Hailing from York, Pennsylvania, the Underwater have managed to keep themselves relevant even through the peaks and valleys since their inception in late 2001. Musically, the Underwater are hard to pin down although they have managed to create a tossed salad with elements of emo, progressive rock and mainstream rock. In 2002, the band toured with hardcore acts such as ZAO, Unearth, Underoath, and Dead Poetic. In 2003, The Underwater released a record titled Bleed Me Blue (EP) on Tribunal Records which sold 6,000+ and landed them on big ticket tours including Nickelback, Seether and The Fire Theft. In 2005 the band found themselves free from contractual obligations thus they released their second EP in 2 years entitled “Lungs”. For more information contact Drake Sutton-Shearer at 818-761-2779 or Bill McGathy at 212-924-7775.

Check out the track Maybe Love (mp3)

Dallas’ Virgin Megastore will be closing due to…well, you know..same old story..

According to the Dallas Morning News, “Industry trends have made business tough for traditional music stores like Virgin.”

“CD sales are down as digital music downloads become more popular. And big retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Best Buy Inc. are taking customers away from specialized retailers such as Virgin, said Russ Crupnick, an analyst with NPD Group.”

Music buyers are shopping in more places,” he said. “The loyalty to any one retailer is declining.”

Apple Computer on Monday revealed it had renewed contracts with the four largest record companies to sell songs through its iTunes digital store at 99 cents each. The agreements came after months of bargaining, and were a defeat for music companies that had been pushing for a variable pricing model. Read the full article here.

 Unsigned Science Of The Subconscious is the creation of Aaron Shier who grew up in Iowa before moving to Los Angeles. He began working with producer Herb Graham, Jr (John Cale, Macy Gray) and the results sound a bit like a Whiskey A Go Go conversation between Kurt Cobain and Martin Gore according to the band’s myspace. That sounds about a right. You can catch them at the following performances May 2 @ The Scene Bar (CA) and May 4 @ The Cat Club (CA). For more information contact Jeremy Toback at 818-755-9182. Check out the mp3’s Empathy and She Says.Â

It’s a tough month at radio for new artists considering career bands like Tool, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Godsmack, and Pearl Jam are hogging active and alternative rock playlists. Universal’s Blue October managed to grab the #3 on the alternative charts as unsigned Failsafe that KOARÂ posted frequently is currently going for an add.