News

Television guitarist/vocalist Tom Verlaine will simultaneously release two new albums this spring. “Around,” a 16-track set in the vein of the 1992 instrumental album “Warm and Cool,” and “Songs and Other Things,” Verlaine’s first “vocal” release since 1990’s “The Wonder,” will arrive in late April via Thrill Jockey.

“Around” features drumming Television’s Billy Ficca on several tracks, highlighted by the beautiful, late-night instrumental “Eighty Eights,” the strutting, nearly honky-tonk “Wheel Broke” and guitar-only exercises like “Mountain.” Elsewhere, bass-aided cuts like “Balcony” wouldn’t sound out of place on an album from Verlaine’s new Thrill Jockey labelmate Tortoise.

As for the 14-song “Songs and Other Things,” it finds Verlaine dabbling on bass in tandem with Television’s Fred Smith. Among the notable tracks here are the genial “From Her Fingers,” the snaking guitar lines of “The Day on You” and the confident rock of “All Weirded Out,” which bears the unmistakable lineage of vintage Television.

Verlaine is planning to debut a live band in New York in late April or early May in advance of his first world tour in more than 10 years. As for Television, Verlaine told Billboard.com last year the group had “about seven [new songs] nearly ready to record” but added, “I have no idea who for — what label, that is.”

Source billboard.com.

An upcoming four-day music and film event in New York is being touted as the biggest Earth Day (April 22) celebration in the United States. The inaugural Green Apple Music & Arts festival will get underway on April 20 with the sixth annual The inaugural Green Apple Music & Arts festival will get underway on April 20 with the sixth annual Jammy Awards and will continue through April 23 in 20 venues throughout the city.

Although participating artists have not yet been announced, organizers Peter Shapiro and Relix magazine promise 50 shows ranging from rock, blues, folk and world music. Concerts will be held at such venues as Carnegie Hall, Irving Plaza, the Blue Note, B.B. King’s, Nokia Theater, the Bitter End, the Bowery Ballroom and the Knitting Factory. Details will be listed on Greenapplemusicfestival.com.

The Jammys are scheduled to take place at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. The event will include an all-star tribute to Frank Zappa, who will be posthumously honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

“The Green Apple Music & Arts Festival was created to raise the visibility and awareness of Earth Day,” says Shapiro, who owned the environmentally focused New York venue Wetlands Preserve. “What better way to celebrate Earth Day than to bring it to every major music venue in New York?”

The festival is being put together in conjunction with the non-profit Earth Day New York. That organization will stage its annual EarthFair April 21-22 outside of the city’s Grand Central Terminal, which will also feature free family entertainment and musical performances.

Additionally, the film festival will be held April 23 at the American Museum of Natural History and a series of children’s events is being planned.

Throughout the Green Apple Music & Arts Festival, attendees will receive information on environmental issues and causes at each venue.

If things go well, Shapiro and Relix intend to stage the festival in multiple cities in the future. “We want to spread awareness to people who aren’t already environmental experts,” adds Relix president/publisher Steven Bernstein. “We want to make them aware of what they can do in their daily routine that will make a difference to the environment.”

Source billboard.com.

egendary rock trio Cream, which reunited last year for a handful of concerts in London and New York after a bitter breakup in 1968, has scheduled more shows, according to vocalist/bassist Jack Bruce.

But don’t expect a world tour. Rather, Bruce says he, guitarist Eric Clapton and drummer Ginger Baker will set up camp in select cities for multiple dates, just as they did last year.

“What we feel is that it’s so special, and also so emotionally draining that it’s not something we could do every day,” he says. “We will play more, but where and when I’m not at liberty to say.” He declined to say when an official announcement might be made, joking that he would “get chopped” if he said anything.

Bruce is in Los Angeles to accept a lifetime achievement award for Cream at tonight’s (Feb. 8) Grammy Awards. He will be the group’s sole representative, saying Clapton had other commitments, while it was impractical for Baker to leave his farm in South Africa.

Prior to last year, Cream hadn’t played live since its 1993 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In the spring, the group grossed $3.6 million from four sell-outs at London’s Royal Albert Hall. An Oct. 24-26 run at New York’s Madison Square Garden grossed more than $10.6 million and drew 56,151 people, according to venue officials.

Bruce says he is less explosive in his old age, and the band know better how to handle problems, but there remains an underlying, brotherly tension with Baker. On the other hand, he describes Clapton as “the most beautiful, kindest, most understanding guy that I’ve come across.”

Source billboard.com.

On the heels of the recently released Taught To Be Proud, San Francisco’s Tea Leaf Green has announced a March tour.

The album, released in November ’05 on Reincarnate, comes on the heels of an epic year of growth for TLG. The band’s mid-afternoon Bonnaroo set attracted an estimated crowd of 10,000 people, and the buzz has been swelling ever since. Recently, the band has sold out shows in Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis, and others.

Current confirmed tour dates include:

February 17 Belly Up Taven Solana Beach CA
February 18 14 Below Santa Monica CA
February 19 Coach House San Juan Capistrano CA
March 01 Grey Eagle Asheville NC
March 03 The 5 Spot Atlanta GA
March 04 Barley’s Knoxville TN
March 05 Local 506 Chapel Hill NC
March 07 Alley Katz Richmond VA
March 08 State Theatre Falls Church VA
March 09-10 The Knitting Factory New York NY
March 11 NXNW Philadelphia PA
March 12 8×10 Baltimore MD
March 14 The Haunt Ithaca NY
March 15 Iron Horse Music Hall Northampton MA
March 16 The Paradise Boston MA
March 18 Wiseguys Lake Placid NY
March 19 Toad’s Place New Haven CT
March 21 Crowbar State College PA
March 22 Mr. Smalls Theatre Millvale PA
March 23 Milestones Rochester NY
March 24 El Mocambo Toronto ON
March 25 Town Ballroom Buffalo NY

More dates to be announced. Visit tealeafgreen.com for more information.

Galactic is proud to announce the upcoming 2006 Coup De Gras Midwest Tour. The spring run is an extension of February’s Coup De Gras Tour, which was inspired by New Orleans’ annual celebration of Mardi Gras. The tour will feature openers throughout that represent an eclectic mix of funk, rock and the best that the Crescent-City has to offer. Each stop will be a unique New Orleans’-style celebration centered around Galactic’s progressive funk. Kicking off in Augusta, GA on March 29th, the tour winds north through the Midwest, making stops in Nashville, Chicago and Minneapolis, before heading back south and culminating with a pair of shows in Atlanta, GA on April 21st & 22nd.

Opening for several dates in the middle of the tour, percussionist Mike Dillon adds his rock/latin/jazz fused combo, aptly dubbed Mike Dillon’s GoGo Jungle, to the mix. Also Les Claypool’s percussionist and often a live collaborator with Galactic, Dillon’s unique style adds to Galactic’s progressive funk like no other and makes for a must-see experience. Memphis natives The Gamble Brothers Band bring their mix of old-school Memphis R&B and southern rock to the first third of the tour. New Orleans’ own Dirty Dozen Brass Band will open on April 2nd in Indianapolis, IN, joining Galactic for a very special night of funk and collaborations. One of the most prolific brass bands ever to emerge from New Orleans, their one-night-only performance with Galactic will be a true representation of the musical talent and diversity New Orleans has to offer. The final tour dates will include the Rebirth Brass Band, one of the Crescent-City’s most well-known and loved acts.

CONFIRMED TOUR DATES BELOW:

MARCH
29 The Mission Augusta, GA *
30 City Hall Nashville, TN *
31 Headliners Louisville, KY *

APRIL
1 Michigan Theatre Ann Arbor, MI *
2 Music Mill Indianapolis, IN **
5 Opera House Toronto, ON ***
6 Mr. Smalls Pittsburgh, PA ***
7 Beachland Ballroom Cleveland, OH ***
8 The Intersection Grand Rapids, MI ***
9 Barrymore Theatre Madison, WI ***
11 Canopy Hall Urbana, IL ****
12 Memorial Union Ballroom Iowa City, IA ****
13 Cabooze Minneapolis, MN ****
14 The Vic Theatre Chicago, IL ****
15 Copper Dragon Carbondale, IL ****
20 Sogo Live Baton Rouge, LA
21 & 22 Roxy Theatre Atlanta, GA

* – Gamble Brothers Band supporting
** – Dirty Dozen Brass Band supporting
*** – Mike Dillon’s GoGo Jungle supporting
**** – The Rebirth Brass Band supporting

Toronto

Stereolab bring their unique blend of ageless exotica back to the States next year when they hit the road in a town near you. They play two shows in New York on March 17 + 18 at Town Hall.

In support of the tour, too pure is releasing

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs will stream the single

Singer/songwriter Neko Case will begin a spring tour March 17 in Austin, Texas, as part of the South by Southwest music festival. The trek comes in support of her new album, “Fox Confessor Brings the Flood,” due March 7 via Anti-. Two days later, Case will perform on NBC’s “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.”

The artist is hoping to bring solo artist Kelly Hogan and Visqueen principal Rachel Flotard on the road with her as part of her backing band. Martha Wainwright will open on at least six dates, with other support acts to be announced.

As previously reported, Giant Sand’s Howe Gelb, Calexico’s Joey Burns, the Band’s Garth Hudson and the Sadies all helped contribute to “Flood,” as did Flotard and Hogan.

“My personal time is the same as my road time and my studio time,” Case tells Billboard.com. “All my closest friends and family are already in the bands [that] I’m around.”

Though a regular contributing vocalist for the New Pornographers, Case will not join the band for its own spring tour. “They always make sure they cover territory twice,” Case says of the Pornographers. “But I have to work on my own stuff.”

Later this year, Case will also be seen at the Sasquatch Music Festival in Quincy, Wash., (May 27) and at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Colorado (June 15). Dates in Japan and Australia are also in the works.

As reported yesterday, Case was among the many guests joining the Sadies over the weekend in Toronto for two shows taped for an upcoming Yep Roc live album.

Here are Neko Case’s tour dates:

March 17: Austin, Texas (Antone’s)
March 29: Minneapolis (First Avenue)
March 31: Chicago (Vic Theatre)
April 1: Lansing, Mich. (Temple)
April 4: Monteal (Club Soda)
April 5: Boston (Roxy)
April 6-7: New York (Webster Hall)
April 9: Washington, D.C. (9:30 Club)
April 12-13: Carrboro, N.C. (Cat’s Cradle)
April 14: Atlanta (Variety Playhouse)
April 15: Memphis (Hi-Tone)

Source billboard.com,

While it progresses on its fifth studio album, influential British rock act Massive Attack has set an April 4 release for the retrospective “Collected.” The Virgin set features one regular audio CD and a second DualDisc with audio content on one side and a DVD on the other.

Disc one rounds up tracks selected by members of the group, including such favorites as “Teardrop,” “Angel,” “Safe From Harm,” “Unfinished Sympathy” and “Butterfly Caught.” Also featured is a new single, “Live With Me,” which boasts vocals by Terry Callier. A video was recently shot by Jonathan Glazer (Radiohead, Richard Ashcroft).

The audio content on the second disc features a host of rarities. Among them is an alternate version of the “100th Window” track “Incantations,” an “unfinished/unstarted” track featuring the Cocteau Twins’ Elizabeth Fraser, the Damon Albarn collaboration “Small Time Shoot Em Up” and a cover of Bad Brains’ “I Against I” with Mos Def. The accompanying DVD gathers 16 music videos, including two for “Live With Me.”

Look for Massive Attack to hit the road this summer for headlining and festival dates, full details of which are still coming together. As for the upcoming album, “Weather Underground,” group members have completed seven tracks for the project, including collaborations with producer Neil Davidge, rock act TV On The Radio and producer/multi-instrumentalist Dave Sitek.

Source billboard.com.

Run-D.M.C. principal DMC (Darryl McDaniels) will release his long-in-the-works solo debut, “Checks, Thugs and Rock’n’Roll,” March 14 via RomenMpire. The CD/DVD set boasts collaborations with Ciara, Sarah McLachlan, Kid Rock and Doug E. Fresh, among others, and production by slain Run-D.M.C. member Jam Master Jay.

As previously reported, DMC sought out collaborations outside of hip-hop for his first solo project. “This music isn’t old to me, because I never heard it before,” the rapper told Billboard.com in 2003. “I want to be the Bruce Springsteen, Roy Orbison of [rap] music.”

The first single from the new offering will be “Machine Gun,” and the album will be followed by an international tour. Among the other guests are Aerosmith’s Joey Kramer and Tom Hamilton, the Cars’ Elliot Easton, Buckcherry vocalist Josh Todd and Run-D.M.C. colleague Rev. Run.

On Feb. 25, VH-1 will air the documentary “DMC: My Adoption Journey,” in which the rapper searches for his birthroots while discussing his upbringing in Queens, N.Y., and his rise to fame with Run-D.M.C. The show is part of VH-1’s “Rock Docs” series.

Source billboard.com.

The name itself,

They may not have flashed any body parts — except for Mick Jagger’s well-toned stomach — but the Rolling Stones made ABC glad editors were on duty for last night’s (Feb. 5) Super Bowl XL halftime show. Two sexually explicit lyrics were excised from the legendary rock group’s performance.

The only song to avoid the editor was “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” a 41-year-old song about sexual frustration.

In “Start Me Up,” the show’s editors silenced one word, a reference to a woman’s sexual sway over a dead man. The lyrics for “Rough Justice” included a synonym for rooster that the network also deemed worth cutting out.

ABC was the first network to impose a five-second tape delay on the Super Bowl, although it said the changes to the Stones’ show were made by the National Football League (NFL) and its producers. The sensitivity no doubt reflects a lingering reaction to Janet Jackson’s infamous wardrobe malfunction two years ago.

Performing on a stage designed as a replica of their famed wagging tongue logo, the Stones chose three tough rockers, including “Rough Justice” from last year’s well-received Virgin album “A Bigger Bang,” and one of their most enduring hits. “Here’s one we could have done at Super Bowl I,” Jagger wryly said in introducing “Satisfaction.”

Some in Detroit felt the city’s rich musical history was snubbed when the Stones were selected, even if the Super Bowl had Motown-themed halftime shows twice in the past 25 years. This year’s Motown tribute came before the game. Stevie Wonder was the centerpiece, singing a medley of hits with the help of John Legend, Joss Stone and India.Arie and a host of dancers.

The National Anthem paired New Orleans artists Aaron Neville and Dr. John (in a tribute to the hurricane-ravaged region) with a hometown favorite Aretha Franklin.

A few music artists also showed up during the much ballyhooed commercials during the game, with Diddy appearing opposite actor Jay Mohr and a can of Diet Pepsi in one and Jessica Simpson reprising her version of “These Boots Are Made for Walking” for Pizza Hut.

In the game itself, the favored Pittsburgh Steelers emerged victorious with a 21-10 win over the Seattle Seahawks.

Source billboard.com.

Days before it was set to begin, Cat Power’s spring U.S. tour has been canceled due to unspecified health reasons. The 11-date trek, which was to feature Cat Power’s Chan Marshall backed by the Memphis Rhythm Band, was set to begin Saturday (Feb. 11) in Memphis and continue through a high-profile March 15 gig in Austin, Texas, as part of the South by Southwest festival.

Marshall’s new Matador album, “The Greatest,” earned her the best sales week and Billboard 200 chart position of her career, debuting last week at No. 34 thanks to sales of 23,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. A Cat Power album has never been higher than No. 105 on the chart.

Matador has not released any additional information about the need for the cancellation “out of respect for Chan’s privacy,” but says the tour will be rescheduled as soon as possible. Refund information is still being nailed down.

“The Greatest” was recorded in Memphis with a host of notable session musicians, including guitarist Mabon “Teenie” Hodges, bassists Leroy Hodges and David Smith, guitarist Doug Easley, keyboardist Rick Steff, saxophonist Jim Spake and trumpeter Scott Thompson.

Source billboard.com.

Death Cab for Cutie and Franz Ferdinand are celebrating the arrival of spring with a major co-headlining North American concert tour. Slated to kick off on March 22nd in Portland, Oregon, this incredible pairing of these two bands will be THE TOUR of the Spring. The tour will be presented by Fuse in partnership with MySpace.

Tour Dates

3-22 Portland, OR – Memorial Coliseum
3-23 Sacramento, CA – Memorial Hall at Sacramento Convention Center
3-24 Reno, NV – Reno Hilton Pavillion
3-27 Tucson, AZ – Centennial Hall at University of Arizona
3-29 Austin, TX – The Backyard
3-30 Houston, TX – Verizon Wireless Theater
3-31 Grand Prairie, TX – Nokia Theatre
4-07 Durham, NC – Cameron Stadium at Duke University
4-08 Camden, NJ – Tweeter Center Indoors
4-09 Ithaca, NY – Barton Hall at Cornell University
4-11 Washington, DC – Constitution Hall
4-12 Boston, MA – Agannis Arena
4-13 New York, NY – Hammerstein Ballroom
4-14 New York, NY – Hammerstein Ballroom
4-15 Montreal, Quebec – Cepsum at University of Montreal
4-17 Toronto, Ontario – The Docks
4-18 Detroit, MI – State Theatre
4-19 Chicago, IL – Aragon Ballroom
4-20 St Paul, MN – Northrop Auditorum at University of Minnesota
4-23 Winnipeg, Manitoba – Burton Cummings Theatre
4-25 Edmonton, Alberta – Shaw Conference Centre
4-26 Calgary, Alberta – Stampede Corral

Mike Skinner, aka The Streets, will be delivering his third studio album this spring on April 25th on Vice Records. “The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living” is a completely autobiographical record that covers various things that have happened to Mike over the past few years since he’s become a well known figure in the UK – there’s love, loss, scandal, violence, sex, drugs and a whole load of bad behavior and regret. It’s a true story. It’s not a ‘story’ record like his last LP, but the thread of Mike’s reality runs through every song.

Philadelphia-based band The Disco Biscuits are gearing up for the release of their double live album The Wind at Four to Fly to be released on SCI Fidelity Records on April 18. The band has returned to being a quartet with the addition of their new drummer Allen Aucoin. The auditioning process was lengthy but they found that Aucoin jumped straight in, meshing with the Biscuits’ in the groove, solid feeling called BISCO.

The Disco Biscuits are back in fine form after the departure of Sam Altman and a hiatus and are ready to greet the New Year with cross country touring and a wildly diverse live album. The first leg of the tour takes the band to the South East U.S. with many more dates to be announced in the near future.

Tour Dates

4/13/06 Higher Ground Burlington, VT
4/14/06 Higher Ground Burlington, VT
4/15/06 Higher Ground Burlington, VT
4/18/06 Starr Hill Charlottesville, VA
4/19/06 Rox Nightclub Wilmington, NC
4/20/06 Lincoln Theatre Raleigh, NC
4/21/06 Lincoln Theatre Raleigh, NC
4/22/06 Neighborhood Theatre Charlotte, NC
4/23/06 Orange Peel Asheville NC
4/26/06 TBA TBA
4/27/06 Earthlink Live Atlanta, GA
4/28/06 Georgia Theatre Athens, GA
4/29/06 Georgia Theatre Athens, GA

In the clearest sign yet that Billy Corgan is moving ahead with his plan to revive seminal alternative rock act Smashing Pumpkins, sources say the group has signed a new management deal with Jared Paul and Paul Geary at the Irving Azoff-helmed Front Line Management.

Billboard.com has learned that Corgan and Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin will initially begin work on a new studio album, the first under the group name since the original Pumpkins’ 2000 swan song, “MACHINA/the machines of god.” When asked for comment, a Corgan spokesperson said there was no information to report at present.

It is understood that at this point, original members James Iha (guitar) and D’arcy Wretzky (bass) are not participating in the reunion, but sources say multi-instrumentalist Billy Mohler will be involved in some fashion. Mohler formerly played bass in pop/rock act the Calling and was a featured contributor on Chamberlin’s 2005 solo album, “Life Begins Again.”

Source billboard.com.

Following a foray into wine, the estate of Jerry Garcia has licensed the late Grateful Dead guitarist’s name to a limited edition line of tea. Five blends of J. Garcia Artisan Teas will be available beginning March 1 from premium tea company the Republic of Tea.

Like the wines marketed by Clos du Bois, each J. Garcia Artisan Teas package will feature original artwork by the artist from a collection of more than 500 pieces created before his death in 1995. A portion of the proceeds from the teas will be donated to Draw Bridge, a non-profit organization that provides art programs for children in homeless shelters.

The first set of teas is made up of Morning Brew (black tea), Jerry Cherry (black tea, essence of Bing cherries and vanilla), Shady Grown (blend of Brazilian Yerba Mate and South African Rooibos with cinnamon and vanilla), Magic Herb Blend (caffeine-free, orange and peppermint) and Spirit of Sage (green tea with sage).

Source billboard.com.

Rogue Wave, Thursday, Isis, the National, Feist, Two Gallants, Minus the Bear, Kid Koala, the Dirtbombs, We Are Scientists and a collaboration between Four Tet and drummer Steve Reid will all be on display at the fourteenth Noise Pop Festival, which will be held March 28-April 2 at venues throughout San Francisco.

This year will boast the return of the Noise Pop Film Festival as well as an Educational Series. Several events blending literature and music are also in the works.

“Every year we try to offer shows that you wouldn’t have a chance to see outside of Noise Pop,” says Noise Pop partner Jordan Kurland. “Whether it’s convincing a band that sold out a big room last time through town to play a small club or looking for something that has never been done in town before, we are always aiming to do something unique.

Tickets for individual Noise Pop shows go on sale Sunday (Feb. 5), with festival badges to follow on Feb. 12.

Source billboard.com.