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In the months leading up to his passing on September 12, 2003, Johnny Cash had been recording new material with producer Rick Rubin. On July 4, 2006, “American V: A Hundred Highways,” the all-new Johnny Cash album taken from those sessions, will be released on the American Recordings label through Lost Highway. It will include the last song Cash ever wrote.

The songs that comprise “American V: A Hundred Highways” are as eclectic an assortment as any on the previous albums in the American series: “Help Me,” a poignant plea to God, the hauntingly beautiful ballad “If You Could Read My Mind,” “God’s Gonna Cut You Down,” a traditional spiritual, the touching “Love’s Been Good To Me,” the heartrending “On The Evening Train,” and “Further On (Up the Road)” are among the tracks on the new album. Songwriters for the tracks run the gamut from Hank Williams to Rod McKuen to Bruce Springsteen.

In addition, two original Cash compositions are featured, “Like the 309” and “I Came to Believe.” “Like the 309” is the last song Cash wrote and, like his first recorded single, 1955’s “Hey Porter,” is a song that incorporates one of his favorite settings, trains: “Everybody take a look/See I’m doin’ fine/Then load my box/On the 309.” “I Came to Believe” is a song he wrote and originally recorded earlier in his career, and addresses the pain of addiction and connecting to a higher power.

“I think that ‘American V’ may be my favorite of all of the albums in the American series,” said Rubin. “It’s different from the others, it has a much different character. I think that this is as strong an album as Johnny ever made.”

The months following the May, 2004 passing of his wife June Carter Cash, were among the most physically and emotionally painful times in Cash’s life, but keeping focused on the recording of “American V: A Hundred Highways”

proved to be his salvation. Rubin remembers, “Johnny said that recording was his main reason for being alive, and I think it was the only thing that kept him going, the only thing he had to look forward to.”

Cash and Rubin began recording the songs that would find their way onto “American V: A Hundred Highways” in 2002, specifically on the day after they finished “American IV: The Man Comes Around” which was released that November. Johnny feared that “American IV” might be his last release, so Rubin suggested that he immediately begin writing and recording new material. Over the next eight months, songs were cut at Rubin’s Los Angeles studio and in Nashville at Johnny’s main home and at his fabled cabin located across the road. Due to Cash’s frail health, Rubin arranged for an engineer and guitar players to always be on call for the days that Cash felt strong enough to work.

“He always wanted to work,” said Rubin. “Every morning when he’d wake up, he would call the engineer and tell him if he was physically up to working that day. Our main concern was to get a great vocal performance. Johnny would record a song, send it to me and I would build a new track up under it. In the past, at the end of this process, he’d come to L.A. And we’d go through everything together, he would re-record any vocal bits that needed re-recording. But this time, we didn’t have that opportunity.”

Last year, Rubin began going through these final recordings. He admitted, “I kind of dreaded doing it, after Johnny passed, going back and listening to it…it was difficult.

“With all of the albums Johnny and I made together, our goal was for each one to be the best it could possibly be, and that remained the case with ‘American V,'” Rick explained. Eventually, Cash’s long-time engineer David “Fergie” Ferguson, Heartbreakers Mike Campbell (guitars) and Benmont Tench (keyboards), and Smokey Hormel (guitars), all of whom had worked on previous albums in the American series, along with Matt Sweeney (guitars) and Johnny Polonsky (guitars) went into the studio.

“We felt Johnny’s presence during the whole process through to the end,”

said Rubin. “It felt like he was directing the proceedings, and I know that the musicians all felt that as well. Almost all of the songs were cut solely to Johnny’s original vocal tracks, the musicians all keyed off his voice and were playing to him, supporting the emotion of his performance. More than once, Fergie and I would look at each other and say ‘Johnny would love this,’ because it was so good and so different from anything we’d done before, we knew he would be excited by what was happening.”

It was decided to wait to release “American V: A Hundred Highways” until the recent Cash hubbub had run its course. What separates this album from the re-packages, compilations, movie soundtracks and everything else that has surfaced since Johnny’s passing is, according to Rubin, “These songs are Johnny’s final statement. They are the truest reflection of the music that was central to his life at the time. This is the music that Johnny wanted us to hear.”

To celebrate the release of the brand new 2-DVD and 3-CD set, Live In Brooklyn, Phish is thrilled to present to fans a very special, one-night-only Big Screen Concerts screening of their entire June 17, 2004 show. Live In Brooklyn will be shown in High-Definition at 99 participating Regal, United Artists, Edwards, AMC and Georgia Theatre Company movie theatres nationwide on Monday, July 10th.

Live In Brooklyn was filmed June 17, 2004 at the band’s opening night performance at Keyspan Park on Coney Island. The concert footage has not been shown since that night, when 16,000 Phish fans in the sold-out baseball park danced in the rain and 30,000 fans watched the original live simulcast in movie theatres across the country. For those who were there, this is a unique chance to relive this landmark show in its entirety. It’s also a great opportunity for those who missed it the first time to experience the magic of Phish at their best. Live In Brooklyn includes all the footage from the simulcast, re-edited in 1081i HD and remixed in 5.1 Surround Sound and uncompressed Stereo PCM audio. This screening is the only scheduled public showing of the release in full HD resolution.

Tickets are $12.50 in advance and will go on sale today, Friday, June 23rd at 5:00 PM EST at http://www.BigScreenConcerts.com as well as individual box offices (there is no service charge when purchased at the box office). This is an all ages event. Taping and use of cameras and videocameras is strictly prohibited. A full list of participating theatres is below.

Screenings will begin at 9:00PM Eastern time, 8:00PM CST, 7:00PM MST, and 6:00PM pm PST. Running time of the screening is approximately 3 1/2 hours, with a brief intermission between sets. There is a no re-entry policy.

Participating theatres are as follows (organized by state):
Birmingham AL – BIRMINGHAM TRUSSVILLE STADIUM 16
Huntsville AL – HOLLYWOOD STADIUM 18
Little Rock AR – BRECKENRIDGE STADIUM 12
Phoenix, AZ – DESERT RIDGE 18*
Scottsdale AZ – SCOTTSDALE PAVILIONS 11
Burbank, CA – BURBANK 16*
Fresno CA – FRESNO STADIUM 22
Alhambra CA – ALHAMBRA RENAISSANCE 14
Irvine, CA – IRVINE SPECTRUM 21
Santa Clara, CA – VALENCIA STADIUM 12
Sacramento, CA – NATOMAS MARKETPLACE STADIUM 16
San Diego, CA – MISSION VALLEY 20*
San Diego, CA MIRA MESA STADIUM 18
San Diego, CA – HORTON PLAZA 14
Dublin, CA – HACIENDA CROSSING GS STADIUM 20
Emeryville, CA – EMERY BAY STADIUM 10
Denver, CO – DENVER PAVILIONS 15
Lakewood, CO – COLORADO MILLS 14
Branford, CT – HARTFORD BRANFORD 12
Wilmington, DE – BRANDYWINE TOWN CENTER
Ft. Myers, FL – BELLTOWER 20
Gainseville, FL – GAINESVILLE CINEMA STADIUM 14
Miami Beach, FL – SOUTH BEACH STADIUM 18
Miami, FL – MOVIES @ THE FALLS 12
Orlando, FL – WATERFORD LAKES STADIUM 20
Tampa, FL – CITRUS PARK STADIUM 20
Tampa, FL – ROYAL PALM BEACH STADIUM 18
West Palm Beach, FL – DISCOVER MALL 18
Athens, GA – BEECHWOOD STADIUM CINEMAS 11
Gainesville, GA – HOLLYWOOD STADIUM CINEMAS
Chamblee, GA – HOLLYWOOD STADIUM 24
Altanta, GA – PERIMETER POINTE 10*
Augusta, GA – EXCHANGE STADIUM 20
Warner Robins, GA – GALLERIA MALL STADIUM CINEMAS
Valdosta, GA – VALDOSTA STADIUM CINEMAS
Boise, ID – BOISE STADIUM 21
Crystal Lake, IL – SHOWPLACE 16
Lincolnshire, IL – LINCOLNSHIRE STADIUM 20
Indianapolis, IN – GALAXY STADIUM 14
Olathe, KS – STUDIO 30- OLATHE STATION
Lexington, KY – HAMBURG PAVILION STADIUM 16
Framingham, MA – FRAMINGHAM 15*
Marlborough, MA – SOLOMON POND 15
Swansea, MA – SWANSEA 12
Abingdon, MD – BEL AIR CINEMA STADIUM 14
Columbia, MD – SNOWDEN SQUARE STADIUM 14
Brunswick, ME – BRUNSWICK 10
Livonia, MI – LIVONIA 2*
Walled Lake, MI – COMMERCE TOWNSHIP STADIUM 14
Eagan, MN – EAGAN STADIUM 16
Minneapolis, MN – BROOKLYN CENTER STADIUM 20
Kansas City, MO – STADIUM 18 CINEMAS*
Hazelwood, MO – MILLS 18
Charlotte, NC – STONECREST AT PIPER GLEN STADIUM 22
Garner, NC – GARNER TOWNE SQUARE 10
North Brunswick, NJ – COMMERCE CENTER STADIUM 18
Albuquerque, NM – COTTONWOOD STADIUM 16
Las Vegas, NV – VILLAGE SQUARE STADIUM 18
Las Vegas, NV – COLONNADE STADIUM 14
Albany, NY – CROSSGATES 18
Buffalo, NY – TRANSIT CENTER STADIUM 18
New Rochelle, NY – CITY STADIUM 18
New York, NY – UNION SQUARE STADIUM 14
Westbury, NY – WESTBURY THEATRE STADIUM 12
Victor, NY – EASTVIEW MALL 13
Syracuse, NY -CAROUSEL 17
Akron, OH – MONTROSE MOVIES STADIUM 12
Cleveland Heights, OH – SEVERANCE TOWN CENTER STADIUM 14
Westlake, OH – CROCKER PARK STADIUM 16
Columbus, OH – GEORGESVILLE SQUARE STADIUM 16
Beavercreek, OH – HOLLYWOOD STADIUM 20 @ FAIRFIELD COMMONS
Bend, OR – OLD MILL STADIUM 10
Portland, OR – LLOYD CENTER 10 CINEMA
Harrisburg, PA – HARRISBURG 14
Bensalem, PA – NESHAMINY MALL 24*
Wattington, PA – WARRINGTON CROSSING STADIUM 22
Philadelphia, PA – RIVERVIEW PLAZA 17
King Of Prussia, PA – KING OF PRUSSIA STADIUM 16
Greenville, SC – HOLLYWOOD STADIUM 20
Chattanooga, TN – HAMILTON PLACE MALL STADIUM 9
Knoxville, TN – WEST TOWN MALL STADIUM 9
Nashville, TN – GREEN HILLS STADIUM 16
Nashville, TN – OPRY MILLS STADIUM 20
Austin, TX – METROPOLITAN STADIUM 14
Dallas, TX – GALAXY THEATRE STADIUM 10
Fort Worth, TX – FOSSIL CREEK STADIUM 11
Houston, TX – WILLOWBROOK 24*
Houston, TX – HOUSTON MARQ*E STADIUM 23
San Antonio, TX – CIELO VISTA STADIUM 18
Norfolk, VA – MACARTHUR CENTER STADIUM 18
Glen Allen, VA – VIRGINIA CENTER STADIUM 20
Danville, VA – DANVILLE STADIUM CINEMAS
Alexandria, VA – HOFFMAN CENTER 22*
Arlington, VA – BALLSTON COMMON STADIUM 12
Fairfax, VA – FAIRFAX TOWNE CENTER 10
Auburn, WA – AUBURN STADIUM 17 THEATRES
Redmond, WA – BELLA BOTEGA STADIUM 11 CINEMA
Spokane, WA – NORTHTOWN MALL STADIUM
Appleton, WI – COLLEGE AVENUE STADIUM 16

* These select theatres will begin their ticket sales on Tuesday AM.

Will Oldham is eyeing a Sept. 19 release for his next Drag City album as Bonnie “Prince” Billy, “The Letting Go.” The set will be preceded July 25 by the single “Cursed Sleep,” which also features album track “God’s Small Song” and the bonus cut “The Signifying Wolf,” which will not appear on “The Letting Go.”

The album was recorded in Iceland with producer Valgier Sigurdsson, best known for his work on recent Bjork projects. Among the contributors are Faun Fables vocalist Dawn McCarthy, guitarist Emmett Kelly, Dirty Three drummer Jim White and Oldham’s brother Paul on bass.

Prior to the album’s release, Oldham is plotting an 11-date tour of free performances at U.S. record stores, beginning Aug. 10 at Milwaukee’s Atomic Records. He is also staging a “paletas social” on July 21 at Nashville’s Grimey’s, where the imported frozen fruit bars will be served in lieu of the usual ice cream.

The artist is also confirmed for two shows on Aug. 5 at New York’s Joe’s Pub alongside 71-year-old singer/songwriter Hazel Dickens.

Here are Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s free performance dates:

Aug. 10: Milwaukee (Atomic Records)
Aug. 11: Madison, Wis. (Madcity Music Exchange)
Aug. 12: Minneapolis (Roadrunner)
Aug. 13: Iowa City, Iowa (Record Collector)
Aug. 14: Lawrence, Kan. (Love Garden)
Aug. 15: St. Louis (Vintage Vinyl)
Aug. 17: Grand Rapids, Mich. (Vertigo)
Aug. 18: Detroit (Stormy Records)
Aug. 19: Toronto (Rotate This)
Aug. 20: Buffalo, N.Y. (New World Record)
Aug. 21: Cleveland (Bent Crayon)

Source billboard.com

The 1980 film starring the Clash, “Rude Boy,” will make its DVD debut Aug. 1 via Epic/Legacy, Billboard.com has learned. The fictional documentary centers around a disillusioned sex shop worker (Ray Gange) who quits his job to roadie for the Clash in 1978. The musical footage was filmed during the band’s Clash on Patrol and Sort It Out tours of the United Kingdom.

The DVD rounds up performances of “English Civil War” and “White Riot” that never made the original film, plus versions of “Clash City Rockers” and “Tommy Gun” recorded on the BBC’s “Something Else” show.

Other special features include interviews with Gange, filmmakers Jack Hazan and David Mingay and Clash road manager Johnny Green, four deleted scenes, the original theatrical trailer and a photo gallery.

As previously reported, director Julian Temple is at work on a documentary about late Clash vocalist/guitarist Joe Strummer, which will be “narrated” by Strummer via scores of interviews and archival recordings.

Source billboard.com.

The Everyone Orchestra, an interactive improvisational experience known for its

Ministry Of Sound proudly presents Sessions – Mark Farina

Grant Lee Phillips will be previewing his latest US tour with a kick-off show at Hollywood’s Largo on Wednesday, June 28 to celebrate the release of his much-anticipated new album,

Iron Maiden will release their new studio album, ‘A Matter Of Live And Death’, on September 5th on Sanctuary Records.

The band started writing songs at the end of 2005 after a short break from their hugely successful festival appearances in Europe and the USA. The songs were completed and rehearsed when the band got together after Christmas to work with producer Kevin ‘Caveman’ Shirley at Sarm West Studios in London to start work on recording the backing tracks.

Kevin Shirley has now co-produced three of the bands studio albums, alongside Steve Harris, as well as two of their recent Live DVD’s and albums. Says Kevin, “The Beast is back!”

He continues, “I feel from the outset we all clicked on this one. We spent two months in the studio – from Nicko’s “tubs up” to final mixes and sequenced master. That’s a tiny gestation period for an album. Producing Iron Maiden is like driving one of those mammoth automatons from Star Wars. There’s nothing that can stop it!”

“I feel incredibly privileged to have been around to see this album born and breathe life. There have been only a couple of occasions in my career when the entire process of recording felt so complete – and it is on display here.”

As on previous projects, all of the tracks were performed live and together in one room. No click tracks, computer tightening or manipulation has happened at any stage of the recording ‘A Matter Of Life And Death’.

Says Steve Harris,” I think in many ways this has been the easiest album, in terms of recording, that we’ve ever done. The whole process of writing through to recording was very natural. I also think in terms of the material, we’ve pushed our boundaries yet again, which I think will please our fans, but also really surprise a lot of people as well. The sound we’ve managed to get is very powerful for a Maiden record and all of us have pushed ourselves in our own ways to create something that we’re all immensely proud of. I think working as quickly as we did with Kevin was part of that process. We simply can’t wait to take this out on the road. We’ve played some great shows and had a lot fun introducing some of our older songs to a new generation of fans. However for us, personally, we’re incredibly excited about getting out and performing these new tracks.”

Says Bruce Dickinson, “This album has to be our best one since we began working with Kevin. There is such a wide scope of musicianship, and in parts this album is truly epic. I thought with the likes of Paschendale, from the last studio album, that we could only hope to surpass that. Having now heard the album back, as well as sitting with a few select people and hearing their reactions, I truly believe we have managed it. Every one of us has put everything into this record and it has really paid off. We’ve had such fun making it that it’s almost difficult to believe what we’ve managed to achieve in the time it took.”

This summer, Mickey Hart will keep busy with projects new and old. On July 5th, Mickey will play a special one time only set at Milwaukee’s Summerfest billed as ‘Mickey Hart & Friends’ which will include special guests from Particle & The Mutaytor. He’ll also be participating in a special drumming presentation at The Kipaulu Center for the Arts in the Berkshires in mid July. After reforming at this years Jammys, The ‘Rhythm Devils’ with Mickey Hart & Bill Kreutzmann are returning to the road this August with a special appearance at The Gathering of the Vibes. In September, Mickey will reunite with longtime friend and collaborator Zakir Hussain for a 10 day run of west coast Planet Drum dates. Planet Drum will also feature original members Sikiru Adepoju and Giovanni Hidalgo among others.

For more information visit mickeyhart.net

If the fifth annual Bonnaroo initially raised eyebrows for booking Tom Petty and Radiohead, two mainstage headliners that have nothing to do with the current jam scene, the festival returned to its roots last night (June 18) during a set from ex-Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh and his latest group of musical Friends.

Flanked by celebrated guitarists John Scofield and Larry Campbell and chart-topper turned earthy soul sister Joan Osborne, Lesh (who closed out the very first Bonnaroo in 2002) and company opened Bonnaroo 5.0’s swan song with an epic rendering of the Dead favorite “Uncle John’s Band” before spilling into “Fire on the Mountain” and an Osborne-sung take on Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower.”

Fueled by incendiary wailing on both guitar and keys, courtesy of frequent collaborator Rob Barraco, Phil & Friends returned after a break with the later-era Dead swinger “Shakedown Street” and ran through a soulful reading of the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter,” before closing out the event with Lesh’s signature Dead tune, “Box of Rain.”

Appropriately, Lesh’s set was the only to be rained on this year, a rarity for the young, successful festival. In years past, Bonnaroo has been pummeled with showers that delayed sets and turned the Manchester, Tenn., farm into a mud pit. While baked in the sticky heat, this year’s sold-out throng of 80,000 escaped without the hassles of years past. Instead, the biggest problem for the audience was picking which bands to watch.

It was a sentiment echoed even by the Roo’s major league talent. “There’s so many great bands, you can’t see them all,” Bonnie Raitt said from the stage yesterday, before sending out a cover of John Prine’s “Angel of Montgomey” to Steve Earle, who was performing in a tent a couple hundred yards away.

The larger lineup made the beautiful collisions of sounds that mark Bonnaroo all the more eclectic. At one point yesterday, singer/songwriter Andrew Bird plucked a mandolin on the Sonic Stage as jam newcomers Brothers Past, Colonel Bruce Hampton and the Codetalkers, former Soul Coughing frontman Mike Doughty and his band and Americana royalty Shooter Jennings rocked in the distance.

Later, while Hasidic reggae phenom Matisyahu and jam giants moe. split the majority of the audience between the two main stages, British MC the Streets (aka Mike Skinner), Son Volt and Stephen Malkmus filled the tents.

In a nod to Father’s Day, Matisyahu took the opportunity to bring out his 10-month-old son during a set that reflected the heights he’s soared since his pivotal performance at last year’s Bonnaroo. Thousands swarmed the performance, during which he scaled speaker cabinets and ignited devoted fans and curious newcomers alike.

The Refugee Allstars of Sierra Leone, a recent signing to the Anti- label, injected the bill with an international flair, sending scores dancing with a gleeful, soul-stirring mix of Afro-pop, dance and group harmonies. Comprised of Sierra Leonean musicians who fled the country to the West African nation of Guinea during a rebel war in 1999, the group’s members rotated lead vocals and solo dancing duties, leaving the crowd wanting more.

During a hit-laced set (“Thing Called Love,” “Something To Talk About”), Raitt offered up guest turns from Jerry Douglas and Jon Cleary. Across the great field, the jam world collided with New York noise, as Sonic Youth was greeted like a rock god. In a set dominated by material from its brand-new “Rather Ripped,” the group also dusted off “Pattern Recognition” and “100%.” Stephen Malkmus joined the group for an encore performance of “Expressway to Yr. Skull,” reuniting with his former Pavement bandmate Mark Ibold, who is now touring as Sonic Youth’s bassist.

As fans made their way through the Centeroo shopping and food court area, music was all around them: from the Grammy-decorated sounds of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones and jazzy jammers Soulive to the obscure hip-hop troupe Atmosphere and up-and-coming rock acts Be Your Own Pet and Deadboy and the Elephantman. Comedian Lewis Black made encore performances with others in the comedy tent, while the NBA Finals and “Star Wars: Episode III” played in smaller, chillout tents.

Source billboard.com.

The glacial pace of Portishead’s third album appearsto be moving a bit quicker. Group member Geoff Barrow wrote last week on the group’s Myspace.com page that its new tracks “are in a right mess but sounding like [an] album for the first time in years.” He added, “It [is] nice to think us old gits have a few tunes in us without sounding like coffee table Zero 7 / Moby chill out sh*t!!”

Portishead has not released a studio album since a self-titled 1997 effort. In the time since, vocalist Beth Gibbons released a 2002 collobration with Rustin Man, “Out of Season.”

Source billboard.com.

At 28 songs, Radiohead’s set was the longest of their brief North American tour, during which the critically adored Brits have been testing out new songs in the mix for their next album. On this night, these included the raucous guitar jam “Bodysnatchers,” the “OK Computer”-era outtake “Nude” and the danceable “15 Step.”

But day two’s mightiest jam came after midnight, when one-half of Phish reunited during the annual Super Jam. Previewing their summer tour, singer/vocalist Trey Anastasio and bassman Mike Gordon teamed with the Benevento/Russo Duo and the Grateful Dead’s Phil Lesh for the Dead’s “Casey Jones” and the oft-covered “Going Down the Road Feeling Bad.”

For full coverage, see: jadedinsider.com and Billboard.com

The annual, sun-drenched music-marathon that is the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival kicked off its fifth year yesterday (June 16) with more than 14 hours of music that began with the resurrected folk-rock of World Party and finally lurched to a halt early this morning with the conclusion to a jam band face-off featuring Umphrey’s McGee and the Disco Biscuits.

Indeed, if in its first fours years, the festival (sold-out this year at 80,000 people) has been known primarily as a jam-band event, last night’s bill should do well to help redefine the event, as Bonnaroo’s behemoth main stage featured not only one, but two classic rock icons: Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks.

Bonnaroo favorites My Morning Jacket ushered in the midnight hour with squalls of Crazy Horse-worthy fury. The quintet delivered a more than three-hour set that sported a guest turn from friend and singer Andrew Bird for an epic take on another classic rock moment, “It Makes No Difference” by the Band. MMJ recently recorded the track for an upcoming Band tribute album at singer/drummer Levon Helm’s barn studio in Woodstock, N.Y.

For an extensive day 1 recap, see: jadedinsider.com and Billboard.com

Tom Petty has settled on the track list for “Highway Companion,” his first solo album since 1994’s Rick Rubin-produced “Wildflowers.” Fittingly, the set is due July 25 on Rubin’s American Recordings imprint via Warner Bros.

First single “Saving Grace” can be streamed from Petty’s Web site and will be available July 4 via digital download retailers.

Source: billboard

Rappers have long proclaimed their love for Cristal, frequently mentioning the high-end champagne in songs and popping the corks of the clear, gold-labeled bottles in music videos and at nightclubs.

But the makers of Cristal don’t seem to feel the same way about hip-hop

Shock jocks Opie and Anthony are spearheading the Opie & Anthony Traveling Virus — The Comedy Event of the Year! tour, a multi-act, festival style comedy outing.

Three dates for the traveling comedy festival have been announced so far: Aug. 5 in Worcester, Mass., at the DCU Center featuring Bob Saget, Jim Norton, Bill Burr, Patrice O’Neal, Rich Vos, Tracy Morgan and Ralphie May; Aug. 26 in Holmdel, N.J. at the PNC Bank Arts Center featuring Carlos Mencia, Bob Saget, Jim Norton, Bob Kelly, Bill Burr, Patrice O’Neal, Rich Vos and Tracy Morgan and Sept. 9 in Camden, N.J., at the Tweeter Center featuring Bob Saget, Jimmy Shubert, Jim Norton, Dom Irrera, Bob Kelly, Bill Burr, Ralphie May, Patrice O’Neal, Rich Vos and Tracy Morgan.

The syndicated jocks’ flagship station is 92.3 Free FM in New York, where they broadcast from Howard Stern’s old studios.

Source billboard.com.

M. Ward will be touring 24 of the 30 days in September in support of his new album, “Post-War” (Merge). Nuemo in Seattle will play host to the first date on Sept. 1. Ward will be joined by violist Amanda Lawrence and percussionists Rachel Blumberg and Jordan Hudson on the road.

The latter two toured with him during his stint with the White Stripes last year and, as previously reported, appear on the record alongside guests like Mike Coykendall, Neko Case and Jim James. “Post-War” will be released Aug. 22.

Here are M. Ward’s tour dates:

Sept. 1: Seattle (Nuemo’s)
Sept. 2: Vancouver (Plaza Club)
Sept. 5: Minneapolis (Varsity Theatre)
Sept. 6: Omaha, Neb. (Scottish Rites Hall)
Sept. 7: Milwaukee (Pabst Theatre)
Sept. 8: Chicago (Metro)
Sept. 9: Columbus, Ohio (Little Brother’s)
Sept. 11: Toronto (Mod Club)
Sept. 12: Montreal (La Sala Rossa)
Sept. 14: New York (Webster Hall)
Sept. 15: Alexandria, Va. (Birchmere)
Sept. 16: Philadelphia (Theatre of Living Arts)
Sept. 17: Somerville, Mass. (Somerville Theater)
Sept. 18: Charlottesville, Va. (Satellite Ballroom)
Sept. 19: Carrboro, N.C. (Cat’s Cradle)
Sept. 20: Nashville (Belcourt Theatre)
Sept. 22: Denton, Texas (Haileys)
Sept. 23: Austin, Texas (The Parish)
Sept. 25: Tucson, Ariz. (Rialto Theatre)
Sept. 26: Tempe, Ariz. (The Clubhouse)
Sept. 27: San Diego (San Diego Woman’s Club)
Sept. 28: Los Angeles (Henry Fonda Theatre)
Sept. 29: San Francisco (Fillmore)
Sept. 30: Portland, Ore. (Aladdin Theatre)

Source billboard.com.

Muse is heading out on the road in support of their new album “Black Holes and Revelations.” Here are the U.S. cities they are hitting in Jul/Aug:

18-Jul San Francisco The Concourse
19-Jul Los Angeles Greek Theatre
21-Jul San Diego Soma
22-Jul Phoenix Celebrity Theatre
24-Jul Denver Fillmore
26-Jul Minneapolis State Theatre
27-Jul Chicago Aragon Ballroom
28-Jul Detroit State Theatre
30-Jul Toronto Docks Concert Hall
31-Jul Montreal Cartier Pier
2-Aug Boston Bank Of America Pavilion
3-Aug New York Hammerstein Ballroom
4-Aug Philadelphia Electric Factory
6-Aug Atlanta Tabernacle

Grunion Records is excited to announce that Rainer Maria will be joining The Format on tour, in support of their current album, “Catastrophe Keeps Us Together”, which The New York Times called “Glorious…their most exuberant, most youthful-sounding album.” The 36-date tour (which includes a performance at Lollapalooza) will kickoff at Phoenix’s Celebrity Theatre on July 14th, and will end September 1st at San Diego’s Soma Side Stage.

“Catastrophe”, the fifth studio album from this Midwestern-turned-New York 3-piece, is a startling leap forward, as vocalist/ bassist Caithlin De Marrais, guitarist Kyle Fischer and drummer William Kuehn were able to take their time writing and recording the music after extensive touring in 2003. Brimming with tightly structured songs, deep atmosphere and contagious melodies, “Catastrophe” shows Rainer Maria maturing and challenging themselves as they focus their expression without losing the signature edge that has gained them a huge following over the years. The Grammy Award-winning Malcolm Burn, who has worked with the likes of Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, Iggy Pop and Emmylou Harris, produced all but the two songs that were produced by Peter Katis (Interpol, Tiger Lou).

Since its April release, “Catastrophe Keeps Us Together” has been receiving great praise from the press. Paste wrote, “brightly chiming and tensely foreboding in equal measure, [Rainer Maria] has never sounded more poised for a breakthrough than it does on ‘Catastrophe Keeps Us Together’,” while Performing Songwriter called “Catastrophe” “their most evolved record” and added that it “rocks without trying too hard. It’s intelligent without being pompous, and light on its feet without being lightweight.” Bust called the album “mature, self-aware, and delicious” and Teen Vogue declared that “Caithlin De Marrais waxes poetic on the trials of love with gorgeous conviction.”

Rainer Maria also just released a video for first single “Catastrophe”. The band worked with David Ahuja, who has directed several of Rainer’s past videos, as well as director Clare Carre’, who most recently worked with Antony and the Johnsons.

Rainer Maria’s dates with The Format are as follows:

July 14: Phoenix, AZ: Celebrity Theatre
July 15: Tucson, AZ: Rialto Theatre
July 16: Flagstaff, AZ: The Orpheum
July 18: Dallas, TX: Gypsy Ballroom
July 19: San Antonio, TX: White Rabbit
July 20: Houston, TX: Numbers
July 21: Austin, TX: The Parish
July 22: Little Rock, AR: Juantias
July 23: Nashville, TN: Exit/In
July 25: St. Petersburg, FL: State Theatre
July 26: Ft. Lauderdale, FL: The Culture Room
July 27: Lake Buena Vista, FL: House of Blues
July 28: Jacksonville, FL: Fuel Coffeehouse
August 5: Chicago, IL: Lollapalooza (not with The Format)
August 6: Rochester, NY: Water St. Music Hall
August 8: S. Burlington, VT: Higher Ground
August 9: Providence, RI: The Living Room
August 10: Boston, MA: Axis
August 11: Hartford, CT: Webster Theatre
August 12: New York, NY: Irving Plaza
August 13: Asbury Park, NJ: Stone Pony
August 15: Philadelphia, PA: Theatre of Living Arts
August 16: Cleveland, OH: Agora Ballroom
August 17: Detroit, MI: St Andrews Hall
August 18: Chicago, IL: Metro
August 19: St. Louis, MO: Mississippi Nights
August 20: Oklahoma City, OK: Diamond Ballroom
August 22: Denver, CO: Cervantes
August 23: Salt Lake City, UT: In The Venue
August 25: Seattle, WA: El Corazon
August 26: Portland, OR: Loveland
August 27: Orangevale, CA: Boardwalk
August 28: San Francisco, CA: Slims
August 29: Anaheim, CA: House of Blues
August 31: Los Angeles, CA: Avalon
September 1: San Diego, CA: Soma Side

At the conclusion of last night’s moe. show in Central Park, it was confirmed from the stage that the band would hold it’s New Years Eve concert at Radio City Music Hall. It is the first time moe. has celebrated the year end in New York City since 1996.

Also as a nod to the “bigger” show playing across town at the same time, moe. performed Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android.” Both acts will appear at this weekend’s Bonnaroo festival in Tennesee.