Many times switching labels involves a jump to what many call a ‘major’ and the re-release of an album to a much larger audience, this is not the case with The Wonder Years.
Friday night’s episode of “The Tonight Show” was Conan O’Brien’s final one after only seven months behind the desk. Tom Hanks, Steve Carell, and Will Ferrell are just a few of the stars who showed up to bid farewell to the late-night host.
In the weeks leading up to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the recession was the tense undercurrent beneath the excitement over its 40th anniversary. The lineup was announced early this year to extend the ticket-buying season, and other festivals canceled or scaled down. Corporate sponsors Borders, AIG and Southern Comfort withdrew their support. But any concerns about Jazz Fest’s economic well-being evaporated Saturday when Bon Jovi delivered the second-largest audience in festival history. The hard rock band was this festival’s cause célèbre, evidence for festival veterans that Jazz Fest is losing its way, trading New Orleans music for… Read more »
As Rolling Stone first predicted in December 2008, Phish will headline two nights at this year’s Bonnaroo Music Festival, with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band also topping the bill. While the two marquee acts don’t really come as a surprise following months of rumors and speculation, the talent underneath the headliners is sure to drop some jaws: The Beastie Boys, Nine Inch Nails, Wilco, Snoop Dogg, David Byrne, Al Green, TV on the Radio and many more will be on hand at the Manchester, Tennessee festival on June 11-14th. Tickets go on sale February 7th, and are being… Read more »
He’s photographed Princess Diana in diamonds, Madonna in lingerie and top model Gisele Bundchen in the buff. But celebrated French photographer Patrick Demarchelier says none of the hundreds of pop culture icons he’s immortalized in his more than 30 years behind the lens can compare with his dog, whom he calls “the perfect model.” An exhibition at Paris’ Petit Palais museum brings together more than 400 of Demarchelier’s renowned portraits, including, of course, a ravishing shot of Puffy the long-haired dachshund. Looking sprightly in his uniform of sneakers and a polo shirt, with his trademark shock of salt and pepper… Read more »
In the last month, two very different West Coast live music venues have met two very different fates. In Los Angeles, the resolutely DIY noise and punk outpost the Smell celebrated its 10th anniversary with a series of shows featuring scene stalwarts like No Age and Abe Vigoda. In Seattle, however, music fans mourned the sudden closing of the Crocodile Cafe; the 16-year-old space, which was heralded as the “living room of grunge,” closed unexpectedly December 16. In an age where clubs seem to come and go in the blink of an eye, one that remains open into its teens… Read more »
In what his publisher calls a record-breaking deal, British pop superstar George Michael is working on a memoir to come out in the fall of 2009. HarperCollins says the book, currently untitled, will be an “access all areas” story, with the 44-year-old Michael writing extensively about his professional and personal life. A publishing official with knowledge of the negotiations said the deal was worth at least $6 million for British rights alone, among the biggest publishing contracts ever for that market, and at least $7 million overall. “George has promised HarperCollins a no-holds barred biography, and it’s certain to be… Read more »
With members of Yellowcard spending the last few months scattered across the country – in New York, California and Florida – what better place to reconvene than sunny Orlando, Florida? After all, it is the nation’s favorite vacation destination. “Yeah, we didn’t really come down here for vacation,” guitarist Ben Harper laughed. “We’re playing a couple of shows at [Disney World’s] Grad Nite, and we figured here was as good a place as any to finish up the saga [of] writing our new album.” Since January, frontman Ryan Key and bassist Pete Mosely have been living in New York, writing… Read more »
Partial list of winners at Sunday’s 47th Annual Grammy Awards: Engineered Album, Classical – “Higdon – City Scape Concerto for Orchestra,” Jack Renner, engineer – Robert Spano. Producer of the Year, Classical – David Frost. Classical Album – “Adams – On the Transmigration of Souls,” Lorin Maazel, conductor John Adams and Lawrence Rock, producers. Orchestral Performance – “Adams – On the Transmigration of Souls,” Lorin Maazel, conductor John Adams and Lawrence Rock, producers. Opera Recording – “Mozart – Le Nozze di Figaro,” Rene Jacobs, conductor Patrizia Ciofi, Veronique Gens, Simon Keenlyside, Angelika Kirchschlager and Lorenzo Regazzo Martin Sauer, producer –… Read more »
Yellowcard singer Ryan Key and his brand-new roommate – bassist Pete Mosely – recently witnessed something they had never seen before: an honest-to-goodness blizzard. It happened in New York a few weeks back, and while it certainly wasn’t the most epic of meteorological events (just one day of snow), it was enough to keep the Florida-spawned duo bundled up inside their apartment in Manhattan’s Soho district. Which isn’t really a bad thing, when you consider they moved to New York to begin writing the new Yellowcard record. So how many new tunes did they pen while Mother Nature unleashed her… Read more »
