Today, Keller Williams releases his sixteenth album — and first-ever album for kids and families — appropriately titled Kids. With Kids, Keller once again breaks new ground, staking out his next conquest: the absolute adoration of the under-10 crowd and their parents, caregivers, and relatives.

Kids has already been warmly embraced by such kids’ music tastemakers as Stefan Shepherd (Zooglobble), Amber Bobnar (Boston Children’s Music), Pamela Brill (Rockabye Baby Music), and syndicated columnist Lee Littlewood (Kids Home Library). Stefan Shepherd wrote that Kids “immediately shoots to near the top of my most-anticipated albums list.” Declared Amber Bobnar, “It almost sounds like something from Stomp or Blue Man Group that just builds and builds on itself. It’s really a trip!” Lee Littlewood included Kids in an “Incredible New Music for Kids” column, writing, “Williams' high musical standards make Kids a superb CD for all ages.” Enthused Pamela Brill, “This CD blends Williams’ love of bluegrass and rock to create a unique sound that will resonate with listeners of all ages. What we like is that his music really gets it … he knows how to capture his listeners’ attention—and how to hold on to it.”

When Keller Williams addresses kids in song or words, it’s with extreme sincerity, respect, and more than a dash of his famous quirky, tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. Every song on Kids clicks into a kid’s world, from the bouncy, two-beat “Taking a Bath” to the compellingly hip speak-singing of “Horseback Rider” and “Grandma’s Feather Bed” to the catchy, rhythmic, danceable “Keep It on the Paper.” Keller’s infectious good humor and the compelling joyfulness of his songs invite young listeners to freely sing, dance, and play along, becoming true partners with his legendary creativity.

In conjunction with the release of Kids, Keller Williams is releasing his first children's book, Because I Said So. Based on Keller’s song by the same name (included on Kids), the story is told through the eyes of “L’il Keller,” who learns that you can’t always get what you want, and there isn’t always a good reason why! Enhanced by the cleverly drawn illustrations of Fredericksburg, Virginia artist Bill Harris, Because I Said So is humorous, colorful, and wise. Included with the book is a CD containing the song "Because I Said So.” Because I Said So is available at www.kellerwilliamskids.net.

Also this fall, Keller expands his touring horizons to include kids and families, joining the Yo Gabba Gabba Tour as a “Super Music Friend” at select shows in the Pacific Northwest and California. Keller is one of many acclaimed artists joining Yo Gabba Gabba’s fall tour; also confirmed are Pretty Lights, Steel Train, Kid Koala, Big Head Todd and The Monsters, The Saltines, and others. Keller’s list of Yo Gabba Gabba tour dates is included below.

Keller Williams' current list of tour dates is as follows:

Friday, November 5 Rick's Cafe Starkville MS

Saturday, November 6 Rock For Hunger Orlando FL

Wednesday, November 10 WOW Hall Eugene OR

Thursday, November 11 Wild Buffalo Bellingham WA

Friday, November 12 INB Performing Arts Center Spokane WA Yo Gabba Gabba! Live

Friday, November 12 Knitting Factory Concert House Spokane WA Keller Solo

Saturday, November 13 Tacoma Dome Tacoma WA Yo Gabba Gabba! Live

Saturday, November 13 Neumo's Crystal Ball Reading Room Seattle WA Keller Solo

Sunday, November 14 Memorial Coliseum Portland OR Yo Gabba Gabba! Live

Sunday, November 14 Aladdin Theatre Portland OR Keller Solo

Monday, November 15 Hult Center for the Performing Arts Eugene OR Yo Gabba Gabba! Live

Wednesday, November 17 Humboldt Brews Arcata CA Keller Solo

Thursday, November 18 Memorial Sacramento CA Yo Gabba Gabba! Live

Thursday, November 18 Harlow's Sacramento CA Keller Solo

Friday, November 19 Blu Nightclub - Montbleu Resort Lake Tahoe NV

Saturday, November 20 Great American Music Hall San Francisco CA

Sunday, November 21 Bill Graham Civic Auditorium San Francisco CA Yo Gabba Gabba! Live

Saturday, November 27 State Theater Falls Church VA

Thursday, December 2 Avalon Theatre Easton MD Keller Williams Kids Show

Saturday, December 4 Stage One Fairfield CT

Sunday, December 26 Fredericksburg Field House Fredericksburg VA SPCA Benefit

Wednesday, December 29 The Norva Norfolk VA

Thursday, December 30 The National Richmond VA

Friday, December 31 Neighborhood Theatre Charlotte NC

AA/GA/$10.50

ON SALE - 08.13.10

The ninth annual Northwest String Summit festival featuring three days of music and camping returns to Horning's Hideout near Portland, Ore. from Friday, July 16 through Sunday, July 18, 2010. Considered the Pacific Northwest’s premier boutique music festival, the Northwest String Summit provides three days of mostly acoustic music and camping in a family-fun atmosphere nestled in one of the most gorgeous festival sites on the west coast, Horning's Hideout, a beautiful forested site located just 20 minutes from Portland in North Plains, Ore. at the edge of Horning Reservoir.

Featured artists include Yonder Mountain String Band for three days, Rhythm Devils with Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart of The Grateful Dead, and moe. with a special 20th anniversary acoustic/electric set. The live music schedule also features Danny Barnes and Friends; The Infamous Stringdusters; Republic of Strings with Darol Anger; Crooked Still; Great American Taxi with Vince Herman of Leftover Salmon; 2010 Band Contest and many others.

A kid’s tent will provide activities for young folks, including arts and crafts, use of Horning’s Hideout playground equipment, volunteer chaperones and a kid’s parade featuring giant hand-crafted puppets.

All ages advance 3-day passes are available now at all Ticketswest outlets and online for $145 if purchased through July 15; and $155 if purchased day of show. Ticket price includes three days of music and camping. Children ages 10 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. Two-day passes for Saturday and Sunday only are available for $100 and includes two days of music and camping.

The gates will open to the public beginning at 12 p.m. on Friday, July 16, 2010. Gates will close Monday, July 19, 2010 at 12 p.m. The camping areas will be separate from the parking areas. Early arrival camping is available Thursday night for additional fee. RV parking is sold out.

For more information about the Northwest String Summit, please visit www.stringsummit.com | For more information about Horning's Hideout, please visit www.horningshideout.com.

New York City based singer-songwriter, Pete Francis, is set to release his new album The Movie We Are In this May 2010. Whereas Francis’ previous solo albums were largely self-produced, he uprooted his more traditional approach to album-making and assembled an entirely new crew with Los Angeles based producer Jeff Trott (right hand man to Sheryl Crow as writer and guitarist).

Says Francis, “In the past I’ve worked with acoustic guitar, bass, drums, B3 organ, but I wanted to bring a modern electronic element into my music. When first speaking with Jeff Trott, I quickly realized he had great musical instincts and that he was getting my tunes. And then, he brought ideas to the table that I hadn’t imagined. I saw a new musical landscape could be created with my songs by working with him.”

The musicians that Trott assembled for the recording sessions helped to create this colorful landscape. Having worked with artists such as Beck, Nine Inch nails, Gnarls Barkley, Willie Nelson, Queens of the Stone Age, Dr. Dre, and Scott Weiland, the musicians (Brian LeBarton, Justin Meldal-Johnsen, John O’Brien, Victor Indrizzo and others) provided an extraordinary musical palette of talent and sensibility.

When asked about the project, Trott says, “It really became apparent to me that Pete was a very creative and colorful song-writer. What I liked was that there was this very good sense of Pete’s personality from happy go lucky to dark and brooding. All these aspects were amazing to work with and the lyrics were very colorful. I think that’s one of the things I really enjoy about Pete’s songs… that it’s sometimes hard to really figure out what the meanings are and I think that’s missing in a lot of music - the mystery of what a song is.”

The opening track, “Glue”, generates a feeling of weightlessness by combining organic instrumentation with futuristic sounds. This song solidly represents what’s to follow on the album’s consistent mix of fresh and classic, electronic and acoustic, known and unknown… Each listen unlocks a new guitar lick, synth riff, bass groove, drum program, live drumbeat or horn swell, and even the sounds of the sparsely used Ethiopian instrument cumbus. Midway through the album, the listener gets catapulted into the up-tempo and joyous revelry of “Love Shakes You Down” a sing-a-long with the familiar bell sounds of Motown combined with a  string synth creating a modern and retro sound all at once. The slower, more melodic songs of the album like “St. Paul’s Fair” and “Didn’t Know I Built It” lure the listener into dream-states with rich deep vocals, sampled sounds from a town square in Italy, trance-like Wurlitzer pedaling, and vivid lyrics.

No one would deny that Francis has earned his stripes in the independent music scene. He formed the fiercely independent band Dispatch in 1995 whose uncommonly loyal fan-base bid them farewell at The Last Dispatch concert in 2004 with an attendance of 110,000 people from around the world. Since then, his career has infiltrated many musical worlds including performing his solo music at festivals around the country, reuniting with his Dispatch pals for three sold out nights at Madison Square Garden, having his solo music featured in films and television, and performing in the presence of Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C..

Commenting on his new album and departure from his Dispatch days, Francis says, “It’s good to get out of your comfort zone. I tried to let this motto resonate at every turning point of this record’s evolution.” When asked if there is an overall theme to The Movie We Are In, Francis explains, “I like to leave this up to the listener. Hearing an album is similar to visiting a museum. The listener has to have his or her own conversation with the artwork and create their own interpretations."

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US Spring / Summer Tour
(more dates to come)

May 18 World Cafe Live
Philadelphia, PA Doors: 7:00 PM
Ages: All Ages

May 19 Cafe 939
Boston, MA Doors: 7:30
Ages: All Ages

May 20 Wheel House
Narragansett , RI Doors: 8:00 PM
Ages: 18+

May 21 Red Square
Troy, NY Doors: 7:30
Ages: All Ages

May 22 The Stone Church
Newmarket, NH Doors: 8:00 PM
Ages: 18+

May 23 Fairfield Theatre's Stage One
Fairfield, CT Doors: 7:00 PM
Ages: All Ages

May 25 Jammin Java
Vienna, VA Doors: 7:30
Ages: All Ages

May 26 Joe's Pub
New York, NY Doors: 6pm
Ages: All Ages

Jun 01 Nightcat
Easton, Maryland Doors: 8:00 PM
Ages: All Ages

Jun 03 3rd + Lindsley
Nashville, Tennessee Doors: 8:00 PM
Ages: All Ages

Jun 05 Wakarusa Festival
Ozark, Arkansas Ages: All Ages

Jun 06 Wakarusa Festival
Ozark, Arkansas Ages: All Ages

Jun 08 SPACE
Evanston, Illinois Doors: 7:00 PM
Ages: All Ages

Jun 09 Rumba Cafe
Columbus, Ohio Doors: 8:00 PM
Ages: 18+

Jun 10 Club Cafe
Pittsburgh, PA Doors: 8:00 PM
Ages: 21+

Aug 10 Musikfest
Bethlehem , PA Doors: TBD Ages: All Ages

All tickets are part of Red Rocks package and available through STS9 store