Ween’s highly anticipated next studio album will be called “quebec,” but guitarist Dean Ween (real name: Mickey Melchiondo) says a few wrinkles still have to be ironed out before the 16-song set sees the light of day. “I can’t give you a definitive release date right now,” he wrote on the band’s official Web site. “We were in negotiations with a record label and things fell apart, setting us back even further.”
“I have no idea how this will affect our summer touring plans just yet as we planned on having the record out by June at the latest. It is still possible that this may happen,” he continued. “As for the record itself, it is heavy, dark, psychedelic and musically intricate at times, and musically really f***ing cheap at times as well. All and all it’s a great record that we put a lot of time and love into and it was produced by Andrew Weiss, mostly recorded in his living room.”
Source Billboard.com.

The Grateful Dead’s “View From the Vault” archive series has moved into its fourth volume, with DVD and CD audio documents of a pair of summer 1987 California concerts: July 24 at Oakland Stadium and July 26 at Anaheim Stadium. As with past releases in the series, the Monterey Video DVD is culled from the four cameras that projected stage action onto large video screens in each venue.
At the time, the Dead was at the height of its second wave of popularity, thanks to a string of sold-out concerts (some with Bob Dylan) and the single “Touch of Grey,” was rising on the charts.
The DVD features the full Oakland show, and most of the drastically different set list of the Anaheim date. The four-disc Grateful Dead Records audio CD includes both in their entirety, restoring “Friend of the Devil,” “Me and My Uncle,” and “Big River,” cut from the DVD due to time limitations.
In other Dead news, it was announced that Bob Dylan will be opening up leg two of the band

Super group in the jazz groove sense, Garage a Trois the avant-jazz/electronic supergroup featuring guitarist Charlie Hunter, saxophonist Skerik and percussionist Mike Dillon of Les Claypool and Critters Buggin, and Galactic drummer of everything that grooves, Stanton Moore, are ready to show their game face. The band will be releasing Emphasizer, their first full length album on April 22nd on Tone-Cool Records. Hunter, Moore and Skerik originally came together in 19998 to record Moore

At age 61, it’s tough slowing down rock legend Lou Reed as he continues a large scale tour in support of his most recent album, “The Raven” – a poetry rock collaboration influenced by the Edgar Allen Poe classic. New US dates have been announced that include two nights at the Town Hall in New York City and two shows at the Warfield in San Francisco, CA and a show at the Orpheum in Boston, MA. Next week Reed will be playing two nights at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City. Expect an eclectic mix of old and the new mixed in with social commentary that only Reed can pragmatically deliver.
Visit LouReed.com[.url] for a complete listing of shows.

A shooting in Los Angeles Thursday night struck a convoy of cars, one of which was carrying rapper Snoop Dogg. Authorities said one of the musician’s bodyguards was injured. Snoop Dogg was not hurt. Police said up to five cars were traveling through the Mid-City area when the shooting happened at about 9 p.m. The rap star’s entourage included seven bodyguards — five were from the Inglewood school district and two were state parole officers. Another car pulled alongside the convoy and three men with guns opened fire. Police Sergeant Brian Owen said it appeared that one of the gunmen wanted to speak with the rapper, and words were exchanged before bullets hit two of the cars. An off-duty police officer with the Inglewood school district was shot in the back. He was taken to a hospital and released early Friday. It’s unclear if the wounded man was in the same car as Snoop Dogg. Snoop Dogg, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, was questioned by police along with the bodyguards and other people who were with him. Owen saids he does not expect 31-year-old Broadus and the others to be booked for a crime. No arrests have been made.
Source CNN.com.

Perhaps the coolest pairing this summer are the stage combos Wilco is throwing forth. With seven confirmed east coast summer dates with Sonic Youth, the band has just announced a West Coast pairing with R.E.M. starting in early September. Confirmed dates included shows in Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Denver. R.E.M. member Peter Buck recently collaborated with the members of Wilco and Scott Stringfellow in the recent collaboration, The Minus 5. For a complete listing of dates visit Wilcoworld.net

On the heels of perhaps one of their finest recordings ever, “Hitting the Note,” the Allman Brothers Band will embark on yet another large scale summer tour. The tour begins on June 14th at their much-anticipated gig at the Bonnaroo Music festival and runs through a September 19th date at Red Rocks. Visit Pollstar.com for a complete listing of dates.

Continually on the road since his brilliant Pat Metheney Group release in early 2002, Speaking of Now, and with the recent release of his solo album on baritone guitar, One Quiet Night, he is always a man moving forward. Metheny will be touring in a trio format this coming fall, as he last toured with his trio in 2000. Check Pollstar.com for dates.

Beck is currently lining up a summer Sea Change tour for which Dashboard Confessional and Black Keys will serve as opening acts. One of the stops on the trek will be the Field Day Festival in Long Island, NY. Other acts for the festival will be announced shortly. Though Beck is still supporting last year

Behind practically Motown song you know, the backing band was the Funk Brothers. The surviving Funk Brothers will celebrate the impending release of the DVD version of “Standing in the Shadows of Motown” by embarking on a short North American tour tonight (April 9) in Boston. The critically acclaimed film about the history of the Funk Brothers — the Motown Records house band that played on hundreds of hits during that label’s heyday — will be released April 22 from Artisan Home Entertainment.
The group will be joined on the tour by special guests Joan Osborne, Maxi Priest, Bootsy Collins, and Darlene Love. In a unique contest, an open call will be held April 21 at Virgin Records’ Los Angeles studios, where interested parties can sing a Motown song on which the Funk Brothers played. Five finalists will be chosen to return two days later to perform their songs for the Funk Brothers and label execs, at which point a winner will be chosen and welcomed on stage later that night at the group’s show at the Wiltern Theater.
The Funk Brothers’ tour dates:
April 9: Boston (Avalon Ballroom)April 11: New York (Hammerstein Ballroom)April 12: Philadelphia (Keswick Theater)April 13: Washington, D.C. (Lisner Auditorium)April 15: Toronto (Massey Hall)April 16: Cleveland (Playhouse Square Center — Palace Theater)April 18: Detroit (Opera House)April 19: Chicago (Riviera Theater)April 20: Minneapolis (the Quest)April 22: Oakland, Calif. (Paramount Theater)
Source Billboard.com.