Tupac memorial statue to be unveiled in Atlanta
On Sep. 13, the newly opened Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts (TASCA) will unveil a memorial statue in honor of the legendary rapper's passing nine years prior. The bronze monument will occupy the center of Peace Garden in Atlanta, Ga. Sculptor Tina Allen designed the seven-foot statue, which will stand on a three-foot base inside a fountain shaped like a gothic cross. Shakur's quotes and poetry will surround the sculpture. Additionally, the Tupac Summer Performing Arts Camp's kids will perform, and discussions will be held with the late rapper's mother, Ms. Afeni Shakur. Although the ceremony is free,... read more
Doves announce new North American tour dates
New North American tour dates have been confirmed for British trio Doves in support of their recently released third album, Some Cities. The tour, which kicks off Sep. 12 in Boston, will bring Doves to New York City's CMJ Music Marathon and Across the Narrows Festival, Texas's Austin City Limits Festival and San Francisco's Download Festival. Doves tourdates: 9/12 — Boston, Mass. — Avalon 9/13 — Montreal, Quebec — Spectrum de Montreal 9/14 — Brooklyn, N.Y. — Warsaw @ (CMJ Music Marathon) 9/16 — New Haven, Conn. — Toad's Place 9/17 — Baltimore, Md. —... read more
Matthew Ryan's new band releases U.K. debut
Nashville songwriter Matthew Ryan (pictured above, far right) and his new band Strays Don't Sleep are releasing their self-titled debut in the U.K. on One Little Indian (also Björk's label). Included with the CD is a DVD that features short films inspired by each song. Strays Don’t Sleep will headline a series of dates in Nashville, and a U.K. tour is in the works. For more information, visit straysdontsleep.com ... read more
Wynton Marsalis readies live album
Wynton Marsalis and his quintet have announced plans to release Live at The House of Tribes, their new live album recorded at the House of Tribes Theater in NYC, to be released Aug. 30 on Blue Note. The album finds Marsalis joined by longtime collaborators Wessell Anderson on alto saxophone and Eric Lewis on piano. Veteran musicians Kengo Nakamura (bass), and Joe Farnsworth (drums) round out the lineup. Robert Rucker and Orlando Q. Rodriguez sit in on percussion on selected tracks. To hear music from the new release or watch video footage from the House of Tribes, visit http://www.bluenote.com/marsalis... read more
Bright Eyes can't stop touring
After two separate tours in support of critically acclaimed January releases, I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning and Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, Bright Eyes is going on tour again. This time, Conor Oberst will be playing songs from all of the Bright Eyes releases to date. Tour Dates: 10/22/05 - Santa Barbara, Calif. - Santa Barbara Bowl 10/25/05 - Santa Cruz, Calif. - Santa Cruz Civic 10/26/05 - Reno, Nev. - Reno Hilton 10/27/05 - Davis, Calif. - Freeborn Hall 10/29/05 - Mountain View, Calif. - Bridge School Benefit 10/30/05 - Mountain View,... read more
Dandy Warhols plan August suitcase tour
The Dandy Warhols have announced a promotional "Suitcase Tour" in which they'll play electric sets at radio stations in five markets using only the instruments that fit into a single suitcase (besides their guitars) during the day. And at night will throw free parties at local clubs in honor of their fifth album, Odditorium or Warlords of Mars, out Sep. 13. The band will also perform for the first time at CBGB's, paying its respects to the endangered NYC club during the CMJ Music Marathon in September. A full U.S. tour will kick off in November. Dandy Warhols Suitcase Tour... read more
MIDIval PunditZ announce fall tour
On September 1st, New Delhi DJ duo MIDIval PunditZ will embark on its largest North American tour to date, covering 12 cities in the United States and Canada. By mixing South Asia's classical music traditions with elements of more modern, Western electronic music, Anoushka Shankar and Ustad Sultan Khan have earned recognition in DJ scenes around the globe. On this tour, they will be supporting their second full-length album, Midival Times, which came out in April. For tour dates and more details, visit MIDIval PunditZ's official Website. ... read more
North Carolina field recordings featured on new release
(Pictured above: Filmmaker, archivist and photographer John Cohen) On Sep. 27, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings will release Dark Holler: Old Love Songs & Ballads, a collection of traditional North Carolina singing featuring Dillard Chandler and his peers from Madison Country, N.C. A bonus DVD of John Cohen's 1973 film The End of an Old Song highlights Dillard Chandler's extraordinary life. All but one of the tracks are reissued here for the first time since their initial release on the original Folkways label. These recordings—taken from several Folkways albums as well as John Cohen's films End of An Old Song and High... read more
Sufjan Stevens sells out five New York dates
Sufjan Stevens, on tour in support of his critically acclaimed new album Illinois, has sold out five shows at New York’s Bowery Ballroom on Aug. 19-23. Joining Stevens will be his backing band, the Illinoisemakers, and special guests including Half-handed Cloud and the Danielson Famile. ... read more
Sparhawk and Kozelek launch new collaboration
(Pictured above: Alan Sparhawk of Low) Alan Sparhawk (Low, Black Eyed Snakes) and Mark Kozelek (Sun Kil Moon, Red House Painters) will join forces for a Fall 2005 tour. Longtime friends and musical compatriots, Sparhawk and Kozelek will be part of the The Retribution Gospel Choir, featuring Duluth, Minn., residents Eric Pollard on drums and Matthew Livingstone on bass. Breaking from their respective traditions, The Retribution Gospel Choir will be a classic-rock band, performing covers ranging from the Rolling Stones and Neil Young to Pink Floyd, along with interpretations of Sparhawk and Kozelek’s own catalog. In other news, Low has... read more
Death Cab For Cutie announces fall tour
In anticipation of its new album, Plans—Death Cab For Cutie's Atlantic Records debut—the band has announced a seven-week fall tour. Dates: 10/3 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, B.C. 10/4 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, B.C. 10/5 - Whitman College - Walla Walla, Wash. 10/7 - In the Venue - Salt Lake City, Utah 10/8 - The Fillmore Auditorium - Denver, Colo. 10/10 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, Minn. (all ages) 10/11 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, Minn. (21 and over) 10/12 - Riviera Theatre - Chicago, Ill. 10/14 - Michigan Theatre... read more
Jamie Cullum set to release new album this fall
On Oct. 11, Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Jamie Cullum will release his second album, Catching Tales, on Verve Forecast. The 26-year-old pianist plans to tour the U.S. a bit in the fall with a more extensive schedule beginning in 2006. ... read more
Mudhoney recording new album
Seattle elder statesmen Mudhoney are in the process of recording a new album for long-time label Sub Pop. Currently, the new project is without title and is tentatively scheduled for an early-2006 release. Production duties will be split between Phil Ek (Modest Mouse, The Shins), Johnny Sangster (The Posies, Young Fresh Fellows) and Tucker Martine (Jesse Sykes, Steve Turner). Additionally, several tracks will feature backup vocal harmonies by Christy McWilson and Amy Allison (daughter of Mose Allison), while a horn section peppers some of the album's other songs. ... read more
Bloc Party remix album coming out this fall
Banking on the success of its full-length debut, Silent Alarm, Bloc Party will release a remix of the disc on Sep. 13 on Vice Records. Appropriately titled Silent Alarm Remixed, the album will come with a limited edition bonus disc including b-sides that were previously unavailable in the U.S. Track list: 1. Like Eating Glass (Ladytron Zapatista Mix) 2. Helicopter (Whitey Version) 3. Positive Tension (Jason Clark of Pretty Girls Make Graves remix) 4. Banquet (Phones Disco Edit) 5. Blue Light (Engineers ‘Anti-Gravity’ mix) 6. She’s Hearing Voices (Erol Alkan’s Calling Your Dub) 7. This Modern Love (Dave P. and... read more
Jason Mraz hits Billboard's top 5
Jason Mraz is keeping busy these days. In addition to celebrating a career-high chart entry (#5 on the Billboard 200) for his latest album, MR. A-Z, the singer/songwriter will be embarking on a nationwide, headlining tour this fall. Additionally, Mraz has scheduled television appearances on Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Kimmel on Aug. 19 and 25, respectively. ... read more
Steve Albini to produce Living Things' full-length debut
(Living Things photo by Floria Sigismondi) Producer Steve Albini (Pixies, Nirvana) has been working with The Living Things on their full-length debut, Ahead Of The Lions, due out Oct. 4. Living Things also released two EPs in 2003, both recorded by Albini. ... read more
Hotel Café launches national tour
(pictured above: Cary Brothers) Los Angeles venue The Hotel Café is taking its show on the road. The month-long tour—featuring Cary Brothers, Tom McRae, Rachel Yamagata, Joe Purdy and more—begins Sep. 7 in Portland, Ore., and ends Oct. 13 in San Diego. While each city will feature different artists, Cary Brothers will play every show. Paste is a proud sponsor of The Hotel Café Tour. For tour dates, see hotelcafe.com ... read more
Chasing Ghosts on the Airwaves
It turns out that Laura Cantrell isn’t the only member of her family to move to New York from Tennessee for a radio career. “I was sort of shocked, thinking that my … experience was unique to my family,” laughs singer/songwriter Cantrell when asked about her great-great aunt Ethel Park Richardson—a folksong collector and radio-show pioneer whose life eerily parallels her own. Both hail from Tennessee, both became enamored with Appalachian folkways, and both ended up in New York City with radio shows devoted to preservation of this music. So Cantrell offered a tribute to Richardson with an obscure... read more
Rick Rubin's American Recordings joins Warner Bros.
Producer Rick Rubin, who has worked with artists like Johnny Cash, the Beastie Boys and Weezer, has agreed to a partnership between his American Recordings and Warner Brothers. Although American will still sign artists and deal with the creative side of things, Warner will now distribute and promote the releases. ... read more
Jesse Malin to tour with Ryan Adams
On Aug. 9, Jesse Malin will begin a series of opening dates for Ryan Adams. Malin is touring in support of his 2004 album, The Heat. For more details, see Jesse Malin's official site. ... read more
The 50 Best Movies on Netflix Instant
The 25 Best Movies of 2012 (So…
The 50 Best Movies of 2011
The 30 Best TV Shows on Netflix…
The 50 Best Movies of the Decade…
