2006

The Walkmen will launch more than a month’s worth of North American tour dates May 24, the day after releasing their third album, A Hundred Miles Off.

The tour begins at home in New York City at Webster Hall. The group will stay on the road for five weeks, stopping for two shows at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall June 12-13 and finishing in Boston June 29.

The five-piece – comprising Hamilton Leithauser, Paul Maroon, Matt Barrick, Pete Bauer and Walter Martin – will hit Coachella and the U.K. prior to the tour.

To spice things up a bit in the live department, a couple members recently decided to pull a little switcheroo, according to the band’s official Web site.

“In the past, Martin would play the organ and Maroon would play either piano or guitar; now, Bauer plays primarily piano and organs, as well as gourd and lap steel. Barrick remains behind the drums.”

Source pollstar.com.

The Drive By Truckers, who will be releasing their new album, A Blessing and a Curse on April 18th, have announced a series of U.S. dates co-headlinig with Son Volt. The tour kicks off at the Heritage Motorcycle Rally and winds through a number of selected cities.

Tour Dates

Fri April 14 – Ladson, SC – Heritage Motorcycle Rally, Exhange Park Fairgrounds

Tue Apr 18 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge

Thu April 20 – Charlottesville, VA – Charlottesville Pavilion w/ Robert Randolph (DBT opens)

Thu April 27 – Baton Rouge, LA – Sogo Live

Fri April 28 – Dallas, TX – Gypsy Ballroom

Sat April 29 – Austin, TX – Stubbs BBQ

Sun April 30 – Albuquerque, NM – El Rey Theatre w/ Son Volt

Tue May 2 – San Diego, CA – Cane’s Ballroom w/ Son Volt

Wed May 3 – Los Angeles, CA – House Of Blues w/ Son Volt

Thu May 4 – Los Angeles, CA – House Of Blues w/ Son Volt

Fri May 5 – San Francisco, CA – Fillmore w/ Son Volt

Sat May 6 – San Francisco, CA – Fillmore w/ Son Volt (DBT opens)

Mon May 8 – Portland, OR – Roseland w/ Son Volt

Tue May 9 – Seattle, WA – Showbox Theatre w/ Son Volt

Wed May 10 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom

Wed May 17 – Minneapolis, MN – First Ave Nightclub

Thu May 18 – Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theatre

Fri May 19 – Chicago, IL – Vic Theatre

Sat May 20 – Louisville, KY – Headliner’s

TBA June – Telluride, CO – 2006 Telluride Bluegrass Festival

This summer’s Lollapalooza lineup has been announced and the Chicago event goes like this:

Three days, 120 artists including Red Hot Chili Peppers; Chicago’s own Kanye West, Wilco, Common, Umphrey’s McGhee, Poi dog Pondering, Smoking Popes, the Redwalls and the M’s.; Manu Chao, The Flaming Lips, Ween Death Cab for Cutie, Raconteurs, Queens of the Stone Age, The Shins, Iron & Wine, Matisyahu, Ryan Adams, Sonic Youth, Nada Surf, the New Pornographers, Dresden Dolls, Sleater-Kinney, Sparta, She Wants Revenge … and the list goes on and on.

“We want the fans to discover and explore,” said Perry Farrell, founder and creator of what is considered the “original” modern festival. “That’s what Lollapalooza is all about: sounds of all genres swirling about as you walk through the expanse of Grant Park.”
Tickets are now officially on sale for the August 4-6 party in Grant Park. The schedule for each day hasn’t been nailed down yet, but all the artists are listed at www.lollapalooza.com.

Band List

Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kanye West, Manu Chao, Wilco, Death Cab For Cutie, The Raconteurs, The Flaming Lips, Ween, Queens of the Stone Age, The Shins, Common, Matisyahu, Ryan Adams, Umphrey’s McGee, Sonic Youth, Thievery Corporation, Sleater-Kinney, Nickel Creek, Blues Traveler, Broken Social Scene, The New Pornographers, Iron & Wine, Poi Dog Pondering, Coheed And Cambria, The Secret Machines, Eels, Panic! At the Disco, The Disco Biscuits, She Wants Revenge, The Dresden Dolls, Reverend Horton Heat, The Smoking Popes, Andrew Bird, Gnarls Barkley, Stars, Cursive, Blackalicious, Editors, Lyrics Born, Lady Sovereign, Calexico, Nada Surf, Feist, Aqualung, The Frames, The Hold Steady, The Go! Team, Mates of State, Pepper, Particle, The Redwalls, Mute Math, Wolfmother, Sparta, The Subways, Of Montreal, Blue October, Jeremy Enigk, Living Things, Sound Team, The M’s, Hot Chip, The Benevento-Russo Duo, Matt Costa, The New Amsterdams, deadboy & the Elephantmen, Sybris, Anathallo, The Burden Brothers, What Made Milwaukee Famous, Manishevitz, Husky Rescue, The Towers of London, Ohmega Watts, Boy Kill Boy, Jim Noir, The Standard, Be Your Own Pet, Elvis Perkins, Trevor Hall, Midlake

Source: pollstar

MerleFest 2006 has announced the release on March 14 of a limited edition audio compact disc, Fresh Faces at MerleFest 2006. The CD celebrates the diversity of music performed at MerleFest by compiling tracks either by artists making their MerleFest debut this year or returning after several years

Widespread Panic’s May 9 show at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre will be simulcast at movie screens nationwide through a deal with Regal Cinemas and National Cinemedia. Director Blake Morrison will shoot the concert, which fans can view live for $15 at 150 Regal, United Artists and Edwards screens coast to coast.

The Fox show, to be preceded by a May 8 performance to work out technical issues, will come on the heels of April 21-22 dates at the 20,000-capacity Alltel Pavilion in Raleigh, N.C., to complete the band’s spring live work.

The cinema deal is geared to set up the Widespread/Sanctuary Records June 13 release of the new Panic album “Earth to America,” which is also the title of the simulcast. The album’s production wrapped in January at Compass Point in Nassau, with veteran producer Terry Manning twisting the knobs.

Source billboard.com.

Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee, former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted and former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke have formed a new band, Supernova, and will utilize the CBS reality show “Rock Star” as the vehicle by which to select a lead singer. The show will premiere this summer.

Once a singer has been selected, Supernova will hit the studio with producer Butch Walker (Pink, Avril Lavigne) to record an album that will be released in the fall. A world tour will follow in early 2007.

Guitarist Dave Navarro and actress Brooke Burns will return as the show’s hosts. Navarro promises appearances from Slash, Macy Gray, Moby and Rob Zombie during the competition.

Last fall, “Rock Star” debuted as a talent search for a new INXS frontman. With winner J.D. Fortune in tow, the group has revived its career with a new album, “Switch,” and an extensive tour. INXS will return the road April 21 in Memphis.

Source billboard.com.

New York-based indie rock act the Hold Steady has signed with Vagrant Records. The group will hit the studio in May to record the follow-up to its 2005 French Kiss swansong, “Separation Sunday,” which is expected to be out before the end of the year.

Several new tunes have been appearing in recent set lists, including “Hot Soft Light,” “Same Kooks” and “Massive Nights.” The group’s only scheduled show at present is April 7 at Warsaw in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Source billboard.com.