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RELEASE DATES:  Street Dates    BIRTHDAYS/THIS DAY IN MUSIC: Show Prep   

MUSIC ON TV/ONLINE
2/3: ADELE Live From The Artist's Den/PBS, ZIGGY MARLEY Letterman, BUSH Leno, FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS Fallon, M83 Daly
2/4: STEVEN TYLER & CARRIE UNDERWOOD Crossroads/CMT, WILCO Austin City Limits, BON IVER SNL
2/5: MADONNA Super Bowl XLVI Halftime Show/NBC
Upcoming
2/6: FUN./ZIGGY MARLEY Daly
2/7: THE ALABAMA SHAKES Conan, THE CRANBERRIES Fallon
2/8: DR. DOG Conan, OF MONTREAL Fallon
2/9: THE KILLS Letterman, TONY BENNETT Kimmel, PRIMUS Fallon
2/10: THE CRANBERRIES The View, THE FRAY Live From The Artist's Den/PBS, CEE-LO GREEN Leno 
2/11: JIMMY CLIFF Austin City Limits
2/12: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND, ADELE, FOO FIGHTERS, COLDPLAY, PAUL McCARTNEY Grammy Awards/CBS
3/14: THE CHIEFTAINS Fallon

BIRTHDAYS
2/3: DAVE DAVIES (The Kinks), LEE RENALDO (Sonic Youth), MELANIE
2/4: NATALIE IMBRUGLIA, TIM BOOTH (James), ALICE COOPER
2/5: CHRIS BARRON (Spin Doctors), AL KOOPER (Blood, Sweat & Tears)
2/6: BOB MARLEY, NATALIE COLE
2/7: KING CURTIS
2/8: TOM RUSH, MERLE WATSON
2/9: CAROLE KING, JOE ELY (The Flatlanders)
2/10: ROBERTA FLACK
2/11: SHERYL CROW, JIMMY CARTER (The Blind Boys Of Alabama), GENE VINCENT, OTIS CLAY, SLIM HARPO, GERRY GOFFIN
2/12: RAY MANZAREK (The Doors), MICHAEL McDONALD (Doobie Brothers), STEVE HACKETT (Genesis)

BON IVER, THE DECEMBERISTS, THE CIVIL WARS AND MORE GUEST ON 50TH ANNIVERSARY ALBUM "VOICE OF AGES" BY THE CHIEFTAINS OUT FEB. 21
(2/2/12) Legendary traditional Irish group The Chieftains will mark their 50th anniversary with the release of Voice of Ages (Hear/Concord) on Feb. 21st. The new album is produced by Paddy Moloney and T Bone Burnett and features a number of guest artists, including: Bon Iver, The Decemberists, Punch Brothers, The Secret Sisters, The Low Anthem, The Civil Wars, Pistol Annies, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Lisa Hannigan, Carlos Nunez, Paolo Nutini, and Imelda May.

The Chieftains Tour kicks off Feb. 17 in Santa Barbara at the University of California and will culminate with a special 50th Anniversary St. Patrick's Day show at New York's Carnegie Hall March 17.

Winners of 6 Grammy Awards, The Chieftains are founder and leader Paddy Moloney, Matt Molloy, Seán Keane and Kevin Conneff. The band has recorded with major international artists like Sting, The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, and Joni Mitchell, among others.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN ANNOUNCES U.S. TOUR DATES
(1/24/12) Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have announced 19 U.S. tour dates in support of the new album Wrecking Ball (Columbia), set for a March 6th release date. Springsteen will make an appearance in March at SXSW in Austin as the Keynote Speaker. 

Springsteen U.S. Tour Dates
March 18 Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena (on sale Feb 4)
March 19 Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum (on sale Feb 3)
March 23 Tampa, FL - Tampa Bay Times Forum (on sale Jan 28)
March 26 Boston, MA - TD Garden (on sale Jan 28)
March 28 Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center (on sale Jan 28)
March 29 Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center (on sale Jan 28)
April 1  Washington, DC - Verizon Center (on sale Jan 28)
April 3  East Rutherford, NJ - Izod Center (on sale Jan 27)
April 4  East Rutherford, NJ - Izod Center (on sale Jan 27)
April 6  New York, NY - Madison Square Garden (on sale Jan 27)
April 9  New York, NY - Madison Square Garden (on sale Jan 27)
April 12 Detroit, MI - The Palace of Auburn Hills (on sale Jan 28)
April 13 Buffalo, NY - First Niagara Center (on sale Jan 28)
April 16 Albany, NY - Times Union Center (on sale Jan 28)
April 17 Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena (on sale Jan 28)
April 24 San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion (on sale Feb 3)
April 26 Los Angeles, CA - Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena (on sale Feb 3)
April 29 New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (on sale now)
May 2    Newark, NJ - Prudential Center (on sale Jan 27)

SOUL LEGEND ETTA JAMES DIES
(1/20/12) Legendary soul singer Etta James has died (1/20) in Riverside, CA from complications of leukemia. James was 73. Starting in the mid 1950s, she gained fame with a string of R&B and pop hits, including "At Last," "Dance With Me, Henry," "Tell Mama," and "I'd Rather Go Blind". She influenced many singers, including Beyoncé (who played James in the 2008 film Cadillac Records), Janis Joplin, Adele, and Shemekia Copeland, among others. Throughout her storied 50-year-career, she won six Grammys, opened for the Rolling Stones, and was voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

 SPRINGSTEEN TO RELEASE NEW STUDIO ALBUM "WRECKING BALL" MARCH 6
European dates and SXSW Keynote Speech confirmed, U.S. dates to be announced
(1/19/12) Bruce Springsteen's much-anticipated new album Wrecking Ball (Columbia) has been set for a March 6th release date. His 17th studio album, the new record features 11 new Springsteen songs and was produced by Ron Aniello with Bruce Springsteen and executive producer Jon Landau. A special edition of Wrecking Ball will also be available which includes two bonus tracks and exclusive artwork and photography.

Manager Jon Landau said, "Bruce has dug down as deep as he can to come up with this vision of modern life. The lyrics tell a story you can't hear anywhere else and the music is his most innovative of recent years. The writing is some of the best of his career and both veteran fans and those who are new to Bruce will find much to love on Wrecking Ball.'"

Look for The Boss to make an appearance in March at SXSW in Austin as the Keynote Speaker. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will be touring extensively in the U.S. and Europe in 2012. European tour dates have been announced. U.S. dates will be announced soon. 

The advance single "We Take Care of Our Own" is now streaming on the band's website.

Wrecking Ball Track Listing:
1.  We Take Care of Our Own
2.  Easy Money
3.  Shackled and Drawn
4.  Jack of All Trades
5.  Death to My Hometown
6.  This Depression
7.  Wrecking Ball
8.  You¹ve Got It
9.  Rocky Ground
10. Land of Hope and Dreams
11. We Are Alive

THE DECEMBERISTS TO RELEASE LIVE ALBUM MARCH 13TH
(1/12/12) The Decemberists have announced the March 13th release of We All Raise Our Voices To The Air (Live Songs 04.11-08.11) (Capitol), a 20-track live double-album (and triple-vinyl set) culled from the band's 2011 tour supporting their Grammy-nominated album The King Is Dead (Capitol). With songs spanning their entire first decade as a band—from their debut EP 5 Songs through each of their six albums—We All Raise Our Voices To The Air is the first-ever live album from the Portland, OR band.

The Decemberists are lead singer, songwriter and guitarist Colin Meloy, keyboardist and accordionist Jenny Conlee, guitarist Chris Funk, bassist Nate Query, and drummer John Moen, with additional member Sara Watkins on fiddle, guitar and vocals. The performances on We All Raise Our Voices To The Air are drawn from 12 different shows at venues including the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Stubb’s BBQ in Austin, Marymoor Amphitheatre in Seattle, and their final two shows at McMenamins Edgefield Amphitheatre in Portland, which featured the addition of a horn section that can be heard on several songs.

BONNIE RAITT TO RELEASE "SLIPSTREAM" IN SPRING
Joe Henry produces four tracks, album releases April 10th
(1/6/12) Bonnie Raitt's Slipstream, her first album in 7 years, arrives April 10th, 2012 on her own Redwing Records. The album comes after a long break from studio work for Raitt after losing her parents, her brother and a close friend. The record features four songs recorded with producer Joe Henry and his musicians. The rest of the album is self-produced with her touring band.

Among the new tracks are cover songs by Bob Dylan ("Million Miles," "Standing in the Doorway") and Loudon Wainwright III ("You Can't Fail Me Now"). The advance single is a cover of the late Gerry Rafferty's "Right Down the Line," available Feb. 7th. Look for the 62-year-old, nine-time Grammy winner and Rock Hall of Famer to tour in support of Slipstream. Raitt's last studio album was 2005's Soul's Alike. 

Adele released a cover of Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me" in 2010 while Bon Iver's Justin Vernon performed the song last year on Jimmy Fallon's "Late Night" TV show.

TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS ANNOUNCE 2012 N. AMERICAN TOUR
(12/14/11) Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers have announced a 2012 North American Tour, set to start April 19th in Broomfield, Colorado. The select North American tour dates, part of a larger European and world tour, include a stop at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival April 28th.

CLAPTON KEYBOARDIST DICK SIMS DIES
12/13/11) Eric Clapton keyboard player Dick Sims passed away after battling cancer (12/10). He was 60. The Tulsa native played and toured with Clapton from 1974-79, in addition to performing with artists such as J.J. Cale, Peter Tosh, and Bob Seger. Clapton, who is on tour in Japan with Steve Winwood, dedicated their Dec. 10th show in Tokyo to Sims.

WILLIE NELSON BASS PLAYER DAN 'BEE' SPEARS DIES IN NASHVILLE
(12/12/11) Willie Nelson's longtime bass player Dan 'Bee' Spears has died unexpectedly from a fall near his home in Nashville. Spears was 62. He began playing with Willie Nelson in 1968 at age 19. 

HAWAII UKULEE ORIGINAL BILL TAPIA DIES AT 103
(12/11/11) Perhaps the oldest Hawaiian musician alive just passed away. Influential Hawaiian ukulee virtuoso the "Duke of Uke" Bill Tapia died (12/2) in Westminster, Calif. at 103, a month shy of his 104th birthday. Born and raised in Honolulu, he was known as Hawaii's premier ukulee player in the 1920's and 30's. Tapia entertained troops before they shipped off to WW1. He played with artists such as Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong. Thanks to the recent resugence in the ukulee, Tapia enjoyed a career comeback and actively toured the U.S. up until his death.

R.I.P.: SOUL/BLUES/R&B LEGENDS HOWARD TATE, HUBERT SUMLIN, DOBIE GRAY
(12/8/11) Three soul/blues/R&B veterans were lost this past week. Philladelphia-raised soul singer Howard Tate died after a long battle with cancer, at 72. Influential Chicago blues artist Hubert Sumlin (Howlin' Wolf), died of heart failure, at 80, in Wayne, NJ, with funeral to be paid for by Mick Jagger/Keith Richards. And, R&B singer-songwriter Dobie Gray "Drift Away" died of cancer this week in Nashville. He was 69.

COLDPLAY ANNOUNCE 2012 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
Band nominated for three Grammy Awards, New Year's Eve Austin City Limits Special set for PBS-TV
(12/8/11) Coldplay will launch its first North American tour in nearly three years on April 17. The run, which kicks off at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta, will include a two-night stand at LA's historic Hollywood Bowl (May 1/2). The band is touring in support of its latest album, Mylo Xyloto, topping the charts in 34 countries to date. Mylo Xyloto's first two singles have received Grammy nominations, "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall" for Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song, and "Paradise" for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. "Charlie Brown," Coldplay's next single, arrives at Triple A radio later this month. The video is available at Coldplay.com. Austin City Limits will ring in the New Year with a performance by Coldplay on PBS TV stations nationwide on Saturday, December 31, at 11 p.m. "Coldplay New Year's Eve: An Austin City Limits Special" can also be viewed on demand on pbs.org starting at 11 p.m. ET that evening.

Coldplay – comprising Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion and Chris Martin – has sold more than 50 million records worldwide and won numerous awards, including seven Grammy Awards, six Brit Awards and four MTV Video Music Awards.

Coldplay 2012 Mylo Xyloto North American Tour
4/17 Edmonton, AB, Rexall Place                                        
4/18 Calgary, AB, Scotiabank Saddledome                      
4/20 Vancouver, BC, Rogers Arena                                      
4/24 Portland, OR, Rose Garden Arena                            
4/25 Seattle, WA, KeyArena                                          
4/27 San Jose, CA, HP Pavilion At San Jose                    
5/1 Los Angeles, Hollywood Bowl                                
5/2 Los Angeles, Hollywood Bowl                                
6/22 Dallas, TX, American Airlines Center                   
6/25 Houston, TX, Toyota Center                                     
6/28 Tampa, FL, St. Pete Times Forum                              
6/29 Miami, FL, American Airlines Arena                    
7/2 Atlanta, GA, Philips Arena                                      
7/5 Philadelphia, PA, Wells Fargo Center                             
7/8 Washington, DC, Verizon Center                                   
7/23 Toronto, ON, Air Canada Centre                                 
7/26 Montreal, QC, Bell Centre                                          
7/29 Boston, MA, TD Garden                                         
8/3 East Rutherford, NJ, Izod Center                                         
8/7 Chicago, IL, United Center                                  
8/11 St. Paul, MN, Xcel Energy Center                          

MADONNA TO PLAY 2012 SUPER BOWL HALFTIME SHOW
(12/5/11) The NFL has announced that Madonna will perform at Super Bowl XLVI at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis Feb. 5 during Halftime. Madonna has been newly signed to Interscope Records with a new studio album due in March. The first single, "Gimme All Your Luvin'" will be released at the end of January, before Madonna's upcoming Super Bowl performance.

The Black Eyed Peas played at Super Bowl haftime last year. The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and Prince have performed at prior Super Bowl gigs.

2012 GRAMMY MULTIPLE NOMINEES: ADELE, BON IVER, MUMFORD & SONS, FOO FIGHTERS, RADIOHEAD
Bon Iver up for "Best New Artist"
(12/2/11) Adele, Bon Iver, Mumford & Sons, Foo Fighters, and Radiohead all picked up multiple nominations for the 54th Grammy Awards. Adele has six, including three of the big four: Song, Record, and Album of the Year for "Rolling in the Deep" from 21, the best-selling album of the year.
 
Breakaway nominee Bon Iver's "Holocene" was nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. The group was also nominated for Best New Artist. The band is fronted by Wisconsin native Justin Vernon. The untitled album is their second.  

Foster The People's Torches got the nod for Best Alternative album and Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Pumped Up Kicks." Coldplay, The Decemberists, Foo Fighters, Mumford & Sons and Radiohead compete for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance. Additional nominees in various categories include Wilco, My Morning Jacket, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Death Cab for Cutie, Emmylou Harris, Ry Cooder, Lucinda Williams, Greg Allman, Ziggy Marley, Eddie Vedder, The Black Keys, and the Civil Wars. Full list of 2012 Grammy Nominees. The Grammy Awards are set for February 12 in Los Angeles broadcast on CBS-TV.

BOY & BEAR WIN BIG DOWN UNDER AT ARIA MUSIC AWARDS
(11/28/11) Boy & Bear won five awards over the weekend at the 25th annual ARIA Awards in Sydney, Australia. The Sydney group won for Album Of The Year, Best Group, Breakthrough Artist, Breakthrough Single and Best Adult Alternative Album. The awards were held at Sydney's Olympic Park (11/27).

UTOPIA MEMBER MOOGY KLINGMAN DIES
(11/22/11) Veteran New York musician and original member of Todd Rundgren's Utopia, Moogy Klingman has died in Manhattan (11/15). He was 61. Klingman played keyboards for Rundgren, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Bob Dylan, among others. He also co-wrote the 1973 Bette Midler hit, "Friends".

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND ANNOUNCE 2012 WORLD TOUR
(11/21/11) Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band have announced a 2012 world tour. The European leg of the tour kicks off in May and runs until the end of July. U.S. tour plans will be announced soon. The tour will be the first since the passing of longtime sax player Clarence "Big Man" Clemons. A new album is "almost done" with no release date or title yet, according to Brucespringsteen.net. 
 
LEONARD COHEN TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM "OLD IDEAS" JAN 31
(11/16/11) Leonard Cohen will release his first album of new material in 7 years Jan. 31st, Old Ideas (Columbia). The legendary 77-year-old Canadian singer-songwriter wrote the songs with his longtime collaborator Sharon Robinson and his girlfriend Anjani. An advance track, "Show Me The Place," from Old Ideas is now available at LeonardCohen.com.

NILS LOFGREN RELEASES "OLD SCHOOL" DEC. 6, ALBUM DEDICATED TO CLARENCE CLEMONS
(11/16/11) Veteran guitarist Nils Lofgren is taking time off from the E Street Band and gearing up for the release of his new solo album, Old School, available Dec. 6th. He recently told Rolling Stone, "I'm so heartbroken Clarence is gone. We were dear friends. I talked to him every week off the road, had a much greater friendship with him offstage than on, even though I stood next to him for 27 years. So that's heartbreaking, and I don't know where it's gonna lead. Meanwhile, I got a new record, and I'm excited." Sax player Clarence "Big Man" Clemons passed away earlier this year at age 69.

Lofgren's new album Old School features guest appearances by Paul Rodgers, Foreigner's Lou Gramm and Sam Moore. Lofgren recently completed an acoustic duo tour with pal Greg Varlotta, with more live dates set for the new year. Lofgren also sometimes performs with the Wack Brothers, a part-time band featuring him, Springsteen and other members of the E Street Band.
 
Prior to joining the E Street Band, the acrobatic Lofgren enjoyed a solo career with over a dozen solo albums beginning with his own band, Grin. He started in Neil Young's band at age 18 where he played piano, guitar, and sang on "After The Gold Rush".

KEITH RICHARDS WINS MAILER PRIZE FOR BIOGRAPHY "LIFE"
Rolling Stones to meet for rehearsals in London - 50th anniversary tour in the works?
(11/11/11) Keith Richards has won the (Norman) Mailer Prize for Distinguished Biography for Life (Little, Brown and Company). After being introduced by Bill Clinton ("My late mother-in-law was a huge fan"), Richards accepted the award this week (11/8) in Manhattan. Meanwhile, Richards has confirmed to the London Observer that the Rolling Stones will gather for rehearsals in London later this month. The interview has fueled speculation that the band is gearing up for a 50th anniversary tour next year. 
In other Stones news, guitarist Ronnie Wood's drawings and paintings are featured in an exhibit that opened this week (11/7) at London's 28 Cork Street Gallery. 

ADELE RECOVERING AFTER VOCAL CORD SURGERY
Live At The Royal Albert Hall DVD releases Nov. 29th
(11/8/11) Adele is recovering after having undergone "microsurgery" on her vocal cords in Boston. She is reportedly doing well. The same surgeon treated Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. John Mayer recently had similar surgery. Adele's Live At The Royal Albert Hall DVD/Blu-ray (Columbia) releases Nov. 29th. To celebrate the release, a series of one-off cinema premieres will be held for Adele fans in 26 cities around the world this month, including Los Angeles and New York. For more info, visit Adele.tv.

FILMMAKER DAVID LYNCH RELEASES FIRST SOLO ALBUM "CRAZY CLOWN TIME"
(11/7/11) Film Director David Lynch releases his first solo music project, Crazy Clown Time (Sunday Best/PIAS) Nov. 7. Lynch, best known for his soundtracks to the hit cult movies Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive and EraserHead, has collaborated with Angelo Badalamenti (Twin Peaks), Polish pianist Marek Zebrowski (Inland Empire), and Sparklehorse and Danger Mouse (Dark Night of the Soul). His new "experimental" electronic-leaning album was recorded over several months at Lynch's LA studio and engineered by Dean Hurley, who also plays guitar and drums on the record. Yeah Yeah Yeah's leader Karen O is featured on the track "Pinky's Dream".

MTV HONORS TOM MORELLO WITH "O" MUSIC AWARD FOR OWS PERFORMANCE
(11/2/11) MTV announced that its O Music Awards will honor Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello with an award created specifically in response to his show at Occupy Wall Street. Morello, known as "The Nightwatchman," is winning the award for his performance of "The Fabled City" Oct. 12th at New York City's Zuccotti Park. The second O Music Awards, which honor the multi-platform and digital aspects of the music industry, was filmed in LA Halloween night for a later MTV telecast.

ISLAND TO RELEASE POSTHUMOUS THIRD AMY WINEHOUSE ALBUM "LIONESS: HIDDEN TREASURES" DEC. 5 (10/31/11) Amy Winehouse's record label has announced that it will release a posthumous album on December 5th, Lioness: Hidden Treasures (Island), that will contain unreleased tracks, alternate versions and a few new tracks. The 12-songs album was compiled by Winehouse's long-time musical collaborators Salaam Remi and Mark Ronson. The album includes a reggae version of "Our Day Will Come," a ballad version of "Tears Dry," and versions of "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" and "The Girl From Ipanema," among other covers. Lioness: Hidden Treasures also features "Between The Cheats," a new song that she recorded in May 2008, and "Like Smoke" featuring Nas, which was also recorded around the same time. The album will include "Body & Soul," her recent duet with Tony Bennett that wind up being her final studio recording.

WILLIE NELSON SINGS THEME SONG FOR "HELL AND BACK" AFGHAN WAR DOCUMENTARY
(10/26/11) Willie Nelson sings the title song to the new Danfung Dennis-directed Afghanistan war documentary, Hell And Back. Willie croons the J. Ralph composition over the film's finale and closing credits. The song is available on iTunes and can be heard on Willie's site. The movie, a Grand Jury winner at the Sundance Film Festival, completed a one-week Academy Awards-qualifying run in Los Angeles with additional screenings to come.

THE DECEMBERISTS EP OF B-SIDES "LONG LIVE THE KING" DUE NOV. 1
Band members join Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey in John Wesley Harding's band for Nov. dates
(10/25/11) The Decemberists' new collection of B-sides, Long Live The King (Capitol), is due Nov. 1st. Meanwhile, the group's Colin Meloy delivered some positive news on keyboard and accordion player Jenny Conlee via Twitter last Thursday, "For those of you wondering, saw Jenny this week; our girl's (breast cancer) officially in remission!" Conlee could return to the road as soon as next month, according to the band's site. The site notes that "John, Chris, Jenny, and Nate will be joining forces with Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey to form the King Charles Trio, the backing band for John Wesley Harding's upcoming November tour." The tour is set to launch Nov. 5th in San Francisco.

JOHN MAYER REVEALS THROAT SURGERY, NEW ALBUM DELAYED WHILE HE RECOVERS
(10/24/11) John Mayer has revealed via his Tumblr blog that he had surgery last week (10/20) to treat a serious throat condition. The singer-songwriter had an inflamed nodule - or granuloma - near his vocal cords removed. "It's been a very long process in waiting to see if time was an alternative to surgery, but even given two weeks' voice rest (along with other approaches), there was no change for the better," he wrote, explaining why he opted for the surgery. After Mayer's voice recovers, he plans to resume work on his album. Meanwhile, Mayer said that he is figuring in some leisure travel in the US. "I've got the best doctors in the country looking after me and I will be singing and touring again as soon as I get the all clear." The release of his new album Born And Raised has been postponed indefinitely.

OCCUPY WALL ST. SONGS: EVERLAST, RY COODER, ELIZA GILKYSON, DREW LANDRY
(10/21/11) Where did all the protest songs go? The New York Times recently questioned the lack of modern protest songs coming out of the growing "Occupy Wall Street" movement. "At the Protest, the Message Lacks a Melody" (10/18) does reference new songs such as Everlast's "I Get By" and Ry Cooder's "No Banker Left Behind" as potential tunes to fill that void. Meanwhile, Red House Records will release a new remixed version of Eliza Gilkyson's 2008 title track "Beautiful World" Nov. 1st while Louisiana musician Drew Landry - best known for the viral hit "BP Blues" released by Warner Bros. last year - is set to self-release the Drew Landry Band's Sharecropper's Whine (w/ members of Sun Volt) featuring "Last Man Standing" (note: FCC language alert) on Nov. 22nd.
- Do you have songs to add that your station is spinning? Contribute to the format discussion board TALKTALK.
   
THE STONE ROSES PLAN REUNION TOUR, ALBUM
(10/19/11) Influential Brit rockers The Stone Roses are reuniting for a 2012 tour and new album. The Manchester band broke up in '96 after their second album. Two Manchester shows are already set for June 29-30, 2012. More shows will follow as part of an "extensive world tour".  

CHARLIE DANIELS BAND KEYBOARD PLAYER JOEL "TAZ" DeGREGORIO DIES IN NASHVILLE CAR CRASH
(10/18/11) Joel "Taz" DeGregorio, a four-decade veteran keyboardist in the Charlie Daniels Band and co-writer of the band's biggest hit, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," died Wed., Oct. 12th from injuries sustained in a one-car crash west of Nashville. DeGregorio was reportedly driving on I-40 on his way to meet up with the band's tour bus. He was 67.

2011 AMERICANA AWARDS WINNERS IN NASHVILLE: ROBERT PLANT, BUDDY GUY, MUMFORD & SONS, JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE, THE AVETT BROTHERS
Performers include Plant, Miller, The Avett Brothers, The Civil Wars, Elizabeth Cook, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Hayes Carll, Amos Lee, The Secret Sisters 
(10/17/11) Robert Plant's Band of Joy picked up album of the year honors, and Buddy Miller won Artist of the Year during the 10th Annual Americana Honors & Awards at the Ryman Auditorium Thurs. Oct. 13th during the 12th Annual Americana Festival & Conference in Nashville last week. The event opened with a moving tribute to the late John Hartford, represented by an unaccompanied banjo and bolo hat side stage, followed by Buddy Miller, Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Jerry Douglas and Don Was performing "I'll Fly Away" in celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the O' Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack. 
 
Jim Lauderdale served again as master of ceremonies again, while Miller led an all-star house band comprised of famed record producer Don Was on bass, Cody and Luther Dickinson on drums, guitars and various other instruments, Greg Leisz on steel guitar and John Deaderick on keyboards. Adding harmonies were The McCrary Sisters, Ann, Regina and Alfreda. It was a big night for Miller, winning not only the Artist of the Year Award, but adding another Instrumentalist of the Year Award to his treasure chest of Americana trophies, now totaling twelve. Raul Malo and Carrie Rodriguez handed him the award. Keb Mo and Marshall Chapmann presented him with the Artist of the Year.
 
The 2009 New/Emerging Artist Justin Townes Earle cemented his place as one of Americana Music's heirs apparent by picking up Song of the Year for "Harlem River Blues." John Oates and Mindy Smith presented.
 
The Avett Brothers walked away with another Duo/Group of the Year win, their third after winning in 2007 and 2010 and fourth overall, while Mumford and Sons were crowned New/Emerging Artist of the Year. Mark Olsen and Gary Louris of The Jayhawks presented the Duo/Group Award; The Greencards, winners in 2006, presented New/Emerging Artist.
 
Other award highlights of the night included a tearful Lucinda Williams accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award for songwriting from record exec Luke Lewis. She followed it with a haunting performance of "Blessed." Joining Williams in the Lifetime Achievement categories, the legendary Gregg Allman who received the Lifetime Achievement Award in Performance. Keb Mo handled the presenting honors. Alison Krauss gave the Lifetime Achievement Award for Instrumentalist to Jerry Douglas, equally revered for his solo work, session playing, and as a longtime member of Krauss' Union Station. R&B Legend Candi Staton presented the Jack Emerson Lifetime Achievement for Executive to Rick Hall, whose groundbreaking production work at FAME Studios created the Muscle Shoals sound. Afterward, she took to the Ryman stage to sing her hit "Heart On A String." Radio host Bob Harris accepted his Trailblazer Award from Emmylou Harris.
 
Americana Honors & Award Show Performances
The annual Americana Awards Show performance highlights included Amos Lee ("Cup of Sorrow"), Elizabeth Cook ("El Camino"), Earle ("Harlem River Blues"), Jessica Lea Mayfield ("For Today"), Hayes Carll ("KMAG YOYO"), The Secret Sisters ("Why Don't You Love Me?"), Miller ("Gasoline and Matches"), The Civil Wars ("Barton Hollow"), The Avett Brothers ("The Once and Future Carpenter") and Plant ("Monkey"). The evening ended as sweetly as it began, with Allman performing "Sweet Melissa," and then, joined by a majority of the night's guests, a rousing rendition of "Glory, Glory Hallelujah" to a standing audience. The event was broadcast live throughout Middle Tennessee on Nashville Public Television. An abridged version will be broadcast on PBS stations nationwide on November 19th (check local listings) as a special episode of Austin City Limits Presents.
 
2011 Americana Honors & Awards Winners:
ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Band Of Joy, Robert Plant
ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Buddy Miller
INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR: Buddy Miller
NEW/EMERGING ARTIST: Mumford & Sons
SONG OF THE YEAR: "Harlem River Blues" by Justin Townes Earle
DUO/GROUP OF THE YEAR: The Avett Brothers
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR SONGWRITER: Lucinda Williams
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR PERFORMANCE: Gregg Allman
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR INSTRUMENTALIST: Jerry Douglas
JACK EMERSON LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR EXEC: Rick Hall
TRAILBLAZER AWARD: Bob Harris

PAUL SIMON TURNS 70, LAUNCHES US FALL TOUR OCT. 17
"Graceland" 25th anniversary tour and box set planned 
(10/13/11) A 31-date Paul Simon US Fall Tour launches Oct. 17th in Phoenix in support of his latest album So Beautiful Or So What. Simon is also reportedly planning to reunite the musicians who originally toured with him for a 25th anniversary Graceland tour next year. Sony Legacy will release a Graceland box set in late spring of 2012. Simon turns 70 today. 

NEW COLDPLAY "MYLO XYLOTO" ALBUM OUT OCTOBER 24
Perform live from Madrid on youtube wed. night, Oct. 26
(10/12/11) Coldplay's fifth album Mylo Xyloto (Capitol) - their first new music in three years - is set to be released October 24th. The album was produced by Markus Dravs, Daniel Green and Rik Simpson "with enoxification and additional composition" by Brian Eno. The recording will be released in digital, CD and vinyl formats. A special limited edition Pop-Up Album version will also be available, which will include a 12" x 12" hardback book containing graffiti pop-up art designed by David A. Carter, vinyl, CD and exclusive content including photographs, excerpts from the studio diary and the band's personal notebooks.

On Wed., October 26, Coldplay will perform an American Express Unstaged show in Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas in Madrid, Spain and webcast in countries across the world. The show will be directed by Anton Corbijn and streamed live at youtube.com/coldplayVEVO at 4pm (ET)/1pm (PT). Coldplay will also tape their first ever US daytime television appearance on October 17 for The Ellen DeGeneres Show, to air October 27.

Coldplay are Chris Martin on lead vocals and piano, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion. The band formed in 1996 at University College London.

YOKO ONO LIGHTS INTERNATIONAL "PEACE TOWER" IN ICELAND
(10/10/11) As she does each year to celebrate the birthday of her late husband John Lennon, Yoko Ono and son Sean Lennon led a crowd in singing "Imagine" as they switched on the Imagine Peace Tower in Reykjavik, Iceland to commemorate the 71st birthday of John. The Imagine Peace Tower, a beam of light that shoots straight into the sky, was officially lit for the first time on John’s birthday in 2007. It projects from a base with the words "Imagine Peace". The Imagine Peace Tower is switched on every year from October 9th until December 8th, the anniversary of John Lennon's death.

FORMER WEEZER BASS PLAYER MIKEY WELSH FOUND DEAD
(10/10/11) Former Weezer bass player Mikey Welsh was found dead Sat. (10/8) in his room in Chicago's Raffaello Hotel. He was 40. Authorities said that there was nothing to indicate foul play. Welsh performed with Weezer from 1998 to 2001. He was heard on Weezer's third album, Weezer (more popularly known as the Green Album), which featured "Hash Pipe" and "Island in the Sun." Welsh left the band after suffering a nervous breakdown but made a successful comeback as a commercial artist. He lived in Burlington, VT.

The band's website read "Today is a hard day for weezer and all weezer friends, fans, and family. While everyone is still in shock over yesterday's tragic loss of Mikey Welsh, we know damn well he would never have wanted to stop the rock at today's RIOTfest, the show he was planning on attending. On the contrary, the rock was what he loved, both in music and art. To play the show and play it well tonight is to honor him and his memory. We have a feeling he will be watching."
 
INFLUENTIAL SCOTTISH FOLKIE BERT JANSCH DIES AT 67
(10/6/11) Once touted as Britain's answer to Bob Dylan, influential Scottish-born guitarist and singer-songwriter Bert Jansch has died (10/5) in London of lung cancer. He was 67. A founding member of the definitive '60s/'70s U.K. folk band Pentangle, Jansch recorded and toured for five decades after starting in his teens on the Edinburgh folk-club circuit in 1965. He enjoyed a successful solo career before forming the acclaimed "progressive jazz folk band" Pentangle in 1967 with guitarist John Renbourn. The group broke up in 1973. Jansch continued as a solo artist and played in various short-lived bands. Rolling Stone called him one of the top 100 guitarists of all time. His final album was 2006's The Black Swan, which featured Beth Orton and Devendra Banhart.

Major influence on Neil Young, Jimmy Page, Johnny Mars, Devendra Banhart
Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page was among Jansch's biggest fans; Zeppelin I's instrumental "Black Mountain Side" features a similar guitar pattern as Jansch's early version of a folk song "Blackwaterside." Neil Young has said that his song "Ambulance Blues" from On The Beach was "almost like a note-for-note cop" of Jansch's "Needle of Death." In a statement, Young said "With deep regret Pegi and I acknowledge the passing of Bert Jansch. Pegi and I were lucky to play with him on all of our shows for the last couple of years. He is a hero of mine, one of my greatest influences. Bert was one of the all-time great acoustic guitarists and singer songwriters. Our sincerest sympathies to his soul mate Loren. We love you Bert."

STEVE MARTIN WINS BLUEGRASS AWARD
(9/30/11) Comedian and musician Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers were named "Entertainer of the Year" at the International Bluegrass Music Association Awards last night (9/29) in Nashville at the Ryman Auditorium. In a brief acceptance speech Martin joked, "I want to thank all the other nominees... for losing."

2012 ROCK HALL OF FAME NOMINEES ANNOUNCED
Induction ceremony April 14th in Cleveland
(9/27/11) The nominations have been announced for the inductees into the 2012 Rock Hall of Fame: Beastie Boys, Donavon, The Spinners, Laura Nyro, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Freddie King, Donna Summer, Eric B. And Rakim, War, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, The Cure, Guns 'N Roses, Heart, Rufus f/ Chaka Kahn, The Cure, and The Small Faces/The Faces. The 27th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held in Cleveland on Sat., April 14, 2012.
Leading up to the ceremony, the Museum will host 10 days of special events, including tours of the newly redesigned Museum, the unveiling of a major new exhibit, and the grand opening of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's new Library and Archives. The Library and Archives will be the world's most comprehensive repository of written and audio-visual materials relating to the history of rock and roll. For more visit Rock Hall.

STING TURNS 60, CELEBRATES WITH BOX SET RELEASE, BEACON THEATRE SHOW IN NYC
Icon at work on a new musical
(9/26/11) Sting will celebrate his 60th birthday on Sunday with a solo box set release Sting: 25 Years (Cherrytree/A&M) (9/27) and a birthday bash Sat. Oct. 1st in New York at the Beacon Theatre. Artists featured at the show will include Bruce Springsteen, Mary J. Blige, Stevie Wonder, and Herbie Hancock, among others.
Sting is working with lyricist Brian Yorkey on a musical, The Last Ship.
Sting guests on Morning Joe on MSNBC Sept. 28th and appears on Letterman Oct. 3rd.

R.E.M. CALLS IT QUITS AFTER THREE DECADES
(9/21/11) After three decades and 15 studio albums, pioneering Alternative group R.E.M. have announced that they are disbanding. A group statement on the R.E.M. site read:

"To our Fans and Friends: As R.E.M., and as lifelong friends and co-conspirators, we have decided to call it a day as a band. We walk away with a great sense of gratitude, of finality, and of astonishment at all we have accomplished. To anyone who ever felt touched by our music, our deepest thanks for listening."

Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Bill Berry formed R.E.M. in 1980 in Athens, Georgia. Their debut album, Murmur, was released in 1983. In 2005, the band was inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame. The group released their final studio album Collapse Into Now (Warner Bros) in March of this year. Look for a new R.E.M. multi-disc compilation release November 15th titled Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage: 1982-2011. 

ARCADE FIRE WINS CANADA'S POLARIS MUSIC PRIZE
(9/20/11) Arcade Fire has won the $30,000 Polaris Music Prize - the equivalent to the U.K. Mercury Prize - for their third album, The Suburbs. The Montreal band previously won album-of-the-year at Canada's Juno Awards, the Grammys and Brit Awards. "Since the beginning of our career, we've tried to get paid in an oversized novelty check, but no one did it... 'til now," joked the group's Richard Reed Parry on stage last night. Six of the 10 shortlisted bands performed at the three hour event. The nominees included Ron Sexsmith, Braids, Galaxie, Destroyer, Austra, Hey Rosetta!, Colin Stetson, Timber Timbre, and The Weeknd. For more, visit PolarisMusicPrize.ca.
 
BLUESMAN WILLIE "BIG EYES" SMITH DIES
(9/19/11) Grammy-winning veteran Chicago bluesman Willie "Big Eyes" Smith has died (9/16) from a stroke. He was 75.  Smith, a longtime sideman for Muddy Waters, won a Grammy this year with the late Pinetop Perkins for their 2010 Joined at the Hip (Telarc) album. 

PAUL McCARTNEY TO TIE THE KNOT AGAIN
(9/14/11) Paul McCartney is set to marry his fiancée, Nancy Shevell, 52, this weekend in Sussex, England at a farmhouse in a small, intimate wedding. After the British wedding, the couple will celebrate in New York, where Shevell is a member of the board of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The marriage is McCartney's third.

KATHLEEN EDWARDS RELEASES 7" WITH JUSTIN VERNON SEPT. 27TH, KICKS OFF TOUR WITH BON IVER
(9/14/11) Wapusk, a new 7” from Kathleen Edwards, will be released September 27 on Zoë/Rounder Records. Advance copies of the record will also be made available at Edwards' upcoming shows. Recorded in Fall Creek, Wisconsin and Toronto, Ontario, the pair of songs ("Wapusk" and "Change the Sheets") were produced by Edwards alongside Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), who also provides backing vocals on the title track.

WILLIE NELSON COVERS COLDPLAY'S "THE SCIENTIST" FOR SUSTAINABLE FARMING FILM SHORT
(9/7/11) Farm Aid co-founder Willie Nelson has recorded Coldplay's "The Scientist" for the soundtrack to a short sustainable farming film called "Back to the Start" which opens in theaters this month. The two-minute stop-motion animated film shows the life of a family farmer who turns his farm into a large industrial farm before changing course back to a sustainable future. All proceeds benefit the Chipotle Mexican Grill's Cultivate Foundation, dedicated to creating a sustainable food future. Willie's version of "The Scientist" is available for sixty cents at iTunes. Watch the film short at WillieNelson.com.

PJ HARVEY WINS BRIT MERCURY PRIZE
(9/7/11) PJ Harvey won Britain's Mercury Prize on Tuesday (9/6), for her album Let England Shake (Vagrant). Winning the prestigious music prize for the second time, Harvey this year beat out Adele, James Blake, Tinie Tempah and Elbow, among others. For the complete list of nominee albums, visit MercuryPrize.com. Harvey won the prize a decade ago for her Stories From The City, Stories from the Sea (Island). The XX won last year's 2010 Mercury Prize for their album xx (XL).

FOSTER THE PEOPLE'S "PUMPED UP KICKS" A CERTIFIED HIT, SOLD OUT U.S. TOUR BEGINS SEPT. 13
"Pumped Up Kicks" is certified Platinum as band kicks off new sold out tour leg 
(8/31/11) After a whirlwind few months with the global release of Torches (Columbia), a platinum certified single "Pumped Up Kicks" and a debut album that's climbing the charts with over 220,000 units sold to date, Foster The People are planning to hit the road again starting in mid-Sept., making stops at ACL and Popped! Festivals, along with 25 sold out dates around the U.S. With their second single "Helena Beat," the group, formed in Los Angeles, will be performing songs from Torches this fall on their third sold out U.S. Tour which starts in Scottsdale, AZ on September 13th and ends on October 20th in Las Vegas. The tour will include two sold out nights at New York City's Terminal 5, Los Angeles' Wiltern Theatre, San Francisco's Fillmore and Washington D.C.'s 9:30 Club. Before the catchy tune attained hit status in North America, "Pumped Up Kicks" was used in a sci-fi cable network TV show and in an ad for a UK mobile phone company.

DELTA BLUESMAN DAVID "HONEYBOY" EDWARDS DIES AT 95
(8/29/11) Veteran Mississippi Delta Bluesman David "Honeyboy" Edwards died just shy of his 96th birthday of congestive heart failure early Monday (8/29) in his Chicago South Shore apartment. Edwards won two Grammy Awards, a 2010 "Lifetime Achievement" award and a Grammy in 2008 for "Best Traditional Blues Album" for Last of the Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen: Live In Dallas. He performed at President Obama's Inauguartion Party and recently sat down to jam with fan Keith Richards. Edwards played his final gigs in April at the Juke Joint Festival and Cathead Mini-Festival in Clarksdale, Mississippi. A close friend of blues original Robert Johnson, Edwards loved to say "The world don't owe me nothing."

NIRVANA NEVERMIND 20TH ANNIVERSARY BOX SET OUT SEPT. 27, SIRIUS XM TO DEBUT ALL-NIRVANA CHANNEL SEPT. 23 TO CELEBRATE
(8/25/11) Nirvana's epic Nevermind album turns 20 in Sept. and a special re-issue box set releases Sept. 27th. Sirius XM Radio debuts an all-Nirvana channel Sept 23rd where Comedy Central's Jon Stewart will host a Q&A with the surviving members for two hours on Sept. 24th. The show will feature Nirvana members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, and Butch Vig, producer of Nevermind. Lead singer Kurt Cobain committed suicide in 1994. Nevermind was the group's second album. It has sold 10 million units in the US so far.

PHOENIX'S THOMAS MARS WEDS SOFIA COPPOLA
(8/29/11) Filmmaker royalty Sofia Coppola tied the knot with her longtime boyfriend, Thomas Mars of Phoenix, in southern Italy over the weekend. The couple were wed in a Sat. evening ceremony at Coppola's family's villa in the remote town of Bernalda, where her great-grandfather was born. Sofia, 40, was escorted down the aisle by her famous filmmaker father, Francis Ford Coppola. Mars is the father of their two young daughters, Romy, 4, and Cosima, 15 months.

EARLY ROCK SONGWRITING LEGEND JERRY LEIBER DIES
(8/23/11) Jerry Leiber, half of the most famous songwriting team in early rock 'n' roll, passed away in Los Angeles (8/22). He was 78. In 1950, Leiber partnered with Mike Stoller, who survives him, to produce smash hits for Elvis, Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, Peggy Lee, James Brown, and The Coasters.  Elvis recorded their first hit "Hound Dog" in 1956. In 1987, they were enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

MOTOWN SONGWRITER NICK ASHFORD DIES
(8/23/11) Nick Ashford, half of the legendary Motown songwriting team Ashford & Simpson hs died at age 70. Cause of death is not known although Ashford had throat cancer and was in treatment. Ashford & Simpson penned romantic duets like 1967's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing," "You're All I Need to Get By," and "Reach Out and Touch Somebody’s Hand."

NEW COLDPLAY ALBUM "MYLO XYLOTO" RELEASES OCTOBER 25
"Paradise" is next single
(8/15/11) Coldplay's fifth studio album, Mylo Xyloto (pronounced my-lo zy-letoe) (Capitol), will be released Oct. 25th. Produced by Markus Dravs, Daniel Green and Rik Simpson, with "enoxification" and additional composition by Brian Eno, Mylo Xyloto follows 2008's Viva La Vida. Mylo Xyloto will be released in digital, CD and vinyl formats. The 180-gram vinyl edition will include a poster. A special limited edition Pop-Up Album version will also be available, which will include a large hardback book containing graffiti pop-up art designed by David A. Carter, vinyl, CD and exclusive content including photographs, excerpts from the studio diary and the band's personal notebooks. The "reversible" cover art was just revealed on their site. Half of the CDs will be packaged with the full color artwork as the cover while the other half will have the CD booklet flipped, showing the silver initials "M X" via a die-cut sheet placed over the color image.
"Paradise," the follow-up to Coldplay's current single, "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall," will be released as a single September 12th and ship to radio the same day.
Coldplay – comprising Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion and Chris Martin – have sold more than 50 million records worldwide and won numerous awards, including seven Grammys.

JOHNNY CASH BAND MEMBER MARSHALL GRANT DIES
(8/8/11) Marshall Grant, founding bass player of Johnny Cash's original band the Tennessee Two and Cash's longtime road manager, died (8/7) in Jonesboro, Ark. He was 83. Grant had left his home in Mississippi to visit Arkansas to play the Johnny Cash Festival, a charity event to fund restoration of Cash's childhood home in Dyess.

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS CD RELEASE SHOW AUG. 30TH FROM GERMANY 
(8/5/11) The Red Hot Chili Peppers release I'm With You (Warner Bros) August 30th. On that date, the band is set to perform the entire album in sequence in a special HD concert Red Hot Chili Peppers Live: I'm With Youlive from Cologne, Germany via satellite to select movie theaters in the US and around the world. Meanwhile, for those who can't make it to a theater, a performance of RHCP at the Roxy in LA will be telecast August 30th at 9pm (EST) on the Fuse TV network.

U2 TO RELEASE "ACHTUNG BABY" 20TH ANNIVERSARY BOX SET NOV. 1
Set will include previously unheard material and documentary DVD "From The Sky Down"
(8/4/11) Fresh off closing out their seemingly endless North American 360 Degree Tour last weekend (7/30) in Moncton, New Brunswick at the Magnetic Hill Music Festival, U2 are set to release a 20th anniversary reissue of Achtung Baby in an extensive box set, 20 Years of Achtung Baby (Island), due November 1st. The set is available in various editions. The deluxe edition includes six CDs including Achtung Baby and the 1993 follow-up Zooropa, plus outtakes and previously unheard songs. The package also features four DVDs including ZOO TV: Live From Sydney and the new U2 documentary From the Sky Down. Also included are clear 7-inch singles in replicas of their original packaging, 16 art prints from the original album sleeve, an 84-page hardback book, and even a replica of Bono's "The Fly" sunglasses, among other extras. A Super deluxe edition of Achtung Baby with additional CDs and art and an Achtung Baby vinyl box edition are also available.

LEGENDARY CROONER TONY BENNETT TURNS 85, "DUETS II" ALBUM RELEASES SEPT. 20
(8/3/11) Tony Bennett turns 85 today. And he has recorded a new album to celebrate. Produced by Phil Ramone, Duets II (Columbia) features collaborations with Sheryl Crow, Aretha Franklin, Norah Jones, KD Lang, John Mayer, Willie Nelson, and Amy Winehouse, among others. The album will be in stores on September 20th. Bennett appears today (8/3) on the The Today Show and Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. Bennett's official 85th birthday celebration will be held on Sunday, September 18th after his debut performance at the Metropolitan Opera House with a special charity dinner performance by Elton John. Duets II is the follow-up to the multi-platinum CD, Duets, released in conjunction with Bennett's 80th birthday in 2006. The album won three Grammy Awards.

KINGS OF LEON CANCEL REST OF SUMMER TOUR
Lead singer Caleb Followill complains of "vocal issues and exhaustion"
(8/1/11) Kings of Leon have abruptly canceled the rest of their summer tour after a mess of a show in the extreme heat of Dallas (7/29) that was aborted after lead singer Caleb Followill left the stage to become ill. According to band management, Followill has been "suffering from vocal issues and exhaustion," and that the group had decided it was best for fans to kill the tour. Due to the Kings' touring schedule abroad, the US shows will not be rescheduled. Tickets for those shows will be refunded at point of purchase, or automatically refunded if ordered online. Kings Of Leon will head out on tour again on September 28th with a show at the Rogers Center in Vancouver, a concert originally scheduled for September 14th.

DAN PEEK OF '70s BAND AMERICA DIES
(7/27/11) Dan Peek of the hit '70s band America died Sun. (7/24) at home in Farmington MO. He was 60. The cause of death is not yet known. Peek along with Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell enjoyed pop hits like "A Horse with No Name," "Ventura Highway," and "Sister Golden Hair". Peek wrote "Lonely People," "Woman Tonight," and "Don't Cross the River" (later recorded by Garth Brooks). Peek sang lead and backup vocals, and played guitar, bass, keyboards and harmonica. He left the group for a solo career.
Peek's 1979 album All Things Are Possible picked up a Grammy nomination. Bunnell and Beckley just released a new album as America, Back Pages (Entertainment One Music) on July 26th. 

PEARL JAM "TWENTY" DOCUMENTARY OPENS IN SELECT THEATERS SEPT. 23, BOOK DUE SEPT. 13, ALBUM RELEASES SEPT. 20, FILM DVD OUT OCT. 25
(7/26/11) In celebration of their 20th Anniversary, Pearl Jam will debut the Cameron Crowe documentary, Pearl Jam Twenty, at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival on September 10th. Pearl Jam is set to release the documentary worldwide on September 20th in select theaters for one night only, with a full week run of the film beginning September 23rd in select cities in the US. Twenty will premiere on US television October 21st at 9 p.m. (ET/PT) as part of the PBS American Masters series, airing during the first-ever PBS Arts Fall Festival. The DVD of the film will be released worldwide October 25th. Pearl Jam Twenty will also be available on Movies On Demand timed to the theatrical release. In addition, as part of their year-long celebration, Pearl Jam is releasing a Pearl Jam Twenty (Simon & Schuster) book on September 13th compiled and written by Jonathan Cohen with Mark Wilkerson.

SINGER-SONGWRITER BILL MORRISSEY DIES
(7/25/11) Iconic New England troubadour Bill Morrissey died Sat. (7/23) in a Georgia hotel room. He was 59. Cause of death is not yet known. A post on BillMorrissey.net read "Bill's fans and the folk music community are deeply saddened by his loss." Bill Morrissey recorded ten albums - of which two were nominated for Grammy Awards - and also wrote two acclaimed novels. Bill Morrissey recorded the 1993 Friend Of Mine album with Greg Brown. His most recent album was 2007's Come Running, recorded with Dave Alvin and members of Morphine.

INTERNATIONAL STAR AMY WINEHOUSE DIES IN LONDON AT 27
The curse of age 27: Brian Jones, Hendrix, Janis, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain
(7/23/11) Singer Amy Winehouse was found dead at her flat in London Saturday. She was 27. Authorities have yet to release cause of death. Winehouse was credited as a major influence in the rise in popularity of female musicians in the 2000's and soul music, energizing the British music scene and paving the way for an even bigger star, Adele. Winehouse had become renown for her notoriously erratic behavior in public, with various arrests and alcohol and drug issues over the past years. She also suffered from different health problems. A few weeks ago, fans booed her off the stage in Belgrade, causing her European comeback tour to be scubbed. She had recently been released from rehab, which made for endless tabloid fodder. 
Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was nominated in the UK for the Mercury Prize. Her 2006 follow-up, Back to Black, earned five Grammy Awards and six Grammy nominations, tying the record for the most wins by a female artist. Winehouse's hits included "Stronger Than Me," "Rehab" and "Love Is a Losing Game". She and her former husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, endured legal troubles that sent him to prison.
Winehouse passed at 27, the same age as four other prominent musicians who overdosed and/or drank themselves to death: the Rolling Stone's Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and the Door's Jim Morrison. Nirvana's Kurt Cobain committed suicide at age 27.

YOKO ONO VISITS JAPAN IN SHOW OF SUPPORT FOR HOMELAND AFTER DISASTER
(7/22/11) Yoko Ono surveyed her disaster-stricken homeland and said she was deeply saddened by the wreckage caused by the March 11 quake and tsunami that left more than 20,000 people dead or missing and resulted in the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.
"I really wanted to hold them, hug them and tell them, 'Listen, we are all together,'" Ono said in an interview Friday with the AP before accepting an award for her philanthropic work in Asia and Africa. The Tokyo-born artist and widow of the late John Lennon moved to New York City with her family in 1940.

JAYHAWKS REUNION ALBUM "MOCKINGBIRD TIME" OUT SEPT. 20
(7/21/11) The Jayhawks will release their reunion album Mockingbird Time (Rounder/CMG), featuring "She Walks In So Many Ways," on September 20th. The record is the first Jayhawks album in eight years and the first album recorded with the classic Gary Louris and Mark Olson-led lineup since 1995's Tomorrow The Green Grass. "This is a record for a true Jayhawks fan who loves Tomorrow The Green Grass," Louris told Rolling Stone. "It's not a mirror image, but it has a lot of the same elements." Olson originally left the Jayhawks in the late '90s, in search of a change, moving out west to Joshua Tree with his wife, Victoria Williams. In 2009, Louris and Olson released Ready for the Flood (New West) and the two have since toured together and with the Jayhawks. Following July dates in the Midwest, the group is currently on tour in Europe and will return to the US for a September 17th gig back home in Mankato, MN at Riverfront Park with additional dates to be announced.

CHEAP TRICK SURVIVE STAGE COLLAPSE IN OTTAWA, FANS INJURED
(7/18/11) The members of Cheap Trick survived a collapsed stage at the Ottawa Bluesfest over the weekend (7/17) after severe weather moved in on the concert site. Freak winds clocked up to 96 miles per hour slammed the main stage with little warning. At least eight people in the crowd were injured. On the band's web site, lead singer Robin Zander writes "Fortunately the band and crew are all lucky to be alive and we'll see you down the road."

2011 MERCURY PRIZE NOMINEES ANNOUNCED
(7/18/11) The nominees for the UK's prestigious 2011 Mercury Prize for the shortlist album of the year are: Adele, Elbow, PJ Harvey, James Blake, Tinie Tempah, Katy B., Ghostpoet, Everything Everything, Anna Calvi, Metronomy, Gwilym Simcock, and King Creosote & Jon Hopkins. Last year's 2010 Mercury Prize winner was the XX. 

BAY AREA MUSE CONCERT AUGUST 7: CSN, JACKSON BROWNE, BONNIE RAITT, JASON MRAZ, DOOBIE BROTHERS, TOM MORELLO, JOHN HALL AND MORE
(7/14/11) Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE) presents an all-star lineup performing starting at 3pm on Sunday August 7th in a benefit concert at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA. The event supports disaster relief efforts in Japan and organizations worldwide working to promote safe, alternative, non-nuclear energy. Event sponsor VantagePoint Capital Partners is the leading global investor in energy innovation and efficiency. Performers include Crosby, Stills & Nash, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Jason Mraz, The Doobie Brothers, Tom Morello, John Hall, Kitaro, Jonathan Wilson, and Sweet Honey in the Rock with special guests.  The artists will be performing together throughout the show, with Browne and Raitt anchoring part the first set, and CSN closing the show.
 
The decision to plan a MUSE benefit was made shortly after the meltdowns at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Shoreline Amphitheatre, the U.S.'s largest green-certified concert venue, was chosen because of its proximity to the Pacific Rim, Northern California's close association with Japan - and because nuclear reactors on the California coast store spent fuel rods that are similar to Fukushima. The stage will be sustainably powered by an integrated system incorporating solar, biodiesel, wind, and LED technologies. For more info on MUSE and the upcoming benefit concert, visit: MUSE 

THE GRASSROOTS' ROB GRILL DIES
(7/13/11) Rob Grill, longtime lead singer of the late '60s hit rock group the Grass Roots died (7/11) in Tavares, FL. after suffering a head injury in a fall last month. Grill was 67. The band was best known for catchy psychedelic pop nuggets like "Midnight Confessions" and "Let's Live For Today". 

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS TO RELEASE "I'M WITH YOU" AUG. 30
(7/13/11) The Red Hot Chili Peppers are set to release I'm With You (Warner Bros) August 30th, their tenth studio album and first studio album since the 2006 double-disc set, Stadium Arcadium. The new record is produced by Grammy-winning producer Rick Rubin. Guitarist Josh Klinghoffer has replaced John Frusciante while band members have gone through plenty of personal changes since the release of their last album five years ago. Rubin recently told the Washington Examiner "Anthony (Kiedis) and Flea had children during that time, so their lives have changed a lot since the last album we made, and because they had taken this time off, they came back with a real hunger and excitement about the music-making process again. He added "I think it's the first time in their career that they'd ever taken off that big of a chunk of time, and they've been a band for 28 years now. It really feels like starting all over again, because they have the dynamics of a new band."
I'm With You features the advance track, "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie," arriving digitally at Triple A radio on Monday, July 18th at 11:30am (PST). Next month the Los Angeles band will embark on select summer/fall/winter tour dates in Asia, South America and Europe.

"GREATEST FIDDLER" KENNY BAKER PASSES
(7/12/11) Services are being held today (7/12) in Burdine, KY. for acclaimed fiddler Kenny Baker, a member of Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys from 1968 to 1984. He died (7/8) in Nashville at 85 after suffering a stroke earlier in the week. Baker was often introduced onstage by Monroe, considered the Father of Bluegrass, as "the greatest fiddler in bluegrass music."

BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB GUITARIST MANUEL GALBAN DIES AT 80
(7/11/11) Manuel Galban, a Grammy-winning Cuban guitarist who rose to international fame as a member of the Buena Vista Social Club died of a heart attack in Havana. He was 80. Communist Party newspaper Granma noted Galban's passing calling him a "master of the guitar." "It is a very sad day for Cuban music and fans of Cuban Music," said Daniel Florestano, longtime manager of both Galban and the Buena Vista Social Club, in a statement issued by Galban's publicist.

TOM PETTY ADMONISHES CANDIDATE BACHMAN OVER USE OF "AMERICAN GIRL"
Katrina & The Waves also fire off cease-and-desist letter 
(7/1/11) Tom Petty's attorneys have sent presidential candidate Michele Bachman a cease-and-desist order over her campaign's unathorized use of the early Petty song, "American Girl". Petty management had previously sent George W. Bush a cease-and-desist letter over his presidential campaign's use of the song, "I Won't Back Down." In a related story, the U.K. band Katrina & The Waves have also sent Bachman a cease-and-desist letter over her use of the group's "Walking On Sunshine" 
during the campaign.

MUSICIANS PROTEST RECORDING ACADEMY, CBS OVER GRAMMY CATEGORIES 
(6/30/11) A coalition of musicians that has protested the Recording Academy's decision to drop 31 categories from the Grammy Awards is calling for a boycott of the Grammys' telecast partner, CBS, and exploring legal action. "We will ask people to stop watching CBS, boycott their sponsors and then write them" said Bobby Sanabria, a Grammy-nominated Latin jazz musician and the leader of the coalition. The group plans a press conference today to address the boycott. CBS will air the Grammys next February. In a move that took the industry by surprise, the Academy announced in April that it was reducing the number of award categories from 109 to 78.

ARRIVING AT RADIO: FIRST TRACK FROM SUPERHEAVY FEATURING MICK JAGGER, JOSS STONE, DAVE STEWART, DAMIAN MARLEY, A.R. RAHMAN
First song "Miracle worker" ships to radio, debut album out in September
(6/27/11) Superheavy, the new project featuring Mick Jagger, Joss Stone, Eurythmics' Dave Stewart, Damian Marley and composer A.R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire) will release their debut album on Universal Republic in September. The first single is called "Miracle Worker," shipping to radio after the 4th of July holiday. Jagger and Stewart co-produced the album which was recorded in various studios around the world, including France, Cyprus, Miami and India, but mostly in LA. The five artists wrote 22 songs in their first six days hanging out together. Jagger and Stewart previously worked together on the 2004 soundtrack to the film "Alfie" and Stewart produced Joss Stone's last album. They choose Damian Marley who showed up with his rhythm section, bassist and composer Shiah Coore and drummer Courtney Diedrick. Rahman was recruited while recording in Los Angeless. SuperHeavy came together after Jagger and Stewart speculated on what a band of musicians from different genres might sound like. The name "SuperHeavy" was reportedly inspired by the great fighter Muhammad Ali.

BUJU BANTON GETS TEN YEARS FOR COCAINE SALES
(6/23/11) Grammy-winning reggae star Buju Banton has been sentenced to ten years in prison for cocaine sales. The 37-year-old Jamaican was sentenced in Tampa federal court for a 2009 charge. A jury convicted him in February. Banton's attorney said with time already served and good behavior, he could be out in six years. 

ADELE RESCHEDULES N. AMERICAN TOUR, SIX NEW DATES ADDED
(6/23/11) Adele is set to return to North America to resume touring after the 23-year-old singer was forced to cancel her tour in early June due to laryngitis. The rescheduled dates are in August and October. The new tour will include stops in six additional cities including Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Durham, NC, Orlando, Miami and Spring, TX. The first round of rescheduled dates kicks off on August 9 in Vancouver, BC and runs through August 24 in Saint Paul, MN. The second round of dates kicks off on October 7 in Atlantic City and runs through October 21 in Grand Prairie, TX. Adele's sophomore album 21 has held the #1 position on US album charts for 10 weeks and has been certified double platinum. In her native U.K., Adele's 21 has spent more time at #1 than any other female artist in history. Rescheduled Adele North American Tour Dates
AMY WINEHOUSE SCRAPS EURO TOUR AFTER BELGRADE FIASCO
(6/22/11) Brit singer Amy Winehouse is postponing all future shows. Her gig in Belgrade on Saturday kicked off what was to be a 12-date European tour. She was jeered as she stumbled around the stage and forgot the lyrics to her songs.
Meanwhile, in England, Winehouse's ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil has been jailed on burglary charges.

BONO PROVIDES RUNNING U2 UPDATE AS 360 TOUR ROLLS ON
Adam Clayton becomes a father, Larry Mullins an actor, The Edge... a farmer?
(6/19/11) Performing last night in Anaheim while the U2 360 Tour rolled through Southern California, Bono dedicated "Moment of Surrender" (from 2009's No Line On The Horizon) to the late Clarence Clemons and offered an update on U2 band member activities via onstage banter: "Thank you Orange County for your patience, some of you are two years older than you were when you bought your tickets for tonight's show...A lot can happen in that time, for example Adam…you may see there's an extra bounce in his step. That's because Adam Clayton is a proud father. Larry. A movie star, it had to happen. Our Lawrence plays opposite the great and gifted Donald Sutherland in a new movie called Man On A Train. And The Edge became a farmer, just yesterday actually. He had a slightly different plan. He was going to build a nuclear reactor, but farming is good, he's back to wind farming...on guitars and everything else - The Edge!" The U2 North American Tour Dates feature various opening acts, including The Fray, Lenny Kravitz, Florence and the Machine, Interpol, and Arcade Fire.

CLARENCE CLEMONS DIES
Bruce Springsteen: "His loss is immeasurable..."
(6/19/11) Legendary saxophone player Clarence Clemons has died from complications from a stroke (6/12) following two brain surgeries at a Palm Beach, FL hospital. He was 69. Best known for songs like "10th Avenue Freezeout," "Born to Run," "Badlands," "Jungleland" and "Prove it All Night," the Norfolk, VA-born "Big Man" had been dealing with various health problems over the years with his back, hips and knees. An original member of Bruce Springsteen and the Street Band, the two began performing and recording together in 1971 on the debut album Greetings From Asbury Park. Clemons released several solo albums along the way. In 1985, he had a hit single with Jackson Browne on "You're a Friend of Mine" and played sax on Aretha Franklin's hit "Freeway of Love" that same year. He enjoyed an acting career as well, in New York, New York and Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, with cameo roles in several TV series, including Diff'rent Strokes, Nash Bridges, The Simpsons and The Wire. He toured with Ringo Starr and the Grateful Dead. Clemons recently performed on the American Idol TV show with Lady Gaga and is heard on two tracks on her latest album Born This Way. He was featured in the documentary Who Do I Think I Am? A Portrait of a Journey, filmed while Clemons traveled through China. A memoir was published in 2009, Big Man: Real Life and Tall Tales. Clemons is the second member of the E Street Band to die in recent years. In 2008, keyboard player Danny Federici died at age 58 of melanoma.

On his website, Bruce Springsteen said of his friend and band mate: "Clarence lived a wonderful life. He carried within him a love of people that made them love him. He created a wondrous and extended family. He loved the saxophone, loved our fans and gave everything he had every night he stepped on stage. His loss is immeasurable and we are honored and thankful to have known him and had the opportunity to stand beside him for nearly forty years. He was my great friend, my partner, and with Clarence at my side, my band and I were able to tell a story far deeper than those simply contained in our music. His life, his memory, and his love will live on in that story and in our band."

DMB CARAVAN SET TO ROLL INTO ATLANTIC CITY, CHICAGO, NEW YORK, WASHINGTON STATE
(6/17/11) Celebrating their 20th anniversary this year, the Dave Matthews Band is hosting four concert festivals this summer as The Dave Matthews Caravan: June 24-26 at Bader Field in Atlantic City, July 8-10 lakeside in Chicago, August 26-28 at Governors Island in New York and September 2-4 at The Gorge in George, WA. For the complete schedule of bands, visit DaveMatthewsBandCaravan.com

BLUES BROTHER TRUMPET PLAYER ALAN RUBIN DIES
(6/16/11) Trumpeter Alan Rubin has passed away from lung cancer in New York at age 68. Rubin was best known for his role as the trumpet player in The Blues Brothers band with John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, a group that began as an SNL skit and became an iconic movie. Rubin played the role of "Mr. Fabulous" in the first Blues Brothers film and later in Blues Brothers 2000, a trumpeter-turned-maitre d’. A Julliard graduate, Rubin has collaborated with Sting, Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Aerosmith, Paul Simon, Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones, among others.

POLICE BREAK UP PLOT TO ROB JOSS STONE
(6/15/11) Brit modern soul diva Josh Stone was the subject of a bungled murder and robbery plot. A pair of suspects were arrested yesterday outside her home in Devon, England. Police found swords, ropes and a body bag inside the suspect's vehicle parked on the estate. Stone will begin a European tour in a few weeks and release her new album, LP1 in the US July 26th.

CHICAGO HONORS LONNIE BROOKS, ALLIGATOR RECORDS
(6/14/11) Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel honored the 40th Anniversary of Alligator Records with a congratulatory letter presented to Alligator president and founder Bruce Iglauer on Sunday, June 12th during the Chicago Blues Festival. Emanuel and the City Council also honored legendary Alligator recording artist Lonnie Brooks with a proclamation declaring June 12, 2011 "Lonnie Brooks Day" throughout Chicago.

AMOS LEE TO PERFORM JULY 4TH AT THE WHITE HOUSE
(6/14/11) Amos Lee has been invited by President Barack Obama and The First Lady to perform at The White House as part of the upcoming 4th Of July Celebration. The entire concert will be streamed live at whitehouse.gov. Amos Lee kicks off his US Tour June 26th at the Atlantic City Music Festival and winds it up August 21st in San Diego before heading to Europe. Lucinda Williams joins Lee in July for nine co-headlining dates. The two recently collaborated on the song "Clear Blue Eyes" on Amos Lee's Mission Bell (Blue Note) album, released earlier this year.

MICK JAGGER REVS UP JAGGED FILMS
(6/13/11) Besides his SuperHeavy band side project, Mick Jagger is keeping busy with film side projects these days. His Jagged Films currently has "The Long Play" in development for HBO with Martin Scorsese directing and screenplay by Terence Winter. Also on deck, "Tiny Problems of White People" with Jagger and Colin Firth set to star. Some of Jagger's more recent acting credits include "Bent," "The Man From Elysian Fields" and "Enigma" which he also produced.
Meanwhile, portraits of a young Mick Jagger taken in the 1960s are on display at the National Portrait Gallery through Nov. 27. The display coordinates with the publication of "Mick Jagger: The Photobook" by Thames & Hudson.

NEIL FINN FORMS NEW BAND "PAJAMA CLUB"
(6/8/11) Crowded House's Neil Finn and his wife Sharon are part of a new band called Pajama Club (formerly Pajama Party). The New Zealand band's self titled debut will be available Sept. 13th in the US through Lester Records/Redeye.

"SPIDER-MAN" FINALLY OPENS ON BROADWAY AS SOUNDTRACK RELEASES
(6/10/11) With the Broadway premiere of "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" finally set for Tuesday, June 14th, Bono and The Edge, who penned the music and lyrics for the long-delayed musical, previewed the play last night at Foxwoods Theatre in New York. "It's weird to be a $70 million underdog," Bono quipped about the most expensive musical in Broadway history. Originally set to open last year, the "Spider-Man" opening was delayed due to injuries, creative problems and brutal early reviews of the previews. Talking to a crowd of industry types in the theatre lobby, Bono said he hoped that people would enjoy the production rather than focus on its past problems. The soundtrack to the musical, Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark (Interscope) releases Tuesday, June 14th, same day as the official Broadway opening.
"Spider-Man" includes 14 new songs co-written by Bono and The Edge and produced by Steve Lillywhite. The album features Reeve Carney with Bono and The Edge on the lead track, "Rise Above 1". Reeve Carney is frontman for the band Carney who perform nightly in the musical along with the cast and a twenty member orchestra. U2, meanwhile, are in the final leg of their massive 360 Summer Tour, with the next show set for June 17th in Anaheim, CA. 

SINGER-SONGWRITER AND LA SESSION MAN ANDREW GOLD DIES AT 59
(6/6/11) Singer-songwriter-instrumentalist Andrew Gold died of a heart attack over the weekend (6/3) in Los Angeles. He was 59. An early signing at David Geffen's Asylum Records, Gold was best known for a string of mid to late '70s albums that produced the pop hits "Lonely Boy" and "Thank You For Being a Friend"; the latter song the theme of the sitcom "The Golden Girls." Andrew was the son of Ernest Gold, Oscar-winning composer of the "Exodus" soundtrack, and prominent soundtrack ghost singer Marni Nixon. Gold started out as a member of Bryndle with L.A. folkies Wendy Waldman, Karla Bonoff and the late Kenny Edwards. By 1973, Gold became the leader of Linda Ronstadt's band and played on her 1974 solo breakthrough "Heart Like a Wheel" album and on the hits "You're No Good" and "When Will I Be Loved." In the '80s, Gold formed the group Wax UK with former 10cc co-leader Graham Gouldman for three albums, regrouping later in the '90s for two albums and some live shows. Gold was also a producer, writer and sideman for Art Garfunkel, Stephen Bishop, Vince Gill, Aaron Neville, Wynonna Judd, James Taylor, Paul McCartney, Jackson Browne and Brian Wilson, among others. 

GIL SCOTT-HERON DIES
"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"
(5/31/11) Singer-songwriter and poet Gil Scott-Heron died Friday (5/27) in New York. Cause of death is not yet known. He was 62. "The Godfather of Rap" is best known for the innovative spoken-word track "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," a staple on early '70s progressive FM rock radio. The Chicago-born musician moved to New York to record the 1970 album Small Talk at 125th and Lenox, which featured the first version of "The Revolution..." a song that has since been referenced and parodied heavily. Scott-Heron recorded and toured in the '70s and early '80s and returned after a break in '94 with his album, Spirits, which featured the song, "Message to the Messengers," where the veteran issued a warning about responsibility to the coming hip-hop generation. Rapper-producer Kanye West closed out his 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy with a track built around a sample of Scott-Heron's voice. Scott-Heron wrestled with substance abuse in the 2000s and spent some time in jail on drug possession charges. He began performing again after his release in 2007. In February of 2010 - 40 years after the release of his first record - Scott-Heron released his last record, the acclaimed album, I'm New Here (XL Recordings).

DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE RELEASE "CODES AND KEYS," LAUNCH SUMMER TOUR IN BEND
(5/26/11) Washington state's Death Cab For Cutie release their seventh studio album, Codes and Keys (Atlantic), on May 31st. In the three years since they released their last album, Narrow Stairs, each band member has had his share of life changes. Group leader Ben Gibbard and bass player Nick Harmer got married (Gibbard to actress Zooey Deschanel), drummer Jason McGerr had a child, and guitarist Chris Walla moved from Portland back to Seattle. Walla says the new album conceptually deals with the idea of "home," underscored by the advance track, "You Are A Tourist". Recorded in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., the album is produced by Alan Moulder (Arctic Monkeys, Nine Inch Nails, Jesus and Marychain, Smashing Pumpkins) who adds analog synths and a string session. A Death Cab For Cutie Tour in support of Codes and Keys begins Friday, May 27th in Bend, Oregon and wraps up August 26th in St. Paul, MN.

Death Cab For Cutie 2011 Summer Tour

JAGGER FORMS NEW "SUPER HEAVY" BAND WITH DAVE STEWART, JOSH STONE, DAMIAN MARLEY AND A.R. RAHMAN, ALBUM DUE IN FALL
(5/25/11) Mick Jagger is reportedly part of a new band with the working title, "Super Heavy". The band features the Rolling Stones frontman along with Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics, Joss Stone, Damian Marley and Indian film composer A.R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire). The group is in talks with labels with a debut album tentatively planned for September. Mick Jagger recently told Rolling Stone, "It's different from anything else I've ever been involved in," and "The music is very wide-ranging – from reggae to ballads to Indian songs in Urdu." The idea for the project came during a phone call from Jagger to his friend Dave Stewart. "We wanted a convergence of different musical styles," Jagger said when asked about how they chose the other band members. Damian, the youngest Marley son, is credited with coming up with the name for the band. "He was just singing 'Heavy, heavy, heavy, heavy, super heavy,'" Stewart explained.

RECORD-SETTING U2 "360" JUGGERNAUT RETURNS TO NORTH AMERICA
"Most successful tour of all time"
(5/25/11) On the heels of sold-out shows in Mexico City, the U2 360 Tour has returned to North America to close out the ambitious record-breaking roadtrip. This summer U2 360 will play 18 new cities across the US and Canada before finally ending it in Moncton, New Brunswick on July 30. The U2 North American Tour Dates feature various opening acts, including The Fray, Lenny Kravitz, Florence and the Machine, Interpol, and Arcade Fire. The group opened the new North American tour Leg 3 in Denver May 21 and played last night (May 24) in Salt Lake City. The band from Dublin takes to the stage in Winnipeg, Canada on Sunday, May 29.

The U2 360 Tour opened on June 30, 2009 in Barcelona, Spain and later in North America on September 12th at Soldier Field, Chicago for 20 dates across 16 cities. U2 360 has already set the record for the most successful tour of all time, having played so far to over 5 million people across Europe, Russia, North America, South America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. By the tour's end July 30, more than 7 million people will have seen the production with 110 shows in 30 countries across five continents.

U2 360 NORTH AMERICAN SUMMER TOUR DATES

PEARL JAM PLAY LABOR DAY WEEKEND IN EAST TROY WI, ADD 10-DATE CANADIAN TOUR
Only US appearance of the year for the band at Alpine Valley Music Theatre 
(5/23/11) Pearl Jam is set to kick off their twenty-year anniversary headlining a Labor Day weekend festival at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, WI on September 3rd and 4th - their only US appearance this year - followed by a ten-date Pearl Jam Canadian Tour starting September 7th in Montreal and wrapping up September 25th in Vancouver. The band is also set to release a Cameron Crowe-directed film, Pearl Jam Twenty, along with an accompanying Pearl Jam Twenty (Simon & Schuster) book and Pearl Jam Twenty (Columbia/Sony Music) soundtrack album in the fall. The band launched the twenty-year anniversary festivities this year with the release of a new live compilation album, Live on Ten Legs, followed by the expanded reissues of Vs. and Vitalogy in March. 
Meanwhile, Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder is touring the US this summer with his solo release Ukulele Songs (Monkeywrench/Universal Republic) releasing May 31. The new album, follow-up to his 2007 Into The Wild film soundtrack, features the advance track "Longing To Belong." An Eddie Vedder concert film DVD, Water on the Road, also releases May 31. The film is culled from Aug. 16, 17, 2008 performances at Washington, D.C.'s Warner Theatre. Eddie hits the road June 15-July 15 for a limited U.S. Tour. 

LEVON HELM GIVES BACK TO AMERICANA
(5/19/11) The Americana Music Association has announced that Levon Helm will donate a portion of his new Ramble at the Ryman CD/DVD proceeds to the not for profit trade association. 

DANGER MOUSE AND DANIELE LUPPI RELEASE SPAGHETTI-WESTERN FANTASY FILM SCORE "ROME," FEATURING JACK WHITE AND NORAH JONES
(5/16/11) The year was 2004. Super-producer Danger Mouse, aka Brian Burton, had the media buzzing over The Grey Album, was in the studio starting work on Gorillaz' Demon Days while also launching the successful Gnarls Barkley project with Cee-Lo Green. After an intense songwriting period with acclaimed Italian composer Daniele Luppi, the two decided to travel to Rome to record an ambitious homage to classic Italian film soundtracks. Luppi assembled the original musicians from iconic films like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Once Upon a Time in the West and replicated the recording practices of that 60s/70s golden age. Burton recruited Jack White of the White Stripes for the project, who he had met earlier while on tour with Gnarls Barkley. White recorded his contributions for the album, "The Rose With The Broken Neck," Two Against One" and "The World" in Nashville. Norah Jones flew to Burton's LA studio from New York to sing on "Season's Trees," "Black" and "Problem Queen". Rome (Capitol) is available May 17th. Rolling Stone praised Rome saying it "is as much about sublime instrumentals - made of celesta, harpsichord, Hammond organ, strings, nasty funk guitar and those wierd-ass choirs - as lead singers, just as Sergio Leone's great Westerns were as much about fantastic landscapes as acting." For more info, visit Rome. 

SKATALITES DRUMMER LLOYD KNIBB DIES AT 80
(5/13/11) Legendary Jamaican drummer Lloyd Knibb, a member of the original ska beat band The Skatalites, has died of cancer. He was 80. The Skatalites, red-hot in the mid '60s and reunited two decades later, are best known for songs like "Guns of Navarone" and "Freedom Sounds".

THE CARS RELEASE "MOVE LIKE THIS," KICK OFF NORTH AMERICAN TOUR IN SEATTLE
(5/10/11) Pioneering "New Wave" band The Cars are back with their first new album since 1987 as Move Like This (Hear Music/Concord Music Group) releases today. The record marks the first release since the death of singer and bass player Ben Orr who died of pancreatic cancer in 2000. The Cars Move Like This features Ric Ocasek, Greg Hawkes, Elliot Easton and David Robinson, and was produced by Garret "Jacknife" Lee (U2, REM, The Hives, Weezer). Rolling Stone called the album "a total recall of the precise swagger, art-rock minimalism and chrome-gleam pop" that defines The Cars. The Salt Lake City Tribune loved the album "even if the newer bands are like Xbox and The Cars are more like Atari."
The Cars' North American Tour starts tonight (5/10) at Seattle's Showbox SoDo and wraps up May 26th at the House of Blues in their hometown of Boston.  

MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD TO JOIN SANTANA'S SOUND OF COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS TOUR
Summer tour kicks off August 25th in Seattle
(5/9/11) Michael Franti & Spearhead will open for Carlos Santana and The Santana Band as special guests on Santana's (SOCC) Sound of Collective Consciousness Tour this summer. The North American tour launches August 25th in Seattle with a concert at the White River Amphitheatre. SOCC tour highlights include stops in Vancouver, San Antonio, San Diego and Reno. "It's not often you get to meet one of your heroes, let alone go on tour with one. Carlos' music has always been about the inclusion of all peoples and cultures. He has inspired millions around the world, including me, to seek their highest good. To be honest, I can't think of a better party for the body and soul than a Santana-Spearhead concert," said Franti. He and Spearhead will be headlining a number of summer dates and festivals including The Dave Matthews Band Caravan, The Hang Out Festival, Wakarusa Festival, Mountain Jam, and more dates. For complete Franti-Santana tour info, visit MichaelFranti.com.  

2011 BLUES AWARDS WINNERS: BUDDY GUY, CHARLIE MUSSLEWHITE, IRMA THOMAS, JOHN HAMMOND, THE DEREK TRUCKS BAND, THE NIGHTHAWKS
The late Pinetop Perkins, Solomon Burke and Robin Rogers honored in Memphis
(5/6/11) Presented by The Blues Foundation, the 32nd Annual Blues Awards were held Thurs. night (5/5) in Memphis at the Cook Convention Center. Winners included Buddy Guy - who won Best Contemporary Blues Album of the Year for his Living Proof - Charlie Musslewhite, Irma Thomas, John Hammond, The Derek Trucks Band and The Nighthawks. Matt Hill won Best New Artist for his debut, On the Floor. It was a night filled with nostalgia as the late Pinetop Perkins, Solomon Burke and Robin Rogers were also honored with awards. Visit Blues.org for the full list of winners and nominees. The show featured performances by over two dozen acts, including Buddy Guy, Steve Miller, Denise LaSalle and Janiva Magness. Co-hosted by Sirius XM Radio's Big Llou, the event was heard live on Sirius XM B.B. King's Bluesville channel 70 and will be broadcast later on PBS-TV in the fall.

20TH LOLLAPALOOZA AUGUST 5-7 IN CHICAGO: COLDPLAY, MY MORNING JACKET, FOO FIGHTERS, MUSE, BRIGHT EYES AND MORE
(5/3/11) The 20th annual Lollapalooza Festival has announced the full line-up for the three-day event in Chicago's Grant Park August 5-7. Over 130 performers will perform on eight stages, including Coldplay, My Morning Jacket, Foo Fighters, Eminem, Muse, Bright Eyes, A Perfect Circle, The Cars, Big Audio Dynamite, Cee Lo Green, Ween, Arctic Monkeys, Deftones, Beirut, Explosions in the Sky, Death From Above 1979, Ratatat, Crystal Castles, Flogging Molly, Atmosphere, Cold War Kids, Lykke Li, Local Natives, Two Door Cinema Club, Smith Westerns, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, The Vaccines, Foster the People, Portugal. The Man and Best Coast, among others. An electronic and dance music stage will feature Pretty Lights, Kid Cudi, Skrillex, Bloody Beet Roots, Glitch Mob, and Afrojack. Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell will also be performing on his stage under the name PerryEtty vs. Chris Cox. In a statement, Farrell said "As excited as I am to watch this year's legends perform at Lolla, I am also feeling the enthusiasm for the younger groups who are just now breaking. I take great delight in knowing that for the past 20 years we've given so many new artists a prestigious stage and a massive audience to play in front of." Tickets are available for $215 while supplies last. A limited number of Single-Day tickets will go on sale June 7. Artists, tickets and show information is available at lollapalooza.com.

KINGS OF LEON ANNOUNCE SUMMER U.S. TOUR
(4/26/11) Kings of Leon have announced a U.S. Summer Tour in support of their latest album, Come Around Sundown (RCA), featuring "Pyro". Band of Horses will open the 29-date tour, which begins July 25 in Orange Beach, Alabama and wraps up Sept. 10 in Seattle. Kings of Leon had to postpone its March tour gigs in Australia and South Africa so drummer Nathan Followill could recover after surgery for a torn right labrum and bicep. He recovered in time to play Southern California's Coachella Festival on Apr. 15. A Kings of Leon European tour starts May 28 in Ireland.

SINGER-SONGWRITER PHOEBE SNOW DIES
New York musicians' big hit was 1974's "Poetry Man" 
(4/26/11) Singer-songwriter Phoebe Snow, best known for her 1974 pop/folk/jazz hit "Poetry Man," died Tues. (4/25) in Edison, N.J. from complications of a stroke. Snow was 58. She suffered a brain hemorrhage in January of last year. Initially signed to Shelter Records in 1974, Snow switched to Columbia in 1976 for her second gold record, Second Childhood. Although busy taking care of her handicapped daughter throughout the 80s and 90s, Snow managed to release a 1989 album on Elektra, Something Real, and later, a 2003 album on Eagle, Natural Wonder. Her most recent release was titled Phoebe Snow: Live in 2008. For an artist who once graced the cover of Rolling Stone and appeared on Saturday Night Live at the peak of her popularity, she essentially disappeared from the mainstream except for some commercial jingles. "I faded away for a while out of necessity," she told The Los Angeles Times in 1998. "In hindsight, I missed out on some good or productive years. On the other hand, I really made the only choice I could under the circumstances."

AMERICAN ICON HAZEL DICKENS DIES AT 75
(4/25/11) Bluegrass pioneer Hazel Dickens passed away in Washington D.C. (4/22) from complications of pneumonia, according to Ken Irwin, her longtime friend and the founder of Rounder Records, her label for over four decades. She was 75. An influence on artists such as Emmylou Harris and Nanci Griffith, she was financier Warren Hellman's original inspiration for creating the annual Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco. This year's event (Sept. 30-Oct. 2) will be dedicated to Dickens. She played her final performance last month at SXSW in Austin. 

EMMYLOU HARRIS RELEASES "HARD BARGAIN"
Plays album release show at NYC's Bowery Ballroom then it's off to Europe
(4/25/11) 12-time Grammy winner Emmylou Harris releases her new album Hard Bargain (Nonesuch) on April 26. The record is the follow-up to her 2008 release All I Intended to Be (Nonesuch). After kicking off the tour in Los Angeles at the El Rey last Thurs. (4/21), she is set to play a CD release party at the Bowery Ballroom on Tues., April 26 in New York City before embarking on a European tour and then returning for North America Tour Dates starting June 17th at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. Hard Bargain contains 11 new songs by Harris as well as two covers, the title track written by Ron Sexsmith and "Cross Yourself," penned by Jay Joyce (Cage the Elephant, Patty Griffin), who also produced the album. Harris wrote the song, "Darlin' Kate," for her close friend and collaborator Kate McGarrigle, who passed away last year. At 64, Harris has recorded over 25 albums. Hard Bargain was recorded in Nashville and features Joyce on guitars and keyboards and Giles Reaves on drums and keyboards. Harris is planning on recording a long-delayed duo album with Rodney Crowell, among other collaborations ahead. She will appear on Letterman (CBS) on Wed., April 27. 

THE DECEMBERISTS ANNOUNCE ADDITIONAL SUMMER TOUR DATES
Group releases video for second single "This Is Why We Fight"
(4/20/11) The Decemberists have announced an additional leg of Summer tour dates for July and August. Launching from their home state of Oregon on July 19, the tour will take them across the Midwest on their way to headlining the opening night of the Newport Folk Festival, and bring them back to the West coast for shows at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles (Aug. 12) and the Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival in San Francisco (Aug. 13). It also includes return visits to both Chicago and Austin due to popular demand. The band has also released the video for "This Is Why We Fight" by acclaimed director Aaron Stewart. Watch the video at Decemberists.com. "This Is Why We Fight" is the second single from the band's new album The King Is Dead (Capitol), which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 after its Jan. 18 release. The album also produced the band's first #1 radio hit with the lead single "Down By The Water," which reached #1 on the Mediabase AAA radio chart. Visit the band site for the full itinerary of The Decemberists Tour Dates.

TV ON THE RADIO'S GERALD SMITH DIES
Band cancels key dates in Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis and Denver
(4/20/11) TV on the Radio bass player Gerard Smith has died of lung cancer. The band released a statement via their website, "We are very sad to announce the death of our beloved friend and bandmate, Gerard Smith, following a courageous fight against lung cancer. Gerard passed away the morning of April 20th, 2011. We will miss him terribly." Last month, the group announced that Smith was undergoing treatment for lung cancer and would not be able to join the band's U.S. tour in support of the recently released Nine Types of Light (Interscope). The group has now announced the cancellation of their tour through April 26. The gigs that have been cancelled include: April 20 in Detroit at St. Andrew Halls, April 22 in Chicago at the Metro, April 23-24 in Minneapolis at First Ave, and April 26 in Denver at Ogden.

NEW BRIAN ENO "DRUMS BETWEEN THE BELLS" ALBUM DUE JULY 5
(4/20/11) Brian Eno will release a collaborative album with poet and Rick Holland. The follow-up to last year's Small Craft On A Milk Sea, the new album is titled Drums Between The Bells (Warp) available July 5. Rolling Stone calls it "Robot Funk". Drums Between The Bells will be a two-CD set. The second disc will contain instrumental versions of the songs accompanied by a 44-page hardback book. Listen to the second song on the album, "Glitch" at Brian-Eno.net.

NEIL YOUNG KICKS OFF 17-DATE SOLO TOUR
(4/15/11) Neil Young kicked off a 17-date North American Tour of theaters today (4/15) in Durham, NC. The show will pick up from the 2010 Twisted Road tour, where Young performed much of his Grammy-wimming Daniel Lanois-produced Le Noise along with some classics as well. The tour ends May 11 in Toronto. Young is set to play the Bonnaroo Festival with Buffalo Springfield. Buffalo Springfield with Young will launch their summer/fall U.S. Tour June 1.

MUMFORD & SONS, EDWARDE SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROES, OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW LAUNCH UNIQUE ONE-WEEK "RAILROAD REVIVAL TOUR"
(4/14/11) Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, and Old Crow Medicine Show will embark on a tour unlike any in recent memory. Traveling exclusively in vintage railcars, the three bands will journey across the American Southwest over the course of a week. The Railroad Revival Tour will feature the three bands playing concerts at six unique outdoor locations along the route, beginning April 21 in Oakland, CA and winding up April 27 in New Orleans. The Railroad Revival train is 1,500 feet long and consists of 15 vintage railcars from the 1950s and 60s, pulled by two locomotives. The bands will eat, sleep, and record on the train as they travel from California to New Orleans. The entire tour will be the focus of a documentary.

ALISON KRAUSS & UNION STATION RELEASE "PAPER AIRPLANE," TOUR OPENS JUNE 5 IN LOUISVILLE
(4/14/11) After a seven year absence, Alison Krauss & Union Station are back, celebrating release week of the new album Paper Airplane (Rounder) with key TV appearances and a summer/early fall tour ahead. Paper Airplane is Krauss' 14th album and the follow-up to 2004's triple-Grammy winning Lonely Runs Both Ways (Rounder). Her most recent recording was the platinum-selling Raising Sand (Rounder), the 2007 collaboration with Robert Plant and producer T Bone Burnett. That album picked up a total of six Grammys and received heavy airplay while the tour earned rave reviews. At just 39, Krauss has won a total of 26 Grammy Awards, more than any other female artist.
On describing Paper Airplane, Krauss said "It represents a trial - like a trying time that has an end. And that's what everything was on this record, including the Dustbowl tune (the Tyminski-sung "Dustbowl Children," written by Peter Rowan). It's all about a span of time that's a trial."
Musicians on the new album include Jerry Douglas on Dobro and vocals, Dan Tyminski on guitar, mandolin and vocals, Barry Bales on bass guitar and vocals, Ron Block on banjo and guitar, and Krauss on vocals and fiddle. The title track was written by Krauss collaborator Robert Lee Castleman. Paper Airplane was produced by Krauss & Union Station, with Mike Shipley engineering and mixing. The new album will be supported by an extensive U.S. Tour, opening June 4 in Louisville through September 24 in Knoxville. TV appearances include last night's (4/13) performance on Letterman and a performance on NBC's Today show earlier today (4/14).    

PAUL SIMON RELEASES "SO BEAUTIFUL OR SO WHAT," KICKS OFF NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
(4/12/11) Legendary singer-songwriter Paul Simon has released his highly acclaimed new album, So Beautiful Or So What (Hear Music/CMG). The record is Simon's 12th solo release and his first album since 2006's Surprise. Paul kicks off a North American Tour in support of the album beginning April 15 in Seattle and winding up June 2 in Boston. Produced by longtime collaborator Phil Ramone, So Beautiful Or So What features guitarist Vincent Nguini, percussionist Steve Shehan, backing vocals from Simon's wife, Edie Brickell, and his daughter, Lulu, and backing from the bluegrass group Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver.
The Los Angeles Times recently wrote, "More than two years in the making, So Beautiful or So What, steeped in Afropop and American folk forms, climbs some of the most resplendent summits of Simon's career and ranks as his most consistent solo effort since Rhythm of the Saints from 1990. A pursuit of the sublime has marked Simon's best work, but the mission is more forthright here, achieved with a banquet of lush instrumentation that Simon helped spread to American pop with his 1986 landmark, Graceland.
In the album's liner notes, Elvis Costello writes, "So Beautiful Or So What rejects the allure of fashionable darkness and the hypnosis - better to contemplate and celebrate the endurance of the spirit and the persistence of love."
Simon and his band are touring this spring and early summer in North America before heading over to Europe for a number of dates. The press release for the tour reveals that the "set list will draw from his iconic career, including several songs that haven't been performed live in many years."

AMOS LEE ANNOUNCES JULY TOUR DATES WITH LUCINDA WILLIAMS
(4/11/11) Amos Lee will hit the road with Lucinda Williams for a series of very special shows in July. Williams appears on Lee's Mission Bell, duetting with Lee on the song "Clear Blue Eyes". Lee's dates with Williams kick off on July 13th after Lee winds up his headlining spring tour followed by a series of festival dates, including The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in April, Bonnaroo in June, two shows with the Dave Matthews Band Caravan in June and July, the Newport Folk Festival in July, and a performance with My Morning Jacket at Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre in August. Lee's upcoming U.S. tour dates are listed below. In September, Lee will head to the U.K. for a sold-out tour with British songstress Adele. Lee will appear on TV, first on Conan on May 9th, on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon with The Roots May 26th, and on The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson with the date to be announced. Released on January 25th, Mission Bell features the first single, "Windows Are Rolled Down." Produced by Calexico's Joey Burns, Mission Bell's guest artists include Williams, Willie Nelson, Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam, Priscilla Ahn, Pieta Brown, and James Gadson — and the musical backing of Calexico.

DWIGHT TWILLEY LEAD GUITARIST BILL PITCOCK IV DIES IN TULSA
(4/8/11) Bill Pitcock IV, a veteran of the Tulsa music scene and the Dwight Twilley Band longtime lead guitarist has died of complications from cancer in a Tulsa hospital. He was 59. An influence on guitarists such as Tom Petty's Mike Campbell, Pitcock was best known for recording and touring with the Dwight Twilley Band ("I'm On Fire"). He performed on Twilley's most recent album The Green Blimp and on a solo release Play What You Mean. Twilley told the Tulsa World "Bill was the greatest guitar player in the world...so generous with his humor and heart." 

ARCADE FIRE WIN BIG AT CANADA'S JUNO AWARDS
Meaghan Smith wins New Artist of the Year
(3/28/11) Montreal-based Arcade Fire won four awards at the annual Juno Awards, the Canadian equivilant to the Grammys, on Sunday (3/27) at Toronto's Air Canada arena. The band, fresh from victories at the Grammys and the Brit Awards, picked up Album of the Year for The Suburbs, Group of the Year, Best Alternative Album, and Songwriter of the Year. Meaghan Smith won the Juno for New Artist of the Year. Veteran Canadian artist Neil Young won Artist of the Year, Best Adult Alternative Album for Le Noise, and a humanitarian award. To see the complete list of Juno Awards winners and nominees, visit JunoAwards.ca.  

DELTA BLUESMAN PINETOP PERKINS DIES AT 97
(3/22/11) Legendary Delta bluesman Pinetop Perkins has died at 97. The Mississippi-born Perkins passed away at his home in Austin Monday (3/21) of a heart attack. A sideman for most of his life, the veteran boogie-woogie piano player recorded and performed with Muddy Waters, Robert Nighthawk and Sonny Boy Williamson. Perkins' 2008 album Pinetop Perkins & Friends (Telarc) featured B.B. King and Eric Clapton. His last album, 2008's Joined at the Hip (Telarc) was a collaboration with harmonica player Willie "Big Eyes" Smith.  

PEARL JAM 20TH ANNIVERSARY: REISSUES OF "VS. AND "VITALOGY," DOCUMENTARY, BOOK, FESTIVAL, NEW ALBUM, VEDDER AND AMENT SOLO PROJECTS
Eddie Vedder to release studio album Ukulele Songs, Water on the Road live DVD May 31
(Update 3/25/11) Pearl Jam is celebrating their 20th anniversary with CD reissues, a Cameron Crowe-directed film documentary and accompanying book, a weekend music festival, new album, and solo album projects and tours - including new albums from Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder and bassist Jeff Ament.
The pioneer Seattle grunge band releases expanded editions of second and third albums 1993's Vs. (Epic/Legacy) and 1994's Vitalogy (Epic/Legacy) on March 29. The reissues will feature a vintage 1994 Boston concert, a casette from Pearl Jam's Monkeywrench radio series and three previously unreleased "bonus" tracks. The two albums will each be available in Definitive Legacy Editions, Deluxe Editions and together in a limited Edition Collector's Boxed Set.  
Cameron Crowe is directing a Pearl Jam documentary film. The movie and accompanying book are both due late summer/early fall to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the group's breakthrough debut album Ten, released in August of 1991. Pearl Jam's Labor Day weekend music festival will announce the exact location and other bands on the bill soon.
Eddie Vedder, currently on solo tour in Australia, has a new solo album, Ukulele Songs (Monkeywrench/Universal Republic), to be released May 31. The new album, follow up to his 2007 Into The Wild film soundtrack, features the track "Longing To Belong." An Eddie Vedder concert film DVD, Water on the Road, also releases May 31. The film is culled from Aug. 16, 17, 2008 performances at Washington, D.C.'s Warner Theatre. Eddie hits the road June 15-July 15 for a limited U.S. Tour. 
Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament's other project Tres Mts. released their album Three Mountains (Monkeywrench) earlier this month. An Ament solo album might not release until next year. Meanwhile, Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron, who also drums for Soundgarden, will be busy with a new Soundgarden album soon, that band's first studio album in 15 years.
A Pearl Jam Vs. Vitalogy (Epic/Legacy) Radio Sampler has been serviced to Triple A Radio. And, last but hardly least, look for a new Pearl Jam studio album, the follow up to 2009's Backspacer (Epic), by maybe next year. The band goes into the studio next month.

GRATEFUL DEAD SOUND ENGINEER, CHEMIST OWSLEY STANLEY DIES
(3/18/11) Owsley "Bear" Stanley, the iconic '60s figure known for furnishing potent LSD to musicians like The Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles, died in a car accident (3/13) near Cairns, Australia. He was 76. Stanley's stash was the acid that fueled the journeys of novelist Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters, chronicled in Tom Wolfe's popular 1968 book "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test." Stanley was immortalized in songs like The Grateful Dead's "Alice D. Millionaire" and Steely Dan's "Kid Charlemagne." With Bob Thomas, he designed the Dead's skull-and-lightning-bolt logo. He also recorded many of the band's early shows, which have been released over the years and available online.

2011 ROCK HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES CELEBRATED: LEON RUSSELL, DR. JOHN, TOM WAITS, NEIL DIAMOND, ALICE COOPER, DARLENE LOVE
(3/15/11) The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 2011 inductees were feted in a black-tie celebration at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel last night (3/14). The inductee/performers for the 27th annual cermony included Tom Waits, Neil Diamond, the Alice Cooper Band, Dr. John and Darlene Love. The night featured Neil Young joining Tom Waits, John Legend crooning with Dr. John, John Mayer jamming with Leon Russell, and Bruce Springsteen playing with Darlene Love and her band, including Bette Midler.
All five inductees had been long eligible for induction under the criteria that acts wait at least 25 years after releasing their first recordings. Jac Holzman and Art Rupe, founders of Elektra and Specialty Records labels, entered the hall as co-recipients of the annual Ahmet Ertegun Award for influential record executives. Leon Russell was selected as the honoree for the new Award for Musical Excellence, previously known as the Sideman category.

ALICE IN CHAINS BASSIST MIKE STARR FOUND DEAD
(3/9/11) Original Alice In Chains bassist Mike Starr died (3/8) at home in Salt Lake City. He was 44. Starr left the band in '93 after the second album Dirt. Alice In Chains lead singer Layne Staley died in 2002 from an overdose of a mix of heroin and cocaine. 

R.E.M. RELEASE "COLLAPSE INTO NOW," ROLL OUT SONG-BY-SONG FILM PROJECT
(3/7/11) R.E.M. release Collapse Into Now (Warner Bros) March 8. The album, their 15th studio record and follow-up to 2008's Accelerate, was produced by Grammy Award winning producer Jacknife Lee (U2, Snow Patrol), who also produced Accelerate. Guests on Collapse Into Now include Patti Smith, Peaches, Eddie Vedder and Lenny Kaye. The band does not intend to tour behind the new album. Via the group's REMHQ site, the band is rolling out the Collapse Into Now Film Project, a selection of films accompaning each song on the new record, directed by notable artists and filmmakers, including James Franco and Sam Taylor-Wood.
NPRMusic hosted a live listening party (3/1) and made the entire album available for streaming the following day. R.E.M. fontman Michael Stipe made a rare TV appearance last night (3/3) on ABC TV's Late Night With Jimmy Fallon where he talked about the new record, playing at the recent Tibet House Benefit at Carnegie Hall, and getting to hold an Oscar. Watch the Fallon show video.

DYLAN EX-GIRLFRIEND SUZE ROTOLO DIES
On the cover of 1963 album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
(3/2/11) Although they were only together for four years, Bob Dylan wrote in his 2004 memoir Chronicles Volume One, "Right from the start I couldn't take my eyes off of her." Suze Rotolo, an activist, artist, author and one-time lyrical muse of Dylan, passed away from lung cancer (2/25) in New York City. Rotolo was 67. She is in the cover photo on Dylan's 1963 breakthough second album The Freewheelin Bob Dylan posing with him on a snowy Greenwich Village street. 

TRENT REZNOR WINS OSCAR FOR BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR "THE SOCIAL NETWORK"
(2/28/10) Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross won an Oscar for "Best Orginal Score" for their soundtrack to David Finchers' "The Social Network" at the 83rd Academy Awards last night in Hollywood. Reznor and Ross previously won "Best Original Score" for the film in January at The Golden Globe Awards.
Randy Newman won an Oscar last night for "Best Orginal Song" for his "We Belong Together" from "Toy Story 3". 
Visit Oscars winners and nominees. 

ADELE RELEASES "21" 

U.S. Tour kicks off May 12 in Washington, D.C.
(2/21/11) From NPR to Wal-Mart, that big voice is seemingly everywhere. The international music star releases her sophmore album 21 (XL/Columbia) Feb. 22. Adele's opening track on the new album, "Rolling in the Deep," has been receiving heavy Triple A radio airplay. 21 has already topped the charts in eight countries, including her homeland, the U.K.
Adele, who won a Grammy for "Best New Artist" two years ago, cites influences on the new album that range from Neko Case to Mos Def, to Tom Waits. On 21, Rolling Stone said, "Adele has toughened her tone, trimmed the jazz frippery and sounds ready for a pub fight." 21 is produced by Rick Rubin, Paul Epworth, Ryan Tedder, Dan Wilson, and Fraser T. Smith. The record was recorded in Malibu and London.
Adele is set to appear this week on WXPN's nationally-syndicated World Cafe, KCRW Santa Monica and WFUV Bronx-New York. Her TV appearances include Letterman tonight (2/21), Ellen DeGeneres, Jimmy Kimmel, CBS's The Early Show, and VH1 UnPlugged. Last week, Adele played the Brit Awards and on NBC's Today show. Adele's 2011 U.S. Tour kicks off May 12 in Washington, D.C. and winds up June 20 in Nashville.  

BILLIE JOE ARMSTRONG BACK WITH "AMERICAN IDIOT" MUSICAL AFTER MELISSA ETHERIDGE FILL-IN
(2/8/11) Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong returns to the cast of the hit Broadway musical American Idiot on Feb. 10th after taking a break. Melissa Etheridge has been filling in for an eight-show stint, playing the role of drug dealer St. Jimmy. The musical is based on Green Day's rock opera, American Idiot. Green Day have a new live album/DVD Awesome As F**k (Reprise) set for release in March. Meanwhile, Etheridge returns to the road in support of her latest album Fearless Love (Island). With Serena Ryder opening, she kicks off a Canadian tour Feb. 18th in Vancouver, BC.

THE BLACK EYED PEAS PLAY SUPER BOWL XLV
(2/7/11) For the first time in years, a non-rock band performed at Super Bowl halftime as mega-hit hip hop group The Black Eyed Peas played at Super Bowl XLV in Dallas at the new Cowboys stadium Feb. 6. The band was joined on stage by Slash. The Black Eyed Peas released their latest album The Beginning (Interscope) Nov. 30.  
Recent previous Super Bowl halftime performers have included The Who (2010), Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band (2009), and Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers (2008). Additional performers for the pre-game show included Maroon5.

53RD GRAMMY AWARDS: ARCADE FIRE'S "THE SUBURBS" WINS ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Jeff Tweedy-produced Mavis Staples' You Are Not Alone wins "Best Americana Album"
(2/14/11) In a night dominated by country stars Lady Antebellum and pop stars like Lady Gaga and Rihanna, Montreal indie rock band Arcade Fire won "Album of the Year" for The Suburbs (Merge) at the 53rd annual Grammy Awards Sunday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. "Best New Artist" honors went to jazz bassist Esperanza Spalding. Singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs won "Best Contemporary Folk Album" for God Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise. The Black Keys won "Best Rock Performance By a Duo or Group with Vocals" for "Tighten Up" and "Best Alternative Music Album" for their Brothers. "Best Rock Album" was awarded to Muse for The Resistance. "Best Americana Album" honors went to Mavis Staples' You Are Not Alone. Buddy Guy's Living Proof won "Best Contemporary Blues Album." Green Day won "Best Music Show Album" for American Idiot. Additional Grammy winners included John Legend and The Roots, Jeff Beck, Eminem, Paul McCartney, Neil Young, Train, Sade, Herbie Hancock, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Pinetop Perkins & Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith, Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté, Bela Fleck, Patty Loveless, Ryan Bingham & T-Bone Burnett, Patty Griffin, Zac Brown Band and Bunju Banton.

The evening's performances opened with an all-star tribute to Grammy legend Aretha Franklin, which included Florence Welch of Florence And The Machine. Mick Jagger and Raphael Saadiq nearly stole the show with their tribute to the late Solomon Burke, performing the 1965 Rolling Stones hit penned by Burke, "Everybody Needs Somebody." Additional Grammy performances during the night included a raspy-throated Bob Dylan, The Avett Brothers, Janelle Monae, Arcade Fire, Mumford & Sons, Cee Lo Green, Muse, and the trio of John Mayer, Norah Jones and Keith Urban.

Dolly Parton and The Ramones were among the recipients of Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards.

For the complete list of the 2011 Grammy winners and nominees, visit Grammy Awards.

GARY MOORE DIES
(2/7/11) Belfast-born blues-rocker Gary Moore died (2/6) in Spain over the weekend. He was 58. Moore, best known as guitarist for the hit 70s band Thin Lizzy, passed away while on vacation on Costa del Sol in Estepona, Spain. He reortedly died from asphyxiation, as a result of drinking alcohol prior. After Thin Lizzy, Moore enjoyed a successful solo career recording 20 solo albums. His biggest solo FM track in the states was the title song to the 1990 Gary Moore album, "Still Got the Blues (For You)."

BONO SINGS AT SHRIVER FUNERAL
(1/24/11) U2's Bono led mourners in singing Bob Dylan's "Forever Young" at a funeral service for R. Sargent Shriver over the weekend. The 95-year-old statesman known as "Sarge" died Sat. (1/22) in his native Maryland. He was buried in a Massachusetts cemetery after his funeral in suburban D.C. Shriver was the first director of the Peace Corps. He also headed up the '60s War on Poverty campaign and was a running mate on a Democratic presidential ticket. Shriver was the widow of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and father to Maria Shriver, former first lady of California. Mourners, including Vice President Joe Biden and former President Bill Clinton, were in attendance along with Shrivers' 19 grandchildren. First lady Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey were there. Wyclef Jean played the piano and sang "All the Ends of the Earth". Bono and Glen Hansard together sang "Make Me a Channel of Your Peace." Bono founded the Red Campaign with Shriver's eldest son Bobby as part of the campaign to fight AIDS in Africa.

COUNTRY LEGEND CHARLIE LOUVIN DIES
(1/24/11) Influential Country singer-songwriter Charlie Louvin has died of cancer. He was 83. Louvin was a favorite of singer-songwriters like Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, and Alison Krauss.

GRAMMY-WINNING BUJU BANTON CONVICTED OF SELLING COCAINE IN FLORIDA
(2/22/11) Jamaican reggae star Buju Banton, who won a Grammy Award just last week, was convicted on Tuesday (2/21) of conspiring to sell five kilos of cocaine. Banton was found guilty on three charges by a Tampa jury in his second trial. A jury deadlocked at his first trial last year. Banton's Before the Dawn was named "Best Reggae Album" at the 53rd Grammy Awards Feb. 13.

 DEER TICK, DAWES AND DELTA SPIRIT MEMBERS FORM INDIE SUPERGROUP MIDDLE BOTHER, DEBUT ALBUM RELEASES MARCH 1
(1/14/11) There has been a buzz on Middle Brother ever since their first gig together at SXSW in Austin last year. Formerly tentatively known as MG&V, Middle Brother is a side project for John McCauley of Deer Tick, Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes, and Matt Vasquez from Delta Spirit. The band releases their self-titled debut album Middle Brother (Partisan) March 1. 
Middle Brother has announced Tour Dates with Dawes and Deer Tick opening, beginning March 2 in Washington, D.C. The group is confirmed to perform again at this year's SXSW.
Visit MiddleBrother.com.  

PEARL JAM KICK OFF 20th ANNIVERSARY WITH NEW LIVE COMPILATION ALBUM "LIVE ON TEN LEGS" OUT JAN. 18
(1/11/11) Pearl Jam have announced the release of Live on Ten Legs (Monkeywrench/Island), a new live compilation album available through Pearl Jam's Ten Club and select digital and independent music retailers Jan. 18. Kicking off the band's twentieth anniversary year, Live on Ten Legs features 18 Pearl Jam tracks recorded over the course of the band's 2003-2010 world tours by recording engineer, John Burton, with all tracks newly remixed and remastered by longtime engineer Brett Eliason. Live on Ten Legs will be available in the U.S. as a digital version, CD version and vinyl version.

GERRY RAFFERTY DIES
(1/5/11) Veteran singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty, whose international hit songs like "Baker Street" and "Get it Right Next Time" spanned the '70s, has died at age 63 from liver failure. Born near Glasgow, Scotland, he co-founded the group Stealer's Wheel with Joe Egan before enjoying a successful solo career. Stealer's Wheel was best known for their early '70s hits "Star" and "Stuck in the Middle with You." Rafferty's last album, Another World, was released in 2000. In 1992 director Quentin Tarantino used "Stuck in the Middle with You" in the soundtrack of his debut film Reservoir Dogs while a dance version of the song was a Top 10 hit in the UK in 2001 for the artist Louise. 

BONO AND THE EDGE ATTEND NYC SPIDER-MAN PREVIEWS
(Updated 1/14/11) (1/4/11) U2's Bono and The Edge are in New York attending several preview performances of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark this week so they can help work the kinks out of the trouble-plagued Broadway musical. A spokesman for the $65 million production said that the pair, who wrote the score for director Julie Taymor's original staging of Spider-Man, will be in the theater all this week and for all of the preview performances leading up to the opening night. The elaborate musical, which has been derailed by technical difficulties that have injured numerous actors on the set, is scheduled to open March 15.

CAPTAIN BEEFHEART DIES
(1/3/11) Captain Beefheart, aka Don Van Vliet, passed away at Mad River Hospital in Humboldt County, CA (12/17) after a long battle with multiple sclerosis. He was 69. Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band were influential far beyond their late '60s/early '70s era. A musician and painter, Beefheart was known for bizarre song and album titles like 1969's Trout Mask Replica and 1978's Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller). Born in Glendale, CA, Beefheart met Frank Zappa in high school. The New York Times called Beefheart "a strange uncle of post-punk."