A Michael Jackson tribute concert which was scrapped in Vienna and moved to London after top acts dropped out has been canceled after the event’s organizer closed down, the company’s liquidator said on Friday.
Billboard chart-watchers weigh in on this week’s Hot 100, where Ke$ha clocks in at No. 2, one notcher higher than Lady Gaga.
A forthcoming EP and four special concerts in January signal a time of “transition” for Cold War Kids before the California quartet hits the studio in February to record its third album.
Michael Jackson lived on. Green Day and Bruce Bruce Springsteen rocked. Lady Gaga turned heads. Jay-Z, Beyonce and Taylor Swift triumphed. It all happened in 2009, and we’ve got the photos to prove it.
Country music legend Loretta Lynn is “feeling great” and planning a trip to her home in the Bahamas over the holidays, according to her daughter Patsy Lynn Russell.
An array of artists, including Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, will take part in the first annual Show Of Peace Concert, a globally televised event that will take place April 17 before an expected crowd of 100,000 at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing, China.
The Goo Goo Dolls plan to have their next album, “Something For the Rest of Us,” finished in February and out in late spring, according to bassist Robby Takac.
• The 25 Best Albums & Songs of 2009
• Jimmy Page Plots Return to the Stage
• McCartney Backs Rage in U.K. Battle
• Flaming Lips’ Dark Side Out in Dec.
• Steven Tyler Signs With New Management
• Weekend Rock List: Fire Songs
• News Ticker: Snoop Dogg, Sara Bareilles
• Frusciante Quits Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Rihanna: Armed and Scandalous in “Hard” Clip
• The Decade in U2: The Edge Q&A
• Weezer Cancel January 2010 Shows
• Beasties’ Hot Sauce Coming in 2010
• Watch The Runaways Teaser Trailer
• Kid Cudi Leaves Lady Gaga Tour
• EMI Sues Vimeo Over “Lip Dub” Music Videos
• Stone Temple Pilots Completing New LP
• Executors of Jackson Estate Seek Payment
• Brown Settles for Seven on Charts
• Stones, U2, Madonna: Decade’s Top Tours
• Colbert Raps With Keys on “Empire State”
• Britney Spears’ “3″ Returns as Director’s Cut
• Breaking: Orianthi
• Stooges, Genesis, ABBA Make the Rock Hall
• Lil Wayne Sentencing Set for Feb. 9th
• Chris Brown Deletes Twitter After Rant
• U2, McCartney Earn Golden Globe Noms
• Lil Wayne, Eminem’s “Drop the World” Leaks
• Bill Berry Performs on R.E.M. Xmas Single
• Iggy Pop Talks New Stooges Music
• Green Day: Rock Band Game Due in 2010
Scroll down for full news stories, commentary and much more in Rock Daily.
• The 25 Best Albums & Songs of 2009
• Jimmy Page Plots Return to the Stage
• McCartney Backs Rage in U.K. Battle
• Flaming Lips’ Dark Side Out in Dec.
• Steven Tyler Signs With New Management
• Weekend Rock List: Fire Songs
• News Ticker: Snoop Dogg, Sara Bareilles
• Frusciante Quits Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Rihanna: Armed and Scandalous in “Hard” Clip
• The Decade in U2: The Edge Q&A
• Weezer Cancel January 2010 Shows
• Beasties’ Hot Sauce Coming in 2010
• Watch The Runaways Teaser Trailer
• Kid Cudi Leaves Lady Gaga Tour
• EMI Sues Vimeo Over “Lip Dub” Music Videos
• Stone Temple Pilots Completing New LP
• Executors of Jackson Estate Seek Payment
• Brown Settles for Seven on Charts
• Stones, U2, Madonna: Decade’s Top Tours
• Colbert Raps With Keys on “Empire State”
• Britney Spears’ “3″ Returns as Director’s Cut
• Breaking: Orianthi
• Stooges, Genesis, ABBA Make the Rock Hall
• Lil Wayne Sentencing Set for Feb. 9th
• Chris Brown Deletes Twitter After Rant
• U2, McCartney Earn Golden Globe Noms
• Lil Wayne, Eminem’s “Drop the World” Leaks
• Bill Berry Performs on R.E.M. Xmas Single
• Iggy Pop Talks New Stooges Music
• Green Day: Rock Band Game Due in 2010
Scroll down for full news stories, commentary and much more in Rock Daily.
Photo: Foley/FilmMagic
Photo: Michael Ochs Archive/Getty
We were maybe listening to that Lil Wayne album that maybe leaked thanks to Amazon when we noticed that the soon-to-be-incarcerated Weezy is a big fan of songs with “fire” in the title. “On Fire” is the latest Lil Wayne track to feature a pyromaniacal title, following Tha Carter III’s “Playing with Fire” and TC2’s “Fireman.” Tell us your favorite songs about flames, and on Monday we’ll tally the votes and reveal the Readers’ List. Here’s a little inspiration:
• Grateful Dead – “Fire on the Mountain”
• The Doors – “Light My Fire”
• Kings of Leon – “Sex on Fire”
• Sebadoh – “On Fire”
• Jimi Hendrix Experience – “Fire”
Photo: Hill/FilmMagic
Breaking artist Owl City comes to your neck of the woods to catch “Fireflies,” the Clientele set out in support of their lush Bonfires on the Heath and the Used showcase Artwork as they embark on a nationwide headlining trek. Full dates for all three jaunts below.
Owl City
Mar. 30 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
Mar. 31 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory
Apr. 1 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theater
Apr. 3 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
Apr. 5 – San Francisco, CA @ Fillmore
Apr. 6 – San Francisco, CA @ Fillmore
Apr. 7 – Pomona, CA @ Fox Theater
Apr. 8 – San Diego, CA @ Soma
Apr. 9 – Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia
Apr. 10 – Phoenix, AZ @ Marquee
Apr. 12 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Salt Air
Apr. 13 – Denver, CO @ Ogden
Apr. 15 – Austin, TX @ Stubbs
Apr. 17 – Dallas, TX @ Nokia Theater
Apr. 19 – Nashville, TN @ War Memorial
Apr. 20 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
Apr. 22 – Washington, D.C. @ DAR Hall
Apr. 23 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
Apr. 24 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5
Apr. 25 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
Apr. 28 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
Apr. 29 – Detroit, MI @ Royal Oak
Apr. 30 – Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
May 1 – Minneapolis, MN @ State Theater
May 2 – Milwaukee, WI @ Eagle Ballroom
The Clientele
Feb. 21 – Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell’s
Feb. 22 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
Feb. 23 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat
Feb. 24 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Cats Cradle
Feb. 25 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
Feb. 26 – Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree
Feb. 27 – Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon
Feb. 28 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theatre
Mar. 1 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk
Mar. 4 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah
Mar. 5 – Los Angeles, CA @ Spaceland
Mar. 6 – Los Angeles, CA @ Spaceland
Mar. 7 – Visalia, CA @ Cellar Door
Mar. 9 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
Mar. 11 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
Mar. 12 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern
Mar. 15 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center
Mar. 16 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
Mar. 17 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
Mar. 19 – Toronto, ONT @ Horseshoe Tavern
Mar. 20 – Montreal, QC Il @ Motore
Mar. 21 – Allston, MA @ Great Scott
Mar. 23 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
The Used
Jan. 27 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
Jan. 28 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
Jan. 29 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
Jan. 31 – Lubbock, TX @ The Pavilion
Feb. 01 – Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom
Feb. 03 – Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom
Feb. 05 – Fargo, ND @ The Venue
Feb. 06 – Sioux City, IA @ Convention Center
Feb. 08 – DeKalb, IL @ Convocation Center
Feb. 09 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
Feb. 12 – Atlantic City, NJ @ House of Blues
Feb. 13 – Providence, RI @ Lupo’s
Feb. 14 – Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
Feb. 16 – Niagara Falls, NY @ Rapids Theatre
Feb. 17 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Feb. 19 – Columbus, OH @ Lifestyles Pavilion
Feb. 20 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
Feb. 22 – Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel
Feb. 23 – Knoxville, TN @ Valarium
Feb. 25 – Charlotte, NC @ Fillmore
Feb. 26 – Birmingham, AL @ Five Point Music Hall
Photo: Mazur/WireImage
Rolling Stone has confirmed that Steven Tyler fired his new management team and signed with Mötley Crüe’s manager, Allen Kovac, at 10th Street Entertainment. Less than a year ago Tyler parted ways with Aerosmith manager Trudy Green and signed with John Greenberg and Jason Flom at Union Entertainment Group. The move enraged his bandmates. “It just kind of splits up the tribe,” Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer told Rolling Stone last month. “Then you have two different camps to go back and forth from and it really confuses things.”
According to Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford, Tyler had been threatening to hire his own manager for years. “I was always like,
‘Well, stop talking about it if you feel like you need someone else to represent you, do it, get it done,’ ” Whitford said. “It was always put in the context of a threat which was not understandable on my part.” Relations between Tyler and Aerosmith worsened this year when the singer informed his band that he needed a two-year break to work on “Brand Tyler.” Aerosmith says they aren’t going to wait for him and are seeking a new singer.
John Frusciante finally confirmed this week that after two tours of duty he is no longer a member of the Red Hot Chili Members. Frusciante was the guitarist behind five of the Rock Hall-nominated band’s best albums, and while he says the split was amicable, we have to admit we’re saddened by his departure. To pay tribute to Frusciante, this week’s Flashback jumps back to the 1990 Pinkpop Festival, with the RHCPs performing Mother’s Milk’s “Knock Me Down,” a song that’s reportedly about the death of the guitarist that preceded Frusciante, Hillel Slovak. As evidenced by the clip, we’ll miss Frusciante even more than we already miss Anthony Kiedis’ “adjustable hat worn backwards” look.
Bonus Flashback: As a fitting send-off to Frusciante, watch as he performs Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” at the 1990 Pinkpop:
The Rolling Stone editors have unveiled the 25 best albums and songs of 2009, and U2 top both lists with No Line on the Horizon and its single “Moment of Surrender.” Jay-Z takes second place on the songs list with his inescapable “Empire State of Mind” and The Blueprint 3 scores Number Four on our albums countdown. Chew over the results — and compare our rankings with the Readers’ Poll — here:
• The 25 Best Albums of 2009
• The 25 Best Songs of 2009
• The Year-End Readers’ Poll
Plus, look back at the year’s craziest rock photos — from Amy Winehouse’s topless beach romp to Bruce Springsteen’s Super Bowl party and all of Lady Gaga’s nuttiest outfits — in the Year in Random Notes. And flip through our gallery of 2009’s Rolling Stone covers.
Check out all of our best-of coverage in Rolling Stone’s All-Time Greats.
Photo: Neal/AFP/Getty
Jimmy Page plans to return to the stage in 2010, but it won’t be alongside the rest of Led Zeppelin. With Robert Plant and Alison Krauss working on the follow-up to the Grammy-winning Raising Sand and John Paul Jones now playing with Josh Homme and Dave Grohl in Them Crooked Vultures, Page is tired of waiting to rock and will take whatever new material he’s cultivated to the stage next year.
“We’re running up to Christmas now and next year I have every intention of playing music live and manifesting it,” Page tells Sky News (via Spinner). “I’ve got the music waiting, and that’s what I’ll be doing. It’s been two years since the 02, so it’s time to do that.”
Classic photos of Led Zeppelin.
In fact, it’s been exactly two years and eight days since Led Zeppelin — with drummer Jason Bonham — reunited at London’s O2 Arena for a tribute concert. Since then, Plant and Jones have both pursued side projects while Page limited his appearances to a cameo at the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony and the documentary It Might Get Loud, which co-starred the Edge and Jack White.
Check out our Essential Guitar Coverage.
No details yet regarding what Page has in store for his 2010 live plans, but we have a suggestion that seems rather plausible: With Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck plotting U.S. tour dates, why not add another former Yardbird like Jimmy Page to the bill? Page previously inducted Beck into the Rock Hall. With Roger Daltrey also in the mix — he’s already joining Clapton on tour in 2010 as a special guest — you’ve got a pretty nice supergroup.
Related Stories:
• Rolling Stone’s Ultimate Guitar Hub: “It Might Get Loud” and More
• Guitar Gods Crank It Up for New Documentary “It Might Get Loud”
• “Led Zeppelin Are Over,” Jimmy Page’s Manager Declares
http://i.realone.com/assets/rn/img/2/6/1/4/31444162-31444167-slarge.jpgMuse, “Knights of Cydonia” [The Integrals Remix]
The integrals bring out the disco at the center of Muse’s soaring art rock, turning “Knights” into a bleak and gritty electro stomper.
Radiohead, “Videotape” [Xaphoon's Dubstep Remix]
The loveliest song on In Rainbows gets even lovelier, thanks to a tripping backbeat and weird washes of synth.
Pixies, “Where Is My Mind?” [Bassnectar Remix]
Bassnectar reconfigures the Pixies’ dizzying original, bringing Black’s sneer even further to the fore and brightening the backdrop with pulsing rhythms.
Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance” [Skrillex Remix]
Fast and furious, Gaga gets ramped up to 110mph and rushes furiously forward in this brash and bold remix.
Miike Snow, “Animal” [Mark Ronson Remix]
Snow in Jamaica — Ronson rethinks Snow’s original, taking it to the islands and getting clubbier and dubbier
Photo: Joyner/WireImage
The Flaming Lips will release their version of Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon (one of Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums) digitally starting December 22nd. The Lips’ Dark Side — full title The Flaming Lips and Stardeath and White Dwarfs With Henry Rollins and Peaches Doing The Dark Side of the Moon — will be an iTunes exclusive for one week until December 29th, at which point it’ll head over to the other digital retailers. As you probably guessed from the rerecording’s epically long title, both Henry Rollins and Peaches contribute “vocal assistance,” or those talking-head bits that served as segues between songs on the original TDSOTM.
As Rolling Stone previously reported, the Flaming Lips and Stardeath and White Dwarfs will team up to perform Dark Side in its entirety at the band’s New Year’s Eve Freakout! in Oklahoma City. It is currently the Lips’ only planned live performance of Dark Side, and Rolling Stone will be on the ground for a full report. Frontman Wayne Coyne has promised, “Oh, it’s going to be a good time.”
In case you don’t already know the Dark Side track listing by heart, check out it below, with the guest spots:
The Flaming Lips and Stardeath and White Dwarfs with Henry Rollins and Peaches Doing the Dark Side of the Moon:
1. “Speak To Me” / “Breathe” (featuring Henry Rollins and Peaches)
2. “On The Run” (featuring Henry Rollins)
3. “Time” / “Breathe Reprise”
4. “The Great Gig In The Sky” (featuring Peaches and Henry Rollins)
5. “Money” (featuring Henry Rollins)
6. “Us And Them” (featuring Henry Rollins)
7. “Any Colour You Like”
8. “Brain Damage” (featuring Henry Rollins)
9. “Eclipse” (featuring Henry Rollins).
Related Stories:
• Flaming Lips to Perform Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” at New Year’s Eve Concert
• Flaming Lips and Lenny Kravitz Wrap Voodoo Fest
• Flaming Lips Road Test Dark New Tunes From “Embryonic” in L.A.
Songwriter of Elvis Presley hit ‘It’s Now or Never’ and other songs dies at age 82
Year-old NYC annex to Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will close Jan. 3
Rolling Stone guitarist Ronnie Wood arrested on suspicion of assault, spokesman says
Jack Cooke, longtime bluegrass musician with Ralph Stanley’s Clinch Mountain Boys, dies at 72
Judge dismisses defamation suit against Dixie Chicks over comments about 3 Ark. boys’ deaths
Susan Boyle sells 700K of debut disc, best female debut in SoundScan era, top debut of 2009
AP – Richard Todd, who re-enacted his wartime exploits in the 1962 film “The Longest Day” and was Ian Fleming’s choice to play James Bond, has died of cancer at age 90, his family said Friday.
AP – The year-old New York City annex to Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum will shut down Jan. 3.
AP – The newest members of New Jersey’s Hall of Fame include actors Jack Nicholson and Danny DeVito, musicians Les Paul and Count Basie, and authors Philip Roth and Judy Blume.
Reuters – A Cuban musician barred from the United States by the Bush administration performed in Washington on Thursday and had lunch with a White House official in a new sign of a thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations.
Reuters – Welcome to an orchestra of the 21st century. iPhones are being used as musical instruments in a new course at an American university.
AP – Conductor James Levine has returned to the podium following a two-month absence caused by surgery for a herniated disk in his back.
Reuters – Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind” held at No. 1 for a third week on the Billboard Hot 100, increasing its lead over Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance,” which remained in the No. 2 spot.
AP – The songwriter behind the Elvis Presley hit “It’s Now or Never” has died.
Reuters – MySpace expanded its presence in the entertainment market on Thursday with the British launch of its music service, as the social networking site seeks to reinvent itself after being eclipsed by rival Facebook.
Reuters – The Country Music Association’s chief executive, Tammy Genovese, has resigned, the CMA Board of Directors said on Thursday.
AP – Aging rocker Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones was released on bail Thursday after being arrested for possible domestic assault.
Reuters – Bill Bailey is a comedian familiar to millions of British television viewers from his appearances on TV pop quiz trivia show Never Mind the Buzzcocks.
Yahoo! Music – Courtesy of NME.com – ‘Wavin’ Flag: The Celebration Mix’ will be used globally during the tournament
Reuters – R&B singer Beyonce led the field of Grammy contenders with 10 nominations on Wednesday, closely followed by teen country sensation Taylor Swift with eight, and both will compete for coveted album of the year.
Yahoo! Music – Courtesy of NME.com — Headliners for for 2010 Isle Of Wight Festival announced
AP – Roman Polanski began his house arrest on $4.5 million bail Friday, rolling into the luxury resort of Gstaad in a police convoy to a warm welcome from his wife and children at his Alpine chalet.
AP – A judge in Florida wants footage to be turned over to the court so he can decide on a motion to dismiss a civil suit against “Girls Gone Wild” founder Joe Francis.
AP – Moviegoers know Jody Trautwein as the smiling Alabama pastor who tries to talk Sacha Baron Cohen’s character out of being gay in the hit movie “Bruno.” Trautwein is now auditioning for another role: Mayor of Birmingham.
AP – Richard Todd, who re-enacted his wartime exploits in the 1962 film “The Longest Day” and was Ian Fleming’s choice to play James Bond, has died of cancer at age 90, his family said Friday.
AP – “Up in the Air” was named best picture from the National Board of Review and won a total of four awards.
AP – Ben Affleck, Katie Holmes, rapper 50 Cent and “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” co-stars Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning are taking their acts to the Sundance Film Festival.
AP – Wayne Brady is savoring a big year, with doors opening to him at Carnegie Hall, the White House and, in multiples, on “Let’s Make a Deal.”
AP – Richard Todd, who re-enacted his wartime exploits in the 1962 film “The Longest Day” and was Ian Fleming’s choice to play James Bond, has died of cancer at age 90, his family said Friday.
AP – Richard Todd, who re-enacted his wartime exploits in the 1962 film “The Longest Day” and was Ian Fleming’s choice to play James Bond, has died of cancer at age 90, his family said Friday.
Reuters – Comcast Corp struck a deal to buy a majority stake in NBC Universal from General Electric Co, creating a media superpower that would control not just how television shows and movies are made, but how they are delivered to the home.
Reuters – Christie’s is confident the recession is well and truly over in the world of fine art, with a record old masters sale in London next week that includes important works by Rembrandt, Raphael and Il Domenichino.
Reuters – Film director Roman Polanski was released on bail into house arrest in his Swiss chalet on Friday, following his arrest for fleeing U.S. sentencing for unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977.
Fashion Wire Daily – The Oscar buzz was “Up in the Air” on Monday night, Nov. 30, as George Clooney led the high-flying audience at the premiere of his latest film. Already being carried on a cloud of hot buzz in Hollywood, “Up in the Air” is Jason Reitman’s latest film, following his much-applauded “Juno,” and he was one excited guy as the crowd jammed the Mann Village theater in Westwood.
AP – Lynn Giese calls Sarah Palin the best thing that’s happened to the U.S. in a long time, and the 57-year-old housewife says she’d work tirelessly for the former Alaska governor were she to run for president in 2012.
On next week’s Billboard 200 albums chart, the sweet sounds of Susan Boyle’s album “I Dreamed a Dream” may be replaced by the holiday tunes of Andrea Bocelli as the latter’s “My Christmas” set could rise to the top.
Beyonce and Taylor Swift earn most Grammy nominations announced last night, Airborne Toxic Event talks about making their live show match their rapid success.
After 21 years, Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” revisits the Billboard 200, logging a record-extending 742nd week on the survey.
“We were supposed to be together/And I can’t let you go,” Brown sings on “Famous Girl.”
David Zweig has so many creative ideas he can’t contain them to just one expressive medium.
A longtime bluegrass bass player and singer with Ralph Stanley’s Clinch Mountain Boys has died. Jack Cooke was 72.
Alicia Keys previewed her new album “The Element of Freedom” and paid homage to World AIDS Day with a charity concert at New York’s Nokia Theatre Tuesday night.
“Empire State of Mind” holds at No. 1 for a third week on the Billboard Hot 100, increasing its lead over Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance.”
Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood was arrested by British police late on Wednesday on suspicion of assault and released on bail after questioning on Thursday.
New Orleans’ multi-tasking funk outfit Galactic is set to return on Feb. 9, 2010 with its sixth studio album, entitled “Ya-Ka-May.”
Two more of Adam Lambert’s scheduled performances on ABC have been canceled, adding to the collateral damage caused by the singer’s controversial performance at the American Music Awards on Nov. 22.
Backstage after the Grammy nominations were announced, artists and musicians told Billboard.com what they think of the nominess and what they expect from this year’s show.
• Grammy Nominations: The Big Surprises
• Grammy Nominations: Behind the Scenes
• ABC Cancels Adam Lambert Appearances
• Green Day Premieres New “21 Guns” Single
• Lady Gaga Brings Her Monster Ball to Boston
• Dave Grohl: Foo Fighters Still Going Strong
• Ron Wood Arrested on Suspicion of Assault
• Eminem Talks Relapse 2, Michael Jackson
• 50 Cent Mouths Off About Jay-Z
• Aerosmith in Turmoil: Behind the Story
• Killers Go Mariachi For New Christmas Single
• Breaking: The xx
• Guns n’ Roses Announce South American Tour
• Charges in Jackson’s Death Months Away
• Flaming Lips Tackle Pink Floyd for New Year’s
• This Is It DVD Due January 26th
• Exclusive: Watch Snoop Dogg’s Malice Trailer
• Paramore, Weezer to Headline Bamboozle
• Strokes to Headline Isle of Wight Festival
• Beck and Clapton Announce U.S. Shows
• Tom Petty Looks Back: Q&A
• Meet the Teen-Angst Guru Behind TWLOHA
• Fall Out Boy, Anthrax Unite in New Band
• Beach Boys, Doors Songs Join Grammy Hall
• Vote for the Best Music of 2009
• Bob Dylan on Christmas, Hip-Hop
Scroll down for full news stories, commentary and much more in Rock Daily.
Photo: Venema/WireImage
After a long history of delays and postponed release dates, it’s appearing more likely that Lil Wayne’s rock-rap LP Rebirth might actually be released on December 21st as “On Fire,” another new song reportedly destined for the album, leaked out yesterday, December 3rd. As opposed to the nu-metal-flavored cuts that were emerging earlier in the year, “On Fire” finds Weezy dropping Auto-Tuned rhymes over the synth sounds of Giorgio Morodor, heavily utilizing the Scarface soundtrack’s “She’s On Fire.” Listen to the Cool & Dre-produced track over at Nah Right.
“On Fire” is on the unconfirmed Rebirth track list that appeared over on Amazon.co.uk. If it turns out that the track list there is legit, Rebirth will also feature Weezy reteaming with “Forever” collaborator Eminem on a new track called “Drop The World.” Other artists who reportedly make a cameo on Rebirth include “Let It Rock” singer Kevin Rudolf, Nicki Minaj and, in an extended role, Young Money signee Shanell. As Rolling Stone reported last month, the cover of Rebirth has already been revealed (essentially the same cover of the “Hot Revolver” single), and just yesterday the covers for “On Fire” and future single “Da Da Da” were also unveiled via Rap-Up.
Between Cool & Dre sampling “She’s On Fire” and Clipse interpolating Laura Branigan’s “Self Control” for their recent “Counseling,” it appears that ripping samples from vintage songs appearing on various Grand Theft Auto soundtracks is becoming a popular trend. Some songs originally slated to appear on Rebirth—the aforementioned “Hot Revolver,” the Beastie Boys-influenced “Fix My Hat,” “Girls Forever” and “Ready for the World”—don’t appear on the Amazon.co.uk track list, though the rocker “Ground Zero,” which emerged back in June, seems to have made the final cut, as did first single “Prom Queen,” which debuted back in January.
Related Stories:
• Inside the Strange Mind and Brilliant Rhymes of Lil Wayne
• Lil Wayne Revealed: 7 Weezyisms Confirmed by “The Carter” Film
• Lil Wayne Pleads Guilty to Gun Charges, Faces Year in Prison
Photo: Sullivan/Getty
After collaborating with the likes of Ryan Adams, Okkervil River’s Will Sheff and Tom Waits’ backing band for The Fall, Norah Jones has recruited an even more impressive roster to remix some of her new songs. Check out the Beastie Boys remix of “That’s What I Said” at RCRD LBL, Santigold’s rendition of “Chasing Pirates” at Stereogum and Beck’s take on that same track at Artist Direct. The complete Chasing Pirates Remix EP will be available on January 12th.
Kanye West’s controversial VH1 Storytellers performance, which featured the rapper dissing Radiohead, supporting Chris Brown and calling O.J. Simpson “amazing,” will be released as a CD/DVD on January 5th, 2010, Rap-Up reports. The double-disc set will feature three of the songs edited out of the original telecast, plus a Q&A with the 808s & Heartbreak rapper.
Animal Collective’s long-in-the-works film, now dubbed ODDSAC, will premiere at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, Pitchfork reports. The Danny Perez-directed film is synopsized as “an earthy, psychedelic experimental narrative infused with Animal Collective’s aural and musical sensibilities” on the Sundance website.
Eric Woolfson, the co-founder of the British prog rock band the Alan Parsons Project, died of cancer this week in London at the age of 64, THR writes. Woolfson had a role in the band’s biggest songs, “Don’t Answer Me” and “Eye in the Sky,” a track which recieved even greater exposure as the intro music for the Chicago Bulls during the Michael Jordan era.
The Grateful Dead’s Phil Lesh and Bob Weir plot more dates with their Furthur project, those mysterious men behind the giant eyeball masks in the Residents venture out on tour in support of any of their four releases this year and Editors prepare for a slate of February 2010 dates. Full dates for all three treks, after the jump.
Furthur
Dec. 8, 9 – New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom
Dec. 11 – Wallingford, CT @ Chevrolet Theater
Dec. 12, 13 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Park Convention Hall
Dec. 30, 31 – San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
Feb. 5 – Miami, FL @ Bayfront Park Amphitheatre
Feb. 6 – Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live
Feb. 8 – Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
Feb. 9 – Asheville, NC @ Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
Feb. 10 – Charlotte, NC @ Bojangles Coliseum
Feb. 12 – Hampton, VA @ Hampton Coliseum
Feb. 13 – Fairfax, VA @ Patriot Center
Feb. 14 – Ithaca, NY @ Barton Hall
Feb. 15 – Bethlehem, PA @ Stabler Arena
Feb. 17 – Buffalo, NY @ Shea Performing Arts Center
Feb. 18 – Manchester, NH @ Verizon Vireless Arena
Feb. 19 – Amherst, MA @ Mullins Center
Feb. 20 – Utica, NY @ Utica Auditorium
Feb. 22 – Newark, DE @ Bob Carpenter Center
Feb. 23, 24 – New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall
Feb. 26 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
Feb. 27 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Trump Taj Mahal
Mar. 2, 3 – Chicago, IL @ Auditorium Theatre
Mar. 8 – Portland, OR @ Portland Memorial Coliseum
The Residents
Jan. 23 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Rio
Jan. 29 – San Diego, CA @ Birch North Park Theater
Jan. 30 – Los Angeles, CA @ Henry Fonda Theater
Jan. 31 – Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theater
Feb. 2 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s BBQ
Feb. 3 – Dallas, TX @ Granada
Feb. 4 – Memphis, TN @ Hi Tone
Feb. 5 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety
Feb. 8 – Philadelphia, PA@ World Cafe
Feb. 9 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
Feb. 10 – Cambridge, MA @ Middle East
Feb. 12 – Montreal, QC @ Club Soda
Feb. 13 – Toronto, ON @ Opera House
Feb. 15 – Chicago, IL @ Logan Square
Feb. 16 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall
Editors
Feb. 5 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox at the Market
Feb. 6 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
Feb. 8 – San Francisco, CA @ Warfield Theatre
Feb. 9 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
Feb. 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
Feb. 13 – Denver, CO @ Odgen Theatre
Feb. 15 – Chicago, IL @ Victoria Theatre
Feb. 16 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
Feb. 18 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
Feb. 19 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5
Feb. 20 – Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero
Feb. 21 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Photo: Mazur/WireImage
The Foo Fighters may have just released their Greatest Hits, but that doesn’t mean the band is calling it quits any time soon. “I look at it now like it’s the end of chapter one, this is the first 15 years,” Grohl tells Time.com in a video interview. “I think we’ll be back sooner than people would imagine.” Grohl, though, admits that he never expected the Foo Fighters to last this long. “The first album was a fluke — it wasn’t meant to be a career,” the Them Crooked Vultures drummer says.
Grohl, who was answering Time readers’ questions, says that his favorite Foo Fighters song is “Aurora” from their 1999 album There Is Nothing Left to Lose. “I love that song because of what it represents to me. It was the first time Taylor [Hawkins] and Nate [Mendel] and I really connected in the songwriting process,” he says. “Whenever we play that song live — it doesn’t matter if we’re playing a club to 500 people or a stadium with 90 000 people — when I begin the intro, people go ape shit.”
A couple of the readers’ questions focused on Grohl’s family and how having two daughters has changed his career. “The band is not the most important thing in my life,” he says. “My kids are.” On the same token, he says parenthood is terrifying. “I’ve got two daughters that are gonna grow up with a rock musician as a father, here in Los Angeles,” he says. “Two beautiful girls in the Valley. I’m fucked, man. I’m shit out of luck. I don’t know what to do. I gotta move.”
Related Stories
• Grohl Says Greatest Hits Feels Like an Obituary
• Foo Fighters Unleash Two New Tracks on Greatest Hits
>Two photo books — Trust: Photographs by Jim Marshall and Matthew Niederhauser’s Sound Kapital — are just two of the many awesome gifts Rolling Stone is offering up in the rock & roll giveaways during December. As we wrote yesterday, this prize pack also features a Gibson SG Zoot Suit Guitar (retails for $1,999), a pair of AC/DC-branded Converse kicks and a Karmaloop x MTV Staying Alive Foundation Tee designed by Shepard Fairey.
Check out Rolling Stone’s Great Rock & Roll Gift Guide featuring over 100 of the season’s must-haves
To enter the giveaway, click here. The Gift Guide Giveaway is open to residents of the 50 United States and Washington, D.C., who are 18 years of age or older as of December 1st, 2009. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Sweepstakes begins at 5 p.m. EST on December 1st, 2009, and ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on December 6th, 2009. Certain restrictions may apply. Complete official rules are available here.
Photo: Brett/FilmMagic
Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood was arrested this morning on suspicion of assault. “I can confirm that there was an incident last night and that Ronnie Wood was arrested,” a spokesperson for Wood said in a statement to Rolling Stone. “He has since been released on police bail. We have no further statement to make at this time.” Rolling Stone also verified that the victim of the suspected assault was Wood’s 21-year-old girlfriend Ekaterina Ivanova.
“We can confirm that a 62-year-old man from Esher was arrested last night on suspicion of assault in connection with a domestic incident in Claygate High Street,” a Surrey Police spokesman told The London Evening Standard, who have an account of the alleged events leading up to the suspected assault. “He has this afternoon been released on bail until a date in January pending further inquiries.”
As Rolling Stone reported last month, Wood’s relationship with Ivanova (who is 41 years his junior) resulted in his divorce from his wife of 24 years, Jo. The settlement in the divorce reportedly cost the guitarist £6.5 million on the grounds of adultery.
Related Stories:
Faces May Replace Rod Stewart With Simply Red Singer for Tour
Ron Wood Says Faces Reunion Tour Is “Ready to Go”
Photo: Kravitz/AMA
2009/FilmMagic
Green Day’s new version of “21 Guns,” featuring the cast of the American Idiot musical, debuted today over on Spinner, a day before it’s set to hit radio. As Rolling Stone previously reported, Billie Joe Armstrong and gang recorded the track with the cast in an Oakland studio just days after the musical’s final performance at the Berkeley Rep last month. The digital single of “21 Guns” will be available December 22nd.
Meet the cast of the American Idiot musical.
Fans who saw the show will immediately recognize the voice that starts out the song as belonging to Rebecca Naomi Jones, who plays the role of Whatsername in the musical. The new theatrical rendition, arranged by Tom Kitt (the show’s music supervisor), transforms “21 Guns” — which just last night earned a Grammy nod for Best Rock Song — into a fist-pumping anthem.
Green Day Talk “American Idiot” as Musical Debuts: On the Scene at the Berkeley Rep
“We wanted to record ‘21 Guns’ because it represents a pivotal moment in the show when the lead character, sung by John Gallagher, Jr., realizes he needs to get his shit together,” Armstrong said in a statement. “After the show wrapped, we headed straight to Oakland with the cast to record, and they sung the hell out of it. I couldn’t be happier. It’s great to have something out there for people to hear who didn’t get to see the show.” Of course, fans who missed the Berkeley run of the musical will have another chance to see Green Day’s songs brought to life: Producers are planning to bring American Idiot to Broadway next year.
Related Stories:
• Green Day Record “21 Guns” With “American Idiot” Musical Cast
• Green Day’s “American Idiot” Musical Heading to Broadway
• The Birth of Green Day’s “American Idiot” Musical
Photo:
Devaney/WireImage
More than a week after his racy American Music Awards performance, Adam Lambert is still coming up against a brick wall at ABC. Yesterday the singer revealed that the network canceled his scheduled appearances on the Jimmy Kimmel Show and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. As Rolling Stone previously reported, Lambert’s Good Morning America appearance last week was also nixed following his AMA performance.
Adam Lambert shocks, Taylor Swift soars: see the 2009 AMAs in photos.
“Yes, sadly friends, ABC has cancelled my appearances on Kimmel and NYE. Don’t blame them. It’s the FCC heat,” Lambert tweeted yesterday. “I AM doing Leno though. And lookin into something for NYE. It’ll all blow over. Let’s focus on being positive!” No date has been announced yet for the Leno appearance. Lambert was scheduled to perform on the outdoor stage for the December 17th episode of Kimmel. The Kimmel cancellation is especially surprising given that the late night talk show airs well outside the primetime hours when younger viewers would be watching.
Infamous crotch-rock moments, from Lambert’s AMAs to “Dick in a Box.”
The cancellations come just days after Lambert himself vowed to scale back on his controversial performances and focus more on the music. “Goin in a new direction now. Focus back on the music,” Lambert wrote. “Don’t worry friends: I’m still gonna be me. Always. W/o apologies. Just gonna experiment differently [with] how I present myself.” Following Lambert’s AMA performance, ABC received more than 1,500 complaints regarding the graphic nature of the Full-Frontal Glambgasm.
Related Stories:
• Adam Lambert Vows to “Focus on the Music” After AMAs Controversy
• Adam Lambert Argues “I’m Not a Babysitter” on “The Early Show”
• “Full-Frontal Glambgasm”: Rob Sheffield on Adam Lambert’s AMAs
Photo by Claus Peuckert
The Band: Oh No Ono
The Buzz: Here’s something suitably wintry: Danish band Oh No Ono make music that sounds like falling snow and bright white lights against a blackened sky — soft and twinkling and delicate. And fear not, the name is not a dis — the group actually met Yoko at a festival in the UK and they got on famously. Eggs, the group’s second full length, will be released stateside early in the new year.
Listen If: You tend toward the arty and atmospheric, but still like your songs to be grounded in a solid melody.
Key Track: Though Oh No Ono does occasionally kick up a herky-jerky new wave ruckus, we suggest starting with the hushed, lovely “Swim,” which is 300 percent winter madrigal — the sound of stirred cider and cinnamon.
The Band: Sharon Van Etten
The Buzz: Masterful Brooklyn singer/songwriter knows the value of a good mystery. Her songs are shadowy and beguiling, powered by her intoxicating, husky voice and brittle acoustic strum.
Listen If: You’re glad Cat Power sobered up, but miss the shadows that fell across her earlier songs.
Key Track: Any of them, really, but start with the delightfully maudlin “For You,” where Van Etten’s gorgeous, ghostly wail rises and hovers like a ghost in the Appalachains at midnight.
The Band: Letting Up Despite Great Fault
The Buzz: Lovely LA band gets right the balance between tight strumming and swooping electronics, turning out light, charming songs that are long on both melody and heartache.
Listen If: You’re sick and tired of waiting for that second Postal Service record.
Key Track: The gently surging “In Steps,” which makes an astonishing case for restraint, employing murmured vocals, tiny apostrophes of guitar and lightly lapping synths.
R&B star Chris Brown to discuss attack of ex-girlfriend Rihanna on ABC’s ‘20/20′ next month
Al Alberts, founding member of The Four Aces and longtime TV talent show host, dies at 87
Songs by Beach Boys, The Doors among 25 recordings inducted this year into Grammy Hall of Fame
Adam Lambert says he got carried away, but he’s not apologizing for AMA performance
Reuters – Violence and theft. Not words one would normally associate with Leona Lewis, the squeaky-clean winner of “The X Factor,” who went on to stunning worldwide success with her debut album, “Spirit.”
AP – Al Alberts, a founding member of the singing group, The Four Aces, and a longtime TV talent show host in Philadelphia, has died. He was 87.
Reuters – British singer Robbie Williams “proposed” to his actress girlfriend, Ayda Field, live on Australian radio on Friday, but his spokesman then said it was a joke.
AP – There’s something about the honeyed sweetness of Joseph Calleja’s voice that seems to evoke memories of a golden age, as if this young tenor carried within his vocal cords a secret passed down from bygone generations.
AP – Some opportunities to hear tenor Joseph Calleja:
Reuters – Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind” claimed the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for a second consecutive week.
Reuters – Singer Bob Dylan reminisces about Christmas past, turkey dinners and his favorite holiday songs in a rare interview in a magazine for homeless people.
Reuters – When tickets for Phish’s Sunday night (November 22) show in Syracuse, N.Y., went on sale back in October, all 6,700 of them were gone in 15 minutes — and with good reason. The last time Phish performed at the War Memorial arena was November 1994. Local fans were ready for another show, and the band was certainly ready to give it to them.
Reuters – John Mayer brought home his second No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart Wednesday, while Norah Jones grabbed the No. 3 rung.
AP – Adam Lambert admits he got carried away with his sexually charged American Music Awards performance, but he’s offering no apology.
AP – Roman Polanski will remain in a jail outside Zurich for at least three more days until he meets the security conditions of his bail, a Swiss official said Friday.
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