Catching Up With... Man Man

By David Marek on 4:32 PM on March 31, 2008

If Man Man confuses you, you’re not alone. On first glance, the band seems filled with dedicated jokesters, recording with junkyard instruments and performing in odd concert attire (consisting, oftentimes, of white cutoffs and war paint). But if you look a bit deeper you'll find...  read more

U2 signs 12-year deal with Live Nation

By Christina Hansen on 3:25 PM on March 31, 2008

U2 has signed a 12-year deal with concert promoter Live Nation, cementing a partnership that began in the late '90s. The new agreement gives Live Nation global rights to the band’s merchandising, touring, digital and branding areas, the company’s president and CEO Michael Rapino announced this morning. The deal does not include any recording or publishing rights, which fall under the band’s contract with Universal Music Group. The deal with U2 comes less than six months after Live Nation announced a watershed all-inclusive agreement with Madonna. The artist was rumored to have left Warner Music Group after the label refused...  read more

Baseball Music Project sets summer concert dates, cities

By Meghan Jones on 3:14 PM on March 31, 2008

At the mention of the word “baseball,” you think Big League Chew, sunny summer days and that crack of the bat as one goes flying out of the park. But what about, you know, music? Here at Paste, it's our job to think about all things in the context of music, and the glorious combination of two of our favorite things actually happens more often than you might think. Case in point: The Baseball Music Project. Back in 2004, a group of music professionals with “a nearly uncontainable love and passion for both baseball and music,” got together with the...  read more

Flaming Lips, Strokes, PB&J, Cure, more set for MLB2K8

By Adina Fleming on 3:13 PM on March 31, 2008

A partnership between video gamers 2K Sports and Pitchfork has resulted in one of the cooler video game soundtracks in recent years. 2K recruited P4K to select half of the music to be featured in Major League Baseball 2K8, available this Spring. A mix of older artists, new artists and older artists with new stuff make this a pleasing collection of music that will surely enhance the gaming experience. The line-up includes such veterans and well-known artists as Dinosaur Jr, The Cure, The Cars, The Strokes, The Flaming Lips and Modest Mouse. On the newer side are artists such as...  read more

All Björk, all the time: new video, compilation

By David Marek on 2:45 PM on March 31, 2008

It's like Christmas in April for Björk fans. No, she didn’t demand independence for another national liberation movement. Instead, she released a jaw-dropping music video for "Wanderlust." Although we’ll still have to wait a week for the 3-D version, you can feast your eyes on the 2-D premiere over at Yahoo Music. You can also hop on over to Bjork’s website and watch the The Making of "Wanderlust" video or pick up a pair of free 3-D glasses courtesy of your favorite Icelandic pop star. Elsewhere on the web, our buddies over at Stereogum also recently released Enjoyed: A Tribute...  read more

Film to chronicle life of Brooklyn Dodger Gene Moore

By Christina Hansen on 11:59 AM on March 31, 2008

White Light Entertainment and MediaOne Ventures will be co-producing the upcoming film Playing With The Enemy, which chronicles the life of professional baseball player Gene Moore. The film’s production promises to be a family affair. The professional baseballer’s son Gary Moore based the screenplay on his 2006 book Playing With The Enemy: A Baseball Prodigy, a World at War, and a Field of Broken Dreams. Moore’s grandson, actor Toby Moore, co-wrote the screenplay with his father, and will be playing his grandfather in the film. Playing With The Enemy tells the extraordinary story of Gene Moore, a talented young catcher...  read more

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds: Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!

By Matt Fink on 11:58 AM on March 31, 2008

Coming after an unexpected...  read more

Tapes 'n Tapes: Walk It Off

By Jesse Jarnow on 11:55 AM on March 31, 2008

Blog-hype victims for a SXSW minute in 2006...  read more

Man Man: Rabbit Habits

By Austin L. Ray on 11:50 AM on March 31, 2008

Following its pair of bizarrely excellent albums for...  read more

The Breeders: Mountain Battles

By Mark Kemp on 11:40 AM on March 31, 2008

Four songs into Mountain Battles, Breeders singer/guitarist Kim Deal...  read more

Tom Petty reunites Mudcrutch for new album, shows

By Adina Fleming on 11:30 AM on March 31, 2008

Before the Heartbreakers, there was Mudcrutch. A less appealing name perhaps, but Mudcrutch, Tom Petty’s original band, recently reunited for a new album. The group has finished recording, and in promotion of the new release (available April 29), has announced a number of intimate California shows this spring. Petty fronted Mudcrutch in the early '70s after dropping out of high school at age 17 to join the band made up of guitarist Tom Leadon, drummer Randall Marsh, future Heartbreakers’ keyboardist Bemmont Tench and guitarist Mike Campbell. The group gained a following and fan base out of its native Florida, but...  read more

Low, Liars, more play with Radiohead at Spanish tribute fest

By Julia Reidy on 11:24 AM on March 31, 2008

Although arguably no different than any of the other festivals Radiohead will play this year, this time, the band is getting a fest in its honor. Proving perhaps the most Radiohead-centric tourstop of all for the guys, June 12 at the Parc Del Forum in Barcelona, Spain, will see performances from Bat for Lashes, ENEMC (Ensemble Nacional de Música Contemporánea de España presenting "Off Computer," music based on Johnny Greenwood songs) Low, Clinic, Modeselektor and Liars (who have recently had to reschedule their European tour), as well as the band itself. Radiohead fansite At Ease explains that the one-day festival...  read more

Band of the Week: Sea Wolf

By Claire Ashton on 11:00 AM on March 31, 2008

Alex Brown Church always had a boyhood fascination with wolves. As time would have it, his intrigue with one of folklore’s central antagonists begged him to create a mythology of his very own via the aural tales eloquently delivered through his alter-ego, Sea Wolf...  read more

Matthew Ryan Vs. The Silver State

By Andy Whitman on 10:46 AM on March 31, 2008

Matthew Ryan has played the sadsack poet for more than a decade now, and he’s not about to change...  read more

The Black Keys: Attack & Release

By Jesse Jarnow on 10:35 AM on March 31, 2008

Ghosts—sonic and spectral—cruise Attack & Release, the fifth album by Akron indie-blues mainstays The Black Keys...  read more

Sun Kil Moon: April

By Rob O'Connor on 10:16 AM on March 31, 2008

Is there such a thing as closure? Crime writer James Ellroy’s mother...  read more

R.E.M.: Accelerate

By Andy Whitman on 10:08 AM on March 31, 2008

R.E.M. has already penned “The Finest Work Song.” Now...  read more

The Weepies give away Hideaway info

By Meghan Jones on 9:57 AM on March 31, 2008

Good news for all of the folky folk out there: The Weepies (yes, that was them singing in that Old Navy commercial. Knew it!) will be releasing their third album, Hideaway, on April 22. Hideaway will have 14 new tracks of the sweet harmonies and melodies for which the Boston-born, California-based duo are loved. The name of the album was inspired by their need for some rest and relaxation at home after The Weepies’ exhausting 2006-2007 tour schedule. And you, dear reader, are 123% likely to know much more about The Weepies and the aforementioned album if you pick up...  read more

James Hunter to join Starbucks label The Hard Way

By Kasia Galazka on 11:45 PM on March 29, 2008

When you think about it (maybe a little too much), British soulster James Hunter joining Starbucks' Hear Music label "the hard way" sounds like it would entail eating various animal organs while balancing on a jet a la Fear Factor. Hunter's trek to releasing his new album, incidentally called The Hard Way, on the coffee imprint was probably much simpler. We journalists just happen to like working terrible puns into our headlines. Hunter will join Sir Paul McCartney and Joni Mitchell, amongst others, on the label with his upcoming release, due in June. The new album, produced by Liam Watson...  read more

Ira Glass to bring This American Life to a theater near you

By Christina Hansen on 8:35 PM on March 29, 2008

Radio and television host Ira Glass will be bringing his show This American Life to the silver screen for a one-night only event of exclusive material, special guests and Q&A. On the evening of May 1, This American Life Live! will be broadcast via satellite to theaters across the country from New York University’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. Glass will be debuting never-before-seen stories and outtakes from his show, and answering questions from the audience. Several special, currently unnamed guests will also make appearances. This American Life debuted on Chicago airwaves in 1995. Glass eschewed interviews with celebrities...  read more