Bad Boy to release Notorious B.I.G Greatest Hits album March 6

Bad Boy will be releasing a Notorious B.I.G. Greatest Hits on March 6.

Tracklist:

'Juicy'
'Big Poppa'
'Hypnotize'
'One More Chance Remix'
'Get Money'
'Warning'
'Dead Wrong'
'Who Shot Ya'
'Ten Crack Commandments'
'Notorious Thugs'
'Notorious'
'Nasty Girl'
'Unbelievable'
'Niggaz Bleed'
'Runnin' Ya Mouth'
'Want That Old Thing Back'
'Lovin' You Tonight'

Damien Rice playing DAR Constitution Hall May 25, tickets on sale Friday

Damien Rice will play DAR Constitution Hall on May 25. Tickets go on sale Friday, March 2, at 10 AM.

Nine Inch Nails releases "Beside You In Time" live DVD, another Year Zero clue

Yesterday, Nine Inch Nails released Nine Inch Nails - Live - Beside You in Time, which contained another clue: www.securebroadcastinformatics.com.

I can't really say what it means just yet, but there are moving boxes that look like a username/password form: username: carolina password: matt26:45-46. Matthew 26:45-46 in the Bible says (in a very modern translation):

"Then Jesus went back to the followers and said, "You are still sleeping and resting? The time has come for the Son of Man to be given to sinful people. Stand up! We must go. Here comes the man that is giving me {to my enemies}." Jesus announced to his disciples that his betrayer was approaching.

David Geffen gets nasty all over the Clinton campaign

It's old news now, but it's still funny:

David Geffen Geffen Records, co-founder of Dreamworks SKG) has been unhappy with Bill Clinton since Clinton refused to pardon Leonard Peltier but did grant a pardon to white-collar criminal financier Marc Rich. Now Gef is getting personal, saying that Hillary Clinton is "the easiest to beat" of the Democratic candidates for President in 2008 and calling Hillary out for refusing to say she made a mistake on voting for war in Iraq.

Hillary has stated "My vote was a sincere vote based on the facts and assurances that I had at the time," Clinton said. "And I have taken responsibility for my votes and I believe that none of us should get a free pass. It is us up to the voters to judge what each of us has said and done."

The Clinton campaign is asking Barack Obama to return David Geffen's $2,300.00 contribution to his campaign, saying "his campaign embraces the politics of trash." Looks like Hilly Clint is slinging the mud!

Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie and The Postal Service plots solo tour

Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie and The Postal Service is planning a solo tour. David Bazan and Jonathan Rice will open.

Tour Dates:
May 3 - First Avenue, Minneapolis
May 4 - Metro, Chicago
May 7 - Somerville Theatre, Sommerville, Mass.
May 8 - Town Hall, New York
May 9 - Theatre Of Living Arts, Philadelphia
May 10 - 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
May 11 - Cat's Cradle, Carboro, N.C.
May 12 - Center Stage, Atlanta
May 14 - Granada Theater, Dallas
May 15 - Emo's, Austin
May 17 - Royce Hall, Los Angeles
May 18 - The Fillmore, San Francisco
May 19 - Roseland Theater, Portland, Ore.
May 20 - Showbox, Seattle

New England Metal & Hardcore Festival Dates & Lineup

The New England Metal and Hardcore Festival will be on Friday, April 27 and Saturday, April 28 at the Palladium in Worcester, MA. Some bands have been confirmed (thanks to Lambgoat for the heads up). It will be interesting to see Bury Your Dead and Bloodlined Calligraphy with their new singers.

Some bands confirmed for Friday are:
Bury Your Dead
Devil Driver
Satyricon
Walls of Jericho
Kataklysm
Kylesa
Skinless
The Devil Wears Prada
All Shall Perish
100 Demons
Nora
The Human Abstract
Still Remains
Thy Will Be Done
Nachtmystium
December Aeterali
Merauder
Death Before Dishonor
Suicide Silence
Beneath the Massacre
Skeletonwitch
Stick to Your Guns
The Faceless
Blood Runs Black
Dead Hearts
xDeathStarx
Palehorse
Bloodlined Calligraphy
The Funeral Pyre

Saturday's performers include:
Unearth
Cannibal Corpse
The Black Dahlia Murder
The Red Chord
Job for a Cowboy
Lizzy Borden
Goatwhore
I Killed the Prom Queen
Shai Halud
Since the Flood
Demiricous
Hallows Eve
Cellador
Beyond the Embrace
The Architect
Animosity
Psyopus
If Hope Dies
Ed Gein
The Absence
Gaza
Forever in Terror
Apiary
Sons of Azreal
The Destro
The Network

Citizen Cope spring tour dates. Presale starts tomorrow

Citizen Cope announced some spring dates today. Starting tomorrow, go here for the presale. Password is "cope".

Show Dates:

April 5 - Stubbs Bar-B-Que - Austin, TX
April 6 - Palladium Ballroom - Dallas, TX
April 7 - Cypress Bayou - Rox Night Club - Charenton, LA
April 9 - House of Blues - New Orleans, LA
April 10 - WorkPlay Theatre - Birmingham, AL
April 11 - The Tabernacle - Atlanta, GA
April 12 - Georgia Theatre - Athen's, GA
April 13 - City Hall - Nashville, TN
April 14 - The Orange Peel - Asheville, NC
April 16 - Neighborhood Theatre - Charlotte, NC
April 17 - The Music Farm - Charleston, SC
April 18 - Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC - Discounted two show pass
April 19 - Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC - Discounted two show pass
April 24 - Higher Ground- Burlington, VT
April 25 - Higher Ground- Burlington, VT
April 26 - Avalon Ballroom - Boston, MA
April 27 - Toad's Place - New Haven, CT

Baltimore City Council passes smoking ban

The Baltimore City Council passed a smoking ban for Baltimore bars and restaurants today. Not sure yet when it will take effect.

New Releases: Regina Spektor Live In California 2006 EP

Regina Spektor has just released a four-song EP that was recorded live in California recently, and you can get it on iTunes or in physical format. I recommend going the digital route, even though I'm a CD holdout, because the EP at Warner Brothers' store is $5, and shipping is $4.

Tracklist:

"Fidelity"
"Field Below"
"Sailor Song"
"Ghost of Corporate Future"

Stream The Arcade Fire's Neon Bible on NME.com. . .hear it before it comes out March 6

Fans of The Arcade Fire rejoice: Neon Bible is available for streaming on NME.com. The album will be released for purchase stateside on March 6.

Lily Allen perpetuates a rock stereotype (or tries, but just looks like a brat) in Australia

MTV reports that Lily Allen likes to brag about her "amazing" shows and trashing dressing rooms. Honey, you're not Motley Crue. Stop trying to live up to some rock and roll stereotype.

The event in question took place after Allen's show in Sydney, AU, and being uber-hip as she is, she posted about it on her MySpace page.

Rage Against The Machine continues touring after Coachella. . .with The Wu-Tang Clan

Rage Against The Machine's show at Coachella won't be a one-off performance, after all. They will join the Wu-Tang Clan for three shows, according to the LA Times: New York on July 28, a Southern California area show Aug. 11 and a San Francisco show Aug. 18.

Regina Spektor US Tour Dates, on sale 2/27

Regina Spektor has announced a few US tour dates (not really all that new, but they go on sale 2/27, so be ready!):

3/28 - Purchase, NY @ Purchase College
4/12 - Savannah, GA @ Savannah College of Art & Design
4/21 - Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
4/24 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
4/25 - Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre
4/26 - Sacramento, CA @ Empire
4/28 - Indio, CA @ Coachella (SOLD OUT)
4/29 - San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
4/30 - San Franscisco, CA @ The Warfield
5/13 - Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theater (on sale now)
6/17 - Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo (tickets sold through Bonnaroo)

Year Zero marketing is so awesome!

All this Year Zero marketing and viral stuff is AWESOME. See Rolling Stone's guide to see how deep it goes.

As you peruse the websites, you can highlight the text to read it. Helps a lot on the blurry parts.

Check out the Year Zero album art. Scary stuff.

Madonna forbids Lourdes from dating

Madonna fans not lucky to have slept with her before Guy came along, forget any ambitions of passing the torch to your child, hoping he or she gets to date one of Madonna's kids (that would be the next best thing, right?). According to an MTV News story, Madonna has forbidden Lourdes from men until she is grown. What if it turns out she's into girls, Madge?

Madonna has also "banned Lourdes and her younger brother Rocco from watching TV and eating junk food, makes them earn their treats, and if they leave clothes on the floor they end up in the bin [trash, Americans, that means trash]."

I wonder if they have a naughty stool in their house? "Rocco, terrible behavior! To the naughty stool with you! Ten minutes!"

Guns N' Roses Chinese Democracy delayed again. . .you're not surprised, are you?

Even though there was a leak of the Guns N' Roses single "Better" this week, hardcore fans who still care will be dismayed to hear that Chinese Democracy has been delayed yet again, with no further information, save that the band is currently in mixing stages.

Metallica set to enter studio with Rick Rubin, leaving Bob Rock behind

According to their website, Metallica will return to the studio recording the follow-up to St. Anger next month.

The boys will work with Rick Rubin (Johnny Cash, Beastie Boys), leaving behind long-time producer Bob Rock (who they apparently are ditching because of the huge St. Anger stinkfest). The album is as-yet untitled and has no planned release date.

Tool postpones spring 2007 tour: Does that include Bonnaroo?

Drummer Danny Carey of Tool injured himself over this past weekend, and the previously scheduled tour dates for Spring 2007 have been postponed, and are planned to be "rescheduled" according to Tool's fan club. The question is, though, does that include Bonnaroo? It would logically follow, right?

Album Review: Librarians - Alright Easy Candy Stranger

Any review of a Librarians release is going to have to start with something like "These guys are from West Virginia?" With an indie disco flavor that is very palatable, Alright Easy Candy Stranger sounds as sweet as the treat its title refers to. And most urbanites who think banjos and Deliverance (or, at best, All Good Festival and WVU) when they hear Morgantown will be able to enjoy this accessible gumdrop of a debut full-length.

Synthed-out post-punk dance revival lead-off track "Culture Vulture" has a vocal intensity (something like a caffeine-injected Interpol) that would do Librarians better to carry on the whole album through, and the clapping percussion rounds out a funky tune that has to get these guys some play on WVU's campus station. "Secret Sugar Lip" changes the focus to guitars and garage sound, yet retains the album's shared trait of danceability. Continuing the rock-out sound is "Wax Teeth" with a punk rock bridge that'll make the dancing scenesters want to pogo.

The highlights of the album are "Spend All The Cash" with its multiple vocal parts and simple yet effective guitar hook, as well as "Come On White Girl" and its indie pop chorus "Alright, it's easy. Like taking candy from a stranger," from which the album's title is derived.

It needs to be out there: the indie disco sound and the drab brit-pop vocal tone are not quite timeless, and are in danger of falling out of vogue in the popular arena. Fortunately for Librarians, however, they also incorporate the post-punk guitar and drums of Franz Ferdinand with tongue-in-cheek lyrics and sarcasm that hits the mark. A continued grasp on dance-influenced garage and punk sound will keep Librarians in the pages of the magazines, rather than filing them in the stacks like their namesakes.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Free MP3: The Stooges - "My Idea of Fun"

We're all anticipating the reunion of The Stooges, not to mention their first album in 34 years, The Weirdness, which streets March 20.

Download "My Idea of Fun" and decide if the hype is worth it. This double entendre jam full of fuzzed-out guitars definitely works for me. Though Iggy didn't learn to sing as the years went by.

Van Halen Reunion Tour Nixed

The previously confirmed Van Halen reunion tour will not be happening, according to Pollstar. Looks like that little punk Wolfgang Van Halen won't be filling Michael Anthony's shoes this time around.

New album from Pelican releases May 22, tour with These Arms Are Snakes, more

The new full-length album from Pelican, City of Echoes, will street on May 22nd. Give the title track a listen at Pelican's MySpace page.

Confirmed tour dates for Pelican:

March 4, 2007 - Chicago, IL
Subterranean
10pm
21+
w/ Sweet Cobra, Minsk
Sweet Cobra Insurance Relief Benefit

March 5, 2007 - De Kalb, IL
The House
8pm
w/ Russian Circles, Young Widows

March 6, 2007 - Ann Arbor, MI
Blind Pig
9pm
w/ Russian Circles, Young Widows

March 7, 2007 - Toledo, OH
Headliners
8pm
w/ Russian Circles, Young Widows

March 8, 2007 - Covington, KY
Madhatter Club
8pm - 18+
w/ Russian Circles, Young Widows

March 9, 2007 - Louisville, KY
St. John's Center
8pm
w/ Russian Circles, Young Widows, Dead Child

March 10, 2007 - Nashville, TN
Exit In
9pm - 18+
w/ Russian Circles, Young Widows

March 11, 2007 - Atlanta, GA
Drunken Unicorn
8pm
w/ Daughters, Russian Circles, Chinese Stars

March 12, 2007 - Birmingham, AL
Bottletree Lounge
8:30pm - 18+
w/ Daughters, Russian Circles, Young Widows

March 13, 2007 - Baton Rouge, LA
Spanish Moon
10pm - 18+
w/ Daughters, Russian Circles, Young Widows

March 14, 2007 - Houston, TX
Walters
8:30pm
w/ Daughters, Russian Circles, Young Widows

March 15, 2007 - Austin, TX
Emos
7pm
SXSW Hydra Head Records Showcase
w/ Jesu, Big Business, Daughters
Oxbow, Stephen Brodsky's Octave Museum

March 16, 2007 - Austin, TX
Club Deville
1pm
21+
SXSW Insound Party
w/ Shout Out Out Out, Black Lips, Walter Meego

March 17, 2007 - Fort Worth, TX
Ridgiea Theater
1pm
Ridgiea Music Festival
w/ These Arms Are Snakes, Russian Circles,
Young Widows and more...

March 19, 2007 - Springfield, MO
Outland Ballroom
8pm
w/ Russian Circles, Young Widows

March 20, 2007 - Kansas City, MO
Record Bar
10pm - 18+
w/ Russian Circles, Young Widows

March 21, 2007 - Iowa City, IA
The Picador
9pm
w/ Russian Circles, Young Widows

April 5, 2007 - Prague, CZ
Palace Akropolis

April 6, 2007 - Bielefeld, DE
Ajz

April 7, 2007 - Fernelmon, BE
Rhaaa Lovely Festival

April 8, 2007 - Haarlem, NL
Patronaat
w/ These Arms Are Snakes
April 9, 2007 - Antwerp, BE
Trix
w/ These Arms Are Snakes

April 10, 2007 - Paris, FR
La Maroquinerie
w/ These Arms Are Snakes

April 12, 2007 - Lausanne, CH
La Romandie
w/ These Arms Are Snakes

April 13, 2007 - Esch-sur-Alzette, LU
Out Of The Crowd Festival
w/ These Arms Are Snakes

April 14, 2007 - Southampton, UK
Joiners
w/ These Arms Are Snakes

April 15, 2007 - Birmingham, UK
Barfly
w/ These Arms Are Snakes

April 16, 2007 - Glasgow, UK
ABC2
w/ These Arms Are Snakes

April 17, 2007 - Manchester, UK
Satan's Hollow
w/ These Arms Are Snakes

April 18, 2007 - Leeds, UK
The Cockpit
w/ These Arms Are Snakes

April 19, 2007 - London, UK
Islington Academy
w/ These Arms Are Snakes

April 20, 2007 - Brighton, UK
Audio
w/ These Arms Are Snakes

April 21, 2007 - Tilburg, NL
Roadburn Festival
w/ Neurosis, Om, Growing, Thrones...

April 22, 2007 - Dresden, DE
Groovestation

May 31, 2007 - Lisbon, POR
Santiago Alquimista

Free MP3: Bright Eyes - "Tourist Trap"

As you wait to catch Bright Eyes at 9:30 Club on March 5, go ahead and download the "Tourist Trap" MP3 from the EP The Four Winds due March 6 and the full-length album Cassadaga which comes out April 10, as previously reported.

Sirius/XM Merger Offer Announced

As reported here yesterday, Sirius has made a $4.6 billion offer to buy XM Radio. Source: Yahoo!

New Tori Amos Album, American Doll Posse, May 1! And Tour Dates Coming Soon!

On May 1st Tori Amos is releasing a new album, American Doll Posse. Written and produced by Tori herself, she intends to launch a tour in support, but dates have yet to be announced.

Hot Shows Coming To Baltimore & DC Through April

Here are some pretty nice shows to check out in the Baltimore/DC area over the next month or so:

FEBRUARY
2/21 The Lemonheads @ Ottobar
2/21 Snowden, Malajube @ Rock and Roll Hotel
2/22 Chin Up Chin Up, Someone Still Loves Your Boris Yeltson @ Black Cat
2/25 The One AM Radio @ Warehouse Next Door
2/28 Guster, Mason Jennings, Jack’s Mannequin, Head Automatica @ 9:30 Club

MARCH
3/1 Guster, Mason Jennings @ 9:30 Club
3/2 The Thermals @ Black Cat
3/4 Scissor Sisters @ 9:30 Club
3/4 Grizzly Bear, Papercuts @ Black Cat
3/4 Rob Crow (of Pinback) @ Rock and Roll Hotel
3/5 Bright Eyes @ 9:30 Club
3/5 Young Knives @ Black Cat
3/6 Badly Drawn Boy @ 9:30 Club
3/6 Clinic @ Black Cat
3/9 The Roots @ DAR Constitution Hall
3/14 The Good, The Bad and The Queen @ 9:30 Club
3/16 Michael Franti & Spearhead @ 9:30 Club
3/19 The Cinematics @ 9:30 Club
3/20 Pete Yorn, Aqualung @ 9:30 Club
3/20 Rodrigo Y Gabriela @ Grosvenor Auditorium
3/23 RJD2, Busdriver @ 9:30 Club
3/23 Silversun Pickups, Snow Patrol, OK Go @ Bender Arena (American University)
3/23 The Walkmen @ Rock and Roll Hotel
3/28 Cold War Kids, Tokyo Police Club, The Delta Spirit @ 9:30 Club
3/29 Ted Leo and the Pharmacists @ 9:30 Club
3/30 MSTRKRFT, John Digweed @ 9:30 Club
3/31 Electric Six, Test Your Reflex @ Black Cat
3/31 Menomena, Land of Talk, Field Music @ Rock and Roll Hotel

APRIL
4/5 Albert Hammond Jr (of The Strokes) @ 9:30 Club
4/7 Kaiser Chiefs, The Walkmen @ 9:30 Club
4/9 Matt Kearney, Rocco DeLuca, The Feeling @ 9:30 Club
4/13 Aqueduct, Junior Boys @ Black Cat
4/17 Ratatat, The Books @ 9:30 Club
4/18 TV on the Radio, The Noisettes @ 9:30 Club
4/23 M. Ward, Norah Jones @ DAR Constitution Hall

Sasquatch Music Festival 2007 Lineup - Bjork, Beastie Boys, Arcade Fire, Citizen Cope, More!

Sasquatch Music Festival will be held over Memorial Day weekend this year, May 26-27 at The Gorge Ampitheatre in George, Washington. Another great lineup, check this out:

Saturday, May 26:

Björk
The Arcade Fire
Manu Chao Radio Bemba Sound System
M.I.A.
Citizen Cope
Neko Case
The Hold Steady
Grizzly Bear
Ghostland Observatory
Electrelane
Two Gallants
The Slip
Loney, Dear
Aqueduct
The Thermals
Viva Voce
The Blow
Gabriel Teodros

Sunday, May 27:

Beastie Boys
Interpol
Michael Franti & Spearhead
Spoon
Bad Brains
Ozomatli
Dandy Warhols
The Black Angels
Mirah
Tokyo Police Club
Money Mark
St. Vincent
Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter
Smoosh
Common Market
The Helio Sequence
Minus the Bear

New Release: Bear Colony - We Came Here To Die

Sitting in my inbox for some time now has been a link to streaming audio for Bear Colony's new album, We Came Here To Die. It came out on February 13 on Esperanza Plantation, and if you like the indie sound, you'll probably dig this. The lead-off, "Sharks", kind of rocks, too. The art was done by former Sub Pop art director Jesse Ledoux (Shins, Pedro the Lion), so that's why it looks familiar.

RJD2 Exclusive Mix on URGE's Digital Decks; Catch RJ at 9:30 Club March 23

For those of you who use MTV's URGE, there is a 52-song DJ mix from RJD2. The mix is part of the Digital Decks series featuring mixes from the world's top DJs. Here's the tracklist:

John Williams (Guitarist) "Excerpts of Spanish Guitar" (London)

Ray Charles "Mississippi Mud" (Rhino)

Pierre Groscolas "Dans Un Mois Ou Dans Un An" (Trema)

Little Beaver "Funkadelic Sound" (Soul Jazz)

Junior Parker "Love Ain't Nothin' but a Business Goin' On" (Simitar)

Johnnie Taylor "Somebody's Getting It" (Columbia)

The Gaylettes "Son of a Preacher Man" (West Side)

Floyd Jones "Sweet Talkin' Woman" (Testament Records)

Muddy Waters "Big Leg Woman" (MCA/Chess)

Sly, Slick and Wicked "If This Ain't Really Love" (Ju-Par)

Heaven & Earth "I Can't Seem to Forget You" (P-Vine)

Rasa"Chanting" (Hearts of Space / New Earth)

Ted Taylor "It's a Funky Situation" (Jewel)

Freddie North "Love to Hate" (Mankind)

David Peoples "Got to Get My Broom Out/ Inst." (Saru)

Ground Hog "Bumpin'" (Gemigo)

Daisy Door"Du Lebst In Deiner Welt" (Ariola)

Eleventh Hour "Hollywood Hot" (20th Century)

The J.B.'s "Gimme Some More" (People)

Alex Williams "The Thrill Ain't Gone" (Soultrack)

Konks "Master Cylinder's Jam"

Chaka Khan "Best in the West" (Reprise)

Georgio Moroder "Knights in White Satin" (Oasis)

People's Choice "I Likes to Do It" (Phil L.A. Of Soul)

Mickey and His Mice "Crackerjack" (Marti)

Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd St. Band "Spreadin' Honey" (Warner)

Dick Oatts "South Paw" (Steeplechase)

Cookie Roberts "The Black House"

John "Jellybean" Benitez "The Mexican" (EMI American)

Donald Austin "Crazy Legs" (Eastbound)

Simtec & Wylie "Do It Like Mama" (Shama)

Tommy Ridgly "Pretty Little Mama" (Blue Jay)

Reggie Griffin "Mirda Rock" (Sugar Hill)

Instant Funk "Go for Yourself" (TSOP)

Belladonna "Lunar Funk"

Hall & Oates "I'm Sorry"

Ray Charles "Georgia on My Mind (RJD2 Modulation & Remix)" (Rhino)

Otis Redding "Otis Breakbeat"

RJD2 "Someones Second Kiss" (Def Jux)

Soul Position "Candyland" (Fatbeats/Rhymesayers)

Starborn Hair Advert "Dewolfe (Remix)"

Linda Jones "Can You Blame Me?" (Neptune)

Tweet "Turn da Lights Off (Tweet Loop)" (Atlantic)

Leela James "Music (Remix)" (Warner Brothers)

RJD2 "Work (Remix)" (Definitive Jux)

RJD2 "One Day (Remix)" (Def Jux)

Soul Position "Huddle Formation (Remix)" (Columbia)

UTADA "Devil Inside (Remix)" (Island)

RJD2 "Rain (Remix)" (Bustown Pride)

The Go! Team "Huddle Formation (RJD2 Remix)" (Memphis Industries)

RJD2 "Get off My Spaceship, Bitch (Breakdown)" (Def Jux)




Looks like a pretty tight mix of old soul, blues, funk, and plenty of RJ's own cuts. Check out the mix here.

RJD2 will be at 9:30 Club on March 23 with Busdriver and Happy Chichester.

Record & Tape Traders Offers Disc-Go Digital Studio: Burn CDs In-Store From Over 50,000 Albums And 500,000 Songs

Now available at Towson & Belair Record & Tape Traders locations is Disc-Go Digital Studio, a kiosk that contains 500,000 songs and 50,000 albums and allows the customer to burn CDs in seven minutes. According to Digital Kiosk Technologies, LLC, the kiosks also allow media to be downloaded to MP3 players, too.

R&TT is making a move to maintain its customer base by reaching out to the new generation of consumers who are content with buying digital format music. As brick-and-mortar stores compete with iTunes and other digital stores, will Disc-Go keep stores alive?

Sirius/XM Merger Starts To Take Shape

A New York Post article today discusses the potential Sirius and XM satellite radio merger. It is an apparent given that the two companies see the merger as the only business decision to consider, but antitrust issues are the problem. With the recent party shift in Washington, the FCC may not be friendly to the two competitors merging into one monopoly on extraterrestrial radio service. As the two companies' lawyers iron out the terms of the business deal, the NYP reports, the effort is to "frame the discussion around the deal itself and not regulatory concerns."

Concert Review - Mastodon Brings The Blood and Thunder To 9:30 Club - 2/17/07

Mastodon graced the stage at the 9:30 Club tonight with a tight and essentially flawless set. With very little to say, they came on stage and commenced a set which would feature mostly songs from Blood Mountain, as well as a few songs from Leviathan, including a personal favorite, "Blood and Thunder".

Mastodon is definitely one of the truly technically proficient bands out there, with a free-form element in their composition, as their tracks can change in tempo from one minute to the next, but an absolute rigidity in their performance, as their live show is as tight and true to the album as they come (which can be a very good thing, when your albums are as good as Mastodon's). The only real criticism of the evening is that drummer Brann Dailor can at times seem to get away from the band with his hammering double bass and double-speed playing. But in a live show with both melody and mayhem played to perfection, one cannot complain about a drummer passionate about his work.

An unreal set, Mastodon deserves your attention every time they come in to your city. When they play live, they can put almost any other band, metal or otherwise, to shame with their perfect instrumentation.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Stream "Survivalism" From Nine Inch Nails' Year Zero

We're all painfully waiting for Year Zero to drop on April 17. To help ease the pain, however, Prefix Magazine has "Survivalism" available to stream.

I'm going to go ahead and say, uhhh, I'm hoping some of the other songs are better. Like "My Violent Heart" which "leaked" (uh-huh) earlier. That's awesome.

Audioslave Breaks Up, Chris Cornell Continues Mediocre Solo Career

Chris Cornell is just burning bridges all around himself as he prepares for the May 1 release of his sophomore solo album, Carry On. So while he prepares to disappear into oblivion while his Audioslave bandmates go back to their Rage Against The Machine glory at Coachella (and cross your fingers, hopefully longer), Cornell issues a statement officially breaking up with Audioslave and denying any potential for a Soundgarden reunion.

Hot Chip US Tour Dates

As they visit the US for Coachella, Hot Chip have scheduled some US shows (maybe to buy their plane fare home?):

April 20 - New York NY @ Webster Hall
April 21 - Washington DC @ 9:30 Club
April 22 - Asheville NC @ Orange Peel
April 24 - Austin TX @ Antones
April 26 - Dallas TX @ Granada Theater
April 28 - Indio CA @ Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival

Wilco Announce Blue Sky Blue Tracklist

Wilco's new album, Blue Sky Blue, is due out March 15. Here's the tracklist:

01 Either Way
02 You Are My Face
03 Impossible Germany
04 Sky Blue Sky
05 Side With the Seeds
06 Shake It Off
07 Please Be Patient With Me
08 Hate It Here
09 Leave Me (Like You Found Me)
10 Walken
11 What Light
12 On and On and On

Source: Pitchfork

New Release: The Autumn Defense

The Autumn Defense have released a self-titled album which is available at Broadmoor Records. If the Wilco members' side project isn't enough, remember that Wilco's Blue Sky Blue comes out March 15. Check the tracklist here.

KRS-One, Nas, Rakim, Kanye West Selling Sneakers, Kanye's Mom Writes Book About "Raising Kanye"

I have, for years, been a HUGE fan of KRS-One. I love how his stuff with Boogie Down Productions, and even his albums up through The Sneak Attack had a lot of integrity while keeping a positive outlook and demonstrating a desire to raise hip-hop to another level. But now he's plugging product for Nike.



This business with Nas, Kanye West, and Rakim (et tu, Rakim?) is just bad. The song is spot on, KRS and Rakim especially can show Nas and Kanye who made the scene that they thrive on. But schlepping shoes for Nike? You guys don't need this. Kanye is all about getting his face on anything (even his mom is going to write a book, "Raising Kanye"), but you don't need to sell out like that.

Neko Case Announces More North American Tour Dates With Jon Rauhouse and Emmylou Harris

Following up on dates announced in January, Neko Case has more tour dates for you:

WED 3/28 - Chicago, IL @ Park West
THU 3/29 - Chicago, IL @ Park West
FRI 3/30 - Chicago, IL @ Park West + (SOLD OUT)
SAT 3/31 - Grand Rapids, MI @ Calvin College ^
SUN 4/1 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom +
MON 4/2 - Columbia, MO @ Blue Note+
TUE 4/3 - Lincoln, NE @ Rococo Theatre +
WED 4/4 - Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theatre/E Town +
THU 4/5 - Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre +
FRI 4/6 - Lawrence, KS @ Liberty Hall +
SAT 4/7 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue +
MON 4/9 - Madison, WI @ Barrymore Theatre +
THU 4/12 - Knoxville, TN @ Bijou Theatre +
SAT 4/14 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Bricktown Ballroom +
SUN 4/15 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theatre +

+ = Jon Rauhouse supports
^ = w/ Emmylou Harris

Myriad Viral Marketing Websites Emerge Regarding Nine Inch Nails' Year Zero

As you know, Nine Inch Nails has a new album due on April 17, Year Zero. A number of websites have appeared, apparently relating to the album:

http://iamtryingtobelieve.com
http://anotherversionofthetruth.com
http://bethehammer.net
http://105thairbornecrusaders.com
http://churchofplano.com
http://www.consolidatedmailsystems.com

Word is that 42 Entertainment, who have done viral marketing for Halo 2 and other high profile items, are behind these sites.

And if you haven't yet, check the tracklist for Year Zero here.

Coachella Tickets Sold Out

Tickets to Coachella have already sold out, which I submit to you is largely due to the Rage Against the Machine one-off reunion performance.

Source: Billboard

Bonnaroo Lineup Officially Announced: The Police, Tool, The White Stripes, and more! Tickets Available Next Week

It's out. Bonnaroo's lineup is, of course, sick. You can view it at the Bonnaroo website, or look here:

The Police • Tool • Widespread Panic • The White Stripes • Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals • Wilco • The Flaming Lips • MANU CHAO & Radio Bemba Sound System • The String Cheese Incident • Franz Ferdinand • Bob Weir & Ratdog • Damien Rice • Ween • Gov't Mule • Ziggy Marley • The Decemberists • Kings of Leon • Michael Franti & Spearhead • Wolfmother • Regina Spektor • The Black Keys • Galactic • DJ Shadow • Gillian Welch • Spoon • Keller Williams (WMD'S) (read a review of Keller's new album, Dream, here • Sasha & John Digweed • STS9 • Old Crow Medicine Show • The Hold Steady • Lily Allen • North Mississippi Allstars • Fountains Of Wayne • Hot Tuna • Feist • Hot Chip • John Butler Trio • Dr. Ralph Stanley & His Clinch Mountain Boys • Aesop Rock • The Richard Thompson Band • Dierks Bentley • James Blood Ulmer • Xavier Rudd • Gogol Bordello • Junior Brown • Tortoise • T-Bone Burnett • Mavis Staples • Clutch • Cold War Kids • Dr. Dog • Paolo Nutini • Brazilian Girls • RX Bandits • The Nightwatchman • The Slip • Girl Talk • Railroad Earth • Martha Wainwright • Rodrigo y Gabriela • Annuals • Tea Leaf Green • Sam Roberts Band • Elvis Perkins in Dearland • Charlie Louvin • Sonya Kitchell • Mute Math • Apollo Sunshine • Uncle Earl • The National • The Little Ones • Black Angels • Ryan Shaw • Lewis Black & Friends • Dave Attell • David Cross •

And more to be announced later! Tickets go on sale next week, February 23. They will start at $184.50. Once that batch is sold out, they go up to $199.50 and then $214.50. Oh, and $21.85 service charge per ticket.

Thrushes - Sun Come Undone Album Review and Free MP3 - "Aidan Quinn"

Hitting streets March 13 is Thrushes' Sun Come Undone. This Baltimore-based band is on a mission to make reverb a household word. Luscious and saccharine, Thrushes' sound replicates the 'wall of sound' like it's a full-time job, and on tracks like "Into The Woods", guitarist Casey Harvey presents a case study in why Rickenbackers and reverb have more in common than simply beginning with "r". The Thrushes sound is never cloying, however; in fact, Harvey's distinctive sound plays perfectly into the simply elegant vocals of Anna Conner, a vocal minimalist who manages to thread her singing into the woven texture of each song.

Complementing the guitar/vocal combination of Conner and Harvey are Matt Davis on drums and Rachel Tracy on bass. Throughout the better part of Sun Come Undone, Davis reveals that he understands the quality that percussion has as a complement to the group's overall sound, while still managing to steal his moments without too much bombast on "Aidan Quinn" and "Heartbeats". Rachel Tracy's bass is often subtly wound into the band's graceful noise pop, but leaves its indelible footprint clearly visible in the introduction to tracks like "Roy" and "The Hardest Part", setting the path for the band's foray into the ensuing song.

On the latter half of the album, tracks such as the patient and instrumental "New Years Kiss" and "Roy", build up to a sustainable crescendo while earlier tracks like "Ghost Train" and "Into The Woods" come on strong much faster, delivering an unforgiving shoegaze sound that can often be as much compared to Jesus & Mary Chain as it can Sonic Youth in the "Bull in the Heather" days.

Worth more than just a listen, Thrushes could find their way into your CD player for quite some time.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Download "Aidan Quinn" by Thrushes.

And don't forget about the Thrushes release party at The Ottobar on March 10.

Tool Announces Even More Tour Dates, Moving Up The East Coast

Tool has announced more dates for its Spring 2007 tour. Movin' on up the east coast, into Canada.


3/31 Baton Rouge, LA @ River Center
4/2 Pensacola, FL @ Pensacola Civic Center
4/3 Tallahassee, FL @ Leon County Civic Center
4/5 Tampa, FL @ USF Sundome
4/6 Orlando, FL @ Amway Arena
4/7 Coral Gables, FL @ Bank United Center
4/10 Duluth, GA @ Gwinnett Center
4/11 Winston-Salem, NC @ Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Arena
4/13 Birmingham, AL @ Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
4/14 Greenville, SC @ Bi-Lo Center
4/15 Richmond, VA @ Richmond Coliseum
4/17 Reading, PA @ Sovereign Center
4/18 University Park , PA @ Bryce Jordan Center
4/20 Albany, NY @ Pepsi Arena
4/21 Atlantic City, NJ @ Boardwalk Hall
4/22 Portland, ME @ Cumberland County Civic Center
4/27 Quebec City, Quebec @ The Colisee
4/28 Montreal, Quebec @ Bell Centre
4/29 Hamilton, Ontario @ Copps Coliseum

Only Son Releases Video For "My Museum", Continues Touring With Regina Spektor

Only Son, AKA Jack Dishel, known for playing with his guitar and an iPod as his band, has released a video for his latest single, "My Museum", on YouTube.





Only Son tours once again with Regina Spektor during Winter 2007:

Feb 15 - Manchester University - Manchester, UK
Feb 16 - Astoria/NME Awards Show - London, UK
Feb 17 - The Spitz - London, UK (headlining)
Feb 18 - Northumbria University - Newcastle, UK
Feb 19 - Queen Margaret Union - Glasgow, SCT
Feb 20 - Leadmill - Sheffield, UK
Feb 23 - Lido - Berlin, Germany
Feb 25 - Stage Club - Hamburg, Germany
Feb 28 - Le Trabendo - Paris, France
March 4 - China Theatre - Stockholm, Sweden
March 10 - Barby Club - Tel Aviv, Israel