Augustana Featured As Xbox Live October "Artist Of The Month"

5TH October, 2006 - After a summer touring with the likes of the Counting Crows, the Goo-Goo Dolls and The Fray, Augustana, the former college band from Greenville, Illinois, arrives on Xbox Live as the October "Artist of the Month." "Boston," the bands hit single off their debut album, All the Stars and Boulevards, is shinning bright on the VH1.com Top 20 Countdown.

Xbox Live members can download Augustana content from Xbox Live Marketplace to their Xbox 360 consoles, including three free videos: "Boston," "Boston Live Performance" and "Stars and Boulevards," Select Xbox Live Gold members also have the opportunity to battle it out with the band during their 90-minute Xbox Live "Game with Fame" session.

Fans who are interested in gaming against Augustana should log onto http://www.augustanamusic.com/xboxgamewithfame/ to sign up.

"We went from four college kids who loved music to four kids who are now living our dream and touring with the very same bands who inspire us as musicians," singer Dan Layus said. "Being the Xbox Live 'Artist of the Month' is a great opportunity for us to play against and chat with our fans around world."

After growing up on the West Coast, lead singer Dan Layus landed at Greenville College in Illinois, where he majored in music. When Dan met Josiah Rosen, the two found a shared passion for bands like Counting Crows and Radiohead. They began playing together and christened themselves Augustana, a name suggested by Josiah, which he thought to be Latin for "a small glimpse of hope," but still isn't 100 percent sure of the meaning.

The Xbox Live "Artist of the Month" program gives Xbox Live members the unique opportunity to access free exclusive entertainment content in high definition on their Xbox 360 from some of today's hottest stars. As part of the year long agreement with Epic Records, each month a new artist is showcased on Xbox Live, where you can download their videos as well as get a chance to go online and chat and play against them in their favorite game. Previous Xbox Live "Artists of the Month" include Jessica Simpson, Audioslave, Cartel, Matisyahu, The Fray and Natasha Bedingfield. For further information on the program, visit http://www.xbox.com/artist.

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About Xbox Live

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For more information, please contact:

Marie-Claire Suter

UK PR Manager - Xbox & Games For Windows

Tel: +44 (0) 118 909 4599

Email: i-maries@microsoft.com