KOAR favorite A Verse Unsung has signed to Photo Finish Records. Photo Finish is an imprint label owned by booking agent Matt Galle who books My Chemical Romance, Boys Like Girls, Metro Station, and Circa Survive. The band has upcoming dates on Vans Warped Tour. For fans of Rise Against and Against Me. For more information email kent@kmmpc.com.

Static Summer, an alternative rock band from New York City just finished recording 4 songs with an eclectic selection of producers – Jay Gordon, Mitch Allan (Daughtry), and Jay Baumgardner (New Found Glory, Evanescence). The band cites influences everything from Duran Duran, The Cure, to the Foo Fighters. The band recently played to a sold out crowd @ the Blender Theatre and ‘She’s Not a Lover’ was just played on New York Rock Station 101.9 by Matt Pinfield. Check out the tracks She’s Not a Lover and Simple Again.

26 year old Japanese artist Utada who is relatively unknown in America has the #1 album in Japan. Utada is also a songwriter and producer and thinks of herself as a composer more than as a performer. Her 1999 debut First Love is the country’s biggest-selling album of all time, and three of her albums rank among the Top Ten best-sellers. She has had 12 Number One hits, including four songs in Japan’s all-time Top 100. Her new recent released via Island Def Jam album is produced by Stargate (Ne-Yo, Rihanna, Beyonce) and Tricky (Britney Spears, Madonna, Mariah Carey). Check out the video for Come Back To Me.

Oakland California act The Matches who have completed their deal with Epitaph with the release of their third CD last March will be performing for labels April 13th at the Mercury Lounge and April 14th at Ace of Clubs. Check out the track Wake The Sun. For more information contact mhmanage@gmail.com

KOAR favorite American Taxi just signed to Virgin. The band has upcoming dates with Sum 41 and The Gaslight Anthem. Check out the track Mistake. For more information contact danielrfriedman@mac.com