NM – Hard Rock Pavilion
June 15 – Phoenix, AZ – Comerica Theatre
June 17 – Tucson, AZ – Anselmo Valencia Amphitheater
June 20 – San Diego, CA – Valley View Center Arena
June 22 – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center
June 23 – Las Vegas, NV – Thomas & Mack Center
June 27 – Grand Prairie, TX – Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie
June 29 – Chicago, IL – Charter One Pavilion
June 30 – Milwaukee, WI – Summerfest
July 02 – Toronto, ON – Molson Canadian Amphitheater
July 03 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
July 06 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
July 07 – Wantagh, NY – Jones Beach Theater
July 11 – Philadelphia, PA – Mann Center for Performing Arts
July 12 – Washington D.C. – Merriweather Post Pavilion

Twenty two new acts have been confirmed to appear at the 2012 Download Festival.

Festival stalwarts Saxon will make their second appearance at Download in three years, while Slipknot/Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor will perform a solo set.

Also set to appear are Dropkick Murphys, Fozzy and Quireboys.

The 2012 festival is headlined by The Prodigy, Metallica and the original Black Sabbath.  Little Angels have reformed for the event.

The most rcent additions to the line-up in full:

Butcher Babies
Cancer Bats
Corey Taylor
Dropkick Murphys
Fozzy
Gun
Heavens Basement
James Cleaver Quintet
Kopek
Marmozets
Quireboys
Red, White & Blues
Rise To Remain
Saxon
Sebastian Bach
Soil
Sylosis
The Defiled
The Treatment
Upon A Burning Body
We Are The Ocean
While She Sleeps

Read a review of Saxon’s ‘Call To Arms’ here.
Read a review of ‘A Bit of What You Fancy’ by The Quireboys here.

It was recently announced that New Order were to play a handful of shows in addition to their confirmed European festival slots. The venue dates have now been bolstered by two additional shows: Usher Hall, Edinburgh on May 6th and a second show at the Academy, Newcastle on May 8th.

New Order’s confirmed dates are now as follows:

O2 Apollo Manchester (April 26, 27)
Birmingham Ballroom (29)
O2 Academy Brixton (May 2, 3)
O2 Academy Glasgow (5)
Edinburgh Usher Hall (6)
O2 Academy Newcastle (8)

The band will also release an EP of unreleased material, ‘Lost Sirens’ on March 19th.

LIVE AT LEEDS

Following on from the initial announcement which featured Example, Los Campesinos!, The Subways, LadyHawke and I Like Trains we can now bring you the latest additions to Live at Leeds 2012 which takes place on 4th May to 7th May.

The Enemy, Dog is Dead, Ghost Poet and Lianne La Havas and many more have now been added to the huge line-up taking the total to over 100 bands.

The line-up for Live At Leeds 2012 now looks like this:

EXAMPLE*//WRETCH 32*//NINA NESBITT*

The Enemy//Marina and the Diamonds//Los Campesinos!//The Subways//Ladyhawke
Chew Lips//Dog Is Dead//Dot Rotten//Friends// Ghostpoet// Howler//I Like Trains//Jakwob//Jamie N Commons//Jess Mills//Lianne La Havas//Niki & the Dove//Ren Harvieu//Reverend and the Makers//Scroobius Pip//Spector//Stooshe*

Adult Jazz//Alt-J//AlunaGeorge//Another’s Blood//Bastille//Bears Killing Bears//Bearfoot Beware//Being There//Binary//Blacklisters//Black Moth//Broken Hands// Cave Birds//Charli XCX//China Rats// CITIZENS!//Dan Mangan//Dead Sons//Deaf Club//Dear Prudence// Devin // Eagulls//Ellen and The Escapades//Escapists//EJ//Eyes On Film//FANZINE//Folks//Fossil Collective//Fran Rodgers//Francesca Pidgeon//Gabriel Bruce//Garnets//Grant K. Fennell
Grass House//Gross Magic//Hannah Trigwell//Hey Sholay//Holy State//Hooded Fang// Housekeeping Society //Hunting Bears// I Call Shotgun
Jake Bugg//Jaymz Dean//Jessie Ware//Joseph & David//Josh Kumra//Just Handshakes//Karima Francis//Karin Park//Kyla La Grange//Liz Reynolds//Lucy Rose//Lunchtime Disco Club
MONEY//Moody Gowns//Novella//Pale Seas//Peace// Post War Glamour Girls//Rae Morris//Random Impulse//Redwire//Richard Parker// RIOTS//Riz MC// Rob Green//Royal Republic// Runners//Rupert Stroud//Ryan Keen//Sam Airey//Seas of Green//Secret Sirens//SCUM//Shields//Simon Pollard Band//Soul Circus//Swiss Lips//Talk To Angels//Team Me//The Artists//The Chevin//The Finnlys//The Heartbreaks
The History of Apple Pie//The Mexanines//This Many Boyfriends//The Marsicans//The Night//TOY//Turbowolf//Two Wounded Birds//Unions
Violet//We Are Augustines//Weird Dreams//White Arrows//WORSHIP//Wot Gorilla

*separate ticketed events

Now in its 6th year the Live at Leeds Festival takes place over the bank holiday on 4th May to 7th May.

Further details on The Unconference on the 4th May will emerge over the coming weeks but so far Drowned in Sound’s Sean Adams and BBC 6 Music’s Tom Robinson will be on the industry panels.

Saturday features the Live at Leeds Festival (one wristband 100+ bands, 11 stages, 9 Venues) while Saturday will also host the return of the Millennium Square shows.

Join the official Live at Leeds Festival facebook group
Follow LAL on twitter @liveatleeds2012

Please use the hashtag #LAL2012 in all of your tweets about Live At Leeds.

Official box office: https://www.lunatickets.co.uk/event_page.php?eventID=1819

Box office number is 0113 2434849.
Website: www.liveatleeds.com

[courtesy of ILikePress]