Archive: 2006

Finally a compilation of the best of their incredible two albums released on MuSick Records including live cuts and some unreleased studio gems.

With all the same-sounding major-label

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Addison Groove Project (AGP) is proud to announce a new project: Skinjer, which features four of the five members of AGP and will see the members performing new material as well as re-worked versions of AGP staples. Skinjer will feature Dave Adams on lead vocals and saxophone, Ben Groppe on bass, saxophone and flute, Andrew Keith on drums and Rob Marscher on keyboards and vocals.

Skinjer made their debut last year with a performance at University of New Hampshire and that has been their only show to date. The group’s first club dates will take place in some of the members’ favorite venues around the Northeast. The three shows currently scheduled are:

1/27 – Maxwell’s – Hoboken, NJ
1/28 – Higher Ground Showcase Lounge – So. Burlington, VT
2/3 – Iron Horse Music Hall – Northampton, MA

Skinjer formed as a result of Brendan McGinn’s recent entry into medical school. McGinn is the lead singer/guitarist in AGP and his schooling has resulted in a much reduced touring schedule for AGP. With the formation of Skinjer, the other four members of AGP have found a new creative outlet. However, fans of AGP should be relieved to know that AGP will still continue playing select shows, just not as many as in the past.

The name Skinjer is an homage to John Skinger Hall, AGP’s original bass player who passed away in November of 2004.

See skinjer.com for more information.

Anti recording artist Daniel Lanois has confirmed Tuesday night residency at the Silverlake, CA hot spot Spaceland throughout January. Door time for the shows is at 9pm, and set time is 11pm. Lanois will also perform February 3 at Zankel Hall for the New York premiere of his film, the

Singer/songwriter and keyboardist Billy Preston is recovering from a recent bout with a serious infection of the sac encasing his heart. “Billy had a very catastrophic incident happen to him, but he is doing considerably better,” his manager, Joyce Moore, said last week.

Preston, 59, is best known for his work with the Beatles during the later portion of their career, playing the organ on “Get Back.” He also toured with the Rolling Stones and was a regular member of Eric Clapton’s band. His solo hits include “Nothing From Nothing Leaves Nothing” and “Will It Go Round in Circles?”

He has suffered from chronic kidney failure brought on by uncontrolled high blood pressure since 2001, Moore said. He had a kidney transplant in 2002, but the kidney failed and he has been on thrice-weekly dialysis treatments ever since.

Moore said that while Preston isn’t “brain dead” as some reports suggested, he remains seriously ill and is not up and walking around. He cannot speak because he has a tracheotomy.

Moore said he’s not hospitalized at the clinic, but is in a facility where he can receive physical therapy and other medical treatment. Preston is not contemplating another kidney transplant, she said. “He just decided that he could not go through that again,” Moore said.

Source billboard.com.

The National, Mark Eitzel, Vernon Reid and Martha Wainwright were among the acts on hand Saturday to perform Bruce Springsteen’s “Nebraska” album in its entirety at New York’s World Financial Center Winter Garden, and the Boss couldn’t resist putting in an appearance.

Springsteen joined the ensemble at the end of the concert for a cover of Woody and Jack Guthrie’s “Oklahoma Hills” and then stuck around to converse with the artists backstage.

“I think he might have felt nostalgic after hearing ‘Nebraska’ played back at him by such a motley assortment of musicians,” the National’s Aaron Dessner tells Billboard.com. Springsteen featured the National’s “About Today” in the music played in venues before shows on his recent solo tour, and Dessner enthuses, “It was almost absurd to me that he knows and likes our music.”

The National has a reached a new level of visibility and critical appreciation thanks its 2005 Beggars Banquet debut, “Alligator.” But the group isn’t resting on its laurels, and is already working on writing new songs. “We hope to start recording in late spring,” Dessner says.

Before then, the group will join Broken Social Scene for a Jan. 25 show at Tufts University in Boston and headline the Plug Awards Feb. 2 at New York’s Webster Hall. Dessner says “a short east coast and west coast run” will follow in late March.

Fans can also hear the song “Wasp Nest,” from the National’s 2004 “Cherry Tree” EP, in the new George Clooney film “Syriana.”

Source billboard.com.

Idaho-based rock act Built To Spill will return April 11 with its fourth Warner Bros. studio album, “You in Reverse.” As previously reported, this is the first Built To Spill full-length since its 1993 debut, “Ultimate Alternative Wavers,” to not be produced by Phil Ek. “We just wanted to try something new to spark us to do something different,” frontman Doug Martsch told Billboard.com last year.

Martsch admitted he was not satisfied with the last Built To Spill studio album, 2001’s “Ancient Melodies of the Future,” which was met with a muted response from critics and fans alike. “I just wasn’t too into making Built To Spill records. Taking a little time off makes it more exciting to come back to,” he said.

If the new album opener “Goin’ Against Your Mind” is any indication, the group seems to have been revitalized by the time off. At nearly nine minutes, the song is the most rocking and expansive piece of music Built To Spill has unveiled in years. It is now available streaming on the group’s Myspace.com page.

“You in Reverse” features the studio debut of former Delusions guitarist Jim Roth, who has been a part of the Built To Spill live band for several years. Quasi’s Sam Coomes also contributed on keyboard. The first single from the set will most likely be “Conventional Wisdom,” according to a spokesperson.

Having toured in lieu of a new album on and off over the past few years, Built To Spill will hit the road later this year in support of the new album.

Here is the track list for “You in Reverse”:

“Goin’ Against Your Mind”
“Traces”
“Liar”
“Saturday”
“Wherever You Go”
“Conventional Wisdom”
“Gone”
“Mess With Time”
“Just a Habit”
“The Wait”

Source billboard.com.

A unique combination of indie singer/songwriters is hitting the road together this February as The Undertow Orchestra on a tour that promises plenty of special moments.

Vic Chesnutt, Dave Bazan of Pedro the Lion, Mark Eitzel of American Music Club, and Centro-matic frontman Will Johnson will share the stage, taking turns at the mic and serving as backing band on each other’s material.

Centro-matic’s Scott Danbom will also be along to provide accompaniment on piano and violin.

The tour starts February 8 in Athens, Ga., and hits 18 cities, including a double-night stand in Arlington, Va.

The gang will cover the South, East Coast and Great Lakes regions before wrapping back in Georgia at Atlanta’s Variety Playhouse March 1.

Source pollstar.com.

Photos by Richard Clarke of the moe. New Years Eve show held at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in Asheville, NC.

Ever We Fall has just announced plans to hit the road with The Fall Of Troy, The #12 Looks Like You, Days Like These, The Audition, and An Angle. The Pop-Punk / Emo band is currently touring in anticipation of their Hopeless Records debut

Galactic is proud to announce the upcoming Coup de Gras Tour. Inspired by New Orleans’ annual celebration of Mardi Gras, the tour will feature traditional Crescent-City openers throughout. Each stop will be a unique New Orleans’-style celebration centered around Galactic’s progressive funk. Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and the Golden Eagles, whose elaborate costumes, rituals and performances have made them a Mardi Gras staple, will open the first four dates. The Hot 8 Brass Band will support the latter leg of the tour, leading into the run’s final destination, Mardi Gras. Both of these authentic New Orleans talents have mastered the fine art of fueling the party. The month-long tour begins in Tempe, AZ, on February 8th., and will include a special stop in Denver, CO on February 18th, where guitarist Leo Nocentelli of The Meters, Big Chief Bo Dollis and the Wild Magnolia Mardi Gras Indians, Teedy Boutte and the legendary Rebirth Brass Band will all join Galactic for a very special night of New Orleans’ inspired funk and collaborations. The Rebirth Brass Band is one of the Crescent-City’s most well-known and loved acts will open the show.

Following a run through Texas, the Coup De Gras Tour will culminate with two nights in New Orleans during Mardi Gras weekend, playing at Tipitina’s on February 25th & 27th. The Hot 8 Brass Band will finish their run with Galactic on the 25th, while special guests The New Orleans Klezmer All Stars will open the night of the 27th, helping Galactic keep their Lundi Gras tradition of playing until sunrise on Fat Tuesday for the festival’s grand finale. These final two shows will serve as the culmination of the run, bringing the Mardi Gras theme full circle.

Galactic was born in the mid-’90s, after two Washington DC punks–guitarist Jeff Raines and bassist Robert Mercurio–relocated to New Orleans and found themselves intoxicated by the sounds of the scene that nurtured The Meters, Professor Longhair, the Neville Brothers and Dr. John. Armed with the rhythmic tradition of their adopted hometown, Raines, Mercurio, saxophonist Ben Ellman, keyboardist Rich Vogel, and drummer Stanton Moore have spent ten years tearing through venues across the world, leaving hordes of die-hard Galactic junkies in their wake. Weaving modern and retrospective styles into their own trademark jazz-funk-rock fusion, Galactic created a far-reaching canon–including six albums and countless live performances–informed by ongoing influence from a wide range of genres, including hip-hop, blues, pop, and electronica.

CONFIRMED TOUR DATES BELOW:

FEBRUARY
8 Marquee Theatre Tempe, AZ *
9 4th & B San Diego, CA *
10 House of Blues Anaheim, CA *
11 House of Blues West Hollywood, CA *
12 Ceasars Tahoe Showroom Stateline, NV
14 & 15 Belly Up Aspen, CO
16 Levelz Nightclub Steamboat Springs, CO
17 Club 8150 Vail, CO
18 The Fillmore Auditorium Denver, CO
19 Rafters Mt. Crested Butte, CO
21 Farmers Public Market Oklahoma City, OK **
22 Cain’s Ballroom Tulsa, OK **
23 Gypsy Tea Room Dallas, TX **
24 Meridian Houston, TX **
25 & 27 Tipitina’s New Orleans, LA

* – Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and Golden Eagles supporting
** – Hot 8 Brass Band supporting
*** – The Rebirth Brass Band supporting / with special guests Leo Nocentelli of the Meters, Big Chief Bo Dollis and the Wild Magnolias and Teedy Boutte.

King of France will be hitting the road again, this time with Nada Surf and Rogue Wave.

Confirmed dates:

*Wed 2/8/06 Eight By Ten Baltimore MD
*Thu 2/9/06 Starr Hill Music Hall Charlottesville VA
*Fri 2/10/06 Cats Cradle Carrboro NC
*Sat 2/11/06 Loft Atlanta GA
*Sun 2/12/06 Exit / In Nashville TN
*Tue 2/14/06 Blue Note Columbia MO
*Wed 2/15/06 Granada Lawrence, KS
*Fri 2/17/06 Trees Dallas TX
*Sat 2/18/06 Emo’s Austin TX
*Mon 2/20/06 Clubhouse Tempe Az
*Tue 2/21/06 House of Blues San Diego CA
*Wed 2/22/06 Henry Fonda Theater Los Angeles CA

For more info see thekingoffranceband.com

Coming off a breakout year, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah has announced a full North American tour beginning March 7th in Philadelphia. Notable shows include an appearance at the Langerado Festival March 12th, SXSW dates, a two night run at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco and a closing stand at the Bowery in New York City April 14th and 15th.

Pre sale is now available for most dates. More to be announced

March 07: Philadelphia, PA // TLA
March 08: Washington DC // 9:30 Club
March 09: Carrboro, NC // Cat’s Cradle
March 10: Atlanta, GA // Variety Playhouse
March 12: Sunrise, FL // Langarado Festival
March 15: Ft. Worth, TX // Ridglea Theater
March 16 – 19: Austin, TX // SXSW Festival
March 21: Tucson, AZ // Solar Culture
March 22: San Diego, CA // The Casbah
March 23: Los Angeles, CA // El Ray Theater
March 24: San Francisco, CA // Great American Music Hall
March 25: San Francisco, CA // Great American Music Hall
March 28: Denver, CO // Bluebird Theater
March 30: Lawrance, KS // The Bottleneck
March 31: Omaha, NE // Sokol Auditorium
Apr 01: Minneapolis, MN // 400 Bar
Apr 03: Chicago, IL // Metro
Apr 05: Newport, KY // Southgate House
Apr 06: Cleveland, OH // Beachland Ballroom
Apr 07: Ann Arbor, MI // Blind Pig
Apr 08: Toronto, ONT // Lee’s Palace
Apr 10: Montreal, QUE // La Tulipe
Apr 11: Burlington, VT // Higher Ground
Apr 12: Boston, MA // Paradise
Apr 14: New York City, NY // Bowery Ballroom
Apr 15: New York City, NY // Bowery Ballroom

The Assembly of Dust has evolved from being a group of friends coming together to back lead singer Reid Genauer as he embarked on a solo career after his departure from the seminal jam-band Strangefolk in August of 2000, to developing into a tight cohesive unit with their own distinct style and sound.

As far the Mule Year's Eve run went, this opening night was the meat-and-potatoes end of it: unglamorous and not entirely surprising in setlist, guest list and general delivery.

The Drive-By Truckers have set an April 25 release for their sixth studio album, “A Blessing and a Curse.” As previously reported, the 11-track set is largely made up of freshly written tunes, as opposed to including songs from the group’s hefty back catalog of unreleased material.

“Most everything on it is real new,” group member Patterson Hood told Billboard.com in October. “Lord knows I’ve got a backlog of songs, but when we went into the studio I pretty much ignored it. Everything else we’ve written since we started recording.”

“Blessing” gets off to a rocking start with the Replacements-inspired “Feb. 14,” and is further highlighted by the rootsy, emotional “Daylight,” the Rolling Stones homage “Aftermath USA” and the reflective, six-minute-plus “Goodbye.”

Closer “A World of Hurt,” which features spoken lyrics from Hood, was inspired by the early 2005 birth of his daughter. “It’s about figuring out a way to turn the demons that can threaten to destroy you when you’re an angry young man into something that you live with and maybe even do well with, and I think certainly that’s been the case with me,” he said.

The Truckers will preview the new material during a Jan. 19-21 stand at the 40-Watt Club in their Athens, Ga., homebase, and have a handful of other shows on tap through mid-April. Hood has solo gigs on tap for Jan. 25 and Feb. 6 at Athens’ Flicker.

“A Blessing and a Curse” is the follow-up to 2004’s acclaimed “The Dirty South,” which reached No. 5 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart.

Here is the track list for “A Blessing and a Curse”:

“Feb. 14”
“Gravity’s Gone”
“Easy on Yourself”
“Aftermath USA”
“Goodbye”
“Daylight”
“Wednesday”
“Little Bonnie”
“Space City”
“A Blessing and a Curse”
“A World of Hurt”

Source billboard.com.

Wu-Tang Clan principal Ghostface Killah has put the finishing touches on his fifth album, “Fishscale,” due Feb. 28 via Def Jam. The set is led by the single “Back Like That,” which features up-and-coming Def Jam labelmate Ne-Yo. Production on the project was supplied by MF Doom, Pete Rock, Madlib and J. Dilla, among many others.

Rock produced “Be Easy,” which hit the streets on mixtapes last fall, while Wu-Tang cohort Raekwon appears on four tracks, including “Kilo.” Ghostface’s manager tells Billboard.com the song “Wu United” features all the members of the Wu-Tang Clan, who are regrouping in February for their first tour since 1997. Kanye West is also working on a track for the project.

“Fishscale” is the follow-up to Ghostface’s 2004 Def Jam debut, “The Pretty Toney Album,” which opened at No. 6 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 219,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Ghostface is also tipped to appear on Raekwon’s sequel to his 1995 solo album “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx,” but no release date has yet been confirmed.

As for the Wu-Tang tour, Ghostface’s manager says all the members of the act will participate. At deadline, 10 shows were confirmed, beginning Feb. 7 in New Haven, Conn., but discussions are underway for additional summer dates. Both Raekwon and RZA hinted at the possibility of a Wu outing in prior interviews with Billboard.com, with RZA stressing that group members should be thinking about something other than money when it comes to Wu-Tang’s future.

Here are the Wu-Tang Clan’s tour dates:

Feb. 7: New Haven, Conn. (Toad’s Place)
Feb. 8-9: Boston (Palladium)
Feb. 10-11: Philadelphia (Electric Factory)
Feb. 12: Baltimore (Sonar)
Feb. 13: Washington, D.C. (9:30 Club)
Feb. 14: New York (Hammerstein Ballroom)
Feb. 17: Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (Revolution)
Feb. 18: St. Petersburg, Fla. (Jannus Landing)
Feb. 19: Orlando, Fla. (Hard Rock Live)

Source billboard.com.

Electronic-folk four-piece Animal Collective are preparing to kickstart a North American tour in support of their latest, surprisingly pop-packed effort, Feels, on February 21st in Boston.
The album, which features the energetic, choral-pop tracks “Grass” and “Did You See the Words,” is a kind of turning point for the Brooklyn collective, with its roots in ecstatic, free-form jams. “The music has a lot to do with love and loving in our lives in the past year,” says drummer Panda Bear.

The group’s intense live show tends towards the improvisational, sometimes breaking into dancing and drum circles.

“For us,” says guitarist Deakin, “playing music together is happiness.”

Perhaps in a nod to their more raja-inflected songs, popular Nepali folk singer Prem Raja Mahat is slated as one of Animal Collective’s opening acts.

Animal Collective North American tour dates:

02/21: Boston, Paradise Rock Club
02/22: Montreal, La Sala Rossa
02/23: Toronto, Lee’s Palace
02/24: Lansing, MI, Temple Club
02/25: Chicago, Logan Square Auditorium
02/26: Minneapolis, First Avenue
03/1: Seattle, Neumo’s
03/2: Vancouver, Richard’s On Richards
03/3: Portland, Wonder Ballroom
03/4: Sacramento, The Library
03/5: San Francisco, The Fillmore
03/7: Los Angeles, Vanguard Theatre
03/14: San Diego, Epicentre
03/15: Tucson, Solar Culture
03/19: Atlanta, Variety Playhouse
03/20: Asheville, NC, Orange Peel
03/21: Washington, DC, Black Cat
03/22: Philadelphia, Starlight
03/23: New York, Webster Hall
03/25: New York, Bowery Ballroom

Source Rollingstone.com.

King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp visited Microsoft Corp.’s campus recently to record sounds that could be used in the forthcoming version of the company’s flagship Windows operating system.

A Microsoft Web site posting shows a dark, 25-minute video clip of Fripp recording ethereal sounds that, the posting says, could be used for the audio cues found in Windows.

“So, what was he (Fripp) doing on campus? Recording the various sounds we’ll all hear in Windows Vista,” Robert Scoble, a Microsoft technical evangelist and prominent employee blogger, wrote in text accompanying the posting.

Vista, the first new version of Windows in five years, is due out sometime this year. The site says the recording took place a few weeks ago on Microsoft’s Redmond campus.

But King Crimson fans may not want to get their hopes up just yet.

A spokeswoman for Microsoft’s outside public relations firm, Waggener Edstrom, said in an e-mailed statement that it was too early to say what sounds will be included in Vista.

“We haven’t made any decisions and it’s very early stages,” the statement said.

The video was posted Jan. 5 on Microsoft’s Channel 9 Web site, which aims to be a forum for employees and customers to discuss Microsoft products.

Fripp was a co-founder of the progressive rock group King Crimson and also has worked with such musicians as Brian Eno.

Source yahoo.com.