NEW YORK, NY (Top40 Charts/ Atlantic Records) Flip/Atlantic recording group
Staind is teaming with Indaba
Music and Ultimate-Guitar.com for a truly extraordinary online competition. The contest invites fans to contribute their own guitar solos to Staind's new single, "Not Again" - the first from their eagerly awaited new album, "STAIND."
Beginning at 12 AM EDT on July 27th, contestants can submit their proposed solos via IndabaMusic.com - the pioneering online community for musicians. Submissions will end at 9 PM EDT on August 10th, at which point fans will have one week to vote for their favorite solos through August 17th at 9 PM EDT. A grand prize winner will be chosen by Staind themselves and unveiled on September 13th - the same day the multi-platinum band's hugely anticipated new album, "STAIND," arrives in stores and at all digital retailers. The winning guitarist will see the version of "Not Again" that incorporates their solo featured as a bonus track on the album at iTunes, along with a $1000 gift certificate to Guitar Center, a Mike Mushok signature model PRS guitar, a signed copy of the new album, and a one-month premium subscription to Ultimate-Guitar.com. Furthermore, 10 "Honorable Mention" solos will be chosen from the Top 20 selected by public voting, each of whom will receive a signed copy of "STAIND." For complete contest details, please visit www.indabamusic.com/opportunities/staind-guitar-solo-opportunity.
"STAIND" - which marks the iconic hard rock band's seventh studio album and first full-length release in three years - is available now for pre-order through the band's website, www.staind.com. "Not Again," the album's first single, was the No 1 Most Added track at active rock radio last week, with 71% of active rock stations adding the track, marking the band's highest radio debut to date.
Produced by Johnny K - known for his work with 3 Doors Down, Disturbed, and Sevendust, not to mention his Grammy Award-nominated collaboration with Staind, 2008's "THE ILLUSION OF PROGRESS" - and mixed by the legendary Chris Lord-Alge, "STAIND" stands as Staind's most intense and powerful work to date. Singer/songwriter/guitarist Aaron Lewis recently described the album as "the heaviest thing we have recorded in a long time. It's definitely one of the heaviest collections of songs that we have put together."
"It's completely different than the last record," agrees guitarist Mike Mushok. "It's more of a throwback to where we came from. I definitely think it's fresh. It's a modern-sounding version of a heavy Staind record. It's pretty cool."
"STAIND" has already earned advance acclaim from ARTISTDirect, which hailed the album as a "timeless masterpiece," praising Lewis' vocals for "reach(ing) heights that only legends can touch."
In other news, Staind is slated to return to the stage with a trio of upcoming concerts, beginning September 2nd with a headline performance at the Alaska State Fair in Palmer, Alaska. That show will be followed by a headline date at New Rock 103.9's X-Fest 2011 at Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Dayton, Ohio on September 17th and KROQ's annual rock festival, Epicenter 2011, slated for September 24th at Irvine, California's Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. For up-to-the-minute details, please see www.staind.com/events.
Staind's decade-plus career has seen worldwide album sales in excess of 13 million and five No 1 singles spanning three different radio formats. With honest, heartfelt lyrics, resounding guitar chords, and Aaron Lewis' unmistakable voice, the New England-based band leapt to the forefront of American alternative metal with 2001's hugely popular Flip/Elektra third album, "BREAK THE CYCLE." Fueled by the hit singles, "Outside" and "It's Been Awhile," the album debuted at No 1 on the Billboard 200, ultimately going on to five-times RIAA platinum certification and worldwide sales of 7 million.
In addition to his continuing work with Staind, singer Aaron Lewis is a fervent road warrior, performing solo acoustic shows featuring both classic Staind songs like "It's Been Awhile" and "Right Here" and songs from his solo EP, "TOWN LINE," which debuted at in the No 1 slot on the Billboard country chart, and No 7 on the Billboard 200. "TOWN LINE" also earned Lewis two CMT video nominations - one for the lead single "Country Boy," the video for which currently has 10 million views on CMT.com and YouTube alone.
For additional news and information, please visit www.staind.com.
ABOUT INDABA MUSIC
Indaba Music pioneered the online music collaboration space, enabling anyone with internet access to connect with musicians from around the world to create, edit and mix studio-quality music online. Indaba Music recently expanded to provide musicians with opportunities from remix contests, to sync and licensing opportunities, to branded programs for sponsors. Indaba Music's community has 600,000 members from 205 countries and territories.
For more information about Indaba Music visit: www.indabamusic.com.
ABOUT ULTIMATE GUITAR
Ultimate Guitar (www.ultimate-guitar.com) is the leading and fastest growing online global social media site for the guitar enthusiast community. Ultimate Guitar's 10 million monthly visitors rely on the site for gear and CD reviews, music news, guest columns, forums, guitar and bass lessons in addition to the Internet's largest library of legal guitar tabs. Ultimate Guitar's North American headquarters is in San Francisco, CA.
