Record-store owners owe Apple iTunes a tremendous debt of gratitude for being an uncaring, scatter-brained, inhuman little jukebox: It’s saving their skin right now.
The running narrative in the music world during the past decade is that the physical album is dead, and file-sharing, downloads and, most notably, Apple’s iTunes killed it. Yes and no.
Sarah McLachlan’s performance Tuesday night at the Merriweather Post Pavilion was a curious mix of opportunities.
If, by chance, you happen to read something Thursday about Led Zeppelin reuniting or Jim Morrison coming out of hiding, don’t believe it.
If it were NBA awards season, the sixth man award could have easily gone to the sold-out Starland Ballroom crowd Monday night, which sang every word from the opening band to the evening’s closer, “My Friends Over You.â€
Taking a page out of the book of pop-punk veterans such as Saves the Day and fellow Philadelphia natives The Starting Line, The Wonder Years released its second full-length album aptly titled The Upsides January 26 through No Sleep Records.
Even before the doors to the Gramercy Theater opened, it was apparent that this show was going to be an entertaining way to start the weekend.
Moments before the opening curtain of “American Idiot,” the musical theater debut of the punk band Green Day, a t-shirted house manager took the stage at Berkeley Repertory Theater for the tradition of reminding audience members to turn off their cellphones and unwrap their candies. This being a musical by Green Day, though, it wasn’t your typical curtain speech. “Are you ready to rock tonight?” shouted the house manager, John Gay. And sure enough, the crowd roared back, “Yeah!” Such is the rowdy mood surrounding “American Idiot,” a rock opera drawn largely from Green Day’s multiplatinum 2004 album of the… Read more »
Vans Warped Tour kicks off its 15th year of rocking up summer in Pomona, Calif. on June 26, and this year Fearless Records has four acts heading out for two months of punk rock mayhem. The Maine continues a killer year with a headlining slot on The Hurley Stage, while both A Skylit Drive and Breathe Carolina will play the entire tour on the SmartPunk Stage. Also joining them on select dates will be Every Avenue, which is set to take Warped by storm for a second year from July 24 – August 23. The Fearless tent will be… Read more »
MySpace, the popular social networking site, in partnership with MySpace Records and Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), USA, Inc., announced last week the official launch of Rock The Space, an exclusive competition that encourages unsigned bands or solo artists to submit an original song for the opportunity to score a recording contract with MySpace Records, the company’s full-service independent label. Through July 1st, 2009, aspiring artists across the country can enter the contest by visiting Toyota’s MySpace Music profile. Kim McCullough, corporate manager for marketing communications at TMS, said the idea for the competition grew out of the longstanding link between… Read more »
In between bites of a Cobb salad at New York’s Tribeca Grand Hotel, Gwen Stefani is explaining why No Doubt is going on tour for the first time in five years without a new album to promote. “Honestly, it’s procrastination,” she says with a sigh. “My plan was to get pregnant and write a record, but instead of writing, I just ate all the time.” Stefani laughs as she pops a tomato in her mouth. “Writing is always really hard for me – I hate it and hate it and then I do it, and I’m happy it’s done,” she… Read more »
