Search Results for: Record Store Day

Even though it came out in Australia a year ago, the self-titled debut by the Dissociatives just hit U.S. record stores last week. The duo features former angsty teenage frontman Daniel Johns of Silverchair and dance-music maven Paul Mac – but the result isn’t what you might think. “Because of Paul’s background and my background, a lot of people expected it to be a dance-rock collaboration, which we’re trying desperately to dispel,” Johns said. “We’re not really fans of that genre.” Instead, they set out to make the perfect pop record. “Some people jokingly referred to it as a ‘happy… 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 »

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 »

New York – The title track and first single from Bruce Springsteen ‘s upcoming album, “Devils & Dust,” will premiere beginning 12:01 a.m. Monday (March 28) via AOL Music’s First Listen initiative. The next day, it will be available for download exclusively from Apple’s iTunes Music Store for a week. “Devils & Dust” is due April 26 via Columbia as a DualDisc with the audio tracks on one side and various bonus content on the DVD side. A deluxe edition featuring expanded packaging also will be available, as well as a double-vinyl version. On the heels of a playback session… Read more »

Cleveland – Less than a year after rock band Sparta’s latest Geffen album, “Porcelain,” hit stores, singer/guitarist Jim Ward is feeling reflective about the past and rebellious about the future. “I felt like there was a momentum that for some reason has been lost,” Ward told Billboard.com. “I’m not a fan of looking back and saying what could have been. And to me, it’s really only about the music. I’ve never based anything on sales or success or how many people you play to or whatever, because I’ve seen different sides of that, and then they don’t equal happiness. “In… Read more »

“SYNERGY AND OTHER LIES” would be a good first reading assignment for Sir Howard Stringer, Sony’s new chief executive, to be followed by “The Synergy Myth.” Then Sir Howard should recognize that the Sony he inherits is constitutionally incapable of making one (electronics) plus one (entertainment) equal three. Both books were written by Harold Geneen, the number cruncher who directed International Telephone and Telegraph during its heyday in the 1960’s. He engineered 350 mergers and acquisitions, which brought such names as Hartford, Avis, Sheraton and Madison Square Garden under one roof. Mr. Geneen, however, harbored no illusions that ITT’s individual… Read more »

Los Angeles – Before they made the jump to Atlantic Records in 2004, the members of Death Cab for Cutie thought long and hard about leaving Seattle’s Barsuk Records. But after six years of deliberation, and the ultimate satisfaction the band took in its decision, manager Jordan Kurland grants that there has been a twinge of remorse. “I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that after I saw Bright Eyes debut in the top 10, I didn’t think, ‘Ah, we should have done that…’ But we’re having a great time.” Indeed, the band Bright Eyes bolted to No. 10 on… Read more »

Los Angeles – Limp Bizkit singer Fred Durst is suing 10 Web site operators who the rocker claims profited from posting an explicit video stolen from his home computer showing him having sex with a former girlfriend. The lawsuit, filed last week in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, seeks more than $70 million in damages and any profits reaped by the Web site operators in recent weeks, when the 3-minute clip began appearing on the Internet. In the complaint, Durst contends that the video, which he shot in 2003, was never meant for public viewing. By disseminating the clip,… Read more »

Mike Patton probably owns a Blackberry. The former Faith No More and Mr. Bungle frontman has always juggled his many musical whims like the finest project manager, but in 2005 his personal digital assistants might need their own personal assistants. The 37-year-old musician has recruited Oakland, California, DJ crew the X-ecutioners for his latest project, General Patton Vs. the X-ecutioners. Released February 22, Vs. is a characteristically varied affair, featuring the general’s vocal acrobatics, skittish needle-dropping and quick cut-and-paste genre changes. And, like a growing number of musical collaborations, most notably the Postal Service, the songs were all completed via… Read more »

SANTA MONICA, California – It’s been awhile since we’ve heard from Garbage, but don’t worry, they didn’t break up. Or maybe they did. “It depends on which one of us you ask,” bassist/guitarist Steve Marker said during a recent visit from their Madison, Wisconsin, home base to Los Angeles. “I think we took a break, but some of us think that we broke up, so we haven’t even resolved that yet. We should probably talk about that. It got pretty weird between the four of us, and the music wasn’t really happening, so we took a break. There were times… Read more »