Search Results for: blur

Times are tough for the bangs-‘n’-guyliner set. Leading practitioners Marilyn Manson and My Chemical Romance are feuding, everyone is being labeled “emo” (and subsequently besieged by laughably uninformed nightly news reports), and Pete Wentz is dating Jessica Simpson’s sister. And now, as if things couldn’t get any worse, spooky-ooky outlet Hot Topic is ditching “dark and foreboding” for “lighter and brighter” in an attempt to halt a three-year slide in sales. “The desire is not to make the store ‘not gothic-y,’ it’s merely to reflect what’s going on in the music scene. Our store design has always reflected the music… Read more »

Before the tour van and the record deal, before the girls begging for autographs, they were middle school mall rats who made a terrible racket practicing in their parents’ homes.

Damon Albarn has confirmed he is concluding his animated pop act Gorillaz later this year with a feature-length send off. Rumours had been circulating throughout 2006 as to the band’s demise, particularly with Albarn focused on his musical work with side project The Good, The Bad and the Queen, and his return to the new Blur album, and speaking to BBC Radio last week, the singer/songwriter confirmed an animated film and accompanying film score would be the band’s swan song. “We’re trying to make a film next, starting in September hopefully,” said Albarn, commenting that they had approached famed Monty… Read more »

After winning over U.S. hipsters with its critically acclaimed 2005 debut “Silent Alarm,” U.K. rock act Bloc Party is now aiming for mainstream success. The group’s second outing, “A Weekend in the City,” comes out February 6 via Atlantic Records, preceded by two radio singles, “The Prayer” and “I Still Remember.” The group toned down the frenetic feel of its debut, which sold almost one million copies worldwide and drew comparisons to the jerky post-punk of Gang of Four and late-period Blur. “A Weekend in the City,” particularly on its back half, is dominated by slower, richly textured songs that… Read more »

A spokesman for Kate Moss denied reports the supermodel and rocker Pete Doherty had tied the knot during a candlelit Buddhist ceremony in Thailand on New Year’s Day. Stuart Higgins said Moss, 32, was vacationing in Thailand, but hadn’t married Doherty, frontman for Babyshambles. “There has not been any kind of marriage ceremony in Thailand. She is on holiday,” Higgins said. British newspapers reported that Moss and Doherty had held the ceremony in the Thai resort of Phuket. Neither the Sun nor the Daily Mirror provided sources for the information. The Mirror quoted an unnamed friend of Moss as saying… Read more »

Following are previews of albums due out within the next few months from debut acts or under-the-radar artists due for a breakthrough. PAOLO NUTINI Scottish singer/songwriter Paolo Nutini, who turns 20 January 9, was one of the most noteworthy breakout artists of 2006 for Atlantic Records in the United Kingdom. After an appearance at South by Southwest in Austin last March, his debut single, “Last Request,” reached No. 5 in July on the British charts and also became a substantial airplay hit. His debut album, “These Streets,” subsequently opened at No. 3 with out-of-the-box sales of 35,000, according to his… Read more »

Let’s face it: When it comes to defending the planet, five white-belted emo kids would probably be the last crew you’d want on the frontlines (even Captain Planet and those wussy Planeteers would instill more confidence). But in a new short film by two “unemployed” British directors, the fate of the free world rests directly on the scrawny shoulders of five sad sorta-superheroes. The film, called “Mighty Moshin’ Emo Rangers,” was the brainchild of Chris Phillips and Nick Pittom, two twentysomething filmmakers who were barely getting filming gigs for local bands. Their money situation only continued to worsen, and things… Read more »

Toronto, Ontario – Oh, Sum 41, how far you’ve come. Despite this show making up for a previously cancelled one, Ajax’s favourite sons were greeted by a full house of hardcore kids, girls in tiny tube tops, drunken frat boys and little pop-punkers firmly protected by a designated parent. One had to wonder whether those parents were routinely covering their poor child’s ears, given all the less-than-all-ages language that was being tossed around. “Sorry Mom, sorry Dad, your kids are going to be learning some new words tonight!” An appropriate warning coming from frontman Deryck Whibley, who would proceed to… Read more »

Record labels have historically invested significant financial resources toward new acts’ touring efforts, whether it be $20,000 for a regional van trek or $200,000 for a national bus outing. But in today’s world of shrinking revenue and tight budgets, tour support funds – though almost always recoupable against album sales – are becoming harder to come by. “There’s not as much money at any level, whether it’s signing bonuses, (recording) albums, tour support or anything else,” says Tim DuBois, senior partner of Nashville-based record label Universal South, home of such ascts as Pat Green and Joe Nichols. “But even in… Read more »

Distillers drummer Andy Granelli launched a verbal assault on Australian rockers Jet during an interview with the Ottawa Sun Thursday (April 1). While admitting that the Distillers aren’t the “most original” or “best” band in the world, Granelli blurted, “I don’t know how these crappy cover bands posing as new bands, like Jet or Kings Of Leon can take themselves seriously…(Jet) have that new single out now and you can count on one hand all the different songs in that one song. There’s a Stones song in there; there’s half of a Beatles song in there…and you go, ‘Come on!… Read more »