Christian music news: Relient K preps for 'Slow Down'

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After a nearly two-month hiatus, pop-punk act Relient K [ tickets ] will return to the road for a three-week US club tour this fall.

The Christian quintet, which finished a spring and summer run earlier this month, will perform a one-off show Sept. 5 in Frenchtown, NJ, before taking off for a three-date Australian excursion. The official US journey begins Oct. 1 in New Haven, CT, followed by stops in 18 cities throughout the eastern portion of the nation. The full itinerary is shown below.

The fall outing supports the group's forthcoming album, "Forget and Not Slow Down," which is due in stores Oct. 6, according to the band's new label, Mono Vs Stereo Records.

"Forget and Not Slow Down" follows last year's "The Birds and the Bee Sides," a double-disc set that landed at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Christian & Gospel Albums chart.

In an interview with LiveDaily last summer, singer/guitarist Matthew Thiessen explained the reason for the 26-track 2008 release.

"We had one album left on our contract with our first record deal we signed in '98. We had 20 B-sides just sitting around the cutting room floor. We chose 13 of those songs and put them on the record. With that mentality, we said, 'Let's throw a couple new songs on there too, so it's not just B-sides.' We ended up coming up with 13 new songs as well."
[Note: The following tour dates have been provided by artist and/or tour sources, who verify its accuracy as of the publication time of this story. Changes may occur before tickets go on sale. Check with official artist websites, ticketing sources and venues for late updates.]
tour dates and tickets
September 2009
5 - Frenchtown, NJ - Revelation Farms

October 2009
1 - New Haven, CT - Toad's Place
2 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of The Living Arts
3 - Farmingdale, NY - The Crazy Donkey
4 - Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
6 - Towson, MD - Recher Theatre
8 - Knoxville, TN - Bijou Theatre
9 - Charlotte, NC - Amos' SouthEnd
10 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
11 - Nashville, TN - Rocketown
13 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
14 - Minneapolis, MN - The Cabooze
15 - Kansas City, MO - Beaumont Club
16 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
19 - Dallas, TX - Palladium Showroom
20 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
21 - Midwest City, OK - Rose State College
22 - Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom
23 - Des Moines, IA - People's
24 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant

tour dates and tickets

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Christian music news: RELIENT K WANTS FANS TO FORGET AND NOT SLOW DOWN

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OCT. 6 RELEASE TO DEBUT ON THEIR OWN MONO VS. STEREO LABEL ALONG WITH JIVE RECORDS

Relient K is asking fans to Forget And Not Slow Down on Oct. 6 as they launch the first release since taking helm on the newly revived record label, Mono Vs. Stereo, in conjunction with Gotee Records and JIVE Records.

“The songs that tend to be the fan favorites in the past are the ones about making mistakes but ultimately moving past them,” says guitarist Matt Hoopes. “And this record has a lot of that feeling. No matter what trials and tribulations you encounter in your life, it doesn’t have to be the end of your story. You can move on and be happy and experience joy.”

On this latest release, the band teamed up with longtime producer Mark Townsend, and enlisted legendary mixer Andy Wallace (Nirvana, Jeff Buckley, Sheryl Crow), as they carried the ‘break-up album’ into the 21st century, tweaking it with clear-eyed songwriting and a four-to-the-floor optimism that is positively refreshing.

To prep for Forget And Not Slow Down, Thiessen retreated to a remote house in Winchester, Tenn. in isolation for several months writing material for the new record. During his sojourn, Thiessen stayed in constant contact with Hoopes and the rest of the band – drummer Ethan Luck, bassist John Warne and guitarist Jon Schneck - sharing song ideas and mapping out a direction for the album. One guiding principle soon emerged: this record should rock.

“We definitely wanted to make a rock record,’” front man Matt Thiessen confirms. “We wanted it to be uptempo and energetic. As far as the sonic aspect, we wanted to make it less modern sounding, with classic rock textures - Counting Crows, Foo Fighters, those kind of ‘90s albums. That was a good time for rock ‘n’ roll.”

Always known as a fan favorite, Relient K gave fans the opportunity to tune in to the making Forget And Not Slow Down by airing “In The Studio” webisodes on their website. To view these episodes, including a special appearance from Vince Gill, visit www.relientK.com.

Relient K will also embark on “A Three Hour Tour” with Copeland and Barcelona this fall. The shows are scheduled to kick off in Conn. on Oct. 1, tour dates listed below.

Relient K has been making the real thing since 1997, when Thiessen and Hoopes formed the band in high school. In the decade since, they’ve released five full-length albums (three are certified Gold), five EPs and a Christmas record. They have toured the globe, and racked up several hit singles, a Grammy nomination, two Dove Awards and performances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O’ Brien and Jimmy Kimmel Live. The Los Angeles Times has praised Relient K for “its smart blend of punk pop and power pop, weaving together influences as diverse as the Beach Boys, Blink-182 and Fountains of Wayne” while Spin noted, “Few bands play punk-influenced modern rock as proficiently.”

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Christian music news: Relient K Go Jive For New Album - A Top Story This Week

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Relient K Go Jive For New Album was a top story for this week. Here it is again: (PR) Relient K is asking fans to Forget And Not Slow Down on October 6 as they launch the first release since taking helm on the newly revived record label, Mono Vs. Stereo, in conjunction with Jive Records.

"The songs that tend to be the fan favorites in the past are the ones about making mistakes but ultimately moving past them," says guitarist Matt Hoopes. "And this record has a lot of that feeling. No matter what trials and tribulations you encounter in your life, it doesn't have to be the end of your story. You can move on and be happy and experience joy."

On this latest release, the band teamed up with longtime producer Mark Townsend, and enlisted legendary mixer Andy Wallace (Nirvana, Jeff Buckley, Sheryl Crow), as they carried the 'break-up album' into the 21st century, tweaking it with clear-eyed songwriting and a four-to-the-floor optimism that is positively refreshing. - more on this story

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Christian music news: Relient K ready 'Forget And Not Slow Down' project

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TOP SELLING CCM band Relient K are set to release their 'Forget And Not Slow Down' album on the newly revived label Mono Vs. Stereo on 6th October in the US. Said guitarist Matt Hoopes, "The songs that tend to be the fan favorites in the past are the ones about making mistakes but ultimately moving past them. And this record has a lot of that feeling. No matter what trials and tribulations you encounter in your life, it doesn't have to be the end of your story. You can move on and be happy and experience joy." The project was produced by Mark Townsend and mixed by Andy Wallace (Nirvana, Jeff Buckley).

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Christian music news: The Pee-wee Herman Show, Relient K and more: Daily tour recap

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Rock bands Aerosmith and The Fray have announcements that lead the way in the daily tour recap for August 14, as compiled by TicketNews.

For Aerosmith, it's the end of the road, at least for a while. Lead singer Steven Tyler needs time to mend after a fall off the stage earlier this month left him with a broken shoulder and stitches in his head. As a result of his doctor's orders, the remainder of the band's tour with ZZ Top has been cancelled.

The news is better for fans of piano-rock group The Fray; the band has scheduled a nine-date tour of U.S. campuses for September. Irish ensemble Celtic Woman will be on the road a bit longer than that with 35 U.S. concerts currently booked for October and November. Finally, Neil Young is being honored for his philanthropic work with the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year Award, which will be presented on January 29, 2010.

Those are the complete concert and tour reports for this Friday. And now, what better way to start your weekend than to peruse some of the other upcoming concert highlights in brief:

The Pee-wee Herman Show will be coming live to the West Coast later this year for an extended residency in Los Angeles. Californians -- and any interested travelers -- can catch Paul Reubens and his strange cast of friends from "Pee-wee's Playhouse" live and on stage at the Music Box at Fonda from November 9 through December 19. The run won't be nightly, though. There are about 20 dark nights on the calendar.

Relient K will headline a one-month tour of the U.S. this October. The outing begins October 1 at Toad's Place in New Haven, CT, and concludes October 24 at The Pageant in St. Louis, MO. Other performance dates are lined up for October 4 at Paradise Rock Club in Boston, MA; October 10 at Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, GA; October 19 at Palladium Ballroom in Dallas, TX; and October 23 at People's in Des Moines, IA.

Reverend Horton Heat has an extensive U.S. tour schedule set up through the end of the year and into the first month of 2010, thanks to some recently added shows. Fifteen gigs are booked for the New Year from January 2 at Abbey Theatre in Durango, CO, through January 23 at Granada Theater in Dallas, TX. Prior to that, the Reverend and his band will tour from August 21 at Cefu Stage in Bloomington, IL, through December 30-31 at the House of Blues in Anaheim, CA.

Sound Tribe Sector 9 (STS9) has a fresh batch of October tour dates lined up on its itinerary. The 16-date U.S. outing begins October 3 at Austin City Limits Music Festival in Austin, TX, and wraps up October 25 at Ram's Head Live! in Baltimore, MD. Along the way, the electronic jam band will pull over for shows on October 7 at Sokol Auditorium/Underground in Omaha, NE; October 15 at Newport Music Hall in Columbus, OH; October 22 at the House of Blues in Bostom, MA; and October 23 at Terminal 5 in New York, NY.

Ida Maria, Ladyhawke and Semi Precious Weapons have all been pulled on the road by celebrity gossip personality Perez Hilton for a headline tour of the U.S. and Canada The 15-date venture begins September 10 at Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, GA, and ends October 3 at The Avalon in Los Angeles, CA. Some of the other scheduled performances are booked for September 16 at the Fillmore at Irving Plaza in New York, NY; September 17 at Opera House Concert Venue in Toronto, On; September 25 at Bluebird Theater in Denver, CO; and September 30 at The Fillmore in San Francisco, CA.

The Low Anthem has more than 30 U.S. concerts scheduled for this fall. After an October 2 performance at Austin City Limits Music Festival in Austin, TX, the tour officially launches October 15 at Avon Cinema in Providence, RI. Dates continue through November 12 at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, MA. Highlights include October 18 at McMenamins Lola's in Portland, OR; October 25 at Plush in Tucson, AZ; November 2 at Club Downunder in Tallahassee, FL; and November 9 at Cat's Cradle in Carrboro, NC, among other performances.

John Lee Hooker, Jr. has a handful of new shows lined up on his 2009 itinerary. The musician has shows scheduled from tonight, August 14, at B.B. King Blues Club in New York, NY, through December 31 at Biscuits & Blues in San Francisco, CA. Some of the newer performance dates include October 1 at Boulder Station Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV; October 23 at Riverwood Inn in Philipsville, CA; November 12 at the Anti-Pop Music Festival in Orlando, FL; and December 16-19 at Blues Central in Anchorage, AK.

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