Search Results for: the national

Melisma/Atlantic rock group matchbox twenty is returning to the North American concert circuit this fall for a major cross-continental tour. Slated to open on September 24th in Tallahassee, Florida, the itinerary will keep the band on the road through the end of the year. The first two weeks of shows have just been announced, with more dates being added daily. In early July, matchbox wrapped up a ten-week headlining tour of North America, and the quintet has just returned from a sold-out arena tour of Australia. In September, the matchbox show moves on to Europe, with a schedule which includes… Read more »

Britney Spears will unveil at least two new songs when she rings in this year’s football season along with Mary J. Blige, Aretha Franklin and other performers. Prior to the September 4 game between the New York Jets and Washington Redskins, Spears will perform a concert for the NFL Kickoff Weekend in Washington, D.C., the NFL announced Monday. While Spears hasn’t figured out the breakdown of her set yet, she’s expected to sing three to four songs, including at least two new ones, her spokesperson said. Aretha Franklin will sing the national anthem. Last year Bon Jovi kicked off the… Read more »

The Recording Industry Association of America, the trade organization that represents recording artists, labels, manufacturers and distributors, announced yesterday that Mitch Bainwol would replace Hilary Rosen as chairman and CEO of the organization. Bainwol, a former chief of staff to current Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, will assume his new duty on September 1st. Bainwol has no prior experience working in the music industry and will have his work cut out for him. The recording industry has been mired in a monstrous three-year sales slump, and in late June the RIAA announced that it would be targeting individual computer users… Read more »

Kevin Richardson will reprise his Broadway role as manipulative lawyer Billy Flynn when the national company of the musical Chicago plays the Golden Gate Theatre in San Francisco from August 4 to August 24. The tour, which is currently playing at the Ordway Performing Arts Center in Minnesota, will also make stops in Pennsylvania, Texas, California, and Maryland, among other states, according to Playbill.com. This fall, the Backstreet Boys singer will again portray Billy Flynn when Chicago moves to London’s fabled West End, according to Kentucky’s Louisville Courier-Journal.

truth(r) is preparing to reach out to hundreds of thousands of teens this summer to continue to shed light on the marketing and manufacturing tactics of the tobacco industry. This year’s grassroots initiative will travel across the country with the most popular summer tours ranging from the mainstream to the culturally diverse, including: Lollapalooza, Hot Import Nights, And 1 Mix Tape Tour and Vans Warped Tour(r). The initiative will start July 5th and will conclude August 16th. More than 20 truth(r) crew members will participate in the program, traveling with trademark orange state-of-the-art truth(r) trucks rigged with DJ decks, video… Read more »

Matchbox Twenty’s chart-topping single “Unwell” has been breaking records at multiple radio formats. “Unwell” is the second single from Matchbox Twenty’s third album More Than You Think You Are. The band has now had more Number One hits and spent more weeks at Number One on both the national modern AC and adult top 40 charts than any other artist in history, according to the BDS (Broadcast Data Systems) airplay monitoring service. Five Matchbox Twenty tracks have spent a combined total of 51 weeks at the modern AC format, while four tracks have spent a total of 47 weeks at… Read more »

The time has come. A fact’s a fact. Peter Garrett’s quit Midnight Oil and he’s not going back. But his name could yet appear on an election ballot paper. The musical maestro and conservationist today spoke for the first time about life after Midnight Oil, since quitting as the band’s frontman last year. He had close to three decades of living his vision to write strong songs about national issues, and the days of trekking around the pub scene are gone. He told the National Press Club today that his musical career had begun in the national capital, “touring pubs… Read more »

The Recording Industry Assn. of America, the trade group of the major U.S. record labels, said Monday it has filed suit against 18 retail businesses for selling pirated CDs. The lawsuits, which were filed last month in Texas, Florida and New York, mark the latest move by the recording industry to combat piracy and declining record sales. The businesses subject to the litigation include gas stations, convenience stores, grocery markets and small music stores that the RIAA claims “were trying to make a quick buck by selling pirated music on the side.” The RIAA began sending legal notices to many… Read more »

The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences has made changes in voting categories for next year’s 46th annual Grammy Awards, including the establishment of a best rap song Grammy. The best rap song award-the sixth in the rap field, which was established in 1988-mirrors the long-running awards for country and R&B songs. “The rap arena continues to be strong and growing,” NARAS president Neil Portnow says. “There are more releases, more artists, more airplay and sales, and more importantly, there’s more creativity in that area.” In addition, awards in the world music field have been doubled: Trophies will now… Read more »

In a pop-punk field increasingly populated with interchangeable sound-alike bands, Good Charlotte has made a bid to break away from the pack with its second CD, “The Young & the Hopeless.” Lead singer Joel Madden, who along with twin brother Benj writes the group’s songs, credits Eric Valentine, the producer of “The Young & the Hopeless,” with helping to expand the group’s musical horizons. “He challenged me to write different songs than just a bunch of songs that were kind of the same thing,” Joel Madden said. “He was like, ‘Why don’t you try writing some songs that you wouldn’t… Read more »