2006

With the announcement of this year

On August 31, 2006, ISWHAT?! will release ‘The Life We Chose,’ featuring 14 brand new tracks bursting at the seams with pith and vinegar. The album signals a major evolution for ISWHAT?!, which is assisted in no small part by its guest artists who bring a broad spectrum of sonic colors and styles to the table. However, in the end it’s the giant steps made by Napoleon Maddox and Jack Walker at their respective crafts that makes their long-awaited follow up so extraordinary.

‘The Life We Chose’ is a fierce, modern hip-hop statement. And concurrently, it’s a progressive, forward-looking jazz record. Created by a one-of-a-kind pairing of artists who are not at all inclined to allow the inimitability of such a combination carry the day, they deliver music of purpose, conviction and inspiration. In the words of one of Napoleon Maddox’s heroes Chuck D., it’s a collection of songs meant to “Fight the Power.” In the spirit of one of Jack Walker’s heroes Rahsaan Roland Kirk, it’s music created as a “Theme For The Eulipions.”

Van Morrison will take a break from his current European schedule to play several upcoming shows in the US as the legendary singer continues to support his most recent disc, the country-heavy “Pay the Devil.”

Morrison will kick off his short round of US dates Aug. 5 in Philadelphia, following that up with three additional eastern dates. After another round of overseas touring, Morrison will return in September for three more shows on the West Coast, beginning with a Sept. 12 appearance in Berkeley, CA.

The September dates will include Morrison’s slot at the Austin City Limits Festival in Austin, TX.

Morrison’s complete European itinerary can be found at his website.

“Pay the Devil” includes 12 covers of country classics, among them Hank Williams’ “Your Cheatin’ Heart” and “Things Have Gone to Pieces,” originally performed by George Jones. The set–the follow-up to 2005’s “Magic Time”–also features three original compositions.

The 58-year-old singer has also released a live DVD containing five songs from the new album shot during his performance earlier this year at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. The DVD will be packaged with new pressings of “Pay the Devil.” A preview video from the disc is available for viewing at Morrison’s website.

Morrison became a solo star in the late ’60s and early ’70s; his best-known albums include “Astral Weeks,” “Moondance” and “Tupelo Honey.”

A native of Belfast, Northern Ireland, Morrison was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.

August 2006
5 – Philadelphia, PA – Wachovia Spectrum
6 – Washington, DC – Patriot Center
7 – Wantagh, NY – Nikon at Jones Beach
8 – Toronto, Ontario – Air Canada Centre

September 2006
12 – Berkeley, CA – Greek Theatre
13 – Phoenix, AZ – Cricket Pavilion
15 – Austin, TX – Austin City Limits Festival

For the first time in over a year, Sufjan Stevens is going on tour, bringing with him a talented group of musicians and friends including a small string ensemble (ranging from four to eight members in different cities) and brass section.

They will perform a repertoire of familiar songs from Seven Swans, Michigan and Illinois in a new symphonic context. This tour is not a promotional tour for The Avalanche, Stevens’ latest CD of Illinois outtakes, but instead a chance for Stevens to showcase his compositions in a more formal atmosphere. The tour will bring Sufjan and his ensemble to some of the country’s finest theaters, including Nashville’s esteemed Ryman and Los Angeles’ historic Wiltern. Almost all of these shows will be seated, with three exceptions.

The pomp and pageantry of the previous Illinoisemakers tour will be augmented by a nuance, mastery and sophistication of talented new players. But don’t expect to see any cheerleading uniforms or routines. Suit coats, neckties and corsages might be more appropriate; but we aren’t about to issue a dress code. Sufjan will also be performing five to six new songs on the tour.

Supporting the tour will be My Brightest Diamond, a moniker for the talented singer-songwriter Shara Worden. Shara has toured extensively in Sufjan’s band, appears on his recordings, and is often his right-hand woman. Shara is also a close friend, creative peer and Brooklyn neighbor to Sufjan.

Tour Dates

Mon. Sept. 11: Nashville, TN, Ryman

Fri. Sept. 15: Austin, TX, Paramount Theater

Sat. Sept. 16: Austin, TX, Paramount Theater

Tue. Sept. 19: New Orleans, LA, House of Blues

Weds. Sept. 20: Atlanta, GA, Fox Theater (PASTE Fest)

Thu. Sept. 21: Chapel Hill, NC, Memorial Hall

Sat. Sept. 23: Indianapolis, IN, Egyptian Theater

Sun. Sept. 24: St. Louis, MO, The Pageant

Mon. Sept. 25: Milwaukee, WI, Pabst Theater

Tue. Sept. 26: Chicago, IL, The Riviera

Thu. Sept. 28: Philadelphia, PA, The Towers

Fri. Sept. 29: New York, NY, Town Hall

Sat. Sept. 30: New York, NY, Town Hall

Mon. Oct. 9: Los Angeles, CA, The Wiltern

Weds. Oct. 11: San Francisco, CA, Zellerbach Hall

Fri. Oct. 13: Portland, OR, Crystal Ballroom

Sat. Oct. 14: Vancouver, BC, St. Andrews Cathedral

Sun. Oct. 15: Seattle, WA, Paramount

My Morning Jacket recently trekked to Woodstock, N.Y., to record a cover of the Band’s “It Makes No Difference” for a star-studded Band tribute album, due Jan. 9 via Savoy Jazz. The catch: the song was put to tape at the studio of the Band’s drummer, Levon Helm, bringing MMJ’s members face to face with one of their musical idols.

As for My Morning Jacket, the band has just been added to the lineup for next month’s Lollapalooza festival in Chicago and will re-team with Pearl Jam as an opening act for 11 September dates on the latter’s first European tour since 2000.

As previously reported, an MMJ live album and DVD, “Okonokos,” will be separately released in the fall. The double-disc CD is due Sept. 26, while the DVD will arrive Oct. 31 and will also be screened at select U.S. movie theaters. Eschewing the straight-up “film the show” approach, the latter follows a storyline that transports fans to an MMJ show in the middle of a forest.

Source billboard.com.