News

The Who, David Bowie and Stereophonics are confirmed to headline the 2004 edition of the U.K.’s Isle of Wight Festival. Stereophonics will play June 11, followed by the Who on June 12 and Bowie on June 13. Ticket information can be found on the event’s official Web site.
The Who are no strangers to the Isle, having played a legendary 1970 concert there that was immortalized on the live CD/home video “Live at the Isle of Wight.” It is not known if the group — which now features sole surviving members Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey — has further summer gigs on the horizon, but the act will play a previously announced March 29 concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
This will be the third Isle of Wight festival since the event returned in 2002, with a lineup that featured Robert Plant, the Charlatans and Starsailor. This year’s festival was graced by Iggy Pop, Paul Weller and the Darkness, among others.
Source billboard.com.

Rhino/Elektra is celebrating the career of 10,000 Maniacs with a two-disc set compiling the band’s best songs and a slew of rarities. Slated for Jan. 27 release, “Campfire Songs: The Popular, Obscure and Unknown Recordings of 10,000 Maniacs,” spends one disc collecting 17 of the band’s best-loved songs, including “These Are Days,” “Trouble Me,” “What’s the Matter Here?” and its cover of “Because the Night.”
The second disc includes previously unreleased demos (“Noah’s Dove,” “Circle Dream,” “Eden”), alternate versions of some songs (“Circle Dream”) and several covers, including the band’s takes on Cat Stevens’ “Peace Train,” Jackson Browne’s “These Days,” Morrissey’s “Everyday is Like Sunday,” David Bowie’s “Starman” and the Carter Family’s “Wildwood Flower.”
The latter disc also features vocalist Natalie Merchant’s duets with ex-Talking Heads frontman David Byrne on Iris DeMent’s “Let the Mystery Be” and R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe on “To Sir With Love.”
“Peace Train” was included on the original pressing of 1987’s “In My Tribe,” but was removed from later pressings after the media reported that Stevens, now known as Yusef Islam, supported Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s February 1989 proclamation that author Salman Rushdie should be put to death for writing his controversial “The Satanic Versus.” Islam later said that he was misquoted, paving the way for the cover’s return.
Merchant supervised the project and designed its packaging. She includes liner notes, as does guitarist John Lombardo, keyboardist Dennis Drew, bassist Steven Gustafson, drummer Jerome Augustyniak and music critic Anthony DeCurtis.
Source billboard.com.

Those that had New Years Eve plans to see Jane’s Addiction and Mareilyn Manson at Madison Square Garden might want to make new plans. Rumors started late Wednesday, December 17, that the Jane’s Addiction Marilyn Manson co-headlining tour was going to get the ax. Band representatives at Capitol Records that the tour has indeed been canceled. No reasons were given, although there is speculation that ticket sales were less than enthusiastic. Only a handful of high-profile shows were actually planned however.
Source Pollstar.com.

Irish singer-songwriter Damien Rice has some good news to give fans in North America: The lauded indie singer is coming back for a spring tour next year. It’ll be his biggest outing in the States to date, both in number of shows and in venue size. Rice has had mainly club runs and graduated up to include some theatre engagements.
His tour launches March 23 in Boulder, runs up the West Coast into Canada, then makes its way across the States to wrap at the end of April in St. Louis.The Irishman just finished a U.S. outing around the start of the month, having been playing a loose schedule since September. Somewhere in there, he managed to pick up the prestigious Shortlist Award for his sleepy debut, O. Around the start of 2004, Rice will be playing the U.K. and Europe.
Source and dates visti Pollstar.com.
O was recently selected as one of Glide Magazine’s Top 20 albums of the year, for the full list, click here.

Songs by Elton John, Sting, Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder and U2’s Bono are among those nominated for best original song Golden Globe Awards. Danny Elfman’s score for “Big Fish” and Howard Shore’s work on “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” received nominations for best original score.
Organized by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the Golden Globes will be handed out Jan. 25 at Los Angeles’ Beverly Hilton Hotel, and broadcast live on NBC at 8 p.m. ET (tape delayed on the West Coast).
In the best original song category, John and Bernie Taupin’s “The Heart of Every Girl,” from “Mona Lisa Smile,” is among the contenders. Also nominated are Shore, Fran Walsh and Annie Lennox’s “Into the West” (from “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”); Pearl Jam’s “Man of the Hour” (from “Big Fish”); Bono, Gavin Friday and Maurice Seezer’s “Time Enough for Tears” (from “In America”) and the Sting-penned, Alison Krauss-performed “You Will Be My Ain True Love” (from “Cold Mountain”).
Other nominees for best original score include Alexandre Desplat for “Girl With a Pearl Earring,” Gabriel Yared for “Cold Mountain” and Hans Zimmer for “The Last Samurai.”
“Cold Mountain” topped all films with eight nominations overall, including a nod in the best dramatic film category. It will vie for the top prize against “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,” “Mystic River” and “Seabiscuit.”
Actor/musician Jack Black will contend for the best performance by an actor in a musical or comedy, for his role in “School of Rock.”

Members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, System Of A Down, Audioslave and Slipknot will take part in a benefit concert for striking Southern California grocery store workers. Tickets for tonight’s (Dec. 18) show at the Roxy Theater in Hollywood went on sale yesterday via Ticketmaster and are completely sold out.
The bill will feature Chili Peppers bassist Flea, System Of A Down leader Serj Tankian, Audioslave (and ex-Rage Against The Machine) members Tom Morello and Brad Wilk, Slipknot’s Corey Taylor and Phantom Planet. Comedian/actor Janeane Garafalo will also take part, as well as Boots Riley (the Coup) and Lester Chambers.
Morello and Tankian have a history of activism. The duo formed the non-profit political organization Axis of Justice to energize music fans “around issues of peace, human rights and economic justice,” according to the organization’s Web site
Source billboard.com[/rl].

The Allman Brothers Band will again return to New York’s Beacon Theatre for what has become a nearly annual residency. The 2003 stand comes as the enduring Southern rock act marks its 35th year anniversary. The full list of performance dates is March 18-20, 22-23 and 25-27.
While the Allmans have frequented the uptown New York venue for some 14 years, the band has not played the Beacon every year since 1989. A few years were skipped and in 1995, the band switched to Radio City Music Hall for a six-night stand. The group returned to the Beacon the following year.
Since 1996, the Allmans have played between nine and 18 shows at the Beacon each year. Save for 1994, each gig was in March. In order to give frontman Gregg Allman’s voice a rest, the group usually does no more than three shows without a night off.
Twice the band has documented the fan/band connection that occurs at the Beacon. In 2000, Epic issued the live disc “Peakin’ at the Beacon” and in September the group delivered its “Live at the Beacon Theatre” DVD via Peach/Sanctuary. The latter was culled from two of last year’s 13 nights at the venue.
Slated for a March release in time for the 2004 Beacon stay is a two-disc live set also taken from last year’s residency. The album includes 15 songs also on the DVD, including “Trouble No More,” “Wasted Words” and “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl.”
Recently nominated for the best rock instrumental Grammy for “Instrumental Illness” (from the recently released Peach/Sanctuary set “Hittin the Note,” the band’s first studio effort in almost a decade), the group will get its New York stay underway March 16 with a performance on NBC’s “Late Night With Conan O’Brien.”
Source billboard.com.

Two Americans have won the go-ahead to become the next tourists in space, and two more spots for a Russian rocket trip to the international space station are now on the market, the U.S. firm selling the spots said.
Two thrill-seeking civilians, whose names are still being withheld, have agreed to shell out $20 million each for separate eight- to 10-day trips into orbit.
These two space tourists won’t be the first — U.S. millionaire Dennis Tito and South African technology entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth forked over about the same amount to be launched into space in 2001 and 2002.
Two more seats are up for sale, locking up all the spots available on Russian Soyuz rockets through 2007, according to Space Adventures, a private U.S. firm running the trips with the Russian Aviation and Space Agency.
When the upcoming launches were announced in June, about a dozen people had undergone medical tests for the two available flights and paid certain fees.
The successful candidates were picked largely because they pitched unique mission objectives, Space Adventures President and Chief Executive Eric Anderson said Tuesday.
One of the two is a 38-year-old male Manhattan real estate developer. No details about the other were available.
One of the space tourists will launch in the third quarter of 2004, and the other sometime in 2005. Space Adventures expected their names to be revealed sometime in January.
Most of the $20 million per-ticket cost goes to building the Soyuz rockets, which are not reusable. But the cash also helps boost Russia’s space program.
Russia’s Soyuz craft is currently the only working link to the International Space Station, after the February crash of the Columbia space shuttle grounded NASA’s shuttle fleet.
Source CNN.com.

Janet Jackson will perform on one of the world’s biggest stages, the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show. The National Football League championship football game is set to air Feb. 1 live on CBS from Houston’s Reliant Stadium.
MTV is producing the Super Bowl halftime show, which will be sponsored by America Online, for the second time. The network previously produced the segment in 2001, which featured Aerosmith, ‘N Sync and Britney Spears.
Last year’s halftime event, produced by Interscope Geffen A&M Records chairman Jimmy Iovine and Tenth Planet Productions director/producer Joel Gallen, saw Shania Twain, No Doubt and Sting perform at halftime. Celine Dion, Carlos Santana, Michelle Branch and Beyonc

Fantasy vied with reality on Sunday as the American Film Institute named the year’s 10 best films, listing epics like “The Last Samurai” and the final installment of “The Lord of the Rings” alongside slice-of-life movies “American Splendor” and “In America.” The 10 films to win the AFI Awards 2003, listed in alphabetical order, were “American Splendor,” “Finding Nemo,” “The Human Stain,” “In America,” “The Last Samurai,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” “Lost in Translation,” “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,” “Monster” and “Mystic River.” The American Film Institute names the year’s 10 top films and television shows without giving rating preferences.
Be sure to read Glide Magazine’s exclusive with American Splendor star Harey Pekar here.
Source Yahoo.com.

Galactic will launch its third annual Freezestyle tour Jan. 15 in Ft. Lauderdale. The trek will include two hometown shows at New Orleans’ Tipitina’s during Mardi Gras, as well as the band’s first dates in Japan. Opening acts have not yet been announced for the run.
Prior to the tour, Galactic is slated to appear Jan. 6-9 on the Jam Cruise and Jan. 10-13 on Jam Cruise II. Keller Williams, Les Claypool’s Frog Brigade, Particle, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Michael Franti & Spearhead are among the other acts slated to participate. For more information on the sailings, visit the Jam Cruise Web site.
The band will wrap 2003 with Dec. 26-27 shows at New Orleans’ Tipitina’s Uptown.
Here are Galactic’s tour dates:
Dec. 26-27: New Orleans (Tipitina’s Uptown)Jan. 6-9: Jam CruiseJan. 10-13: Jam Cruise IIJan. 15: Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (Culture Room)Jan. 16: Tampa, Fla. (Masquerade)Jan. 17: Orlando, Fla. (House of Blues)Jan. 18: Jacksonville, Fla. (Freebird Caf

Before the year comes to a close, The Gordon Stone Trio, now featuring Brian O’Connell (Uncle Sammy), has scheduled a few dates in the northeast. This Friday, December 19th, the trio will be at the River Street Jazz Cafe in Wilkes-Barre, PA, followed by a Saturday night show at The Brass Lantern, in Reading, PA on the 20th. On Dec 26th, they hit the Berkshire Blues Cafe in Lee, MA.
The band is also tentatively slated to open for Strangefolk at Harper’s Ferry in Boston, MA on the 29th or 30th.
For additional dates and more information, see gordonstone.com/schedule.php.

The ongoing songwriting credit battle between Yoko Ono and Paul McCartney was recently rekindled when Ono once again left the former Beatles’ name off the song “Give Peace a Chance.”
First released by the Plastic Ono Band in 1969, “Give Peace a Chance” appears on the new DVD Lennon Legend, and, as per the arrangement the songwriting duo reached forty years ago, it was previously credited to both men, despite Lennon being its sole author.
The credits to “Give Peace a Chance” have been in contention for decades. On the 1975 Lennon compilation Shaved Fish, the song was credited to Lennon/McCartney, but when the original Legend CD was released in 1997, McCartney’s name was dropped, as it was on the 1998 John Lennon Anthology box set.
Source rollingstone.com.

The White Stripes have confirmed a New Year

Three decade long, rock and rollers, NRBQ will be the subject of a tribute album, “The Q People,” to be released March 9 on the Boston based Spirithouse Records. Artists on the album include Bonnie Raitt, R.E.M. guitarist Mike Mills, Los Lobos, Widespread Panic, J Mascis, and Steve Earle.
The cast of Nickelodeon cartoon series “SpongeBob SquarePants” also weighs in with the song “Little Floater

There are some Super Furry Animals on the loose next year. The Welsh power pop group is set to add more stamps in their passport books as they take on Europe, North America and U.K. theatres.
The SFAs are taking just a brief rest for the Christmas/New Year holidays before launching their tour January 21 in Madrid. It wraps April 8 in London. There’s no word yet on support acts.
They’ve got a new-ish LP/CD/DVD out since the summer. The Phantom Power disc is yet another notch on the group’s ever-expanding discography list and showcases the group’s taste for eclectic sounds.
The band has been experimenting with different DVD formats to accompany their new albums. Starting with 2001’s Rings Round The World and continuing with Phantom Power, Super Furry Animals have helped design visual “wallpaper” for their music.
Source Pollstar.com.

Neil Young, continuing a tour in support of his new rock opera “Greendale,” will be playing two nights at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall on March 17 and 18. Many of the dates for the winter tour have been announced, including shows in Vancouver, Portland, Los Angeles, Albuquerque, Colorado Springs, Milwaukee, Rosemont, and Amherst, MA.
Source Pollstar.com.

The Steve Kimock Band will be making a rare Boston appearance on February 28th, 2004. For the first time in years, you won’t have to drive to Worcester to see this incredible band featuring Steve Kimock (guitar, Zero, KVWH, The Other Ones), Rodney Holmes (drums, Santana, Zawinul Syndicate), Mitch Stein (guitar, The Hermanators, Brother Jack McDuff) & Arne Livingston (bass, The Living Daylights).
Tickets will go on sale this coming Monday, December 15th at 10 AM at the Middle East Box Office and via Ticketmaster.
Source Gamelan.

Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger, once a scourge of the British establishment, received its ultimate accolade today when he was knighted by heir to the throne Prince Charles in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
“It was all rather wonderfully formal,” the 60-year-old rock n’roll icon said after the ceremony in which Charles tapped him lightly on each shoulder with a sword.
Asked if he believed that he deserved the top British establishment accolade, the grinning Jagger replied: “Yeah.”
The man who has fronted the legendary rock group for the past four decades, rejected suggestions that he had sold out to the establishment against which he had railed for so long. “I don’t really think the establishment as we knew it exists any more,” he said with a slight toss of the head.
But showing at least a residue of rebellion, Jagger shunned the traditional top hat and tails, opting for a long black leather coat, purple scarf and sports shoes. He took along his 92-year-old father Joe and two of his daughters to share the occasion.
The award puts Jagger on a ceremonial par with pop knights Sir Elton John and Sir Paul McCartney.
Source Billboard.com.

Rush will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a 2004 tour of North America and Europe. The veteran Canadian rock trio will hit ampitheaters begin in June, for approximately 30 dates. In September the group will visit Europe for the first time.
In other Rush news, the newly launched Rounder Books will in May release “Rhythm & Ligh,” a photography volume focusing on Rush drummer Neil Peart. The drummer