Paul Simon to share stage with David Byrne, Grizzly Bear
From Graceland to South America to Africa, Paul Simon has traversed the songwriters' world more thoroughly than most. Now, Paste's #13 Best Living Songwriter is taking his experience and talent to the Brooklyn Academy of Music for a month-long residency, and he isn't traveling alone. Throughout April, Simon will put on three series of performances, each time joined by special guests best able to lend their specific musical abilities to the portion of Simon's extensive catalogue they'll be exploring. The first series, "Songs from The Capeman," takes place April 1-6 at the BAM Harvey Theater. Oscar Hernández and The Spanish... read more
Neil Young pushes back Archives, Greendale headed to stage
Neil Young’s long-waited Archives series is being pushed back. Again. The box set is being held up because Young, long an opponent of digital music, has decided to release the material via DVD and Blu-Ray. The format change will allow the set to more closely adhere to the songwriter’s multimedia vision. "I know it's in technical production now, but it's only coming out on Blu-ray and DVD," Young told Billboard.com. "There won't be CDs. Technology has caught up to what the concept was in the first place [and] how we're able to actually present it. But there's no doubt it... read more
Beyoncé to play Etta James in Cadillac Records
In a shocking move, Beyoncé Knowles has signed up to play a singer in a feature film! (We kid because we love.) Cadillac Records, the forthcoming Darnell Martin movie depicting the 1950s Chicago music scene and already boasting a cast featuring the likes of Adrien Brody, Jeffrey Wright and Cedric the Entertainer, has added another star to its musical ranks. Knowles has reportedly signed up to fill the shoes of multiple Grammy winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Etta James. James is best known for her #2 R&B chart hit single "At Last," which has itself, along... read more
Robert Redford announces next two projects
Robert Redford announced this weekend that he has decided to move forward with his film adaptation of A Walk in the Woods, a venture that has reportedly been on the books for a while. Redford plans to star in the film as well as produce the project. Barry Levinson is slated to direct. Bill Bryson’s bestselling novel of the same title recounts the adventures of Bryson and a friend from his native state Iowa as they attempt the Appalachian Trail, the legendary mountain pass that runs from Georgia to Maine. Bryson had just returned from spending 20 years in Britain... read more
The Blind Boys of Alabama: Marching into New Orleans
In September, The Blind Boys of Alabama gathered at St. Augustine’s Church in the New Orleans neighborhood of Treme... read more
Vampire Weekend
Release the stars: A rave-worthy debut from a brainy... read more
R.E.M. takes Modest Mouse, The National on tour
Anyone who frequents PasteMagazine.com knows that our hearts were stolen last year by a certain Ohio-cum-Brooklyn, patriotically named indie-rock band that features two pairs of brothers and a gravel-voiced lead singer. Not only did we declare The National a Band of the Week last May, but the group also graced our December/January cover. We did all this with good reason, though. After all, The National did make the #1 album of 2007. Good news, then, since it was announced recently that the band has not only added more tour dates for the spring (and made thousands of fans jealous of... read more
Dax Riggs returns to the road
On the heels of an opening slot for Queens of the Stone Age, metalhead-cum-bluesman Dax Riggs will return to the road with a string of U.S. dates throughout the month of February, kicking off in the longstanding rock haven of Toledo, Ohio. After the demise of his former band, deadboy & the Elephantmen, Riggs went on to release his solo debut last summer, We Sing of Only Blood or Love, on Fat Possum. Even before that, he spent time fronting the seminal Southern sludge-metal band, Acid Bath. Drummer Andy McLeod will join Dax once again, with other touring members to... read more
Catching Up With... Chris Walla
After years of holding it down as the guitarist and producer for Death Cab for Cutie, not to mention lending his ear to numerous other production endeavors, Chris Walla releases his full-length solo debut, Field Manual, this week. Despite the much-publicized... read more
Rivers Cuomo begins work on memoir
Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo has already completed about 400 pages of an upcoming memoir, according to Gigwise.com. That's one book down, and another seven to go, if he sticks with the current treatment planned for his work. We first reported on the reclusive singer’s literary intentions back in August, when he shared his plan to write a book based on the contents of diaries he had written during his Harvard days. Cuomo wrote on his MySpace blog that the book would be “just as much musical in nature as literary,” and was definitely not a memoir. Well, the times they... read more
Luke Temple to release collectible 7-inch, play SXSW
Brooklyn songwriter Luke Temple is set to release, Brain, a limited edition vinyl 7-inch, on Feb. 26. It's the fourth volume of the Seven Inch Project, a series of limited edition vinyl collectibles, each by a different artist. Created during a late November recording session (right around the time when he was a Paste Artist of the Week), the 7-inch will be available through SevenInchProject.com and at Temple's shows. Previous contributors to the Seven Inch Project include Agent Ribbons, June Madrona and Half-handed Cloud. Recording untraditionally and adhering to D.I.Y. philosophies as always, Temple laid down tracks for Brain in... read more
Air Traffic to release debut album
It wasn’t that long ago that the Brit boys of Air Traffic were rocking out in the U.S. In fact, Paste has the privilege of saying that we hosted their first show ever on this side of the Atlantic at CMJ this past October. Having christened a whole new continent with its brand of hard-hitting melodramatic tunes, the band can now usher in another first-timer to America. On Feb. 5, Air Traffic will be releasing its long-awaited debut album, Fractured Life. Although there is no news on when Air Traffic is set to land back over here for a tour,... read more
The Bowmans win a spot on Paste’s Rock ‘n’ Reel at Sea
Remember when we asked you to vote for a lucky Paste-approved artist to come sail away (sorry) on the Cayamo singer-songwriter cruise? Well, the results of the Rock ‘n’ Reel at Sea contest are in, and the winners are…The Bowmans! Thanks to your votes, the band will perform at sea along with some very big names, including Lyle Lovett, Emmylou Harris and Patty Griffin. Cayamo: A Journey Through Song will take place between Feb. 4 and Feb. 10. The weather will probably not be very good where you live, and almost certainly, legendary and up-and-coming singer-songwriters will not be performing... read more
X launches anniversary tour
Here at Paste, we like writing about John Doe. But that doesn’t mean that we’ve forgotten about X, Mr. Doe’s legendary punk band. To prove just how much we haven’t forgotten about X, we offer you the following tour dates for the band’s “13-31” Anniversary Tour. After all, we’re all about inclusiveness. X on tour: March 19 - Chicago, Ill. @ Metro/Smart Bar 21 - Madison, Wis. @ Barrymore Theatre 22 - Minneapolis, Minn. @ The Cabooze 25 - Denver, Colo. @ Bluebird Theater 26 - Aspen, Colo. @ Belly Up 28 - Boise, Idaho @ Big Easy Concert House... read more
Which film deserves to win the Best Picture Oscar?
Early last week, the Oscar nominees were announced. Which film deserves the Best Picture award? [1639 votes total] Atonement (87): 5% Juno (607): 37% Michael Clayton (29): 2% No Country for Old Men (537): 33% There Will Be Blood (287): 18% None of them! (Other) (92): 6% Full Results Comments... read more
White Rabbits stream "Untitled," director talks forthcoming doc
[Above: screenshot from Andrew Droz Palermo's forthcoming White Rabbits documentary] Fresh off a stint of tour dates with The Walkmen, White Rabbits are back home in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Nevertheless, there is no rest for those weary leporids, as they already have a few new tracks floating around as well as a documentary in the works. White Rabbits played one of the new songs, currently untitled, during their visit to the Paste Culture Club studio this past November. While a future podcast episode will feature both recordings and videos from the band, you can stream a startlingly pristine mix (props to... read more
Band of the Week: Grizzly Bear
Paul Simon likes Grizzly Bear. At least that’s what drummer Christopher Bear deduces from Simon staying for the entirety of one of the band's recent New York City sets, one which wrapped up with a cover of the legendary songwriter's jaunty “Graceland”... read more
My Morning Jacket gets Evil, sells out Radio City
You've probably heard the tale of Robert Johnson's alleged deal with Satan wherein the legendary bluesman exchanged his soul for the ability to "play that guitar like nobody ever played it before" as well as "all the whiskey and women" he could handle. Now, we don't encourage rumor mongering here at Paste News HQ, but we are stone-cold positive that My Morning Jacket has been trafficking in some similarly shady business dealings. As previously reported, MMJ will perform at Radio City Music Hall on June 20. Tickets went on sale last Friday (Jan. 18) and sold out in an astounding... read more
Tokyo Police Club to release debut album on Saddle Creek
Following a well-received EP in 2006 that left critics wanting more, Tokyo Police Club has announced that it will release Elephant Shell in late April via Saddle Creek. The band started its tour late last week in Ontario. Dates: January 30 - The Ale House @ Kingston, Ontario 31 - Algonquin College @ Ottawa, Ontario March 1 - Forwell Hall @ London, Ontario 2 - Sleeman Centre @ Guelph, Ontario 18 - Call The Office @ London, Ontario 19 - Birdy's Bar and Grill @ Indianapolis, Ind. 20 - Jackpot Saloon @ Lawrence, Kan. 22 - Kilby Court @ Salt... read more
Tom Petty will tour up a storm in '08
Apple pie. The stars and stripes. Ironically, French fries. Thinking about how great America is? Football. Rock 'n' roll. How 'bout now? Is your patriotic blood all astir? Let's get a little more specific: SUPER BOWL. TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS. FEBRUARY 3. Immediately followed by the tickets for Petty's recently announced 2008 North American tour going on sale (although fan club members can wiggle in early on some pre-sale action if they so desire). It almost sounds too American to be true! Luckily, the May-Aug. dates are all fact (except the to-be-determined venues in Denver and San Francisco), and... read more
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