Atlantic Records artist Camera Can’t Lie will be embarking on a tour with labelmate Jason Castro to promote their five track EP entitled Days & Days. Camera Can’t Lie is comprised of high school friends Eric Arjes (Vocals/Guitar), Kyle Lindsay (Bass), and hard-hitting drummer Josh Bendell. “These songs are an accumulation of the last five years of our lives. I think that’s why we are so attached to what we’ve created and why it’s impossible to peg this album with just one theme. This album is, in so many words, about finding hope in chaos, focusing on the present, speaking with actions instead of words, putting your heart on the line, dealing with internal struggle, and risking the safe and the comfortable for a chance at greatness. It is a play-by-play of our journey as a band, and I couldn’t be more proud,” says Arjes. They are a band built by the road for the road. They came from the Midwest but their home is the stage. Heartfelt and unabashed music lovers, they go by the motto: “We are strugglers, sinners, gentlemen, and fighters.” Philanthropic through and through, they have donated an acoustic version of Radiohead’s “High & Dry” for the Biggest Label Ever that creates awareness for the Invisible Children program. There will much more to come from Camera Can’t Lie as they are finishing up their debut record, produced by Ron Aniello (Lifehouse, Guster).
http://www.myspace.com/cameracantlie / http://cameracantlie.com/

Video Link for Days & Days: http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid30065720001?bctid=58353994001

Tour Dates:
4/22 – Chaser’s – Scottsdale, AZ
4/23 – House of Blues – San Diego, CA
4/25 – Troubadour – Los Angeles, CA
4/27 – Bottle Neck – Lawrence, KS
4/28 – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL
4/30 – The Pike Room – Pontiac, MI
5/1 – Grog Shop – Cleveland Heights, OH
5/2 – The Basement – Columbus, OH
5/4 – Vinyl – Atlanta, GA
5/6 – Rocketown – Nashville, TN
5/8 – Capitol Theatre – Clearwater, FL
5/12 – Joe’s Pub – New York, NY
5/13 – Jammin Java – Vienna, VA
5/15 – Cafe 939 – Boston, MA
5/16 – The Note – West Chester, PA

Jason has also announced his first ever headlining tour in support of his debut, self-titled album due out on April 13th. Check out dates below to see when he’s heading to a city near you.

APRIL

17 Dallas, TX The Loft
22 Phoenix, AZ Chasers
23 San Diego, CA House of Blues
25 Los Angeles, CA The Troubadour
27 Kansas City, MO Bottleneck Blues Bar
28 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
30 Detroit, MI Pike Room

MAY
1 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop
2 Columbus, OH The Basement
3 Orlando, FL Walt Disney World
4 Atlanta, GA Vinyl
6 Nashville, TN Rocketown
8 Clearwater, FL Capitol Theatre
12 New York, NY Joe’s Pub
13 Vienna, VA Jammin Java
15 Boston, MA Café 939
16 Philadelphia, PA The Note

The self-titled album will be preceded by the new single, “That’s What I’m Here For.” The track is slated to hit Hot AC radio outlets nationwide on March 8th. That same day will also see “That’s What I’m Here For” – coupled with an exclusive rendition of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow,” one of the songs that helped earn him a third-runner up finish on the 2008 season of Fox’s American Idol – go on sale at digital retailers everywhere.

What’s more, Castro is slated to perform both songs on ABC’s upcoming special, The Bachelor: Jason & Molly’s Wedding, from Warner Horizon Television. The two-hour television event airs Monday, March 8th (check local listings).

“JASON CASTRO” brims with toe-tapping pop, strummy folk, and electrifying rock (“Closer,” “Heart of Stone”) — all cleverly balanced, rooted in the classic, melody-minded singer-songwriter tradition, with heart-on-sleeve lyrics and acoustic guitar-driven arrangements. Featured alongside unabashedly emotional tunes like “Love Uncompromised” and the buoyant first single, “Let’s Just Fall In Love Again” is a stunning version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” (which Castro performed on American Idol, citing Jeff Buckley’s version as a huge inspiration to him as an artist).

To fully capture the moods he wanted, Castro collaborated with producer Eric Rosse (Sara Bareilles, Tori Amos) and a host of top-notch songwriters — including Marc Roberge of O.A.R., Gregg Wattenberg (Five For Fighting), Zac Maloy (David Cook), and Espionage (Train) — all of whom helped make “JASON CASTRO” an ideal showcase for his considerable gifts as a vocalist, songwriter, and musician.

“I feel like the album really captures my personality,” Jason says. “People got to know me a bit on the show, so I wanted to build on that by including all these songs I’ve written about my life. I wanted to share with people the things that are meaningful to me.”

“JASON CASTRO” follows Castro’s acclaimed “THE LOVE UNCOMPROMISED EP,” which immediately shot to the Top 5 on the iTunes album chart upon its January release. The five track EP – highlighted by three of the album’s brightest moments, including “You Can Always Come Home,” a tender duet featuring Atlantic labelmate Serena Ryder – was immediately hailed in the New York Times as being “among the most sure-footed records, debut or otherwise, by an ‘Idol’ contestant from any season.”

The Texas-based tunesmith has just wrapped a major US tour, his first full-fledged trek in support of his own music. Jason received rapturous reviews along the way, with the New York Times declaring his set “magnetic…1960s pop with bright guitars, slashed through with a contrarian streak… Jack Johnson and Jason Mraz should be nervous.” A full-scale US tour in support of “JASON CASTRO” will be announced shortly.

For up-to-the-minute news please visit jasoncastromusic.com. Also, be sure to check out Jason’s web store to preorder the album and find exclusive new merchandise.

All Dates w/Matt Hires’ “State Lines Tour 2010”

JANUARY
20 Jacksonville, FL Jack Rabbits
21 Decatur, GA Eddie’s Attic
22 Charlotte, NC The Evening Muse
23 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506
25 Vienna, VA Jammin’ Java
26 Philadelphia, PA World Café Live
27 New York, NY Joe’s Pub
28 Boston, MA Café 939
29 Pittsburgh, PA Club Café
31 Cleveland, OH Beachland Ballroom & Tavern

FEBRUARY
1 Columbus, OH The Basement
3 Ann Arbor, MI The Ark
4 Chicago, IL Schubas Tavern
5 Madison, WI Der Rathskeller
6 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry
8 Lawrence, KS The Bottleneck
9 Denver, CO The Soiled Dove Underground
10 Salt Lake City, UT Kilby Court Gallery
11 Boise, ID Reef Boise
12 Seattle, WA The High Dive
13 Portland, OR Mississippi Studios
16 San Francisco, CA Bottom Of The Hill
17 Los Angeles, CA Hotel Café
19 San Diego, CA The Casbah
20 Tucson, AZ Solar Culture
21 Phoenix, AZ Rhythm Room
22 Santa Fe, NM Santa Fe Brewing Company
24 Dallas, TX The Loft
25 Austin, TX Stubb’s BBQ
26 Houston, TX House of Blues
28 Birmingham, AL WorkPlay Theater

The five track EP heralds the forthcoming release of Castro’s self-titled debut album. “THE LOVE UNCOMPROMISED EP” features an exclusive acoustic rendition of the album’s buoyant lead single, “Let’s Just Fall In Love Again,” as well as three of the album’s brightest moments. Among them is “You Can Always Come Home,” a tender duet featuring Castro’s acclaimed Atlantic labelmate Serena Ryder. As if all that weren’t enough, the EP includes a further bonus track, “Sweet Medicine,” exclusive to this release.

The Texas-based tunesmith – best known as the third runner-up on the 2008 season of Fox’s American Idol – is set to embark on a major US tour, his first full-fledged trek in support of his own music. Jason will accompany F-Stop Music/Atlantic recording artist Matt Hires on his upcoming “State Lines Tour 2010,” due to kick off on January 20th at Jacksonville, Florida’s Jack Rabbits, with dates then continuing through late February (see attached itinerary). To make the tour even more special, Castro plans to perform at local high schools in many of the markets along the way – for details, please visit www.jasoncastromusic.com.

Slated to arrive in Spring 2010, “JASON CASTRO” brims with toe-tapping pop, strummy folk, and electrifying rock (“Closer,” “Heart of Stone”) — all cleverly balanced, rooted in the classic, melody-minded singer-songwriter tradition, with heart-on-sleeve lyrics and acoustic guitar-driven arrangements. Featured alongside unabashedly emotional tunes like “Love Uncompromised” and the lilting “If I Were You” is a stunning version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” (which Castro performed on American Idol, citing Jeff Buckley’s version as a huge inspiration to him as an artist).

To fully capture the moods he wanted, Castro collaborated with producer Eric Rosse (Sara Bareilles, Tori Amos) and a host of top-notch songwriters — including Marc Roberge of O.A.R., Gregg Wattenberg (Five For Fighting), Zac Maloy (David Cook), and Espionage (Train) — all of whom helped make “JASON CASTRO” an ideal showcase for his considerable gifts as a vocalist, songwriter, and musician.

“I feel like the album really captures my personality,” Jason says. “People got to know me a bit on the show, so I wanted to build on that by including all these songs I’ve written about my life. I wanted to share with people the things that are meaningful to me.”

“Let’s Just Fall In Love Again” is already garnering tremendous feedback, having recently been included on Entertainment Weekly’s influential “Must List,” which praised Jason’s “signature warble, jaunty whistles and claps, and affectionate lyrics,” noting that the single “ makes falling in love with (Castro) again oh-so-easy.” “Let’s Just Fall In Love Again” is available now via iTunes, while its companion video clip – directed by Travis Kopach (Panic At The Disco, All Time Low) –can be viewed online here.

Pre-orders for “JASON CASTRO” are available now through Jason’s webstore. In addition to instantly receiving the “Let’s Just Fall In Love Again” digital single, fans can also choose from a variety of packages that include bonus content ranging from a special fan plaque or an autographed limited edition poster to the opportunity to personally connect with Jason at either a special “Meet N Greet” or on a one-of-a-kind five-minute phone call. For complete details, please visit www.jasoncastromusic.com/store.

A multi-talented singer and guitarist, Castro was among the most popular and talented artists in American Idol history, entering the record books as the first contestant ever to play an instrument on the show. His performance of the Leonard Cohen-penned classic “Hallelujah” proved such an audience favorite that cult hero Jeff Buckley’s rendition of the song hit #1 on the iTunes chart the following week, and sold an astonishing 178,000 digital singles. Jason scored a chart-topping single of his own a few weeks later, when his interpretation of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” also hit #1 on iTunes after a show-stopping performance of the song on American Idol. Upon the season’s conclusion, Castro was among the stars of the hugely successful “American Idols LIVE! Tour 2008.”

For up-to-the-minute news and information, please visit www.jasoncastromusic.com.

All Dates w/Matt Hires’ “State Lines Tour 2010”

JANUARY
20 Jacksonville, FL Jack Rabbits
21 Decatur, GA Eddie’s Attic
22 Charlotte, NC The Evening Muse
23 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506
25 Vienna, VA Jammin’ Java
26 Philadelphia, PA World Café Live
27 New York, NY Joe’s Pub
28 Boston, MA Café 939
29 Pittsburgh, PA Club Café
31 Cleveland, OH Beachland Ballroom & Tavern

FEBRUARY
1 Columbus, OH The Basement
3 Ann Arbor, MI The Ark
4 Chicago, IL Schubas Tavern
5 Madison, WI Der Rathskeller
6 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry
8 Lawrence, KS The Bottleneck
9 Denver, CO The Soiled Dove Underground
10 Salt Lake City, UT Kilby Court Gallery
11 Boise, ID Reef Boise
12 Seattle, WA The High Dive
13 Portland, OR Mississippi Studios
16 San Francisco, CA Bottom Of The Hill
17 Los Angeles, CA Hotel Café
19 San Diego, CA The Casbah
20 Tucson, AZ Solar Culture
21 Phoenix, AZ Rhythm Room
22 Santa Fe, NM Santa Fe Brewing Company
24 Dallas, TX The Loft
25 Austin, TX Stubb’s BBQ
26 Houston, TX House of Blues
28 Birmingham, AL WorkPlay Theater

After Jason Castro totally blew it last night he was given the boot as we predicted last night. Who could be surprised after he butchered two legends songs? It’s unforgivable to forget the lyrics this late in the game–or to sing as bad as he has over the past few weeks.

Castro even admitted that he would have a tough time carrying on: “Three songs next week—I don’t know what I would have done,” Castro said.

“It’s just getting tough for me,” he had said a few minutes before the send-off. “I think my inexperience is coming in…I tried to pick two I knew and, even that…I don’t know.”

David Cook was boring with his cover of Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like a Wolf.” Cook’s second go with The Who’s “Baba O’Riley” was far better.

Syesha was surprisingly solid. Who would have guessed a few weeks ago that she would have been so good? Syesha did an above average version of “Proud Mary” although her attempt at rocking out like Tina wasn’t nearly as good as her vocals. Syesha was even better with her version of “A Change Is Gonna Come.”

Jason Castro is a train wreck. Jason killed Bob Marley’s “I Shot The Sheriff.” He doesn’t deserve to be on the show. How in the hell did he knock off Brooke White? This probably wouldn’t have made it into the top twelve if Simon and company had another go at it. Not only did Jason forget the lyrics to “Mr. Tambourine Man,” but he completely ruined it.

David Archuleta was brilliant with his version of “Stand by Me.” He still hasn’t come close to being as good as he was covering “Imagine,” but this came close. Simon was right when he said it was the “best performance so far.” David’s version of Elvis Presley’s “Love Me Tender” was a home run.

Finally:
Simon told Jason to “pack your suitcase.” That was the best advice of the night. So that begs the question: who will be in the final two? Will it be David Cook and David Archuleta? Or, David Archuleta and Syesha? As you can tell we think Archuleta wins this thing with ease–but what do you think?