Albums On Sale: 03/24

- Rock album releases this week (always Tuesday unless stated otherwise)
-> Approaching Normal by Blue October* - "Dirt Room"
-> Blitz by KMFDN - "Potz Blitz"
-> Crack The Skye by Mastodon - "Divinations"
-> Falling Up by Falling Up*- "Lotus and the Languorous"
-> The Hazards of Love by The Decemberists - "The Rake's Song"
-> Hymn to the Immortal Wind by Mono - "Ashes In The Snow"
-> Metamorphosis by Pape Roach - "Lifeline"
-> Three by Joel Plaskett - "One Look"
-> Ten (reissue) by Pearl Jam - "Even Flow"

2009 Festival Update

- Dates and Location: August 7 to 9 at Grant Park, Chicago

- Confirmed Headliners: Beastie Boys, Depeche Mode, Jane's Addiction, Kings of Leon, The Killers, Tool

- Other Confirmed Performers: Andrew Bird, Atmosphere, Ben Folds, The Decemberists, Delta Spirit, Friendly Fires, Kaiser Chiefs, Lou Reed, The Ravonettes, Neko Case, The NewNo2

- Confirmed Performers Include: Ben Harper and the Relentless 7, Boombox, Buckethead, Assembly of Dust, Galactic, Cornmeal, Les Claypool, Umphrey's McGee

- Dates and Location: July 17 to 19 in Chicago

- Confirmed Acts: Built to Spill, Grizzly Bear, The Jesus Lizard, The National, The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, Pharoahe Monch, Tortoise, Vivian Girls, The Walkmen, Yo La Tengo

Death Magnetic Dates Announced for Fall Metallica Tour

Metallica has announced the next leg of their World Magnetic Tour. Their fall trek will see them play across North America, beginning in Nashville on September 14th and ending on December 12th in San Jose.

The complete lists of dates are:

September 14 - Nashville, TN @ Sommet Center
September 15 - Cincinnati, OH @ US Bank Arena
September 17 - Indianapolis, IN @ Conseco Fieldhouse
September 19 - Montreal, QUE @ Bell Centre
September 28 - San Antonio, TX @ AT&T Center
September 29 - Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
October 1 - Ft Lauderdale, FL @ Bank Atlantic Center
October 3 - Tampa, FL @ St Pete Times Forum
October 4 - Atlanta, GA @ Phillips Arena
October 12 - Winnipeg, MA @ MTS Centre
October 13 - Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
October 15 - Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
October 17 - Charlottesville, VA @ JPJ Arena
October 18 - Charlotte, NC @ Charlotte Bobcats Arena
October 26 - Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
October 29 - Ottawa, ON @ Scotiabank Place
October 31 - Quebec City, QUE @ Colisee Pepsi
November 9 - Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena
November 10 - Buffalo, NY @ HSBC Arena
November 12 - Albany, NY @ Times Union Center
November 14 - New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
December 5 - Las Vegas, NV @ Mandalay Bay
December 7 - Nampa, ID @ Idaho Center
December 8 - Sacramento, CA @ ARCO Arena
December 10 - Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center
December 12 - San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion

E Street Rehearsal for New Springsteen Tour

On March 23rd, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band played the first of two planned rehearsal contests to a few thousand lucky fans. The show was said to contain much more optimism and hope due to the start of the Obama presidency. It was also revealed that Max Weinberg's 18-year-old son, Jay, would replace his dad for some of the tour due to Weinberg's commitment with the Tonight Show.

The rehearsal setlist was:

“Outlaw Pete”
“My Lucky Day”
“Night”
“Out in the Street”
“Working On a Dream”
“Johnny 99″
“I Ain’t Got No Home”
“Good Eye”
“Radio Nowhere”
“Candy’s Room”
“Because the Night”
“Mary’s Place”
“The Wrestler”
“This Life”
“Long Walk Home”
“Surprise, Surprise”
“Badlands”
“No Surrender”

Encore:
“Hard Times Come Again No More”
“Mustang Sally” (w/ John Eddie)
“Thunder Road”
“Born to Run”
“American Land”
“Seven Nights to Rock”

SXSW 2009

From March 13 to March 22, the South by Southwest Festival was in full swing in Austin, Texas. While many bands performed, here are some of the reported highlights.

- Indie rock band The Decemberists performed their upcoming album The Hazards of Love in its entirety. The album has been viewed as a rock opera in the vein of Tommy.

- Jane's Addiction, who recently reunited and will hit the road with Nine Inch Nails this year, played a ten song set in the strange venue of a former supermarket. The group ripped through several hits from their first decade, ignoring their post-Ritual de lo Habitual material. The setlist included "Mountain Song," "Stop!" and "Been Caught Stealing."

- Metallica played a 90 minute greatest hits set that surprisingly didn't include Enter Sandman. Probably one of the strangest factors of the show was the band's opening act. Instead of a traditional band playing, three contest winners played Guitar Hero: Metallica tracks.

- Other acts that performed at the show included Kayne West, Ben Harper and the Relentless7, Devo, Fleet Foxes, Ra Ra Riot, Silversun Pickups, The Duke Spirit, The Morning Light, The Used, and Tori Amos.

Dylan's New Album Revealed

Bob Dylan's new album will be called Together Through Life and is expected to be released on April 28th. The album cover is a shot from famous photographer Bruce Davidson. Dylan has stated that the album contains "struggling love songs" and is very different from his previous album, Modern Times.

Phish Extends Reunion Tour and Plans New Album

Following the success of their 3-night reunion stand at Virginia's Hampton Coliseum, Phish has extended their reunion tour and plan to record a new album this April. The tour, lasting from June to August, will start and end in New York and includes stops such as the Bonnaroo Music Festival. Jam band fans rejoice.

Here are the complete tour date listings:

June 4 - Wantagh, NY @ Nikon Theatre at Jones Beach
June 5 - Wantagh, NY @ Nikon Theatre at Jones Beach
June 6 - Mansfield, MA @ Comcast Center
June 7 - Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center
June 9 - Asheville, NC @ Asheville Civic Center
June 12 - Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo
June 14 - Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo
June 16 - St. Louis, MO @ Fox Theatre
June 18 - Burgettstown, PA @ Post Gazette Pavilion
June 19 - Noblesville, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center
June 20 - East Troy, WI @ Alpine Valley
June 21 - East Troy, WI @ Alpine Valley
July 30 - Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
July 31 - Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
August 1 - Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
August 2 - Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
August 5 - Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
August 7 - George, WA @ The Gorge
August 8 - George, WA @ The Gorge
August 11 - Chicago, IL @ Toyota Park
August 13 - Darien Center, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
August 14 - Hartford, CT @ Meadows Music Theater
August 15 - Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
August 16 - Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center

Album Announcement and Tour Tracker: 03/15/09

- Rock album releases this week (always Tuesday unless stated otherwise)
-> Resurrection Macabre by Pestilence (Monday, March 16th) - "Horror Detox"
-> Beware by Bonnie "Prince" Billy - "I Am Goodbye"
-> Cult of Static by Static X - "Lunatic"
-> Fist of God by MSTRKRFT - "1000 Cigarettes"

- Concert tickets that go on sale this week (in the tri-state area):
-> The Bangles on 05/24 at B.B. King Blues Club and Grill, on sale on 03/18 at 10 am
-> Jukebox the Ghost and Jenny Young Owens on 05/27 at Bowery Ballroom, on sale 03/20 at noon
-> Depeche Mode on 08/03 at Madison Square Garden, on sale 03/16 at 10 am

Michael Jackson Announces 30 shows at London's O2 Arena

About a week ago, Michael Jackson announced that he would be performing a ten-night stand at London's O2 arena. This wouldn't be that big of a deal except that Jackson has said that these will be his last dates in London ever.

Now, Jackson has added another 20 shows to his run, bringing the total to 30. While Jackson says these are his last shows in London, I'm skeptical. He's performing now because he needs the money and I'm sure he will do so again if he thinks his wallet is getting too light.

Here are the dates:

July 8 – London, England @ O2 Arena
July 10 – London, England @ O2 Arena
July 12 – London, England @ O2 Arena
July 14 – London, England @ O2 Arena
July 16 – London, England @ O2 Arena
July 18 – London, England @ O2 Arena
July 22 – London, England @ O2 Arena
July 24 – London, England @ O2 Arena
July 26 – London, England @ O2 Arena
July 28 – London, England @ O2 Arena
July 30 – London, England @ O2 Arena
August 1 – London, England @ O2 Arena
August 3 – London, England @ O2 Arena
August 10 – London, England @ O2 Arena
August 12 – London, England @ O2 Arena
August 17 – London, England @ O2 Arena
August 19 – London, England @ O2 Arena
August 24 – London, England @ O2 Arena
August 26 – London, England @ O2 Arena
August 28 – London, England @ O2 Arena
August 30 – London, England @ O2 Arena
September 1 – London, England @ O2 Arena
September 3 – London, England @ O2 Arena
September 6 – London, England @ O2 Arena
September 8 – London, England @ O2 Arena
September 10 – London, England @ O2 Arena
September 21 – London, England @ O2 Arena
September 23 – London, England @ O2 Arena
September 27 – London, England @ O2 Arena
September 29 – London, England @ O2 Arena

U2 Play Secret Show at Fordham University

This actually happened last Friday and I had meant to write about it. But I think the review I wrote for the Fordham University newspaper pretty much sums up what I thought of it.

The review can be found here:

http://www.fordhamobserver.com/1.1604215-1.1604215

Needless to say, it was really awesome.

U2 360-Degree Tour Announced

U2 has announced most of the dates for their 2009 tour, called U2360. The name is appropriate since the stage design will allow the band to sell tickets for every seat in the venue instead of having empty seats behind the stage.

The band will perform completely in stadiums, starting in Barcelona, Spain on June 30. After trekking across Europe, the band will head to North America for a series of stadium shows in the fall. This will be U2's first stadium tour in America since 1997's Popmart tour. Only 4 U.S. dates have been confirmed but there will be more announced in the near future. ALL LISTED DATES AFTER GIANTS STADIUM ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. This is just an estimate from an original post on U2.com that has been removed. Therefore, they are not finalized.

U2 has also promised to keep ticket prices low this time around due to the economic situation. While the option to due a $250 seat is still there, many tickets will be sold for prices below $100. Every show will also have 10,000 seats on sale for $30. I think this is a really good price range for the band that will allow every economic group to attend.

The tour dates can be found at U2tours.com.

Album Announcement and Tour Tracker: 03/08/09

Starting a new tradition, I'll include a link to a song from each album so you all can listen to it and decide if you want to try out on of the albums.

* = picks of the week

- Rock album releases this week (always Tuesday unless stated otherwise)
-> All The Plans by Starsailor* (Monday, March 9th) - "Tell Me It's Not Over"
-> Amor Vincit Omnia by Pure Reason Revolution (Monday, March 9th) - "The Gloaming"
-> Death to Analog by Julien K - "Kick the Bass"
-> Face Control by Handsome Furs - "I'm Confused"
-> I Can Wonder What You Did with Your Day* by Julie Doiron - "Heavy Snow"
-> It's Blitz* by Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Zero"
-> Mama, I'm Swollen by Cursive - "From The Hips"
-> No Regrets by Dope - "No Regrets"
-> Not Without A Fight by New Found Glory - "Listen To Your Friends"
-> Scream by Chris Cornell - "Long Gone"
-> Supporting Caste by Propagandhi - "Dear Coach's Corner"
-> Worse Than Alone by The Number Twelve Looks Like You - "Glory Kingdom"
-> Years (by One Thousand Fingertips) by Attack in Black - "Beasts"

- Concert tickets that go on sale this week (in the tri-state area):
-> Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, etc on 04/04 at Radio City, on sale on 03/09 at 11:30 am
-> Telsa on 04/24 at Northern Lights, on sale 03/14 at 10 am
-> Gavin Rossdale on 04/28 at Northern Lights, on sale 03/14 at 10 am
-> Leonard Cohen on May 16 at Radio City Music Hall, on sale on 03/09 at 10 am
-> Leonard Cohen on May 16 at Radio City Music Hall, on sale on 03/09 at 10 am

Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr To Play NYC Charity Gig

The two remaining Beatles will join Eddie Vedder, Sheryl Crow, Ben Harper, Moby, and Donovan at a charity gig for the David Lynch Foundation. The foundation's purpose to educate children to practice meditation as a way of getting through the stress of their daily lives.

The concert, called "Change Begins Within," will be at Radio City Music Hall on April 4th. Tickets go on sale March 9th at 11:30 am. The prices range from $80 to $500. Now, I understand that the show is for charity but $500? I think that's way too high to set given the economic climate.

Miley Cyrus Has a Beef With...Radiohead?

Yes, apparently, Miley Cyrus is a fan of Radiohead and wanted to meet them at the Grammys. When she sent her manager to Radiohead's manager to arrange a meeting, he said that the band doesn't really do that type of stuff. Many artists would just accept this and move on. Cyrus instead decided to whine and pout about it. She was so upset by this offense that she refused to watch their performance of "15 Step" at the Grammys and has promised to ruin them by telling everyone she knows what happened.

I'm really worried for Radiohead. I mean, how will they survive without the 9-t0-14 year old female demographic? This could be the end of the band. Hannah Montana's fanbase shall not be denied their retribution!

Anyway, back to reality, if you haven't seen it yet, here is the link to Radiohead's Grammy performance.

http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=-5175317999285072447&hl=en&fs=true

"The Beatles: Rock Band" To Be Released 9/9/09

The Beatles music videogame will be released for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and Nintendo Wii on September 9, 2009. It's the first videogame to have any Beatles master tracks in it. The game will go through the Beatles entire career and contain in-game instruments used by the group. It will contain 45 master tracks but no specific songs have been announced yet.

I think it's about time we got the Beatles in a Rock Band style videogame. I think there are a lot of great options for songs here. This is what I would put in the game.

I Saw Her Standing There, Please Please Me, Twist and Shout
All My Loving, Roll Over Beethoven
A Hard Day's Night, If I Fell, Can't Buy Me Love
Eight Days A Week
Help!, You've Got To Hide Your Love Away, Ticket to Ride, Yesterday
Drive My Car, Norweigan Wood, In My Life, If I Needed Someone
Taxman, I'm Only Sleeping, Yellow Submarine, She Said She Said, And Your Bird Can Sing
With A Little Help From My Friends, Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, Getting Better
Magical Mystery Tour, I Am The Walrus, Hello Goodbye, Strawberry Fields Forever
Dear Prudence, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Happiness is a Warm Gun, Blackbird, Birthday, Yer Blues, Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except for Me and My Monkey, Helter Skelter
Hey Bulldog
Come Together, Something, Octopus's Garden, Here Comes The Sun, The End
Get Back, Across the Universe

Comment with what songs you'd like to see in the game.

Nine Inch Nails/Jane's Addiction Announce Tour Dates

Trent Reznor announced the tour dates he's worked out with Jane's Addiction so far. It sounds like there could be more dates confirmed in the future. As it stands, the tour will begin in May in Florida before working its way across the U.S. over the next month. The date tickets go on sale and the price have not been announced yet. Here are the tour dates:

May 8 - West Palm Beach, FL @ Cruzan Amphitheatre
May 9 - Tampa, FL @ Ford Amphitheatre
May 10 - Atlanta, GA @ Lakewood Amphitheatre
May 14 - Albuquerque, NM @ Journal Pavilion
May 15 - Phoenix, AZ @ Cricket Wireless Pavilion
May 16 - Chula Vista, CA @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheater
May 18 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Pearl
May 20 - Irvine, CA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
May 22 - Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
May 26 - Englewood, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
May 27 - Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theatre
May 29 - Chicago, IL @ Charter One Pavilion (NIN Only)
May 30 - Noblesville, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center
May 31 - Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
June 2 - Toronto, ON @ Molson Amphitheatre
June 3 - Darien Lake, NY @ Darien Lake Amphitheatre
June 5 - Camden, NJ @ Tweeter Center At The Waterfront
June 6 - Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
June 7 - Wantagh, NY @ Nikon at Jones Beach Music Theater
June 9 - Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
June 10 - Burgettstown, PA @ Post-Gazette Pavilion
June 12 - Charlotte, NC @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

It looks like a pretty good trek but I wish they would have chosen somewhere other than Jones Beach for the NY show. It's pretty tough for anyone without a car to get there. For all you Nine Inch Nails fans out there, Reznor has stated that this will be the last NIN work he does for some time. The band will be going on hiatus soon so go to these shows if you get the chance. It may be the last of Trent you see for a while.