Search Results for: Hold On Tight

Touring behind Digital Ash In A Digital Urn, the second half of Conor Oberst ‘s recent double disc release, the king of heartache tried with all his might to outplay his opening band and uphold his recent large-scale reputation. However, he was no match for indie dance rock openers The Faint. Amidst the green and purple lights, The Faint hit the stage and immediately threw the crowd into a frenzy via a few bars of violin. With bassist Joel Petersen flinging his arms to the beat and vocalist Todd Fink continuously slamming his head into the microphone, the audience was… Read more »

Following the release of Fall Out Boy’s 2003 full-length debut, Take This to Your Grave, the Chicago quartet was flooded with hyperbolic praise. The group, which was signed by tiny independent label Fueled by Ramen, was declared the “next big thing” by multiple media outlets, and its album sold more than 200,000 copies. So expectations were high for the band’s major-label follow-up, From Under the Cork Tree, which came out on May 3 and will debut at #9 on next week’s Billboard albums chart. Some pundits predicted a groundbreaking pop-punk expedition, and others awaited a heart-rending emo excursion, but Fall… Read more »

Los Angeles – Out of the blue comes an e-mail from my brother, Miles: “All confirmed. Rehearsals are next Friday, and your show with Andy Summers and Incubus at the KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas will be on Sunday.” Whaaaat? I dimly remember Miles mentioning something about this radio concert, months ago. At the time I said, “Wow, cool,” and then forgot about it. So I’m thinking about it now, a little panicked, and figure, what the heck? Of course, I had better dig out my drums and try to get some life into my wrists. I remember too vividly getting… Read more »

It wasn’t a very good night for openers Killswitch Engage, as they announced right before their set that their singer had “blown his voice” and Unearth’s frontman (who already sang that night) would be filling in. Fortunately, no angry rioting ensued, not even when they cut their set short and promised to bring a better show through town next time. Their technical defeat was accepted gracefully by the pierced-and-tattooed hordes, who gave KE a roomful of raised metal horns as a salute. Without a doubt, the night belonged to Slipknot. With Number 8 (Corey Taylor) holding up a framed award… Read more »

New York – Just think: Instead of exposing Janet Jackson’s breast at the Super Bowl last Feb. 1, what if Justin Timberlake reached across her chest, fumbled with Jackson’s top and…. The stitching holds! There is no malfunction! That means no national discussion of showbiz morals, no drastic tightening of FCC restrictions – but the fallout is just as serious. Cameron Diaz, mortified by her boyfriend’s failed attempt to reach second base, breaks up with Timberlake before the Super Bowl is even over. She immediately sends word to New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady that she’s available. The flustered Brady… Read more »

When speaking this month to a representative from Soundscan, the company that provides much of the data for the Billboard Top 200 Chart, I learned things that would contradict reported statements by the RIAA. Mainly that US labels have had a significant reduction in sales over the past three years. Cary Sherman, president of the RIAA, responded personally, put his rebuttals on the record and in the process exposed intriguing insight into the way the RIAA calculates “losses.” Soundscan is a service owned by Nielsen, the company that computes TV ratings. Soundscan uses the barcodes on CDs to register sales… Read more »

As Britney Spears readies for her tour, she’s making sure there’s plenty of her to go around while fans wait for her to come around. The singer’s about to release a DVD that’ll include pre-tour concert footage as well as bonus tracks. Two new songs are found on the CD portion of Spears’ “In the Zone” DVD, due March 23. The first is called “Don’t Hang Up,” and it finds the singer pleading on the phone for her lover to keep her satisfied long-distance. The second song is the P. Diddy-produced “The Answer,” which both artists had talked up before… Read more »

Grammy-winning, multi-platinum, Aware/Columbia singer-songwriter John Mayer has had a great year. His sophomore, major-label effort, Heavier Things debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 and as the year comes to a close, he readies his second single to radio, “Clarity.” “Clarity,” the new single from John’s platinum-certified Heavier Things album, will be released to radio in December. “Clarity” is the lead track off Heavier Things and holds a particularly special place for Mayer. John sums up what the song represents to him: “If you want to know who I am, all you have to do is listen to “Clarity.”… Read more »

The Senate voted 55 to 40 today to wipe out all of the Federal Communication Commission’s controversial new media rules, employing a little used legislative tool for overturning agency regulations. The resolution of disapproval, sponsored by Sen. Byron L. Dorgan (D-N.D.), is now put on the House calendar, where a tougher vote is expected. Even if passed by the House, the White House has promised a veto. Dorgan’s resolution is the most sweeping of several challenges to the FCC’s rules, which make it easier for media corporations to buy more newspapers and television stations but tighten radio ownership rules. On… Read more »

Talented kids living in the middle of nowhere Canada get bored, learn some instruments and write some songs. Throw in several accomplished producers (Linda Perry, Phillip Stier and The Matrix) overseeing some of the latest in North American pop, and thus is born Lillix – a quartet of teenage and young twentysomethings who sing about angst and life with eternal girl-powered optimism. “Falling Uphill” is a solid but not groundbreaking debut, and one that will please the teen set – even those looking for some edgier bubblegum. A blend of tight harmonies (the track “Quicksand” is a great example) and… Read more »