Likely Listens: Beady Eye - The Roller

Beady Eye, better known as a reformation after Oasis sans Noel have recently released their first single entitled The Roller on XFM in the UK and HOLY SHIT its incredible.

It reminds you of everything Oasis once was; the catchy chorus, the signature vocals...its absolutely fantastic. I've just gotten 10 times more excited for the debut album on February 28th!!! Listen for yourself here...

Amy Winehouse Returns!

Oh Amy, how we've missed you! Ms. Winehouse is back with a new song, a cover of the 1963 Lesley Gore classic It's My Party and its good to have her back. Teaming up with Mark Ronson to produce the song for the Q: Soul Bossa Nostra release, it sounds like a typical Winehouse song with her nasal vocals paired up with that soulful voice. Is it good...well, its Amy so its got to be.

Listen to it here:

Likely Looks: M.I.A. - Story To Be Told

M.I.A. once again has made a video and let it go viral...this time around for her track Story To Be Told.

Taking the Captcha style and placing words from the lyrics boxed around a white bird, the song wails as the words fade into the background. Its simplicity allows M.I.A. to get across her favorite thing these days...a message.

Check out the clip here:



M.I.A. kicks off her North American tour today with label mate and protege Rye Rye.

Live Review: The Charlatans @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg September 14, 2010

Being a band for 20 years has its ups and downs and for The Charlatans this definitely has a lot of truth to it. With the release of their 11th album Who We Touch the band decided to make a rare trip Stateside to play several shows around the country for the first time in around 4 years.

The band gave fans exactly what they wanted while making sure they showcased their new material, which is bound to become certified "fan favorites" tracks in the future. Opening with Then from their debut album Some Friendly, Burgess seemed surprisingly happy on stage and more engaging than usual with his Beatles-esque bowl cut and perfectly pitched yet slightly whiney vocals.

Breaking out tracks like North Country Boy, How High and White Shirt created crowd singalongs as people danced and sang in unison, drinks in hand. Mixing it up with tracks from lesser known albums such as This Is The End and Oh! Vanity as well as their new single My Foolish Pride and Smash The System still kept the crowd's interest but it was those classic Charlatans tracks that kept the energy up and the crowd fully engaged.

Ending as usual with Spronston Green, the band's 90-minute set was evidence that The Charlatans can come back to the US anytime...and the fans will be right there with them.

For a taste of The Charlatans live check out their performance of White Shirt from the night before at Bowery Ballroom:

Likely Looks: The Charlatans - My Foolish Pride

The Charlatans are back with a brand new album, Who We Touch and a shiny new single and video to accompany it.

The band recently released their video for the single My Foolish Pride which sees Tim looking like he did back when Some Friendly came out...a.k.a massive mop top. Still suits him though!

The video features Burgess traveling on trains, walking through stations and clearly reminiscing about a former love which sadly it seems at the end he is after all, alone.

Check out the video here:



The band is also hitting the road for a North American tour through the month of September. With a catalog like theirs, missing them is an absolute shame. Here are the dates:

09/08 - Chapel Hill, NC @ Cat's Cradle
09/09 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat
09/10 - Boston, MA @ Royale
09/11 - Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell's
09/13 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
09/14 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
09/15 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda's
09/16 - Montreal, QC @ Cabaret
09/17 - Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace
09/18 - Chicago, IL @ Double Door
09/20 - San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo's
09/21 - Costa Mesa, CA @ Detroit Bar
09/22 - Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey

Likely Listens: Brie Stoner

With the fall season coming our way soon, the perfect soundtrack seems to have come from Brie Stoner and her brand new release, the Delicate Hour EP.

Sounding like a cross between Neko Case and Mazzy Star, this Midwestern girl has a voice as smooth as honey and is pretty much love at first listen.

Check out her video for her song Together Forever here:



I can't wait for more from this girl!

M.I.A. Embarks On North American Tour

M.I.A. may have had to jump on the backlash train slightly with her latest release /\/\/\Y/\ (a.k.a MAYA without the crazy stylized writing) but that isn't stopping the British/Sri Lankin singer from hitting the road in support of it.

Tagging along is Rye Rye, an artist on her N.E.E.T. record label and protégé of the singer.

Hopefully, the shows won't be anywhere near her performance the HARD New York festival which left many fans not so thrilled about standing out in the heat all day to catch her.

Here are the tour dates:

Sept 21, Montreal Metropolis
Sept 22, Toronto Sound Academy
Sep 25, Washington DC V Festival
Sep 26 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
Sep 27 New York, NY Terminal 5
Sep 29 Chicago, IL Vic Theater
Sep 30 Chicago, IL Vic Theater
Oct 3 Ithaca, NY Cornell University
Oct 4 Boston, MA Royale Nightclub
Oct 5 Boston, MA Royale Nightclub
Oct 9 Austin, TX Zilker Park - Austin City Limits
Oct 12 Oakland, CA Fox Theater

Likely Looks: Kings Of Leon - Radioactive

Say what you want about Kings Of Leon but somehow since the release of 2008's Only By The Night the band keeps coming back with hit after hit.

Their latest single, Radioactive is off their brand new album Come Around Sundown out October 19th and once again they recorded a smash.

Everything in this video screams Kings Of Leon...from the sepia tones to the Southern setting and of course the brilliant song.

Right now, Kings Of Leon is basically unstoppable and I'd gladly like to see this train keep moving for a longggggg time

Check out the video for Radioactive here:

Reasons To Love Eastbound And Down #3525 - Marilyn Manson

Eastbound And Down is one of the best shows on television...and has gotten even better because somehow they've convinced Marilyn Manson to be on the show sans makeup and in a baseball uniform.

Yea, pretty amazing if you ask me...and the kicker is he HAS A MULLET! You heard me correctly...m-u-l-l-e-t.

Apparently Manson is so obsessed with the show that "he goes so far as to dress up like Kenny," according to co-director David Gordon Green and even repeats entire pieces of dialogue said by Kenny Powers.

Whatever floats his boat but his appearance on the show is something I highly approve of and I cannot wait for this episode to air.

Now for the photo...

Likely Looks: Marina and the Diamonds - Shampain

Marina & the Diamonds is back with her brand new single and video for Shampain, the fifth from her album The Family Jewels

Teaming up with director Kim Gehrig (who has also directed videos for Goldfrapp, Calvin Harris and others) clearly shows her love for a little Michael Jackson circa Thriller and 80's makeshift prom dresses...in the ever-so-quirky Marina style.

Check out the video here:

Starfucker On Tour!

Portland's finest, Starfucker have a brand new label, Polyvinyl, and are ready to embark on a fall tour in support of their single Julius.

Recording the track in the Odditorium (better known as the Dandy Warhols' studio), the band took a darker approach this time around from their debut album and EP...and whatever approach they took = awesome.

Check out and download Julius here:
Starfucker - Julius

Hitting the road in the fall with Octopus Project, hopefully the band are coming to your city so they can play you some new tunes from their upcoming 2011 album

Here are the dates:

Sept. 23rd - Neurolux - Boise, ID
Sept. 24th - Kilby Court - Salt Lake City, UT
Sept. 24th - Urban Lounge - Salt Lake City, UT
Sept. 25th - Hi Dive - Denver, CO
Sept. 27th - Record Bar - Kansas City, MO
Sept. 29th - Juanita's Cantina Ballroom - Little Rock, AK #
Sept. 30th - The Collective - Shreveport, LA #
Oct. 1st - Bottletree Cafe - Birmingham, AL #
Oct. 2nd - Drunken Unicorn - Atlanta, GA #
Oct. 5th - Local 506 - Chapel Hill, NC #
Oct. 6th - DC9 - Washington DC #
Oct. 7th - Kung Fu Necktie - Philadelphia, PA #
Oct. 8th - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY #
Oct. 9th - Cafe Nine - New Haven, CT #
Oct. 10th - TT The Bears - Cambridge, MA #
Oct. 11th - Casa Del Popolo - Montreal, Canada #
Oct. 12th - Wrongbar - Toronto, Canada #
Oct. 13th - Garfield Artworks - Pittsburgh, PA #
Oct. 14th - Grog Shop - Cleveland Heights, OH #
Oct. 15th - Bottom Lounge - Chicago, IL #
Oct. 16th - Triple Rock Social Club - Minneapolis, MN #
Oct. 19th - Neumos - Seattle, WA #
Oct. 20th - Roseland - Portland, OR #
Oct. 22nd - Great American Music Hall - San Francisco, CA #
Oct. 23rd - Echoplex - Los Angeles, CA #
Oct. 24th - Casbah - San Diego, CA #
Oct. 25th - Plush - Tucson, AZ #

# - w/ the Octopus Project

Likely Looks: MGMT - Congratulations

Get ready to feel like you've entered Jurassic Park with MGMT's latest effort Congratulations. Set in the desert with the saddest looking dinosaur ever, MGMT come in to the rescue and attempt to help as much as they could. I just had the urge to feed it...it looks starving.

Check out the video here:

Likely Looks: Rose Elinor Dougall - Find Me Out

So, THIS is what happens when you leave the Pipettes! Rose Elinor Dougall (aka the super cute brown haired Pipette) is gearing up for her solo release entitled Without Why (her first since splitting from the Pipettes) and if its anything like her single Find Me Out then we're all in for a real treat.

Toning down the 60's bubblegum and getting in touch with a softer side, Dougall creates a beautiful ballad that instantly lures you in on first listen.

The video can be see here:



She'll be performing several dates in the UK but nothing Stateside yet. Fingers crossed!

Robyn Performs "Dancing On My Own" On Letterman

Robyn took to the stage last night on David Letterman and gave the folks at home something to truly talk about...a rarity in live TV.

Looking stunning in a little black dress she was clearly there to entertain and sounded fantastic performing her single Dancing On My Own from her new album Body Talk Pt. 1. Plus, David Letterman even took the time to ask her about her fellow famed Swede Bjorn Borg and gave "all his best" to his friends in Sweden. Robyn smartly smiled and nodded...good move.

Check out the performance below:

Guided By Voices Announce 2010 Reunion Tour

This is the classic lineup and a BIG DEAL for all us indie nerds out there. Hopefully they'll still be the gool ol' bottle of booze right by Pollard's side and a 3 hour set featuring all the goodies.

Support will come from Blitzen Trapper and Times New Viking.

GBV never disappoints...and these shows are a MUST SEE. Now, the question is will this truly be the last reunion tour?


Here are the dates:

9/30 - East Side Drive, Austin, TX (On Sale 7/16 at 12pm) *
10/3 - Pearl Theatre @ Palms Hotel, Las Vegas NV SOLD OUT Matador at Twenty-One Las Vegas
10/4 - Wiltern, Los Angeles CA (On Sale TBA) *
10/5 - Warfield, San Francisco CA (Pre-sale FRI 7/23 10am-10pm password "bee thousand", Regular On Sale SAT 7/25 at 10am) *
10/7 - Crystal Ballroom, Portland OR*
10/9 - Showbox So Do, Seattle WA*
10/12 - First Avenue, Minneapolis MN*
10/13 - The Vic, Chicago IL*
10/15 - Southgate House, Newport KY
10/16 - Outlands Live, Columbus OH
10/21 - 9:30 Club, Washington D.C.
10/22 - Cat's Cradle, Carrboro NC
10/23 - Buckhead Theater, Atlanta GA
11/4 - Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
11/5 - Paradise, Boston MA**
11/6 - Trocadero, Philadelphia PA**
11/7 - Terminal 5, NYC**

* w/ Times New Viking
** w/ Blitzen Trapper

Likely Looks: Marina And The Diamonds - Oh No!

The lovely Marina strikes again (of course with her diamonds...) for her new video Oh No!. Adding a little pop art a la Lichtenstein plus of course Marina herself make this video a non boring one to say the least.

Marina will be Stateside soon on several Lilith Fair dates as well as a couple of solo shows sans Lilith in between. First though, take a few minutes out of your day to watch Oh No!

Likely Looks: The Coral - 1000 Years

Where has this band been? Oh how they have been missed. Its been around 3 years since the band last released an full length LP but they are back and produced this masterpiece called 1000 Years

The video is so beautifully shot and makes me want to get myself to an ocean ASAP!

The single for 1000 Years is proceeded by the album Butterfly House that comes out in the UK on July 12th.

And now...for the video!

Nico Vega Hit The Road With Semi Precious Weapons And Chevelle

Nico Vega is back for some more tour dates...but this time they are teaming up with Semi Precious Weapons and Chevelle to hit the road with.

After hoping on the road with Metric, the band clearly wasted no time getting back into the swing of things and is hitting several major cities and A LOT of places in Texas...

Here are the tour dates:

* Apr 21 Hollywood, California The Roxy
* Apr 23 Chicago, Illinois Subterranean
* Apr 26 New York, New York The Bowery
* Apr 27 Boston, Massachusetts Paradise Rock Club
* May 7 San Antonio, Texas Scout Bar
* May 8 Lubbock, Texas Lonestar Amphitheatre
* May 9 Amarillo, Texas Midnight Rodeo & Piranha
* May 11 Odessa, Texas Toom Dos Amigos
* May 12 Austin, Texas Stubb's
* May 14 Mission, Texas Las Palmas Race Park
* May 15 Corpus Christi, Texas Concrete Street
* May 16 Denton, Texas Hailey's

Soundgarden Returns After 13 Years

After Chris Cornell's last crazy solo project (Timabaland anyone?), a long stint with Audioslave and other odds and ends, the band that made Cornell famous has reunited after 13 years.

On April 16, Playing a show at Seattle's small Showbox venue under the name NudeDragons, fans were apparently paying bouncers $2,500 to make sure they got to witness Chris Cornell, Matt Cameron, Kim Thayiland Ben Shepard on the same stage.

Playing for over 90 minutes, Soundgarden broke out plenty of fan favorites although one key track missing from their catalog was Black Hole Sun

Get ready Lollapalooza...

Here's the setlist:

Spoonman
Gun
Searching With My Good Eye Closed
Rusty Cage
Beyond The Wheel
Flower
Ugly Truth
Fell On Black Days
Hunted Down
Nothing To Say
Loud Love
Blow Up The Outside World
Pretty Noose
Outshined
Slaves And Bulldozers

Encore:

Get On The Snake
Big Dumb Sex
Waiting For The Sun

Likely Listens: Die Antwoord

There is something about Die Antwoord that is a little fascinating to me...maybe because its been a long time since a blast to semi-fame has come on the internet thats unique and compelling?! Hmmm...possibly.

The South African 3 piece make beats reminiscent of old Prodigy (circa The Experience...the good stuff) mixed with a little bit of hip hop and with the stage names Ninja, Yo-Landi Vi$$er and DJ Hi-Tek you sort of can't go wrong.

The band has been creeping up the wonderful world of the internet with their videos and just had a successful performance at Coachella, marking the first time they ever played in America.

There are big things in the works for these guys...sooner than later except them in your daily music vocabulary.

The Fratellis Call It Quits

After 5 years together, The Fratellis have officially called it quits. According the split on the band's website forum, singer Jon Fratelli stated, "We have no plans to work together right now."

Continuing on, he further stated, "Sometimes things just work out that way. Mince, Baz and I are working on music but not with each other...Your passion is appreciated more than we will ever be able to say. We'll forever give our hearts and souls to music and to you guys who want to hear what we do."

Jon Fratelli (real name Jon Lawler) is currently performing in the Codeine Velvet Club while Mince has joined a heavy metal band, so if you really need a Fratellis fix you've always got the side projects...

Likely Listens: Kitten

Its rare these days that you go a MySpace page that someone recommends to you and you actually get floored by a track. Enter Kitten, a band from Los Angeles that haven't even graduated high school yet.

Their track Don't Kill The Light is just a demo but its an absolute masterpiece. With soothing vocals, a killer hook and very reminiscent of Cat Power (but throw in a little more rock to the mix) its bound to have you hooked.

Did I mention they aren't out of high school??!! I officially heart Kitten and cannot wait for their EP.

Pavement REUNITED In Auckland, NZ

Its been 10 years since they've graced the stage together and some lucky folks in Auckland, New Zealand got to witness the band in all their glory at a venue called Town Hall.

1,600 people. 25 song set list. Amazing.

See for yourself...

Little Boots Tacks On More U.S. Tour Dates

Little Boots can't seem to get enough of this side of the Atlantic...and we can't get enough of her.

With her March 2 debut full length release Hands, the UK singer takes her show Stateside with several live dates as well as a Coachella appearance.

Here are the upcoming tour dates:

3/2 - Highline Ballroom - New York, NY
3/5 - Venue - Vancouver, BC
3/6 - Neumos - Seattle, WA
3/7 - Hawthorne Theatre - Portland, OR
3/9 - The Fillmore Auditorium - San Francisco, CA
3/10 - El Rey Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
3/12 - The Glass House - Pomona, CA
3/13 - The Casbah - San Diego, CA

JUST ADDED:
4/18 - Coachella - Indio, CA
4/22 - Masquerade Hell Stage - Atlanta, GA
4/23 - 9:30 Club - Washington, DC
4/24 - Pure - Philadelphia, PA
4/28 - Middle East - Boston, MA
4/29 - SAT - Montreal, QC
4/30 - Phoenix Concert Hall - Toronto, ON
5/1 - Metro - Chicago, IL

Coachella Announces 2010 Lineup

Its not all confirmed but it looks pretty good to me! Jay-Z, Muse and Gorillaz are quite solid headliners...

Here is the lineup in full:

The Velvet Underground Reunite (Well...Sort Of)

The Velvet Underground may be reuniting...but not for a performance unfortunately. Former frontman Lou Reed, bassist Doug Yule and drummer Maureen Tucker will be gathering for a public appearance at the New York Public Library on December 8th to chat with journalist David Fricke about their legacy and impact on the world of music.

The event is one of many in the “Live from the NYPL” that is currently going on and with any library of course comes books...which the band currently is promoting. The Velvet Underground: New York Art is the latest book on the band that contains a collection of handwritten music and lyrics by Lou Reed, designs by Andy Warhol (manager to the band) photographs and a load of other paraphernalia.

More information and tickets can be found HERE

Deluka's Cascade Gets A "Full On" Remix By Mattie Safer

Ever wonder what Mattie Safer has been doing since he left The Rapture? Well, seems like he's been remixing Deluka for starters.

The band gets a little more dancier (is that possible?!) with a little help from Mattie that will find itself creeping up your iTunes "Top 25 Most Played" tracks very very soon.

Deluka - Cascade (Mattie Safer Full On Remix)

Lilely Looks: Lily Allen - Who'd Have Know

Leave it to Lily Allen to push the button a little bit and bring up her old feud with Elton John in her latest video "Who'd Have Known".

Capturing Elton, serenading him and feeding him pizza is just a small part of this eerie yet intriguing video thats just been released.

I guess a good feud never dies...

Likely Looks: Fever Ray - Seven

Karin Andersson (aka Fever Ray) takes an "older" approach to her new video for her single Seven and puts on her best sparkly dress to have a dance in a farm in back of a Chewbacca-like character.

A bit odd but SO interesting. Could you expect any less from Fever Ray?

Yes, The Pavement Reunion Is True

Can you believe it? Its been 10 years (a longgggggg wait!) but Pavement is reuniting in 2010 for a New York show in at Central Park Summerstage.

September 21, 2010...be there!

Nico Vega Announces Support Dates w/ Manic Street Preachers!

After originally booked to support Placebo on their tour tour (which sadly got canceled), Nico Vega has announced that they will be supporting legends in their own right, Manic Street Preachers.

Hoping on the tour for 6 dates, the band will play several West Coast, Cannda and Midwest dates with the band.

Here are the tour dates:

9/21/09 - Neumo's, Seattle, WA
9/22/09 - The Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC
9/24/09 - The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA
9/25/09 - The Avalon, Los Angeles, CA
9/28/09 - The Bluebird Theatre, Denver, CO
9/30/09 - The Varsity Theatre, Minneapolis, MN

Likely Listens: Caroline Smith And The Good Night Sleeps

What happens when you mix a fiery red head with a little bit of alt-country? Well, Caroline Smith And The Good Night Sleeps of course!

Hailing from Minneapolis, this trio has a sound that will lure you in upon first lesson. Combining the unique voice of Caroline Smith and a little pop, alt-country and mellow singer-songwriter type vibes all rolled into one make them absolutely wonderful.

With a new album out entitled Backyard Tent Set they will be the band to watch very very soon.

The band will also be on tour this fall and hopefully coming to a city near you! Here are the tour dates:

Sep 16 2009 The Cedar Cultural Center (Caroline Solo Show) Minneapolis, Minnesota
Sep 18 2009 Campus Arts Festival (Caroline Solo Show) Minneapolis, Minnesota
Sep 20 2009 Nomad World Pub Minneapolis, Minnesota
Sep 22 2009 Black Hills Amphitheater Spearfish, South Dakota
Sep 23 2009 The Filling Station Bozeman, Montana
Sep 25 2009 High Dive Seattle, Washington
Sep 26 2009 The Finger Complex Olympia, Washington
Sep 29 2009 The Partisan Merced, California
Oct 1 2009 Armadillo Music (In-store Performance) Davis, California
Oct 1 2009 Sophia’s Thai Kitchen Davis, California
Oct 4 2009 The HangArt Tucson, Arizona
Oct 5 2009 Winning Coffee Company Albuquerque, New Mexico
Oct 6 2009 The Lounge On Elm Street Dallas, Texas
Oct 8 2009 Rice University Houston, Texas
Oct 9 2009 White Water Tavern Little Rock, Arkansas
Oct 10 2009 The House Little Rock, Arkansas
Oct 11 2009 Eighth Street Taproom Lawrence, Kansas
Oct 12 2009 Off Broadway St. Louis, Missouri
Oct 13 2009 KRUI In-studio @ Public Space One Iowa City, Iowa
Oct 13 2009 The Mill Iowa City, Iowa
Oct 16 2009 Pioneer Place On Fifth St. Cloud, Minnesota
Oct 17 2009 Kitty Cat Klub Minneapolis, Minnesota

Kanye West Apologizes On Jay Leno...

After Kanye West's atrocious appearance at Sunday night's VMA he mustered up the courage to apologize on national television to Taylor Swift.

His actions are really irreversible but his apology did seem heartfelt. Even so, this isn't the first time he's been a complete ass on an award show so its clearly a reoccurrence that he doesn't learn from.

Let's also mention how incredible it is that Taylor Swift has branched over from country to win an MTV VMA, which is such an accomplishment. Taylor is a talented, one of a kind star.

Lily Allen Stands Up For The Little Guy...

Good or bad, you have to hand it to Lily Allen for speaking her mind.

This time around. she tackles British music and illegal file sharing and actually does make some valid points. One can argue for or against her but rising to fame on MySpace you must admit she is quite familiar with the workings of how a band blows up in this day and age.

Taking her opinion to her MySpace blog, Lily has written the following:

"I havent written on here for a while but I've taken the time to write this as I think music piracy is having a dangerous effect on British music, but some really rich and successful artists like Nick Mason from Pink Floyd and Ed O'Brien from Radiohead don't seem to think so. Last week in an article in the Times these guys from huge bands said file sharing music is fine. It probably is fine for them. They do sell-out arena tours and have the biggest Ferrari collections in the world. For new talent though, file sharing is a disaster as it's making it harder and harder for new acts to emerge. Heres a link to the article http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article6828262.ece
Mason, O'Brien and the Featured Artists Coalition say that file sharing's "like a sampler, like taping your mate's music", but mix tapes and recording from the radio are actually very different to the file sharing that happens today. Mix tapes were rubbish quality - you bought the real music, because you liked the track and wanted to hear it without the DJ cutting off the end of each song. In digital land pirated tracks are as good quality as bought tracks, so there's not a need to buy for better quality. The Featured Artist Coalition also says file sharing's fine because it "means a new generation of fans for us". This is great if you're a big artist at the back end of your career with loads of albums to flog to a new audience, but emerging artists don't have this luxury. Basically the FAC is saying 'we're alright, we've made it, so file sharing's fine', which is just so unfair to new acts trying to make it in the industry.
You don't start out in music with the Ferraris. Instead you get a huge debt from your record company, which you spend years working your arse off to repay. When you manage to get a contract, all those pretty videos and posters advertising your album have to be paid for and as the artist, you have to pay for them. I've only just finished paying off all the money I owe my record company. I'm lucky that I've been successful and managed to pay it back, but not everyone's so lucky. You might not care about this, but the more difficult it is for new artists to make it, the less new artists you'll see and the more British music will be nothing but puppets paid for by Simon Cowell.
And it's not like there aren't alternatives to illegal downloads anyway. Sites like Spotify give us access to new music and different music without having to rip someone off - you can listen to tracks and see if you like them before you buy them. Then obviously there's MySpace, that streams music and helps acts like me get enough fans to convince record companies to sign us up.
If this sounds like I'm siding with the record bosses, I'm not. They've been naive and complacent about new technology - and they've spent all the money they've earned on their own fat salaries not industry development. But as they start to lose big from piracy, they're not slashing their salaries - they're pulling what they invest in A&R. Lack of funds results in A&R people not being able to take risks and only signing acts they think will work, which again makes British music Cowell puppets.
Is this the way we want British music to go? Now, obviously I'm going to benefit from fighting piracy, but I think without fighting it, British music is going to suffer.
I don't think what's out there is perfect. It's stupid that kids can't buy anything on the internet without credit, forcing them to steal Mum's credit card or download illegally. It's this kind of thing that the record company bosses, artists, broadband providers and government should be sitting down and discussing. I'm off to South America on tour today, but i'm going to be writing British artists, saying just this.
File sharing's not okay for British music. We need to find new ways to help consumers access and buy music legally, but saying file sharing's fine is not helping anyone - and definitely not helping British music. I want to get people working together to use new digital opportunities to encourage new artists."

Thoughts?

Amy Winehouse...The Musical?!!!

It seems to be the new thing...after a movie and everything else under the sun about your life you do a musical...

The latest is that Amy Winehouse: The Musical could be a possibility and will show her rise and fall to stardom complete with booze, drugs, of course BLAKE and even childhood memories.

According to The Sun, her brother Alex stated, "Amy is much better. I think one day there could be a musical of Amy's life...You just don't ever know how far things can go these days - look at all this talk of a JADE GOODY musical."

This would be absolutely bizarre...let's see if it ever sees the light of day.

Nine Inch Nails Announce Their Last Ever Shows

Trent Reznor has changed his mind about Nine Inch Nails' final live show being at Bonnaroo earlier this summer...and he's announced 10 shows to prove it. Playing their last ever shows, the band will hit several different venues in New York and Los Angeles, while playing 2 shows in Chicago at the same venue.

The Horrors are to open all dates...

These tickets are possibly going to be the hottest tickets of the year...so good luck in attempting to score a pair!

Here are the dates:
8/22/09 NY, NY Bowery Ballroom
8/23/09 NY, NY Webster Hall
8/25/09 NY, NY Terminal 5
8/26/09 NY, NY Terminal 5
8/28/09 Chicago, IL Aragon Ballroom
8/29/09 Chicago, IL Aragon Ballroom
9/2/09 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Palladium
9/3/09 Los Angeles, CA Henry Fonda Theater
9/5/09 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern
9/6/09 Los Angeles, CA Echoplex

Likely Looks: Lily Allen - 22

Lily Allen comes out with her 4th video from "Its Not Me, Its You" for 22 and its a lovely display of late 20 somethings doing the ins and outs of a single life.

The concept is fabulous and so is the dress that Lily is wearing throughout the video (very Hollywood of her...).

Check it out here:

Bloc Party - One More Chance (Alex Metric Remix)

Bloc Party usually have no problem making an incredible track on their own but this time around they've commissioned Alex Metric to do a remix of their track "One More Chance". The result? An absolutely killer remix of the song

They have my vote to keep teaming up...

Bloc Party - One More Chance (Alex Metric Remix)

Thanks to Welikeit.indie

Michael Jackson's Final Rehearsal Video Surfaces

A video of Michael Jackson's final rehearsal for his "This Is It" 50 date London stint has finally emerged. The footage which was exclusively released to CNN sees Michael performing "They Dont Care About Us" with dancers on stage at the Staples Center.

How he performed like this less than 48 hours before he died just blows my mind...he STILL had it. Michael you are SO missed...

Lily Allen To Record A Song With Kate Moss?

Kate Moss has been known to randomly sing on her famous friends' records (Primal Scream anyone?) but the latest is that she is dying to record a song with Lily Allen.

"Kate knows it'll be easier to persuade Lily to work with her. She's always making Lily do karaoke with her at home. Lily adores Kate and it seems like she'd do anything she suggests," claims a source close to Kate.

Let's see if it comes through...

Lisa Marie Presley: "He Knew"

A very touchy blog from Lisa Marie Presley, once married to Michael Jackson about his passing titled "He Knew".

"Years ago Michael and I were having a deep conversation about life in general.

I can't recall the exact subject matter but he may have been questioning me about the circumstances of my Fathers Death.

At some point he paused, he stared at me very intensely and he stated with an almost calm certainty, "I am afraid that I am going to end up like him, the way he did."

I promptly tried to deter him from the idea, at which point he just shrugged his shoulders and nodded almost matter of fact as if to let me know, he knew what he knew and that was kind of that.

14 years later I am sitting here watching on the news an ambulance leaves the driveway of his home, the big gates, the crowds outside the gates, the coverage, the crowds outside the hospital, the Cause of death and what may have led up to it and the memory of this conversation hit me, as did the unstoppable tears.

A predicted ending by him, by loved ones and by me, but what I didn't predict was how much it was going to hurt when it finally happened.

The person I failed to help is being transferred right now to the LA County Coroners office for his Autopsy.

All of my indifference and detachment that I worked so hard to achieve over the years has just gone into the bowels of hell and right now I am gutted.

I am going to say now what I have never said before because I want the truth out there for once.

Our relationship was not "a sham" as is being reported in the press. It was an unusual relationship yes, where two unusual people who did not live or know a "Normal life" found a connection, perhaps with some suspect timing on his part. Nonetheless, I do believe he loved me as much as he could love anyone and I loved him very much.

I wanted to "save him" I wanted to save him from the inevitable which is what has just happened.

His family and his loved ones also wanted to save him from this as well but didn't know how and this was 14 years ago. We all worried that this would be the outcome then.

At that time, In trying to save him, I almost lost myself.

He was an incredibly dynamic force and power that was not to be underestimated.

When he used it for something good, It was the best and when he used it for something bad, It was really, REALLY bad.

Mediocrity was not a concept that would even for a second enter Michael Jackson's being or actions.

I became very ill and emotionally/ spiritually exhausted in my quest to save him from certain self-destructive behavior and from the awful vampires and leeches he would always manage to magnetize around him.

I was in over my head while trying.

I had my children to care for, I had to make a decision.

The hardest decision I have ever had to make, which was to walk away and let his fate have him, even though I desperately loved him and tried to stop or reverse it somehow.

After the Divorce, I spent a few years obsessing about him and what I could have done different, in regret.

Then I spent some angry years at the whole situation.

At some point, I truly became Indifferent, until now.

As I sit here overwhelmed with sadness, reflection and confusion at what was my biggest failure to date, watching on the news almost play by play The exact Scenario I saw happen on August 16th, 1977 happening again right now with Michael (A sight I never wanted to see again) just as he predicted, I am truly, truly gutted.

Any ill experience or words I have felt towards him in the past has just died inside of me along with him.

He was an amazing person and I am lucky to have gotten as close to him as I did and to have had the many experiences and years that we had together.

I desperately hope that he can be relieved from his pain, pressure and turmoil now.

He deserves to be free from all of that and I hope he is in a better place or will be.

I also hope that anyone else who feels they have failed to help him can be set free because he hopefully finally is.

The World is in shock but somehow he knew exactly how his fate would be played out some day more than anyone else knew, and he was right.

I really needed to say this right now, thanks for listening.

~LMP"

Such a sad loss to the world of music...and the world in general. R.I.P. Michael.

Michael Jackson (1958-2009)

The King of Pop has passed at the young age of 50 years old today. This is just so incredibly sad to lose such an important musician that will forever be remembered. Rest in peace MJ...

My thoughts go out to his 3 children and family on this sad sad day.

Likely Looks: Lily Allen - Fuck You

Surprisingly, Lily Allen and her record label managed to make a clean version of "Fuck You", which is quite impressive in itself...but a video too?! Now, that takes the cake...

The video itself doesn't actually feature Lily but its a day in the life with a little twist. Somehow she's got the ability to make people look like they do in crazy circus mirrors and other things courtesy of a green screen.

Check it out here:

Hole To Reform!

Well...sort of. it is more like the Smashing Pumpkins situation where the main person (because what would Hole be without Courtney Love?!) is in the band and there are some former familiar faces joining in with the project.

After failing to release her solo album "Nobody's Daughter" that has been set to come out for some time now, she will resurrect the name Hole and release and tour under it. The album should be out at the end of 2009 or early 2010...we have yet to find out.

Joining her is her new partner in crime and former Larrikin Love member Micko Larkin and former Hole bassist Melissa Auf der Mar, who also added backing vocals on the record.

Get ready to add some 90's grunge back into your life...

Likely Listens: Deluka

World...meet Deluka! Hailing from Birmingham but spending a lot of time in Brooklyn, this female fronted 4 piece will knock you out with their gritty electro pop rock.

I was hooked after hearing their first single, "Cascade" where I caught myself singing along after my second listen. Plus, the other songs on the MySpace page are just as good...

They've already gotten love from NME and Dazed And Confused so it seems they are on their way to becoming the next buzz band both here and in the UK.

Download the MP3 for "Cascade" here:
Deluka - Cascade

I think you'll all dig it!

At The Drive In To Reform?!

It seems that it COULD be a possibility according to their former singer, Cedric Bixler-Zavala!

Spilling the beans to Drowned In Sound, Bixler-Zavala said, ""We've been making amends with a lot of the members and having some really good talks with them...I wouldn't mind it [a reformation]. It might happen, we just have to iron out a lot of personal things. A lot of it we've dealt with already and I've apologised for a lot of things I've said and the way it ended... we'll see what happens."

Now THIS would be amazing!

Thom Yorke To Play Solo Gig At Latitude Festival

Thom Yorke is ditching the other guys in Radiohead for one night this summer and playing a solo show at the Latitude Festival in the UK.

On Sunday, July 19, Yorke is set to take the main stage with a set that could be filled with either Radiohead tracks and/or songs from his acclaimed album "The Eraser". We will just have to wait and see.

Likely Looks: Chairlift - Bruises

Chairlift aka "The iPod Nano commercial song band" have taken their well known track "Bruises" and turned it into a video surveillance spectacular! Caroline even sports a plastic bag as her outfit of choice in several scenes.

Its definitely quite a unique video...

Likely Looks: MGMT - Kids

Ok...can someone PLEASE explain this MGMT video? First off, the kid is going to be traumatized for life. Secondly, what the hell is WRONG with that car seat and last but not least, is this ONE video or TWO???!!!! It seems like they couldn't choose a concept (whatever it was supposed to be anyway) so they decided to go for two and then make them all tie together by making the baby a cartoon in the end.

Just see for yourself...

Kid Cudi and Asher Roth Announce The Great Hangover Tour

Kid Cudi and Asher Roth have teamed up for what should be one of the best summer tours of 2009.

Calling it "The Great Hangover Tour", Cudi and Asher Roth will be kicking things off on July 14th in Boston, MA and touring the country for the next month straight.

Here are the tour dates:

July 14 - Boston, MA - House of Blues
July 15 - New York, NY - Nokia Theater
July 16 - Mariaville, NY - Indian Lookout
July 17 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
July 18 - Detroit, MI - Royal Oak
July 20 - Kansas City, MO - Voodoo Lounge
July 21 - Denver, CO - Ogden
July 22 - Salt Lake City, UT - Harry O's
July 23 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues
July 24 - San Francisco, CA - Regency Theatre
July 26 - Los Angeles, CA - House of Blues
July 27 - Phoenix, AZ - Marquee
July 29 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues
July 30 - Austin, TX - Stubbs
July 31 - Houston, TX - House of Blues
August 2 - Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle
August 3 - Norfolk, VA - Norva
August 4 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head
August 5 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club

Paul McCartney To Perform First Two Concerts Ever At Citi Field

In 1965, The Beatles played the first ever show at Shea Stadium.

In 2008, Paul McCartney played at Billy Joel's show for the last ever concert at Shea Stadium.

Now, in 2009, Paul will be playing the first ever shows at Citi Field, the new home to the Mets.

The shows will be on Friday, July 17 and Saturday, July 18...rain or shine!

"I am really excited about playing Citi Field - The Beatles were the first to play at Shea Stadium and along with Billy Joel, I was the last to sing at the old Shea," said Paul McCartney. "So to be the first to play this stadium is incredible. I am really looking forward to a buzzing show."

Tickets go on sale Monday, June 15 at 10:00 A.M. ET online exclusively at www.507tixx.com and by phone at 718-507-TIXX.

If its anything like McCartney's set at Coachella then these could be THE shows of the year.

Exene Cervenka Diagnosed With Multiple Sclerosis

Exene Cervenka, singer for the legendary band X has just released a statement that she is diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

"After some months of not feeling 100% healthy, I recently had some medical tests run and the prognosis is that I am suffering from Multiple Sclerosis. Apparently, it has been affecting me for quite some time.

Although this is obviously unfortunate news, I am choosing to see the positive in it.

I, and X as a band, have supported the Sweet Relief charity since the mid-1990's; the irony of this is not lost on any of us. Sweet Relief was started as an aide to uninsured artists by musician Victoria Williams when she herself was diagnosed with MS in 1992.

While this diagnosis will most certainly mean some changes for me, personally, it will not affect my commitments to the current X U.S. tour, nor will it affect my solo album that is slated for release this fall on Bloodshot Records.

My focus will certainly be on maintaining my health–many people remain strong and continue to live their lives as productively as they had before an MS diagnosis and I plan to be one of those people."

What an amazing thing to put a positive spin on it. Here's to her feeling better as soon as possible...

Likely Looks: Solid Gold - Bible Thumper

Solid Gold are a band you may have heard of but just don't know...yet. Hailing from the Twin Cities (well, just Minneapolis actually...) the band have already made a splash in their hometown, practically selling out the legendary First Avenue club just a couple of weeks ago.

Now they've got a video for their single "Bible Thumper", which is a catchy psychedelic rock track which gets compared to a cross between Hot Chip and Fleetwood Mac (a very daring combination I must say) and is just fantastic overall.

Here is the video directed by John Carlucci:



If you want to catch them on tour then here are the dates:

June 7 - Grand Old Day - Minneapolis, MN
June 11 – Public Assembly - Brooklyn, NY
June 13 - Union Hall - Brooklyn, NY
June 14 - Mercury Lounge - New York, NY
June 15 - Pianos - New York, NY
June 20 - Rock The Garden - Minneapolis, MN*
July 9 - Hultsfred Festival - Hultsfred, Sweden
July 11 - Lounge On The Farm - Kent, UK
July 12 - Loop Festival - Brighton, UK
July 31 - The Zoo - Minneapolis, MN

Glasvegas To Play MySpace Secret Show In...Vegas

Glasvegas and MySpace have teamed up to actually do something creative instead of the typical Secret Shows we are all used to these days in a certain city.

Clearly playing off the Vegas portion of their band name, Glasvegas are set to do a performance at the Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel on June 3 (tomorrow) in Las Vegas.

For more information or to possibly attend the show (if you get on line reeeeeeally early!) go to www.myspace.com/secretshows

Should be a good one!

Lady GaGa Creates A Mini Movie Masterpiece

Leave it to Jonas Akerlund to create an absolute masterpiece with Lady GaGa for her new single "Paparazzi". Its got everything...sex, tradegy, a fallen star and a great comeback. Not to mention its shot beautifully and will pretty much solidify a place for Lady GaGa forever in pop music.

Not to mention the track is great on its own...

On a side note, are the triplets that look like they were in Poison back in the day the 3 Swedish kids from Daisy Of Love?

You need to watch this video. A lot:

Amy Winehouse Cancels London Comeback Show

Well, surprise surprise...Amy Winehouse cancels yet another gig?! Who would have thought...

Amy was supposed to perform at Shepard's Bush Empire on May 31st as a part of Island Record's 50th birthday celebration.

This cancellation comes after a horrendous performance earlier in the month in St. Lucia, where she only performed for an hour and forgot the words to most of her songs. Oh, and did I mention she seemed wasted on stage?!

"Amy would like to apologise to her fans who bought tickets for the show," says a statement released from her record label.

Poor Amy...

If you missed the St. Lucia performance you can watch it here:

Jay Bennett Passes Away In His Sleep

Its a sad day in the music world with the passing of Jay Bennett, who has died at the age of 45.

A former member of Wilco, Bennett worked as a sound engineer and played instruments for the band from 1994 to 2001.

"We are profoundly saddened to report that our friend died in his sleep ... Jay was a beautiful human being who will be missed," read a statement from Bennett's record label, Undertow Music Collective.

You will be missed Jay...

Glastonbury 2009 Line-Up Revealed!

If you have the urge to make the trek to the UK (or were lucky enough to get a ticket), Glastonbury's 2009 lineup has been announced

American legends dominate the headliners for the year (Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen) but the Blur reunion is going to be the one to see more...

Here it is:

Pyramid Stage

Friday

Neil Young
The Specials
Lily Allen
Fleet Foxes
TBC
Regina Spektor
Gabrielle Cilmi
Bjorn Again
The Rakes
The View
Lady Gaga


Saturday

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
Kasabian
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Dizzee Rascal
Spinal Tap
Tinariwen
Eagles Of Death metal
VV Brown


Sunday

Blur
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Madness
Tom Jones
Amadou & Mariam
Tony Christie
Status Quo
Easy Star Allstars

Other Stage

Friday

Bloc Party
Ting Tings
Antony & The Johnsons
White Lies
Friendly Fires
TBC
The Maccabees
The Whip
Mr Hudson


Saturday

Franz Ferdinand
Pendulum
Maximo Park
Paolo Nutini
Pete Doherty
The Script
Jason Mraz
Metric
Peter, Bjorn & John
Broken Family Band


Sunday

Prodigy
Glasvegas
Bon Iver
Bat For Lashes
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Enter Shikari
Brand New
Art Brut
Boxer Rebellion
In Case Of Fire

John Peel Stage

Friday

Doves
Jamie T
Jack Penate
Little Boots
Metronomy
VV Brown
The Virgins
F****d Up
Rumble Strips
Dan Black
General Fiasco


Saturday

Jarvis Cocker
White Lies
Florence & The Machine
Passion Pit
Gaslight Anthem
Hockey
Temper Trap
Esser
Big Pink
Baddies
The Nightingales


Sunday

Echo & The Bunnymen
The Wombats
Noisettes
Ladyhawke
The Soft Pack
Just Jack
Emmy The Great
Twisted Wheel
We Have Band
Wave Machines
Good Books


Jazz World Stage

Friday

Q Tip
De La Soul
The Streets
Steel Pulse
Lamb
Hot 8 Brass Band
Stephanie McKay
The Perceptions
Speed Caravan


Saturday

Rolf Harris
Warsaw Village Band
Playing For Change
Baaba Maal
Lonnie Liston Smith
Jamie Cullum
Rokia Traore
Erik Truffaz
Jamie Cullum


Sunday

Black Eyed Peas
Manu Dibango
Roots Manuva
Khaled
Orquesta Aragon
Linda Lewis
Abdullah Chhadeh and Syriana

Acoustic Stage

Friday

Ray Davies
Fairport Convention
Jason Mraz
Scott Matthews
No Crows
Hugh Cornwell
Ben Taylor
Sean Taylor
Karima Francis
John Smith


Saturday

Tindersticks
Kilfenora Ceili Band
Newton Faulkner
Lisa Hannigan
Gary Louris & Mark Olson (Jayhawks)
Lunasa
Bap Kennedy
Hope And Social
Stornoway
Cora Smyth Band


Sunday

Georgie Fame
Roger McGuinn
Sharon Corr
Beth Rowley
Imelda May
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
Kate Walsh
Martin Harley Band
Lucy Wainwright Roche
London Community Gospel Choir

The Park

Friday

Animal Collective
The Horrors
Emiliana Torrini
Noah And The Whale
TBC
Special Guests
James Hunter
Golden Silvers
Bishi
Lay Low


Saturday

Bon Iver
M Ward
Special Guests
Shlomo & Guests
Horace Andy
Easy Star Allstars
The Memory Band
The Low Anthem
Bombay Bicycle Club
TBA
First Aid Kit


Sunday

Seun Kuti & Fela's Africa 80
Cold War Kids
Alela Diane
Terry Reid
The Rockingbirds
TBC
Alberta Cross
Chief
Micachu
Water Aid West Country Community Choir
Tunng & Tinariwen

Queens Head

Thursday

Metronomy
Kap Bambino
Ebony Bones
Golden Silvers
Alessi's Ark
Liz Green
The Gentle Good
Charlene Soraia
Stornoway
We Have Band
Maximo Park
Smash n' Grab


Friday

Jason Mraz
The Big Pink
The Rakes
Rumble Strips
The Virgins
Dan Le Sac Vs Scoobius Pip
Tommy Sparks
The Low Anthem
Team Waterpolo
Hope And Social
Dead Like Harry
Yr Ods
City Stereo
The Mojo Fins
Maura Kincaid
The Slips
Sub Universe
Glitterati


Saturday

Dan Black
The King Blues
The Shortwave Set
Special Guest
The Wombats
Official Secrets Act
Noah And The Whale
Emmy The Great
Broken Records
Special Guest
Peggy Sue & The Pirates
Marina & the Diamonds
Theoretical Girl
Blue Roses
Guilty Pleasures
Glitterati


Sunday

Robyn Hitchcock
Magic Numbers
The Aliens
Bombay Bicycle Club
Joe Gideon & The Sharks
Vagabond
Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong
Fight Like Apes
The Capitol Years
Soft Toy Emergency
Priscilla Ahn
Jersey Budd
Two Door Cinema Club
Major Major
Motown 50th Birthday

East Dance

Friday

David Guetta
Freeland Live
Layo & Bushwacka!
Easy Star Allstars
Mark Irration
Dreadzone
Tom Middleton
The Egg
Paul Woolford
Pama International


Saturday

2 Many Djs
Deadmau5
Pete Tong
La Roux
Wiley
Tinchy Stryder
Eric Prydz
Heartbreak
We Have Band


Sunday

Calvin Harris
Mr Scruff
VV Brown
Rob Da Bank
Frankmusik
Wonky Pop DJs
Kissy Sell Out
Wonky Pop DJs
Ou Est (Cote Ouest Big Band?)

West Dance

Friday

Erol Alkan
Crookers
The Whip
Annie Mac
Skream And Benga
Whomadewho
Joe Goddard (Hot Chip)
DeepGroove
Nathan Detroit


Saturday

Josh Wink
Yoda
DJ Food
Qemists
Timo Maas
The Japanese Popstars
Hudson Mohawke
NAPT
Emperor Machine
Jam The Channel


Sunday

Peaches
Jodie Harsh
Beat Torrent
Freq Nasty
Dirty Vegas
Quiver
Filthy Dukes
Don Diablo
Goldfish
Stuart Wilkinson
Transformers

Avalon

Friday

The Blockheads
British Sea Power
Orkestra Del Sol
Michael McGoldrick, Iain Fletcher
& Andy Dinan
The Puppini Sisters
3 Daft Monkeys
Baskery
The Mandibles


Saturday

The Wonder Stuff
Edward II
Eliza Carthy
Badly Drawn Boy
Solas
The King Blues
The Lancashire Hotpots
Wheeler Street
The Martin Harley Band


Sunday

Peatbog Fairies
Seth Lakeman
Dodgy
Will Young
Teddy Thompson
The Mummers
The Destroyers
6 Day Riot
Stornoway


The Glade

Friday

Clive Craske
Mum Suleiman
Outmode
Pathaan
Banco De Gaia
James Monro
Beardyman with The Bays
Tom Real

Saturday

Jinx
Nairobi
Sancho Panza
Rusko
Tayo
Dr Meaker
Don Letts
Dub Pistols
DJ Fresh
Stanton Warriors
Stereo MCs Sunday
Breakfast with Howard Marks
Hybrid Cinematic set
3 Daft Monkeys
Back to the Planet
Second Class Citizen
Richard 'Kid' Strange and the Party
Eatstatic
Steve Hillage Band
Gong

Likely Looks: The Kissing Party - King Graves Rd.

It can't get any sweeter than The Kissing Party!

Their new single, 'King Graves Rd' and the video to go along it is just a simple day in the life of the band (with a cool split screen effect) that captures the band as much as it can in the span of two minutes...

Their new release, 'The Hate Album', comes out this summer so stay tuned!

For now, here is the video:

Kissing Party - King Graves Rd. from Lee on Vimeo.

Jay-Z Confirms Leaving His Label, Island/Def Jam

Jay-Z is leaving the very place which launched his career, Def Jam Records. After securing a deal with Live Nation for a pretty penny (or more like a pretty set of millions) he's confirmed that he will not be recording another album for the label.

The deal with Live Nation is for touring, publishing and recording...something these days a label just can't do.

Next up, hopefully a new album...

Likely Looks: Pete Yorn - Don't Wanna Cry

Pete Yorn is back with a new video for his single "Don't Wanna Cry"...and it actually might make YOU cry.

Its a beautiful song and a simple yet to the point video directed by one of The Malloys, which sees Pete looking back at an ex-lover.

Here is the video:

Kylie Minogue Announces North American Tour

The day just got a little better...because Kylie Minogue has just announced her first EVER North American tour!

When "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" hit she did a few small radio appearances at Christmas shows...but it was never an ACTUAL tour.

Kylie shows are always a production so basically what I am trying to say is it is going to be AMAZING!!!

Here are the dates:

Sep. 30 Oakland, CA (SF Bay Area) Oakland Fox Theatre
Oct. 3 Las Vegas, NV The Pearl (Palms Hotel and Casino)
Oct. 4 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl
Oct. 7 Chicago, IL The Congress Theater
Oct. 9 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
Oct. 11 New York, NY Hammerstein Ballroom

Kid Cudi Gets Denied By Lily Allen and Andre 3000

Kid Cudi may be the most talked about new guy in hip-hop but that still doesn't give him all the power in the world. Reaching out to Lily Allen and Andre 3000 to collaborate with them, he got rejected.

Here is his blog that explains it all:

I ONLY HAVE 3 FEATURES FOR MY ALBUM WHICH IS MY BIG HOMIE SNOOP, KANYE AND COMMON. THE OTHER 2 ARTISTS I ASKED SO FAR TO BE ON MY ALBUM: LILY ALLEN AND ANDRE 3000, HAVE DECLINED MY REQUEST FOR A COLLAB. IT MADE ME REALIZE THO, DO I REALLY WANNA GO IN ON FEATURES? SURE I LIKE THESE ARTISTS BUT THIS FIRST ALBUM NEEDS TO BE ABOUT WUT I CAN DO. I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE STILL THINK ITS A GAME SO I WILL FOREVER FEEL LIKE I HAVE SUTTIN TO PROVE. U GUYS NEED TO HEAR MORE OF ME SO WHEN UR DEBATIN WITH UR FRIENDS ABOUT HOW ILL MAN ON THE MOON IS, THEY CAN BE LIKE “YEA, YOU RIGHT” LOL HAHA

Bat For Lashes Does David Letterman

Now, this performance could have gone horribly wrong...but Bat For Lashes AKA Natasha Khan pulled out an absolutely stunning performance.

The performance happened the night of May 1 and I know I am a little late on it but it is just too good not to share.

Austin City Limits Lineup 2009

Here it is!!!! The lineup actually is impressive this year...YAY Lily Allen!!!!!!!!

Pearl Jam
Dave Matthews Band
Beastie Boys
Kings of Leon
Ben Harper and Relentless7
Thievery Corporation
John Legend
The Dead Weather
The Levon Helm Band
Ghostland Observatory
Sonic Youth
Mos Def
Toadies
Flogging Molly
The B-52s
Lily Allen
Citizen Cope
Arctic Monkeys
The Decemberists
Coheed and Cambria
Andrew Bird
Girl Talk
STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9)
Phoenix
Bassnectar
Bon Iver
!!!
The Avett Brothers
The Airborne Toxic Event
Medeski, Martin & Wood
Clutch
Michael Franti & Spearhead
Grizzly Bear
Heartless Bastards
Passion Pit
White Lies
Dan Auerbach
The Walkmen
The Scabs
Reckless Kelly
Devotchka
Blitzen Trapper
The Virgins
Here We Go Magic
Eek-A-Mouse
K’ Naan
Asleep at the Wheel
Dr. Dog
The Raveonettes
The Knux
Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears
State Radio
Los Amigos Invisibles
The Felice Brothers
Federico Aubele
Raul Malo
Daniel Johnston
Poi Dog Pondering
Brett Dennen
Rodriguez
Henry Butler
Preservation Hall
Sam Roberts Band
The Greencards
Sara Watkins
Walter “Wolfman” Washington
David Garza
John Vanderslice
Zac Brown Band
Todd Snider
School of Seven Bells
The Dodos
Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3
Alberta Cross
Deer Tick
Bell X1
Alela Diane
The Wood Brothers
The Parlor Mob
Rebirth Brass Band
Marva Wright
Terri Hendrix
L.A.X.
Lisa Hannigan
The Low Anthem
Sons of Bill
Suckers
Sarah Jaffe
Cotton Jones
The Henry Clay People
Papa Mali

Santigold Announces North America Tour

With a name change and a bigger fan base, Santigold is setting out on a headlining of the States and Canada with her friends Amanda Blank and Trouble Andrew to support her.

Catching a bit of her set at Coachella, she's one that can deliver live so these shows are a must see...

Here are the dates:

May
21 San Francisco, CA - The Warfield
22 Sacramento, CA - Empire
24 Eugene, OR - Cuthbert Amphitheatre
25 George, WA - Sasquatch!
28 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
29 Des Moines, IA - Peoples Court
31 Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live

June
1 Boston, MA - HOB
3 Toronto, Ontario - Phoenix Concert Theatre
4 Montreal, Quebec - Metropolis
6 Philadelphia, PA -The Festival Pier
7 Norfolk, VA - The Norva
9 NY, NY - Terminal 5
10 Washington, D.C. - 9:30 Club
12 Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo
13 St. Louis, MO - Bacardi B Live
15 Austin, TX - Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheatre
17 Houston, TX - HOB
18 Dallas, TX - HOB
20 Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre
21 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl

Lily Allen Announces UK Tour

Woohoo for UK Lily fans! She's going back for another few dates in the UK in November so get your tickets fast...

November 16 - Sheffield O2 Academy
November 17 -Manchester Apollo
November 20 - Bournemouth BIC
November 21 - Plymouth Pavilions
November 22 -Swindon Oasis
November 24 -Birmingham NIA
November 25 -Glasgow SECC
November 27 -London O2 Academy Brixton

Oh and yes I went to the Lily show on Monday at Roseland and YES I will be posting a review soon.

Likely Looks: Little Boots - New In Town

Little Boots has the power to make people dance!!!!! From the homeless to the gangs, somehow her song "New In Town" just makes people automatically begin doing a choreographed dance mid whatever they were originally doing.

She looks amazing in this blue sequined dress, its fun and it screams Little Boots...

Check out the video here:

Likely Looks: Green Day - Know Your Enemy

Most of us music fans that are my age have grown up on Green Day and remember getting that copy of "Dookie" after hearing "Longview" on the radio...

To this day I still have a soft spot for the band and am really liking the single "Know Your Enemy". The video isn't brilliant but it fits its purpose

Here is the video:

Paul McCartney at Coachella...WOW

I knew it was going to be a great set for the Coachella crowd probably hoping he would do EVERYTHING Beatles...and he most certainly delivered.

The set list was mind blowing...now I'm giving myself a little bit of a kick for not making the trip to the desert.

Here is the set list:

Jet / Drive My Car / Only Mama Knows / Flaming Pie / Got to Get You Into My Life / Let Me Roll It (with a coda of Purple Haze) / Honey Hush / Highway / The Long and Winding Road / My Love / Blackbird / Here Today / Dance Tonight / Calico Skies / Mrs. Vanderbilt / Eleanor Rigby / Sing the Changes / Band on the Run / Back in the U.S.S.R. / Something / I’ve Got a Feeling / Paperback Writer / A Day in the Life > Give Peace a Chance / Let It Be / Live and Let Die / Hey Jude

First encore: Birthday / Can’t Buy Me Love / Lady Madonna

Second encore: Yesterday / Helter Skelter / Get Back / Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) > The End

WOW!

PJ Harvey and John Parish Announce More U.S. Tour Dates

Seeing PJ at SXSW perform with John Parish was just brilliant. Seriously, can she ever NOT be brilliant?! YAY for new tour dates!

Here they are:

June 2 - Centre Stage, Atlanta GA
June 3 - Madison Theatre, Covington KY
June 5 - Warner Theatre, Washington, DC
June 6 - House Of Blues, Boston, MA
June 7 - Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA
June 9 - The Beacon Theatre, New York, NY
June 12 - The Riviera Theatre, Chicago, IL
June 13 - Weesner Amphitheatre, Apple Valley, MN
June 19 - The Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA
June 20 - The Wiltern, Los Angeles, CA

Amy Winehouse To Write A Poetry Book

St. Lucia seems to have put Amy in a happy place, that's why she is currently penning a book of poetry while she is in the process of writing her third album.

"Amy's been stimulated since living in St Lucia." according to a source to the Daily Star. "She loves the chilled-out Caribbean atmosphere and has found it has encouraged her to write again."

Who was the influence behind the poetry book? Why, Mr. Pete Doherty of course.

Likely Looks: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll (Live On Jimmy Fallon)

So, obviously with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs having a new album out, "It's Blitz", along come the TV performances.

Unfortunately, I missed SNL but I did catch Jimmy Fallon and I have to say...borrrring. Karen O built herself up to be this exciting stage presence wherever her performed and now she just looks bored. Her dance moves don't even resemble what she once was on stage and the only touch of old Karen O I saw was her pulling the microphone cord slickly through her fingers and pulling it across her torso.

I love the album and I absolutely love this band...but I think Karen O needs to watch some old videos of herself because he new moves just aren't working

Meiko Sets Off On Her First Headlining Tour!

Meiko's been opening up for a load of people and has been on the Hotel Cafe tour...but now its time for a headlining tour! It's her first and it will be a good one!

Here are the dates:

May 2 - Toad Suck Dayz Festival (All Ages) - Conway, AR
May 3 - 3rd & Lindsley (18+) - Nashville, TN
May 4 - The Hummingbird (18+) - Macon, GA
May 5 - Eddie's Attic (All Ages) - Atlanta, GA
May 7 - Canal Room (18+) - New York, NY
May 8 - Jammin Java (All Ages) - Washington, DC
May 9 - Tin Angel (21+) - Philadelphia, PA
May 10 - Stage One (All Ages) - Fairfield, CT
May 11 - Montoe Community College (All Ages) - Rochester, NY
May 13 - Radio Radio (21+) - Indianapolis, IN
May 14 - Blueberry Hill (21+) - St. Louis, MO
May 15 - Shubas (7PM Early Show - 18+) - Chicago, IL
May 15 - Shubas (10:30PM Late Show - 18+) - Chicago, IL
May 16 - People's Court (All Ages) - Des Moines, IA
May 17 - Varsity Theatre (18+) - Minneapolis, MN
May 18 - Majestic Theatre (All Ages) - Madison, WI
May 20 - Walnut Room (21+) - Denver, CO
May 26 - Crocodile Café (21+) - Seattle, WA
May 27 - Doug Fir Lounge (21+) - Portland, OR
May 29 - Hotel Utah Saloon (21+) - San Francisco, CA
May 30 - BuFest Music Festival (All Ages) - Malibu, CA

No Doubt Stands And Delivers

No Doubt is backwith their upcoming tour and a new song (well, a cover).

They've really got the best parts of the 80's on lockdown and just released a killer cover of Adam Ant's classic, "Stand And Deliver"

Have a listen and download it here:

No Doubt - Stand And Deliver

Likely Looks: Tori Amos - Welcome To England

So, I missed Tori Amos at SXSW...and I hate myself for it. Therefore, her new video for "Welcome To England" from her upcoming release "Abnormally Attracted To Sin", which comes out May 19th in the U.S. will just have to hold me over.

The scenery is stunning, Tori looks stunning and its just an absolutely beautiful video of Tori in almost a medieval setting.

I love it...and you should too.

Likely Looks: Phoenix "1901" Live On SNL

Blah blah blah its amazing Phoenix made it onto SNL considering what kind of bands they usually choose. That is all dead in the water...but their performance was AMAZING!

Hopefully they get a little more love as their new album "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix" has been on repeat

Here is the performance...enjoy!:

Lindsay Lohan Joins Lily Allen On Stage

During Lily Allen's performance of "Womanizer" last night at the Wiltern, a special guest popped out to do some dancing and barely sing...Lindsay Lohan.

What the point of her coming on stage was? I don't know. Maybe you have a theory...

All Points West Announce 2009 Line-up

The second annual All Points West festival have managed to bring a killer line-up to their 2009 festival.

The festival will take place from July 31-August 2 at Liberty State Park

Here's the line-up:

Friday, July 31: Beastie Boys, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Vampire Weekend, The National, Fleet Foxes, MSTRKRFT, Q-Tip, The Pharcyde, Organized Konfusion, The Knux, Ra Ra Riot, Seasick Steve, Telepathe, Shearwater, Heartless Bastards, Flying Lotus, College Humor Live, Arj Barker, Eugene Mirman and Bo Burnham.

Saturday, August 1: Tool, My Bloody Valentine, Gogol Bordello, Arctic Monkeys, Neko Case, The Ting Tings, Yelle, Crystal Castles, St. Vincent, Tokyo Police Club, The Cool Kids, Kool Keith, Cage the Elephant, Chairlift, White Rabbits, Electric Touch, The Postelles, Black Gold, College Humor Live, Tim & Eric, Judah Friedlander and Jim Jeffries.

Sunday, August 2: Coldplay, Echo & The Bunnymen, MGMT, The Black Keys, Elbow, Silversun Pickups, Mogwai, We Are Scientists, Ghostland Observatory, The Gaslight Anthem, Etienne De Crecy, Lykke Li, Akron/Family, Steel Train, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, College Humor Live, Janeane Garofalo, Michael Showalter and Todd Barry.

Liam Gallagher Enters The World Of Fashion

The Gallagher brothers have had their share of fashionable moments along their career, which is why I am guessing Liam Gallagher is now branching into fashion with his own line of clothes.

Calling it Pretty Green, Liam planned to give his wearers simple, classic styles similar to what he wears. The line will be entirely limited edition as well which in other words means if you see it and like it then BUY it.

Speaking about the line, Gallagher states, "Clothes and music are my passion. I'm not here to rip anyone off and I'm not doing it for the money either. I'm doing it cuz there's a lack of stuff out there of the things I would wear."

So, if you want to look like Liam (or at least dress like him), you'll have to wait till the line hits stores in June.

Here is a video teaser to go along with it as well:

Likely Looks: PJ Harvey and John Parish - Black Hearted Love

PJ Harvey can do no wrong in my book...case in point her new video with John Parish for "Black Hearted Love". Jumping up and down on a massive portable blow up castle in a slinky black dress...and then the rain comes...

Just watch this for yourself...its PJ Harvey for fuck's sake

Why Late Of The Pier Are My New Heroes

These boys don't take any shit basically. A few videos have turned up about the madness that happened when the band played the free Filter SXSW Party at the Cedar Street Courtyard on Friday.

Basically, the show was running over an hour late and staff and security thought it would be OK to pull the plug on them mid song. The tour manager wasn't up for that...plugged it back in and then the chaos started.

Unnecessarily, security decided to push the tour manager back up the stairs aggressively and he had no other choice to fight back. Then the real madness happened when in the middle of "Bathroom Gurgle" one of the band members stopped mid song to get into the mess as well

What you are about to see was sort of amazing...talk about action!:

Radiohead Really Don't Like Miley Cyrus

I still find it hysterical that Miley Cyrus thinks she has the right to meet every band she likes and they have to be nice to her. Having a crap show on the Disney Channel and a father as a one hit wonder doesn't mean she can be a spoiled brat.

Radiohead of course felt compelled to respond to the shit talk that Miley Cyrus said about the band on the radio the other day along the lines of “Stinkin’ Radiohead!...“I’m gonna ruin them, I’m gonna tell everyone.”

A spokesperson for the band responded to the comment by saying “When Miley grows up, she’ll learn not to have a sense of entitlement.”

Absolutely genius. Its nice to know there is still a sense of cred in this thing we call the music industry...

Likely Looks: Bat For Lashes - Daniel

Bat For Lashes is back as Natasha Khan emerges with the beautiful single "Daniel".

Channeling the Karate Kid on this one, Natasha Khan fights off loads of people draped in black sheets and then proceeds to hop in a car and still fight them off. You'll just have to see for yourself...



Two Suns comes out on Astralwerks Records on April 6

U2 To Record A Reggae Album?

That's the latest word on the street...

With their new release "No Line On The Horizon" just fresh on the shelves, people are already talking about what is next to come for U2.

Apparently, the band started writing the tracks last year and are aiming for a 2010 release. It doesn't really come as too big of a surprise...I mean, they were signed by Chris Blackwell whi coincidently brought BOB MARLEY to fame in the U.S.

U2 are so stranger to doing experimental albums...Zooropa anyone?

Time will tell on this one...for now we will just have to enjoy "Get On Your Boots" and the other tracks from the new album.

Santigold Performs "Shove It" Live On Jimmy Fallon

Santigold with her brand new name change took to the new late night TV show with Jimmy Fallon to perform "Shove It". The MC Hammer looking gear (and moves as well) on the backup singers/dancers is sort of awesome.

Spank Rock shouted her out as SantOgold though...oops. Didn't you get the note about the LEGAL name change?

Here is the clip:

Looks Like Oasis Won't Be Playing China

Well, it would have been cool, but the Chinese government has pulled the plug on Oasis' two dates in China in April.

According to a statement from the band, "Representatives from the Chinese government have revoked the performance licenses already issued for the band and ordered their shows in both Beijing and Shanghai to be immediately canceled".

Therefore the April 3 date in Beijing and April 5 date in Shanghai are no more.

The reasons behind it? Well, one of them was noted at Noel Gallagher's solo performance at 1997's Tibetan Freedom concert. As a result the government "deemed that the band are ... unsuitable to perform to their fans in the Chinese Republic."

Sorry China!