Matchbox Twenty has announced a jam-packed schedule celebrating next week’s release of their highly anticipated new album, North.  The collection – which includes the hit single, “She’s So Mean” – arrives this Tuesday, September 4th.

The days ahead will see Matchbox Twenty making a variety of high profile TV appearances, beginning with a headline installment of the “Toyota Concert Series” on NBC’s TODAY, set to air live from New York City’s Rockefeller Plaza on Monday, September 3rd.  Next up, the band will hit the stage of the legendary Ed Sullivan Theatre for a Wednesday, September 5th appearance on CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman.  That will be followed by an acoustic performance on Vh1’s “Big Morning Buzz” live on Thursday, September 6th at 10 am. As if that weren’t enough, frontman Rob Thomas will be among the guests on the Friday, September 7th edition of CNN’s Piers Morgan Tonight, while Rob Thomas and Kyle Cook will also appear on the September 15th edition of Vh1’s Top 20 Countdown.

North – which is streaming now in its entirety on the iTunes Store – has already begun to receive critical acclaim.  Rolling Stone hailed the album as “packed with U2-ish anthems and up-tempo electro jams,” while Billboard noted that “tracks like ‘Our Song’ ride a glitchy, new wave synth hook into a hand clap-heavy chorus,” while “’She’s So Mean’ is backed by a foot-stomping beat that wouldn’t sound out of place on a runway during Fashion Week."

Speaking of which, Matchbox Twenty will make an exclusive visit to New York City’s Bloomingdale’s as part of the 4th annual Fashion Night Out celebration.  The in-store event – slated for 6:30 pm at the Men’s Lower Level of Bloomingdale’s illustrious 1000 Third Avenue location – follows the band’s recent cover appearance on the store’s influential “Best of Men’s” catalog.

Thomas will also be seen this fall as a mentor on the upcoming third season of NBC’s smash singing competition, The Voice.  The Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter – who recently co-hosted an installment of ABC’s LIVE! With Kelly – will join Cee Lo Green’s team, working with contestants and giving them tips before their performances.   The Voice premieres September 10th on NBC (check local listings).
Last, but most certainly not least, Matchbox Twenty will be among the biggest stars at London’s upcoming iTunes Festival 2012.  The band will headline Camden’s famed Roundhouse on September 19th.   A full-scale world tour is currently in the works –with Australian dates already announced kicking off October 20th in Melbourne. For a full listing of tour dates check www.matchboxtwenty.com

  “She’s So Mean” has proven yet another smash in Matchbox Twenty’s long-running succession of multi format radio classics.  The track is currently a top 10 favorite at Hot AC, while also ascending the top 40 at CHR/Top 40.  Furthermore, the electrifying “She’s So Mean” companion video has received extensive rotation at VH1 while also drawing over a million views at the band’s official YouTube channel, located at www.youtube.com/user/matchboxtwentytv.

Matchbox Twenty’s fourth full-length studio recording and first all-new album in a decade, North sees the band driving their pop-rock sound further forward, magnifying the indelible melodies, crafty lyricism, and glorious hooks that have defined their multi-platinum body of work.  Matchbox Twenty – Rob Thomas, Paul Doucette, Kyle Cook and Brian Yale – lived together last summer in a house in Nashville where they collaborated on the new material before once again joining forces with the Grammy Award-winning producer Matt Serletic at his Emblem Studios in Calabasas, California.  The result of their labors stands among the band’s finest, with songs like “Overjoyed” and “Put Your Hands Up” marked by Matchbox Twenty’s instantly identifiable sonic approach and unadulterated high spirits.

North follows Matchbox Twenty’s most recent release, 2007’s RIAA gold certified Exile on Mainstream.  In addition to compiling such classic hits as “Push,” “Bent,” and “Unwell,” the album featured six new tracks, including still another smash single, the Steve Lillywhite-produced “How Far We’ve Come,” which is the band’s biggest selling single to date.  A global tour in support of Exile on Mainstream saw the band playing in front of their largest crowds thus far, with sold out shows in North America, the UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.