In addition to launching two albums on Jan. 25, Saddle Creek act Bright Eyes will stage two distinct U.S. tours in support of the releases. Each outing will promote one specific album, with the second leg featuring Saddle Creek labelmates the Faint. Dates are still being confirmed for the tours.

The first outing will launch early next year, and support the album “I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning,” according to a label spokesperson. The “Wide Awake” tour will more closely resemble Bright Eyes outings of the past, with a core band in an intimate setting.

Come spring, Saddle Creek is planning a second trek to promote “Digital Ash in a Digital Urn.” For the tour, which is expected to launch in May, Bright Eyes leader Conor Oberst will enlist lablemates the Faint as his backing band. “Digital Ash” is the more atypical Bright Eyes album, apparently containing some electronic experimentation.

As previously reported, the 10-track “I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning” is described by the label as a “country-tinged melange” that sports guest appearances by Emmylou Harris on three tracks and My Morning Jacket’s Jim James on one other. “Digital Ash” boasts five tracks with Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner.

Additional guest appearances spread across the two sets include the Postal Service’s Jimmy Tamborello, producer Mike Mogis and members of current and former Saddle Creek bands Rilo Kiley, Cursive, Now It’s Overhead and the Faint, among others.

Source billboard.com.

The highly anticipated film “Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny” will likely begin shooting in March, group member Kyle Gass tells Billboard.com. Beforehand, Gass and partner Jack Black will hit the studio with the Dust Brothers’ John King to record new songs for the soundtrack, which is expected to double as the next Tenacious D album.

Source billboard.com.

Gregg Allman will take a break from the Allman Brothers Band for a brief run of East Coast tour dates, kicking off Jan. 21 in Jim Thorpe, Pa. Traveling under the “& Friends” banner, the Southern rock veteran has dates scheduled through the end of the month, including a two-night stand in New York.

According to Allman’s official Web site his “friends” band is made up of singer Floyd Miles, bassist Tommy Miller, guitarist Mark McGee, keyboardist Neal Larson, drummer James van de Bogert and a horn section made up of trumpeter Richard Boulger and saxophonists Chris Karlic and Jay Collins.

Allman’s last solo album, “Searching for Simplicity,” appeared in 1997 via the Sony-affiliated 550 Music label.

Here are the Gregg Allman & Friends tour dates:

Jan. 21: Jim Thorpe, Pa. (Penn’s Peak)
Jan. 22: Uncasville, Conn. (Mohegan Sun Casino)
Jan. 23: Sayreville, N.J. (Starland Ballroom)
Jan. 25-26: New York (B.B. King’s Blues Club)
Jan. 28: Niagara Falls, N.Y. (Seneca Niagara Casino)
Jan. 29: Glenside, Pa. (Keswick Theatre)
Jan. 30: Falls Church, Va. (State Theatre)

Source billboard.com.

Shock jock Howard Stern made his latest pitch to drum up support for his switch to satellite radio by giving away hundreds of free Sirius Satellite Radio boomboxes Thursday.

Thousands of fans chanting “Howard! Howard!” under the direction of midriff-baring cheerleaders turned out to get the free goods in Manhattan’s Union Square and hear Stern make his case for listeners to pay for radio.

“This will be dominant form of media because there is no government regulation,” said Stern. “It’s the death of the FCC. They have ruined commercial broadcasting — down with the FCC!”

Stern gave away 500 boombox units and thousands of certificates for free radios from a mobile stage adorned with American flags while Ozzy Osborne’s ‘Crazy Train’ and Rage Against the Machine blared from giant side speakers.

“I want them to experience radio the way it should be,” said Stern. “20 years ago I got into radio and it sucked. I went and I made a different kind of radio and now the FCC is dismantling it. It isn’t right. It’s gonna stop. Satellite radio is the future.”

Source CNN.com.

Like a Rolling Stone,” Bob Dylan’s scornful, ironic ode to a spoiled woman’s reversal of fortune, has been designated the greatest rock’n’roll song of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.

The six-minute opening track from his landmark 1965 album “Highway 61 Revisited” broke the barrier of the three-minute hit single and established Dylan as a mainstream pop artist, marking his transformation from folk troubadour to rock sensation.

“No other pop song has so thoroughly challenged and transformed the commercial laws and artistic conventions of its time, for all time,” writes Rolling Stone senior editor David Fricke in an article accompanying the magazine’s list of the top 500 rock songs of all time.

The list, published in a special edition out tomorrow (Nov. 19), was compiled by a panel of recording artists, producers, label executives, critics and songwriters. Among them were singer Art Garfunkel, Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, heavy metal icon Ozzy Osbourne, vocalist Joni Mitchell and even Dylan’s son, Jakob, who fronts rock act the Wallflowers.

Ranked No. 2 on the magazine’s roster of greatest rock songs of all time is the Rolling Stones’ 1965 hit “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” followed by John Lennon’s utopian ballad “Imagine,” Marvin Gaye’s languid soul classic “What’s Going On” and Aretha Franklin’s empowerment anthem “Respect.”

Rounding out the top 10 are “Good Vibrations” from the Beach Boys, Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode,” the Beatles’ “Hey Jude,” Nirvana’s 1991 hit “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and Ray Charles’ seminal soul record “What’d I Say.”

The lion’s share of songs from the list hail from the 1960s, and only a handful were released after 1990. The most recent single to make the list is “Hey Ya!” (2003) from hip-hop duo OutKast at No. 180. Rapper Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” (2002) ranks No. 166.

The highest-charting song on the list from the king of rock’n’roll, Elvis Presley, is his 1956 hit “Hound Dog” at No. 19.

The Beatles, not surprisingly, notch the most songs on the list, with 22 entries. They are trailed by archrivals the Rolling Stones, who tally 13. A dozen of Dylan’s songs make the cut.

In a similar list published in 1989, the magazine named the Stones’ “Satisfaction” as the best single of the past 25 years, with Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” placed at No. 2 — a reversal of the latest ranking.

Last year’s Rolling Stone magazine list of the top 500 rock albums of all time put the Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” at No. 1.

Source billboard.com.

Los Angeles-based Particle will headline an unforgettable New Years Eve bash at Irving Plaza with a special appearance by Kaiju Big Battel plus
Buckethead, and Peelander Z. Particle’s unique “funktronic” sounds blend
elements of electronica, funk and rock and have been exciting live music
fans around the country for several years now. The instrumental quartet is
comprised of Eric Gould on bass, Charlie Hitchcock on guitar, Steve Molitz
on keyboards, and Darren Pujalet on drums.

The band’s adventurous spirit has inspired them to throw a one of a kind
Japanimation New Year’s Party. Japanese Comic Action Punks Peelander Z kick off the evening with their high energy music, kung fu kicks, and
otherworldly stage antics. The ubiquitous Buckethead is next on tap for the
New Year’s festivities bringing his lightening quick leads and unparalleled
presence. Not satisfied with one Japanese performance act, Particle has
also invited Kaiju Big Battel to join the madness for a special appearance
just after midnight. Kaiju Big Battel, described as monster mayhem, combine
elements of American pro wrestling, Japanese Monster Movie Mayhem, and pop culture. The group has recently appeared on Dennis Miller, Jimmy Kimmel, and CNN performing matches of epic proportions in front of TV audiences. The evening promises to feature special anime shorts and a champagne toast at midnight along with two sets from Particle.

When House of Blues Cleveland hosts its grand opening party November 28th, one of the many artists performing will be HoB co-founder Dan Aykroyd as his alter ego, Elwood Blues. And he couldn’t be more excited. “I basically got to pick who I wanted (to perform),” Aykroyd told Pollstar. “The Lamont Cranston Band from Minneapolis, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown. I personally made a call to Ronnie Hawkins’ people to bring him in. Paul Shaffer’s coming in, [and] Skunk Baxter.”

HoB is currently on track to open three more clubs next year in San Diego, Atlantic City and Detroit. The Cleveland venue officially opens for business November 19th with a two-night stand by The Neville Brothers. A wide range of artists will perform throughout the week including the reunion of Raspberries original members Eric Carmen, Wally Bryson, Jim Bonfanti and Dave Smalley.

Source: pollstar

Rock act Mercury Rev will return next year with a new V2 album, “The Secret Migration.” In an unusual move, the 13-track set will be available Jan. 25 in digital form exclusively via Apple’s iTunes Music Store, but won’t hit traditional retail outlets in North America until late April. In Europe and England, it will be released Jan. 24.

The piano-and-string laden first single “Secret for a Song” is available for paid download via the band’s official Web site, which is also offering ringtones of that track and the new songs “Across Your Ocean” and “Diamonds.”

Produced by longtime collaborator Dave Fridmann, “The Secret Migration” is sure to delight fans of Mercury Rev’s wide screen, psychedelia-tinged rock, offering more of a hopeful outlook than some of the darker material on 2001’s “All Is Dream.” Highlights include the propulsive, shimmering “Vermillion” and the exhilarating “Arise,” dashed with Fridmann’s flair for sonic detail.

Mercury Rev is in the midst of a European tour that includes support slots with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and a handful of headlining dates. As previously reported, the group will also perform at the Shellac-curated All Tomorrow’s Parties in the U.K. on Dec. 4. A seven-date U.K. tour will begin March 5 in Newcastle.

Source billboard.com[url].

Ben Kweller, the Flaming Lips, the Raveonettes, Death Cab for Cutie, Cake and the Dandy Warhols lead the list of bands covering oldies for Stubbs the Zombie: The Soundtrack. Due out March 15th, the compilation provides the audio backdrop for a video game set in 1959 in fictional Punchbowl, Pennsylvania. The game pits wealthy industrialist Andrew Monday against Stubbs the Zombie, after Monday builds his tech-happy “City of the Future” on a burial ground. War between humans and corpses ensues.

The Lips do the Wizard of Oz classic “If I Only Had a Brain”; the Raveonettes cover “My Boyfriend’s Back,” co-written by their producer Richard Gottehrer for Sixties girl group the Angels; and Kweller does “Lollipop,” a Number Two hit for another girl group, the Chordettes, in 1958.

“I thought it would be such a good juxtaposition to be in this happy town in Pennsylvania singing ‘Lollipop’ while you’re a zombie killing people,” Kweller says. “‘Lollipop, lollipop,’ and everything’s good and happy except you’re all going to die.”

Beyond the basic changing of pronouns in the song from he to she, Kweller’s version stayed faithful to the original, with band members competing to sing the song’s more distinctive vocal accents. “We went around the room to see who had the lowest vocal and John [drummer Kent] won, so he did the [bass] ‘doo do do do’ part,” Kweller says. “We went around the room to see who had the best lollipop [popping] sound, and it happened to be the owner of the studio. It’s one of those songs that has such stigma to it that you can’t really remove any of those parts and try to make it your own. It was really fun though . . . I’m really excited to play the game.”

Stubbs the Zombie track listing:

“Lollipop,” Ben Kweller
“My Boyfriend’s Back,” the Raveonettes
“Earth Angel” Death Cab for Cutie
“Everyday,” Rogue Wave
“Strangers in the Night,” Cake
“There Goes My Baby,” the Walkmen
“All I Have To Do Is Dream The Dandy Warhols
“Mr. Sandman,” Oranger
“If I Only Had a Brain,” the Flaming Lips
“Tears on My Pillow,” Clem Snide
“Shakin’ All Over,” Rose Hill Drive
“Lonesome Town,” Milton Mapes
“The Living Dead,” Phantom Planet

Source rollingstone.com.

As predicted by Glide Magazine in last month’s Shortlist Prize preview story, TV On The Radio won this year’s award honoring the year’s top non commercial release.

As reported on billboard.com –
TV On The Radio won the 2004 Shortlist Music Prize last night (Nov. 15) in Los Angeles. The New York-based act was honored for its Touch & Go album “Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes” at the fourth annual concert/ceremony at the Avalon Theater, which featured performances by three of the 10 finalists.

“We are not the next Damien Rice,” TV On The Radio’s Kyp Malone told Billboard.com, referring to the singer/songwriter who won the award in 2003. “Seriously, this was a great honor. We didn’t even expect to be nominated, let alone win. None of us expected this to happen, and we’re really happy to be here.”

A soulful mix of rock, blues and dance, “Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes” peaked in March at No. 15 on Billboard’s Top Heatseakers chart.

In a 30-minute set to close the concert, TV On The Radio played a number of cuts from the album, including “Dreams” and “Staring at the Sun.” The latter best exemplified the act’s tuneful experimentation, with gospel-worthy call and response vocals and a wall of guitars that reached rave-like hysterics.

TV On The Radio received a $10,000 cash prize presented by XM Satellite Radio. The show was broadcast live on XM and will be televised Nov. 20 on MTV2. Other performing Shortlist finalists included Josh Homme’s Eagles Of Death Metal, hip-hopper Dizzee Rascal and lighthearted pianist Nelly McKay.

Styled as a U.S. equivalent to Britain’s Mercury Music Prize, the Shortlist honors cutting-edge performers whose latest albums, released between July 1, 2003, and June 30, 2004, had sold fewer than 500,000 copies at the time of their nomination. The nominees and winner are selected by a panel of “listmakers,” which this year included Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson, Chris Carrabba, the Dixie Chicks, Jim Jarmusch, John Mayer, Norah Jones and System Of A Down’s Serj Tankian.

This year’s affair featured half as many performers as the 2003 event, which producers said was directly related to the fact that last year’s show ran almost five hours. In contrast, the 2004 edition was professional and sterile, with even the tension-filled songs of U.K. rapper Dizzee Rascal failing to energize the rather sparse crowd.

There were a number of notable no-shows, including finalists Wilco, Franz Ferdinand, Loretta Lynn and Air. Other than a star performer, this year’s show lacked the spontaneity of past Shortlist events. In 2002, Iggy Pop and the Hives treated concertgoers to a performance, while last year was marked by a rant against Clear Channel by Bright Eyes frontman Conor Oberst.

In addition to Rice, past winners of the Shortlist prize are N.E.R.D. (2002) and Sigur Ros (2001).