Tour Tracker: Sonic Youth, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Lemonheads

4/27/09, 5:25 pm EST

Photo: Martindale/WireImage

Sonic Youth have announced a summer tour to showcase tracks from their new album The Eternal, due out June 9th (and available for streaming in its entirety tomorrow through Matador’s Buy Early Get Now promotion.) Plus, Karen O and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs plan to Blitz the road and Evan Dando and his Lemonheads plot out a trek to celebrate their new covers album Varshons. Full dates for all three jaunts, after the jump. (more…)

Pussycat Dolls Fight, Danity Kane Split: Bad Week for Girl Groups

4/27/09, 4:51 pm EST


The Pussycat Dolls seemed destined for trouble since most recognizable Doll Nicole Scherzinger’s “Whatever U Like” flopped as a single, her long-delayed solo album was tabled and many of its songs popped up on the Dolls’ most recent disc, Doll Domination. Since hitting the road with Britney Spears as the opening act on her Circus tour, the Doll drama has reached new heights. Responding to the fact that the group has begun being billed as the Pussycat Dolls Featuring Nicole Scherzinger, Doll Melody Thornton spoke out during the group’s show in Arizona last week, telling her hometown crowd, “Thank you for supporting me even though I’m not featured! You know what I’m saying?”

Perez Hilton, who first reported on the Arizona incident, has also highlighted a tense radio interview where the ladies admitted to reading online gossip about themselves. “It’s no big deal,” Scherzinger said about her “featured” status on the Dolls’ rendition of Slumdog Millionaire’s “Jai Ho.” “That doesn’t take away from anybody else in the group. That’s my role. I wrote ‘Hush Hush’ as well.” (more…)

Readers’ Rock List: Rock’s Top Comebacks

4/27/09, 4:04 pm EST

Photo: Michael Ochs Archive/Getty

Last week, triggered by a question posed to Rolling Stone’s Twitter and the ensuing debate, we asked our readers to tell us who they thought boasted Rock’s Top Comeback. Brian Wilson, Tina Turner, Elvis Presley were all among the readers’ picks, but in the end it was Johnny Cash who topped the list. The Man in Black overcame substance abuse problems and health issues to mount two comebacks on his way to becoming one of the most iconic musicians of all time. For the Readers’ List of Rock’s Top Comebacks, check below:

1. Johnny Cash
2. Brian Wilson
3. David Bowie
4. Metallica
5. Nine Inch Nails (more…)

Fricke’s Picks: A Lone Fleet Fox

4/27/09, 3:21 pm EST


In a city of cacophony — Austin during SXSW — the sweetest sound is often the one you strain to hear. Fleet Foxes drummer-singer J. Tillman was a paragon of near-silence in his solo set at an afternoon party on opening day. Playing songs from his new album, Vacilando Territory Blues (Western Vinyl) — a compelling whirl of Laurel Canyon-echo balladry and desolate-psychedelia stomp — Tillman stunned a packed club to attention with bare-minimum versions of “James Blues” and “Master’s House”: acoustic brushed-chord guitar and a mourning tenor of falling sighs and bluesy diction, like a soft collision of Tims Hardin and Buckley. Stripped of its heavy dusk (dobro, cello, fuzz guitar) on the album, “Barter Blues” was stark, gripping ache, like something from an outtakes reel for David Crosby’s 1971 solo LP If I Could Only Remember My Name. Tillman, who has been making his own albums longer than he’s been a Fleet Fox (the first of his five, I Will Return, came out in 2005), deserved better than the setting for his later, official SXSW showcase: a ruthlessly noisy bar with bad disco bleeding through the wall from the club next door. But when Tillman sang “Barter Blues” again that night, in my head I could still hear a pin drop.

Linkin Park Record New Song, Help Score “Transformers 2″

4/27/09, 2:41 pm EST

Photo: Gordon/WireImage

Linkin Park will record a new song and contribute to the score of this summer’s guaranteed blockbuster Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, Mike Shinoda announced on his official Website. ”Although I wasn’t at liberty to say it before, the song I’ve been referencing here on mikeshinoda.com in the past few weeks… is actually being done for Michael Bay’s new Transformers film, due out June 24th,” Shinoda revealed in a post spotted by the Playlist. “In addition — and probably ever cooler — we have been offered the unique opportunity to help score the film. The song we wrote is being used as one of the themes, and we will be writing various interpolations on that theme, and trying out some other thematic ideas as part of the (very large) team scoring the film.”

In a studio update posted on March 28th, Shinoda hinted that the song “is built on layered, heavy synths” and “it creates a nice interplay between the organic feel of the rhythm track and the more robotic feel of the keyboards.” According to Shinoda, the band is also working with composer “and resident ass kicker” Hans Zimmer on the score, which they hope to start recording in a few days. (Better hurry up, the June 24th release date isn’t that far off!) (more…)

Flaming Lips’ Coyne Talks State Song Flap, Singing About Orgasms for Madonna Cover

4/27/09, 2:03 pm EST


Oklahoma will finally name the Flaming Lips‘ “Do You Realize??” the Official State Rock & Roll Song at a ceremony tomorrow afternoon in the psych-rock group’s home state, where Govenor Brad Henry will sign an executive order confirming the selection. This follows a controversial few days for the band: the Oklahoma House of Representative sought to overrule the Senate’s unanimous vote when the group’s Michael Ivins showed up to the Capitol last month wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with Communist imagery of a sickle and hammer. Lips frontman Wayne Coyne insists the whole thing was blown out of proportion and Ivins did not have any subversive intentions.

“I think it points out the petty desperation that some minority of religious wackos are trying to make it seem like [we have a communist] agenda, which we don’t,” Coyne tells Rock Daily. “Honestly, it’s just a dumb shirt. We’re not Communists.” Still, Coyne is thrilled about receiving the honor. “There was this feeling that when ‘Do You Realize??’ was named the state song last month, people thought, ‘I didn’t think Oklahoma was that cool of a place!‚’ ” says Coyne. “And I thought that was a pretty cool thing. I don’t want people to think Oklahoma is a bunch of hillbillies.”

In other Lips news, the group recently put out a mind-blowing music video for their stunning cover of Madonna’s “Borderline,” which the crew recorded this year to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Warner Bros., home to Madonna and the Lips. (The song was also released on a limited-edition seven-inch record for Record Store Day — watch the video above.) (more…)

Dave Matthews Band, Wilco Spice Up New Orleans Jazz Fest

4/27/09, 1:04 pm EST

Photo: Diamond/Getty

“New Orleans is the soul of America,” Gil Cerezo of Kinky declared. The dance rock band from Monterey, Mexico, was onstage and finishing up the first weekend of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival presented by Shell in exhilarating fashion, merging Wall of Voodoo’s “Mexican Radio” with their own.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Jazz Fest, a two-weekend-long celebration of what festival producer Quint Davis refers to as “the heritage of jazz.” This weekend, that heritage manifested itself with approximately 180 acts on 11 stages and two performances by Wynton Marsalis including “Congo Square,” an epic composition performed with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Ghanian percussionist Yacub Addy and Odadaa!

(Don’t miss photos of DMB, Wilco and more at 2009’s Jazz Fest.)

In some cases, the heritage of jazz was tough to detect. That certainly was the case when the Drive-By Truckers opened their set Friday afternoon with the stomping “Lookout Mountain.” It was the Truckers’ second show with Booker T. Jones, who they backed on his new album, Potato Hole, and he seemed less at home on their songs than they were on his. (more…)

Alice In Chains’ New Album Due In September on Virgin/EMI

4/27/09, 12:16 pm EST

Photo: LaVeris/FilmMagic

Alice In Chains have signed with Virgin/EMI and will release their first album with new singer William DuVall, the Los Angeles Times reports. The still-untitled record is due out in mid-September. The LP will be the great grunge band’s first of new material since 1995’s Alice In Chains, which featured singer Layne Staley, who died of a drug overdose in 2002. DuVall, who previously fronted the band Comes With the Fall, became Alice in Chains’ new lead singer in 2005.

(The ’90s are back! Look at who’s reuniting and returning here.)

“I can tell you that some amazing songs were written and recorded. From the heaviest riff-dripping gut puncher to the most sadly beautiful song I think this band has ever recorded, I honestly believe that this album will return Alice In Chains to the top of the hard rock heap,” a post on the band’s official Website reads. Earlier this month Alice in Chains revealed they had completed recording the new album. “Hopefully these new songs will strike a chord and make a similar impact on all of you out there that were moved by this band in the first place,” the post goes on to say. (more…)

Creed’s Scott Stapp Calls Reunion “A Renewing and a Rebirth”

4/27/09, 11:27 am EST

Five years after their highly acrimonious split, Creed are reforming for a new album and an American tour, which kicks off August 6th in Pittsburgh and runs through October 14th. “I wouldn’t call it a reunion,” says singer Scott Stapp. “It’s a renewing and a rebirth. I missed my boys and wanted to create music with them again. We’re all thrilled to have a second chance to make a first impression.”

(The ’90s are back! Look at who’s reuniting and returning here.)

The reconciliation began last December when Stapp reached out to Creed guitarist Mark Tremonti. They agreed to meet up at the Hard Rock Hotel in Florida before Stapp sang the “National Anthem” at the Champs Sports Bowl. “I was nervous, but also excited because I knew Mark would bring nothing but positivity,” says Stapp. “We exchanged family pictures and within 20 minutes we were jamming on acoustic guitars and talking about new songs.” They soon met up with drummer Scott Phillips and bassist Brian Marshall, who left Creed in 2000 but is returning for the new album and tour. “At that meeting we were collectively saying, ‘Hey man, I’m sorry if I hurt you or my choices did anything to cause you any pain. I have nothing but love and forgiveness for you and I hope you can forgive me. It’s all part of the process of reflection and not looking back at the six months out of 10 years that were trying.” (more…)

News Ticker: Beyonce, Slash, Def Leppard and DMX

4/27/09, 10:13 am EST

  • Beyoncé’s thriller Obsessed crushed the competition at movie theaters this weekend, raking in $28.5 million. According to EW, Obsessed more than doubled the receipts from the week’s Number Two film, 17 Again. Peter Travers, who live-Twittered about seeing the “awful” Obsessed, asked after the box office totals came in, “Are bad movies the new heroin?”
  • Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash has been asked to mentor the remaining American Idol contestants for the upcoming Rock Week, he revealed on his Twitter this weekend. The casting has us thinking: Is Adam Lambert the perfect fit to fill Velvet Revolver’s vacant singer spot?
  • Def Leppard will play at this year’s CMT Music Awards on June 16th. The rockers are nominated for their Crossroads performance of “Photograph” with Taylor Swift, Blabbermouth writes. Brad Paisley, Sugarland, Rascal Flatts and Swift will also perform.
  • DMX has booked time in Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew, AllHipHop reports. The rapper was recently sentenced to a 90 days in prison due to drug charges. However, a recent violation during his sentence might prevent DMX from being released into Dr. Drew’s custody. UPDATE: DMX’s rep is denying that the rapper will participate in Celebrity Rehab, saying the reports that DMX will appear on the VH1 reality show was “false,” AllHipHop writes.

Rihanna Wants to Reclaim $1.4 Million in Jewelry From LAPD

4/27/09, 9:21 am EST

Photo: Lacroix/WireImage

Rihanna is seeking the return of the nearly $1.4 million in jewelry she was wearing on February 7th, the night of her alleged physical encounter with then-boyfriend Chris Brown. According to E!, the Los Angeles Police Department took a pair of earrings and three rings as evidence, and now the four companies that loaned the “Umbrella” singer the jewelry for Grammy weekend want the pricey pieces back. E! reports that the bloodstained Gucci dress the singer was wearing was also taken into evidence.

Rihanna’s request for the returned jewelry will be on the docket in court on Wednesday, April 29th, when the trial against Chris Brown has its next preliminary hearing (Brown will not attend). Brown was charged with felony assault and making criminal threats following the altercation, which occurred after Clive Davis’ annual Grammy pre-party, the night before the music industry’s biggest event. At his arraignment earlier this month, Brown pleaded “not guilty” to both charges. (more…)

Korn “Escape From the Studio” as Tour Begins in Arizona

4/27/09, 8:49 am EST

Photo: Arnold/WireImage

The normally serene spring home of baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks was transformed into a mass of pogoing teens on Saturday, April 25th, as Korn kicked off their Escape From the Studio tour, their first trek in nearly a year, at Tucson Electric Park. The 70-minute show focused on fan favorites and eschewed some of the more obvious choices. Funky interludes allowed Korn to step back a handful of times during the 14-song show, and stripped-down production gave the band the opportunity to spotlight the music. Save for singer Jonathan Davis’ H.R. Giger microphone stand and a Korn backdrop, the stage set-up was nearly bare.

But there was nothing simple about the music. Sounds of a gothic church choir greeted the crowd as members of Korn — kilt-wearing Davis, guitarist James “Munky” Shaffer and bassist Reggie “Fieldy” Arvizu, as well as touring musicians — took the stage. With a dose of heavy beats the band ripped straight into “Right Now” as the wind whipped the sound around the stadium. A sea of hands reached for Davis and the rest of the crew during “Fake” and the growly, groove-heavy “Did My Time.” The monosyllabic grind of “Coming Undone” led nicely into a sample of Queen’s “We Will Rock You.” (more…)

Rewind: The Week in Rock Daily

4/24/09, 6:10 pm EST

Random Notes: Bono, Flaming Lips, Timberlake and the Week in Rock

4/24/09, 5:53 pm EST

Photo: McCarthy/WireImage for BWR

Political titans Bono and former President Bill Clinton hung out with Jon Bon Jovi and his wife at the Can-Do Awards in New York City this week, while the Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne took to Washington, DC, where he rolled across the National Mall in his giant man-size plastic bubble at an Earth Day celebration. Justin Timberlake did a little political work of his own, dismissing rumors that his romance is in trouble by spending some quality public PDA time with girlfriend Jessica Biel (and not, sadly, his man-crush LeBron James). Plus, Snoop met his wax match, Paul McCartney ruled Coachella and Jeff Beck said hello to Rod Stewart and John Mayer onstage in L.A. Shots of all these and more stars are in our weekly roundup of the best rock photos:

Random Notes: Bono, Flaming Lips, Justin Timberlake and the Week in Rock


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