2006

Moonshine Still is about to begin a new chapter as it is undergoing a change while heading into the Summer Festival Season.

According to the band’s publicist, “It is with much love and sadness that we announce today that our friend and drummer, and a founding member of the band, Will Robinson is leaving Moonshine Still due to personal reasons. Life on the road has taken its toll on Will, and after many prayers, and much discussion we arrived at the arrived at the conclusion that the best solution for all parties involved would be for Will’s tenure as Moonshine’s drummer to draw to a close.

During the past decade, Will has been an integral and very important part of our lives, and we feel blessed to have shared so much with him and his family. We will miss having Will with us, and we wish Will much success in his future endeavourers.”

Will, Scott, Ray, Bill, Trippe and David are eternally grateful to everyone who has supported Moonshine Still over the years. It was all made possible thanks to the fans, or to quote the band members, “we thank our fans for their dedication, love of our music and support of the ever evolving sound of Moonshine Still.”

As the new chapter in the life of Moonshine Still begins, the band is going to continue to tour full time and drumming duties will be handled by Jon Joiner. Jon has been around in Thelonius and Lionz. Jon is also close to completing his music degree from Georgia College and State University and also performed in the University’s Jazz Band. We are excited to welcome Jon to the Moonshine Still family and look forward to an exiting future.

Will Robinson’s final performance with Moonshine Still will be Saturday, May 6, 2006 @ The Variety Playhouse (Atlanta, GA) w/special guests Jerry Joseph and Cecil “P-NUT” Daniels.

See moonshinestill.com for additional updates and continued touring information.

Sonic Youth will launch its summer tour with a June 13 show at legendary New York rock club CBGB, marking its first appearance at the venue since 1992. As previously reported, the group’s new studio album, “Rather Ripped,” will be released the same day via Geffen.

In addition to support from Tall Firs, Be Your Own Pet and Awesome Color, the tour will feature the debut of former Pavement bassist Mark Ibold. He will be filling the role vacated by producer/multi-instrumentalist Jim O’Rourke, who played a role in Sonic Youth’s prior three studio albums before opting out for “Rather Ripped.”

In addition to seven support dates with Pearl Jam, Sonic Youth will also appear at the Bonnaroo Festival in Tennessee, Lollapalooza in Chicago and the Kuyahoga Festival in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, this summer. More dates will be added to the itinerary.

As previously reported, Sonic Youth principals Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon, plus their daughter Coco on shakers, will also appear May 9 on the season finale of the WB drama “Gilmore Girls,” performing an acoustic version of the “Rather Ripped” track “What a Waste.”

Here are Sonic Youth’s tour dates:

June 13: New York (CBGB)
June 14: Philadelphia (Starlight Ballroom)
June 15: Washington, D.C. (9:30 Club)
June 17: Asheville, N.C. (Orange Peel)
June 18: Manchester, Tenn. (Bonnaroo)
June 19: Atlanta (Earthlink Live)
June 21: Tulsa, Okla. (Cain’s Ballroom)
June 23: Austin, Texas (Stubb’s BBQ)
June 24: Dallas (Gypsy Ballroom)
June 26: Lawrence, Kan. (Liberty Hall)
June 27: Denver (Gothic Theatre)
June 29: Missoula, Mont. (UM Theatre)
June 30: Seattle (Moore Theatre)
July 3: Sacramento, Calif. (Empire)
July 4: Reno, Nev. (Reno Hilton)
July 6: Las Vegas (MGM Grand; w/ Pearl Jam)
July 7: San Diego (Cox Arena w/ Pearl Jam)
July 9-10: Los Angeles (Forum w/ Pearl Jam)
July 13: Santa Barbara, Calif. (Santa Barbara Bowl w/ Pearl Jam)
July 16, 18: San Francisco (Bill Graham Civic Auditorium w/ Pearl Jam)
Aug. 3: Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio (Blossom Music Center)
Aug. 5: Chicago (Lollapalooza)

Source billboard.com.

Magical moments greeted record crowds at MerleFest 2006, the 19th annual festival in celebration of the music of the late Merle Watson and his father Doc Watson. Wilkes Community College presented the event on April 27 30 on its campus in Wilkesboro, NC. MerleFest again drew an enormous, well behaved, and appreciative audience with a preliminary estimated total participation including volunteers and school children of 82,618, according to Managing Director Ted Hagaman. This surpasses last year

Upstart rock act Clap Your Hands Say Yeah is eyeing a late fall/early winter release for its sophomore album. The quintet has tested many songs on the road and has finished writing the material for the as-yet-untitled set.

According to guitarist/keyboardist Lee Sargent, “It remains to be seen” if CYHSY will remain unsigned in the United States. As previously reported, the group bypassed labels and made an unusual deal with distributor ADA to handle its 2005 self-titled debut, which has sold 91,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.’

Source billboard.com.

New Jersey-based rock quartet the Wrens is at work on its next studio album, which it hopes to release by the end of the year via Absolutely Kosher. Also in the work is a remastered edition of the 1997 EP “Abbott 1135,” due in the fall.

The as-yet-untitled new full-length will be the follow-up to 2003’s “Meadowlands,” which was the best-selling record in the Wrens’ 16 year history.

“Most bands that have gotten to that point in their career hurry up and put something out within those three years, like a split EP or side project stuff,” singer/guitarist Charles Bissell tells Billboard.com. “I guess it just takes us that long to do the next thing. We’ve used the time to tend to some personal stuff that we put off for many years.”

Source billboard.com.

Rock veteran John Fogerty will spend the summer playing amphitheatres across the U.S., with special guest Willie Nelson opening in most cities.
The two legends of American music will launch the cross-country tour July 22 in West Palm Beach, Fla., following the former Creedence Clearwater Revival leader’s 15-date European trek.
Fogerty and Nelson will hit outdoor venues in close to two dozen U.S. cities, with Fogerty giving a few solo concerts as well. An August 27 gig in Phoenix is their last date together, after which Fogerty will play one more show at Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre September 2.
Fogerty hit North American amphitheatres last summer on a co-bill with John Mellencamp. In November, he visited Australia for a largely sold-out two-week tour.
After more than three decades, Fogerty recently reunited with CCR’s original label, Fantasy Records. The company released a career-spanning compilation, The Long Road Home: The Ultimate John Fogerty/Creedence Collection, in November.

Source pollstar.com.

DJ Shadow’s next as-yet-untitled studio album will be released this summer via Universal. Shadow’s last major-label release, 2002’s “The Private Press,” was issued via MCA, which has since been absorbed into the Universal Music Group. That set has sold 160,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

As previously reported, Shadow’s new album leans in more of a straight-ahead hip-hop direction than prior efforts and will feature guest appearances by rappers Keak Da Sneak, Turf Talk, Q-Tip and David Banner.

Shadow will return to live duty at May 25 benefit at Los Angeles’ Mayan Theatre, alongside Cut Chemist, Jurassic 5, Dilated Peoples, MC Supernatural, the Beat Junkies, Madlib, Money Mark and MF Doom.

Source billboard.com.

Snoop Dogg was arrested last night at Heathrow Airport after a fracas broke out (April 26). Seven police officers were left with minor injuries after the disturbance – which invloved 30 people – happened in a business lounge at Terminal 1, the police have said.

Police explained that the group were told they could not board their flight and “became abusive and pushed officers.” The rapper, along with five other men, were held on suspicion of violent disorder and affray.

According to BBC News, one officer sustained a fractured hand, while the others mainly suffered cuts and bruises.

Source: nme

Walter Becker and Donald Fagen will be back onstage together this summer for Steely Dan’s first tour in nearly three years.
The jazz-rock band will hit amphitheatres across the U.S. for two months with Michael McDonald in the support slot. The blue-eyed soul crooner goes way back with Steely Dan – he got his first taste of fame as a backup singer for the group.
The 31-date tour kicks off July 8 at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre in Tinley Park, Ill. They’ll hit major markets across the country, finishing September 2 at the DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston, Mich.

Source: pollstar