The John Byrd EP is a nice live portrait of a band in a transitional period from the clubs to bigger venues in the near future. Catch them while you can.
Langerado came at just the right time this year. As the east coast was experiencing one of many late season snowstorms, the sun was shining bright in the cloudless skies of South Florida.
Keyboard player and musical arranger for The Jerry Garcia Band, Melvin Seals evoked a sound from Garcia that rivaled his work in the Grateful Dead. Now he creates that emotion on his own, releasing his first official solo album, Melting Pot.
The reunited original lineup of influential modern rock act Dinosaur Jr. will perform on television for the first time April 15 on CBS’ “The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson.” The following day, guitarist J Mascis will play at Los Angeles’ Spaceland club with his band the Fog, as well as guests described only as “very special.”
As previously reported, Dinosaur Jr. will this summer play its first shows with the lineup of Mascis, bassist/future Sebadoh leader Lou Barlow and drummer Murph since 1989. The only confirmed dates at deadline are June 8 in London, June 10 at the U.K.’s Download Festival and July 29-31 at Japan’s Fuji Rock Festival.
Last week, Merge reissued the band’s first three albums, “Dinosaur,” “You’re Living All Over Me” and “Bug,” with remastered audio and smattering of bonus tracks and rare photos. Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore, Mike Watt and Guided By Voices’ Robert Pollard contributed to new liner notes.
In related news, Barlow, who just finished a run of dates in support of his new Merge album “Emoh,” reports on his official Web site that he recently spent time with Sebadoh drummer Eric Gaffney. The experience “bodes well for some comprehensive Sebadoh reissues in the future,” he said.
Source billboard.com.
Rock duo the White Stripes will release their next studio album on June 14 via Third Man/V2. The as-yet-untitled set was recently recorded in the group’s Detroit home base. It will be the follow-up to 2003’s “Elephant,” which debuted at a career-best No. 6 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 1.7 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
A handful of live dates have already been announced ahead of the album, including a three-night run in Mexico that begins May 11 in Monterrey. As previously reported, the group will also play June 10 at Atlanta’s Music Midtown festival.
Beyond the White Stripes disc, singer/guitarist Jack White has also been working on an album with fellow Detroit native Brendan Benson. The project, which also features Greenhornes bassist Jack Lawrence and drummer Patrick Keeler, will most likely not see the light of day until the end of the year or early 2006, according to a V2 spokesperson.
Source billboard.com.
In a move that might be the equivilent of Bob Weir playing guitar for Motorhead, funk minded Galactic drummer Stanton Moore mans the kit for metal band Corrosion of Conformity and their latest release
Basement Jaxx, Royksopp, David Byrne, the Arcade Fire, Yo-Yo Ma, Femi Kuti and Mos Def have signed on for Los Angeles radio station KCRW’s World Music Festival, to be held throughout the summer at the Hollywood Bowl. Byrne, the Arcade Fire, Si*Se and the Extra Action Marching Band will kick things off on June 26; KCRW music director Nic Harcourt will host.
Basement Jaxx, Royksopp and Bossacucanova will headline the Planet Electronica event on July 17, followed by a bill featuring Femi Kuti and Mos Def on July 24. Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble are confirmed for Aug. 7, while Desmond Dekker, Maxi Priest and Black Uhuru will lead Reggae Night IV on Aug. 28. The event will close Sept. 11 with Destination Hawaii, featuring a host of performers from the island.
Source billboard.com.
