KINGBLIND: Music, Art & Entertainment

2008-05-12T11:15:00.001-07:00

My Morning Jacket- I'm Amazed video (Live on SNL)

2008-05-12T11:08:00.000-07:00

My Morning Jacket:: Evil Urges Video (Live on SNL)

2008-05-12T11:03:00.001-07:00

The Faint Launching Label With New Album

Omaha, Neb.,-based dance punk quintet the Faint has split with longtime label Saddle Creek and is launching its own imprint, blank.wav. The first release will be the band's fifth album, "Fasciinatiion," due Aug. 5.

According to the band, "Fasciinatiion" deals with predictions and the future, tabloid culture, the allure of what may never be and the loss of childhood innocence.

Recorded in the band's own studio, the album is the follow-up to 2004's "Wet From Birth," which has sold 117,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The Faint's top-selling album to date is 2001's "Danse Macabre," which has shifted 143,000 units.

New material will be featured when the Faint hits the road in North America this summer, beginning July 27 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Here is the track list for "Fasciinatiion":

"Get Seduced"
"The Geeks Were Right"
"Machine in the Ghost"
"Fulcrum and Lever"
"Psycho"
"Mirror Error"
"I Treat You Wrong"
"Forever Growing Centipedes"
"Fish in a Womb"
"A Battle Hymn for Children"

2008-05-12T08:48:00.000-07:00

Portishead:: Third (Album Review)

Without warning, bands can and do often up and say, �and now for something completely different.� For evidence, check out the catastrophic switch from No Doubt�s 2000 released ska-punk finale Return Of Saturn to the cheesy electro biscuit Rock Steady from the next year. They went from Sublime approved rock to cleavage pop on a dime and haven�t looked back since. History is swimming with such examples. So, with an excruciating ten-year, unofficial hiatus separating Third and the eponymous second Portishead studio release, one should naturally expect massive change.

Dummy, a Mercury Prize winner, and the self-titled sophomore record were respectively released in 1994 and 1997. They were both prime examples of the trip-hop fusion of hip-hop and ethereal downtempo, and remain seminal works of the genre. Coincidentally, �94 to �97 marks the peak and sad decline of trip-hop, so expecting a return to an all but dead form would purely be wishful thinking on the listener�s behalf. For reasons beyond the grasp of mere mortals, trip-hop is not coming back, nor its bastard cousin illbient. Light a candle if you must.

As such, a first listen to the unimaginatively titled Third can be a little confusing or even off-putting. The static laden samples and sluggish scratching are gone, and most electronic effects have been pushed into a warmly analog Moog and Theremin role. However, patience and a little faith reveal Portishead third LP to be a work of sublime subtlety and dynamic depression easily on par with its critically adored predecessors. Building on the second album, this is their most �live� studio work yet, as well as being their most obviously diverse effort.

Despite its minute and a half length, �Deep Water� immediately sticks out. All there is to it is a ukulele, the always-sorrowful voice of Beth Gibbons, and a little bit of barbershop backup vocalizing. It�s not one of the album�s best tracks, but I�ve listened to their two studio albums and watched the live DVD a hundred times and I�ve never heard anything remotely like it. That�s about the definition of putting it all out there�they�re not playing it safe by any means.

�The Rip� is a fine piece, starting off with a humble Theremin howl and a finger-picked acoustic guitar. Gibbon�s vocals come in almost immediately and continue till about halfway. Then, a forceful drum track and moog bassline harmonizing with the acoustic fade in, as Gibbons� sigh becomes electronically extended. Imagine Goldfrapp fronting Numbers and you�re close. Following that, �Plastic� is probably most like the mid-�90s Portishead we came to worship. It�s based in creepy organ and vocal sorrow, but with an erratic, choppy rhythm section snippet and warbling knock on wood sample that pine for the old days.

Channelling Broadcast mixed with a little Adult., �We Carry On� has an up-tempo, tribal beat and steady moaning keyboard. The whine doubles up about two and a half minutes in, cueing a righteous guitar solo that punctuates the verses. It�s like post-drone-rock, only more cool than that looks on paper. Going for the other end of the spectrum, �Magic Doors� is cut from a pure classic rock cloth. Starting from the dead TV channel tone, it has a punchy Bonham beat, an eerie accordion sound, a nice round bassline, and a moving piano that underscores the chorus. Surprisingly, it also has more cowbell, with an almost Chambers Brothers �Time Has Come Today� reverb. Bruce Dickenson would put his pants on for that one.

Overall, Third appears to give jazz guitarist Adrian Utley more reign in songwriting, while turntablist producer Geoff Barrow has put his coffin away in lieu of outboard analog gear. Yet, as always, the unsettling lounge singer stylings of Beth Gibbons is the focal point. As witnessed by the slightly off Out Of Season collaboration with Paul �Rustin� Man� Webb of Talk Talk, Gibbons� terribly unique tones don�t tend to work all that well over sweetly organic instrumentals. She needs a little abrupt weirdness in her music or she stands out for the wrong reasons. Repeated exposure to �Deep Water� will reveal that to you, sure enough (in context, it works� just imagine a whole album of that).

So, on their third studio album, Portishead have succeeded in striking the careful balance between progressing their sound to where it should be 11 years later and retaining the esoteric creepiness that makes them tick. I don�t hear much in the way of clear, winning singles, not like the first two albums, but that seems to work in the album�s favor. Third is a complete work of art to fully immerse yourself in, listened to start to finish. It will be a little awkward initially, like Garth�s feeling towards putting on new underwear. After a while, it will become a part of you. History will eventually see it rank on par with the rest of their legendary works.

2008-05-10T08:50:00.000-07:00

Gnarls Barkley - Going On (Music Video)

2008-05-09T15:38:00.000-07:00

Stereolab announce North American Tour Dates

Stereolab will hit the road in support of Chemical Chords (due to be released, via 4AD, on 8/19/08) Laetitia Sadier will open the latter leg of the tour with her other group, Monade.

09.20 Costa Mesa, CA: Detroit Bar
09.21 Pomona, CA: Glass House
09.24 Austin, TX: La Zona Rosa
09.26 Atlanta, GA: Variety Playhouse
09.27 Athens, GA: 40 Watt Club
09.29 Carrboro, NC: Cat's Cradle
09.30 Washington, DC: 9:30 Club
10.01 Philadelphia, PA: Trocadero
10.02 New York, NY: Irving Plaza
10.03 New York, NY: Irving Plaza
10.04 New York, NY: Irving Plaza
10.06 Boston, MA: Paradise *
10.07 Montreal, Quebec: Club Soda *
10.08 Toronto, Ontario: Phoenix Concert Theatre *
10.09 Detroit, MI: The Crofoot *
10.10 Chicago, IL: Vic Theatre *
10.12 Minneapolis, MN: First Avenue *
10.14 Denver, CO: Gothic Theatre *
10.17 Seattle, WA: Showbox *
10.18 Portland, OR: Wonder Ballroom *
10.19 Vancouver, British Columbia: Commodore Ballroom *
10.21 San Francisco, CA: The Fillmore *
10.22 San Francisco, CA: The Fillmore *
10.23 Los Angeles, CA: Henry Fonda Theatre *
10.24 Solana Beach, CA: Belly Up Tavern *

*: w/ Monade

2008-05-09T14:28:00.000-07:00

Spiritualized Announce North American Tour

Spiritualized have announced a tour of North America, which will see the band return to their full, electric sound.

The band recently toured with their �Acoustic Mainlines� show in November and April, including a performance at the legendary Apollo in Harlem, New York, which featured a performance of gospel-classic �Oh, Happy Day�.

On the forthcoming dates, the band will be performing songs from their back catalogue, as well as tracks from their soon-to-be released sixth studio album, �Songs in A&E�, due out May 27.

The dates are:
Chicago, IL Pitchfork Music Festival (July 19)
Indianapolis, IN The Vogue (20)
Nashville, TN City Hall (21)
Atlanta,GA Variety Playhouse (22)
Washington,DC 9:30 Club (25)
Cleveland,OH House of Blues (August 1)
Buffalo, NY Town Ballroom (2)
Montreal, CA Parc Jean Drapeau (3)
Toronto Toronto Islands Park (September 6)
Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl (17)
Austin, TX Austin City Limits (27)

2008-05-08T14:19:00.000-07:00

My Morning Jacket Reveal Headlining Tour

My Morning Jacket will follow up its performance at Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tenn., with a headlining run, beginning June 20 at Radio City Music Hall in New York. The route includes theaters, large clubs and amphitheaters, and almost all dates will be "an evening with" format, featuring extended sets from the band.

The tour is in support of the band's June 10 ATO release "Evil Urges."

MMJ frontman Jim James says the band will work plenty of the new material into these shows.

"That's the problem we always have sitting around trying to make a set list," he said. "You want to play the new ones, but you also want to do some of the older ones. That's why keep playing longer and longer."

As in the U.S., MMJ will play a couple festivals in Europe, then focus on
headlining, with a return to Europe in the fall.

MMJ is also set to appear as musical guest on Saturday Night Live May 10.

Here are My Morning Jacket's tour dates:

(All dates are "An Evening with My Morning Jacket" except * = w/ the Black Keys)

June 20: New York (Radio City Music Hall)
Aug. 16: Louisville, Ky. (The Great Lawn at Louisville Waterfront Park)
Aug. 18: Kansas City (Uptown Theatre)
Aug. 19: Council Bluffs, Ia. (Stir Cove)
Aug. 21: Morrison, Colo. (Red Rocks Amphitheater*)
Aug. 23: Dallas (Palladium Ballroom)
Aug. 24: Austin (Stubbs)
Aug. 27: Atlanta (Fox Theatre-Atlanta)
Aug. 29: Miami (The Fillmore Miami Beach @ the Jackie Gleason Theater)
Aug. 30: Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (House of Blues- Orlando)
Aug. 31: Myrtle Beach, S.C. (House of Blues- Myrtle Beach)
Sept. 02: Charlottesville, Va. (Charlottesville Pavilion)
Sept. 03: Washington, D.C. (Constitution Hall)
Sept. 05: Philadelphia (Festival Pier Penn's Landing)
Sept. 06: Boston (Bank of America Pavilion)
Sept. 19: Berkeley, Calif. (Greek Theatre)
Sept. 21: Los Angeles (Greek Theatre)
Sept. 23: Tempe, Ariz. (The Marquee)
Sept. 24: Las Vegas (The Joint)
Sept. 25: San Diego (SDSU Open Air Theater)
Sept. 27: Portland (McMenamins Edgefield)
Sept. 28: Seattle (McCaw Hall)
Oct. 2: Minneapolis (Orpheum Theatre)
Oct. 3: Milwaukee, Wis. (Riverside Theater)
Oct. 4: Detroit (The Fillmore Detroit)
Oct. 9: Chicago (Chicago Theatre)
Oct. 10: Chicago (Chicago Theatre)

2008-05-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

Amy Winehouse arrested for suspected drug possession

Amy Winehouse was arrested in London today (May 7) on charges of suspected drug possession.

The arrest is connected to a video in which the singer was seen smoking what appears to be a crack pipe at her London home in January. The Winehouse video was subsequently posted on The Sun's website, as previously reported.

In a statement issued today, Winehouse's spokesperson said: "Amy Winehouse voluntarily attended a London police station today by appointment. She was arrested in order to be interviewed and is co-operating fully with enquiries.

"The interview relates to a video handed to police earlier this year."

Winehouse entered a rehabilitation clinic shortly after the video appeared.

2008-05-07T12:39:00.000-07:00

GANG OF FOUR MINUS TWO

The original and best-loved line-up of famed post-punk icons Gang of Four reunited in 2005 to great acclaim and success - unfortunately all good things must come to an end. Bassist Dave Allen and drummer Hugo Burnham are moving on, although singer Jon King and guitar-player Andy Gill will continue, focusing on writing and recording new music as Gang of Four. Burnham last performed with the band at All Tomorrow�s Parties in the UK in December 2006, while Allen played a few shows alongside drummer Mark Heaney in 2007, and recently worked on new material with King and Gill.

Allen says, �At the beginning of April, I decided that I could no longer continue to be a member of Gang of Four. My ability to give 100% to the band is limited and I feel that if I can�t do so, then I shouldn�t continue. As I expand my research and thinking about contemporary music distribution on Pampelmoose.com, and as I focus on online technology and social networking at Nemo Design here in Portland, I find myself conflicted about how the band�s new music should be released. To retain any credibility for Pampelmoose.com about what the future of music distribution will look like, I have to move on and not hold back Jon and Andy�s music plans. I have had a side project for a while now with John Askew of Tracker and Menomena�s drummer Danny Seim called Faux Hoax (pronounced Folks), and I look forward to fun times finding ways to get our music into peoples� hands in unique ways.�

Burnham writes, �It was a great couple of years of intermittently reminding people old and new, far and wide just how powerful the original four of us were together. Age only increased our power and focus onstage, and it was a rare pleasure to work with the original band once again. Being in a band requires handling the business side of it too, and that became boring and the constant travel became debilitating. I am soon to start my Doctorate, as well as broadening my teaching at more than one college here in Massachusetts, so my free time has become increasingly limited, making it difficult to be involved with them going forward. Musically, I am recording and writing with members of Boston noise-merchants, The Bags and I have also been doing some recording lately with Mike Watt. I wish Jon and Andy luck with their new musical endeavours; I am sure they will be interesting.�

2008-05-07T09:01:00.000-07:00

My Bloody Valentine announce North American tour

My Bloody Valentine have announced that they will play a handful of dates in the north America this autumn.

The newly reunited band previously announced that they will curate All Tomorrow's Parties between September 19 and 21 in New York, where they will give their first US performance in 16 years.

Now the band have added a handful of dates in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles, extending their US jaunt.

The tour dates are:

New York, NY Roseland (September 22, 23)
Toronto, Ontario Ricoh (25)
Chicago, IL Aragon Ballroom (27)
San Francisco, CA The Concourse (30)
Los Angeles, CA Santa Monica Civic (October 1, 2)

2008-05-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

Neil Young To Release Archive On Blu-Ray

Neil Young plans to release his entire music archive on Blu-ray discs, a sign that the discs' capabilities are building appeal among musicians as well as movie studios.

Blu-ray discs hold much more data than DVDs, are easily updated over the Internet and offer better picture and sound quality.

Young revealed his plans Tuesday at a Sun Microsystems Inc. conference in San Francisco. Santa Clara-based Sun makes the Java technology that gives Blu-ray discs their interactive menus and ability to accept updates over an Internet connection.

The first installment of Young's archive will cover the years 1963 to 1972 and will be released as a 10-disc set this fall on Reprise/Warner Bros. Records.

Young said the archives will be released chronologically and include some previously unreleased songs, videos, handwritten manuscripts and other memorabilia, in addition to the high-resolution audio that Blu-ray technology is known for.

Fans can download more content like songs, photos and tour information directly to the Blu-ray discs as the content becomes available.

Blu-ray's rival format HD DVD effectively died with maker Toshiba Corp.'s announcement in February that it will no longer produce HD DVD players.

Most of the Blu-ray discs manufactured so far have been used for high-definition movies.

Musical artists such as AC/DC, Bruce Springsteen and Destiny's Child released concert videos on Blu-ray discs, but Young's support of the technology for his ambitious archive project demonstrates more fully the capabilities of Blu-ray as a music medium.

Earlier technology didn't offer the ability to browse archive material while listening to songs in high-resolution audio, Young noted.

"Previous technology required unacceptable quality compromises," he said in a statement. "I am glad we waited and got it right.

2008-05-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

Mates Of State Prep Fifth Album, Tour

Eclectic pop duo Mates Of State will return May 20 with �Re-Arrange Us,� the group�s fifth album since 2000 and second for Barsuk.

Fans will notice that the 10-song set drifts away from the organ-heavy arrangements of the band's past in favor of piano, a decision that vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Jason Hammel describes as making the group nervous, but a needed change.

�One of the biggest concerns [was] that there�s no abrasiveness,� Hammel tells Billboard.com. �We didn�t want to be construed as going soft.�

To avoid that, the duo hired three different producers: Death Cab For Cutie�s Chris Walla, Spoon drummer Jim Eno and Peter Katis.

�It was great to get everyone�s personalities into that record -- and for us, to flesh out the non-organ stuff. We wanted to achieve this with different production qualities,� Hammel says.

One of the defining features of Mates Of State is that Hammel and creative partner Kori Gardner also happen to be married; but as musicians, they�re just recently becoming comfortable working together in the studio.

�The nature of being an artist is a personal thing,� Hammel explains. �You have to have that comfort zone before being critiqued. Those first two records, we fought the whole way through. Thankfully, we reached the common ground with [2006�s] �Bring It Back�; we didn�t fight at all. We both started to feel like we could express our ideas without judgment.�

The CD version of �Re-Arrange Us� will feature a unique packaging design that will allow fans to create their own cover art, involving different photographs the band will include.

The duo is currently rehearsing for a lengthy summer tour, including festival appearances at Lollapalooza, All Points West and Austin City Limits.

�It�s a bigger sounding show than what we�ve done,� Hammel says. The tour will include two cellists and a violinist, who will also fill in on percussion and sampling duties.

Here are Mates Of States tour dates:

May 16: New Haven, Conn. (Toad�s Place)
May 22: San Francisco (Slim�s)
May 24: Bend, Ore. (Les Schwab Amphitheatre)
May 25: George, Wash. (Sasquatch Music Festival)
May 28: Los Angeles (Henry Fonda Theater)
June 6: Lawrence, Kans. (Wakarusa Music Festival)
June 7: Omaha, Neb. (The Slowdown)
June 8: St. Louis (The Bluebird Theatre)
June 10: Oklahoma City, Ok. (Bricktown Ballroom)
June 11: Dallas (Granada Theatre)
June 13: Austin, Texas (Emo�s)
June 14: Little Rock, Ark. (Rev Room)
June 15: Memphis (Hi-Tone)
June 17: Newport, Ky. (Southgate House)
June 18: Pittsburgh, Pa. (Mr. Smalls Theatre)
June 21: Philadelphia (Popped! Music Festival)
July 25: Pemberton, Bc. (Pemberton Festival)
Aug. 1: Chicago (Lollapalooza)
Aug. 8: Jersey City, N.J. (All Points West)
Sept. 26: Austin, Texas (Austin City Limits)

2008-05-06T12:58:00.000-07:00

Pete Doherty Is Released From London Jail

Pete Doherty was released from a London jail Tuesday after serving a partial sentence for breaking his probation.

The Babyshambles frontman had served 29 days of a 14-week sentence. It wasn't immediately clear why he was released early.

Doherty's drug use has frequently landed him in court. Last year, he pleaded guilty to possession of crack cocaine, heroin, ketamine and cannabis, as well as a variety of driving offenses.

His recent jail sentence came after the 28-year-old singer was reportedly late for several probation appointments.

Doherty is best known as the on-off boyfriend of model Kate Moss.

2008-05-06T12:57:00.000-07:00

The Police Announce Last Show Ever

The Police and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg today (May 6) announced at a press conference in Times Square the band's final concert ever, to be held in New York on a date still to be revealed in August.

This final concert -- for which ticket and venue information have yet to be announced -- will be a fundraiser with proceeds benefiting the production of arts programming for public television stations Thirteen/WNET and WLIW New York. Tickets will be available nationally online via the Thirteen/WNET and WLIW Web sites.

Additionally, Sting and the Police announced that they will contribute $1 million to Mayor Bloomberg's MillionTreesNYC initiative -- a gift the city will match -- to plant trees all over New York City.

At the press conference, held in Times Square, Sting commented: �Some people may be surprised to know that the greatest single contribution to greenhouse gases is deforestation. We all want cleaner and cooler air, and planting trees is the best way to achieve that.

�We have a long history in New York," he added. "We came here first in 1978. We want to leave a gift that will last for decades.�

The contribution by the Police to the MillionTressNYC initiative -- which aims to plant 1 million trees by 2017 -- will fund the planting of 10,000 trees across all five of New York City�s boroughs.

Mayor Bloomberg commented: �We hope the donation by the Police will inspire many more people to get involved.... A lot of people make a lot of money, spend a little bit of it, and don�t give any of it away. So these guys are role models.�

In response to a question about whether the final Police show would take place in Central Park, Bloomberg responded, �The venue will probably be indoors, but that�s all I�m going to say.�

During the conference, the mayor presented each member of the Police with his own key to New York City, and Sting presented the mayor with an all-access backstage pass that he said could be used at �any Police concert.�

The Police began the final leg of their reunion tour May 1 in Ottawa, the first of about 50 shows taking place this summer in amphitheaters, arenas and stadiums primarily in North America and Europe. Most stops are in markets not played in 2007, when the Police was the top tour of the year at more than $212 million gross and nearly 2 million in attendance, according to Billboard Boxscore.

Produced by Live Nation and RZO Productions, the Police reunion tour captured the Top Tour (gross) and Top Draw (attendance) awards at last November's Billboard Touring Conference in New York.

Joining the Police this time around in North America are Elvis Costello &
the Imposters. In between the 33 North American dates, the Police return to Europe for a number of major festivals. The tour is expected to be one of the top five highest-grossing tours of all time, with revenues topping $340 million.

As of today, the last Police date on the books is Aug. 5 at the Nikon at Jones Beach Theatre in Wantagh, N.Y.

2008-05-05T12:22:00.000-07:00

Stereolab:: Three Women (Music Video)

2008-05-05T09:30:00.000-07:00

Mark Ronson: 'New Kaiser Chiefs album echoes debut'

Mark Ronson has confirmed that he is producing the forthcoming new Kaiser Chiefs album, and has claimed that it will echo the band�s debut album, 'Employment'.

Speaking to BBC 6Music, the producer said that guitarist Whitey had been particularly prominent in the recording process, and his guitar work will shape the sound of the record.

Ronson also joked that the band had veto-ed his suggestion to use his trademark horns on the album.

"They�ve got brilliant songs," he said of the band's new material. "[They hark] back to the urgency of the first album, songs like 'Every Day I Love You Less And Less' and 'I Predict A Riot'.

"The second record was brilliant, but it was more mature and paced. Whitey's guitars on all this stuff are so brilliant. I feel like that energy hasn't necessarily come out on a Kaisers record before.

"There�s no trumpets on it [the new album]. For one song I said, 'You know what would be good on this? Horns.' Ricky [Wilson, singer] was like, 'No'.

Ronson went on to explain how much fun he was having with the band, who he admires greatly. "I'm a huge Kaiser Chiefs fan," he said. "'Employment' is one of my favourite records of the last ten years. There�s that excitement of getting to work on something you�re such a fan of already.

"Each one of them in any other band would be the funniest member of that band. It's almost like The Beatles � that razor sharp wit. Sometimes when I�m in the room recording I feel like I've won a competition to be the sixth Kaiser Chief."

2008-05-05T09:16:00.000-07:00

Nine Inch Nails release new album free online

Nine Inch Nails have made their new studio album, 'The Slip', available to download free.

The album is available to download now from the Nine Inch Nails website. It will receive a conventional CD and vinyl release in July. The album download includes a PDF with art-work and album credits.

'The Slip' was produced by Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor plus Atticus Ross and Alan Moulder. In a statement to fans Reznor said: "Thank you for your continued and loyal support over the years. This one's on me."

Nine Inch Nails previously released an album, 'Ghost I-IV' online in March, with fans choosing how much to pay to download it.

The track-listing of 'The Slip' is:

'999,999'
'1,000,000'
'Letting you'
'Discipline�'
'Echoplex'
'Head Down'
'Lights In The Sky'
'Corona Radiata'
'The Four Of Us Are Dying'
'Demon Seed'

2008-05-05T08:53:00.000-07:00

Tom Waits Announces Summer Tour

Early this morning (May 5), Tom Waits announced a summer tour via Tomwaits.com.

In what appeared to be highlights from a press conference, it was later revealed to viewers that Waits was talking to an empty room, with staged audience questions being broadcast by a record player amid rows of empty chairs.

Dubbed the �Glitter And Doom� tour, Waits will play 13 shows,
kicking off June 17 in Phoenix.

His �press conference� did not indicate who will be accompanying him in his backing band, or if this will be a solo affair, but Waits did offer up the acronym �PEHDTSCKJMBA� as the �guiding word� for this summer�s tour.

Taking the first initial from each city, Waits explained that the "pretty profound" acronym stands for �People Envy Happiness, Dogs Though, Sense Courage Knowing Jubilation Means Better Assets.�

Waits last toured in 2006, playing eight dates primarily in the Midwest. This time, he�ll mostly hit southern markets. It was also hinted that European dates are in the works, as well.

Here are Tom Waits tour dates:

June 17-18: Phoenix, Ariz. (Orpheum)
June 20: El Paso, Texas (Plaza Theatre)
June 22: Houston (Jones Hall)
June 23: Dallas (Palladium)
June 25: Tulsa, Ok. (Brady Theatre)
June 26: St. Louis (Fox Theatre)
June 28: Columbus, Ohio (Ohio Theatre)
June 29: Knoxville, Tenn. (Civic Theatre)
July 1: Jacksonville, Fla. (Moran Theatre)
July 2: Mobile, Ala. (Saenger Theatre)
July 3: Birmingham, Ala. (Alabama Theatre)
July 5: Atlanta (Fox Theatre)

2008-05-03T10:53:00.000-07:00

Troubled Winehouse 'not ready' for Bond theme

LONDON, England (AP) -- Producer Mark Ronson says he and Amy Winehouse have abandoned recording the theme to the latest James Bond film because the singer is not ready to work.

Winehouse is "not ready to record any music," producer Mark Ronson said.

Ronson says the singer is "not ready to record any music." He produced much of Winehouse's Grammy-winning "Back to Black." He made the comments in an interview with Sky News on Friday.

Ronson says the two started work on the track for the upcoming Bond movie "Quantum of Solace" but it would take "some miracle of science" to finish it.

Winehouse's troubles with drugs, the police and her rocky romance with her jailed husband Blake Fielder-Civil have kept the singer in the spotlight.

Police gave her a formal warning last week after she scuffled with two men during a raucous night out.

2008-05-02T09:12:00.000-07:00

Nicole Kidman set to play Dusty Springfield

Actress Nicole Kidman is set to play legendary singer Dusty Springfield in a film of her life.

Kidman will also produce the film through film company Fox's Blossom Films company.

It will reunited her with writer Michael Cunningham, who wrote the 1998 book 'The Hours', which was turned into a 2002 movie in which Kidman played an Oscar-winning role.

However, Universal films is developing its own Dusty Springfield film, with 'The West Wing' actress Kristin Chenoweth set to star.

Madonna was also rumoured to be interested in starring in with a TV film about the singer, reports Variety.

No release date for either film has been announced.

Springfield died from breast cancer aged 59 in 1999.

2008-05-02T09:09:00.000-07:00

The Hold Steady Details 'Positive' 4th Album

The Hold Steady has finalized the track listing for its fourth album, "Stay Positive". The 11-song set is due July 15 via Vagrant Records and features contributions from Drive By Truckers' Patterson Hood, J. Mascis and Doug Gillard, formerly of Guided By Voices. The Brooklyn rock group also reconvened with John Agnello, who produced 2006's "Boys And Girls In America."

"There's less party talk," frontman Craig Finn tells said of the new material. "I don't think anything is a radical departure, but there are things that I wanted to talk about. I was influenced a lot [by] getting old, and attempting to age gracefully. The idea is to not wake up washed up. You want to keep progressing, intellectually."

Indeed, tunes such as the slow, bluesy ballad "Lord, I'm Discouraged" and "Stay Positive" see Finn's narratives reflecting on themes of maturity. Fans will also notice that the band has opted to change up its sound on some tunes, opting for a harpsichord on "One for the Cutters" and a banjo on "Both Crosses."

"I think four records in, you're thinking what have we done before?" Finn says. "What should we do here? You have these initial habits, but you're fighting those -- and that's healthy, to make things sound different."

"I think we've tackled the big huge rock riff," adds guitarist Tad Kubler of the band's past. "And I think we wanted to extend what we're used to doing. Step out of our safety zone."

For Kubler, that meant trying out a slew of new gear, including a talk box on "Joke About Jamaica" that he says "was so ridiculous, I had to try it out."

Finn's vocal delivery has gone through some changes as well. He has been engaged in singing lessons since the release of "Boys And Girls In America."

"One of the things I found out [is] I always hear more melodies than I was projecting," Finn says. "I hopefully got better, communicate more than I'm hearing."

The Hold Steady plans to launch a large tour following the record's release, with July dates already lined up for Seattle's Capitol Hill Block Party and Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago.

Here is the track list for "Stay Positive":

"Constructive Summer"
"Sequestered In Memphis"
"One For The Cutters"
"Navy Sheets"
"Lord, I'm Discouraged"
"Yeah Sapphire"
"Both Crosses"
"Stay Positive"
"Magazines"
"Joke About Jamaica"
"Slapped Actress"

2008-05-01T08:51:00.000-07:00

Apples in Stereo:: Electronic Projects For Musicians (Album Review)

After seven albums and 15 years, Denver �s Apples in Stereo are bound to have a few extra songs lying around. On Electronic Projects For Musicians, the sugary power pop five-piece take those throwaways and b-sides and release them for the first time on one disc.

For the most part, this collection is a great addition to the band�s oeuvre. Shine (In Your Mind), a b-side from Fun Trick Noisemaker, and Onto Something, originally from a 1996 split-single, are classic Apples tracks, while the previously unreleased Dreams shows why the group has staying power. However, some songs could have been omitted, like the obnoxious TV theme-ish The Apples Theme Song, or the silly Stephen Stephen, a funny but forgettable tune the band sang on the Colbert Report. Still, this disc is worth checking out if you�re still an Apples in Stereo fan.

2008-05-01T08:49:00.000-07:00

R.E.M. Will Revisit 'Early Days' On Summer Tour

After delighting fans with rarities such as "Second Guessing" and "Animal" at its performances thus far this year, R.E.M. is promising to dig further into its vaults for its return to the road on May 23rd.

"[For] the last Dublin shows [in June and July 2007], we went back and learned a whole bunch of stuff from the early days we hadn't played in a long time, just to see where we came from, and it was pretty inspiring to play those," guitarist Peter Buck said.

Regarding upcoming dates, Buck says, "We're obviously going to play the new record ['Accelerate']; we've been playing nine songs off it, which is 28 minutes or something, so there's a lot of space for us to do stuff from all through our career."

The early material the band has been dipping into is in keeping with the harder-rocking nature of "Accelerate," which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 (and No. 1 in the U.K.) in April. Buck says that playing songs from 2004's commercially disappointing "Around the Sun" live, in fact, helped steer the direction of the new set.

"I think Mike [Mills] particularly was saying, 'God, I wish we could get back and record ['Around the Sun'] right now,'" Buck recalls. "I had no interest in making another record the way we'd been working -- book eight months in a studio and see what happens. I never liked that. I always complained and I always suggested that we work quicker and more spontaneously. The other guys [Mills and frontman Michael Stipe] weren't into it.

"I think maybe the reception ['Around the Sun'] got kind of shocked them and made them realize ... I was right, we can't work like this any longer."

And if Buck has his way, R.E.M. will never take the long, exacting route again.

"I can't imagine ever going back to the way we were working prior [to] this," says the guitarist, who already has "a ton of songs" written for R.E.M.'s next album. "I think everyone agrees that this record is really a strong record and it's strong because of the way we approached it. So when we start making the next record, I think this is the way to at least start doing it."

R.E.M. plays in North America -- including the Sasquatch! Music Festival in Quincy, Wash. -- until late June and will spend the summer in Europe starting in early July. The group's "Austin City Limits" episode debuts on May 24 on PBS outlets.

2008-04-30T11:29:00.000-07:00

Swervedriver Coachella 2008 Last Train to Satansville