Music News Net

BILLY BRAGG Cancels Upcoming USA Tour

MUSIC NEWS - Doubly sad news from BILLY BRAGG.  The talented UK singer / songwriter and activist has cancelled his upcoming brief USA concert tour due to a family emergency.  He had eight concerts booked started on  March 24 (thru April 2) that we hope will be re-scheduled soon.  What makes is worse is the reason, the singer's mum is very ill. He's made the right choice to be with her.

NEW YORK DOLLS Release "Fool For You Baby" Video

MUSIC NEWS - Proto-punk legends the New York Dolls have premiered a video for "Fool For You Baby," the first single off their new album, Dancing Backward in High Heels (released today on 429 Records).

The video's directed by Jeremy Johnstone and features original band members David Johansen and Sylvain Sylvain. The band will celebrate the release of their newest album with a pair of shows at NYC's Bowery Ballroom on March 16 and 17.

(photo Yoni Goldberg)

  

X-Ray Spex's Poly Styrene Talks About Her Cancer Fight

MUSIC NEWS - We received word this week that punk icon POLY STYRENE of the 1970s punk band, X-RAY SPEX is fighting cancer.  Her website posted the following;

"It comes as a huge shock to all those who know Poly Styrene and X-ray Spex that Poly has been diagnosed with cancer, she is currently undergoing various treatments in her battle with this illness. She is devastated that she cannot commit to any live dates at this stage, but her album remains a very positive force in her current journey. "

DROPKICK MURPHYS New "Going Out in Style" Gets Help from Bruce Springsteen

MUSIC NEWS - Dropkick Murphys will release their seventh full-length studio album, Going Out In Style on March 1, 2011 via their own Born & Bred Records (ILG).  The new set was produced by Ted Hutt and will feature the group’s signature blend of punk rock energy, folk soul, Irish spirit and American rock 'n roll and a special on a rousing rendition of “Peg O’ My Heart” with guest vocals by Bruce Springsteen. 

You can get a taste of their new music before it’s released when Dropkick Murphys;  Ken Casey (lead vocals, bass guitar), Al Barr (lead vocals), Matt Kelly (drums, vocals), James Lynch (guitar, vocals), Tim Brennan (guitars, accordion, whistle, vocals), Jeff DaRosa (banjo, bouzouki, mandolin, harmonica, vocals) and Scruffy Wallace (bagpipes),  hit the road starting on February 23 for their annual St. Patrick’s Day USA tour.  The trek, featuring Against Me! as support on most dates, will wind up in Boston for the band’s run of St. Patty’s Day week hometown gigs.  Additional USA dates planned for May and June.

NEW YORK DOLLS Announce New Album for 2011, Their 5th !

MUSIC NEWS - Happy with their 2009 release, and their recent round of reunion concerts obviously went well, punk rock pioneers the New York Dolls have today announced plans to release their fifth full- length record; Dancing Backward in High Heels on March 15, 2011 via 429 Records.  The line-up features original members David Johansen and Sylvain Sylvain and was recorded in Newcastle, England at Blast Recording and produced by Jason Hill of Louis XIV fame (see below for a track listing).  

Dancing Backward in High Heels is the follow-up to 2009’s ‘Cause I Sez So, which The New Yorker praised for “[showing] the band at its full power” while Billboard notes that “the unlikely resurrection of the New York Dolls is solidified by [‘Cause I Sez So].”

New York Dolls photo; Anna Victoria 

Blink 182 New Album Plans for Spring 2011

MUSIC NEWS- San Diego pop punkers,  BLINK 182 have revealed that they will release a new album in 2011, likely in April or May. The release marks their first new set since their self-titled studio release in 2003, and bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus recently wrote that a number of new tunes are "very near complete". 

"We've been busy with new songs and ideas," Hoppus wrote on his blog.   "Some tracks are very near complete. In rough terms, I'd say we're working with the better part of ten or so songs at this point." Even with the progross, he notes that the group is a "long way" from finishing the album, saying;
"There's still a long way to go before the album is done," he said. "But already it seems like the songs are both taking a step even further than we took on the last album, while also going back to the sound of some of the earlier albums."

GANG OF FOUR Announces 2011 Return

MUSIC NEWS - Gang Of Four, one of the most radical and important groups of the last thirty years,
have announced a headlining tour of North America that will kick off on February 4, 2011 in Toronto, ON. The band will be touring to support of their upcoming album, C O N T E N T, their first new material in 16 years, that'll be out on January 25, 2011 via on Yep Roc Records. 

C O N T E N T is said to be every bit as powerful and insightful as their classic work that's influenced many bands and listeners.   From creating one of music's preeminent debut albums (1979's Entertainment) to influencing a wide range of punk, post-punk and indie rock bands (R.E.M., Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sonic Youth, Bloc Party, The Rapture, Franz Ferdinand and hundreds more),Gang of Fourhave triumphantly defined their place in rock 'n roll and continue to (fortunately) influence a new generation of fans with their high energy, maximum impact sound.

GOOD CHARLOTTE Says Thanks for Ten Years !

MUSIC NEWS - Good Charlotte have put together a collection of video footage from over the years to share with all of their fans and GC family.  You can check out (below) the Madden twins and the rest of the band behind the scenes, performing live, and goofing around with friends to celebrate ten years together as a band.

The Maryland punk-rockers will also be visiting the Lopez Tonight show on TBS to perform their single "Like It's Her Birthday," tonight November 4th to promote their Cardiology release!

BILLY IDOL To Pen Memoir

MUSIC NEWS- Having recently wrapped up his North American tour, he's getting back to work writing.  This time though it's not new songs, as Billy Idol is writing a memoir, by himself. The  punk rocker is promising a story of sex and drugs and 24-hour madness. He's calling his book "Dancing with Myself," in honor of his 1980s smash hit single.  Idol, 54, announced in a statement he's "going out on a limb here - so watch my back."   Touchstone, a division of Simon & Schuster announced on Thursday that Idol's memoir will come out in late 2011 or early 2012.

Idol originally found fame in the UK with Generation X, a punk rock group.  He later became an international solo performer in the early days of MTV with hits that include "Rebel Yell" and "Flesh for Fantasy" and of course, "Dancing With Myself".

MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE Confirms "Danger Days..." Album Release

MUSIC NEWS- Official news ; the wait for new original music from My Chemical Romance is over. MCR have announced that will release their highly anticipated fourth studio album, entitled Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, on November 22, 2010 via Reprise Records.  The new Warner Bros. Records Chairman Rob Cavallo, who produced MCR’s platinum-selling album The Black Parade as well as albums by Dave Matthews Band, Jawbreaker, and The Goo Goo Dolls, among many others, produced the album.

 

Danger Days’ first official single, “Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na),” will be out via all digital retailers on Tuesday, September 28. It's the first new original music to be released by My Chemical Romance since October 2006 when the band put out their third album, The Black Parade, which sold more than 240,000 copies its first week of release, and generated four Modern Rock smash singles.

 

(photo Neil Krug)

GOOD CHARLOTTE's "Like It's Her Birthday" MP3 and Video

MUSIC NEWS- MD pop punkers, Good Charlotte's new single, "Like It's Her Birthday," is available now (buy it here), and the guys took some time to record a video message (see below) for you to announce the release and share how excited they are that the song is out.

"Like It's Her Birthday" will appear on Good Charlotte's fifth studio album, Cardiology, which releases October 26th on Capitol Records.

WAAVES Add Tour Dates, Phoenix Opener !!!

MUSIC NEWS - Wavves recently announced their opening slot for Phoenix and Dirty Projectors at Madison
Square Garden, NYC on October 20. Since then, the band has also added seven more shows with Phoenix
extending all the way down the East Coast (see full itinerary below).

The band's also released the new music video for their Green Label Sound single "Post Acid" this week (view it below). The "Post Acid" video was shot in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles. Acclaimed DIY photographer/filmmaker Patrick O'Dell directed. Patrick O'Dell, who is best known for his short-form documentary series Epicly Later'd, has also directed music videos for Morrissey and Panda Bear. O'Dell's "Post Acid" video features friend and professional skateboarder Kevin "Spanky" Long as the alien who befriends the band and embarks on a raucous, fun-filled day of skateboarding, hanging out, and playing a party gig.

GREEN DAY to Play at NY Jets Home Opener

MUSIC NEWS- Football's love affair with rock and roll continues to blossom with Green Day announcing they will play with/for the The New York Jets at the team's regular-season opener on September 13 in E. Rutherford, NJ when the team faces the Baltimore Ravens in the Monday night game at New Meadowlands Stadium.

Green Day is said to be performing "Last of the American Girls" with the Broadway cast of their Tony Award-winning rock musical "American Idiot".

GREEN DAY Returns To North America for More Concerts

MUSIC NEWS - With their sold-out stadium tour of Europe behind them, rockers Green Day will hit the road next week for a series of North American tour dates, and a TV appearance, including an August 7th stop at this year’s Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago, IL. The sows are part of the second leg of the band’s USA tour to promote their Grammy Award winning album 21st Century Breakdown (full itinerary below). The band, singer-guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool will also perform their new single, “Last of the American Girls,” on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on Friday, July 30th.

WAVVES Move Up Their KING OF THE BEACH Release !

MUSIC NEWS - King of The Beach, the new album from the WAVVES, originally slated for an August 3 release, will now get an iTunes exclusive digital release on July 1, all other digital outlets will offer it starting on July 13 and it has a physical release date (CD / LP) of August 3.  But don't wait, give a listen now!  The full KING OF THE BEACH album is streaming, here .

In the life of Nathan Williams, the year of 2009 will go down as both a highlight reel and a total shit show. Meteorically, feverishly and somewhat improbably, two albums worth of naïve punk rock that he recorded behind his parents' San Diego home as Wavves became a sensation in the indie music world.  So, of course, passports got filled, capers got pulled off and lots of good things were said about the music in both print and digital world, along with actual human voices. At the same time, fights were fought, situations got hairy and people got indignant and mean. Oh well. That's life.