Archive: 2006

Octone/J Records recording artist Michael Tolcher will be part
of the lineup for the inaugural Dave Matthews & Friends Cruise, which sets sail from Miami and Port Canaveral, FL on two separate Royal Caribbean ships, Sovereign of the Seas and Majesty of the Seas, on February 3. The lineup for the 3-day cruise includes Michael Tolcher, Bob Weir & Ratdog, G. Love & Special Sauce, Ozomatli, and the North Mississippi All Stars. The ships will port in Nassau and Royal Caribbean

The 10 finalists for the inaugural New Pantheon Awards have been chosen, Billboard.com can exclusively reveal. The award, which continues the mission of the now-defunct Shortlist Prize in recognizing noteworthy albums that have sold less than 500,000 copies in the United States, will be handed out Feb. 6 at a Los Angeles venue to be announced.

Among the titles that will battle for the New Pantheon prize are Animal Collective’s “Feels” (Fatcat), Antony and the Johnsons’ “I Am a Bird Now” (Secretly Canadian), Fiona Apple’s “Extraordinary Machine” (Epic), the Arcade Fire’s “Funeral” (Merge) and Bloc Party’s “Silent Alarm” (Vice/Atlantic). Last fall, “I Am a Bird Now” took the Mercury Music Prize, the U.K. award on which both the Shortlist and the New Pantheon are modeled.

The remaining five finalists are Death Cab For Cutie’s “Plans” (Atlantic), the Decemberists’ “Picaresque” (Kill Rock Stars), Kings Of Leon’s “Aha Shake Heartbreak” (RCA), M.I.A.’s “Arular” (XL/Beggars Banquet) and Sufjan Stevens’ “Illinois” (Asthmatic Kitty).

The albums were selected by a panel of listmakers that includes Elton John, Elijah Wood, Beck, Margaret Cho, John Legend, Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard, Keith Urban, Ric Ocasek, Shirley Manson, Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda, Suzanne Vega, Dave Matthews and Keith Urban.

The final Shortlist Prize, handed out in November 2004, was won by TV On The Radio’s “Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes” (Touch & Go).

Source billboard.com.

Particle is poised to return to the stage this spring with a fresh lineup, new material, a tour, and a DVD. The bands first live performance of the New Year will be on Friday February 24 at The Henry Fonda Theater Hollywood. Billed as Particle: Transformations, the show will be filmed for a DVD to be released this summer and will feature an array of special guests. Tickets will go on sale this Saturday January 14 at 10am, and are available online at goldenvoice.com. Additional information about the evening’s festivities and guests will follow over the next few weeks.

Particle is excited to announce it’s signing with Shout! Factory, who will release the Particle: Transformations DVD nationwide. Produced by Captured Live Productions, it will be the bands debut DVD, and a follow-up to 2004’s ‘Launchpad’ released by Or Music.

They will mount their spring tour and return to road warrior status with an appearance at South by Southwest before traversing the country for the better part of April. Particle has also confirmed that they will headline the Joshua Tree Music Festival this May in Southern California.

Thunder, Lightning, Strike might actually be one of the only albums to have made Top Ten lists two years in a row and justly so.

David Dodd’s initial work with the annotation of Grateful Dead lyrics first involved name checking certain references in “Ramble On Rose” and posting his findings on the Web. Ten years later, his remarkable scholarship has led to an absolutely essential book of the same name, “The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics.”

Jeep MacNichol, original Samples drummer 1987-1997, recently traveled to Kingston, Jamaica armed with an acoustic guitar and drum machine. His goal was to record the ultimate chill-vibe party album with his heroes of reggae music. Teaming up with music legends Sly and Robbie, Bounty Killer, Black Uhuru’s Michael Rose, and Dave Wakeling from The English Beat, MacNichol created a unique blend of reggae, trip-hop and dub titled, Mr. Anonymous.

MacNichol tracked the album during a ten-week period that involved three separate trips to Jamaica. On one such trip, Jeep recorded with well-known rapper, Cutty Ranks. “I was fortunate enough to stay at his place,” says Jeep. “Every morning I would wake up to the sound of Cutty cranking tunes on his boom box and singing lyrics at top volume. We would hang out under the palm trees in his backyard, smoke fat joints, and write lyrics all afternoon. It was an incredible experience.”

“This album,” says Jeep, “is about enjoying the moment and taking in the experience. There are songs about love, family, sex and life.” Highlights include “Good Vibe,” featuring a signature Dave Wakeling vocal sound wrapped around the melodic, rhythmic vocals of Michael Rose. “Shylean” features Dr. Dre-style keyboard stabs against a hip-hop groove. Bounty Killer throws out the same aggressive, throaty vocal sound on “Shylean” as he did on No Doubt’s hit single, “Hey Baby”.

“Working with these guys was the experience of a lifetime. I spent every second of my high school years listening to most of them, studying their different styles, and teaching myself how to play drums to their tunes,” says MacNichol. “To go from that, to working and writing in the studio with these guys still blows me away.”

Mr. Anonymous will be released worldwide by Ryuichi Sakamoto’s KAB America label on April 11, 2006.

Despite the hardcore backbone, their style of punk is less harsh and melodramatic, more refreshing, positive, and sincere.

With a good set of headphones and closed eyes, Elko can almost entirely deliver the Railroad Earth experience.

Scottish chamber pop act Belle and Sebastian and Canadian indie outfit the New Pornographers will join forces for a twenty-city North American tour beginning this February. While the New Pornographers spent last fall on the road behind their critically acclaimed album Twin Cinema, Belle and Sebastian will debut songs off their Seventies-pop-inspired album, The Life Pursuit, out February 7th.

Though both bands are known for their expansive pop sounds, another common factor is sheer size: Each group is comprised of at least seven members, and often expands to upwards of nine players.

On this tour, however, two of the New Pornographers’ additional musicians, Neko Case and Dan Bejar, will not perform. But count on Kathryn Calder, Pornographers frontman A.C. Newman’s niece, to take over vocal and keyboard duties. “We’re going to be kind of like the Fiery Furnaces: the relatives band,” Newman says with a laugh.

And expect some changes to Belle and Sebastian’s live show, as well. “We were trying to do a kind of New Order thing,” guitarist Stevie Jackson says of some of The Life Pursuit’s shimmery, celebratory sound. “Everybody came in with a keyboard instead of their usual instrument.”

This tour, Belle and Sebastian’s largest in North America, brings the two bands to large clubs and theaters. The New Pornographers will appear on all dates, with the exception of the stop in their hometown of Vancouver.

Belle and Sebastian/New Pornographers North American tour dates:

2/25: Toronto, the Docks
2/26: Montreal, Metropolis
2/27: Boston, Avalon
2/28: Boston, Avalon
3/2: New York, Nokia Theatre
3/3: New York, Nokia Theatre
3/4: Philadelphia, Electric Factory
3/5: Washington, DC, 9:30 Club
3/6: Washington, DC, 9:30 Club
3/8: Nashville, Ryman Auditorium
3/9: Louisville, KY, Brown Theatre
3/10: Chicago, Riviera Theater
3/11: Milwaukee, WI, Riverside Theatre
3/12: Minneapolis, Orpheum Theatre
3/14: Dallas, Granada Theatre
3/18: Los Angeles, Wiltern Theater
3/19: Los Angeles, Wiltern Theater
3/21: San Francisco, Concourse at the SF Design Center
3/23: Portland, OR, Roseland Ballroom
3/24: Vancouver, Commodore Ballroom(Belle and Sebastian only)
3/25: Seattle, Paramount Theater

Source rollingstone.com.

Rock trio Loose Fur, which features Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy and Glenn Kotche in tandem with multi-instrumentalist Jim O’Rourke, will release its sophomore album on March 21. The 10-track “Born Again in the U.S.A.” is the follow-up to Loose Fur’s self-titled 2002 effort.

Asked to compare the new album’s sound to the eclectic folk/rock mix heard on the debut, Tweedy previously told Billboard.com, “It’s maybe a little bit heavier. There’s definitely a lot of harmonized guitar parts. I think it’s a similar mix of folk-ish elements, but the rock elements are a little less stridently abrasive, and maybe a little bit more prog-rock or something.”

The new set will be the first concentrated batch of original O’Rourke material since his acclaimed 2002 solo album, “Insignificance.” “He has been really busy with other people’s music. I love getting to work with Jim and he has some really, really great songs on this,” Tweedy said.

Although Loose Fur played a handful of shows in support of the debut album, no live dates are in the works in conjunction with “Born Again in the U.S.A.,” according to a Drag City spokesperson.

In related news, Kotche will on March 7 release his next solo album, “Mobile,” via Nonesuch. He will also join Tweedy on another round of solo acoustic dates, beginning Jan. 31 in Vancouver. On his fall solo tour, Tweedy unveiled the new Loose Fur tune “The Ruling Class,” which features the lyrics “Well he’s back, jack, smokin’ crack, find him if you wanna get found.”

Here is the track list for “Born Again in the U.S.A.”:

“Hey Chicken”
“The Ruling Class”
“Answers to Your Questions”
“Apostolic”
“Stupid As the Sun”
“Pretty Sparks”
“An Ecumenical Matter”
“Thou Shalt Wilt”
“Wreckroom”
“Wanted”

Source billboard.com.

Tortoise is eyeing an April release for a three-disc set of 33 rare tracks via Thrill Jockey. According to a label spokesperson, the project was originally titled “Rhythms, Resolutions and Clusters” (after the group’s 1995 remix album) but will most likely wind up with another name.

In addition to a DVD whose contents have yet to be solidified, the collection will feature two audio discs full of hard-to-find remixes by the likes of Autechre, Yo La Tengo and Mike Watt as well as the contents of the original “Rhythms, Resolutions and Clusters.”

Watt’s recasting of “Cornpone Brunch” was intended to appear on that album, but the master DAT tape arrived damaged in the mail just before mastering. Unable to obtain a usable copy before time ran out, Tortoise sat on the broken tape for a decade until longtime collaborator Bundy K. Brown was recently able to resurrect it for use on the upcoming boxed set.

In addition, the audio discs will include tracks from such compilations as the Joy Division tribute “A Means to an End,” “Offbeat: A Red Hot Sound Trip,” “Chicago 2018: It’s Gonna Change” and “Lounge Ax Defense & Relocation CD,” plus limited-edition tour singles and EP cuts such as “Goriri” and “Gamera,” two of the group’s best non-album songs.

Source billboard.com.

New York rock trio the Yeah Yeah Yeahs will return on March 28 with its second Interscope album, “Show Your Bones,” according to a label spokesperson. First single “Gold Lion” will be commercially released a week earlier in the United Kingdom. The set was produced by Squeak E Clean and mixed by rock veteran Alan Moulder.

The group is planning to tour extensively in support of “Show Your Bones,” but for now the only event on its schedule is May 14 as part of the U.K.’s All Tomorrow’s Parties festival. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs will perform alongside their own handpicked roster of acts, including TV On The Radio, Oneida, Liars, Blood Brothers and Ex

Source: billboard

Kaiser Chiefs, James Blunt and Coldplay are amongst the main nominations for next month’s Brit Awards.

This year’s awards take place at London Earl’s Court on February 15, and will see live appearances from Coldplay, Kaiser Chiefs, James Blunt, Kanye West, Kelly Clarkson and KT Tunstall.

Hosted by Chris Evans, the awards have recognised Kaiser Chiefs who are nominated in five categories – the most of any band and only equalled this year by James Blunt. Kaiser Chiefs are nominated in the British Group, MasterCard Album, Breakthrough Act, Live Act and Rock Act categories.

Last year Franz Ferdinand were nominated for five awards, but this year have been nominated in three – Best Band, Best Live Act and Best Rock Act.

Source: nme

With a recent Boston Phoenix nod as "Best New Band" and the Boston Herald placing them on their “5 Things To Change The Face Of Boston Arts and Entertainment” list, Apollo Sunshine was more of a co-bill than a true opener for fellow New Englanders, The Slip.

The Black Eyed Peas are topping the bill on this year’s Honda Civic Tour, with the kickoff date set for March 23 in Fresno, Calif.
No further dates have been confirmed, but the tour – now six years running – typically spans most of North America with about 35 cities on the itinerary.
A special 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid – customized to the Peas’ own specifications – will travel with the tour and be showcased at each venue, and one lucky fan will win the car.
BEP’s Will.i.am said the group is excited to team with the car manufacturer.
“It shows you that if you really try hard and don’t give up, the dreams that you have can even surpass the little dream that you once had,” he said.
“Here we are, we went from wanting a Civic to doing something with Honda Civic, launching a new hybrid. I mean, that’s dope.”
Past Honda Civic Tour headliners have included Maroon 5, Dashboard Confessional, Good Charlotte, New Found Glory, and Incubus.

Source pollstar.com.

With enough Best of 2005 album lists to make even Sufjan Stevens blush, there

The feeling of lost opportunity after 9-11 became the catalyst for the Cowboy Junkies latest album, Early 21st Century Blues, which features the Junkies covering the likes of Springsteen, Dylan, U2, and John Lennon. Songwriter Mike Timmins provides his thoughts on those fragile times, pleading his case to Yoko Ono and what’s next in line.

Sonic Youth has begun recording its next Geffen studio album at Sear Sound Studio in New York, where the group put such prior albums as “Sister” and “Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star” to tape.

According to the band’s official Web site, among the tunes recorded so far are “Pink Steam,” “Do You Believe in Rapture?,” “Or” and “Sleepin Around.” The as-yet-untitled album is due for release sometime this year.

As previously reported, Sonic Youth is recording without the aid of multi-instrumentalist Jim O’Rourke, who had been part of the band on stage and in the studio since 2002’s “Murray Street.”

“Some of it seems to be an extension of the last couple of records, but some hearkens forward into territory and also back to earlier, more dissonant and atonal stuff we’ve done,” guitarist Lee Ranaldo told Billboard.com in October of the new material. “There’s definitely some rocking songs and also some sound piece-y kind of things that are pretty interesting as well.”

Also in the Sonic Youth pipeline for the first part of the year are reissues of the band’s 1982 self-titled EP, the peculiar 1988

Atlanta’s 12-year-old outdoor festival Music Midtown won’t be held this year, concert promoter Peter Conlon said January 5.

Conlon said it was too expensive to hold the three-day event at its current location – a tract near the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center, where the festival was moved from Piedmont Park.

Other sites in and outside Atlanta are under consideration, Conlon said, adding the new site will need to have adequate green space, size and public transportation accessibility.

The first festival was held in 1994 and attracted as many as 300,000 people over a spring weekend with national acts like Bob Dylan and Ashlee Simpson.

“We’re crying guitar-sized tears,” said Greg Pridgeon, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin’s chief of staff. “It’s become an institution in Atlanta. There’s a hole left by its absence. But we respect and understand the business decision that led to the cancellation. We’re not opposed to working with the festival in the future.”

Source pollstar.com.

To celebrate the launch of the video download service, Phish is offering a New Year’s gift in the form of a free video download of their New Year’s countdown complete with their Gamehendge Time Phactory, the traditional “Auld Lang Syne” and a jaw-dropping rendition of the band’s classic “Weekapaug Groove.” The free download will be available until January 15. Live Phish Videos are offered song by song for $1.99 each and are compatible with Apple’s popular iPod video player as well as all PC and Mac video players. The New Year’s Eve 1995 video is from a single-camera archival source, but the band intends to release a wide variety of video from myriad sources and eras. “This is a chance to share incredible material directly with fans that might otherwise never see the light of day in a more traditional distribution scheme,” says band archivist, Kevin Shapiro.

The following video tracks are available now. Please note that Chalk Dust Torture and Punch You In The Eye will be available on 1/20. They hope to make the cover songs available soon.

Phish
12/31/95 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

The Sloth (3:45)
Reba (14:25)
The Squirming Coil (10:27)
Maze (10:18)
Sparkle (3:46)
The Lizards (10:37)
Axilla (Part II) (4:13)
Runaway Jim (16:05)
Strange Design (3:36)
Mike’s Song (20:31)
Gamehendge Time Phactory (5:03)
Auld Lang Syne (1:44)
Weekapaug Groove (17:42)
You Enjoy Myself (25:37)
Sanity (6:08)