Archive: 2006

Please accept our insincerest apologies if you happen to be one of these girls, but life is all about having fun at other people’s expense. So let this be a lesson: If you take a picture with the jam world’s (least) favorite son and post it on the information superhighway, you might want to crop out the […]

I scream, you scream, we all scream for…that quintessential symbol of summer. Matt Allen, aka Ice Cream Man has logged more than 20,000 miles to give away frozen confections at music festivals across the nation, posting photos and reviews along the way on his website. From kids to rock stars and everyone in between, it seems we all have something in common: we love ice cream. And, what could be better than getting free ice cream? Giving it!

The Future is Unwritten," Julien Temple’s new film on the life and career of late Clash frontman Joe Strummer, will have its U.S. premiere in mid-January at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Taking its name from one of Strummer’s favorite phrases, the film includes interviews with such Strummer disciples as Bono, actors […]

Modest Mouse have played their first show with Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr. The band debuted a series of new tracks from their eagerly awaited new album ‘We Were Dead Even Before The Ship Sank’ at Los Angeles’ Avalon venue Monday night (November 6), including ‘We’ve Got Everything’, ‘Missed The Boat’, ‘Dashboard’ and ‘Invisible In Your […]

The members of the rock band Rainer Maria–beloved to critics for a sound that defied easy comparison, and to fans for their exhilarating liveperformances–have announced their intention to disband at the end of 2006.This announcement comes almost exactly 11 years after the band’s formationin October 1995."We are grateful to our new listeners and especially our […]

Judging from the hundreds of e-mails I’ve received this week about the civil responsibility of voting, I’m guessing today is Election Day. My dime-store political analysis: Leave it to the Lefties to peak entirely too soon. Unbridled optimism from the Democrats suddenly became dangerously cautious optimism (with a dash of Hide the Pelosi), and the […]

We’re nearing the Christmas season and yet no announcement’s been made…

Finally, unofficial word’s starting to trickle out about the 18th Annual Warren Haynes Christmas Jam. Bluestraveler.net reports:

“…flyers handed out at a recent Gov’t Mule show in Greensboro, North Carolina state that the John Popper Project would be part of the lineup for the 18th Annual Warren Haynes Christmas Jam. According to the flyers, the X-Mas Jam will also feature Audley Freed; Col. Bruce Hampton; Dave Matthews; Dave Schools; Gov’t Mule; Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives; the New Orleans Social Club featuring Ivan Neville, George Porter, Henry Butler and Leo Nocentelli; and the Taj Mahal Trio. The show will take place December 18th at the Asheville Civic Center in Asheville, NC; more information is expected to be announced soon on xmasjam.com.”

Caveat: If that date is indeed accurate, this would mark the first time the X-Mas jam would be held on a Monday, which doesn’t make a whole lotta sense. Being that we’re only about one month away, let’s get some answers, Warren…

Update: It’s possible the show will be that Saturday, December 16th. We’ll keep you updated as the rumors continue to flood the Internets…

Following a series of impromptu jam sessions, The Wood Brothers recorded Ways Not To Lose, a stripped down explosion of folky-blues built around Chris’ distinct bass rumblings and Oliver’s road weary voice and simple, yet soulful guitar. Produced by John Medeski, the brothers’ debut album, was released on Blue Note Records, March 7, 2006.

During his 20-song set at Foellinger Auditorium on the campus of the University of Illinois, Jeff Tweedy appeared happy and willing to go along with the hooting and hollering of obscure requests of college kids enjoying their Halloween weekend. In other words, he’s come a long way from the panicked and uptight figure that had to seek medical help in the past.

I guess the fans have been on their best behaviour…it now appears as if Genesis will indeed announce details about its “Turn It On Again” tour tomorrow.

Check the official Genesis website for details on how to tune into the webcast of the 12 pm GMT press conference. But are you really going to wake up at 7 am just to hear Phil Collins announce the band’s kinda back together?

The real question is, are you excited for a Genesis reunion without Peter Gabriel?

Save the chit-chat, let’s just jump right into the links: An Aquarium Drunkard posts a great piece and a slew of downloads from the Exile On Main Street sessions Bruce Hornsby looks back at his brilliant career For those of you that thought Stevie Nicks was a founding member of Fleetwood Mac, get your history lesson right […]

Not that I’m into velvet rope culture, but I was lucky enough to stroll the black carpet at the Beacon Theater premiere of the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line last November. The stars arrived and the girls dialed girlfriends to deliver reports on celebrity style. I left the theater that night admiring the acting’s obvious superiority over a somewhat mediocre script, but I still couldn’t shake the notion that nobody could truly nail the Man in Black.

I was a bit of a Cash late-bloomer. Sure, I’d always known the hits, but not until the summer in the year of our lord 2000 did Johnny ever provide the musical backdrop for such a protracted period of time for me. All summer long Cash’s ruggedly pained vocals serenaded our perpetual season of darts. He’d shout “Hey, Porter” when I’d hit double 20 or lament the time he took a shot of cocaine and shot his woman down after a just-missed-19 single three.

But the first time I heard his live performance at San Quentin, I got pretty geeked up. Part of me wanted to take a double shot of the manliest, dirtiest whiskey in the bar, smash a glass bottle on the table and stab the guy yappin’ at my lady right in the groin. Then I remembered I was a sheltered weakling from Lawn Gisland and my sudden confidence turned to envy of this man’s complete coolness.

I mention all this nonsense as a quasi-preface to this particular bit of town crying: A new, remastered two-CD, one-DVD Johnny Cash: At San Quentin set will be released to the masses later this month, and we’re offering a free copy to one lucky reader of this post. That’s right, one of youse can win the three-disc package as part of our first ever Everybody Wins When I Plug Something And In Return They Offer Me Free Shit To Give Away contest.

Some blogs pick winners at random and some like to throw out trivia, but I’d like to subjectively choose a commenter that deserves it based on their response to this question: If you were locked away in a pound-me-in-the-ass state prison for the rest of your living days, what individual musician or band would you least want swinging by the clink to provide a glimmer of hope to you and your fellow inmates? And like we’re back in grade school, explain your reasoning and show your work.

Respond early, respond often — the contest ends at midnight next Sunday evening, and a winner will be announced Monday, November 13th at a signing ceremony in the White House Roosevelt Room with oversized balloons and a bunch of fancy pens. Remember to leave an e-mail address at the bottom of your comment, and make sure to check back and see if you win the fuckin’ thing.

Read on after the jump for some samples from the release and a full track and band listing from this legendary follow-up to At Folsom Prison…

One of Nashville’s favorite sons, Bobby Bare Jr. has done it again. Pulling a who’s who of indie rock and roll together, the Young Criminal’s Starvation League churned out a bright album with The Longest Meow. Eleven musicians including Jim James, Patrick Hallahan, Carl Broemel all of My Morning Jacket, crafted the eleven track album in just eleven hours at Nashville’s Ocean Way Studios.

Autumn is in full-force right now as the days are quickly getting shorter and colder. But before the bustling of the holiday season arrives, take a minute to catch up on some tunes from the last couple of months. Sweden is in this fall as several bands from this country have peaked through into the States. The Shins make a return to form, and some new artists on the verge will appease. So, drink some cider and bundle up–it’s time to give your i-Pod some fuel.

In a message posted on their website, The String Cheese Incident have announced that flat-picker and band founder Bill Nershi will be leaving the band. After summer 2007, Billy Nershi is leaving The String Cheese Incident to pursue other musical projects. There will be only a limited number of Incidents between now and then.  Current […]

Just days after wrapping a nationwide tour, The Hold Steady has announced another round of concerts for November and December. The Brooklyn-by-way-of-Minneapolis quintet released a new album, Boys And Girls In America, in early October and played nearly two dozen shows that month. The new itinerary includes two co-headlining shows with the Constantines in Philadelphia and Brooklyn, […]

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah are back with a new album in January.  Just ten months after wowing the alt.indie world with their eponymous debut, the Philadelphia quintet have completed the follow-up.  The as-yet-untitled collection is released on January 29, 2007 through Wichita. It was recorded in the Tarbox Studios in Upstate New York with […]

Warning: If you want your asses blown out, read this post… I’m not sure if New Line Cinema’s behind this leaked tease or whether it’s unauthorized sneakiness, but the first six incredible minutes of setup for what many people are calling “The Greatest Motion Picture of All Time” have been uploaded to YouTube. Okay, so […]

This may have been the longest week ever…am I right? Well, Friday is finally here, and we’ve got our regular batch of end-week leftovers to keep you entertained: Relix gets Page Six fever with its new Rumors page Stretching the definition of jamband, here’s one for ya: Babs Streisand gets the Trey treatment, getting a drink thrown at her […]

Here’s a cool clip of the Killer Bs — Bobby, Billy and Brent — ransacking a piano in some hotel lobby. I always thought Brent slept out back in the alley, but I guess this proves he stayed in the hotel with the rest of the non-homeless Dead members. [youtube]ziiUTqMOVNI[/youtube] I keed, I keed, Brent Mydland is a fucking […]