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Brandon Flowers of The Killers has never been overly modest, so when he tells the NME that the reason his band isn't as big in the US as it is in the UK is due to the fact that Americans are obsessed with Led Zeppelin and Nirvana, and that Americans can't get into new bands, well... its not so surprising. So, are Americans human? Or are they Dancer?

You remember the whole Chris Brown/Rihanna spat, right?If you hadn't noticed, Chris Brown's legal team has been very quiet, as legal teams with the odds stacked against them tend to be. But now, we've gotten a little peek into their defense strategy, thanks to comments made in court yesterday: it looks like they're going to try and spring Brown on a technicality thanks to the Rihanna photo that leaked from police hands right onto the servers of TMZ. Wow.

And what does Rihanna's dad think of all this? He thinks Brown is 'old news.' Also, he told Us Weekly that "“a different person, back to herself. It’s like Chris never existed. She seems reborn.” So maybe there won't be a Chris Brown/Rihanna reunion?

What does Pitchfork think of the new Bob Dylan album? Not much. But the question is, Do you care what Pitchfork thinks about the new Bob Dylan album?

Links:

Killers: 'We Want To Knock Led Zeppelin And Nirvana Off Their Pedestals' [NME]

Chris Brown's Defense May Focus On Leaked Photo Of Rihanna [LA Times]

Rihanna's Dad Says Chris Brown Is 'Old News' [MSNBC]

Bob Dylan; Together Through Life [Pitchfork]

Tagged as: Music

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Fuseblog (The Wilco Post)

Posted on April 29, 2009 at 09:19 AM

So Transformers 2, a loud, in your face film with a metallic sheen, is coming out June 24. And, it now turns out, a loud, in your face band with a metallic sheen will be helping with the music. Yes, Linkin Park contributed a song, one that will be used as a theme throughout the film. Throughout this very loud film.

And the name of the new Wilco album is... Wilco (The Album). And the album contains a song called "Wilco, The Song."

New York City mag The L Magazine has unveiled its annual list of "8 NYC Bands You Need To Hear." Previous lists have included Vampire Weekend and The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart. One of this year's bands to hear? The wonderful The Albertans (above).

The full list for this year's Austin City Limits festival has been announced - Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band and the Beastie Boys are all set to perform.

The Decemberists have a new album. So they went on The Colbert Report to promote it.

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

The Decemberists - The Wanting Comes in Waves

colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

Gay Marriage Commercial

Links:

Linkin Park Help Score Transformers 2 [Guardian]

Wilco Keep It Simple, Name New LP Wilco (The Album) [Rolling Stone]

8 NYC Bands You Need To Hear [The L Magazine]

Tagged as: Music

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Box Full Of Setlists

Posted on April 28, 2009 at 09:20 AM

Dave Matthews Band, Wilco, Spoon and many others were at the first weekend of the New Orleans Jazz Fest. Wilco were heavy on their American-ish stuff, DMB played three new tunes, and the wind played havoc with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band's charts, used while witting in with Austin indie rockers Spoon. We know all this because Rolling Stone was there. The Jazz Fest continues this weekend.

So, that night that something happened between Rihanna and Chris Brown. Well, Rihanna was wearing a lot of jewelry. Like, over $1.4 million in jewelry. As is often the case when stars are out at big events, the jewelry was on loan. That night, the cops confiscated the jewels as evidence. And now, those designers want their stuff back. The LA Times can better explain this.

This was one of the more intriguing, and hilarious, stories of the past few years: a class action lawsuit was brought against Aerosmith two years ago after the ripped, aging rockers canceled a show in Maui. Many people had previously booked flights and hotels to come to the show. These people weren't happy - especially when they began to surmise that the Maui show had been canceled in favor of a better-paying show in Chicago as well as a private one in Oahu. And so they hired a lawyer. Now, they're troubles have paid off: Aerosmith will include Maui on their upcoming summer tour and not only offer a free ticket to all previous ticketholders, but the band will also spring for all out-of-pocket expenses, no matter how high. There - now can we all moveon.org with our lives?

Sonic Youth have announced a summer tour to support their upcoming album The Eternal. So why not take in some classic Goo-era Sonic Youth?

Links:

Dave Matthews Band, Wilco, Spice Up New Orleans Jazz Fest [Rolling Stone]

Rihanna Seeks Return Of $1.4 Million In Jewelry [LA Times]

Aerosmith Play For Unhappy Fans [BBC]

Sonic Youth - 2009 Tour Dates [BrooklynVegan]

Tagged as: Music

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Ghetto Blastin'

Posted on April 27, 2009 at 11:03 AM

If this was twenty-five years ago, we'd all be reading blogs on our boomboxes. Or something. NPR has a cool piece on these once-ubiquitous artifacts. And some amazing photos by Lyle Owerko.

Bradford Cox of Deerhunter is never shy with his opinion. So his brutally honest review of Fate To Fatal, the newest EP from the Breeders, comes as no surprise.

Lilith Fair was the all-female traveling festival that tore up the late 90s, a touring show that brought together women like Tori Amos and founder Sarah McLaughlin and the women, and some men, but mostly women, who loved them. So is it being resurrected? Yes, in 2010, according to Perez Hilton. Can we believe him? Well, ask yourself this - why would he lie about Lilith Fair? Exactly - he wouldn't.

The reunion of My Bloody Valentine and new tours by contenporary bands like Asobi Seksu has brought the term shoegaze back to the fore. But what exactly is shoegaze? KEXP will tell you. And yes, guitarists in shoegaze bands do gaze down at their effects pedals, which sit at their feet.

Casey Aldridge, husband of Jamie Lynn Spears, suffered 'moderate injuries' when his truck overturned Saturday.

Links:

A Eulogy For the Boombox [NPR]

The Breeders - Fate To Fatal EP - Review [Deerhunter/Atlas Sound/Lotus Plaza, via MBV]

Girl Power! [Perez Hilton]

Know Your Subgenres: Shoegaze [KEXP]

Father Of Jamie Lynn Spears' Baby Injured In Crash [AP]

Tagged as: Music

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Don't Go Away

Posted on April 24, 2009 at 09:00 AM

There is no more enjoyable interview than Noel Gallagher of Oasis. He's also known for saying whatever comes to mind, true or not. So take it with a grain of salt when he says he's writing a solo album (very possible) and that there won't be an Oasis album for five years (less possible): "We’ve arrived at the point I wanted to be at from when Gem [Archer] and Andy [Bell] joined the band. And the last time we did that was at the end of Be Here Now, and we rushed the next album [Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants]. There was no inspiration on it. Even before the end of making each Oasis album, I’ve always started writing the next one, and I haven’t this time. I don’t want to force it." The whole interview is good - one of the words he uses to describe brother Liam? Lazy. Go let it out read it.

Billy Corgan is setting up the video cameras and is passing the audio/video up to you. Fans will get five video updates a week from the studio over the course of twelve weeks. It'll be a peek into the Smashing Pumpkins recording process. Sounds good, right? Right. But it'll cost you: forty clams! Is this the best economy to be launching a paid video subscription service? Billy? Is it? (It might be.)

Those lovable preppies Vampire Weekend have been in the studio for over a month, working on the followup to their self-titled debut. Frontman Ezra Koenig says the sound will be familiar, but to expect more synths. Got it.

When you're as established a band as Spoon is, and you're as beloved in your hometown as they are in Austin, then you can throw your own festival. SPOONX3 will take place at Stubb's BBQ in Austin on July 9-11 and will feature full sets (complete with new material) each night from the eponymous hosts, as well as sets from Low, Atlas Sound, and Trail Of Dead. That's hot. Also hot is Austin in July.

The Dead are eight shows into their spring reunion tour. Yesterday was an off-day, but that doesn't mean they had the day off; they stopped in to Letterman to perform a truncated version of Sugar Magnolia.

Links:

Noel: No New Oasis Album For Five Years? [Q Mag]

Vampire Weekenders Prepping Second Album, Side Project With Ra Ra Riot [Stereogum]

Smashing Pumpkins Subscription Club [Pollstar]

Spoon Get Their Own Music Festival [Pitchfork]

Tagged as: Music

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Building Blocks Of Rock

Posted on April 23, 2009 at 09:53 AM

Lego Rock Band is coming!

Today's Velvet Revolver update (not that you were asking for it): the band is still looking for a lead singer. According to Duff McKagan, they thought they'd found someone, but then time passed, and they had a lot of time to think about it, and dammit, they just weren't sure. So no, they have not found someone. Call the nerves the Weiland Effect.

The Spinal Tap songs Heavy Duty, Rock n' Roll Creation, Big Bottom, and Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight are classics. Hear Michael McKean, aka David St. Hubbins, explain the genesis of these songs.

Dudes: Motley Crue are going to perform Dr. Feelgood on the season finale of Bones on May 14th!

Billy Bob Thornton went on Jimmy Kimmel and "explained" what happened in Canada. He still claims the host of Q, the radio show Thornton was on, "lied." Untrue. Kimmel, being spineless, agreed. Billy Bob Thornton's a tool, and it's clear now that Jimmy Kimmel is, too.

Links:

Harmonix Announced LEGO: Rock Band [Kotaku]

Duff McKagan: Velvet Revlver's Singer Search Is Not Over [Rolling Stone]

Michael McKean Explains Spinal Tap Songs [AV Club]

Motley Crue To Goes On Bones Season Finale [Blabbermouth]

Billy Bob Thornton Offers Weak Excuses For Jerkiness [E!]

Tagged as: Music

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Prescribed By Dr. Dre

Posted on April 22, 2009 at 09:00 AM

There is it, the album art for Eminem's upcoming Relapse album. Look closely. Em's face is made up of pills. Get it? Relapse. Pills Made Him, etc. The album is out May 19th.

Morrissey is a vegetarian. That's pretty well known. He's also pretty vocal about it. So is it any surprise that he interrupted his Coachella performance over the weekend upon catching the wafting odors of the backstage barbecue. "I smell burning flesh... and I hope to God it's human." Only Morrissey could say that and sound so stylish.

On December 13, 2008, The Cure played a small, secret show at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. That show is now atreaming on their MySpace.

Yet another reason to make the trek to Bonnaroo, or watch on Fuse, this year: David Byrne is curating his own stage. Dirty Projectors, St. Vincent, Santigold and Ani DiFranco are among the specially chosen performers.

Pink Floyd have certainly made a lot of money for their label, EMI, over the course of forty years. But apparently, they (Floyd) haven't been getting all they deserve. So they're suing EMI. Because when you have a dispute, you don't take problems into your own hands... you take them to court.

Links:

Morrissey Forced Offstage At Coachella By Smell Of Burning Meat [Guardian]

David Byrne Somehow Manages To Make Bonnaroo Even Better [Consequence Of Sound]

Pink Floyd Sue EMI Over Royalty Payments [Uncut]

Tagged as: Music

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New Again

Posted on April 21, 2009 at 10:37 AM

Taking Back Sunday are back, or rather, will be back, June 2, when the band release New Again on Warner Bros. The first single is called Sink Into Me and, naturally, a video was shot. Above and below are stills from the video. Looks messy. Larger images can be found in our gallery.

Author JG Ballard was a literary force, of course, but his influence was also felt in the musical world, from Radiohead's lyrics on OK Computer, to the Joy Division track Atrocity Exhibition. So points out the BBC.

Let the rumors begin: Is this for real? New Pixies album? Actually, no... it's a box set filled with reissues.

Stream the new St. Vincent album Actor for two weeks on NPR.

Vulture asks, was Record Store Day a success?

Taking Back Sunday, Sink Into Me video shoot:

Links:

What Pop Music Tells Us About JG Ballard [BBC]

New Pixies Album Minotaur Out In '09 [You Ain't No Picasso]

Pixies Albums Being Reissued For Box Set [Rolling Stone]

Exclusive First Listen: St. Vincent's Actor [NPR]

Was Record Store Day A Success? [Vulture]

Tagged as: Music

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Good Times In the Desert! Also, Madonna Fell Off A Horse

Posted on April 20, 2009 at 08:18 AM

Our old (get it?) friend Madonna steeplechased her way into the news over the weekend, following off of her horse and then getting pissed off. The horse was spooked. Madonna's people claim the horse was spooked due to a paparazzo's camera. The paparazzo says Camp Madonna is lying: he wasn't there, and if he was, he'd show off the photo. Here are some things that are just plain wrong with this story:

1. A horse was spooked (allegedly).

2. There are horses out there that have to be ridden by Madonna.

3. A pap may have been wrongly accused.

4. A pap may have missed a great photo opportunity.

5. The word 'paparazzo' is shortened to 'pap.'

In other news: First of all, Mandy Moore is hot. Secondly, she's married to Ryan Adams. It's that first item that makes her opinion on music important. So who is she listening to lately? Fleet Foxes. She's also got her own album, Amanda Leigh, out May 26th.

How cool are the Breeders? Very cool.

You may be aware that the Coachella festival went down this weekend. Paul McCartney, Morrissey, Leonard Cohen, Beirut, M.I.A. TV On The Radio and many others played. There are reports everywhere, but if your time's short, peep the photo-filled ones from Stereogum (Day 1 here, Day 2 here, Day 3 due today).

Links:

Madonna Injured In Fall From Horse In Hamptons [AP]

Pap Calls Madonna's Camp Liars [TMZ]

Mandy Moore Looks At Potential Team-Ups With Ryan Adams, Fleet Foxes [Rolling Stone]

Kim and Kelley Deal Talk New Breeders EP, Self-Sufficiency, and the Pixies [Pitchfork]

Tagged as: Music

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Saturday Is Record Store Day. Get Off Your Lazy Internet Butts And Go To A Record Store.

Posted on April 17, 2009 at 12:06 PM

Tomorrow is Record Store Day. There are a ton of exclusive tie-in's being released. A list can be found here. Pavement Live In Germany looks pretty awesome.

The Eminem barrage has begun. With Relapse, the rapper's new LP, set to drop May 19, there's sure to be a media blitz of epic proportions. Em recently spoke to XXL. Here's a tidbit on the current state of hip-hop: "I stayed up on the music, and obviously I watch TV and saw what was going on. And without naming any names, it just felt like hip-hop was going downhill. And it seemed like kinda fast. You know, in them three years, it was like everybody just cares about the hook and the beat; nobody really cares about substance. But with this new T.I. album, with this new Lil Wayne album of recent, it seems like things are looking a lot better now."

Marilyn Manson has released the tracklisting for his upcoming album The High End Of Low (out May 26). Words from the various titles include Scar, Devour, Swastika, Pretty, Hell, Kill, Unkillable, Fire, Edge, Rusted.

Links:

Eminem Speaks [XXL]

Marilyn Manson Courts Controversy With The High End Of Low [Rolling Stone]

Tagged as: Music

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Did You Know There Is A Seamy Underside To Rock n' Roll (And Teen Shows)?

Posted on April 16, 2009 at 10:10 AM

Can you guess who said this: "So if y'all f*ck with the Arctic Monkeys then y'all got to f*ck with me. A lot of people probably don't know this, but I am probably the biggest Arctic Monkeys fan." That's right, P. Diddy! In fact, he would like to sign them to Bad Boy.

When Devo played on Square Pegs, the teenaged Sarah Jessica Parker's 80s star vehicle, was it crazy behind the scenes? Like, cocaine crazy?

It stinks to see a show canceled at the last minute (um, 10pm), but it sure is interesting to read about the subsequent arguing/finger-pointing. Here is the tale of Crystal Castles, opening act VEGA, and the Granada Theatre in Dallas. According to CC's management, the venue was ill-equipped, and VEGA stole a pedal from CC. According to VEGA, that story is "f*cking bullshit." And according to the Granada Theatre people, Crystal Castles are prima donnas. They even define the term, in case anyone was unclear about how they felt.

The amazing Neko Case performed on Letterman last night. You should really get her album.

Links:

P Diddy: I Want To Sign The Arctic Monkeys [Gigwise]

Devo Get Down On Square Pegs [Heeb, via Earfarm]

Crystal Castles vs. Dallas [Gorilla vs Bear]

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The Dead Weather's Live Debut, Indoors From The Rainy Weather

Posted on April 15, 2009 at 10:05 AM

Slate Magazine asks if Limp Bizkit really were that bad. Yes. Yes, they really were.

You probably already know this, but there's some brand new Dave Matthews Band music available. Grab Funny The Way It Is, free, from the official site. It's available free for a week; then, it hits the digital shops.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs cant stay away from TV: First SNL, then Letterman last night (watch here). They're on Fallon tonight.

The last band convicted second-degree murderer Phil Spector worked with, possibly ever? Britain's Starsailor, who fired Spector partway through what would have been a second album together, calling the sessions "too fraught." Sounds about right.

These days, it's not so unusual, but still: UK rapper The Streets is releasing new songs this week, for free, via Twitter.

The Dead Weather, the Jack White-led kinda-supergroup, played their first public show last night at the Bowery Ballroom in New York. Jack White may be the star, but according to The Modern Age, "the dynamic of the Dead Weather is hinged upon [Kills vocalist Alison] Mosshart’s role as the ferocious, fearless leader and the rest of the band acting as her dutiful, capable soldiers." Great pics, and write-up, there, and at BrooklynVegan (pic above by BV).

The Dead Weather @ Bowery Ballroom 4/14/09 from Kibbe on Vimeo.

Links:

Was Limp Bizkit Really That Bad? [Slate]

Starsailor: We Ruined Phil Spector's Reputation [NME]

The Streets Leak New Tune Via Twitter [MusicRadar]

The Dead Weather @ Bowery Ballroom, 4/14 [The Modern Age]

Tagged as: Music

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Sitting Down With the Dave Matthews Band: It's Not All Coffee, Posters and Twitter, But Some Of It Is

Posted on April 14, 2009 at 04:17 PM

The Dave Matthews Band? They're back. In fact, they're kicking off a tour today at Madison Square Garden. And when your band is the Dave Matthews Band, the beginning of a tour means interviews. Lots of them. A press junket can take the air, not to mention the civility, out of the best of 'em, but such is not the case with Dave Matthews Band, who are friendly, witty and completely professional.

And they're open to a little touch-up before going on-camera. Stefan Lessard takes the makeup chair first and is good to go in less than sixty seconds. And Boyd Tinsley? "Just some powder, please." A Pussycat Dolls shoot this is not.

But all four of them, to a person, are in good spirits, which makes for some unexpected but welcome antics when shooting promos:

Dave: "Hi, I'm Dave Matthews. [long pause] Hmmm, I suck at this."

- - - -

Carter: "Check out fuse, dot fuse, dot slash, dot... sh*t!"

Dave: "Dot sandwich!"

- - - -

Carter: "Check out fuse.tv/dmb."

Dave: "Wow, that was awesome!"

The camaraderie that fueled Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King, the band's highly collaborative new album, is in full display in the Roxy Suite, an art deco hideaway in Radio City Music Hall that serves as the interview's location. Dave can't stop talking about Carter. Carter can't stop talking about being brothers. Stefan is all about a 'rebirth.' And Boyd announces a 'further evolution' in the band's sound. A good day to sit down with the Dave Matthews Band, then.

Dave Matthews sits and asks for a cup of coffee ("black") and gets ready to talk. And talk. Once Matthews gets going, he keeps going. Great for us, not as much for those in charge of keeping the day's schedule. But when the topic is the newest album, and its genesis, and its intraband importance, it's difficult to slow Matthews down.

The album is about "death and sex and love," according to Matthews, none of which is unexplored ground for Matthews, but what's different is the overall feel - there may be (deceivingly) happy moments on the record, but it's a serious work. It's often about loss, loss shared collectively by the band, as well as loss weathered by the individual. And it's about facing your feelings. The album songs were a collective effort, born of group improvisation. It's a musical language that can succeed only if everyone is willing to communicate. Which wasn't the case for a few years. But now? They talk. They play. And they can even, yes, argue.

"We went away for a bit. Most of the problems we had with each other didn't matter. We can fight now. You can't fight when you're not talking. We can fight now."

The verbal communication, of course, translates into musical communication.

"We found a way to play together again," says Matthews. "I'm a weird player. In other bands I feel weird. I don't feel weird in this band. It's all about getting each other."

And according to Dave, even people that don't like DMB will find something on this album to like. "If you don't like this record, you don't like music," Dave quotes an industry associate as saying, and though the words aren't Dave's, it's clear that he doesn't disagree. As the lengthy interview wraps, Dave's coffee arrives.

"Remember two things?" asks Dave. "Just remembering one thing is hard."

Drummer Carter Beauford enters with Matthews, and though it's clear he equally as enthusiastic about Whiskey King, it's difficult for him to get a word in - because Dave won't stop raving about Beauford's playing.

"I challenge any band to swing like Carter swings," Matthews says. "There are drummers that are going to go into therapy after hearing this record. I heard him play some of his best stuff on this record."

Carter, however, is able to chime in with an opinion common to all four members: the spirit of brotherhood is a major reason why the album is so good:

"We were able to enjoy making music... and being brothers. Like a return to the early days. [That] camaraderie means everything to me."

Stefan Lessard bounces around the room, weighing in on any conversation, while marveling at the speed with which his Twitter tweets get replied. "Basically, I tweet about being hungry." But he, too, has thoughts on Big Whiskey:

"This album is sort of the way it was in the beginning, where the band would get together and write... We needed to make a band record, something all of us had our hands in. Our ideas were flowing but also everyone's ears were open to what everyone else was saying.

This band is a good marriage. There's been a rebirth in a way. Roi was there for the rebirth. His death has amplified how close I feel to the other guys in the band. Roi's passing has made me realize how important it is to enjoy every minute onstage."

Boyd Tinsley may be a Big Star, but he's not too cool to disguise his wonder at the DMB poster he's being asked to sign. "Where's this from?" he asks. It's the poster for the most recent Dave Matthews Band show at Madison Square Garden, he's told. "Wow! Um, are there any extras?" Clearly, Boyd still loves his job, and, like his bandmates, he's proud of Big Whiskey.

"It's the Dave Matthews Band sound, but songs and styles you've never heard. It's a further evolution of our music."

The songs were written as a group, the way the band soundchecks: someone starts playing an idea, everyone comes in, and suddenly they're off. And what's ultimately powering the record? "LeRoi's spirit, how much he loved this band, and how much he wanted to make this album."

Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King is out on June 2nd, and until then, Fuse will be all about the Dave Matthews Band, bringing you exclusive interviews, rare footage and reports from the road, both on-air and online. Tonight, the band plays Madison Square Garden in New York, kicking off a tour that will last into the fall. Don't miss the album, don't miss the tour, and don't miss this page, which will be full of exclusives. And one final thought from Stefan:

"This album is going to translate really well live."

That's a statement worthy of a tweet if there ever was one.

Tagged as: Music

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Four Walls Of Sound

Posted on April 14, 2009 at 08:08 AM

Phil Spector was found guilty. TMZ got his mugshot. Is it time to discuss reverb in prison yet?

One consequence of all of Metallica's recent Rock n' Roll Hall Of Fame buzz? Autograph forgeries. Lots of them.

You may love Ted Nugent, you may hate him, but you can't deny that Journey To The Center Of The Mind, the mind-numbing acid rock hit by Nugent's first band the Amboy Dukes, is fantastic (see below). So why shouldn't Nugent and the Amboy Dukes reunite when the band receives a Distinguished Achievement Award at the Detroit Music Awards this Friday?

We've been speaking quite a bit lately about the return of the Grateful Dead to the road, but there's been no speculation, and possibly any thought at all, to the Dead returning to the studio. Until now. According to Billboard, a healthy live experience could lead to the studio. Says Mickey Hart: "I would think that if we stay on this path that's inevitable. I think this could be a serious attempt at new Grateful Dead music." In the years before Jerry Garcia's death, the Dead attempted to record a studio follow-up to 1989's Built To Last, an album that would have included So Many Roads, Lazy River Road, Long Way To Go, Days Between, Corinna, and other unrecorded songs that were staples of the Garcia-era Dead's final years.

Links:

Phil Spector Convicted Of Second-Degree Murder [LA Times]

Metallica Autograph Forgeries Hit All-Time High Following Rock Hall Induction [Blabbermouth]

Ted Nugent Reuniting Amboy Dukes For Detroit Music Awards [Billboard]

Dead Tour May Lead To New Music, Recordings [Billboard]

Tagged as: Music

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Dave Matthews Band: They Talk, We Listen. And Shoot It. And Take Photos. And...

Posted on April 13, 2009 at 09:10 PM

OK, so the Dave Matthews Band. They're back. They've got a new album (Big Whiskey and The Groogrux King, out June 2nd). And they're heading out on tour. Each event on its own would be reason enough to sit down and see what's up with Charlottesville's finest, but all happening at once? That there's some straight-up awesomeness, which is why it was so exciting to sit down with Dave Matthews, Boyd Tinsley, Stefan Lessard and Carter Beauford in New York City, one day before their tour kickoff at Madison Square Garden. So tomorrow (Tuesday), we'll have a ton of photos and quotes and stories and thoughts. But for now, here's a direct quote from Dave:

"If you don't like this record, you don't like music."

And before you get it in your head that Dave's a bit into himself, and his album, know that there is some context missing. That context, and a lot more on our Dave Matthews Band page, coming Tuesday. Check this space. Remember two things. Etc, etc.

Tagged as: Music

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Greet The Morning Air With Song

Posted on April 13, 2009 at 09:44 AM

Rolling Stone has a preview of the upcoming film The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, the adaptation of the Tom Wolfe book which focuses on the Ken Kesey-led group of Merry Pranksters who explored the west, as well as their own psyches, via acid tests which featured performances by the Warlocks, aka the pre-Grateful Dead Grateful Dead.

And speaking of the Grateful Dead, their tour kicked off last night in Greensboro, NC. USA Today has a report, and you can check out the setlist here. The show, fittingly, opened with The Music Never Stopped. And finally, anyone interested in the Dead should check out this collection of user-submitted photos at the the New York Times.

First San Francisco, now New York: Green Day will be playing a rare club show in New York on May 18th at the Bowery Ballroom. Their upcoming album album, 21st Century Breakdown, will be released on May 15th.

The wait is over! After seventeen years six months, Guns n' Roses' Chinese Democracy is coming to Rock Band this week. Might a Rock Band version increase interest in the original album? It may. Or it may not.

He still maintains that there is no evidence that he is at fault, but Dr. Jan Adams, the doctor who performed surgery on Kanye West's mother the day before she died, has given up his medical license.

---

Links:

The Ultimate Trip: 'Electric Kool Aid Acid Test' Comes To Big Screen [Rolling Stone]

Postcards From The Road: The Dead Are Truckin' Again [USA Today]

Green Day Plans Rare NYC Club Gig [Reuters]

Guns n' Roses' 'Chinese Democracy' Heads To 'Rock Band' [Spinner]

Doctor For Kanye West's Mom Surrenders Medical License [People]

Tagged as: Music

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Welcome Home

Posted on April 10, 2009 at 12:55 PM

A final reminder that tomorrow at 5pm ET, we'll be rebroadcasting highlights from the Rock n' Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Metallica should give serious consideration to a five man, two bass lineup. And yes, exclusive video lives here.

Speaking of Metallica, remember the cop who allegedly urinated on a fellow fan in Boston in January? He pleaded guilty!

Rapper Jim Jones was pulled over due to outstanding traffic tickets and lived to tweet about it!

Chris Blackwell founded Island Records. He discovered Bob Marley and signed U2. And now he has been named the most influential UK-based music exec of the past 50 years.

If you haven't already read, check out the Guardian's great interview with David Byrne and Brian Eno.

Links:

Ex-cop Takes Plea Bargain, Admits To Urinating On Metallica Fan [Rolling Stone]

Jim Jones Tweets While Being Arrested In New Jersey [Gigwise]

Island Records Founder Named 'Most Influential Person In Music In The Last 50 Years' [NME]

Edward Helmore Talks To Brian Eno and David Byrne [Guardian]

Tagged as: Music

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Green Day - Not Desperate

Posted on April 9, 2009 at 12:59 PM

The Rock n' Roll Hall Of Fame was pretty awesome, which is why we're 1) re-airing it this Saturday at 5pm ET, and 2) still posting some exclusive online video that you won't get anywhere else. Like, for example, an interview with Jeff Beck. Damn. Or a chat with Jason Newsted. Click here to watch, look and listen.

Did Prince write a song about Salma Hayek?

You are probably aware that Green Day have a new album coming soon. Not surprisingly, the Bay Area trio are eager to bring the music to the masses. In fact, they were "sick of playing these songs to one another." So the band (augmented live with three additional musicians) announced Tuesday afternoon that they would be playing a show that very night at San Francisco's 500-capacity Independent. The show opened with Welcome To Paradise before the setlist veered into 21st Century Breakdown from start to finish. More Green Day classics came later, of course, completing what was ultimately a thirty song setlist. One of those songs was called Desperate. What would we do without cellphone cameras?

Links:

Green Day Preview New Album At Secret Show [Spin]

Prince Pines For Salma Hayek On New Song [Spinner]

Tagged as: Music

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Drain You

Posted on April 8, 2009 at 10:11 AM

Kurt Cobain was found dead fifteen years ago this week. The Seattle P-I discusses Cobain's ever-evolving legacy.

Speaking of: Courtney Love, or more specifically, Kurt Cobain's estate, has been robbed of possibly hundreds of millions of dollars. Money was stolen, funneled into real estate, flipped, and laundered. Nice work watching Kurt's dough, Courtney.

You can't sue Coldplay and not expect the Chris Martin machine to bolt into action. Joe Satriani is currently finding this out. Satriani sued Coldplay back in December, claiming that Viva La Vida sounded way too close to Satriani's 2004 jam If I Could Fly. You may also recall that Satriani got all mushy and talked about how he wrote If I Could Fly for his wife, which made Coldplay's alleged plagiarism even worse, you know? So now, Coldplay has filed a response in court, and claims that Satriani's tune lacks originality. Which must mean that Satriani's wife must also lack originality. Meanwhile, Satriani's lawyer stated that he thought the matter could have been settled out of court, which can't mean that he has a lot of faith in his client's case.

Lenny Kravitz is in France and has received a fan letter from French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Did Lenny "know" Carla Bruni back in the day? Maybe.

Links:

Cobain's Legacy Still Evolving 15 Years After Suicide [Seattle P-I]

Love To Hunt Down Thieves As She Seeks Lost Millions [SFGate]

Coldplay Denies Copying Viva La Vida [NME]

Lenny Kravitz Reads Fan Mail From French President [Reuters]

Tagged as: Music

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Dead Weather Forecast For Next Week

Posted on April 7, 2009 at 11:30 AM

Jack White's latest band, The Dead Weather, is ready to take their show public. The band has announced its first ever gig, happening next week (!) at the Bowery Ballroom in New York. Tickets are on sale tomorrow morning at 10AM. Good luck with those. The Dead Weather features White on drums and vocals, Jack Lawrence of the Raconteurs and Greenhornes on bass, Dean Fertita of Queens Of The Stone Age on guitar, and Alison Mosshart of The Kills on vocals.

So, no plea deal was reached: Chris Brown pleaded not guilty to assault charges in an LA court yesterday.

Is it actually time to start buying CDs again? It may be on September 9th, when the digitally remastered (for the first time ever) Beatles catalog goes on sale. The date coincides with Rock Band: The Beatles. The process took four years; fourteen CDs will be released. Still no word on the Beatles being available online, though this could definitely be seen as a step in that direction.

Speaking of the Beatles: George Harrison is getting a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. Why now? Who knows. Do people still care about the Hollywood Walk Of Fame?

BrooklynVegan has a good roundup of lineups and ticket info on many upcoming festivals. Today's biggest news? Tickets for this year's Austin City Limits festival, going down October 2-4, went on sale this morning.

Links:

Chris Brown Pleads Not Guilty To Assault Charges [LA Times]

Original Beatles Digitally Remastered [Reuters]

...& Other Music Festival News [BrooklynVegan]

Beatles' George Harrison To Receive Star On Hollywood Walk Of Fame [Gigwise]

Tagged as: Music

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Enter Rockhall-Men

Posted on April 6, 2009 at 10:08 AM

If you didn't notice below, or here, the Rock n' Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony took place Saturday. Metallica performed (with Jason Newsted). Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page performed. Joe Perry, Ron Wood and Flea also took the stage. Scroll down for the action as it happened, and go here for all things Rock Hall in one place. And keep coming back as we add more and more exclusive video. Finally, don't miss the rebroadcast, this Saturday, April 11 at 5pm ET.

Morbid, but undeniably intriguing: The AV Club presents 27 works of art released/published after the artist's death. Examples include Jeff Buckley's Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk and John Kennedy Toole's A Confederacy Of Dunces.

The David Lynch Foundation benefits transcendental meditation, and put on a big benefit this weekend at Radio City Music Hall. Paul McCartney played, and was joined by Ringo Starr on several Beatles tunes, as well as rare Paul tune, the apropos Cosmically Conscious.

Smashing Pumpkins, with Jimmy Chamberlin, appeared on Chris Isaak's new show, and the results are weirdly fascinating.

Links:

Art After Death [AV Club]

Paul McCartney And Ringo Starr Reunite At Radio City [NY Times]

Pissy Pumpkins Unplug On Chris Isaak Hour [Stereogum]

Tagged as: Music

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The Finale

Posted on April 5, 2009 at 02:23 AM

Train Kept A-Rollin'. Who do you see here in this sidestage shot? Um, Page. Wood. Perry. Beck. Flea. Metallica.

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More Metallica Shot On The Fly...

Posted on April 5, 2009 at 01:59 AM

Dude...

Whoa...

Newsted: "Master! Master"

Newsted and Trujillo, broin' down

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Metallica At The Podium

Posted on April 5, 2009 at 01:44 AM

Kirk: "We've only reached the halfway point of our career, right?"

Lars: "Look it up: Metallica's in the Rock n' Roll Hall Of Fame - can you believe it?"

James: "Can I get a HELL YEAH?!... We would like to plant a seed... Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy, Rush, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motorhead - We would like to invite them through the door... This is living proof that it is possible to make a dream come true.

Jason went first and was all class, wrapping up a touching speech with a thank-you to Metallica fans around the globe (the fans were thanked by all the members, of course). Robert, among other things, gave a shoutout to Suicidal Tendencies. Quite a series of speeches.

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Sidestage Shots Shot On The Fly - Metallica

Posted on April 5, 2009 at 01:38 AM

Obey your master.

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The Five Man Metallica

Posted on April 5, 2009 at 01:09 AM

Many more great (IE, totally pro) shots will continue to be uploaded to the gallery on our main Rock Hall page. Keep checking back there tonight, tomorrow, and Monday.

Photo Credit: Michael Loccisano

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Beck's Bolero

Posted on April 5, 2009 at 12:17 AM

Jimmy's a Gibson man, but that very Fender is what Page played when he and Jeff Beck wrote Beck's Bolero. Yes, hard to see the guitar here, but still. Wow, etc.

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