News

After almost a decade and a half of scruffy indie rock and sprawling space-pop, the California band Grandaddy are headed for the great big rock and roll nursing home in the sky. In an interview with Pitchfork yesterday, frontman Jason Lytle revealed that Just Like the Family Cat, due out May 9 on V2, will be the last Grandaddy album, and that the band has no plans to tour.

“We’ve seen an erosion happening,” Lytle said. “I use the word

Dinosaur Jr. has announced their Spring 2006 Tour, which will bring them into 21 U.S. markets, many of them for the first time since the unlikely reunion of the band’s original members – J Mascis, Lou Barlow, and Murph – last year.

Dinosaur Jr. has long been celebrated as one of alternative rock’s most significant pioneers. Their sonic wall of melodic bass, furious drums and stunning guitar wizardry, coupled with an almost laissez faire vocal delivery, forever changed the face of rock & roll music. The New York Times calls them “Loud, alternative, and still definitive.” Indeed, the band’s first three albums, re-issued last year on MERGE, have proved their music to be as relevant today as it was when the band first became. The albums – Dinosaur, You’re Living All Over Me and Bug – were recently deemed by critics as “classics,” offering “near-perfect, ridiculously hooky thrash.” (Blender)

Dinosaur Jr. Spring 2006 tour dates are as follows:

March 29 2006 Gypsy Tea Room Dallas TX
March 30 2006 Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Austin TX
March 31 2006 Warehouse Live HoustonTX
April 01 2006 House of Blues New Orleans LA
April 02 2006 The Moon Tallahassee FL
April 03 2006 Free Bird Cafe Jacksonville FL
April 04 2006 House of Blues SCN. Myrtle Beach SC
April 05 2006 9:30 Club Washington DC
April 06 2006 Cat’s Cradle Carrboro NC
April 07 2006 The Orange Peel Asheville NC
April 08 2006 Variety Playhouse Atlanta GA
April 09 2006 City Hall Nashville TN
April 10 2006 Young Avenue Deli Memphis TN
April 11 2006 The Vogue Indianapolis IN
April 12 2006 Blue Note Columbia MO
April 13 2006 Liberty Hall Lawrence KS
April 14 2006 The Fox Theatre Boulder CO
April 16 2006 The Depot Salt Lake City UT
April 18 2006 WOW Hall Eugene OR
April 19-20 2006 Great American Music Hall San Francisco CA
April 21-22 2006 The Troubadour West Hollywood CA

Tickets on sale now at www.baselineticketing.com.

Dinosaur Jr. has also announced plans to release their first ever DVD. This full length concert DVD, which will feature the band in its original line-up, was filmed at New York’s legendary Irving Plaza in December 2005, and at other shows along the band’s December tour. The DVD is being directed by Gold In Berlin, which is run by Mascis’ own brother in-law, German filmmaker Phillip Virus. With unfettered access to this famously elusive band, fans can expect complete backstage access to Dinosaur Jr.’s recent reunion tour, one-on-one interviews, behind the scenes goings-on and a full set of performances of Dinosaur Jr. favorites. The DVD will be packed with bonus materials that any fan of the band – seasoned or brand new – will find thrilling and entertaining. Look for the DVD to be released in summer 2006.

So what’s next for these still-definitive rockers? The band is spending the next month at J Mascis’ home studio recording new material. It’s true – J, Lou and Murph are in the studio. But for now, that’s all they’re saying.

For more information, visit dinosaurjr.com.

Arctic Monkeys have achieved the fastest-selling debut album in British chart history, opening at No. 1 yesterday (Jan. 29) thanks to sales of 360,000 copies of “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not” (Domino). That comfortably exceeded the 306,000 sales achieved by pop act Hear’Say with its 2001 debut album, “Popstars.”

But the Monkeys were unable to secure simultaneous album and single chart-toppers, as their second No. 1 single, “When The Sun Goes Down,” fell from the top to No. 2. Instead, Notorious B.I.G. scored a posthumous No. 1 with “Nasty Girl” (Bad Boy), featuring P. Diddy, Nelly, Jagged Edge and Avery Storm.

It’s rare for a single to rise to the No. 1 position on the British chart, and the fact that the rapper’s first U.K. No. 1 arrives nine years after his death makes the event all the more remarkable.

Source billboard.com.

Hollywood Records has signed an exclusive worldwide recording agreement with acclaimed roots-rock band Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, it was announced today by Bob Cavallo, Chairman of the Buena Vista Music Group. On April 11th, Hollywood will reissue an enhanced version of the band

Wilco has announced their spring tour dates. The band will kick things off with a two night stand in Chapel Hill, NC and then proceed through the southeast, with a tour finale in Des Moines, IA on March 22nd. In the meantime Jeff Tweedy kicks off his solo tour on January 31st in Vancouver and will play much of the west coast. For more information, please visit Wilco’s website.

Tour Dates

MAR-05 CHAPEL HILL, NC MEMORIAL HALL TBA
MAR-06 CHAPEL HILL, NC MEMORIAL HALL TBA
MAR-08 CHARLESTON, SC NORTH CHARLESTON PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
MAR-09 ATHENS, GA CLASSIC CENTER EXHIBIT HALL BUY
MAR-10 JACKSONVILLE, FL FLORIDA THEATRE TBA
MAR-12 SUNRISE, FL LANGERADO MUSIC FESTIVAL AT MARKHAM PARK
MAR-14 TALLAHASSEE, FL THE MOON INFO
MAR-15 MERIDIAN, MS TEMPLE THEATRE TBA
MAR-16 KNOXVILLE, TN TENNESSEE THEATRE BUY
MAR-17 NASHVILLE, TN RYMAN AUDITORIUM TBA
MAR-18 FAYETTEVILLE, AR WALTON ARTS CENTER TBA
MAR-19 ST. LOUIS, MO THE PAGEANT TBA
MAR-22 DES MOINES, IA VAL AIR BALLROOM TBA

Gov’t Mule has returned to the studio to record the follow-up to it’s 2004 ATO Records release D

The mid-1970s represented a particularly busy studio period for the Grateful Dead, and on March 7, Rhino will continue its Dead reissue program with the release of five studio titles from this period, each remastered and expanded with outtakes and/or concert recordings.

The trip down memory lane begins with 1973’s “Wake of the Flood,” the first album released on the band’s then newly established Grateful Dead Records label. It was also the first album to feature Keith Godchaux on keyboards. Making the new version a little more special is a previously unreleased live take of the album’s “Eyes of the World,” an acoustic demo of “Weather Report Suite” and studio outtakes of “Prelude/Part I/Part II” and “China Doll,” a song that would appear on the band’s next release.

The next year’s “From the Mars Hotel” is considered one of the better Dead studio sets. Its notable tracks include “China Doll,” as well as “U.S. Blues” and “Scarlet Begonias.” A live version of the latter is added to the reissue, along with concert takes of “Money Money,” “Wave That Flag” and “Let It Rock.” A studio outtake of “Loose Lucy” and acoustic demos of “Pride of Cucamonga” and “Unbroken Chain” also appear.

The 1975 album “Blues for Allah” appeared amidst long break from the road, and the dividends were evident in the recordings. Joining such favorites as “Franklin’s Tower” and “Crazy Fingers” are a half-dozen instrumentals captured during the studio sessions.

A return to touring left little time for the studio, so it wasn’t until 1977 that “Terrapin Station,” the Dead’s first album for Arista, appeared. It was the first album since 1968’s “Anthem of the Sun” to find the band working with an outside producer, in this case Keith Olsen, who had worked with the Byrds and Fleetwood Mac.

The album included Bob Weir’s venerable “Estimated Prophet” and a version of the Motown staple “Dancin’ in the Streets.” In its reissued form, “Terrapin” pairs instrumental outtakes of “Peggy-O” and “The Ascent” with studio outtakes of “Catfish John,” “Equinox” and “Fire on the Mountain,” as well as a live recording of “Dancin’ in the Streets.”

Completing this volley is 1978’s “Shakedown Street,” which was produced by Little Feat’s Lowell George at the Dead’s own studio, located in San Rafael, Calif. Rarities added to the original lineup include an outtake cover of the Olympics’ “Good Lovin’,” a staple of the Dead’s live set through the years. Also added are live versions of “Ollin Arageed,” “Fire on the Mountain,” “Stagger Lee” and “All New Minglewood Blues.”

There’s been no word if the surviving members of the Dead will mount any sort of tour in 2006. At deadline, the only thing on the books is a run of Phil Lesh & Friends shows that the Dead bassist will stage in New York (Feb. 10-12, 14-15, 17-19), Providence, R.I. (Feb. 21-22) and Philadelphia (Feb. 24-26).

Weir’s Ratdog is expected to tour in the spring, and it’s possible more will be heard from SerialPod, the group drummer Bill Kreutzmann formed with former Phish members Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon. The trio played a few late 2005 shows and Kreutzmann’s Web site says only to stay tuned for more info.

Source billboard.com.

Jenny Lewishas booked a headlining tour in support of her debut solo album, Rabbit Fur Coat, with a month’s worth of dates starting in early March.

The Rilo Kiley frontwoman will be backed by the Watson Twins, a pair of Kentucky-born sisters Lewis recruited for the album.

The trek launches March 4 at Bimbo’s 365 Club in San Francisco. She’ll wind her way all around the country, wrapping back home in Los Angeles April 1.

Prior to the tour, she’ll do three early February dates in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York City.

Before completing her solo record, Lewis spent several months last year on the road with Rilo Kiley, including a North American support stint for Coldplay.

Source pollstar.com.

Originally scheduled to be handed out at a Feb. 6 ceremony in Los Angeles, the inaugural New Pantheon Awards have been bumped to an as-yet-undetermined date in March.

“We’ve decided to reschedule the inaugural event for the New Pantheon awards to give us greater opportunity for reaching our goals of making the best show possible,” organizer Tom Sarig said in a statement. “Rescheduling to March 2006 will in effect allow us to achieve the vision we set out to accomplish.”

The New Pantheon Awards aim to continue the mission of the now-defunct Shortlist Prize in recognizing noteworthy albums that have sold less than 500,000 copies in the United States.

The 10 finalists for the award are Animal Collective’s “Feels” (Fatcat), Antony and the Johnsons’ “I Am a Bird Now” (Secretly Canadian), Fiona Apple’s “Extraordinary Machine” (Epic), the Arcade Fire’s “Funeral” (Merge), Bloc Party’s “Silent Alarm” (Vice/Atlantic), Death Cab For Cutie’s “Plans” (Atlantic), the Decemberists’ “Picaresque” (Kill Rock Stars), Kings Of Leon’s “Aha Shake Heartbreak” (RCA), M.I.A.’s “Arular” (XL/Beggars Banquet) and Sufjan Stevens’ “Illinois” (Asthmatic Kitty).

The albums were selected by a panel of listmakers that includes Elton John, Elijah Wood, Beck, Margaret Cho, John Legend, Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard, Keith Urban, Ric Ocasek, Shirley Manson, Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda, Suzanne Vega, Dave Matthews and Keith Urban.

Source billboard.com.

Gritty singer/songwriter Will Hoge and his band begin a 3-month, 56-city tour of the U.S. and Canada on January 26.

The road trip comes in support Hoge’s upcoming album, The Man Who Killed Love. Known for his working-class, soulful rock