SAN FRAN ALT-OUTLET ANNOUNCES LOCAL BAND STAGE AT SUMMER FESTIVAL -- Alternative KITS (Live 105) San Francisco will host their annual "BFD" concert at the Shoreline Amphitheatre on June 6 - the concert features 35 acts on four seperate stages.

Their 'Soundcheck Local Band Stage' will showcase nine acts - MC Lars, alt-popsters Music For Animals (unsigned - our favorite of the bunch!), Wallpaper (signed to Eenie Meenie), Odawas (signed to jajaguwar), Dizzy Balloon (unsigned - "The Beatles on Wellbutrin" - Kevin Bronson, buzzbands.la), The Catholic Comb (signed to Bright Antenna), Ambience (unsigned, for fans of the mellower side of Dredg), Solid State Logic (unsigned 'Red State Rock' ala Breaking Benjamin) and Fighting The Villain (female-fronted rock ala Paramore, signed to indie PopSmear and in desperate need of a stylist).

Live 105 MD Aaron Axelsen and the rest of the programming staff there always do a great job of curating this stage - definitely worth looking into this year's acts!!

NEW SIGNING UPDATE -- Orlando R&B artist Kevin Cossom signs to Jive ...also recently signed to Jive is UK popster Daisy Dares You ...Another British singer, Erik Hassle, has decided to sign to Island ...in METAL signing news, Wilmington rawkers He Is Legend has signed with Tragic Hero Records ...Detroit's We Came As Romans signs to Equal Vision ...City Of Ships has signed with Translation Loss Records

VERONICA LEIGH (unsigned, unpublished) -- Originally from California, 24 year-old Veronica Leigh has been cutting her teeth on the Nashville circuit for a little while now ...She might be the first Country artist we've written about here, but our reasoning is - we have a strong feeling this girl will cross over into other formats as time goes by and as she continues to develop.

She's got one of the best voices we've heard in quite some time, she writes basic yet timeless, hooky country songs, and she's (obvz) got FANTASTIC style - as one tipster described her - "a Countryfied Katy Perry"...

Veronica has been approached by a few labels, but she's continuing to take meetings ...Hit us up directly for more information - or contact her directly and make like you discovered her on your own like you always do ;)

TALENTFILTER ACT SIGNS PUBLISHING DEAL! Los Angeles-based Alt-Rock band Castaneda, first tipped here in November 2008, has signed a publishing deal with Songs Music Publishing. The band recently self-released a new EP titled So This Is What We're Gonna Do, and songs have been featured on hometown tastemaker KROQ Los Angeles. Castaneda is in the process of writing and recording new material. The band is still available for worldwide signing. Congrats guys!

LAYOFFS TODAY AT WARNER BROS. RECORDS -- Hate to report this kind of news, but several staffers in A&R and regional Radio Promo were laid off today.