Brian "Head" Welch, long time guitarist for mega-band Korn, is leaving. Exiting. As he stated on the band's website, Head has "chosen Jesus Christ as his savior and will be dedicating his musical pursuits to that end." The remaining members understand and are busy recording their seventh studio album, (the last for Epic) due in September. The band is currently in search of both a label and a guitarist to replace Welch.
Looks like IMA Robot will be opening up for Duran Duran on their latest tour.
Former Orange Juice frontman and solo artist Edwyn Collins (best known for the song "Never Met a Girl Like You Before") is in a UK hospital after suffering a brain hemorrhage. Doctors are trying to stabilize his condition.
Unfortunately, Queens of the Stone Age had to cancel the rest of their European min-tour when frontman Josh Homme began coughing up blood in his Paris hotel room Tuesday. The band has since returned to the US. Apparently Homme is suffering from a serious lung infection according to their website. No news on if the US tour, due to start 3/15, will be affected.
You may not have heard of them yet but The Robot Ate Me will be re-releasing their album On Vacation via Kill Rock Stars in March, releasing an album of new material entitled Carousel Waltz in May, and are currently on tour throughout the west.
In support of his forthcoming release, Surrounded By Silence, Prefuse 73 is hitting the road.
The Sasquatch! 2005 Music Festival now has tickets available for presale right here. So anyone in Washington state interested in seeing the likes of The Pixies, Arcade Fire, Bloc Party, The Frames, Modest Mouse, Wilco and many more over the Memorial Day weekend should probably check out the festivals site for more details (and full artist lineup).
Autechre will release their next full-length album, Untilted, on Warp Records on April 18th in the UK (we're assuming April 19th for the US). The duo will be playing a number of dates overseas and across the states in support of the disc.
If you haven't heard the hype surrounding The Arcade Fire yet you obviously don't really use the Internet. However, now is your chance to get your head out from under that rock and watch their new performance based video for "Wake Up." You can download the quicktime over here and thank Bradley's Almanac for sharing it with the world.
Already embraced in the UK, New York-based Joy Zipper, whose second album American Whip is released today (2/22), will also be touring North America this spring. In addition to a handful of solo or otherwise dates, they will opening for Phoenix and Dogs Die In Hot Cars on a set of dates in April listed below.
Not that it's much of a news item, but according to NME and Jack White, it does appear that The White Stripes will be returning to his home Detroit studio to record the follow-up to Elephant. White says, "It should be done pretty quick."
Snow Patrol have announced new tour dates for the spring in support of their album Final Straw.
We told you that the new Gorillaz album, Demon Days, would be released sometime in May and now we've got confirmation. May 3rd the band will release their sophomore effort via Virgin Records.
The forthcoming Flaming Lips DVD documentary Fearless Freaks that we said was coming out in March has been pushed back to a May 10th release.
Journalist and Writer Hunter S. Thompson was found dead at his home in Colorado. The 67 year old countercultural icon commited suicide and was found by his son, Juan last night (Sunday, February 21st).
Fresh off their sold-out headlining tour, Tegan and Sara have been chosen to open the second leg of the Killers’ North American tour. In addition, Tegan and Sara will be performing at SxSW in mid-March and playing at Coachella on May 1st:
J Page, from Gainesville, FL (ex- As Friends Rust, The Scaries, Army of Ponch), is set to release their debut EP, Goodbye Chapel Hill, on Nice Guy Records in May. The band will have copies of the EP for sale on their upcoming spring tour with Lock and Key. You can preview 2 songs from the EP here and check the dates below:
Menomena are heading out on tour with Pit er Pat throughout the month of March. They'll also be playing at this years SXSW during the Barsuk & FILMguerreo showcase.
Morrissey has announced that he will be releasing a new live DVD and CD. The DVD, Who Put the “M” in Manchester?, was filmed May 22, 2004 shortly after the release of You Are the Quarry at his homecoming/birthday show in Manchester, England. The DVD showcases both Morrissey and Smiths classics. The CD, Live at Earls Court, captures the end of the tour and was recorded over the final 5 dates in London, Glasgow, Birmingham, Brighton and Dublin. The CD will also include additional never before performed b-sides as well as rarely performed Morrissey and Smiths classics.
The Stills have posted online their new video for “Love And Death” from their debut Logic Will Break Your Heart. The video, directed by Chris Grismer (Arcade Fire, Death From Above 1979, Stars) also features a cameo by Emily Haines from Metric/Broken Social Scene.
