October 2004

Air, TV On The Radio, Dizzee Rascal and Nellie McKay are confirmed to perform at the 2004 Shortlist Prize awards ceremony, to be held Nov. 15 at Los Angeles’ Avalon Theatre. The acts are among the 10 finalists for the prize, which also include Franz Ferdinand, the Killers, Ghostface Killah, Loretta Lynn, the Streets and Wilco.

In addition, Razor & Tie will on Nov. 2 release “MTV2 Presents: Shortlist 2004 Nominees,” a compilation featuring all 10 finalists plus cuts from Secret Machines, Ryan Adams, Cafe Tacuba, Muse and Jem, who were nominated in the prize’s Long List.

MTV2 will broadcast a special based on the event on Nov. 20. XM Satellite Radio will carry the awards live.

The Shortlist honors critically acclaimed albums that have not yet been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for U.S. shipments of 500,000 copies. Nominees and winners are chosen by a panel of Listmakers which this year includes Norah Jones, John Mayer, Jack Black and Jim Jarmusch.

Source billboard.com.

Alison Krauss and Union Station will strike while the iron is still hot with the Nov. 23 release of their next Rounder album, “Lonely Runs Both Ways.” Krauss has reached a new peak in visibility this year, performing at the Grammys and the Oscars and garnering five nominations for the upcoming Country Music Association awards, at which she will also perform with Brad Paisley.

The new 15-track set finds Krauss and guitarist/vocalist Dan Tyminski, dobro player Jerry Douglas, banjo/guitarist/vocalist Ron Block and bassist/vocalist Barry Bales tackling such songs as Del McCoury’s “Rain Please Go Away,” Woodie Guthrie’s “Pastures of Plenty” and Gillian Welch and David Rawlings’ “Wouldn’t Be So Bad.”

Krauss co-wrote “This Sad Song” with Alison Brown, while Block turns in “I Don’t Have To Live This Way” and album closer “A Living Prayer.” The set is rounded out by four tunes penned by Robert Lee Castleman, including opener “Gravity” and first single “Restless.”

“Lonely Runs Both Ways” follows 2002’s “Live,” which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Bluegrass Albums chart, and the 2001 studio set “New Favorite,” which hit No. 2 on the same tally.

Although a run of December tour dates is not yet confirmed, Krauss and Union Station will perform during release week on NBC’s “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” and the following month on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

Here is the track list for “Lonely Runs Both Ways”:

“Gravity”
“Restless”
“Rain Please Go Away”
“Goodbye Is All We Have”
“Unionhouse Branch”
“Wouldn’t Be So Bad”
“Pastures of Plenty”
“Crazy As Me”
“Borderline”
“Poor Old Heart”
“This Sad Song”
“Doesn’t Have To Be This Way”
“I Don’t Have To Live this Way”
“If I Didn’t Know Any Better”
“A Living Prayer”

Source billboard.com.

In the early stages of a month-long fall tour supporting its new release, Gov’t Mule has also just announced a two-night New Year’s Eve bash (December 30-31) at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. The first night features special opening guest James “Blood” Ulmer, while the second night is all Gov’t Mule

Depeche Mode- Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher- are unique. For nearly 25 years they have been making groundbreaking music, which has influenced generations of artists.

Depeche Mode have always been at the vanguard of remix culture since its inception, and the history of Depeche Mode is inextricably linked with the history of the remix. Very early on in their career the band worked closely and extensively with up and coming remixers who would go on to become pivotal figures in the field including Francois Kevorkian, Adrian Sherwood, William Orbit, Portishead and Air.

Jam Cruise 3 is sold out. The cruise will set sail on January 6th, 2005 with 1800 music lovers on board.

Madison House Travel is still taking names for the wait list, in case any cabins open up or any holds are released. To sign up on the wait list email jamcruise@madisonhousetravel.com with your name, phone number, e-mail, and number of people are in your party. You can also sign up on the mailing list at www.jamcruise.com to get updates on availability and information on Jam Cruise 4 in 2006, which is already in the works.

Jam Cruise 3 will set sail from Jacksonville, Florida on January 6, 2005. 1800 Jam Cruisers will hit the high seas for 4 days aboard Carnival Cruiselines’ Celebration. The ship will stop in Freeport, Bahamas and, fulfilling a popular request on a questionnaire filled out by last year’s cruisers, will offer passengers two full days at sea to enjoy over 40 musical performances. The festival line up includes Galactic, Les Claypool, Sound Tribe Sector 9, Keller Williams, Col Bruce Hampton and the Aquarium Rescue Unit, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Jazz Mandolin Project featuring Jamie Masefield and Jon Fishman, Zilla featuring Michael Travis, The Remarkable Elba Kramer featuring Kyle Hollingsworth, North Mississippi Allstars, Ozomatli, Peter Rowan & Tony Rice, Robert Walter’s 20th Congress, Umphrey’s McGee, Garaj Mahal, MOFRO, Benevento/Russo Duo, Tishamingo, DJ Logic, and DJ Harry. In addition to incredible performances by many of the genre’s most celebrated musical pioneers, the Jam Cruise experience promises once-in-a-lifetime artist collaborations and opportunities for hang time with the musicians who are so often inaccessible backstage.

Jam Cruise is presented by Cloud 9 Adventures: a partnership between Mark Brown of Florida’s Brown Coffee Productions, Athens promoter Josh Moore of Jomo Entertainment, Roger Naber of Legendary Blues Cruises, and Attorney Joe Hanan.

U2 and Apple Computer Inc. are expected to announce next week that they have signed a deal to sell custom iPods.

According to a source, the Irish rock band’s upcoming album “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb,” due Nov. 23 via Interscope Records, will come preloaded on iPods that will be available the week of street date.

Interscope, a unit of Universal Music Group, declined to comment; an Apple spokesperson could not be reached.

E-mails from Apple chairman and CEO Steve Jobs and U2 members Bono and the Edge have invited members of the press to a “special event” scheduled for October 26 in San Jose, California.

U2’s new single “Vertigo” is featured in current television ads for the iPod. The track is currently No. 2 on Billboard’s airplay-based Modern Rock Tracks chart, and No. 44 on the Hot 100, which is based on both retail sales and radio airplay.

Source CNN.com.

HeadCount, a non-profit group that registered more voters than any all-volunteer organization in the country, will stage an Election Eve Rally in New York City on Monday, Nov. 1 at the Mercury Lounge.

The event, which will celebrate HeadCount registering 50,000 voters nationwide, will feature New Jersey-based rock band Rana as well as Big Fuzz, a new project led by former Deep Banana Blackout frontman Fuzz, and the Katy Pfaffl Band.

Also on the bill is Moshi vs. Omen, an electronica duo featuring Disco Biscuits keyboardist Aaron Magner. Jon Gutwillig, guitarist for the Disco Biscuits, will also perform. HeadCount was founded by Disco Biscuits bass player Marc Brownstein, who will serve as the emcee for this event.

The Election Eve Rally will raise money for HeadCount’s future while celebrating its success in 2004. Launched only in February, the organization aligned itself with Dave Matthews Band, Phish and the Dead as well as about 25 other major concert acts.

HeadCount sent voter registration volunteers on the road with bands and also produced public service announcements – starring Dave Matthrews, The Dead and Trey Anastasio of Phish – that have been airing on TNT and TBS. The PSA’s have been seen more than 100 million times.

An organization that is truly grassroots in structure, HeadCount has no paid employees, no major corporate funding and no central headquarters. But through a network of 2,000 volunteers and the backing of a board of directors that includes The Dead’s Bob Weir, HeadCount became one of the most successful voter registration groups

“The event will be our last of about 1,000 acts to encouraging and facilitate voting,” said Andy Bernstein, HeadCount’s co-chair. “Our volunteers are absolutely exhausted, but we figured they have one night of celebration left in them.”

Upcoming Show Details

Monday Nov. 1, 2004
The Mercury Lounge (www.mercuryloungenyc.com)
217 E Houston St – New York, NY
7:30 pm
$12
Tickets at www.headcount.org