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Pearl Jam are almost finished with their follow-up to 2002’s Riot Act. The band plans to spend the next three weeks in the studio recording vocals and mixing. If all goes according to plan, the yet-to-be-titled disc could be released as early as May.
“There’s a lot more up-tempo stuff,” says drummer Matt Cameron. “It’s a lot more rockin’ than our last one.” Song titles like “Severed Hand,” “Worldwide Suicide” and “2×4” seem to reflect that harder edge. Though the track listing has not been finalized, other candidates include “Marker” and “Cold Concession.”

Cameron, who teamed with guitarist Mike McCready on the track “Unemployable,” characterizes the sessions as more collaborative. “We reworked everything together in the studio,” he says. “It’s a really healthy environment — everyone really just wants to dig in and make the songs as good as they can be.”

Pearl Jam hope to support the new record with a summer tour.

Source rollingstone.com.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame celebrated its twentieth anniversary — and the fiftieth anniversary of rock itself — Monday night in a ceremony that peaked with Bruce Springsteen inducting U2 and Neil Young ushering in the Pretenders. Justin Timberlake welcomed the O’Jays into the Hall, B.B. King and Eric Clapton joined forces to pay tribute to fellow bluesman Buddy Guy, and Rod Stewart inducted soul singer Percy Sledge.

To read more, please visit rollingstone.com.

ED HARCOURT has confirmed four weeks of U.S. residencies and headline club dates in support of his third album, STRANGERS. The intimate, 20-date small-club tour commences with a showcase at the annual South By Southwest Music Festival on March 19, and includes multiple performances in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and New York, as well as single dates in seven other cities. See below for a full itinerary.

STRANGERS, released February 1 by Astralwerks Records, has been praised as a breakthrough album for Harcourt. BLENDER called him “a disarmingly talented songwriter,” awarding the album four stars. PERFORMING SONGWRITER declared, “Harcourt explores the dark corners and bright spots of his psyche; making music that is both sincere and progressive.” ELLE said, “Harcourt has a distinct vulnerability that’s part of his charm.” And DETAILS called him “a cynical romantic for our times,” noting that “Harcourt twists drunken pillow talk into aching flights of fancy.”

ED HARCOURT SPRING 2005 U.S. TOUR DATES

March 19 – Austin TX – Antone’s (SXSW)

March 21 – Los Angeles CA – Hotel Cafe

March 22 – San Francisco CA – Hotel Utah

March 24 – Seattle WA – Tractor Tavern

March 25 – Portland OR – Doug Fir Lounge

March 28 – Los Angeles CA – Hotel Cafe

March 29 – San Francisco CA – Cafe Du Nord

March 31 – Seattle WA – Tractor Tavern

April 3 – Los Angeles CA – Tangier

April 4 – Los Angeles CA – Hotel Cafe

April 5 – San Francisco CA – Cafe du Nord

April 7 – Seattle WA – Sunset Tavern

April 19 – Pittsburgh PA – Club Cafe

April 20 – New York NY – Piano’s

April 21 – Northampton MA – Iron Horse Music Hall

April 23 – Boston MA – Paradise Lounge

April 24 – Philadelphia PA – Tin Angel

April 25 – Arlington VA – Iota Club

April 26 – Hoboken NJ – Maxwell’s

April 27 – New York NY – Piano’s

The Foo Fighters plan to release their fifth album, In Your Honor, in June. The double album — one disc will be acoustic and the other “rock” — took a year to record and features twenty tracks.
“It is by far the most ambitious project I have ever had anything to do with in my entire life,” frontman Dave Grohl posts on the band’s Web site, adding that the final track listing was whittled down from a batch of forty songs. “There are subtleties. There are complexities. There are extremities. There are familiarities. There is orchestration,” the somewhat cryptic post continues.

In Your Honor features a diverse batch of guests, including Norah Jones, former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones and Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme. “They may seem strange to you,” Grohl adds of the cast of characters. “They don’t seem strange to me.”

He is also planning to get out of the studio and onto the road. “I have a calendar in front of me that is a year long,” he says, “fucking packed with tours that will spin us around the globe over and over.”

Source rollingstone.com.

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Indie rock outfit the Shins have begun confirming dates for a spring North American tour, beginning with an April 11-12 stand in Minneapolis. Shows are on tap through April 29-30 in Asheville, N.C., but additional gigs will be added.

The group is not expected to hit the studio to begin work on its third album until later this year, with an eye on a 2006 release via Sub Pop. “It seems to be not very effective for me to try and write new songs out on tour,” frontman James Mercer told Billboard.com last November. “I’m so out of sorts, just being in a hotel. We never have time, either. You’re either recovering or you’re in a van driving.”

The Shins’ sophomore album, “Chutes Too Narrow,” peaked at No. 5 on Billboard’s Top Independent Albums chart and has shifted 293,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Here are the Shins’ tour dates:

April 11-12: Minneapolis (First Avenue)
April 13: Milwaukee (Eagles Ballroom)
April 14: Chicago (Congress Theater)
April 17: Toronto (Kool Haus)
April 21: Providence, R.I. (Meehan Auditorium)
April 23-24: New York (Webster Hall)
April 27: Philadelphia (Electric Factory)
April 28: Norfolk, Va. (NorVa)
April 29-30: Asheville, N.C. (Orange Peel)

Source billboard.com.

Guided by inspiration from his journey to Iraq, Palestine and Israel this past summer, musician/poet/activist Michael Franti heads to Kingston, Jamaica to team up with legendary godfathers of riddim Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records and long-time Beastie Boys collaborator, Jack Johnson producer, Mario Caldato, Jr.

This dream team of riddim, beats and progressive innovators can only take the soul-inflicted and politically conscious music of Michael Franti to the next level. Sly and Robbie have produced and performed on countless records over the past 30 years from Peter Tosh to Grace Jones, Simply Red, Mick Jagger to No Doubt. For Franti, the duo will perform and produce live drum and bass parts lending their distinct sound to the record. Kingston based percussion players, Uzziah “Sticky” Thompson, drummer “Bongo” Herman, keyboardist Robert Lynn and Spearhead band members, Carl Young and Dave Shul are featured as well.

Moved by Franti’s music, message and live performances over the past several years, Chris Blackwell steps into the studio with Sly & Robbie for the first time in over 30 years, since his work on the Grace Jones albums, taking on a creative role as executive producer.

Chris Blackwell signed performers ranging from U2, Bob Marley, Black Uhuru, Cat Stevens, Tom Waits to Franti’s own Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy on Island which emerged as one of the most progressive labels in the industry. In addition, Blackwell produced many albums for Bob Marley and the Wailers, Jimmy Cliff, Grace Jones, Joe Cocker and Steve Winwood. Perhaps more importantly, Blackwell’s long affiliation with Bob Marley proved him to be a primary force in introducing reggae into the global pop mainstream. Continuing his innovative instinct, Blackwell launched his Palm Pictures audio-visual label that broke ground by focusing on the DVD format–once again being ahead of the game.

Filling out the team is Brazilian-born producer Mario Caldato, Jr, producer and mixer for such artists as Bebel Gilberto, Beck, Tone Loc, but best known for his work on the Beastie Boys’ Paul’s Boutique, Check Your Head, Ill Communication and Hello Nasty. Mario C brings his history of hip hop and love of Jamaican music into the project, but most recently and what interested Franti was his nurturing, organic production of Jack Johnson’s On and On and the newly released In Between Dreams.

At the engineering helm is Robert Carranza whose wide array of projects includes Bjork, Jack Johnson, Los Lobos, Eels, Supergrass and Luscious Jackson.

Franti and Blackwell chose to record the album in Jamaica to tap into Kingston’s raw heartbeat. Many of the songs for the still-untitled record were written shortly after Franti’s journey into the war zones of Iraq, Palestine and Israel this past summer. This trip not only inspired a new album, but Franti’s directorial debut and first feature-length film titled, I Know I’m Not Alone, which closed the independent film festival, Slamdance, to a sold out audience and rave reviews and is due for a release along side the new album. The album is scheduled for a fall 2005 release via Palm.

Rock the Earth is proud to present the Inaugural Snow Ball, a concert to benefit Rock the Earth at Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom in Denver, Colorado on Wednesday, March 23, 2005. The concert will feature Colorado’s own jamgrass sensation Shanti Groove and Pete Wernick’s Live Five, the innovative newgrass combo lead by Dr. Banjo, Pete Wernick. The night will also include some very special surprise guests. “Rock the Earth provides a special opportunity for musicians and fans to make waves together. With so much pollution, of everything from the environment to our minds, it’s a way to fight back,” says Wernick.

“These events really demonstrate the special connection that exists between music and the environment and music’s power to inspire change on a wide scale,” says Rock the Earth President and Executive Director Marc Ross. He continues, “We are very excited to be holding our first benefit concert in our new home town of Denver and to have environmentally-conscious artists like Shanti Groove and Pete Wernick’s Live Five playing it, makes the event all the more special.” By collaborating with bands such as Shanti Groove and Pete Wernick’s Live Five, Rock the Earth is able to build nationwide support for local campaigns.

Rock the Earth continues to work with a number of partners to ensure that the Roan Plateau’s wilderness areas will not be adversely impacted by drilling. These important benefit shows will help Rock the Earth draw additional attention to the need for Colorado and Utah citizens to voice their opposition to detrimental drilling in wilderness areas and will also help Rock the Earth secure additional funding to tackle issues like these from the legal and technical standpoints. For more information on the Roan Plateau and how you can help, visit rocktheearth.net/projects.ws.

In addition to the music at Cervantes’, Rock the Earth will hold a silent auction and raffle. Doors open at 8:00pm and the show starts at 9:00pm. All proceeds will benefit Rock the Earth and to further our mission to “Defend the Planet One Beat at a Time.” Tickets are available through Baseline Ticketing at baselineticketing.com. $12 in advance and $15 day of show. For more information, call Rock the Earth at (303) 454-3304.

Other upcoming events to benefit Rock the Earth include two concerts by The String Cheese Incident set to take place April 2nd and 3rd at Suede in Park City, Utah. Tickets are now available from Baseline Ticketing. Hotel/condo accommodations and travel plans may be made through Madison House Travel. String Cheese bassist Keith Moseley says, “SCI is always looking for ways to get involved in good causes; Rock the Earth holds close two of our priorities: the environment and music. We’re glad to help the organization.”

Rock the Earth, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, national public interest environmental advocacy organization, is committed to protecting and defending America’s natural resources through partnerships with the music industry and the environmental community.

George Scott, founding baritone of gospel vocal group the Blind Boys Of Alabama, died yesterday (March 9) at his home in Durham, N.C., according to a statement. He was 75.

“We’re grateful to the Lord for letting us have George for as long as we did,” says Blind Boys leader Clarence Fountain, who was one of the last people Scott spoke to before his death. “He and I grew up together and sang together from little boys to old men. George was a great singer, he could sing any part in a song. We loved him and he was one of the ‘Boys.’ He lived a life of service and now he’s gone on to his reward.”

Born George Lewis Scott in Notasulga, Ala., the artist met Fountain and Jimmy Carter in 1936 at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind. Three years later they formed the traditional gospel singing group, which Scott also accompanied on guitar.

In recent years, the group enjoyed a resurgence in popularity and recently won the best traditional soul gospel album Grammy for “There Will Be a Light” (Virgin), recorded with singer/songwriter Ben Harper. The set featured Scott singing lead on the album’s opening track, “Take My Hand.”

Though Scott retired from touring last year, he continued to record with the group and will be heard on its new album, “Atom Bomb,” due Tuesday (March 15) from Real World Records. No changes are planned in the Blind Boys touring schedule, which picks up again with a March 18 showcase at the South By Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas.

Funeral services will be held March 15 at Monumental Faith Church in Durham. His family has asked that mourners make donations to the American Diabetes Association or send flowers to the city’s Holloway Funeral Home.

Scott is survived by his wife Ludie Lewis Mann Scott, his mother Hassie Lou Scott and his sister Benzie Jackson.

Source billboard.com.

For sale: perhaps the world’s finest and biggest pictorial history of jazz and American music. Must be kept together.

Frank Driggs, a former jazz journalist and record producer, started buying jazz photos from collectors more than half a century ago. After word got out he was a top collector, musicians often gave him pictures.

“For filmmakers who often visit hundreds of tiny archives to make a documentary you can’t appreciate enough the value of a collection that contains so many photos,” documentary filmmaker Ken Burns told Reuters.

Driggs was the single biggest supplier of pictures for “Jazz,” the 17-hour television series by Burns.

Driggs’ nearly 80,000 photos range from 1898 shots of ragtime’s Scott Joplin and Tom Turpin to portraits of big bands at since-closed Harlem and East Village haunts of the 1950s.

To read more, please visit yahoo.com.