The Hold Steady: "Record 4 In The Can"
It seems The Hold Steady, last May's Paste cover dudes, have turned months of beard-growing, er, studio recording into results. The very charming photoblogging at TheHoldSteady.com reveals that the band completed its fourth full-length last week. The album's tentatively slated to be called Stay Postitive, Pitchfork reports, and by the looks of those photos, the band certainly has done so (through the trials of laying down tracks and disqualifications from their beard-off contest). Producer John Agnello (who says he turned down a recording job with Cyndi Lauper because he was working with The Hold Steady) once again took the helm... read more
Jonathan Richman kicks off tour tonight, preps Her Beauty
Tonight, in the largest city of Oklahoma's Cleveland County, Jonathan Richman will kick off a stint of tour dates that will have him speeding around the United States like a roadrunner. Richman and drummer Tommy Larkins (pictured above) will perform 20-odd shows throughout the midwest, south and east coast that will keep the pair busy until the end of March. But that's not all. The former Modern Lover also has a new record on the way. "Jonathan and Tommy Larkins have just completed a brand new album, Because Her Beauty is Raw and Wild. The album will be in stores... read more
MySpace Music deal attracts big labels
Rupert Murdoch is at it again—this time with his sights set on online music distribution. According to Reuters, MySpace's recent parent company News Corp met with Sony BMG, Vivendi Universal, EMI and Warner Music Group to discuss licensing for what will become MySpace Music. This new commercial component will offer free advert-supported streaming and a digital music store. News Corp also floated a subscription music service as an additional feature. Initial plans include a music player that can be embedded on other sites like the videos on YouTube. News Corp is not sure yet if MySpace will run the digital... read more
It's not TV...it's HBO programming on YouTube
HBO and YouTube announced a deal earlier today where video clips from the former's original shows, from Flight of the Conchords to The Wire, will be available for free on the latter's online-video service. Which isn't to say that they're not available there right now for anyone willing to search, but now they'll be legal instead of resting snugly in the strange gray realm of streaming Internet rights. Joseph Giraldi, director of digital distribution and partnerships for HBO, commented in a press release that, "We invest significantly in developing HBO programs and are always searching for new promotional platforms." Based... read more
Foo Fighters sue Marvel for copyright infringement
You wouldn’t like the Foo Fighters when they’re mad. The band filed a copyright infringement suit last week against Marvel Comics, accusing the company of using two of its songs in an online trailer without permission. The band’s suit alleges that Marvel used substantial excerpts from the songs “Best of You” and “Free Me” from the 2005 album In Your Honor in a trailer for the new television series Wolverine and the X-Men. Roswell Records Inc., which owns the master recordings to the songs, was named as a co-plaintiff in the suit. Dave Grohl and Co. are seeking unspecified damages,... read more
Interpol + Swervedriver = Magnetic Morning = EP
It’s possible that the term “supergroup” gets applied too frequently these days. For example, despite what was widely reported, this writer’s collaboration with a ferret on a YouTube video did not constitute a supergroup. But when Adam Franklin from Swervedriver and Sam Fogarino from Interpol get together, then it does constitute a combination of individuals (read: group) that is, indeed, super. The two are releasing a debut EP on April 19 as Magnetic Morning. The name corresponds nicely to the group’s sound, which is both languid and edgy. Franklin and Fogarino will be touring in the spring of 2008, and... read more
Bell X1 announces March tour
Last month, we got excited about Bell X1, an Irish band that proved to be much more than an O.C. soundtrack fixture (though, indeed, our review provides a thorough description of Mischa Barton’s moment of sexual angst, as accompanied by the band’s “Eve, the Apple of My Eye”). This month, we report that next month, Bell X1 will travel through the United States. This means that if you live in USA, you have no excuse not to partake in the band’s Irish rockery. If, however, you prefer a more intimate listening experience, head over to your local record store and... read more
Mike Doughty and band take Golden Delicious on the road
It’s been just over a week since Mike Doughty bore his Golden Delicious fruit, with first single “27 Jennifers” making it into the top 10 on AAA radio (the original version debuted on 2003’s Rockity Roll EP). And because Doughty knows his fans want a piece, yearning for the moment they too can wave their lighters and scream out a request for “It’s Raining Men” (which Doughty once declared The New "Freebird"), the former Soul Coughing frontman and his band of people who have been in other bands (Pete McNeal, formerly of Cake, John Kirby of Black Eyed Peas) have... read more
Iron & Wine adds U.S. tour dates
Sensitive souls take heart; Iron & Wine has added a few dates to its U.S. tour in April. The U.S. shows are scheduled between international jaunts for Sam Beam, Sam Beam’s beard, and Co. In March, the band will be in Australia and New Zealand. In May, it'll be in England, Ireland and Scotland. Alternately, you can just wait until June and see Iron & Wine at Bonnaroo with like every other band in the universe. Complete U.S. dates: April 9 - New Orleans, La. @ House of Blues 10 - Tallahassee, Fla. @ The Moon 11 - Orlando, Fla.... read more
Seattle's KEXP to join Radio New York
This month's Paste asks, "Does Seattle's music scene still matter?" New York certainly thinks so. After making eyes at the West coast, in one month Radio New York 91.5 FM will broadcast Seattle's KEXP-produced programming under the moniker Radio Liberation (Thanks, Brooklyn Vegan). What does this mean for Emerald City artists like the Cave Singers or Minus the Bear? Seattle's station will be able to reach another 14 million terrestrial (i.e. not Internet-based) listeners in New York. Those who dare to commute in taxi-land will be able to hear three-hour drive-time music shows, The Morning Show with John Richards, nightly... read more
Sonic Youth, Charlie Daniels, more play Arkansas festival
Did hell just freeze over? Or are Sonic Youth, Charlie Daniels and Shooter Jennings really sharing the stage at the upcoming Dickson St. Music Festival in Fayetteville, Ark.? After months of speculation among Fayetteville music fans, a press conference and an onslaught of brightly colored flyers finally confirmed that Sonic Youth will, indeed, be co-headlining the inaugural Dickson St. Music Festival April 25-26. The NYC legends may seem like a puzzling addition to the event’s lineup – a veritable who’s who of country music featuring Daniels, Jennings, Little Feat and 38 Special. Perhaps the festival organizers realized that “The Devil... read more
Islands sign to Anti- for second album
The URL of the Islands' website reads "Islands are Forever." Even during the tumultuous departure of bandmate and co-founder J'amie Tambeur (née Jamie Thompson) in 2006, lead singer Nick Diamonds (née Nick Thorburn) remained unwavering in his commitment to the band and its longevity. And the recent news that the band has been signed to Anti- Records, home of rock greats Nick Cave and Tom Waits, seems to confirm that Islands really might be forever. With the announcement comes the news that the band's second record, entitled Arm's Way will be released on May 20. Co-produced by the band and... read more
Neil Young, John Lennon, more featured in Body of War
Eddie Vedder is currently campaigning for the two-disc effort Body of War: Songs that Inspired an Iraq War Veteran which features John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young, among others. These songs were picked for more than just how they mesh with a visual; Tomas Young had the key role of selecting the 30 songs that were used for the film as they relate to his personal experience. Phil Donahue and Ellen Shapiro’s documentary follows Young’s story after he returns home from Iraq. He was paralyzed from the chest down after less than a week of active service, having not... read more
Read Paste's live blog of the Oscars
For those of you without the television or the desire to observe the Academy Awards on Sunday evening, why not tune in to PasteMagazine.com? Our very own Sean Gandert will be watching the ceremony so you don't have to, and live blogging it on Ctrl-V. Don't miss out on Paste's first live-blog event ever! It's easily going to be as fun as reading about someone watching TV could ever be. That, and we don't want Sean's feelings to get hurt. Related links: Oscar.com News: 2008 Oscar nominees Got news tips for Paste? Email news@pastemagazine.com.... read more
Tim & Eric to take Awesome Show on tour
Did you know there's a right way to rock? And a wrong way to roll? Casey and his brother have all the answers. Didya click that link and watch the video? Feel confused? Maybe a little agitated? How about elated? The Cartoon Network's late-night Adult Swim programming can be a bit polarizing, to say the least. Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim are the creators of Casey and his brother, who are a few of many zany characters from Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, the only live-action show currently on the Adult Swim roster. Awesome Show combines choppy public-access-style... read more
What is your favorite Will Ferrell movie?
Sporting a star-studded cast, Semi-Pro hits theaters this Friday. What is your favorite movie starring Will Ferrell? [1155 votes total] Blades of Glory (23): 2% Stranger Than Fiction (231): 20% Talladega Nights (66): 6% Bewitched (1): 0% Kicking & Screaming (8): 1% Anchorman (345): 30% Elf (147): 13% Old School (211): 18% Zoolander (105): 9% Other (18): 2% Full Results Comments... read more
M83 announces U.S. tour
M83, the brainchild of French electronica-rock (electronirock, perhaps?) auteur Anthony Gonzalez, will take off on a North American tour this spring in support of his brand new album Saturdays = Youth, which will be released April 15 on Mute. The first single from the album, "Couleurs," will be released digitally Feb. 26, and includes an exclusive remix by Jori Hulkkonen. The live setup for this tour includes Gonzalez on vocals, guitars and keyboards, Loic Maurin on drums, Pierre-Marie Maulini on bass and guitar and featured album vocalist Morgan Kibby (of LA-based band The Romanovs) on vocals and keyboards. This is... read more
Coldplay to add finishing touches to next studio album
One last round of mixing is all that stands between now and the release of Coldplay's next album. With production assistance from Brian Eno and Markus Dravs, the group plans to release its fourth studio record sometime this summer. Chris Martin and Co. made pop-chart history when their last LP X&Y (2005) became the first worldwide top-selling album of the century. As reported at Billboard.com, Coldplay will release the as-yet-untitled album through Capitol Records despite issues at the label's parent company, EMI, which was recently bought out by Terra Firma. Related links: Coldplay.com Coldplay on MySpace Paste: Coldplay working on... read more
All Points West 2008 confirms full line-up, dates
We already flipped out about the announcement that Radiohead will be headlining two, count 'em, two nights of the inaugural All Points West Music and Arts Festival at New Jersey's Liberty State Park August 8-10. Now, finally, we've been given the rest of the story concerning the lineup of this event, which is being put on by the same folks as Coachella. The remaining one-third of the festival's headline space will be occupied by none other than the oft-shoeless songster Jack Johnson, fresh off the release of his latest album, Sleep Through The Static. The ever-casual Johnson's certainly been making... read more
Leonardo DiCaprio, Warner Bros. remaking Akira
Abiding by the classic philosophy that if something is a success elsewhere in the world it should be adapted and Americanized, Warner Bros. recently announced through The Hollywood Reporter that it will be involved in a remake of Akira. More surprising is that Leonardo DiCaprio and his company Appian Way will be producing the project, leading to speculation about whether he will appear in the work or if he'll do what Brad Pitt did with The Departed and sit out. Akira is one of the seminal works of anime, one of the first features in the form to gain any... read more
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