The clock is ticking down the hours and minutes to MerleFest 2009, presented by Lowe's, which will begin its 22nd year of "Music, Moments and Memories" next Thursday, April 23, and wind up on Sunday, April 26, on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina.

Guerilla Union has announced initial details for the 2009 installment of the critically acclaimed festival series ROCK THE BELLS--North America’s only hip-hop festival. Teaming with Budweiser for this year’s ROCK THE BELLS 2009 FESTIVAL SERIES, the festival features such headliners as Nas & Damian “Jr Gong” Marley, The Roots, Big Boi and Common plus many more major hip-hop artists.

In New York in the mid-‘80s, four veteran New York musicians united to form the Del-Lords: Scott Kempner from the Dictators, Eric Ambel from Joan Jett’s Blackhearts, future Cracker drummer Frank Funaro and thundering bassist Manny Caiati. Key songwriter Kempner said his vision “was to create a band that would feature four singers performing my songs — an East Coast Beach Boys if you will.” But rather than singing about girls and cars, the Del-Lords sang about things that mattered to them: the everyday grind of life and how it affected the band and those around them.

Noise Pop and Another Planet Entertainment are pleased to announce that the third annual Treasure Island Music Festival will take place on Saturday October 17 and Sunday October 18, 2009. Saturday will feature two stages of electronic and dance oriented acts and Sunday will feature a compelling line up of national and local indie rock artists.