Search Results for: fred again

Despite frequent lineup changes, there is one common thread between each Taking Back Sunday song. “If at the end we’re all red-faced and sweaty,” bassist Matt Rubino says, describing the band’s energetic live shows, “then you know it’s a Taking Back Sunday song.” The group’s aptly titled album New Again, due June 2 from Warner Bros, heralds a move toward a more grown-up modern-rock sound, with catchier choruses and beefier guitars. Guitarist Matthew Fazzi replaces Fred Mascherino. Producer David Kahne says his goal was to capture the “power and scope” of the band’s live show and to “make sure all… Read more »

Throughout the week, we’ve been posting segments of our interview with Mark Hoppus. In part one, he spoke about reconnecting with his estranged bandmate, Tom DeLonge, and the possibilities of a full-blown Blink-182 reunion. In part two, he revealed plans for a solo album and said his other band, +44, is pretty much finished. And while Hoppus has done most of the talking, we’ve also been hearing plenty from you too. Seems you’ve had plenty to say – not just about a reunited Blink, but about the end of +44 and the prospects of a Hoppus solo album. So we’ve… Read more »

The industry gets upset when anyone calls this a “tax” so I’ll use the “voluntary license” term, even though tax is much more accurate. A true voluntary license wouldn’t require everyone having a certain provider to opt-in, but that’s exactly what this plan would require. In fact, as the slides indicate, eventually it would basically require all ISPs to “opt-in” forcing all of their members to “opt-in.” Suddenly, everyone has to pay. That’s not a voluntary license. It’s a tax. However, even if we step back and pretend it’s really a voluntary license, and even if we grant the premise… Read more »

It’s beyond obvious that the guys in My Chemical Romance have come a long way since the days when they were compared to the likes of Thursday and other bands in New Jersey’s emo/post-hardcore scene, if their concert at the Anaheim Convention Center on Sunday night was any indicator. Lead singer/songwriter/MCR mastermind Gerard Way and company entertained a sold-out crowd with an energetic and polished show that made clear their desire to be arena rock gods. However, the band members’ decision to not only play their latest album “The Black Parade” in its entirety but also perform the set in… Read more »

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame swung open its doors Monday night to the latest batch of acts ticketed for music immortality, with the Georgia alt-rock icons and the dysfunctional Pasadena party band leading the way. They were joined by ’70s punk pioneer Patti Smith, ’60s girl group the Ronettes and the first hip-hop act to crash the party, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. The 22nd annual induction ceremony–which per tradition was held at New York City’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel–felt like an I Love the ’80 special, thanks to its two biggest inductees. R.E.M. received a warm introduction… Read more »

The urge to merge within both the recording and satellite radio industries this week reflects how tough it is to compete profitably within the evolving digital media market. Struggling satellite radio operators XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. and Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. announced a proposed $4.9 billion merger and Warner Music Group Corp. this week said it had approached Britain’s EMI Group Plc about a possible takeover bid in the latest twist in a seven-year mating saga between the two. The deals are seen as defensive reactions to an increasingly complicated digital entertainment market. “Both these potential deals in the… Read more »

Fittingly for a larger-than-life media figure whose life was a series of dramatic twists, turns and tragedies, the death of Anna Nicole Smith on Thursday at the age of 39 has turned into yet another media circus as the cause of her death remains undetermined. The autopsy performed on the troubled reality-TV star/ former model on Friday (February 9) was inconclusive, according to Broward County Chief Medical Examiner Joshua Perper . During a press conference Friday afternoon, Perper said a nearly six-hour autopsy excluded any physical injury as a cause of death and also revealed no evidence of a large… Read more »

It’s a good day for pop-punk as Avril Lavigne, Simple Plan and Billy Talent are all up for a handful of Juno awards. This year’s Juno nominees were just announced and leading the charge is Lavigne, one of Canada’s biggest international exports. She’s up for five awards including Artist Of The Year. Toronto rapper K-OS, West Coast jazz star Diana Krall and 2003’s Juno host, Shania Twain, join Simple Plan and Billy Talent with three noms each. Single Of The Year: River Below, Billy Talent; One Thing, Finger Eleven; Crabbuckit, k-os; Not Ready To Go, The Trews; Party For Two,… Read more »

For their latest album, veteran Boston rockers Aerosmith decided it was time to return to their blues roots. Thus, Honkin’ On Bobo – possibly the most memorable title of 2004 – was born. The 12-song disc, released March 30, saw Aerosmith tackling old blues/roots covers such as Muddy Waters’ I’m Ready and Mississippi Fred McDowell’s You Gotta Move plus one Aerosmith original, The Grind. Drummer Joey Kramer, down the line from San Antonio, Tex., prior to the band’s Thursday night stop at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, said the concept has been in the works for a long time. “The new… Read more »

Janet Jackson’s Super Bowl flash lasted less than three seconds, but the impact continues to ripple through Viacom, the media giant that broadcast the game. Congress, the Federal Communications Commission, right-wing radio commentators and outraged citizens are calling for stricter decency standards – and the artists and executives who make a living from edgy music, performances and videos are in retreat. MTV in particular, which produced the Super Bowl halftime show, is in the midst of a wide-scale re-evaluation of its musical, news and dramatic content. Within a week of the game, MTV – no stranger to criticism, most recently… Read more »