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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 »

You can’t blame U2’s concert promoter for wondering just how big the band’s Vertigo world tour could have been if it had simply kept on playing. After all, not one ticket went unsold for the 131 shows on the trek, which began March 28, 2005, in San Diego and wrapped December 9 in front of 47,000 fans at Honolulu’s Aloha Stadium. Having been on the road in fits and starts since March 2005, U2 was clearly in a celebratory mood in Hawaii, as Bono danced onstage with a woman from the crowd during “Mysterious Ways” and even pulled a lucky… Read more »

A valuable lesson was learned when we last spoke to Finch guitarist Randy Strohmeyer – don’t describe his band as emo. But now they’re about to release their third album and have garnered a new classification – screamo punk. How does Strohmeyer feel about that? “I think it’s even worse than emo. It’s fucking retarded. I hate that shit,” he says. “I’d just like people to call us Finch, and that’s it. We’re Finch and we make an effort to be Finch and we don’t want to be categorized as something else. I would like Finch to stand up on… Read more »

You’d think that by this point – 15 years into their career – people would know that SoCal punkers Guttermouth are all about the tongue-in-cheek fun. They are called “Guttermouth” after all. But that isn’t the case. Every time the band try to joke about anything it backfires. From issues with former record labels to lead singer Mark Adkins being deported out of Canada after a much-publicized exposure issue in Saskatoon years ago and now a to-do with the majority of left-wing punk rock bands and their anti-Bush stance, Guttermouth can’t win. It’s a situation made more perplexing by the… Read more »

One of the most advertised places in Canada is about to get a whole lot busier. Toronto’s Yonge-Dundas Square has been chosen as the site of the new Canadian Music Hall Of Fame, as announced by The Canadian Academy Of Recording Arts And Sciences (CARAS) on Tuesday. The Square, which attracts more than 50 million people (and many more pigeons) annually, was selected in part because of its location in Toronto’s downtown core. Ross Reynolds, chairman of CARAS and chair of the Hall Of Fame committee, said, “All the proposals were unique and represented a diversity of ideas and suggestions… Read more »

After months of speculation and a smattering of semi-secret “buzz gigs” throughout North America, Coldplay have finally confirmed a full slate of dates in support of their upcoming third album, X&Y. The Twisted Logic Tour kicks off August 2 in Toronto and will hit an additional 35 cities before coming to a close on September 30. Punky alt-country act Rilo Kiley will serve as the opening act. Tickets go on sale June 4 for all shows except the September 23 gig in Dallas – those will be available on June 11 – and fans who are registered at Coldplay.com will… Read more »

Trent Reznor has crawled out of the depths of his depression with a snarling, gut-wrenching vengeance. Reznor, along with his backing band, put on a ferocious show at the Kool Haus last night that proved the frontman at least hasn’t lost his ability to summon up rage and helplessness and spit it all out in a violent live show. The night began with the Dresden Dolls who, looking like delicate gothic marionettes, only held the attention of some of the crowd with their waltzing-cabaret, piano-tinged operatic rock. This must have been caused by Nine Inch Nails anticipation, as the duo… Read more »

Well, what an unexpected surprise: a U.S. band willing to bite the bullet and cross the border under their own volition while not promoting an album! That will be the case when Modest Mouse head to Toronto to play a show on Olympic Island on June 26. What’s the catalyst for the show, you ask? Why, it’s Toronto’s own uber-famous indie act, Broken Social Scene. Not satiated by simply appearing at last year’s successful cancon rock show on the island, they decided to go out and bring in the biggest indie rock band on the planet right now. Since Broken… Read more »

Just as Green Day’s American Idiot has a theme running through it, so too do the band’s videos from the album – they all share the vision of director Samuel Bayer. After working with Bayer for “American Idiot,” “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and “Holiday,” the band hooked up with him again for “Wake Me When September Ends” after the guys returned from a sold-out Asian tour at the end of March. The shoot took place in Los Angeles, and according to a spokesperson at Warner Bros., the video reflects the song’s serious tone – it’s about frontman Billie Joe Armstrong’s… Read more »

New York – Radio’s playlist liberation movement hatched in late 2001 at a birthday party in Winnipeg, Manitoba. A radio was blasting when Howard Kroeger, director of operations and programing for CHUM Broadcasting’s Winnipeg stations, arrived at his friend’s 40th-birthday bash. It was a competitor’s classic rock station, and Kroeger used the occasion to conduct an informal focus group among the partygoers, most in their mid- to late 30s. Whenever Boston, the Cars, Meatloaf, Supertramp or some other ’70s staple came on, it got an overwhelming thumbs-up from the Molson-enhanced crowd. But there was a noticeable lack of enthusiasm when… Read more »