News

Prodigious British rock band GOMEZ will kick off a two-month North American tour on May 3, one day after their new album HOW WE OPERATE hits U.S. stores. The tour will comprise two legs: the first, running through May 27, will hit Southeast, Midwest and West Coast markets including Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and San Francisco; the second, planned to start in mid June after a U.K. tour, will find Gomez visiting the East Coast and additional Midwest cities. In addition to headline dates in theaters and large club venues, Gomez will perform at several U.S. music festivals, including the Beale Street Music Festival in Memphis; Sasquatch! in George, Washington; and the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Tennessee. See below for a complete list of confirmed tour dates.

Gomez’s recent sold-out promo tour earned great reviews and captivated audiences who were treated to a sampling of new material from their forthcoming album HOW WE OPERATE. After a full-band performance at SXSW, the group’s three principal songwriters — Ben Ottewell, Ian Ball and Tom Gray — embarked for the first time as a trio, performing in select markets and making stops at key radio stations including KEXP in Seattle, WFUV in New York and the syndicated radio program E-Town in Boulder, CO. In addition, the band performed a special four-song acoustic set for A&E’s “Breakfast with the Arts,” which will air nationally in May.

HOW WE OPERATE, Gomez’s fifth studio album, will be released on May 2; it’s their first studio release via ATO Records (following last year’s live album Out West). Working with producer Gil Norton (Pixies, Foo Fighters), the members of Gomez took a different approach to recording than on previous albums. Focusing on pre-production work, the band created their most cohesive and accessible collection of songs feature yet, including the powerhouse title track “How We Operate,” the uplifting gem “See The World,” and the playfully longing “girlshapedlovedrug.”

GOMEZ
U.S. TOUR DATES 2006

May 3 – Asheville NC – The Orange Peel

May 4 – Atlanta GA – Variety Playhouse

May 5 – New Orleans LA – Tipitina’s Uptown

May 6 – Memphis TN – Beale Street Music Festival

May 8 – Cincinnati OH – Bogart’s Front Room

May 10 – Pontiac MI – Clutch Cargo’s

May 11 – Chicago IL – Vic Theatre

May 12 – Minneapolis MN – The Quest

May 13 – Omaha NE – Sokol Underground

May 15 – Kansas City MO – Grand Emporium

May 16 – Boulder CO – Fox Theater

May 20 – San Diego CA – House Of Blues

May 23 – Hollywood CA – Avalon

May 24 – San Francisco CA – The Fillmore

May 26 – Portland OR – Wonder Ballroom

May 27 – George WA – Sasquatch! Festival

Announced today, Suge Knight is filing for bankruptcy to save Death Row Records. He

Classic rock outfit the James Gang will tour for the first time in 35 years this summer. Original members Joe Walsh, Jimmy Fox and Dale Peters are on board for the trek, which will kick off Aug. 9 at Colorado’s famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

Best known for the riff-heavy single “Funk #49,” the James Gang formed in Cleveland in 1966 and released three albums before Walsh departed in 1971, ultimately joining the Eagles. His slot was filled by various guitarists until the James Gang’s 1976 split.

In recent years, the band has played a few one-off shows, including a 1996 election rally for U.S. president Bill Clinton.

Here are the James Gang’s tour dates:

Aug. 9: Morrison, Colo. (Red Rocks)
Aug. 10: Sturgis, S.D. (Buffalo Chip Campground)

Aug. 15: Clarkston, Mich. (DTE Energy Amphitheatre)
Aug. 16: Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio (Blossom Music Center)
Aug. 18: Atlantic City, N.J. (Borgata)
Aug. 19: New York (Beacon Theatre)
Aug. 22: Westbury, N.Y. (Westbury Music Fair)
Aug. 24: Atlanta (Chastain Park)
Aug. 26: Boca Raton, Fla. (Mizner Amphitheatre)
Aug. 27: Tampa, Fla. (Ruth Eckerd Hall)
Aug. 30: Dallas (Nokia Live)
Sept. 6: Los Angeles (Gibson Amphitheatre)
Sept. 8: Saratoga, Calif. (Mountain Winery)
Sept. 9: San Diego (Concerts in the Park)

Source billboard.com.

Pearl Jam, Franz Ferdinand and Muse will headline this summer’s Reading and Leeds Festivals in England, which will be held Aug. 25-27. Pearl Jam will headline Leeds on Aug. 25 and Reading on Aug. 27, while Franz Ferdinand will lead the bill at Reading on Aug. 25 and Leeds the following day. Muse is set to perform Aug. 26 in Reading and the next evening in Leeds.

Tickets for the festival go on sale tonight (April 3). Other acts set to appear include Audioslave, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, My Chemical Romance, Belle & Sebastian, the Raconteurs, Primal Scream, Maximo Park, the Futureheads, the Streets, Arctic Monkeys, Placebo, Kaiser Chiefs and Feeder.

Source: billboard

Bruce Springsteen has announced European concert dates in conjunction with the release of We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions.
The 10 arena shows commence May 5 in Dublin, Ireland, and run through May 21 in Stockholm, Sweden. The other tour stops are Manchester, London, Paris, Milan, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Oslo.
The tour follows the performing debut of Springsteen with The Seeger Sessions Band at New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on April 30.
Each night, an all new evening of gospel, folk, and blues will be presented by Springsteen with his 17-member Seeger Sessions Band.
In addition to The Boss on vocals, guitar and harmonica, the European tour dates comprise the following lineup: Sam Bardfeld (violin), Art Baron (tuba), Frank Bruno (guitar), Jeremy Chatzky (upright bass), Larry Eagle (drums), Clark Gayton (trombone), Charles Giordano (accordion, keyboards), Curtis King (vocals), Greg Liszt (banjo), Lisa Lowell (vocals), Eddie Manion (sax), Cindy Mizell (vocals), Curt Ramm (trumpet), Marty Rifkin (pedal steel guitar), Patti Scialfa (vocals), Mark Thompson (vocals) and Soozie Tyrell (violin).
We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions will be released by Columbia Records as a DualDisc or CD/DVD in some territories on April 25 (April 24 in Europe), In addition, the DualDisc package will contain two bonus tracks and a special booklet including a note from Springsteen.
The album features his personal interpretations of thirteen traditional songs, all of them associated with American folk music icon Pete Seeger.

Source pollstar.com.

The train wreck known as Roth Radio sank to a new low Tuesday (April 4) when David Lee Roth, in an act of defiance, resorted to reading the comics on the air.

Reeling from an apparent management directive to read and comment on the news, the embattled talk show host wannabee was audibly taken off his mark by a listener phone call. ‘Your show is garbage, bring back J.V. & Elvis,’ the caller said, referring to the WFNY (Free FM) New York midday team who subbed two days last week for Roth after he went AWOL during what was supposed to be a week

Organizers have announced that the 11th Annual Gathering of the Vibes is on for August 17, 18, 19 and 20, 200. “Once again, our friends at the Indian Lookout County Club have welcomed us back and we’re pleased to accept their invitation. This year we’ll be opening the gates on Thursday, for those that would like to get a head start with an early-bird arrival.”

The initial line-up includes

Bob Weir and Ratdog
Yonder Mountain String Band
Hot Tuna
Burning Spear
Keller Williams
Assembly of Dust
Deep Banana Blackout
North Mississippi Allstars
Strangefolk
The Ryan Montbleau Band
Tea Leaf Green
Scarecrow Collection
The Zen Tricksters w. Donna Jean Godchaux
UMelt
Papa Mali
The Everyone Orchestra
David Gans
Juggling Suns
Chuch
Rafterbats
King for a Day

For more info see: gatheringofthevibes.com

Just weeks after wrapping a U.S. run, Scottish instrumental group Mogwai has added a new round of North American shows along with festival dates in Europe.

The band, which just released its fifth album, Mr. Beast, played two weeks’ worth of shows in early March and is currently touring the U.K.
After a mid-April trek through France, the group will land at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in Indio, Calif., April 30. They’ll then spend the month of May making their way across the continent, hitting Canada for three shows and wrapping in San Francisco May 27.

In late June, Mogwai is confirmed for the Rock Werchter Festival in Belgium, followed by Germany’s Haldern Open Air Festival in August and a Royal Albert Hall show in London September 22.

Source: pollstar

Singer/songwriter Glen Phillips will reunite with his former Toad the Wet Sprocket bandmates for the first time in several years while touring in support of his fourth solo release, “Mr. Lemons.” The album is due May 2 via Umami/bigHelium Records.

Phillips’ four-month tour begins May 4 at Higher Ground in Burlington, Vt. The first 16 shows will feature him in a solo acoustic setting, to be followed by a series of acoustic shows that will boast both solo and Toad The Wet Sprocket sets. In August, Big Head Todd & the Monsters will join Toad and Phillips for four West Coast shows.

“I’m excited to see what the year has to offer,” Phillips tells Billboard.com. “I have so many projects going on and I’m loving all of them. It’s been a while since Toad has played together, and it’s going to be fun to play a big dose of the old songs along with a big dose of the new in the same night.”

Here are Phillips/Toad The Wet Sprocket tour dates:

May 4: Burlington, Vt. (Higher Ground; Phillips solo)
May 5: New Market, N.H. (Stone Church; Phillips solo

May 6: Somerville, Mass. (Somerville Theatre; Phillips solo)
May 7: Portland, Maine (Asylum; Phillips solo)
May 9: Annapolis, Md. (Ram’s Head; Phillips solo)
May 10: Philadelphia (World Cafe; Phillips solo)
May 11: Alexandria, Va. (Birchmere; Phillips solo)
May 12: New York (Canal Room; Phillips solo)
May 13: Bayshore, N.Y. (Boulton Center; Phillips solo)
May 14: Charleston, W. Va. (Mountain Stage; Phillips solo)
May 15: Pittsburgh (Club Cafe; Phillips solo)
May 17: Ann Arbor, Mich. (the Ark; Phillips solo)
May 18: Newport, Ky. (Southgate House; Phillips solo)
May 19: St. Louis (Duck Room; Phillips solo)
May 20-21: Chicago (Schuba’s; Phillips solo)
June 2: Baltimore (Ram’s Head; Phillips/Toad)
June 3: Elmer, N.J. (Appel Farm; Phillips/Toad)
June 4: Sayerville, N.J. (Starland Ballroom; Phillips/Toad)
June 6: San Francisco (Great American Music Hall; Phillips solo)
June 7: Seattle (Triple Door; Phillips solo)
June 8: Portland, Ore. (Aladdin Theatre; Phillips solo)
June 15: Indianapolis (Vogue; Phillips/Toad)
June 16: Madison, Wis. (Majestic Theatre; Phillips/Toad)
June 17: Apple Valley, Minn. (Minnesota Zoo; Phillips/Toad)
June 18: Chicago (Toast of Randolph Street; Phillips/Toad)
June 27: Exton, Pa. (Concert in the Square; Phillips solo)
June 28: New York (Madison Square Park; Phillips solo)
June 29: Northampton, Mass. (Iron Horse; Phillips solo)
June 30: Shirley, Mass. (Bull Run; Phillips solo)
Aug. 11: Veneta, Ore. (Secret House Vineyard; Phillips/Toad/Big Head Todd)
Aug. 13: Arlington, Wash. (River Meadows Park; Phillips/Toad/Big Head Todd)
Aug. 16: Saratoga, Calif. (Mountain Winery; Phillips/Toad/Big Head Todd)
Aug. 23: San Diego (Humphrey’s; Phillips/Toad/Big Head Todd)

Source billboard.com.

Fresh from a sold-out nationwide run with The Academy Is…, PANIC! AT THE DISCO have announced their first US headlining tour. The two-month string of dates, which kicks off June 6 in Tucson, AZ, will also feature the Dresden Dolls and the Hush Sound. Ok Go will support on select dates. Presale begins Wednesday, April 5th, with most dates going on sale next weekend. More dates to be announced soon. Check panicatthedisco.com for updates and presale information.

Confirmed Panic! At the Disco headlining tour dates:

June 06 – Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theater
June 07 – Phoenix, AZ – Marque Theater
June 13 – Las Vegas, NV – Joint
June 14 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater
June 15 – Oaklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom
June 16 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live
June 17 – Dallas, TX – Gypsy Ballroom
June 18 – Austin, TX – La Zona Rosa
June 20 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle
June 21 – Tampa, FL – Janus Landing
June 22 – Miami, FL – Revolution
June 23 – Orlando, FL – House of Blues
June 24 – Myrtle Beach, NC – House of Blues
June 25 – Norfolk, VA – The Norva
June 27 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
July 01 – Philadelphia, PA – TBA
July 02 – Boston, MA – Avalon
July 04 – Hampton Beach, NY – Hampton Beach Casino
July 05 – Niagara Falls, NY – The Dome
July 06 – Columbus, OH – Promowest Pavilion
July 07 – Milwaukee, WI – Summerfest
July 09 – St. Paul, MN – Myth
July 11 – Cincinnatti, OH – Bogart’s
July 12 – Cleveland, OH – Plain Dealer Pavilion
July 13 – Grand Rapids, MI – Orbit Room
July 14 – Detroit, MI – State Theater
July 15 – Toronto, ON – The Docks
July 16 – Montreal, QU – Metropolis
July 18 – Pittsburgh, PA – Club Zoo
July 19 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Ballroom
July 20 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant
July 21 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater
July 22 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium
July 24 – Salt Lake City, UT – In The Venue
July 25 – Boise, ID – Big Easy
July 26 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom
July 27 – Vancouver, CAN – Croatian Cultural Center
July 28 – Seattle, WA – The Premier
August 4 – Chicago, IL – Lollapalooza

Sufjan Stevens has taken home the first New Pantheon Award for his 2005 album, “Illinois.” Stevens beat out nine other finalists for the $5,000 prize, which aims 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.

In lieu of an actual ceremony, the winner was revealed on the New Pantheon Web site this morning (March 31). The honor was originally scheduled to be presented Feb. 6 in Los Angeles but was then bumped to a March date that never materialized due to unexplained “logistical reasons.”

Stevens was chosen by a panel of nominators that included Dave Matthews, Beck, Ric Ocasek, Elton John, Garbage’s Shirley Manson and Keith Urban.

Source billboard.com.

The Seventh Annual moe.down will be held September 1-3 at the Snow Ridge Ski area in Turin, NY. moe.down is an annual party for moe. and its fans. The band will perform a total of six sets throughout the weekend.

Early Bird Tickets go on sale Saturday, April 1 for $80 at moe.ticketing. There are a limited number of Early Bird Tickets. They will be on sale until they run out or June 1st, whichever comes first. A limited number of tickets will then be $95 until they are sold out or until August 12th. Tickets after that be $110. For up-to-the-minute information, please visit moe.org.

Past moe.down performers include Flaming Lips, They Might Be Giants, Matisyahu, MMW, Ani DiFranco, Blues Traveler, Leo Kottke, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Nellie McKay, Cracker Van Beethoven, David Grisman, and Les Claypool.

The moe.down promises three days of music, camping and fun at the Snow Ridge Ski Area in Turin, NY. The site is about an hour northeast of Syracuse, at the edge of the beautiful Adirondack Mountains. Ski lifts will be open, so bring your mountain bikes!

Five years of waiting will finally come to an end for fans as Boise, Idaho band Built to Spill will release their already critically hailed You In Reverse out April 11, 2006. The national tour that was supposed to coincide with release is postponed due to emergency surgery. Doug Martsch suffered a detached retina and as a result is restricted to ample rest. The band has now released a line of re-scheduled dates for the summer.

NEW tour dates are as follows:

06-09 Calgary, Alberta – MacEwan Ballroom (small room)
06-10 Edmonton, Alberta – Red’s
06-12 Vancouver, British Columbia – Commodore Ballroom
06-13 Seattle, WA – The Showbox
06-14 Seattle, WA – The Showbox
06-15 Seattle, WA – The Showbox
06-16 Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom
06-17 Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom
06-18 Bend, OR – Domino Room
06-19 Eugene, OR – WOW Hall
06-21 San Francisco, CA – Slim’s
06-22 San Francisco, CA – Slim’s
06-23 San Francisco, CA – Slim’s
06-24 San Francisco, CA – Slim’s
06-27 San Diego, CA – House of Blues
06-28 Los Angeles, CA – The Troubadour
06-29 Los Angeles, CA – The Troubadour
06-30 Los Angeles, CA – The Troubadour
07-01 Los Angeles, CA – The Troubadour
07-07 Tempe, AZ – TBA
07-08 Albuquerque, NM – Launch Pad
07-10 Boulder, CO – Fox Theatre
07-11 Boulder, CO – Fox Theatre
07-12 Salt Lake City, UT – TBA
08-05 Chicago, IL – Grant Park (Lollapalooza)
09-12 Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
09-13 Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
09-14 Madison, WI – Barrymore Theatre
09-15 Chicago, IL – Metro
09-16 Chicago, IL – Metro
09-17 St. Louis, MO – Mississippi Nights
09-18 Columbia, MO – The Blue Note
09-20 Lawrence, KS – The Bottleneck
09-21 Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom
09-22 Little Rock, AR – Vino’s
09-23 Memphis, TN – Young Avenue Deli
09-24 Nashville, TN – City Hall
09-26 Indianapolis, IN – The Vogue
09-27 Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall
09-28 Detroit, MI – St. Andrew’s Hall
09-29 Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Smalls
09-30 Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom
10-01 Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
10-02 Boston, MA – The Roxy
10-04 New York, NY – Irving Plaza
10-05 New York, NY – Irving Plaza
10-06 New York, NY – Irving Plaza
10-07 Philadelphia, PA – Trocadero
10-08 Philadelphia, PA – Trocadero
10-09 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
10-10 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
10-11 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
10-12 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
10-13 Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
10-14 Athens, GA – 40 Watt Club
10-15 Birmingham, AL – Zydeco
10-17 New Orleans, LA – TBA
10-18 Houston, TX – Warehouse Live
10-19 Dallas, TX – Gypsy Tea Room
10-20 Austin, TX – Stubb’s
10-21 Lubbock, TX – Jake’s Backroom

Originally expected this summer, the third album from indie rock darlings the Shins is now penciled in for an October release via Sub Pop. The as-yet-untitled album is the follow-up to 2003’s “Chutes Too Narrow,” which has sold nearly 379,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Recording got underway last September with producer Phil Ek in Seattle, but the project is being finished up in frontman James Mercer’s Portland, Ore.-based studio. “It seems to be not very effective for me to try and write new material out on tour,” Mercer told Billboard.com in 2004. “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 hope to have the album completely finished by the time they return to live duty with a May 17-18 stand at the Koko Theatre in London. The other U.K. shows will follow, including a May 21 appearance at the All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival.

For now, the group’s North American plans are limited to the Sasquatch! festival (May 27) in George, Wash., and Lollapalooza (Aug. 6) in Chicago, plus a July 6 gig at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl with Belle & Sebastian.

Source billboard.com.

The Slip show in Madison, Wisconsin will be webcast LIVE (streaming audio only) on March 31st. The show will start at roughly 9:30pm (Central time). Users will need either iTunes, foobar, RealPlayer or Winamp to listen. You can join the stream up to an hour before the showtime.

click to stream: tapers.org:9993/listen.pls

In addition to the previous dates announced earlier this spring, as well as the 7th Annual moe.down to close out the summer, moe. has recently added more shows, including a week of shows with Umphrey’s McGee finalized and more east coast dates.

5/26 – 5/28 – Summer Camp 2006, Chillicothe, IL

5/30 – Simon Estes Amphitheatre, Des Moines, IA

6/1 – River Park Amphitheatre, Tulsa, OK

6/2 – Westport, Kansas City, MO

6/3 – Red Rocks Ampitheatre, Morrison, CO

6/7 – Saranac Brewery, Utica, NY

6/8 – Bank of America Pavilion, Boston, MA

6/9 – Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing, Philadelphia, PA

6/10 – Wolf Trap, Vienna, VA

6/11 – Three Rivers Arts Festival, Pittsburgh, PA

6/14 – Innsbrook Pavilion, Glen Allen, VA

6/15 – House of Blues, N. Myrtle Beach, SC

6/16 – House of Blues, Lake Buena Vista, FL

6/16 – 6/18 – 2006 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Manchester, TN

9/1-3 – moe.down 7, Turin, NY

As tipped yesterday (March 28) on Billboard’s Jaded Insider blog, Replacements members Paul Westerberg, Tommy Stinson and Chris Mars have reunited to record two new songs for an upcoming retrospective, “Don’t You Know Who I Think I Was?: The Best of the Replacements.” Due June 13 via Rhino, the set will feature “Message to the Boys” and “Pool & Dive,” the band’s first new recordings in 16 years.

Session drummer Josh Freese was behind the kit for the new recordings, while Mars, who in recent years has foregone music for an art career, contributed backing vocals. The songs were written by Westerberg and were recorded at producer Ed Ackerson’s Flowers studio in Minneapolis. At deadline, it is unclear if any further activity is brewing within the Replacements’ camp.

To read more, visit billboard.com.

Trey Anastasio, Elvis Costello and the Imposters and Diana Krall lead the lineup for the 2006 Jazz Aspen Snowmass festival, to be held June 22-25 in Aspen’s Rio Grande Park. The event will kick off June 22 with shows by Jamie Cullum and Lizz Wright, followed the night next by a performance from Krall.

Costello and the Imposters will be joined by Allen Toussaint for their June 24 set, an evening which will also boast a performance by Delbert McClinton. Sets by Anastasio and Maceo Parker will close the festival on June 25.

Tickets are available via the event’s Web site. Jazz Aspen Snowmass will also stage a Labor Day festival at Snowmass Town Park from Sept. 1-4, with a lineup to be announced.

Source billboard.com.

Massive Attack have confirmed a mainstage performance on Sunday, April 30 at the seventh annual Coachella Festival at the Empire Polo Field in Indio, CA. This will mark Massive Attack

Gordon Stone Band was recently invited to play at the Hat Yai Midnight Songkran & World Musiq Festival in Thailand. From April 11-15th, the Gordon Stone Band will be bringing their own version of World Music; a blend of jazz flavored, groove-driven funk, and buoyant bluegrass to the Songkhla Province of Thailand.

For over 30 years Gordon Stone has been writing his genre-crossing music, and now attracts international attention with his latest configuration of musicians including, former band member, Caleb Bronz on drums, and UVM