Low ready album, plot tour
After some time off spent funding the construction of a school in Kenya, Sub Pop vets and budding humanitarians Low have readied their Drums & Guns and will soon launch phase one of a two-prong attack on slowcore fans nationwide. Kicking off in April, their tour will support the March 20 release of Drums & Guns, Low’s follow-up to 2005’s The Great Destroyer. Swedish labelmate Loney, Dear, whose debut LP hits stores February 6, will join Alan Sparhawk and company for four of their April shows. Tour dates include: 2/15 London, England - The Spitz 2/16 Bruges, Belgium... read more
2007 Ponderosa Stomp returns to New Orleans
The 6th Annual Ponderosa Stomp, an American roots music festival, returns to New Orleans this year. Moved to Memphis last year, the eight hour event spotlighting pioneers of rock'n'roll and rhythm & blues will be held at the New Orleans' House of Blues on May 2, 2007. The Mystic Knights of the Mau-Mau, a non-profit group, started the Stomp in 2000 to rediscover and promote overlooked American musicians. Since then they have partnered with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Sun Studios and the Stax Museum, among others. Some of the artists' playing the Stomp are: Wardell Quezergue and... read more
The Roots play the streets of South Africa
On their current world tour, The Roots took it to the streets in South Africa. For the first time in their career, the rap group visited South Africa shortly before Christmas. Using a flatbed truck as a stage, they played on the streets of neighborhoods in Johannesburg, Capetown and Durbin. The band’s tour, which will take them to Japan before they hit North America in February, will continue through April. 1/12 Osaka Japan @ Blue Note 1/13 Osaka Japan @ Blue Note 1/15 Tokyo Japan -On Air East 1/16 Tokyo, Japan - On Air East 1/... read more
Son Volt to release new album
Transmit Sound just announced a March 6 release date for the follow-up to Son Volt's 2005 LP, Okemah and the Melody of Riot. The Search will mark a dramatic departure from the band's alt-country past, as guitar pedal loops, keyboard sounds and a full-fledged, Memphis-style horn section will supplant the electric guitar at the forefront of Son Volt's soundscape. Farrar is currently wrapping up a series of dates with Anders Parker as part of their side-project Gob Iron and will then hit the road with Son Volt for a national tour in March. Stay tuned for a list of those... read more
Figure to commemorate Madvillain
Rejoice, all ye rhyme-loving, figure-collecting souls out there! Hip-hop label Stones Throw Records and rare-toy superstore Kidrobot have partnered to bring everyone’s favorite masked rapper to a shelf near you. The limited edition Madvillain figure stands 8.5 inches tall, comes in two colors and sports giant fists to knock you out with. Available online and in boutique retailers throughout the nation, the collectible drops on Jan. 11 to coincide with the release of Adult Swim’s DVD/CD Chrome Children Pt. 2, which features music from Madvillain and a host of other Stones Throw artists. Related links: Madvillain on MySpace Stones... read more
Joni Mitchell tribute to be released this spring
Elvis Costello, Sufjan Stevens and Prince are among the varied artists paying homage to Joni Mitchell on the upcoming A Tribute To Joni Mitchell. The first tribute record to Mitchell, Nonesuch Records will release the 12-track album in spring 2007. A Tribute To Joni Mitchell tracklist 1. Free Man in Paris - Sufjan Stevens 2. Boho Dance – Björk 3. Dreamland - Caetano Veloso 4. Don't Interrupt The Sorrow - Brad Mehldau 5. For The Roses - Cassandra Wilson 6. A Case Of U – Prince 7. Blue - Sarah McLachlan 8. Ladies Of The Canyon - Annie Lennox 9.... read more
Planet Bluegrass announces Telluride lineup
With the sun at its highest point in the sky, the world's most talented acoustic musicians as well as 10,000 of their biggest fans will converge on the tiny mountain town of Telluride, Colo., to celebrate the summer solstice with some good ole-fashioned pickin’ and grinnin’. Planet Bluegrass recently announced the preliminary lineup for the 34th annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival on June 21-24, 2007. Newcomers like Chris Thile and the Avett Brothers will share the stage with a host of true legends, including Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris and Sam Bush. Visit Planet Bluegrass to view the complete lineup or to... read more
Mavis Staples finishes Anti- Records debut
Gospel legend Mavis Staples just completed work on the most controversial album of her career, titled We'll Never Turn Back. Marking her debut for Anti- Records, this raw and intensely personal collection combines contemporized versions of the freedom songs made famous during the Civil Rights Movement with a number of originals penned by Staples herself. Slated for an April 24 release, We'll Never Turn Back was produced by master guitarist Ry Cooder, whose influence extends well outside the control booth. Several of the songs, including the title track, were co-written by Staples and Cooder, and she sings one of his... read more
Badly Drawn Boy announces March tour
Fresh off the October release of his fifth studio album, titled Born in the U.K., English songsmith Damon Gough (a.k.a. Badly Drawn Boy) just announced a string of 18 show dates for March. The brief tour will kick off at the Theatre of Living Arts in Philadelphia and wrap up less than a month later at Richards on Richards in Vancouver. Tickets are available now through Badly Drawn Boy's official website or at Ticketmaster.com. Tour dates include: March 3 - Philadelphia PA @ Theatre of Living Arts 5 - Somerville MA @ Somerville Theatre 6 - Washington DC @ 9.30... read more
Bright Eyes Preps EP, Full-Length
Music writers around the world are busy shining up their hyperbolic descriptors, as Conor Oberst and the rotating cast he calls Bright Eyes have just announced two releases for early 2007. The newly efficient trio composed of Oberst, Nate Walcott and producer Mike Mogis spent much of this year prepping both Four Winds, an EP including a self-titled single and five exclusive b-sides to be released on March 6, and Cassadaga, the next proper Bright Eyes full-length, set to drop on April 10. Set in various studios in New York City, Los Angeles, Portland, OR and Lincoln, NE, the sessions... read more
Ry Cooder to release new album
After his 2005 Grammy-nominated LP Chávez Ravine, a tribute to a vanished Latino community in L.A., slide guitarist Ry Cooder dramatically shifted his focus. My Name Is Buddy, slated for a February 27 release on Nonesuch Records, tells the story of Buddy Red Cat and his journey from the comforts of home to the troubles of the outside world. A handful of familiar faces round out Cooder's all-star cast of accompanying musicians on My Name Is Buddy, including Roland White, Van Dyke Parks, Joachim Cooder and banjo legend Mike Seeger. Each of the record's 17 songs, many written by Cooder... read more
Eastern Bloc Party
Middle-aged orthodox-Jewish men, women in Stevie Nicks-style gypsy blouses, crusty punks and college hipsters all dance side by side... read more
The Good, The Bad, & The Queen
Damon Albarn, Paul Simonon, Tony Allen and Simon Tong are sitting outside a café in west London... read more
Kristy Kruger, Guggenheim Grotto Among IMA Winners
Most genres imaginable and every corner of the globe are represented in the artists recently named winners in the 2007 Independent Music Awards. Aside from the honor of being considered tops of all the world’s indie artists, winners receive year’s worth of marketing support from the Planetary Group and a featured spot in the 2007 edition of The Musicians Atlas, a guide to making it in the global indie music business. Some of the honorees include Kristy Kruger, who won for best Americana album; Bitter:Sweet, winner in the Pop/rock album category; and The Guggenheim Grotto (pictured above), given the... read more
Switchfoot - Oh! Gravity
San Diego rockers continue tackling the Big Questions read more
John Legend - Once Again
If at first you do succeed, try, try again read more
Band of the Week: Middle Distance Runner
Hard work doesn't lead to success... read more
Will Oldham — Budding Comedian?
Will Oldham/Bonnie “Prince Billy/weird dude with weird facial hair just looks like a jokester. According to a story originally reported at Idolator.com, the indie crooner will be performing as a stand-up comedian Dec. 19 at Chicago comedy club Weeds. That should definitely be a fun sight. Oldham will perform as part of a series of shows sponsored and curated by the Drag City record label. ... read more
MerleFest Puts On Songwriting Contest
MerleFest, which honors the memory of the late Merle Waston, has announced that Jim Lauderdale will serve as Honorary Chairperson of the Chris Austin Songwriting contest; entries for the contest must be received by March 4, 2007. Lauderdale will be accompanied by a group of Nashville music industry figures to evaluate the entries; the panel will then choose three finalists for the categories of country, bluegrass, gospel and general. The finals will be at MerleFest 2007 on April 27 on the Christ Austin Stage. For more information, click here. ... read more
Junior Boys Create Contest For Fans
It’s good to see bands interact with their fans. It’s even better when bands want their fans to direct their videos. Hooray for Junior Boys! The Canadian duo and Domino Records has teamed up with imeem, inc., the online community for social media, to create an interactive contest that allows fans to use live footage and music videos, as well as license free clips to create new music videos for the band’s album, So This Is Goodbye. Domino and Junior Boys created a personal group at JuniorBoys.Imeem.com for exclusive content, previews and contests for their fans. ... read more
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