Music News Net

One Less Music Magazine - BLENDER Shuts Down

    MUSIC NEWS - Today, the staff at  Blender were informed that the magazine was the newest causality of the world economic crisis, thanks to lower magazine sales, declining subscriptions and fewer ad pages.  Their Kelly Clarkson covered, April 2009 issue will be the last. Around since 2001, " Blender has provided unmatched music coverage and entertainment news in its unique voice to a profoundly dedicated audience of music enthusiasts," Alpha Media Group CEO Stephen Duggan said in a company memo, reports  Advertising Age.

"We are particularly grateful to the sales team and to the tremendously talented editorial staff for their hard work and commitment to Blender" he said.

Danny Bloom on Ang Lee's TAKING WOODSTOCK Film

DANNY BLOOM, Oct 4, 2008
Tufts 1971, in Taiwan forever

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Ang Lee's new movie "Taking Woodstock" has backstory of pure serendipity

Taiwan-born Hollywood director Ang Lee, 53, is tackling a new movie project, a comedy this time, about America's famous Woodstock hippie music festival in 1969. Titled Taking Woodstock, the film's screenplay was written by longtime Lee collaborator James Schamus, 49, from a book by Elliot Tiber with the same title.  Tiber's memoir was quietly published with little fanfare in 2007 by a small publisher in New York, but now the book, subtitled "A True Story of a Riot, a Concert, and a Life," has become Lee's entree into the world of film comedy.

"TAKING WOODSTOCK" Trailer Released

     MUSIC NEWS - Check out the just released trailer for the Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain)  directed film, TAKING WOODSTOCK, out this summer from Focus Features.  The film is an adaptation of Elliot Tiber’s memoir “Taking Woodstock: A True Story of a Riot, A Concert, and A Life” and stars Emile Hirsch, Liev Schreiber, Imelda Staunton, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Henry Goodman, Eugene Levy, Paul Dano, Dan Fogler, Zoe Kazan and Mamie Gummer with a release date of August 14.  To get in the mood, pick up the dvd of Woodstock concert films.

SANTIGOLD Adds Spring 09 US Tour Dates

       MUSIC NEWS -  SANTIGOLD plans to take her endless dance party across the US for another round of fun this spring (full itinerary below) before she heads back into the studio to record the follow-up to her hit self-titled debut album.  Santigold will perform on this tour with a full band & dancers for the first time in North America in order to bring her genre-blending sound to life. Virgin Records artist Trouble Andrew, who's on the Santigold track “I’m A Lady,” along with Downtown Records’ singer/mc Amanda Blank will be the openers.   Santigold recently released “Brooklyn Go Hard,” a duet with Jay-Zproduced by Kanye West .  The tune samples her current single “Shove It,” which is the lead single from the Notorious B.I.G. biopic Notorious.  Did you catch it?; she recently performed “Shove It” on the debut week of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

GREEN DAY Commits to May 15 Release of 21st Century Breakdown !

      MUSIC NEWS - Reprise Records just announced a release date for Green Day's long-awaited eighth studio album, entitled 21st Century Breakdown.  You'll be able to get the album starting, Friday, May 15, 2009.  21st Cent.. is the trio's first studio album since 2004's punk rock opera American Idiot (buy a copy here),

21^st Century Breakdown is divided into three acts: "Heroes and Cons," "Charlatans and Saints," and "Horseshoes and Handgrenades," and follows a young couple, Christian and Gloria, through the mess and promise of the century so far. Songs include "Know Your Enemy," "21 Guns," "East Jesus Nowhere," "Before the Lobotomy," and "Restless Heart Syndrome." In a recent feature, Rolling Stone called the album "even more ambitious than American Idiot" and "a record of die-hard punk ideals...tightly scripted, continually ascending classic-rock excitement."

Singer-guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool have been busy working writing, arranging, and recording 21^st Century Breakdown since back in 2006 and are currently wrpaiing it up with producer Butch Vig, (known for his work with Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage).  The first single from 21^st Century Breakdown is "Know Your Enemy," which will arrive at radio and be available for purchase from all online shoppes in April (actual date to be announced).

(photo: Phil Mucci)

"BOOM BOOM POW" Release Moved Up by BLACK EYED PEAS

      MUSIC NEWS - The digital release of "Boom Boom Pow," the new single from The Black Eyed Peas, has been moved up to Monday, March 30th, announced Interscope Records.  The tune will become available through all digital shoppes. To stem the unauthorized downloads, and to satisify fan who have been clamoring to purchase the track since it hit Top 40 Radio two weeks ago. " The video for "Boom Boom Pow" -- directed by Motion Theory (who lensed Weezer's Grammy Award-winning clip for "Pork and Beans") -- will be released in early April. The song was written by The Black Eyed Peas, which is will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo, and Fergie, and produced by will.i.am.

"Boom Boom Pow" is the first single from The Black Eyed Peas' upcoming fifth studio album The E.N.D., which is due from Interscope Records on June 9th, 2009. The E.N.D.is the BEPs' first album of new music since 2005's blockbuster Monkey Business (buy a copy here)  which sold more than nine million copies worldwide and gave us the Grammy Award-winning singles "Don't Phunk With My Heart" and "My Humps."

Also, The Black Eyed Peas will perform their music at the Ultra Music Festival  Conference on Friday, March 27th in Miami, FL !

BONNAROO Adds PUBLIC ENEMY, ANI DIFRANCO, Others and Comedy Line Up

     MUSIC NEWS- Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival has added a batch of add'l acts and announced the comedy program for this years event. Updates include established artists such as Public Enemy and Ani DiFranco along with reggae mainstays the Itals and Wailing Souls, African superstars Amadou & Mariam, underground rapper Murs, metal favorites Shadows Fall and High on Fire, R&B ingénue Janelle Monáe, electronic soul duo Pretty Lights, bluegrass guitarist Tony Rice, and indie-world buzz bands Passion Pit, Hockey and White Rabbits. A full list of confirmed acts is below.

Also, Bonnaroo 2009 will feature a host of national headlining comics in a seated, air-conditioned comedy venue. Presented by Butterfinger (yup, I saw the candy today with a Bonnaroo promo on the package) and newly named "The Comedy Sweet," the tent willoffer up some of TV's most hilarious personalities, including late-night host Jimmy Fallon and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, who will present "Bonnapoo 2009," a variety show with music, stand up, classic clips, unaired material, interviews and insults. Also scheduled is "An Evening with The Daily Show," featuring correspondents John Oliver, Rob Riggle and exec producer Rory Albanese. Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter are also confirmed to perform ahead of the debut of their new Comedy Central show Michael and Michael Have Issues, along with Office spin-off Parks and Recreation star Aziz Ansari, Flight Of The Conchords (buy dvd) regulars Kristen Schaal and Arj Barker, the legendary Todd Barry, Nick Thune, Wayne Federman, Nick Kroll, Kurt Braunholer, Amy Schumer, Kumail Nanjiani and Pete Holmes.

Outside The Comedy Sweet tent, a number of the comics will engage Bonnaroo guests with pop-up gags around the festival grounds.  Starting next month, the Butterfinger Comedy Network will air routines from previous Bonnaroo comedy performances, including clips from Lewis Black, Brian Posehn and Joe DeRosa.  Check it out.

Time for some Virgin Talk with BAD FLIRT

     MUSIC NEWS - The Montreal-based, Bad Flirt had been a simple touring solo project for singer/songwriter Jasamine White Gluz. She appeared on the Montreal scene in back in 2002, when it was a small but vibrant community. This was during the same time that yielded the scene’s indie pop artists, Arcade Fire, The Unicorns and Stars.   By 2005, Bad Flirt had expanded into a full group wuth the enlistment of musicians Jas had met in her travels. As a result, there were two releases: the EP Six Ways To Break Your Heart and the 7”/Cd Single Head On Head On. These releases sold thousands of copies over the band’s intense North American touring schedule that included shows with Paramore, The Kills, The Thermals, Bayside, Lightning Bolt and Rogue Wave. It was also during this time that Bad Flirt garnered the attention of Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, who proclaimed in the media that Bad Flirt was their favorite new band!

In a break from their hectic touring schedule, the band slowed down for a brief period to work with famed award winning producer Howard Bilerman (Arcade Fire, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Wolf Parade) to create their '08 album, Virgin Talk.

The FELICE BROTHERS, From SXSW to New Music & Tour

     MUSIC NEWS - Check out the brand new single, "Run Chicken Run" from The Felice Brothers' upcoming April 7th release Yonder Is The Clock (on Team Love Records) FREE. " You can download and preview the brand new tune here.

It's a great time for the band.  The Catskill boys are hot off a couple of raucous (one was so packed the fire department showed up to  make sure the place wasn't over the legal limit) and well-received gigs at SXSW 2009. The Austin American Statesman wrote that their Friday afternoon appearance at the Dirty Dog "showcased the Felice Brothers' recent artistic strides. Material from the forthcoming masterwork 'Yonder is the Clock' both torpedoed hearts and shook homes.  Easy highlights like the scattershot country blues 'Run, Chicken, Run' and 'Ambulance Man' offered brilliant Southern Gothic narratives."

Following a Record Release Show for the new album on April 7th at the Bardavan Opera House in Poughkeepsie, NY, the New York Staters, The Felice Brothers take to the road for a National headlining tour (see itinerary below).

BEN FOLDS Joins the A Capella Movement With New Release

     MUSIC NEWS -   Epic Records has announced the release of BEN FOLDS PRESENTS: UNIVERSITY A CAPPELLA! on April 28, 2009. Folds was amazed when he discovered the number of colleges that have active a cappella groups on campus (1,200 in the US alone), so, on top of this, how many of them love to cover his songs, Folds decided to produce a record with the best of these performances. 

When word got out, the response was tremendous and resulted in 250 videos on YouTube. Folds would come off stage every night and spend hours reviewing these entries, finally choosing 15 groups to record. Ben, his wife Fleur, and his engineer Joe Costa packed up their equipment, and hopped on planes, trains and automobiles to record these groups. Over 2 months, they set up in dorm lounges, lecture halls and campus television studios. They even recorded in a Synagogue. Wanting to involve students from other areas of campus life in these sessions, at each one Folds invited a student photographer and videographer to document the recording.  After reviewing the footage captured, Ben then invited one of the student videographers, Jason Harper from Princeton University, to compile each school's footage into one documentary of the entire project.
 

VAN MORRISON Back to LA for More "Astral Weeks" Gigs

      MUSIC NEWS - In case you missed Van Morrison’s two "Astral Weeks" concerts last November at the Hollywood Bowl,  when he performed the entire 1968 album for the first (& second) time ever, he's added three more gigs to again perform his one-of-a-kind work (now that the NYC shows are over), and at a better location.  The gigs will happend on May 7 thru 9 at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown L.A.  Tickets will go on sale this Sunday, March 29, at 10 am, but American Express cardholders have access to a presale deal starting Wednesday (thru Saturday).

NEWPORT FOLK & JAZZ Fests on Schedule for 2009 !

     MUSIC NEWS -  Great news, legendary music / festival promoter,  George Wein today announced that he will produce this summer's George Wein's FOLK FESTIVAL 50, July 31 thru August 2, and George Wein's JAZZ FESTIVAL 55 August 7 thru 9 in historic Newport, RI.  Both festivals will include two full days of music at Fort Adams State Park and a Friday evening concert.  
 
Both events had been in question due to the lack of sponsorships, but Wein has said, " In answer to those who have asked whether my presentation of two great music festivals in Newport this summer is in any way dependent on obtaining sponsors for them, the folk and jazz public have my guarantee that both festivals will take place as promised. Each will be as exciting and memorable as any of the many world-famous music festivals that Newport has hosted and enjoyed in recent years."
 
The City of Newport, RI is renowned for presenting great performances and performers, including Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Bob Dylan, Odetta and Taj Mahal, in its past summer festivals. George Wein is determined to carry on that tradition.   Artists for George Wein's FOLK FESTIVAL 50 and George Wein's JAZZ FESTIVAL 55 will be announced in early April.  

See Sold-Out Shows! Tickets Available on StubHub.com (ad)

ELVIS COSTELLO Gets SECRETive & Acoustic For His New, June 2 Release

     MUSIC NEWS - Hear Music (Starbucks) has announced a June 2, 2009 release of Elvis Costello’s new album ‘Secret, Profane & Sugarcane’ (track list below). The album was produced by T Bone Burnett and recorded by Mike Piersante during a three-day session at Nashville’s Sound Emporium Studio.  With Costello at the sessions were Jerry Douglas (dobro), Stuart Duncan (fiddle), Mike Compton (mandolin), Jeff Taylor (accordion) and Dennis Crouch (double bass).  These players are some of the most highly regarded recording artists and musicians in traditional American country music, Bluegrass and beyond.

Several of these songs, including “Down Among The Wines and Spirits”, were first played in public during Costello’s solo appearances as part of “The Bob Dylan Show” in late 2007.  The album will include ten previously unrecorded songs. “Sulfur to Sugarcane” and “The Crooked Line” were co-written with T Bone Burnett while “I Felt The Chill” marks Costello’s second recorded songwriting collaboration with Loretta Lynn.   Elvis takes the opportunity on this release to revisit two songs from his past, in string band style, both of which were originally written for Johnny Cash. “Hidden Shame” was included on Cash’s album, “Boom Chicka Boom” (pick up CD here).  

The album title makes reference to “The Secret Songs”, Costello’s unfinished commission for the Royal Danish Opera about the life of Hans Christian Andersen. Seeking a new connection from the author to the Anglophone world, Costello wrote about Andersen’s relationship with the world famous singer Jenny Lind in “She Handed Me A Mirror” and “How Deep Is The Red”.  “She Was No Good” relates some of the chaotic details of Lind’s famous “All-American” concert tour of 1850, which was promoted by P.T. Barnum. In its aftermath, “Red Cotton” imagines Barnum reading an Abolitionist pamphlet, while manufacturing cheap souvenirs of the adventure.

(Elvis photo credit: James O'Mara)

Crosby, Stills & Nash Announce USA & European Tour

     MUSIC NEWS -  Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN) have announced a new tour for this year; a 2009 tour of North America and Europe, that begins with a show in St.Louis, MO on Wednesday, June 3. The tour's initial North American leg--which has dates in the U.S. and Canada--wraps at in Boston, MA on June 14 (a second North American leg, running August through September, will be announced in the coming weeks).    The tour picks up internationally on June 27 in the UK, when CSN will play the 2009 Glastonbury Festival (Neil Young is on the show's bill too, I wonder ???).  Other UK stops include July 1, when CSN takes the venerable stage at London's Royal Albert Hall, and then performs shows in: Cork, Ireland (6/29); Manchester, England (7/10) and Edinburgh, Scotland (7/11). The trio's summer European itinerary will also touch down on the Continent for four dates, with highlights including the Museum Plaza in Bonn, Germany (7/1) and The Olympia in Paris, France (7/4).

Squeezed in between the late spring North American and early summer European segments of the  road trip, CSN will be inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame on June 18 in New York City. The honor recognizes David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash as a threesome, and as individual solo artists. It also acknowledges the groundbreaking music each created with landmark bands prior to forming CSN: The Byrds (Crosby), Buffalo Springfield (Stills) and The Hollies (Nash)--this remarkable convergence of rock 'n roll histories led to CSN becoming known as music's first "supergroup" when they formed in LA in 1969.

Antony and the Johnsons Announce Summer Symphony Events

     MUSIC NEWS - Antony and the Johnsons have announced plans to play a series of unique concerts in collaboration with symphonies across Europe this summer.  The events will presenting a wide range of material including songs from the recently released album, “The Crying Light”.  The concerts will feature orchestras (36-52 players) presenting arrangements developed by Antony and Nico Muhly and conducted by Rob Moose.  Premiering at the Manchester Festival, Antony has also been commissioned to create a stage environment for  “The Crying Light” (buy cd here) inspired by Bauhaus stage lighting design and considering the dreams of crystals inside mountains. Events listed below with more concerts to be added in the coming weeks:

June 21 & 22 - Amsterdam , Holland - Holland Festival  at Royal Theatre Carré with the Metropole Orchestra
July 3 & 4 - Manchester , UK - Manchester International Festival at the Opera House with the Manchester Camerata
July 21 – Lyon, France - Les Nuits de Fourviere with the Opera de Lyon Orchestra
July 28 - Rome , Italy - Cavea at Il Parco della Musica  with the Rome Sinfonietta
August 9 - Oslo, Norway - Oslo Jazz Festival – (for the inauguration of the open air venue of the Opera House) with the Oslo Opera House Orchestra
August 14 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Way Out West Festival with the Gothenburg Symphonic Orchestra

In other news, the  EPILEPSY IS DANCING single (video below) will be out next month via Secretly Canadian and Rough Trade in Europe on April 6 and