Ben Folds will be doing a special performance for fans and friends Wednesday, May 5th, at New York City's Bowery Ballroom. Pre-sale tickets will be available on Monday, April 12th at 7pm (EDT) and can be purchased by visiting benfoldstickets.musictoday.com (password: benfolds), and because of venue size will be limited to two tickets per person.
Amnesty International has setup a bunch of very awesome auctions on Ebay, with proceeds going to the charity. Joining in on the efforts are Air, Blink 182, Cypress Hill, Mosquitos, Coachella Fesitval, Blondie, and other artists still to be announced. These artists have given tickets to concerts, vip passes, signed skateboards, other signed items to Amnesty International to help support the new and growing strong Music for Human Rights campaign.
The parents of "Weird Al" Yankovic have died of apparent accidental carbon monoxide poisoning in their Southern California home. Nick and Mary Yankovic were found Friday by family members. Our deepest sympathies go out to Weird Al and his family.
Lot's of new interviews went up today. Be sure and check out the Jem, Beta Band, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs interviews. Three great bands/musicians that you should check out if you haven't. We also posted the Metric interview a couple weeks ago, and we have interviews with the Statistics and the Broken Spindles that should be online soon.
If you're a Wilco fan, have been anxiously awaiting the new album A ghost is born, and didn't know that you stream the whole album online right here.. now you do.
On Thursday, April 15, Courtney Love will be a guest and performer on Jay Leno, doing a rendition of her new single, "Hold On To Me" (why? her clothes might come off) with her band.
Mission of Burma were in the UK last week recording radio sessions for BBC 6Music and XFM's John Kennedy, along with performing with Stephen Malkmus at All Tomorrow's Parties last Friday. The band will be back in the US to keep promoting OnoffOn, confirmed dates at the more.
After Seachange's first USA dates last month in NYC and Austin, the band will kick off their first "proper" North American tour on April 21. A new CD / 7" single, "News From Nowhere" is just out this week at Matador's UK branch, and though NME gives it shite reviews, you can check it out before the concerts, which include some dates with Pretty Girls Make Graves and Guided By Voices.
Okay, breathe and...go!: Blur aren't splitting up, they're going to go into the studio this week and record a new album with Think Tank producer Ben Hillier. Supposedly a number of songs number will be from Democrazy, an album of half-finished tracks Damon Albarn recorded on the road in America.
Curve are releasing a best-of album entitled The Way Of Curve on May 17. The two-CD collection features tracks from the band’s first three EPs, Blindfold, Frozen and Cherry and their debut LP Doppelganger. The album also includes collaborations with Aphex Twin, Kevin Shields and Ian Dury, and a cover of the Donna Summer disco groove "I Feel Love".
Cat Power will be playing a benefit for The Bereaved Israeli and Palestinian Parents' Circle on April 13 at the Cathedral of St. John The Divine (1047 Amsterdam Ave. at 112th St., NYC). Also appearing will be Patti Smith, The Anonymous 4, The Erotica Trio, Osvaldo Golijob and David Broza. You knew that you'd see Chan soon already. In May. Duh.
The new album from !!! Louden Up Now will be released on June 7th. You can grab their nine-minute single "Me and Giuliani Down By The School Yard (A True Story)" at WarpMart in the interim, as well as keep yer eyes open for the three track promo/single "Pardon My Freedom" arriving on May 10th. California fans can see !!! play the Coachella Festival on May 2nd.
Joseph "Run" Simmons of the pioneering rap group Run-DMC has applied to be poet laureate of his home borough, Queens, New York. The decision on who will win the post is expected to be announced in a few weeks.
Rumor is that Matt Bellamy from Muse got so into the show last night in Atlanta that he hit himself in the face somehow with his guitar and totally busted his lip and possibly broke his nose. The band had to stop the show four songs in and apologized, promising that they would make up the show at a later date. No word yet if other dates will be affected.
If you've suffering from that "not-so-goth" feeling lately, we've got news that will perk you right up. Chain of Flowers has announced that The Cure will be appearing on Jay Leno April 30th debuting a brand new single. It's all very hush hush. *wink*
Damon Albarn has told the BBC that Blur is heading into the studio next month to record an EP. Apparently, there might even be room for Graham Coxon to return to the fold. About Coxon's possible return, Albarn says, “We're totally capable of making music together. I can forget about all the other things." So generous.
Rough Trade has a short blurb up mentioning that The Libertines are in the studio. Word has it that the release date will be August 24, 2004, the new record will be produced by Bernard Butler of Suede fame.
Since Franz Ferdinand recently signed with Epic Records in the US, their debut album fittingly entitled Franz Ferdinand will be re-released stateside on April 20th. All of the same tracks, but with a third less calories.
The Shins have a bunch of new tour dates... half are across the pond, but that means the other half is here stateside.
Matador Records has announced that Cat Power will be returning to the US for some shows starting next week. Included on the trek are several benefits and festivals along with a string of headlining dates. Look below for the goods.
