(from www.rushisaband.com)

When I was stuck in Olympia WA last week, the saving grace of our stay was our gracious host Kirk Leonnard and his girlfriend Amy, and their guest room devoted to their Xbox 360, and more specifically, Rock Band. It was there that Kirty South and I found solace, singing and plucking our depression away to the likes of the Beastie Boys, The Marshall Tucker Band and Black Sabbath. We also discussed woman-repellent music including Canadian arena rock champions, Rush. Oh! If only we had access to the tracks that will be made available tomorrow. We would have driven poor Amy completely bonkers.

From B|W|R Public Relations:

Harmonix and MTV Games announced today additional Rush tracks will be available at the Rock Band™ Music Store catalog of downloadable content. On July 8th, air drummers and guitarists will rejoice when direct from the Rush Masters Vault the exclusive Rock Band versions of “Closer To The Heart” and “Working Man (Vault Edition)” (featuring never released alternative guitar solo) are made available for $1.99 per track (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft). Rush now have 5 songs available for Rock Band including cover versions of “Tom Sawyer,” “Limelight” and “Working Man,” almost a full-set by prog rock standards!

Also available are two amazing tracks from six-time Grammy® winning, multi-platinum funk rockers Red Hot Chili Peppers. “Snow ((Hey Oh))” and “Tell Me Baby” from their critically acclaimed ninth studio double album Stadium Arcadium will be available for $1.99 per track (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox LIVE Marketplace).

Release date: Tuesday, July 8, 2008 (Xbox LIVE Marketplace)
Thursday, July 10, 2008 (PLAYSTATION®Store)

Tracks:
From the RUSH Masters Vault:
“Closer To The Heart”
” Man (Vault Edition)”

Hot Chili Peppers
” ((Hey Oh))”
“Tell Me Baby”

(All tracks utilize the original master recordings)

Price: 1.99 (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox LIVE Marketplace) per track
Locations: LIVE Marketplace and PLAYSTATION®Network

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change **

Former Get Up Kids frontman Matt Pryor and Saves the Day frontman Chris Conley (pictured) are stepping out for a couple weeks worth of solo touring. If this tour isn’t called the “Party Like It’s 1999 Tour” someone at Vagrant is BLOWING IT! Here’s the press release:

Matt Pryor (ex. The Get Up Kids, The New Amsterdams) is pleased to announce solo co-headlining tour with Chris Conley of Saves The Day!

A limited number of tickets have been held for Matt Pryor fans and will be available through an exclusive Ducat King presale that begins this Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 1:00PM local time!

Click here to buy tickets:

Tour Dates:

Aug 6 – Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock
Aug 7 – Omaha, NE @ Waiting Room
Aug 8 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
Aug 9 – Salt Lake City @ Burt’s Tiki Lounge
Aug 11 – Vancouver, BC @ Media Club
Aug 12 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
Aug 13 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
Aug 14 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill
Aug 15 – Reno, NV @ Satellite Lounge
Aug 16 – West Hollywood, CA @ Troubadour
Aug 17 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues – San Diego
Aug 19 – Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction
Aug 20 – Phoenix, AZ @ Modified

There’s little known about the details, but Anthony Green will be releasing his solo record through Photo Finish Records. An exert from Colin Frangicetto’s highlights from SXSW

ANTHONY. - i couldn’t be more proud to be in a band with this dude. all 3 of his austin performances were nothing short of amazing and were the only reason i got to go to this crazy event in the first place. (thanks buddy) his record is in progress and will be released on photo finish records soon… youre all gonna love it. stay tuned.

Circa Survive are leaving on a tour with Thrice and Pelican, lasting April 16th to May 30th.
Swing on over to the Synthesis Radio site to check out Ryan Prado chatting with Anthony.

Valerie Bertinelli is currently drinking Eddie Van Halen’s Milkshake. Bertinelli recently broke her silence regarding the couple’s divorce and admitted that they split because they were both somewhat busy cheating on each other.

The Van Halen / Bertinelli divorce was finalized in December (just in time for Xmas) after 26 years of marriage.
“I cheated — He claims to this day that I cheated first, but I don’t know. I don’t know about the timing.” She’ll be detailing guitar solos, cheating, cocaine usage, hooking up with Steven Spielberg, being super hot back in the day, that other chick from One Day at a Time and Oprah (and her continued quest from world wide domination).

When asked she choose to divulge such personal details at this stage of her life Bertinelli said “I just figured, if they’re going to watch me lose 40 pounds and I’m going to be embarrassed that way, and there’s going to be fat-ass pictures of me with my butt hanging out in Hawaii, I thought, ‘Why not let the inner me out, too?’ Because the inner me is, I hope, prettier than the outer me.”

Did I mention she wrote a book too? I’m sure she’ll be plugging that as well…

Maybe the news of the Oprah appearance is why that show at the John Paul Jones Arena got cancelled… fuck it - might as well Jump: