Inbox Update: Jars of Clay, Cage The Elephant, The Wild Feathers

Here are some noteworthy items worth highlighting...I especially want to highlight Jars of Clay's forthcoming album titled Inland. Although Inland won't be available until next week (Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2013), you can listen to the entire album now via a stream at Billboard.com. It's an excellent disc and I hope it gets the attention it deserves.

GRAMMY-AWARD WINNING JARS OF CLAY STREAM INLAND EXCLUSIVELY AT BILLBOARD.COM

ELEVENTH STUDIO ALBUM DUE AUGUST 27th
Limited Edition, Fan Pre-Order Packages Available
Headlining September Tour With Brooke Waggoner and Kye Kye

NASHVILLE, TENN. – GRAMMY-Awards winning bandJars of Clay are previewing their eleventh studio album, Inland, exclusively on Billboard.com beginning August 20^th. Inland is available August 27^th on their own Gray Matters label with distribution through Tone Tree. Produced by Tucker Martine (My Morning Jacket, Beth Orton, The Decemberists) and mixed by Beau Sorenson and Jacquire King, Inland is currently available for pre-order at iTunes.

Additionally, multiple limited-edition pre-order packages are available beginning today at www.jarsofclay.com. The packages not only include the new music, but limited quantities of a bonus remix collection download, 180 Gram Dual Disc 45 RPM Color Vinyl, tickets to the Inland tour and pre-event guest passes, lyrics handwritten by the band, posters and other autographed memorabilia. There is even access to a completely private VIP “All Request” Stage-It performance just for the fan and his/her friends that comes complete with a post-concert recorded audio copy of the event!

It’s been nearly twenty years since Dan Haseltine, Steve Mason, Charlie Lowell and Matthew Odmark released their debut Frail. Students at the time, Jars of Clay once again harness the youthful ambition and uninhibited creativity of their beginnings for Inland, while cultivating a maturity in sound with embellishments of violin, horns and ambient melodies that attests two decades of experience.

“These are songs for the ordinary days – when life is weighty and uncertain,” reflects Matthew Odmark. “It is this middle space that we have inhabited over the years. It’s where you and I do the gritty work of actually living.”

Jars of Clay is back with wonderful 'Inland'

With the title track recently featured exclusively as RollingStone.com’s free “Daily Download,” the music on Inland has a rich cinematic quality, marked by Lowell’s lush keyboard melodies, Odmark’s strong acoustic rhythm guitar and Mason’s serpentine bass lines. The album’s first single and upcoming video, “After The Fight,” featuring the atmospheric guitar textures of Adrian Belew, has a low-key swagger that brings to mind the intergalactic art rock of Bowie and Peter Murphy. “We asked Adrian Belew if he’d come in and work his magic,” explains Haseltine. “He produced two songs on our first record, but we were too intimidated to let him play guitar. This time he added his big, wild, twanging guitar sound, the reverse solos and all the other effects he’s famous for.”

Following years on labels, Inland marks Jars of Clay’s first independent release, “We’ve had enough experience with record labels working a project because they have to,” says Haseltine. “Everyone we work with loves the record and wants to help us build something as a band with a big creative vision.”
Part of that creative vision is to shatter some of the preconceived notions built over the years by label marketing strategies. "It took a long time to strip away every voice that wasn't ours to make Inland," explains Haseltine. "For me, it's always been about a great song. We want to connect with people who love music for music. That's why created our own label."

Jars of Clay began their U.S. tour in support of Inland in July with Brooke Waggoner supporting and The Last Bison in August.

CAGE THE ELEPHANT'S "COME A LITTLE CLOSER" IS THE NUMBER ONE MOST ADDED AT ALTERNATIVE RADIO FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE WEEK

LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 21, 2013 - For the second consecutive week, Cage The Elephant'ssingle "Come A Little Closer" is currently the #1 most added track at Alternative Radio in the United States. It has been called "the outfit's grooviest effort yet", "good old fashioned indie rocking", and "sweeping sing-along pop". The single is also the #1 Most Added, #1 Spinburner and #1 Increased Audience at ALT in Canada. Just last week Cage The Elephant announced their highly anticipated forthcoming third studio album, entitled 'Melophobia', which will be released on October 8th via RCA Records. 'Melophobia' is now available for pre-order at iTunes. Fans who pre-order the album will receive a free download of "Come A Little Closer", which peaked at #1 HypeMachine upon its debut.  "Come A Little Closer" on Soundcloud   embed code for posting:     The new album is the follow up to 2011's acclaimed sophomore album Thank You Happy Birthday, which debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart and has sold over 250,000 copies to date. Rolling Stone, New York Times, LA Times, USA Today, and Entertainment Weekly praised the release as "one of the best rock albums of the year". The album also spawned the hit single "Shake Me Down" which spent six weeks at #1 at Alternative radio. Their acclaimed self-titled debut album was released in 2009 and has sold over 550,000 copies to date. The album remained on the Billboard 200 Chart for an astounding 73 consecutive weeks and produced three Top 5 singles at Alternative Radio, including the massive hit "Ain't No Rest For The Wicked". In additional to numerous Sold Out headline runs, Cage The Elephant has toured with Black Keys, Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, Muse, Stone Temple Pilots, Foals, Silversun Pickups, Manchester Orchestra, and many more.  This coming September Cage The Elephant will bring their raucous live show to arena audiences across the US for a run of dates with Muse. See below for a complete list of upcoming dates. Cage The Elephant consists of singer Matt Shultz, guitarist Brad Shultz, bassist Daniel Tichenor, guitarist Lincoln Parish, and drummer Jared Champion.    Click Here To Pre-Order 'Melophobia'  Melophobia Track Listing 01 SPIDERHEAD 02 COME A LITTLE CLOSER 03 TELESCOPE 04 IT'S JUST FOREVER (featuring Alison Mosshart) 05 TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT 06 HALO 07 BLACK WIDOW 08 HYPOCRITE 09 TEETH 10 CIGARETTE DAYDREAMS        Cage The Elephant Live Dates 9/3 - Charlotte, NC - Time Warner Cable Arena* 9/4 - Duluth, GA - The Arena At Gwinnett Center* 9/6 - Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena* 9/8 - Pittsburgh, PA - Consol Energy Center* 9/9 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center* 9/11 - Washington, DC - Verizon Center* 9/14 - Maryland Heights, MO - Verizon Wireless Amph. 9/17 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center* 9/19 - Salt Lake City, UT - EnergySolutions Arena* 9/21 - Oceanside, CA - FM 94/9 Independence Jam  9/27 - Kansas City, MO - 96.5 The Buzz Beach Ball *with Muse http://www.cagetheelephant.com/ THE WILD FEATHERS DEBUT AT NO. 1 ON BILLBOARD'S HEATSEEKERS ALBUMS CHART OUT NOW WITH WILLIE NELSON, ZZ WARD TOUR KICKS OFF NEXT MONTH The self-titled debut from Nashville's The Wild Feathers has opened at #1 on Billboard's Heatseekers Album Chart this week. The Jay Joyce (Cage the Elephant, Emmylou Harris)-produced album was released August 13th via Warner Bros Records. First single "The Ceiling" is #11 and climbing at AAA radio - watch the video for the "The Ceiling" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPkGcKckjao&feature=player_embedded.   The Wild Feathers are out now with the legendary Willie Nelson on a west coast run, where they have been lucky enough to join him onstage for several songs each evening. The five-piece will join ZZ Ward on tour next month, and shows with Dawes and Needtobreathe are also confirmed. These additions come on the heels of a year of heavy touring, including shows with Ryan Bingham, dates with Bob Dylan and stops at the Sasquatch and Hangout Festivals, as well as Milwaukee's Summerfest, Louisville's Forecastle Festival and San Francisco's Outside Lands. Nashville's Live on the Green and the Austin City Limits festival are also upcoming: full tour dates are below. Critical response to The Wild Feathers has been effusive. Rolling Stone declared the album "something that fans of heartland artists like the Avett Brothers and My Morning Jacket will appreciate while it recalls the magic of Tom Petty and Neil Young," Relix called it "boisterous and impassioned, reverberating with a raw, live quality," American Songwriter said "The Wild Feathers may seem like newcomers, but they're catching up fast," and the NY Daily News gave the album four stars, declaring "the Feathers have the vulnerability and beauty of the Jayhawks...the chemistry they found has the 'eureka' effect of the great American harmony-rock bands, from Buffalo Springfield to Poco." The Wild Feathers are a truly American band: their music takes elements of the best of rock, country, folk and blues music and reshapes it in a way that is both unique and modern. Ricky Young, Joel King, Taylor Burns, Preston Wimberly and Ben Dumas grew up steeped in music; playing solo gigs, touring with local bands and working at venues. The guys came together in 2010 through coincidence, mutual friends, and a shared love of the classics: Petty, Cash, The Band, Gram Parsons and Neil Young. Look for them in a town near you (they perform here in Southern California several times next month). www.thewildfeathers.com / www.facebook.com/wildfeathers  The Wild Feathers Tour Dates: 8/21 Sacramento, CA/Community Ctr Theater* 8/23 Redmond, WA/Marymoor Amp* 8/24 Goldendale, WA/Maryhill Winery* 8/25 Boise, ID / Idaho Botanical Gardens* 8/31 Denver, CO / Taste of Colorado 9/02 Portland, OR / Aladdin Theatre ** 9/04 San Francisco, CA / The Fillmore** 9/06 Los Angeles, CA / House of Blues** 9/07 Anaheim, CA / House of Blues** 9/08 San Diego, CA / House of Blues** 9/11 Phoenix, AZ / Crescent Ballroom** 9/12 Nashville, TN / Live on the Green 9/16 Austin, TX / The Parish** 9/17 Dallas, TX / House of Blues**  9/18 Houston, TX / Bronze Peacock** 9/23 Ft. Lauderdale, FL / Revolution** 9/24 Lake Buena Vista, FL / House of Blues** 9/27 Charlotte, NC / Visulite Theatre** 9/28 Washington, DC / 9:30 Club** 9/30 New York, NY / Irving Plaza** 10/1 Philadelphia, PA / TLA** 10/2 Boston, MA / Paradise Rock Club** 10/4 Cleveland, OH / Cambridge Room** 10/6 Austin, TX / Austin City Limits 10/8 Indianapolis, IN / Deluxe @ Old National Centre** 10/11 Kansas City, MO / Midland Theater** 10/13 Austin, TX / Austin City Limits 10/14 St. Louis, MO / Firebird** 10/15 Chicago, IL / House of Blues** 10/20 Workplay / Birmingham, AL*** 10/22 The Loft (at Harem Lounge) / Lansing, MI****   10/23 Calvin College / Grand Rapids, MI**** 10/25 Majestic Theatre / Madison, WI**** 10/26 Bluebird Nightclub / Bloomington, IN****           10/28 Blue Moose / Iowa City, IA****                10/29 The Bourbon Theatre / Lincoln, NE****                10/30 George's Majestic Lounge / Fayetteville, AR****             11/1 The Blue Note / Columbia, MO**** 11/5 House of Blues / New Orleans, LA****                 11/6 Rick's Café / Starkville, MS**** 11/7 Peanut Festival / Dothan, AL**** 11/8 40 Watt Club / Athens, GA**** * w/ Willie Nelson ** w/ ZZ Ward ***w/ Dawes ****w/ Needtobreathe