CHARTattack:News Feed

Hip Off Of VFest Nova Scotia

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:38:15 -0500

The Tragically Hip are no longer performing tomorrow (July 4) as part of Virgin Festival Nova Scotia in Halifax.

The band have pulled out due to what VFest officials are calling "a sudden family medical issue." The show will go on, they say. But it'll now be free.

Here's the official statement from the Virgin Festival Canada website:

"Due to a serious family medical issue The Tragically Hip will regrettably be unable to perform at this year's Virgin Festival Nova Scotia on July 4th in Halifax at Citadel Hill. Virgin Festival sends their best wishes to the band. Virgin Festival Nova Scotia will still go ahead as planned, but for free.

"'Our thoughts are with The Tragically Hip right now,' says Andrew Bridge, director of Virgin Festivals. 'The Virgin Festival will still go ahead as planned at Citadel Hill on July 4 — but now it will be free to anyone and everyone. We continue to have an amazing line-up and it's sure to be a fantastic day. We invite everyone to come along and enjoy the festival — but be sure to come early so you're guaranteed a spot.'

"Virgin Festival will be reimbursing all current paying ticket holders and guaranteeing their entry. All internet and phone purchases through Ticket Atlantic will be automatically reimbursed to credit card — no action is necessary. All other refunds including purchases made in person or through Future Shop and futureshop.ca will be available at the Metro Centre Box Office as of Tuesday, July 7 for all purchased Virgin Festival tickets.

"Virgin Festival attendees are also encouraged to bring along a non-perishable food item or cash donation to the Parker Street Food Bank. All donations will be collected at the Festival gates.

"Entry for non-ticket holders is subject to capacity."

Here are the revisted set times for the Virgin Mobile stage:

9:30 p.m. The Offspring
7:50 p.m. Metric
6:40 p.m. Dinosaur Jr.
5:35 p.m. Handsome Furs
4:40 p.m. Hey Rosetta!
3:50 p.m. Plants & Animals
3:10 p.m. Arkells
2:30 p.m. In-Flight Safety
1:55 p.m. Dog Day
1:00 p.m. Gates Open

Insane Clown Posse Are Back

Kate Harper — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:58:18 -0500

Here's the news you've all been waiting for: Insane Clown Posse will release their eleventh studio album, Bang! Pow! Boom!, on Sept. 1 through Psychopathic Records.

The disc was produced by Mike E. Clark, who produced Insane Clown Posse's earliest albums and was recorded over six weeks. Bang! Pow! Boom! doesn't have a definite track list yet, but the songs confirmed to appear on it are as follows: "Chop Chop Slide," "Fondz Pond," "To Catch A Predator," "The Bong," "Bing Bong," "Juggalo Island" and "I Found A Body."

You can hear a sampler of songs from Bang! Pow! Boom! at ICP's website.

Evil clowns Violent J (real name Joseph Bruce) and Shaggy 2 (real name Joseph Utsler) formed Insane Clown Posse in 1989. Their Carnival Of Carnage debut album came out three years later and they've since released nine more albums.

They also have pretty extensive wrestling careers and have appeared on Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Wrestling Federation and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling programs. They run their own league, Juggalo Championship Wrestling.

No tour dates have been announced in support of Bang! Pow! Boom! yet, but when they are, be careful Violent J doesn't live up to his name and hit you 30 times with his microphone, like he did to an audience member at a 1997 show in Albuquerque, N.M. That makes Crystal Castles look weak.

Alexisonfire Happy To Hit The Road

Shehzaad Jiwani — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:53:40 -0500

It's been a while since Alexisonfire proper have dominated the airwaves around here.

Since the release of their third album, Crisis, the band have crisscrossed the world, championed their friends in Attack In Black, Cancer Bats and Johnny Truant, Wade MacNeil started The Black Lungs and Dallas Green became Canadian rock royalty while collaborating with the likes of Gord Downie.

After endless touring, multiple Junos and a few platinum records, no one could blame the St. Catherines, Ont. quintet for taking some time off. It gave them time to reassess and revamp their sound, which is exactly what they appear to have done on their fourth full-length, Old Crows/Young Cardinals. The record sees them moving even farther away from the dreaded "screamo" tag, incorporating ballsier rock 'n' roll elements into their trademarked sound.

"I think the big thing influencing myself and Dallas when we were getting off the road was having played a lot and done some touring with some bands that we didn't like," says guitarist/vocalist MacNeil. "We knew what we didn't want and what we wanted to distance ourselves from, and that became equally important as what we were trying to get to."

Drummer Jordan "Ratbeard" Hastings attributes the album's stylistic shift to the extended amount of time the group dedicated to their writing and recording process — a luxury never afforded to them in the past.

"We had a long time to write, whereas opposed to Crisis, we had a month off to write it, and a month after that to record it, then right back out on the road," he explains. "This time, we had just shy of a year to go through every song, pick through them and come back to them to do what we wanted to do. I think that could have a lot to do with it."

That time off will be the last anyone in the band sees for a while, as the boys will be touring well into next year in support of Old Crows. MacNeil maintains that they're excited to get back out on the road after so much time off, even if their tour schedule is quite daunting.

"I have no idea what to do with myself [when we're off tour]," he says. "You get antsy. I think it's that struggle to find that balance.

"Up until just now, I've been talking about how excited I am to get back on the road. Just seeing that entire [tour schedule]... It's too much for me [laughs]. We've been out for so long so it's nice to get back out on the road."

Alexisonfire will play these dates:

July 3 Houston, TX @ The Showgrounds At Sam Houston Race Park (Vans Warped Tour)
July 5 Dallas, TX @ Superpages.com Center (Vans Warped Tour)
July 7 Indianapolis, IN @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater (Vans Warped Tour)
July 8 Pittsburgh, PA @ Post-Gazette Pavilion (Vans Warped Tour)
July 9 Cleveland, OH @ Time Warner Cable Amphitheater (Vans Warped Tour)
July 10 Mississauga, ON @ Arrow Hall (Vans Warped Tour)
July 11 Montreal, QC @ Parc Jean-Drapeau (Vans Warped Tour)
July 12 Hartford, CT @ New England Dodge Music Center (Vans Warped Tour)
July 14 Washington, DC @ Merriweather Post Pavilion (Vans Warped Tour)
July 15 Scranton, PA @ Toyota Pavilion (Vans Warped Tour)
July 16 Buffalo, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center (Vans Warped Tour)
July 17 Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center (Vans Warped Tour)
July 18 Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Vans Warped Tour)
July 19 Oceanport, NJ @ Monmouth Park Racetrack (Vans Warped Tour)
July 21 Boston, MA @ Tweeter Center For The Performing Arts (Vans Warped Tour)
July 22 Virginia Beach, VA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater (Vans Warped Tour)
July 23 Charlotte, NC @ Charlotte Verizon Wireless Amphitheater (Vans Warped Tour)
July 24 Orlando, FL @ Central Florida Fairgrounds (Vans Warped Tour)
July 25 Miami, FL @ Cruzan Amphitheater (Vans Warped Tour)
July 26 Tampa, FL @ Vinoy Park (Vans Warped Tour)
July 28 Atlanta, GA @ Lakewood Amphitheater (Vans Warped Tour)
July 29 Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center (Vans Warped Tour)
July 30 Milwaukee, WI @ Marcus Amphitheater (Vans Warped Tour)
July 31 Detroit, MI @ Comerica Park (Vans Warped Tour)
Aug. 1 Chicago, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheater (Vans Warped Tour)
Aug. 2 Minneapolis, MN @ Canterbury Park (Vans Warped Tour)
Aug. 3 St. Louis, MO @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater (Vans Warped Tour)
Aug. 4 Kansas City, MO @ Sandstone Amphitheater (Vans Warped Tour)
Aug. 7 Boise, ID @ Idaho Center Amphitheater (Vans Warped Tour)
Aug. 8 Salt Lake City, UT @ Utah State Fairgrounds (Vans Warped Tour)
Aug. 9 Denver, CO @ Invesco Field (Vans Warped Tour)
Aug. 12 Calgary, AB @ Race City Speedway (Vans Warped Tour)
Aug. 14 Vancouver, BC @ Thunderbird Stadium (Vans Warped Tour)
Aug. 15 Seattle, WA @ Gorge Amphitheater (Vans Warped Tour)
Aug. 16 Portland, OR @ Washington County Fairgrounds (Vans Warped Tour)
Aug. 19 Fresno, CA @ Save Mart Center (Vans Warped Tour)
Aug. 20 Mountain View, CA @ Shorline Amphitheater (Vans Warped Tour)
Aug. 21 Sacramento, CA @ Sleep Train Amphitheater (Vans Warped Tour)
Aug. 22 San Diego, CA @ Cricket Amphitheater (Vans Warped Tour)
Aug. 23 Los Angeles, CA @ Home Depot Center (Vans Warped Tour)
Oct. 7 Cambridge, England @ The Junction w/Anti-Flag, The Fall Of Troy and The Ghost Of A Thousand
Oct. 8 Norwich, England @ University Of East Anglia w/Anti-Flag, The Fall Of Troy and The Ghost Of A Thousand
Oct. 9 Oxford, England @ O2 Academy Oxford w/Anti-Flag, The Fall Of Troy and The Ghost Of A Thousand
Oct. 10 Nottingham, England @ Rock City w/Anti-Flag, The Fall Of Troy and The Ghost Of A Thousand
Oct. 11 Bristol, UK @ Anson Rooms w/Anti-Flag, The Fall Of Troy and The Ghost Of A Thousand
Oct. 14 London, England @ Forum w/Anti-Flag, The Fall Of Troy and The Ghost Of A Thousand
Oct. 16 Glasgow, Scotland @ ABC w/Anti-Flag, The Fall Of Troy and The Ghost Of A Thousand
Oct. 17 Leeds, England @ Refectory at University Of Leeds w/Anti-Flag, The Fall Of Troy and The Ghost Of A Thousand
Oct. 18 Manchester, England @ O2 Academy Manchester w/Anti-Flag, The Fall Of Troy and The Ghost Of A Thousand
Oct. 20 Birmingham, England @ O2 Academy Birmingham w/Anti-Flag, The Fall Of Troy and The Ghost Of A Thousand
Oct. 21 Portsmouth, England @ Pyramid Centre w/Anti-Flag, The Fall Of Troy and The Ghost Of A Thousand
Oct. 23 Luxembourg, Luxembourg @ Den Atelier w/Anti-Flag, The Fall Of Troy and The Ghost Of A Thousand
Oct. 24 Berlin, Germany @ Postbahnhof w/Anti-Flag, The Fall Of Troy and The Ghost Of A Thousand
Oct. 25 Prague, Czech Republic @ Roxy w/Anti-Flag, The Fall Of Troy and The Ghost Of A Thousand
Oct. 27 Leipzig, Germany @ Werk 2 w/Anti-Flag, The Fall Of Troy and The Ghost Of A Thousand
Oct. 28 Stuttgart, Germany @ Longhorn w/Anti-Flag, The Fall Of Troy and The Ghost Of A Thousand
Oct. 29 Munich, Germany @ Backstage Werk w/Anti-Flag, The Fall Of Troy and The Ghost Of A Thousand
Oct. 30 Pratteln, Switzerland @ Z7 w/Anti-Flag, The Fall Of Troy and The Ghost Of A Thousand
Nov. 2 Milan, Italy @ Musicdrome w/Anti-Flag, The Fall Of Troy and The Ghost Of A Thousand
Nov. 9 Paris, France @ Elysee Montmartre w/Anti-Flag, The Fall Of Troy and The Ghost Of A Thousand
Nov. 10 Wiesbaden, Germany @ Schlachthof w/Anti-Flag, The Fall Of Troy and The Ghost Of A Thousand
Nov. 12 Antwerp, Belgium @ Hof Ter Lo w/Anti-Flag, The Fall Of Troy and The Ghost Of A Thousand
Nov. 13 Koln Germany @ E Werk w/Anti-Flag, The Fall Of Troy and The Ghost Of A Thousand
Nov. 14 Amserdam, Netherlands @ Melkweg w/Anti-Flag, The Fall Of Troy and The Ghost Of A Thousand
Nov. 15 Hamburg, Germany @ Docks w/Anti-Flag, The Fall Of Troy and The Ghost Of A Thousand
Nov. 17 Gotheburg, Sweden @ Brew House w/Anti-Flag, The Fall Of Troy and The Ghost Of A Thousand
Nov. 18 Stockholm, Sweden @ Klubben (Arenan option) w/Anti-Flag, The Fall Of Troy and The Ghost Of A Thousand

Social Distortion Headline Wakestock '09

Bianca Marcus — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:41:04 -0500

Wakestock 2009 will feature a diverse lineup of punk, pop, hip-hop, local music and more.

Confirmed acts for the Aug. 7 to 9 festival at Collingwood, Ont.'s Millennium Park in Collingwood Harbour include headliners Social Distortion, Classified, USS, The Midway State and a reunited Closet Monster, who will play together for the first time since their farewell performance in 2005. More acts will be announced shortly.

Wakestock will host the World Wakeboarding Association's World Series Of Wakeboarding as well as a skateboarding competition. Music will take place between 2 and 9 p.m. each day, and each band will play a 35-minute set.

Wakestock tickets are available now through Ticketmaster. Early bird Friday passes are available for $14.50 to $18.50, while Saturday passes will run you $34.50 to $39.50. Sunday passes cost $19.50 to $24.50, while three-day passes are going for $44.50 to $54.50.

Last year's Wakestock was held on Toronto's Centre Island and featured music from Throwdown, The Dillinger Escape Plan, GZA and others.

Here's the Wakestock 2009 lineup so far:

August 8
Social Distortion
Classified
USS
Closet Monster

August 9
The Midway State
Stereos
Fall And Divide
Rebel Emergency
+ more

Mos Def Added To Rock The Bells

Kate Harper — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:24:32 -0500

Mos Def has been added to the lineup for the Toronto Rock The Bells stop, and Common is no longer able to play because he's busy shooting a film.

Mos Def will fly in direct to Toronto from the Montreux Jazz Festival. The tour's Toronto stop takes place at the Molson Amphitheatre on Sunday and features performances from Nas, Damian Marley, Big Boi of OutKast, RZA, the reunited Slum Village, K'Naan and many more.

Tickets are still on sale through Ticketmaster, Live Nation and the Molson Amphitheatre box office. They'll run you $36, $46.50, $80.50 and $151, depending on where you want to sit.

The lineup for Rock The Bells is not the same at every tour stop. More information about who will play specific dates is the festival's website.

Here are the acts playing the Toronto Rock The Bells stop:

Nas
Damian Marley
Mos Def
Big Boi
EPMD
RZA
Reflection Eternal
Tech N9ne
Slaughterhouse
Slum Village
M.O.P.
K'Naan
The Knux
Chali 2na
Pete Rock (host)
Supernatural (host)
KRS One (host)

The Rock The Bells tour will make these stops:

July 5 Toronto, ON @ Molson Amphitheatre
July 12 Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
July 18 Mansfield, MA @ Comcast Center
July 19 Wantagh, NY @ Jones Beach Theater
Aug. 1 Burnaby, BC @ Deer Lake Park
Aug. 2 Calgary, AB @ Shaw Millennium Park
Aug. 8 San Bernardino, CA @ Glen Helen Amphitheatre
Aug. 9 Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre

Deep Dark Woods Tour Announced

Bianca Marcus — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:23:54 -0500

Saskatoon's The Deep Dark Woods will take the scenic route on their upcoming North American tour.

The summer-fall trek is in support of the band's recent release, Winter Hours, and will take the alt.country quartet from Manitoba to the northern U.S. and back to western Canada.

The band's amazing song "The Sun Never Shines" is available as a free CHARTtrack download here.

The Deep Dark Woods will play the following cities:

July 10-12 Winnipeg, MB @ Birds Hill Park (Winnipeg Folk Festival)
July 14 Chicago, IL @ The Hideout
July 16 Brooklyn, NY @ Union Hall w/Young Mammals (8:30 p.m.)
July 16 New York City, NY @ The Livingroom
July 18 Ottawa, ON @ LeBreton Flats (Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest)
July 19 River Valley, ON @ River And Sky Festival
July 25-26 Calgary, AB @ Calgary Folk Festival
July 29 Vancouver, BC @ Railway Club w/The Good Lovelies
July 31-Aug. 2 Portland, OR @ Pickathon Festival
Aug. 8 Regina, SK @ Regina Folk Festival
Aug. 12 Sherwood Park, AB @ Festival Place
Sept. 17 Forget, SK @ The Happy Nun
Sept. 18 Regina, SK @ The Exchange w/Little Miss Higgins
Sept. 19 Saskatoon, SK @ Broadway Theatre w/Little Miss Higgins
Sept. 25 Manitou Beach, SK @ Danceland w/Little Miss Higgins
Sept. 26 Edmonton, AB @ Bonnie Doon Hall w/Little Miss Higgins
Oct. 3 Calgary, AB @ The Gateway w/Little Miss Higgins
Oct. 4 Lethbridge, AB @ Geomatic Attic w/Little Miss Higgins
Oct. 9 Winnipeg, MB @ The Park Theatre

Rush Drummer Launching Food Blog

Kate Harper — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:36:39 -0500

Rush drummer Neil Peart will launch a "cooking department" called Bubba's Bar 'N' Grill on his website on Saturday.

Peart will offer "helpful cooking tips and easy recipes," according to his website.

"I have learned a few things about preparing good simple food that might be worth sharing," Peart says in a statement on his website. "In this space I will assemble and present some of that lore, along with some simple recipes, because it seems a shame that other Bubbas (of any gender and ethnicity) should have to suffer the foolishness of my youth — I was in my forties before I learned to cook anything more complicated than soft-boiled eggs."

The website will include cooking tips like "The One Hour Rule" and "The Queen's Portion" and tips on how to impress women with your cooking (hint: bake them pie).

More information about Bubba's Bar 'N' Grill is available on Peart's website.

Rush could begin the follow-up to 2007's Snakes & Arrows this fall with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Marilyn Manson) at the helm again. Guitarist Alex Lifeson told musicradar.com the band could "be ready to work again" at the end of the summer, but nothing's for sure yet.

Kanye Interning At Gap

Bianca Marcus — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:03:22 -0500

Kanye West is in fashion for love, not for money. The CAPS LOCK LOVIN' clotheshorse has been working at Gap's New York City offices for free, under Executive Vice President Of Design Patrick Robinson.

Us Weekly magazine reports 'Ye "works all the time, and one Friday night recently, he stayed until 12 a.m. He's learning the fashion business from the inside and trying to do it quietly."

The magazine initially reported West was interning for the popular purveyor of khakis and cardigans, but a statement from the company itself may suggest otherwise.

"Kanye's been spending time working in Gap's offices, working with Patrick Robinson, as he's interested in gaining more firsthand experience of the fashion industry," Gap confirmed to the StyleList website.

Sounds like West's "internship" could in fact be the early stages of a Kanye/Gap collaboration — maybe a line of pink polos?

Let's hope West is having a better time at the Gap than he did when he worked there years ago. He immortalized the (bad) experience in The College Dropout's "Spaceship," and the song's video seems to make fun of clothing retailers like Gap.

This isn't the first time the rapper has worked in the fashion industry sans pay. In December, it was reported he was working as an intern for Raf Simons, and he's also volunteered his time at Louis Vuitton (in addition to namedropping it many times in his songs). The resulting line of LV-Kanye sneakers was finally revealed, but its release has been delayed until later this year — we'll have to wait and see whether West's latest fashion foray produces more than just hype.

Hidden Cameras Are Orphans

Kate Harper — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:25:38 -0500

The Hidden Cameras' fifth studio album, Origin:Orphan, will be released through Arts & Crafts on Sept. 22.

Joel Gibb and company recorded the follow-up to 2006's Awoo in Toronto and Berlin, Germany. "In The NA," the first single, will be digitally released on July 21 with two B-sides and a remix. You can download "Walk On" for free here.

Gibb formed The Hidden Cameras in 2001 and the band released their Ecce Homo debut that year. It was followed by 2003's The Smell Of Our Own, 2004's Mississauga Goddam and Awoo.

The Hidden Cameras will play these dates in support of Origin:Orphan:

July 21 Wakefield, QC @ The Black Sheep Inn
July 23 Fredericton, NB @ The Capital Bar
July 24 Charlottetown, PEI @ Baba's Lounge
July 25 Halifax, NS @ Garrison Grounds at Citadel Hill (Halifax Pride Festival)

Here are the songs on Origin:Orphan:

"Ratify The New"
"In The NA"
"He Falls To Me"
"Colour Of A Man"
"Walk On"
"Kingdom Come"
"Origin:Orphan"
"Underage"
"The Little Bit"
"Silence Can Be A Headline"

Chad Smith Tears Bicep

Kate Harper — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:32:00 -0500

If you thought Red Hot Chili Peppers and Chickenfoot drummer Chad Smith was incapable of rocking out, you are definitely wrong.

Smith must have been playing his drum kit pretty hard during Chickenfoot's gig on Monday in Paris, France, because he tore one of his biceps. This forced Chickenfoot to pull out of a gig on Wednesday in Madrid, Spain.

"We are sorry to inform our Spanish fans that Chickenfoot cannot perform tomorrow night in Madrid due to a serious injury to drummer Chad Smith," the band said in a statement on their website on Tuesday. "Chad was performing on stage last night in Paris and during the show he hurt his right arm badly.

"He has torn his small bicep and cannot play the show Weds July 1st. The band is very sorry they cannot play for their Spanish fans this week and plan to return as soon as possible."

Smith's funk-rock band, Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats (yes, that's seriously their name!), will release their debut album, Meet The Meatbats, on Sept. 15. In addition to Smith, the band features guitarist Jeff Kollman, bassist Kevin Chown and keyboardist Ed Roth.

The band grew out of jam sessions between Smith, Kollman and Roth while they were touring and recording with Glenn Hughes. Smith suggested they record an album, and they went into the studio after Chown joined the group.

Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats reportedly sound like a combination of classic rock, funk, punk and '70s R&B, according to their MySpace page, but Smith says his drum style on the album is more influenced by the likes of Led Zeppelin's John Bonham, Cream's Ginger Baker and Keith Moon of The Who.

"When I started learning to read music in school during fourth grade, initially I held my sticks in the traditional grip," Smith says. "But I remember practicing and thinking if I turned my left stick around I could get a lot more power and hit a lot harder. I like to hit hard. Hitting hard is very important for me — that's the way I play and I feel like it. Playing guitar, that's all great and everything, but hittin' stuff... AWESOME!"

That, ladies and gentlemen, is why he tore his bicep.

You can see Chickenfoot here, as long as Smith doesn't tear his bicep again:

July 3 Pistoia, Italy @ Blues Festival
July 4 Montreux, Switzerland @ Stravinski Hall (Montreux Jazz Festival)
July 5 Udine, Italy @ Lignano Sabbiadoro
July 10 Kilafors, Sweden @ Kilafors Herrgard (Rockweekend Festival)
July 12 Weert, Netherlands @ Sportpark Boshoven (Bospop Festival)
Aug. 2 Halifax, NS @ Citadel Hill (Canadian Forces Halifax Rock Fest http://www.chartattack.com/news/68555/olp-f11-sloan-rock-for-military-in-halifax)
Aug. 4 Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy
Aug. 5 Pittsburgh, PA @ Riverplex Amphitheatre at Sandcastle
Aug. 7 Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
Aug. 8 Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit
Aug. 10 St. Paul, MN @ Myth Nightclub
Aug. 11 Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
Aug. 13 Comstock Park, MI @ Fifth Third Ballpark
Aug. 15 Cleveland, OH @ Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame (free)
Aug. 17 New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
Aug. 18 Baltimore, MD @ Lyric Opera House
Aug. 20 Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
Aug. 22 Atlantic City, NJ @ House Of Blues
Aug. 23 Hampton Beach, NH @ Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
Aug. 24 Boston, MA @ Bank Of America Pavilion
Aug. 26 Portsmouth, VA @ nTelos Wireless Pavilion
Aug. 27 Charlotte, NC @ The Uptown Theatre at The Music Factory
Aug. 29 North Myrtle Beach, SC @ House Of Blues
Aug. 30 Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
Sept. 5 Lake Tahoe, NV @ Harveys Lake Tahoe
Sept. 12 Grand Junction, CO @ Rock Jam
Sept. 14 Tulsa, OK @ Brady Theater
Sept. 16 Houston, TX @ Verizon Wireless Theater
Sept. 17 Corpus Christi, TX @ Concrete Street Pavilion
Sept. 21 Grand Prairie, TX @ Nokia Theatre
Sept. 23 Phoenix, AZ @ Dodge Theatre
Sept. 25 Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre at University Of California-Berkeley
Sept. 26 Valley Center, CA @ Harrah's Rincon Open Sky Theatre
Sept. 27 Universal City, CA @ Gibson Amphitheatre

You can see Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats here:

Oct. 19 Koriyama, Japan @ Hip Shot Japan
Oct. 20 Sendai, Japan @ Junk Box
Oct. 21 Nagoya, Japan @ Bottom Line
Oct. 22 Osaka, Japan @ Bigcat
Oct. 23 Hiroshima, Japan @ Club Quattro
Oct. 24 Fukuoka, Japan @ Gate's 7
Oct. 26 Shibuya, Japan @ Shibuya O-East

Reznor Honoured By Politicians

Kate Harper — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:11:07 -0500

Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor has received a letter of thanks from New York state politicians for his role in helping a Nevada fan raise the money for a heart transplant.

New York Democratic Senator Charles Schumer and Governor David Patterson wrote letters to thank Reznor, which fan Mike Caplice gave to Reznor at a June 6 pre-show meet-and-greet in Wantagh, N.Y. New York State Senator Craig Johnson, State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and New York Congressmen Tim Bishop and Gary Ackerman also signed letters.

"I wanted the entire NIN community to see that their efforts have been recognized by all levels of government," Caplice said in an email to the NIN Hotline website. which you can read here. "I thought this was a really special moment for all of us who have seen the band and the community evolve over the years into a really positive and powerful force."

Reznor encouraged his fans to buy VIP packages to the recent Nine Inch Nails/Jane's Addiction tour. He donated the proceeds to the family of Eric De La Cruz, and had raised over $850,000 U.S. at the end of May. That was much more than the $706,968 goal De La Cruz's sister, Veronica De La Cruz, had said her brother needed for his heart transplant.

You can see Reznor with Nine Inch Nails here:

July 2 Arvika, Sweden @ Arvika Festival
July 3 Roskilde, Denmark @ Roskilde Festival
July 5 Werchter, Belgium @ Rock Werchter Festival
July 7 Paris, France @ Le Zenith w/Mew
July 8 Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Heineken Music Hall w/Mew
July 9 Esch-Sur-Alzette, Luxembourg @ Rockhal w/Mew
July 11 Balado, Scotland @ Balado Airfield (T In The Park)
July 12 Eadestown, Ireland @ Punchestown Racecourse (Oxegen Festival)
July 14 Manchester, England @ Manchester Evening News Arena w/Jane's Addiction and Mew
July 15 London, England @ O2 Arena w/Jane's Addiction and Mew
July 18 Istanbul, Turkey @ Rock N Coke Festival
July 20 Athens, Greece @ Vrahon Theater w/Jane's Addiction and Alec Empire
July 22 Rome, Italy @ Rockinrome
July 24 Budapest, Hungary @ Syma Sport And Event Centre w/Alec Empire
July 25 Targu Mures, Romania @ Peninsula Festival
July 28 Nimes, France @ Festival De Nimes w/Alec Empire
July 30 Madrid, Spain @ La Riviera w/Alec Empire
July 31 Paredes De Coura, Portugal @ Paredes De Coura Festival
Aug. 2 Stevenage, England @ Knebworth House (Sonisphere)
Aug. 5 Manila, Phillippines @ Araneta Coliseum w/Pupil
Aug. 7 Tokyo, Japan @ Summer Sonic Festival
Aug. 8 Osaka, Japan @ Summer Sonic Festival
Aug. 10 Singapore, Singapore @ Fort Canning Park
Aug. 12 Taipei, Taiwan @ Nan-kang 101

Tinted Windows Have Fun With Something Different

Trevor Morelli — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:00:16 -0500

If you found yourself scratching your head when you heard former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha was working with Taylor Hanson, you're not alone.

While both parties admit their new Tinted Windows project is mainly about creating some no-nonsense, '60s style summer pop, it doesn't make either of them less excited about it.

"I think our other bands were more organic in the way they came about," explains Iha. "Your taste, style, blood, sweat and tears go into your first band. We just had this great idea of this pop band with loud guitars. We all like each other, so we thought we should just go for it."

Throw Fountains Of Wayne bassist Adam Schlesinger and Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos into the mix and you have a record label's dream lineup.

"For me, it's a great departure," says Hanson.

"When I started making music, people assumed that being a young person meant it wouldn't last. They'd ask, 'So, what are you going to be doing in 10 years?'

"It's about having a career in music. You reach a point in your career where you want to do different things and collaborate with different people. Music is a very fluid sort of thing and the pieces just seemed to come together."

Wait a second. Does this mean the beloved '90s icons known as Hanson are breaking up?

"Hanson actually finished tracking a new record that should be out next year. We're not canning our other bands," clarifies the singer.

"Cheap Trick is touring and Fountains Of Wayne is working on an album. Tinted Windows is something we're doing in addition to our other bands. We've all had fans of our other bands assume that breakups are happening, but it's not true."

Well, that's just dandy. That news will either make you warm and fuzzy inside or make you want to punch yourself in the gut. All jokes aside, Hanson says the new band are really just about trying new things and having fun while doing it.

"This is just something from a musical point of view that we wanted to do. We don't think of this as a mechanism to get out there and do something that our previous bands haven't done before. We're trying not to take ourselves too seriously."

Tinted Windows have these tour dates lined up:

Aug. 1 Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre Of The Living Arts
Aug. 3 Boston, MA @ The Paradise Rock Club & Lounge
Aug. 4 Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun
Aug. 5 Washington, DC @ Black Cat
Sept. 1 San Francisco, CA @ Slim's

Montreal's Awesome Free Jazz Schedule

Erik Leijon — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:38:34 -0500

Montreal's own Patrick Watson is the biggest name on the impossibly long list of free shows at this year's Montreal International Jazz Festival after Motown icon Stevie Wonder, who opened the festival's 30th anniversary on Tuesday.

The 2007 Polaris Music Prize winners and current Polaris Music Prize long-listers will perform with guests Lhasa De Sela, Guy Nadon and a horn section on July 5 at 9 p.m. For those looking for music but unwilling/unable to spend their hard-earned coin, here are some of the best upcoming acts on the free stages:

Former Rubberman frontman and current shirtless, curly-haired wonder Jonas will break hearts and thrust his pelvis this Friday. The show is billed as a Back To Blues performance, which means the soulful vocalist will not perform his juvenile hit "Supersex Me." At least we hope not.

Washington, D.C.'s Wale, of the hottest rappers of the hour and biggest Seinfeld fan on the planet, will perform on Saturday (his home country's birthday) at 10 p.m. His 2008 Mixtape About Nothing — known for its healthy use of Seinfeld samples — earned him considerable hype and the services of Lady GaGa on his debut single for his upcoming Attention: Deficit record.

Rocksteady: The Roots Of Reggae is an upcoming music documentary about some of the more unheralded progenitors of reggae music, including Marcia Griffiths, Ken Boothe, Stranger Cole and Marley backup singer Judy Mowatt. The movie's world premiere will happen at Montreal's Musee D'Art Contemporain from July 4-12, and this Tuesday at 9 p.m. the aforementioned legends will perform the classics live.

Next Wednesday will feature a couple of shows worth checking out: Toronto flamenco guitarist Jesse Cook with The Rumba Foundation for a sure to be infectiously danceable set, and Parisian-Nigerian soul singer-songwriter Asa.

Bossa Nova jazz duo duo Bet.e & Stef were all the rage in Montreal a few years ago, and now vocalist Bet.e will fly solo on July 10 at 9 p.m. British funk-rockers The Heavy play that same night an hour later.

The sure-fire party starting Cuban Fiesta starring the Afro Cuban All-Stars and salsa band Los Van Van will close the festival on July 12.

The Junction Album Coming

Bianca Marcus — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:05:03 -0500

Another Link In The Chain, the second full-length album from Brampton, Ont. trio The Junction is set to drop July 28 through the band's own label, The Junction Inc.

The Junction worked with producers Gus Van Go and Werner F (The Stills, The Trews, Priestess) to create the 10-song album in New York City. It features first single "My Love Was There." You can hear that track on the band's MySpace page.

"I can't tell you how happy I am that we as a band have another album under our belts," vocalist/guitarist Brent Jackson wrote in an April 17 MySpace blog entry. "Something that this time a year ago seemed so distant and unlikely… Everything I wanted from start to end just happend [sic] the way I wanted it to."

The Junction formed in 2000 and released their debut White And Orange EP that year. It was followed by two more EPs before the release of their self-titled debut in 2007. The Junction consist of Jackson, bassist Matthew Jameson and drummer Michael "Tip" Taylor.

The Junction will play these dates:

July 3 Ottawa, ON @ Mavericks w/The Love Machine
July 4 Montreal, QC @ L'Absynthe
Aug. 8 Cambridge, ON @ Rock The Mill (free)

Here's the songs on Another Link In The Chain:

"Birds Of Prey"
"No Road"
"My Love Was There"
"Pick Your Battles"
"Miles In Denial"
"Out Of Here"
"Level Me"
"Under The Night Sky"
"Lonely Road"
"Hymns Of Night"

Alice In Chains Album Deets Announced

Bianca Marcus — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:05:56 -0500

Alice In Chains will release their first studio album in over 10 years, Black Gives Way To Blue, on Sept. 29 through Virgin/EMI.

The album is the follow-up to the band's 1995 self-titled album and is Alice In Chains' first record since former vocalist Layne Staley died of a speedball — a combination of cocaine and heroin — overdose in 2002.

Fans can hear the seven-minute long "A Looking In View" and watch a trailer for the song's upcoming video on the band's website.

"['A Looking In View'] basically speaks to any number of things that keep you balled up inside. A cell of our own making with an unlocked door that we choose to remain in," guitarist/singer Jerry Cantrell says. "Focusing our attention inward instead of reaching out to a much larger world.

"I think this is common to us all. It's funny how hard we fight to hang on to a bone we can't pull through a hole in the fence, or how difficult it is to put down the bag of bricks and move on."

Alice In Chains split up after Staley's death, but reunited in 2005. Comes With The Fall's William DuVall joined the band soon after, and Alice In Chains began recording Black Gives Way To Blue last year.

Alice In Chains are scheduled to tour this summer and fall. The six-time Grammy Award nominees will begin the tour with Kid Rock in Detroit and will play one Canadian show at Toronto's Opera House on Sept. 15.

You can see Cantrell, drummer Sean Kinney, bassist Mike Inez, and DuVall in these cities — additional dates to be confirmed:

July 18 Detroit, MI @ Comerica Park w/ Kid Rock
Aug. 1 Dublin, Ireland @ Marlay Park
Aug. 2 Stevenage, England @ Knebworth House (Sonisphere Festival)
Aug. 4 London, England @ Scala
Aug. 6 Cologne, Germany @ Essigfabrik
Aug. 8 Berlin, Germany @ Columbia Club
Aug. 10 Hamburg, Germany @ Grunspan
Aug. 12 Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Melkweg
Aug. 22 Pomona, CA @ Pomona Fairplex
Sept. 4 Washington, DC @ Nightclub 9:30
Sept. 5 Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre Of The Living Arts
Sept. 7 Boston, MA @ The Paradise Rock Club & Lounge
Sept. 8 New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
Sept. 15 Toronto, ON @ The Opera House
Sept. 16 Cleveland, OH @ House Of Blues
Sept. 19 Chicago, IL @ House Of Blues
Sept. 20 Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
Sept. 21 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
Sept. 26 Portland, OR @ Peter's Room at Roseland Theater
Sept. 28 San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore