As we head deeper into 2010, one of the records that we here at HT are most looking forward to is The Winter of Mixed Drinks, the awesomely- titled third studio album from Scottish rockers Frightened Rabbit which drops on March 9 via Fat Cat Records. Back in fall, Scott Hutchison & Co. gave fans a taste of what was to come when they released the album’s first single, Swim Until You Can’t See Land, as a digital download and 7″.
With their new album less than a month away, the band has recently revealed a full schedule of tour dates in support that kicks off with a pair of high profile appearances at SXSW and Coachella, before they hit the road for a 24-date cross-country run. Prior to all that, Frightened Rabbit has released the video for the album’s second single – Nothing Like You. Give it a listen…
If the first two singles are any indication of what the rest of the album will sound like, we should be in store for another batch of emotionally laden songs with Hutchison’s powerfully wise ruminations on relationships and life.
As a teaser between albums, Cold War Kids released Behave Yourself – a digital-only EP late last year. The soul-rock band, who recently wrapped up a mini-tour, head into the studio this month to record the follow-up to their 2008 release Loyalty to Loyalty. Here’s the band’s Wes Anderson-inspired Audience Of One video directed by their friend Vern Moen…
With the Mid-Atlantic and parts of the Northeast about to get slammed with a massive snowstorm this weekend, I thought we’d turn to indie-pop act Nada Surf for the lead track from their must have album Let Go for this unplugged performance of Blizzard Of ‘77…
Nada Surf will kick off their Spring tour with a trio of hometown gigs where they will perform their last three studio albums (Let Go, The Weight Is The Gift and Lucky) at three different New York City venues.
As the story goes, before landing the role of Anita Miller in Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical movie, Almost Famous, doe-eyed actress Zooey Deschanel had originally auditioned for the part of head Band-Aid Penny Lane. The She & Him lead singer will now get her own chance to play the part of rock star groupie as she will star and executive produce a new half-hour pilot for HBO based on Pamela Des Barres’ infamous memoir I’m With The Band: Confessions of a Groupie.
Steven Tyler may sue if he is replaced as in Aerosmith
Finally, arguably the first band to reap the benefits of the so-called Pitchfork Effect was the Canadian indie-rock collective Broken Social Scene whose sophomore effort You Forgot It in People received a 9.2 from the influential music site helping to launch the career of the then relatively unknown act. The band, which has over the years included the likes of Leslie Feist, Kevin Drew, Jason Collett as well as members of Metric, The Stars, The Weakerthans & Apostle Of Hustle, have convened once again to record as a band and will release their first new album in over four years. The yet to be titled record will hit stores on May 4 via their longtime label Arts & Crafts.
While we won’t officially know who will be playing the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival until a week from today (February 9), when Superfly and AC Entertainment unveils the initial line-up, it seems as if Wayne Coyne couldn’t quite wait that long to let the cat out of the bag. Earlier today the enigmatic and always well-dressed Flaming Lips front man revealed to Spinner that his band would be returning to Manchester, TN for the third time in the fest’s nine year history for another late night throw down.
Though it may seem like the psychedelic-rockers would have a hard time topping their epic 2007 appearance that featured a spaceship on stage along with their usual mix of theatrics, Coyne let it slip that the band will be upping the ante this year on Friday night/ Saturday morning around 2:30 AM. After a full set of Lips tunes they will be tackling Pink Floyd’s seminal classic Dark Side Of The Moon in its entirety – which the band recently recorded released as an iTunes exclusive, and debuted live this past New Year’s Eve.
The Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival will take place from June 10 – 13, with tickets going on-sale for the first time ever on the very same day as the line-up announcement.
For most of the 1980s and ’90s, it wasn’t officially summer until the Grateful Dead came through town. The same can be said for a new generation of music fans about the Dave Matthews Band. The perennial road warriors will hit the road once again for another mammoth summer run. The 49-date trek kicks off with a two-night stand at the Comcast Theater in Hartford, CT on May 28, while they will become the second ever music act to play Citi Field on July 16 and 17 when they take over the home of the New York Mets .
As always, Mr. Matthews has invited an impressive and diverse array of acts to join him on the road in the support slot which this summer includes HT faves Gov’t Mule, Ben Harper & Relentless7, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Yonder Mountain String Band, Martin Sexton and The Felice Brothers.
If you’re not into a night of acoustic-jam-pop, perhaps you’ll be interested in hitting on of these recently announced tours…
Finally, 2010 is shaping up to be another big year for Southern-rockers Drive-By Truckers. The band, who currently graces the cover of the latest issue of Relix, will release their ATO debut The Big To-Do on March 16 and is currently offering up a taste of what’s to come with a free download of This Fucking Job. The Athens-based act has revealed the first leg of dates in support of The Big To-Do, their 9th studio album, which includes a number of multi-night stands. CLICK HERE for the full list of dates.
In other Truckers news the band is also the subject of a new documentary called The Secret To A Happy Ending that will premiere at AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, MD on February 5. Band members Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley and Brad Morgan will be on-hand for a Q&A after the screening.
Part singer-songwriter, part soul singer, Bill Withers occupied an interesting space in the 1970s as an unconventional African-American artist that sang social conscious songs that straddled the lines between funk, soul and folk. Best known for songs like Lean On Me, Use Me and Ain’t No Sunshine and his two seminal albums Still Bill and Live at Carnegie Hall (which are must haves in any music collection), Withers has been mostly absent from the world of touring and recording for the last 25 years after growing tired of constant battles with his record label over control over his music.
A new documentary fittingly titled Still Bill – which premiered last year at SXSW and is currently making the art house rounds – examines the life of the singer through interviews with reclusive Withers, along with concert footage and thoughts from fellow musicians, family and friends.
Let’s check out the trailer for this fantastic film…
For the second time in as many years, Mad Men star Jon Hamm served as the host for Saturday Night Live for arguably their strongest episode of the season. While last year’s highlight was Jon Hamm’s John Hams, this year he was paired with night’s musical guest retro-crooner Michael Buble for this hilarious sketch for their new restaurant – Hamm & Buble…
Not counting the brief post-midnight hour or so of music during their epic New Year’s Eve performance at Madison Square Garden, last year was entirely devoid of My Morning Jacket concerts on American soil. During the Jacket’s “hiatus” front man Jim James kept busy – starting his own record label, releasing a George Harrison covers EP, appearing on an episode of American Dad, along with his duties as a member of the Monsters Of Folk, while drummer Patrick Hallahan toured as part of Dan Auerbach’s solo band.
Well the waiting is over for those of us who have missed the band’s brand of Southern-psychedelic-soul-rock, as today they unveiled the dates for a brief Southeastern Spring run that kicks off on April 20 at the Alabama Theater in Birmingham, AL and includes a previously announced appearance at the New Orlean’s Jazz & Heritage Festival. Let’s take a look at the dates…
4/20 – Alabama Theater – Birmingham, AL
4/21 – Municipal Auditorium – Nashville, TN
4/23 – Chastain Park – Atlanta, GA
4/24 – Jazz & Heritage Festival – New Orleans, LA
4/27 – St. Augustine Amphitheater – St. Augustine, FL
4/28 – Family Circle – Charleston, SC
4/30 – Koka Booth – Raleigh, NC
5/1 – Merriweather Post Pavilion – Columbia, MD
5/2 – LC Outdoor Pavilion – Columbus, OH
Joining the band as the support act throughout run will be the legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Tickets for these shows will go on sale next Friday and Saturday, February 5th and 6th at 10 AM. We’ll keep our fingers crossed that more dates are headed our way, but in the meantime which if any of these shows do you plan on hitting?
Keeping in the spirit of Scotty’s post yesterday, former Blips act Local Natives, whose debut album Gorilla Manor will get its stateside release via French Kiss on February 16, have just dropped the music video for their infectious first single. Check out the video for Airplanes…
. Here’s the band’s Wes Anderson-inspired Audience Of One video directed by their friend Vern Moen…
for this unplugged performance of Blizzard Of ‘77…
doe-eyed actress Zooey Deschanel had originally auditioned for the part of head Band-Aid Penny Lane. The 
.
received a 9.2 from the influential music site helping to launch the career of the then relatively unknown act. The band, which has over the years included the likes of Leslie Feist, Kevin Drew, Jason Collett as well as members of Metric, The Stars, The Weakerthans & Apostle Of Hustle, have convened once again to record as a band and will release their first new album in over four years. The yet to be titled record will hit stores on May 4 via their longtime label Arts & Crafts. 
in its entirety – which the band recently recorded released as an iTunes exclusive, and debuted live this past New Year’s Eve.
on March 16 and is currently offering up a taste of what’s to come with a free download of 
and 
(which are must haves in any music collection), Withers has been mostly absent from the world of touring and recording for the last 25 years after growing tired of constant battles with his record label over control over his music.
will get its stateside release via 
