News

There will be an MSN chat with Bob Weir on April 15th, at 7:30pm ET/4:30pm PT

As a member of the Grateful Dead and RatDog, Bob Weir knows good music. Meet this legend and ask him how music has changed in the last 30 years. Hear about stories from the road and his newest project Weir Here: The Best of Bob Weir.

Click here for more info on the MSN Chat.

Click here for a chance to win a copy of Weir Here from Glide!

More than two years have passed since Rich and Chris Robinson grounded the Black Crowes after six albums and the better part of two decades. Chris was out of the gate first with a solo record in 2002, and out of the gate second too, as his next album, This Magnificent Distance, is due in June. Rich Robinson’s next phase has been a bit longer coming, as his band Hookah Brown derailed in May 2003 due to financial disagreements, just months after assembling. But the younger Robinson sib has decided to go it alone and is mixing twenty-two songs at New York’s Hit Factory studio, some of which will appear on his own solo debut this summer.

Robinson hasn’t settled on a title or even a format yet — the batch of songs could be whittled down to a single CD, two separate discs or a double — but the new tunes find Robinson untethered in the realm of epic rock, with some of the Crowesy Seventies-inspired riffing, flourishes of country, a bit of honkin’ on the blues and anything else the guitarist sees fit.

Visit rollingstone.com to read more in detail about this upcoming release.

Tori Amos will release her first live DVD next month. Due May 18 via Epic, “Welcome to Sunny Florida” was recorded Sept. 4, 2003 at the Sound Advice Amphitheater in West Palm Beach, Fla. The 18-track release is augmented with an interview with Amos, behind-the-scenes footage, a tour yearbook and a live version of “Past the Mission.”

“Welcome to Sunny Florida” is further enriched by a six-song CD featuring the previously unreleased tracks “Ruby through the Looking-Glass,” “Seaside,” “Bug a Martini,” “Apollo’s Frock,” “Indian Summer” and “Tombigbee.” The latter track is performed live on the DVD.

The show goes heavy on Amos’ more recent work, including her 2002 album “Scarlet’s Walk,” while her back catalog is represented by such favorites as “Crucify,” “Cornflake Girl” and “Leather.” Amos’ previous live release was “Still Orbiting,” part of the 1999 two-disc set “To Venus and Back.”

The artist has no appearances on her schedule at present. Her latest release was last year’s “Tales of a Librarian,” which chronicled her tenure recording for Atlantic.

Here is the track list for “Welcome to Sunny Florida”:

“A Sorta Fairytale”
“Sugar”
“Crucify”
“Cornflake Girl”
“Bells for Her”
“Concertina”
“Take to the Sky”
“Leather”
“Cloud on My Tongue”
“Cooling”

“Your Cloud”
“Father Lucifer”
“Professional Widow”
“I Can’t See New York”
“Precious Things”

Encore:
“Tombigbee”
“Amber Waves”
“Hey Jupiter”

Source billboard.com.

TV On The Radio are carrying on New York City’s avant-garde tradition with their eclectic brand of experimental art rock, which incorporates elements of post-punk, doo-wop, jazz and more.

Their Young Liars EP kicked off a firestorm of hype last summer, and they’ve dropped a stick of dynamite in the buzzbin with their debut full-length, Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes.

They’re looking to keep the talkers talking and win some new fans with a nationwide tour this spring. They just kicked off in New York City and they’ll be art-rocking their way to California and back, finishing up May 13 at Supreme Imperial in Boston.

The band consists of Tunde Adepimbe, David Sitek and Kyp Malone, and their live performances often feature a guest rhythm section. Adepimbe and Sitek, both visual artists, met in their apartment building and discovered an affinity for pushing musical boundaries, adding Malone soon after.

The group has strong connections with other hot New Yorkers – Adepimbe created the video for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Pin,” and Sitek has produced albums by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Liars. Several members of those bands have reciprocated by appearing live and on tape with TV On The Radio.

Source pollstar.com.

Elvis Costello will simultaneously release two diverse albums later this year. The ever-prolific veteran artist is in the midst of recording a new rock album backed by his band the Imposters. In addition, the London Symphony Orchestra has recorded his composition “Il Sogno.” Both albums will be issued in the fall by Universal labels; an exact release date has not yet been determined.

Currently being recorded in Oxford, Miss., and Memphis, the as-yet-untitled rock album will come out on Lost Highway Records.

“Il Sogno” is Costello first full-length orchestral composition. Deutsche Grammophon will release the London Symphony Orchestra’s recording, conducted by Michael Tilson-Thomas. Plans are for the set to include a bonus disc that will be recorded at this summer’s North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, Holland.

Costello is to open the four-day event with a July 8 performance at North Sea’s Buhrmann Midsummer Jazz Gala. Longtime collaborator Steve Nieve (the Attractions, the Imposters) and the Metropole Orkest will accompany Costello in solo piano, big band, string quartet and full orchestra settings.

In addition, the 52-member Metropole Orkest is scheduled to make its North American debut July 13 during the first of three Costello performances at New York’s Lincoln Center Festival 2004. Costello and the Imposters will perform two nights later, while on July 17, “Il Songo” will receive its continental premiere as performed by the Brooklyn Philharmonic.

Additionally, Costello is providing new liner notes and combing through possible bonus material for his next set of catalog reissues. Due in August from Rhino are revamped versions of his 1981 country-leaning album “Almost Blue,” 1984’s bittersweet and slickly produced “Goodbye Cruel World” and the 1995 covers album, “Kojak Variety.” As with the label’s past updates of Costello albums, each will comprise the remastered and remixed original album on one disc and a full complement of related bonus material on a second.

As previously reported, Costello will publish two books next year through a deal with Simon & Schuster. One will center around “styles, themes and characters” in the artist’s lyrics, while the other is described as a “work of comic philosophy. ” That set carries the title “How to Play the Guitar, Sing Loudly and Impress Girls… or Boys.”

Source billboard.com.

Robert Randolph & The Family Band have been confirmed as the opening act on Eric Clapton’s US Tour from June 6th – August 2nd… There are three shows on the Clapton tour that RRFB will NOT be performing on- those are June 12th in New Orleans, June 18th in Atlanta and June 19th in Greenville, SC. The band will still be performing at their previously announced shows at Bonnaroo on June 12th, Wakarusa Festival in Kansas on June 18th and at The Playboy Jazz Festival in Los Angeles on June 20th, although they do have to cancel the four opening dates with the Dave Matthews Band at the end of June.

Here are the confirmed dates for Robert Randolph & The Family Band opening for Eric Clapton:

June 5-6: Dallas (Crossroads Guitar Festival)
June 9: Oklahoma City (Ford Center)
June 11: Little Rock, Ark. (Alltel Arena)
June 14: St. Petersburg, Fla. (St. Pete Times Forum)
June 15: Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (Office Depot Center)
June 16: Jacksonville, Fla. (Veterans Memorial Arena)
June 21: Washington, D.C. (MCI Center)
June 23: Albany, N.Y. (Pepsi Arena)
June 26: Philadelphia (Wachovia Center)
June 28-30: New York (Madison Square Garden)
July 3-4: Mansfield, Mass. (Tweeter Center)
July 7: Toronto (Air Canada Centre)
July 9: Buffalo, N.Y. (HSBC Arena)
July 10: Cleveland (Gund Arena)
July 12: Columbus, Ohio (Nationwide Arena)
July 13: Auburn Hills, Mich. (Palace of Auburn Hills)
July 15: Indianapolis (Conseco Fieldhouse)
July 17: Chicago (United Center)
July 18: St. Paul, Minn. (Xcel Energy Center)
July 20: Milwaukee (Bradley Center)
July 22: Omaha, Neb. (Qwest Center)
July 24: Denver (Pepsi Center)
July 27: Seattle (Key Arena)
July 28: Portland, Ore. (Rose Garden Arena)
July 30-31: San Jose, Calif. (HP Pavilion)
Aug. 2: Los Angeles (Hollywood Bowl)

Source: RobertRandolph.net

Eric Clapton has announced a North American tour that will kick off with an appearance at the Crossroads Guitar Festival in Dallas, which takes place June 4-6. The tour will include a triple-night stand at Madison Square Garden in New York City and runs through the months of June and July, culminating in an August 2 appearance at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.

The Crossroads Guitar Festival will feature a mammoth concert at the Cotton Bowl Stadium, with a lineup that reads like a who’s who of modern blues, jazz and rock legends. B.B. King, Carlos Santana, Larry Carlton, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, Eric Johnson, Brian May, John Mayer, Pat Metheny, Otis Rush, Neal Schon, Hubert Sumlin, Steve Vai and more are booked to join Clapton onstage.

Clapton’s new album, Me And Mr. Johnson, consists of 14 renditions of tunes written and recorded in the 1930s by mythical Mississippi blues master Robert Johnson.

Source pollstar.com.

Los Angeles-based Latin rock outfit Ozomatli will release a new album June 22 via Concord Records. Beyond a previously announced collaboration with original MC Chali 2na and DJ Cut Chemist (both now of Jurassic 5), the set features contributions from Moroccan sinter player Hassan Hakmoun, Los Lobos’ David Hidalgo and pianist/labelmate Eddie Palmieri.

“Concord just seemed happy to let us go off and do our thing,” says horn player/vocalist Asdrubal Sierra, adding, “There’s a real sense of acceptance of what we do. Plus, I’m really honored to be on the same label as Eddie Palmieri. He’s my idol.”

Ozomatli is joined by Hakmoun, violinists the Les Yeux Noir and the Prague Symphony on album opener “Believe,” while Palmieri guests on “Nadie Te Tira.” The album also features new MC Jabu and former Wallflowers drummer Mario Calire.

“Since we started, our perspectives have changed as our lives have changed,” saxophonist Ulises Bella says of Ozomatli’s musical growth. “We just trust each other more now. Everyone gives everyone the space we all need. This band did not start, at all, to get a record deal. It started out of love for the music we made, and that’s exactly where we still are.”

Ozomatli is in the midst of a U.S. tour that plays Santa Barbara, Calif., tomorrow (April 9). On April 22, the group will return to play Austin, Texas, where two of its members were arrested last month after a performance at the South by Southwest festival. Bassist Willy Abers was charged with failure to obey the order of a police officer, while percussionist Jiro Yamaguchi was charged with assault on a public servant.

Here are Ozomatli’s tour dates:

April 9: Santa Barbara, Calif. (Coach House North)
April 10: Pomona, Calif. (Glass House)
April 13: Agoura Hills, Calif. (Canyon Club)
April 14: Las Vegas (House of Blues)
April 19: El Paso, Texas (Club Xscape)
April 22: Austin, Texas (La Zona Rosa)
April 23: New Orleans (Howlin’ Wolf)
April 27: Towson, Md. (Recher Theatre)
Sept. 3: Universal City, Calif. (Universal Amphitheatre)

Source billboard.com.

On May 31, 2003, Trey Anastasio played the second of two sold-out shows at San Francisco’s Warfield Theatre. On that night, Carlos Santana dropped by to say hello to Trey, ended up joining the ten-piece band on stage halfway through the first set, and continued to play with the group for the remainder of the night. The results were electric, suffused with spontaneous energy and exuberant interplay between the two guitarists.

As fate would have it, this once-in-a-lifetime performance was documented by a small video crew who were experimenting with a new production technique. The show’s blistering second set, plus a bonus track of “The Way I Feel” from the show’s first set will be released on DVD on April 26.

All net proceeds from the DVD will be split evenly between The Waterwheel Foundation and the Milagro Foundation, a non-profit founded by Deborah and Carlos Santana that serves underrepresented and underprivileged children in the areas of arts, health and education around the world.

The DVD is available exclusively from Phish Dry Goods and from the online Santana Store. Ordering is now available from Phish Dry Goods and will be available from Santana’s web site beginning early next week. Orders will be shipped beginning the last week of April.

The track list is as follows:
1. Mr. Completely
2. John the Revelator
3. Night Speaks to a Woman
4. Caravan
Bonus track: The Way I Feel

The DVD also features a photo gallery by photographer Jay Blakesberg and the MX Switch “wide-shot” option. Approximate Running Time: 84 minutes. The DVD is formatted for all regions in NTSC video.

To order, visit phish.com/drygoods and santana.com.

A documentary on the late Joe Strummer will debut next month at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City.