Search Results for: Alan Day

In the career path of a rock star, playing in a cover band typically comes near the beginning, somewhere between discovering your parents’ vinyl and winning a battle of the bands at the county fair. Lately, however, some rock stars have been forming ironically named cover bands after making it big. In fact, what used to be considered somewhat lame has suddenly become chic, with Dave Navarro’s Camp Freddy leading the way. “Everyone’s jumpin’ that train, man,” said Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, whose cover band Chevy Metal has been playing around Los Angeles for five years. So why the… Read more »

Some of the greatest hard-rock bands in history have thoroughly awesome – and thoroughly undead – mascots. Iron Maiden have toothy demon Eddie. Megadeth have a similarly toothy yet blind demon named Vic Rattlehead. And Motörhead unleash yet another toothy, snarling hellion: a bulldog/gorilla named Snaggletooth. So you can’t blame My Chemical Romance for wanting to get in on the act. By now, you’ve probably seen the video for “Helena,” in which MCR play pallbearers at a funeral for a young girl who just happens to rise from her casket about halfway through the clip to bust into a ballerina… Read more »

Los Angeles – Starbucks Corp. said on Monday it will start selling music by unknown artists in a move that strays from the chain’s reliance on big-name stars to sell CDs at its popular coffee shops. Starbucks – whose success selling music by well-known artists including Ray Charles and Alanis Morissette has made it a thorn in the side of traditional music retailers – next month will begin marketing and selling a CD by up-and-coming rock group Antigone Rising at its more than 4,400 U.S. stores. The CD, called “From the Ground Up,” will cost $12.95. It was produced by… Read more »

At Juno 2005, the theme was pretty obvious – out with the old, in with the new. Gone from the winner’s circle were artists such as Shania Twain, Alanis Morissette, Barenaked Ladies and K.D. Lang. Instead, Avril Lavigne was queen bee and K-OS was crown prince at this weekend’s Juno Awards in Winnipeg. Both artists walked home with three trophies, tops for the event. Lavigne, who was in Singapore touring and did not attend the show, won Artist Of The Year, Pop Album and Juno Fan Choice, which she accepted via satellite. Toronto rapper K-OS took home Single Of The… Read more »

SYDNEY, Australia – The drummer from 1980s Australian rock band Crowded House hanged himself in a park in southern Australia, an emergency services spokeswoman said Monday. Paul Hester, 46, went missing on Friday. His body was found Saturday in a park near his home in the southern city of Melbourne, said Metropolitan Ambulance Service spokeswoman Liraje Memishi. Hester played in several small bands before joining the New Zealand group Split Enz in 1983. He and Split Enz singer Neil Finn formed Crowded House in 1985 with bass player Nick Seymour. Crowded House was one of Australia’s most successful bands in… Read more »

Death Cab for Cutie and “The O.C.” have had a symbiotic relationship almost since the teen beach drama began in August, 2003. Protagonist Seth Cohen (actor Adam Brody) named-dropped the Washington state indie-rockers liberally and sported posters of the group on his wall, giving them mainstream exposure they probably never expected. In turn, Seth, his refined taste, and the show itself have earned a stellar reputation in music-geek circles. Death Cab have had their music featured in key scenes before, but the group will finally perform on “The O.C.” on April 20. The group will play two songs from its… Read more »

If you thought digging deep in your wallet for some pricey U2 tickets guaranteed admittance to a career-spanning, greatest hits-style show – well, it may not be in the cards. The Irish superstars have been hiding out in Vancouver’s GM Place, rehearsing and readying to embark on their upcoming tour, but a fan website managed to get ahold of one of the band’s practice setlists and it’s largely composed of new material. Despite having more than two decades of musical goodness to draw from, the U2 rehearsal set heavily favoured their newer material. Of the 21 songs, seven came from… Read more »

Los Angeles – Fans will be able to build libraries of their favorite music videos because of deals set to be announced Wednesday (March 16) involving digital entertainment companies CinemaNow and MediaPass Network. CinemaNow announced agreements with Warner Music Group, Epitaph Records and TVT Records to sell music videos on a download-to-own basis. This marks the first time music videos will be made available specifically for Microsoft’s Windows Mobile-based secure devices, a category that includes Portable Media Centers, Pocket PCs and Smartphones from many different manufacturers. The videos also can be viewed on PCs and laptops. The company is set… Read more »

Feist Feist, Kalan Porter and Sum 41 have all been added to the list of Canadian musicians who will be performing at this year’s Juno Awards ceremony. Leslie Feist is nominated for three Junos this year after the success of her second solo album, Let It Die. She’s nominated for New Artist Of The Year, Alternative Album Of The Year and Video Of The Year. This won’t be her first shot at a Juno – she’s already been awarded one statue as a part of Broken Social Scene for Best Alternative Album. Sum 41 need no introduction as Canada’s top… Read more »