Hot Hot Heat have provided a number of details about the recording process of their new full-length, Happiness Ltd.. Here's what the band had to say:

Everything just seemed to happen so quickly and all of a sudden we realized we've been working on this record for two years! True, half of that was on tour... but we wrote a good chunk of the record backstage, on the bus, in hotels and in airports. Whenever we thought it was done, something new would delay it. We actually finished the record in June - it was mixed and mastered and ready to go - until we wrote a song called Let Me In... and decided that HAD to be on the record. And that opened up Pandora's box... we were writing all these new songs and the new direction of the album was unavoidable; we had to follow it out to see where it would go. Right as we were about to hand it in every time... "Hold on, hold on! Wait a second, what about this...?" Normally each person has the songs they love and the songs they could live without; but the goal of this record was to put out something with unanimous excitement. So in retrospect I'm grateful for every delay... they were all musical delays and it lead to an album that all four of us actually love from beginning to end... and that's usually a hard thing to stumble upon. We've titled the album "Happiness Ltd." and now that it is officially finished...

After working with Capitol Records for 43 years, Paul McCartney is severing ties with the label and he's taking his entire back catalog with him, which includes his work under Wings as well as his solo material. So where is the former Beatle headed? Why Starbucks! That's right, McCartney is the first artist to sign with the Starbucks record label. Look for his new album in stores through the label this fall. More information can be found over at FoxNews.

Meshuggah have announced that the band is nearing the completion of the writing process for their new full-length effort. The band is expected to enter the studio soon and are hoping for a September release. Meshuggah last graced us with Catch Thirty Three in 2005.

Glory Kids Records has announced the signing of Southern California-based hardcore outfit Finish Him. The band will be recording their debut offering over the next few months to be released as an EP. You can listen to some material from the band here.

Blaqk Audio, the confusingly-spelled sideproject of AFI members Davey Havok (vocals) and Jade Puget (guitar) has posted a song on their Myspace profile. The group is an electronic / industrial combo, described by the band as "2 boys in love with synthesizers and software." To hear "Bitter For Sweet", check out their Myspace page.

Through the Eyes of the Dead have parted ways with frontman Anthony Gunnells and are currently seeking a new full-time vocalist. Candidates must be dedicated and willing to tour and relocate immediately. Interested parties can contact the band here. The band is currently in the studio recording their new full-length effort, Malice.

Two songs from Chuck Ragan's debut solo effort, Los Feliz, can be streamed online here. The album is due out May 8th via Side One Dummy Records.

Clouds will be hitting the road for two weeks in April with Autonym providing support. Clouds are touring in support of their debut effort, Legendary Demo, which was released earlier this year on Hydra Head Records. To view the tourdates, click "read more."

( Read More )

Lemuria have posted a new song titled "Bee Spit" that will appear on the NY vs. NJ compilation coming out on Crafty Records. This compilation will also feature tracks from The Ergs, The Unlovables, For Science, and more. You can listen to the song here. Lemuria released their self-titled album in 2005 via Art of the Underground.

Bright Eyes' video for the song "Four Winds" has been made available online here. Follow the directions on the main page to access the video. The song is taken from the band's EP of the same name, which is out in stores now. The song will also appear on their forthcoming full-length, Cassadaga, which will be released on April 10th on Saddle Creek Records.