We Are Scientists: Brain Thrust Mastery
Their new wave crown turned slightly askew, We Are Scientists have returned with... read more
Dosh: Wolves and Wishes
The fourth album by studio whiz Martin Dosh is a shimmering... read more
Coldplay announces Viva la Vida North American tour dates
Coldplay has announced the dates for its upcoming Viva la Vida North American tour, which will kick off in June after two high profile free concerts in London and New York. The band’s latest, Viva la Vida Or Death and All His Friends, will be released June 17 on Capitol. Viva’s first single, “Violet Hill,” has already been downloaded by more than two million people in a single week after the band made it available for free. Before the band kicks off its summer tour, Martin and Co. will be playing two free shows: the first at London’s Brixton Academy... read more
No Age: Nouns
No Age’s allure has always come from the band’s conflict... read more
Parker Posey, Johnny Knoxville join Waters' Fruitcake
Four years ago, John Waters released a Christmas album. Yes, you read that right. Waters, the boundary pushing director and actor, the man best known for his love of camp and cross-dressers, released an album full of handpicked Christmas tunes like "Fat Daddy," "Here Comes Fatty Claus," and "Happy Birthday Jesus." The album's release must have ignited Waters' passion for the festive holiday, because last year it was announced that he'd be helming a children's Christmas movie. (Yes, you read that right too.) And, as is standard in the World of Waters, the story only gets stranger. Recently, it was... read more
Gang of Four loses two
It's always risky to put too much physical description in a band name. Sometimes visual characteristics can change. Like the number of members, for instance. And then what? Do you change the name? "Gang of Two" doesn't roll off the tongue the way "Gang of Four" does, but that's the technicality of their situation now that the quartet's rhythm section has departed (for real this time). The original lineup reunited in 2005, and played all together as recently as the end of 2006. Guitarist Andy Gill and singer Jon King will continue to make music under the moniker, though bassist... read more
The Whigs blog, paint, ponder JFK, tour, eat corn dogs
“Technology, it needs me,” Whigs' singer Parker Gispert sang on their first album, Give ‘Em All a Big Fat Lip. Now the technology of Blogspot.com returns the favor, allowing the band to chronicle adventures of historical crime solving and foot-long corn dogs on its new blog that documents the (mostly) off-stage antics of the recently begun summer tour for its latest album, Mission Control. No longer will you have to wonder just exactly what those Athens, Ga. boys do away from home when you find out they’ve already come this close to solving the decades-old mystery of who shot John... read more
Eddy Arnold: 1918 - 2008
Country legend and “countrypolitan” musician, Eddy Arnold, died Thursday morning at a care facility in Nashville. He was just days short of his 90th birthday. Born on a farm near Henderson, Tenn., Arnold sang on radio stations in Memphis and St. Louis before having his first No. 1 hit in 1947, “What Is Life Without Love.” His 1965 single, “Make the World Go Away,” was successful on both country and pop charts, making him one of the most successful country singers ever. In 1966, he was admitted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and in 1967 he became the... read more
Grizzly Bear announces summer tour plans
The news has been hit by a slew of animal-related disturbances: mountain lions prowling the suburbs, alligators trespassing into home kitchens, and even a group of ducklings holding up traffic on the interstate. Rest assured that our Faunomusicology Society is on the case, researching the phenomenon. In the meantime, there are reports of a Grizzly Bear wreaking havoc on concert venues everywhere... Coming out of hibernation, the group has paired up with two rock 'n' roll titans, Radiohead and the New Pornographers, for a summer tour. Grizzly Bear has also added a string of solo dates including appearances at Lollapalooza... read more
My Morning Jacket embraces Urges with nationwide tour
The members of My Morning Jacket will be courting the dark side as they travel across the country on their upcoming Evil Urges tour. Jim James and Co. won’t be releasing their fifth album Evil Urges until June 10, but if early ticket sales are any indication, fans around the country can’t wait to get up close and personal with the Louisville rockers. Case in point: the band’s June 20 show at NYC’s Radio City Music Hall sold out in only 22 minutes back in January, before a single song from the new album had been released. MMJ offered SXSW... read more
Nick Cave adds fall North American tour dates
Continuing on his quest for world domination, Nick Cave has added some new shows onto his touring trek. The Australian-born megaforce will be extending his performances into the fall of 2008. If you would like to further support the supremacy of Cave and his gang of Bad Seeds, then you can vote for them here. The band has been nominated for this year's Mojo Honours List for best album and best song as a result of their most recent musical contribution Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!. Did we mention that it's a truly badass record? Oh yes, that's right, we most certainly... read more
Death Cab For Cutie: Narrow Stairs
A gift for melody—as a songwriter... read more
Desmond Tutu: Record mogul
With a Nobel Peace Prize under his belt, Bishop Desmond Tutu has turned his sights on a Grammy. Digital Music News reports that the South African champion of human rights is involved in the SOS Records venture WeLoveFreeMusic.com. While his new cry for freedom is set in a somewhat more commercial context, we applaud the company's plans to give away a new MP3 each day from a different independent artist. Fans will vote on the music they hear and the winner gets an SOS record deal. The company claims their site's launch at 11:45 a.m. on Tuesday was "the greatest... read more
Iron & Wine and Bill Callahan go touring with Swell Season
Two short months ago, we provided you with a list of dates that The Swell Season would be offering up this summer. It seems that was only the beginning. Now, the Once pair has gone and announced even more dates with some pretty spectacular opening acts. Imagine, if you will, an enchanted evening where you are serenaded by not only Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova and their band, but also Iron & Wine and Bill Callahan. Sounds like quite a night, no? You can make it a reality by simply buying some tickets. Dreams do come true: August 9 -... read more
Madonna takes her Hard Candy all over the world
On August 16, Madonna turns 50 years old, and she has plenty of reason to celebrate. Her latest album, Hard Candy, debuted at number one on the Billboard chart, kicking long time rival diva Mariah Carey out of the coveted spot. To support the album, Mrs. Ciccone-Ritchie will tour around the world shortly after celebrating the big 5-0, starting in Europa and ending in the good ol' U.S. of A. In keeping with her recent conversion from Material Girl to Maternal Woman, Madonna has produced a documentary film entitled I Am Because We Are, which premiered at the Tribeca Film... read more
Daytrotter Radio premieres on Philly’s WXPN
Daytrotter.com founder Sean Moeller recently hosted the first edition of a new weekly radio segment for the University of Pennsylvania’s noncommercial radio station WXPN. The weekly 30-minute show is called Daytrotter Radio, and will air Wednesday evenings at 10:30 p.m. The program will feature exclusive recording sessions with up-and-coming indie bands obtained by the music and arts-focused website. The show will be broadcast by WXPN throughout the Delaware Valley and central Pennsylvania, and will also be available via online streaming on the radio station’s three websites: XPN.org, YRockOnXPN.org, and XPoNentialMusic.org. Music critic Moeller decided to launch a music-themed website from... read more
The Nature of Mother
Mother's Day is an ideal time for listening to the sons of popular music riffing on one of humanity's most universal concepts. So here are Paste's notes toward a schema of motherhood in rap, indie rock and points outlying. Could there be a more obvious starting point than Danzig? read more
Neil Young releases archive collection on Blu-ray
Curious how Neil Young looked while writing “Cinnamon Girl”? Want to see images of his early records? How about listening to his entire collection while reading news clips and viewing pictures that fit chronologically? Young has announced that he will release his oft-rumored archival collection on Blu-ray disc. When we say complete archival collection, we mean complete archival collection. The timeline begins in 1963 with his first days of making music, moving along into the Buffalo Springfield era and beyond. “I only give the record company what I want people to hear at the time,” Young told CNet. “So I... read more
T.I.'s Paper Trail set to drop August 12
Grammy Award-winning rapper T.I. will release his third effort, Paper Trail, on Aug. 12. He's been hard at work on the album over the past few months, recording in his home studio while under house arrest for pending weapons charges. The album's first single, "No Matter What," is currently available for purchase here, or you can stream it here. Luckily, for his fans (and his record company), it appears he finished the album before being sentenced to a possible year in jail or 1,500 hours in community service, back in March. T.I. will also continue to uphold the rapper-turned-screen actor... read more
Band of the Week: We Are Scientists
This is not an article about We Are Scientists’ music. It contains little to no information about their songs, instrumentation or recording process. At least, that’s the way bassist Chris Cain would have it if he could. He agrees the classic quote claiming that talking about music is like... read more
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