The man who brought sexy back is now bringing a record label: Justin Timberlake has formed Tennman Records, joining with Interscope and distributed by Interscope Geffen A&M(remember when those were three separate entities? Ah, the '90s). JT will serve as chairman/CEO, and I bet he'll succeed at corporate affairs as he's done well in entertainment. The kid has style. No artist signings have been announced as yet. [R&R]
Alkaline Trio have landed on their feet after the dissolution of V2 Records a while back, signing with Epic. The band's last album, Crimson, was released in 2005 on Vagrant, and was awesomely awesome. [soundthesirens]
For the first time since 1998, the Goo Goo Dolls have written a song for a movie soundtrack, composing 'Fiction' for the new Transformers flick(which will be awesomely awesome). Stream the song over here.]
Australian veterans Silverchair are back - funny, I was just talking about them a week or so ago with Spoken bassist Brandon. The band will release their fifth album, Young Modern, in July on Warner Records. [Decoy]
Has anyone noticed a lot of '90s bands being talked about around here lately?
Well, in keeping with that, a dude from the latest season of American Idol apparently had a song written for him by two seminal '90s dudes: 311 singer Nick Hexum and Better Than Ezra(BETTER THAN EZRA!!!)'s Kevin Griffin. Surreal.
"Sweeeeeeeeet souuuuuuuul sisterrrrrrrrrrrrr...." The Cult have signed with Roadrunner Records for their first album since 2001. The band will spend the summer/early fall opening for some band called The Who. I've heard good things! [Billboard]
One of the Seattle's best bands ever, period, have a new song online! Finally. Check out Fair's brand-new tune 'Once Again'.
Ouch - after racking up(you'll see what that's funny in a second) thousands of dollars in damages after colliding with a deer while on tour last fall(SEE now why "racking up" is funny??), Set Your Goals had to bail themselves out of arrest charges for disturbing the peace in Georgia over the weekend. Good thing they'll probably make it back in merch sales THIS week. [punkbands]
Director Tim Burton wants to make a movie about Marilyn Manson. I'd probably watch it. [antimusic]
We reported a while back now that a movie about Joy Divison was in the works - the low-budget flick is now an award winner at Cannes.
Scene.
Happy Memorial Day weekend to our fuzzy little readers in the United States. The annual Indianapolis 500 goes Sunday at the ol' Brickyard. I'm pretty stoked.
Anyone out there remember Halo Friendlies? They were an all-girl punk band on Tooth & Nail Records a number of years ago - and now former bassist Ginger Reyes has a new gig: touring bass player for the reincarnated Smashing Pumpkins. To quote the kids at IVM, "wow." [Indie Vision Music]
There's a deluxe edition of MxPx's upcoming album Secret Weapon(this may be their most-anticipated album ever, what with the return to T&N and all) that will contain three bonus songs: 'The Hoo-Ha Jangle,' 'Madcap Scheme' and 'Throw Your Body In The Air.' Isn't the Hoo-Ha Jangle the new dance craze sweeping the nation? No? 'Kay.
Man Alive put out one of the catchiest pop/punk records of the last three years with 2005's Open Surgery album - and now they have a new one finally; it's called Access Denied, and you can pick it up over here. One-third Canadian, two-thirds Israeli = one full pound of awesome.
Some overseas news: English sensation Lily Allen(so catchy), on the strength of her massive hit 'Smile,' has landed a guest spot doing vocals on grime star Dizzee Rascal's newest album. 'Smile' is one of the greatest songs of the last year. [aversion]
Good news for Good Riddance: the band's last show goes down tomorrow night, May 27th, in the band's hometown of Santa Cruz, California - but that isn't the good part, obviously. Fat Wreck Chords, the band's only label home, plans to record the last blast(featuring my boys in No Trigger opening up!) for a final live DVD. Which will be happily watched. By me.
Wow, where do I get in on this?? [Relevant]
Burlington, Ontario's Boys Night Out are having their very first EP, Broken Bones and Bloody Kisses(nice), co-released on 12" vinyl by One Day Savior(the label that originally released it) and Forge Again Records, limited to less than 500 copies. If you're into collecting vinyl, it's available here for eight bucks. [AP]
Lamb of God and Hatebreed have announced a slew of shows together on OzzFest off-days; Canadian dates include:
7/13 Vancouver, BC @ Croatian Cultural Center
8/25 Toronto, ONT @ Kool Haus
If you're a Used fan - and lots of folks are it seems - you can stream the entirety of the new album, called Lies For the Liars, right over here.
The upcoming reissue of Foo Fighters' The Colour and the Shape will include three cover songs and three b-sides. I want it. Now. [SPB]
Former Fugee Pras has squelched any further rumours of a reunion from perhaps the finest hip-hop group ever(I know, bold statement). He told someone other than sweetdisaster that Lauryn Hill basically has some shizzle to deal with. Boo! Why release one single to radio - as the Fugees did last year - only to then derail again? Brutal. [RS]
This one's for former BBABH vocalist Mark Phillips: from being stranded in Wyoming a couple years ago to soon putting out their Century Media debut, Montreal's Blessed By A Broken Heart have certainly seen an upward swing in their fortunes. The new album Pedal To the Metal was produced by GGGarth. Wyoming, of all places! The record comes out later in 2007. [theprp]
One of the more underrated bands in the Tooth & Nail Records empire is putting out their sophomore album, and if As Cities Burn's debut Son, I Loved You At Your Darkest was any indication, Come Now Sleep will destroy everything. The record hits August 14th if all goes to plan.
Among Canada's fastest-rising hip-hop fiends, Cadence Weapon is performing at the Pitchfork Festival in Chicago's Union Park this summer; for the entire lineup and ticket info/directions, hit their website. [pastepunk]
Simpsons star Hank Azaria on Green Day's role in the upcoming feature film(you may have heard of it): "I know that Moe yells out obnoxious stuff to Green Day while they're performing. That I remember. He yells out stupid stuff to Green Day. (They don't play) at Moe's Tavern. They perform elsewhere in the movie; they're outside. And the whole crowd turns on them." This movie is gonna be awesome. Oh, and Panic! At the Disco and Lifehouse, among others, are also contributing tunes to the soundtrack. [punknews]
Cartel are weird. But damn if 'Honesty' isn't one of the catchiest songs I've ever heard.
Excellent news for fans of intelligent pop: Caedmon's Call have signed with INO Records to put out their 15th album Overdressed on August 28th, and not only that, but former member Derek Webb, who's carved out a nice little singer/songwriter niche for himself since leaving Caedmon's several years ago, was part of the process for the new album and will tour with the band as well. [JFH]
They've toured together in the past, and rumours are afoot that Thrice and Brand New will hit the bricks together this fall. By that point, Thrice's new four-disc motherheifer of an album will be out, and everyone's already talking about BN's latest, The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me. It's just natural. [absolutepunk]
Members of Greeley Estates are dropping like flies. The band soldiers on, however, according to uber-positive MySpace bulletins.
Purely on a side: I listened to the new Bayside album The Walking Wounded this week. I quite like it. Anyway.
How the hell did Linkin Park manage to sell over 620,000 records in the first week? It's so not very good at all.
Some news now. In the NEWS section. The only one updated within the last six months - which is our bad. Sorry. Anyway.
If you've heard rumours of Chris Pennie, drummer for The Dillinger Escape Plan, quitting to join Coheed & Cambria, they're false. Relax. [buzzgrinder]
Man, this guy can't keep himself on the straight-and-narrow, not that anyone's judging him here: former Creed singer Scott Stapp was arrested last week on charges of assault. Full story can be found over here. The poor guy.
Check out a Norma Jean video! Woo! [theprp]
Not that he would know the difference by this point, but Ike Turner was mistakenly jailed last week. Whoops. [antimusic]
+44 apparently bailed on their previously-stated ultimatum that they'd never perform Blink-182 songs live, playing 'What's My Age Again?' during a set last week. Singer Mark Hoppus wrote on his Myspace, "For the past year and a half we have been saying how +44 will never play blink-182 songs. In interviews, when people ask about it, we say it won't happen, we think it's lame, etc. Last week we changed our minds. You see, Travis and I LOVE our history with blink-182, and it seems a shame to let those songs sit dormant forever because of what happened two years ago." Mmhmm. Reunion: imminent. And in a related story, the other dude who was in Blink, Mr. Tom DeLonge, has a band called Angels & Airwaves who've recently suffered their first casualty.
Are Weezer coming back with a sixth album? We don't know, but this here sure is lookin' mighty suspicious.
Wow, this is the greatest tour ever for a guy like me who grew up in the '90s: Collective Soul are headlining a tour featuring Live and Counting Crows:
July 22nd in Wilmington, DE @ Frawley Stadium
July 24th in Eastlake, OH @ Classic Park
July 25th in Washington, PA @ Consol Energy Park
July 27th in Dayton, OH @ Fifth Third Park
July 28th in Comstock Park, MI @ Fifth Thrid Ballpark
July 31st in Erie, PA @ Jerry Uht Park
August 1st in Buffalo, NY @ Dunne Tire Park
August 3rd in Louisville, KY @ Louisville Slugger Field
August 4th in Indianapolis, IN @ Victory Field
August 7th in Sauget, IL @ GCS Ballpark w/ Thrid Eye Blind
August 8th in Tulsa, OK @ Drillers Stadium w/ Third Eye Blind
August 10th in Sedalia, MO @ TBA
August 11th in Des Moines, IA @ Principal Park w/ Third Eye Blind
August 14th in Aberdeen, MD @ Ripkin Stadium
August 15th in Frederick, MD @ Harry Grove Stadium
August 17th in Manchester, NH @ MerchantsAuto.com Stadium
August 18th in New Britain, CT @ New Britain Stadium
August 21st in Altoona, PA @ Blair County Park
August 22nd in Lakewood, NJ @ First Energy Park
August 24th in Pawtucket, RI @ McCoy Stadium
August 25th in Wappingers Falls, NY @ Dutchess Stadium
August 26th in Syracuse, NY @ TBA
August 27th in Allentown, PA @ TBA
August 30th in Ft. Wayne, IN @ Memorial Stadium
September 1st in St. Paul, MN @ Midway Stadium
September 2nd in Fargo, ND @ Newman Outdoor Field
As if it's not coming anywhere near Ottawa. [tunelabmusic]
Converge are putting out a DVD soon called Thousands Of Miles Between Us. The project features the best live moments from their touring around the globe, with some sets in far-flung locales captured in their entirety, along with tons of interview footage of bands, other bands, crew, etc etc etc. The project is now in the "planning stages." So keep your pants on, you eager beavers. [Lambgoat]
Two of Facedown Records' better bands of late, xDeathStarx and Means, will spend some time opening up for Emmure, with the tour kicking off June 5th in Nashville and concluding exactly a month later in Bakersfield, California. I'd like to bring that to the Ottawa area. Hmm.
Haven't heard this guy's name in a long time: former Korn guitarist Brian 'Head' Welch will tour behind a book he's coming out with called Save Me From Myself. Check this out for the dates, if you're interested. [buzzgrinder]
Wow, this one didn't take long at all: shortly after being punted from Evanescence(or quitting, depending on who you believe), drummer Rocky Gray is auctioning off some of his Gold and Platinum records from his time in the band. If you're a big huge fan(I ain't), you can bid over here.
The Redemption Song, sadly, have ended their run. They signed to Strikefirst Recordings last year for one album, and said this online: "We came, we saw, we had more fun and got to do more things that we ever thought we would. We remain family. Thank you Jesus for your goodness to us."
Congrats gotta out to my boy Bryan Winchester, aka Braille, who in his spare time from ripping on microphones, runs Hip Hop Is Music. An album they quietly put out a few months back, Future Classic by DJ Balance and Surreal, recently hit the number-one spot on the CMJ charts in the United States and number one on the Earshot charts here in Canada - quite a feat considering the album doesn't even have Canadian distribution yet. Good job, fellas, all around!
Reports have been "confirmed" that Green Day will appear in the upcoming Simpsons movie. Which I will pay to watch. Oh yes. Happens maybe three times a year, me actually paying for a movie. [antimusic]
A band familiar to Canadian rock fans is getting their break in the US of A: Montreal act Mobile have been picked up by southern California label The Militia Group(Copeland, Cartel and more), who will release Mobile's debut album Tomorrow Starts Today on July 24th in the States. The band has already gone gold here in Canada and are fast closing in on platinum status, and I really regret not seeing them at my college's campus bar last fall when I had the chance. Good luck, guys.
Tip of the day - Edmonton's This Very Day are going to be the next big thing in heavy-ass Christian-based music in this fine country we call Canada. Check their steez over here. They're part of a wave that includes Cry of the Afflicted(Solid State Recs), Means(Facedown/Torque) and others. We're building. Be ready.
With the trek beginning in that fine city on the 28th of this month, The Police have converged on Vancouver(left coast what up) to prepare for the slavishly-anticipated reunion tour. Guitarist Andy Summers says the setlists will lean heavily towards the hits. So there you go. [Billboard]
Using only analog equipment(how very very retro), and recording in Gay Paree(that's 'Paris'), Ben Harper and his Innocent Criminals recently worked up the next album, called Lifeline. It'll be out in August.
Hooray for radio-industry websites, with bytes like this: apparently Calgary's New Energy 101-5 was the first to play the latest Kelly Clarkson single 'Never Again' on April 11th(little out of date, but it gets funnier!) - and were promptly served with a ceast-and-desist order from RCA Records for playing the tune ahead of its designated radio debut later that week. Ah, eager radio beavers. [MMU]
Canadian sat-radio company Sirus is partnering with Universal Music Canada and a bunch of rock stars to compile Borrowed Tunes II, a collection of Neil Young covers, featuring the likes of Finger Eleven, Barenaked Ladies, Hawksley Workman, Our Lady Peace's Raine Maida and more. The comp will be in stores at the end of summer, with proceeds benefiting Young's Bridge School efforts.
Killswitch Engage guitarist/producer Adam Dutkiewicz will once again sit out on tour recovering from back surgery last fall. Never fear- he's expected to be rockin' hard in short-shorts all summer long on the Warped Tour. [punkbands]
Innnnnteresting, given that I keep my own private cache with Photobucket - tech websites are gossiping that PB was bought out a couple of weeks ago by MySpace, following concerns that their pictures were being blocked by the number-one social-networking site in history ever. I just wanna be able to still have my pictures. Please don't destroy them. Thank you.
The latest in Fearless Recs' Punk Goes... series, Punk Goes Acoustic Vol. 2, will be in stores tomorrow, featuring tunes from Relient K, Set Your Goals, Say Anything and lots more. [SPB]
It's about time, considering I saw them a year and a half ago already: Mikoto(ex-Taken) will finally record their debut album We Are the Architects in June. Vocalist Ray Harkins: "We have gone over these songs with a fine-toothed comb, as we wanted to ensure that the songs were the best we possibly can release. There are too many bands around today that don't take the care and effort into releasing a quality product - we are not one of those bands." The band are currently unsigned, so a smart label out there should probably think about this one.
A Tribe Called Quest veteran Q-Tip - one of the silkiest-smooth rappers in the world - is wrapping up production on his latest album The Renaissance, due out this fall and featuring the likes of D'Angelo, Common and Andre 3000 of OutKast. The record's been called "a return to his A Tribe Called Quest hip hop roots."
Beastie Boys are also wading back into the fray, putting out The Mix-Up in June - check this out: the record is twelve tracks with absolutely no vocals or samples. I'll be hugely into this, I bet.
I was all stoked early this morning because HDNet was showing a New Found Glory gig in Boston from earlier this year - and about ten minutes into it the sound cut out entirely and never came back. What a letdown. Just had to vent my spleen.
One of the summer's enormous blockbuster tours has been announced: headliners Linkin Park will hit the bricks with My Chemical Romance and Taking Back Sunday. This would be the fourth edition of LP's annual Projekt Revolution tour, featuring side-stage gigs from The Bled, Saosin, Mindless Self-Indulgence and more. Check out any of the band's websites in a couple weeks' time for tour dates. [RS]
Evanescence is back in the news, this time losing drummer Rocky Gray and guitarist John LaCompte, the latter of whom is pretty pissed: "Amy Lee called and fired me today [Friday]," he said. "There’s absolutely no loyalty in this band." This means Rocky is finally free to go back to making awesome heavy metal(see Soul Embraced; Living Sacrifice).
Former CBS radio dude Don Imus is suing his ex-employer for a cool $120 million next week. The assault on what constitutes "free speech" continues. [R&R]
In among offerings from hotshots like Stone Sour, Daughtry and more on the latest Active Rock Top 40 charts is the newest from...Shadows Fall? Weeeeeeeird.
Also in the Top 40 are my boys Cold War Kids, coming hard outta Los Angeles with 'Hang Me Up To Dry' - one of the best singles of the last eighteen months, no douuuuuuubt.
Yes, Spider-Man 3 broke the opening-weekend record this past weekend, raking in almost a hundred and fifty million clams. Big whoop. I've heard it sucks.
As I Lay Dying frontman Tim Lambesis is co-producing the newest from Sworn Enemy, entitled Maniacal. The album drops this fall, and as if AILD didn't have enough to do with it already, drummer Jordan Mancino also did all the drums on the new album. [Decoy]
Oh, and speaking of As I Lay Dying, their new album this summer is called An Ocean Between Us.
No news here: Zao have parted ways with drummer Josh Walter. I've never even heard of this guy, that's how fast they go through people.
'90s relics Velvet Revolver and Alice In Chains(what the hell is Alice in Chains without Layne Staley? C'mon) will tour this summer. I do not care.
One of Canada's best under-the-radar rock bands, Boys Night Out, have posted a brand-new song.]
We stole this without editing from Decoy, because to edit it would lessen their humour: "According to Mtv.com, there will be a tour this summer entitled the "Bad Boys of Rock" tour which will feature such "bad-asses" as Buckcherry, Papa Roach and Hinder. Wait for it... wait for it... I promise, your brain aneurysm is coming." Awesome.
Mae have let it slip at a live show in Virginia that their new album Singularity will be out August 14th. It feels like forever since The Everglow came out. [absolutepunk]
The new name for former MTV cornerstone program TRL Putatively, YouRL. Weak, MTV. Weak.
If you're into buying singles from world-dominating rock bands, Green Day have a song up for sale over here. It's called 'Working Class Hero,'(yes, the John Lennon tune), and I'm sure the band can relate. *blank look*
We mentioned a couple weeks back that Goldfinger's new album won't happen til 2008 for us, the hardworking, taxpaying peasants - but a new song support Kevin Kjonass(learn more here) has been posted over here.
One of my favourite '90s records is getting the deluxe re-issue treatment: Foo Fighters' 1997 gem The Colour and the Shape will be out - again - for a tenth-anniversary edition on June 25th.
Oh man, this one hurts: following the announcement that they've weaseled out of their major-label deal, The Explosion have now announced their breakup. Boooo. Bury Me Standing, their final album, will see a posthumous release later this year following some "final shows" this summer.
'90s Christian punk act Value Pac are rumoured to be doing a reunion show for Cornerstone California this summer. There are very few people reading this who will know to whom I refer. [IVM]
Some of the headliners for this year's edition of the original Cornerstone Festival, held in rural Illinois: Norma Jean, David Crowder Band, Pigeon John, Copeland and more. This is why I'm going. [Relevant]
Leave it to Every Time I Die to keep upping the laughs ante: the band's upcoming fourth album will be called The Big Dirty. Taken from the band's 'press release': "You want riffs so filthy they should have a moustache and wear elastic work out pants when they go out to eat at the Olive Garden? Right here, boys." [AP]
Melodic hardcore band Crime In Stereo have jumped ship from Nitro Records(home of my boys No Trigger), electing to sign with the mighty Bahston boys of Bridge Nine Recs.
I'd have liked to be there for this one: check out a Youtube clip of New Found Glory(with help from members of Stretch Arm Strong and quick-rising Brit act Gallows) performing a cover of Minor Threat over here.
Speaking of legends, Minor Threat contemporaries Bad Brains have a new album ready to destroy us all via MegaForce Records; the due date is June 26th, with the following tracklisting:
1. Give Thanks and Praises
2. Jah People Make the World Go Round
3. Pure Love
4. Natty Dreadlocks 'pon the Mountaintop
5. Build a Nation
6. Expand Your Soul
7. Jah Love
8. Let There Be Angels (Just Like You)
9. Universal Peace
10. Roll On
11. Until Kingdom Comes
12. In the Beginning
13. Send You No More Flowers
14. Peace Be Unto Thee
Two old-school southern-Ontario hardcore bands have contributed members to a new thing: former players in Grade and Confine have put together To The Lions, who will put out their debut album Baptism of Fire on June 19th through Hamilton, Ontario's Goodfellow Records. I can't wait. [SPB]