Archive: 2007

But after seeing Van Halen in concert, without all the overdubs and with a "a little space" between the instruments, you are immediately struck by how great they are musically.  Eddie Van Halen is still a guitar-wielding behemoth. Beyond the quotes of "Magic Bus" and "Dazed And Confused," you could really hear a wide variety of influences in their sound, in  particular the blues and Latin elements.  Who knew that a self-described good-time party band had more to them.

Ryan Adams has announced plans to continue his extensive world tour supporting his latest album ‘Easy Tiger’ in the New Year. The singer will play several US shows with The Cardinals in January, beginning with a date in Tulsa Oklahoma on January 16. He’ll then play shows in cities up and down the West Coast […]

Beck gave a rare small club performance at the EchoPlex in Los Angeles last night (November 25). The singer looked dapper in a hat and vest and seemed completely at ease, running through career-spanning hits including ‘Loser’, ‘Devil’s Haircut’ and ‘Strange Apparition’. Famed producer Nigel Goodrich (Beck, Radiohead, REM) joined Beck on stage, playing a […]

It looks as if the Jackson 5 may reunite for what may potentially be the biggest source of Grade-A music-blog fodder since Radiohead “pulled a Radiohead.”

Jermaine’s talking, and he claims the talented one will be involved in some role:

Michael will be involved. We want to tour. We want to touch the lives of everybody who’s bought our records and supported us. It will probably start here first, but it will be sometime in 2008. That’s our plan.”

Our guess is Michael will want to touch more than just lives…we’ll let you know if “scrumptious boycock” is featured prominently on the tour rider. Eh, too easy.

We spent much of our Thanksgiving week hearing about how the pre- and post-holiday tradition of sandwiching live music around a delicious turkey may finally be dead. But sucks to your assmar, pessimistheorists, New York hosted a veritable shitload of live shows from Wednesday through Sunday, providing venues all over the city for hippies and hipsters alike to catch a wide variety of genres.

Your trusty Hidden Track sherpas caught three of these New York holiday shows, one taking in The Duo and Mocean Worker‘s awesome show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg before Thanksgiving, one catching RAQ at the Highline Ballroom on Saturday. And our main man Danfun headed over to the West Side’s Terminal 5 for The Hold Steady and Art Brut on Wednesday night.

Shane over at our corporate parent, Glide Magazine, reviewed The Hold Steady + Art Brut show in Phoenix two weeks ago, so head over here if you’re looking for words to compliment these fine, fine photos. Otherwise, read on after the jump for Danfun‘s view of the proceedings in New York’s newest big venue.

We had some fun at the expense of the popular indie-jam rock band moe. some five weeks ago, taking the piss out of the group’s management after it blasted out an e-mail to fans about the band’s innate potential for corporate partnerships, synergistic sponsorships and customized ad jingles. And while Don’t Fuck With Flo has, […]

If you’ve ever played Guitar Hero you’ve probably noticed the creepy “Oh, sure, this sounds just like the original” cover versions the games often use. Activision tries to save some cash by securing the rights to use a cover of the tune instead of ponying up for the original recording. The cover versions have been coming closer and closer to the originals with each new edition of the game.

Now The Romantics are suing Activision for using a cover version of What I Like About You that sounds a little too close to the original for their comfort. Believe it or not, The Romantics may have a good case. Artists such as Tom Waits and Bette Midler have won previous lawsuits claiming cover versions of their songs were too close to the originals. Read more about the lawsuit here as we move on to check out some of the other stories from the weekend:

• Bono and The Edge shocked fans by playing a surprise set of U2 classics
• Arcade Fire’s Neon Bible web video could be the start of a new trend
• Perez Hilton slyly accuses Eddie Van Halen of falling off the wagon
• Surrender your Internet! French President Nicholas Sarkozy proposes cutting off file sharers’ web access if caught three times
• Willie Nelson isn’t a big Michael Vick fan
• Neddy runs down the shows of the week in New York City
• Brendan Bayliss answers a slew of questions from Jambands.com readers
• Dweezil ends the Zappa Plays Zappa N. American tour on a high note

Finally, My Bloody Valentine plans to “do a Radiohead” with their new release. Great, so there’s more fuel for the Radiohead superiority complex.

Pictures by David Bann of Battles at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, MA on 11/12/07.

On John Fogerty’s new album Revival the ex-leader of Creedence Clearwater Revival acknowledges the brilliance of his past work rather than deny it. But the wry likes of “Creedence Song” notwithstanding, an air of self-consciousness pervades the album, which begs the question of whether Fogerty’s embrace of his past now overcompensates for that period he boycotted it over twenty-years ago?

The Galactic album that became From the Corner to the Block was originally going to be all-instrumental, and in its initial stages was a little loose on concept. That was two years ago, when the band found itself on tour with Bay Area emcee Lyrics Born as the opening act and nightly sit-in guest, and was really enjoying itself as it figured out the next direction.

The Radishes are a San Francisco/Los Angeles based band with an attacking sound that has been described as Nirvana meets Motorhead. Although musical comparisons are easy to come by, cocalist/guitiarst Paul Stinson likens it as White Stripes meets the Stooges meets NIN. Not too shabby. Toss in the Radishes fiery vocals and their ominous song-writing with loads of pop, punk and metal, and you have an act that could be headlining the big festival stages if they weren’t doing it the small “Do It Yourself” route, in part due to Stinson's self admitted "laziness."

Boston-based rock outfit Extreme is reuniting for its first studio album in 13 years and world tour in 2008, Billboard has learned. The group, best known for the 1991 No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit "More Than Words," disbanded in 1996 but reformed briefly in 2004 and 2006.Details are pending on the album, which is […]

The Police will headline the closing night of 2008’s Isle Of Wight festival, it has just been announced. The festival will run from June 13-15 at Seaclose Park, Newport, and the trio will close out proceedings on June 15. "It’s a coup to get The Police for the festival," said event promoter John Giddings. "We’re […]

Kevin DuBrow, the lead singer of the 1980s heavy metal band Quiet Riot, has died, CNN has confirmed. He was 52. Kevin DuBrow and Quiet Riot hit No. 1 with "Metal Health" in 1983. DuBrow died at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to TMZ.com. The Clark County coroner’s office was examining the body […]

Sixteen years ago this weekend the world lost the ultimate showman, a once-in-a-generation performer who couldn’t singlehandedly erase the Village People from public consciousness yet still managed to make butch flamboyance a relatively cool endeavor. So to celebrate the life and times of the great Freddie Mercury on this day, I now present this not-so-fitting […]

Legendary alternative act My Bloody Valentine plans to "do a Radiohead" when the Anglo-Irish quartet finally releases the follow-up to 1991’s classic "Loveless," Billboard can reveal."At the moment, all I can say is that Kevin is getting the band back together and they will go into the studio next month to work on the new […]

Led Zeppelin have been working on new arrangements of classic tunes ahead of their hugely anticipated comeback show next month – because frontman Robert Plant can’t hit the high notes anymore. The legendary outfit have been rehearsing songs in a lower key because 59-year old Plant‘s voice has got lower over the years, The Sun […]

Firefighters battling a wildfire that’s blackening tony homes in the hills of Malibu said Sunday it was 40 percent contained and they hoped for full containment sometime Tuesday.   Anguished residents watch homes burn Saturday in Malibu, California.   Only a month after the Canyon Fire destroyed homes in the coastline community, Los Angeles County […]

It’s the What-the-Fuck-on-Earf-Do-I-Do-Today? morning after Thanksgiving, and if you’re one of the sociopathic nutbars whose been up for five hours grousing the aisles of your local retailer in search of holiday bargains, best take a load off with the following seven numbers and a cup of hot cocoa. This one’s drenched in funk the pilgrims […]

It’s time to mourn the loss of another legendary venue. Ziggy’s, a Winston-Salem tradition for the past 30 years, closes its doors on Sunday. The list of bands that have come through the doors at Ziggy’s is staggering in both size and quality. Perpetual Groove closes the venue down in style on Sunday by hosting […]