• This is shaping up to be one of the best summers in a long time when it comes to outdoor and festival-type shows. We've already had an interesting kick off with the TOWER OF SONG FESTIVAL, this weekend features WILCO on the Maine State Pier, and you've seen the announcement about GUSTER headlining the BAYSTOCK FESTIVAL with CINDY BULLENS, GYPSY TAILWIND, and JASON SPOONER. But did you know about OXXFEST, featuring DEAD SEASON and PAPA ROACH? That'll be in Dead Season's hometown Oxford next weekend on July 26. And now comes word of the MACHIGONNE FEST, with RAY LAMONTAGNE headlining, preceded by, and then backed by, RUSTIC OVERTONES. That'll be August 29 and a show not to be missed.
• ERIC BETTENCOURT's keeping busy: He's already got his second full-length release of the year scheduled (The Giraffe Attack Collection, September 15) and on July 30 he'll release a five-song single, Two Wine Glasses, as part of ELIJAH OCEAN's solo CD release show at Slainte.
• The OUTSIDERS play a CD release show for RETURN OF THE PUNKABILLY REBELS, at Geno's, with MEANTONE and TRIPLE CORPSE HORROR, July 24. If that's not reason enough to show, there's some talk of buying people PBRs if they show up early. Can you do that? Who cares? It'll work.
• Rustic Overtone sax player RYAN ZOIDIS got more than just a trip to Japan on the current SOULIVE tour. He also picked up an endorsement from ISHIMORI, a sax-maker in Tokyo. They gave him a tenor, and he felt comfortable enough with it to play it on Tokyo's Fuji TV.
