Freedy Johnston - The Way I Were
Lo-fi demos from Midwestern songwriter make for great “lost album”... read more
Shirts For A Cure
Alkaline Trio, Bad Religion and 50 other bands have teamed up with two non-profits to raise money and awareness for breast cancer causes... read more
Wanda Jackson Named 2005 NEA Fellowship Recipient
Country and rockabilly pioneer Wanda Jackson has been named a 2005 recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts’ National Heritage Fellowship. The fellowship is the country’s highest honor in folk and traditional arts, and is accompanied by an award of $20,000. The fellowships are awarded on the basis of artistic excellence, cultural authenticity and contributions to each artist’s respective field. ... read more
Pixies' Surfer Rosa Goes Gold
One of the latest records to go gold (signifying sales of 500,000) isn’t by a new band that’s burning up the modern-radio airwaves. Alt-rock legends the Pixies recently received a gold record for their groundbreaking 1988 album Surfer Rosa. Although it took seven years for the record to achieve this status, it’s the band’s second release to do so. Doolittle, the 1989 follow-up to Surfer Rosa, also achieved gold standing in 1995. ... read more
Guster Joins Boston Pops In Concert
Guster returned to its hometown to play two collaborative shows with the Boston Pops last week. The first half of each show consisted of the orchestra performing classical pieces influential to Guster. For the second half, the band joined the Pops for a set of favorites and previously unreleased Guster material. The band is currently taking a break from recording it fifth studio album, Ganging Up on the Sun, which is planned for release in early 2006. ... read more
Columbia University Seeks Volunteers For Pop Music Study
Columbia University sociology students are looking for volunteers to participate in an experiment regarding pop music. The experiment hopes to determine why some musicians become superstars while other seemingly similar musicians don’t. Anyone who participates in the experiment will have a chance to download new music for free. More information about the experiment is available at www.musiclab.Columbia.edu. ... read more
Tracks Subscriber Acquisition by Paste
ATTENTION TRACKS SUBSCRIBERS: You should receive the August/September issue of Paste by August 10. I’ve never heard of Paste. What is it? Paste is a three-year-old bi-monthly music & film magazine for thinking adults. We began publication about a year before Tracks emerged on the scene. While it was still active, Tracks shared similar tastes with Paste, and covered many of the same musicians found on our pages. When Tracks chose to cease production, it was a natural fit to offer Paste to Tracks subscribers, whereas most magazines that cease production give nothing back to their subscribers. What’s the... read more
David Byrne & Friends, The Arcade Fire
I admit I tuned out when Bryne, Peter Gabriel and Brian Eno journeyed into World Music in the ’90s... read more
Chicago Tribune Names Paste Top 50 Best Magazine
The Chicago Tribune has named Paste #21 on its list of Top 50 Best Magazines. "The editors of Paste think they are cooler than we are. And they're probably right," wrote the Tribune. "Hip without sacrificing credibility on the altar of corporately deemed 'cool,' Paste anchors its music, film and pop cultural coverage to the esoteric, even geeky, with cover stories on movie director wunderkind Wes Anderson and piano rock star Ben Folds. Each issue comes with a sample CD, and if you're a subscriber, a CD and DVD. Plus, where else are you going to find a four-page spread... read more
Damien Rice Releases New Single
Damien Rice has released a new single, “Unplayed Piano,” with Lisa Hannigan in support of the Free Aung San Suu Kyi 60th Birthday Campaign. The single and its accompanying video are available exclusively through iTunes, and proceeds will benefit the campaign. Aung San Suu Kyi, the world’s only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize recipient, has been in detention for nearly ten years following her efforts to end brutal military rule in Burma. Rice’s album, O, was recently certified gold by the RIAA. ... read more
Jeff Tweedy-Curated Concert Kicks Off Wired Nextfest
The “Wired Nextfest” kicked off last night in Chicago with a Jeff Tweedy-curated concert at the Vic Theatre featuring quirky songstress Joanna Newsom and Americana duo The Handsome Family. “Honestly, I had a lot of trouble conjuring up a rose-hued vision of our collective tomorrows,” said Wilco frontman Tweedy. “Instead, I … focused my attention on music with the kind of sturdiness and self-sufficiency the post-apocalyptic lifestyle I’m anticipating might require. The kinds of artists making the kinds of music that won’t be interrupted or even miss a beat when the power goes out. The kind that would be fleet-footed... read more
Coldplay Hits #1 Around The World
Coldplay’s X&Y debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts, selling 737,294 copies in its first week. In addition to its success stateside, the album charted at #1 in 20 additional countries. On Aug. 2, the band will launch a 38-date North American tour. For complete tour dates, visit www.coldplay.com. ... read more
String Cheese Incident Headlines Big Summer Classic tour
String Cheese Incident is set to headline the traveling music festival BIG Summer Classic 2005. The festival will kick off with a pair of shows at Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre on July 2 and 3, making 14 stops throughout the U.S. during the month of July. The festival lineup will consist of other jam-circuit favorites such as Keller Williams, Yonder Mountain String Band, Umphrey’s McGee, Michael Franti & Spearhead and New Monsoon. Plans for BIG Summer Classic 2005 come just weeks after the cancellation of another traveling festival, the Zooma Tour, featuring similar artists like Ben Harper and Trey Anastasio.... read more
Orange Juice - The Glasgow School
A message from Edwyn Collins on his brilliant but oft-overlooked band Orange Juice... read more
Billy Corgan Plans to Revive Smashing Pumpkins
Upon the release of his solo album, TheFutureEmbrace, Billy Corgan has announced plans to “renew and revive the Smashing Pumpkins.” To reveal this news, Corgan placed full-page ads in the Tribune and Sun-Times in his hometown of Chicago. “I have found that my heart is in Chicago, and my heart is in the Smashing Pumpkins,” he said today. “I want my band back, and my songs and my dreams. In this desire I feel I have come home again.” Corgan will begin his solo tour in Atlanta on Wednesday. ... read more
Charlie Sexton to Release First New Album in a Decade
Acclaimed Texas musician Charlie Sexton will release Cruel and Gentle Things on September 13, an entire decade after the release of his last album. An extensive fall tour in support of the new album is in the works. ... read more
Dinosaur Jr Adds New Summer Tour Dates
(Pictured above: The original Dinosaur Jr - Murph, J Mascis, Lou Barlow) Reuniting on the heels of reissues of their first three albums, Dinosaur Jr. will tour the North America for the first time since the trio split fifteen years ago. The band hits the road July 7 in Orlando and wraps up on August 22 in Vancouver. For tour dates, inlcuding several recently announced West Coast shows, see www.dinosaurjr.com ... read more
Bonnaroo 2005. This Time It's Personal.
A high-speed essay by Paste senior contributing editor Jay Sweet... read more
The Perfect Man
This movie isn’t really about “the perfect man” so much as it’s about running away from problems... read more
Aslyn
No one will ever accuse Aslyn of being unenthusiastic. As the budding pop songstress began her performance... read more
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MTV Removes "Music" From Logo
Galactic - Frends of Science
Lissie - Little Lovin'
Dawn Landes - Wanderin' Eye
