February 2006

Ten To Watch In 2006

The beginning of the year can be a sluggish time, so the following is a list of artists and bands to look forward to along with some long-awaited albums from a plethora of our favorite artists.

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The Sounds To Tour With Morningwood And Action Action

After an enormously successful headlining tour of Scandinavia, Swedish rockers The Sounds have confirmed a 40-date North American tour beginning March 22nd at The Henry Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. The tour will coincide with the band’s new album DYING TO SAY THIS TO YOU coming out March 21st on Scratchie / New Line Records. Morningwood and Action Action will be the support for the entire tour.

Barely out of high school when the band members recorded their debut album, LIVING IN AMERICA, The Sounds have been firmly established as a band to watch, as they played more than 300 gigs since its release, logging many miles on the Warped Tour as well as with the Foo Fighters and the Strokes.

Besides being on every late-night TV show and featured in almost every national US publication, including the New York Times Sunday Magazine, which is startling for any band, let alone one from such a remote place as the small southern Swedish city of Helsingborg, The Sounds were anxious to start writing new songs, after 3 plus years of constant touring.

Ready to record their sophomore album, the band began work with producer Jeff Saltzman (The Killers) at Studio 880 in Oakland, CA, where Green Day recorded “American Idiot.” Bringing an even stronger fusion of the band’s punk attitude and pop savvy that they established on their debut, the band presents a diversified and deeper version of the sound on DYING.

The band will also make an appearance at this year’s SXSW Festival in Austin, TX on March 18th.

Dates to be announced shortly.

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The Magic Numbers Plan Spring Tour With The Elected

British critical darlings The Magic Numbers are returning to the U.S. for a quick tour this spring, with help from Rilo Kiley side project The Elected.

The 11-date itinerary is focused mainly on the East Coast and South, starting March 15 in Ft. Worth, Texas.

The Elected will open at all shows, save for The Magic Numbers’ March 16-17 stop at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas.

They’ll hit New York City’s Webster Hall and Detroit’s Magic Stick before finishing up April 1 at Chicago’s Double Door. West Coast fans won’t be totally left out, though: The Magic Numbers will be back for Coachella at the end of the month.

The band is currently touring Japan and will hit Europe as well before the U.S. trek launches.

Source pollstar.com.

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Widespread Panic Completes Recording Of Next Album

Widespread Panic has completed recording of its next studio album, due in June via Sanctuary Records. As previously reported, the group worked for the first time with producer Terry Manning (Big Star, ZZ Top) at Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas. The as-yet-untitled set will boast new songs and “an old favorite or two,” according to the band. Additional details have yet to be announced.

While it’s been three years since Panic released a new disc, the group has put out new music recently. The group recorded the track “Perfect Hair” for the Cartoon Network “Adult Swim” series “Perfect Hair Forever” and also utilized it in a short shown during a New Year’s Eve concert in Atlanta. The clip can be viewed via the Adult Swim Web site.

Source billboard.com.

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U2 Wins Big At Grammys – Del McCoury Band, Damian Marley, Tim O’Brien, White Stripes Among Winners

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members U2 captured the Grammy Award for album of the year for the disc “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.”

It was the band’s second major award of the night, having won song of the year for “Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own,” one of the album’s songs.

Lead singer Bono explained earlier that the atomic bomb in the album’s title referred to his father, whose death inspired many of its lyrics.

“This is really a big, big night for our band,” Bono said.

U2 beat out Mariah Carey’s best-selling “The Emancipation of Mimi,” shutting out the songbird from any of the major Grammy Awards in her comeback year. Other nominees included Paul McCartney’s “Chaos and Creation in the Backyard,” Gwen Stefani’s “Love. Angel. Music. Baby.,” and Kanye West’s “Late Registration.”

Other notable winners include:

Alternative Music Album: “Get Behind Me Satan,” The White Stripes.

Rock Instrumental Performance: “69 Freedom Special,” Les Paul and Friends.

Solo Rock Vocal Performance: “Devils & Dust,” Bruce Springsteen.

Hard Rock Performance: “B.Y.O.B.,” System of a Down.

Alternative Performance: “Welcome to Jamrock,” Damian Marley.

Top Collaboration With Vocals: “Feel Good Inc.,” Gorillaz Featuring De La Soul.

Traditional Blues Album: “80,” B.B. King and Friends.

Traditional Folk Album: “Fiddler’s Green,” Tim O’Brien.

Contemporary Folk Album: “Fair & Square,” John Prine.

Bluegrass Album: “The Company We Keep,” The Del McCoury Band.

Jazz Instrumental Solo: “Why Was I Born?” Sonny Rollins.

Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group: “Beyond the Sound Barrier,” Wayne Shorter Quartet.

Contemporary Jazz Album: “The Way Up,” Pat Metheny Group.

Dance Album: “Push the Button,” The Chemical Brothers.

Best Long Form Music Video: “No Direction Home” ( Bob Dylan).

Click here for a full list of winners.

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