Chapel Hill, NC--Chapel Hill’s Blag’ard is a two man show producing high-energy rock and roll. Their latest album, Mach II, is no different, and immediately pumps you up with fast paced guitar riffs and pounding drums. This one is sure to make you jump up and down or bang your head (or both).

I was amazed at the fullness of the sound since it was coming from just two people. Joe Taylor provides lead vocals and guitar, while Adam Brinson backs Joe up on vocals and provides body moving beats on drums. Authentic punk rock style vocals by both men are a delight to listen to and put a smile on your face. The men harmonize beautifully together.

The album provides ten tracks and provides a current yet unique punk sound. It opens with a track entitled “Get Some” and closes with R.C.O. A personal favorite of mine was “Harmony.”

Throughout the album, you’ll hear many hooks that will be impossible to get out of your head. It also makes for great road trip music as it would be impossible to NOT feel the energy and adrenaline that just pours out of this album. It will definitely keep you alert for a long drive. Roll down your windows, open your sunroof, and enjoy.

Mach II was produced by Chapel Hill label Pig Zen Space and recorded at Track and Field, also in Chapel Hill, by Nick Petersen in the fall of 2009. The album was mastered by Carl Saff and is available for download in its entirety at www.pigzenspace.com. The cost is $3.50.

If you’re looking for upbeat, authentic, punk rock, Blag’ard is where it’s at.

For more information about Blag’ard, feel free to check out the band’s website at http://www.blagard.com.

Raleigh, NC—Maryland’s Bill Kirchen, also known as “The King of Dieselbilly,” will be traveling to the Triangle area in March to play Raleigh’s Six String Café (1040 Buck Jones Road) on Friday, March 12. The show starts at 8 PM. Tickets are $15 in advance, $18 at the door.

Kirchen describes his genre as “roots rock,” and has become universally known for his big-rig guitar riffs that placed his hit single “Hot Rod Lincoln” into the nationwide Top 10 in 1972. He has recorded seven albums and performed in various festivals all over the world including the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in CA, and Festival Gateshead in the UK.

His new album, Honky-Tonk Gods, puts the spotlight on his songwriting, and Kirchen says “I felt it was time to write some songs that cut closer to the bone.” Such emotion comes out in songs such as “Rocks into Sand” and “One More Day.”

For more information on Bill Kirchen, or on Six String Café, please visit: www.billkirchen.com or www.sixstringcafe.com.

Durham, NC--The Jason Marks Band from Wilmington, NC has been asked to be the special guest performer for the Durham stop of country mega-star Gary Allan's "Get Off on the Pain" tour stop at the Durham Performing Arts Center on March 12.

The Jason Marks Band have opened for such national recording artists as Rascal Flatts, Bucky Covington, Jason Michael Carroll, and, most recently, at Walnut Creek Amphitheater in August 2008 for the Kenny Chesney/LeAnn Rimes "Poets and Pirates Tour," after being approached by Kenny Chesney's representatives following the WQDR/Kenny Chesney "Next Big Star" contest finals held at Raleigh's Buckhead Saloon.

Come on out and support this great local band from North Carolina!

You can still purchase tickets at http://www.ticketmaster.com and there are still great seats left!

You can check out the band at their official Myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/jasonmarksnc, and you can also find them on Facebook!

Carrboro, NC—Aaron Levy, a Charleston, SC singer-songwriter will play an NC gig this weekend at Carrboro’s Open Eye Café. The show begins at 8 PM.

Levy has played various gigs throughout South Carolina both solo and with his band White Rhino, and is quickly establishing a regional following. He has received rave reviews on both coasts. This past spring, Levy traveled to LA to play at the famous Silver Lake Lounge.

LA music blog Loudvine wrote “Levy brought a folksy voice with earnest lyrics that came straight from the heart. Ever hear a song that just seems so much like the soundtrack of your life that it’s kind of creepy? Yeah, that was his music for me. He sang things like, ‘I want to tell you how much I miss you…, but even if I did, you wouldn’t understand’ and ‘I am just a grown up child, swinging from bar to bar.’ I am a big fan of fancy poetry and clever wordplay, but I often forget how powerful some really simple, to-the-point lyrics can be. His songs were inspired by pets dying and late-night trips to Taco Bell. Things, I think, all of us can relate to in one way or another.”

White Rhino has recently released their album “In Common Places.”

For more information about Aaron and his music, please visit www.whiterhinoband.com.

Raleigh, NC--Baltimore metal artists, Misery Index, will embark on a nationwide tour starting this month in Poughkeepsie, NY, which will include a stop at Raleigh's Volume 11 Tavern on Tuesday, March 16.

Misery Index recently added some southeastern US dates to their spring tour, and will be joined on this leg of the tour by Florida's Gigan.

The band recently recorded their follow-up album to 2008’s Traitors. The new record, Heirs To Thievery, was recorded at Wright Way Studios with engineer Steve Wright. Heirs To Thievery is set for a May 11th North American release date, and May 17th internationally.

For more information on Misery Index, please visit www.MISERYINDEX.com or the band's MySpace at: www.MySpace.com/MiseryIndex.

Raleigh, NC--Let Feedback Ring is a comprehensive rock festival featuring bands from across North Carolina and beyond. Building on the success of its first iteration last July 4 as a single day event, LFR will now be an annual three-day event held in late March. Six separate shows featuring over twenty bands in those three days have been arranged with no overlap. You can see 'em all!

Early shows each night will be held at Sadlack's Heroes beginning at 7pm on Thursday and Friday, and at 3pm on Saturday. All Sadlack's shows will end by 10pm. These early shows are free admission, but we suggest a $5 donation (or more) to the bands.

Thursday night LFR will team up with the well established Local Beer, Local Band night at Tir Na Nog-- sponsored by WKNC, which is always a good time, and also free.

At 10pm Friday night Slim's Downtown will be the host for LFR, and the Saturday night show will be at The Berkeley Cafe.