Thom Yorke Confirms Warm-Up Show for Tomorrow in LA

By Mr P on

The rumors are true! Flea's as-yet unnamed band are playing a warm-up show tomorrow at The Echoplex in Los Angeles. The show is in preparation for the couple gigs already slated for this Sunday and Monday at The Orpheum Theatre, also in LA (TMT News). Flea will be joined by Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, R.E.M./Beck drummer Joey Waronker, Mauro Refosco, and Thom Yorke, lead singer of Muse/Travis.

From Radiohead's official website:

so listen right

that band thats doesnt really have a name that im working with at the moment??????

have decided to do a warm-up show on Friday Oct 2nd around 9pm at the Echoplex in Los Angeles

Its not that big, it'll be total chaos and its kind of a rehearsal but .. if you are near by..

below is a link to get tickets.

hope you get lucky with it. if not you've got to be a really really really good friend to get in: )

so ain't no point hanging around outside if you're not!
the link should go live at 8.15pm
(i'll believe that when i see it)

all the best

HERE!

The Orchard Prunes the Hedges, Fires 20% of Its Staff

By Rachel B on 10-01-2009

There have been a lot of epic FAILS in the music biz over the last couple of months, hell, in the last couple of years. In summer 2009 alone, Pandora threatened to raise its rates, then like dollar bills in a stripper's undies, Mariah Carey let record excecs slip advertisements in her new CD booklet to make it look "magaziney."

Likewise, this week brings strange and disappointing news (or happy news, depending on how you feel about music piracy).

Digital distribution, marketing, and licensing behemoth The Orchard recently reported major staff cuts, including 20% of their global headcount, many occurring in the physical distribution department (now they know how journalists feel!!). Not only that, but The Orchard's CEO Greg Scholl has announced his resignation, effective in December. In the meantime, Director Danny Stein and GM Brad Navin say they will take over and carefully examine every nut and apple in The Orchard until they find a suitable replacement as CEO. Had enough puns yet? I haven't.

Anyway, The Orchard digitally distributes many of your (and my) favorite bands, many of whom you can find in your very own home, including everything from Black Flag to Chuck Berry, The Dodos to Dr. Dog, and Jerry Lee Lewis to Elton John. But seriously, all corporate arguments aside, that is one outrageously diverse artist roster.

They’re Not Half Bad. They’re All Bad! No Seriously, Former Ghosts (feat. Xiu Xiu, Zola Jesus, and This Song Is a Mess members) to Release a Flower of an Album

By David Nadelle on 10-01-2009

The Muppet Show's good-hearted haters Statler and Waldorf review Former Ghosts' latest album "from the balcony." Former Ghosts are Nika Roza (Zola Jesus), Freddy Ruppert (This Song Is a Mess but So Am I), and Jamie Stewart (Xiu Xiu) and their debut record, Fleur, will be released October 20 on Upset the Rhythm.

Statler: "This band is called Former Ghost."

Waldorf: "Yeah, but the only thing about them that won't come back from the dead are their songs!"

Both: (cackle, cackle...)

1. Us and Now

Statler: "This album is off to a fast start."

Waldorf: "Good. Maybe it'll end quicker!"

Both: (cackle, cackle...)

2. Hold On

Statler: "You know, there's nothing like good music."

Waldorf: "Yep, and that was nothing like it!"

Both: (cackle, cackle...)

3. Mother

Statler: "That was catchy."

Waldorf: "So is smallpox!"

Both: (cackle, cackle...)

4. Choices

Statler: "What was that?"

Waldorf: "That was 'Choices,' a medium song."

Statler: "Medium?"

Waldorf: "Well, it certainly wasn't rare and it wasn't well-done!"

Both: (cackle, cackle...)

5. In Earth's Palm

Statler: "Wake up you old fool. You slept through that whole song!"

Waldorf: "Who's a fool? You listened to it!"

6. I Wave

Statler: "This sounds like a runaway hit."

Waldorf: "Yeah, whenever it comes on, you want to run away!"

Both: (cackle, cackle...)

7. Dreams

Statler: "This is the first time I've listened to an amphibious rock band."

Waldorf: "Amphibious?"

Statler: "Yeah, they can be dull on land or on water!"

Both: (cackle, cackle...)

8. Unfolding

Statler: "The question is, 'What is this song about?'"

Waldorf: "No, the question is 'Who cares?'"

Both: (cackle, cackle...)

9. Flowers

Statler: "Good singer."

Waldorf: "Well, so am I!"

Statler: "What?"

Waldorf: "Yeah, do you want to hear me sing?"

Statler: "Only if you sing tenor."

Waldorf: "Tenor?"

Statler: "Yeah, ten-or eleven miles away!"

10. The Bull and the Ram

Statler: "Well, they got one right."

Both: (cackle, cackle...)

11. Hello Again

Statler: "What did you think?"

Waldorf: "Shocking."

Statler: "But was it good?"

Waldorf: "No, that would be really shocking!"

Both: (cackle, cackle...)

12. This Is My Last Goodbye

Statler: "Former Ghosts aren't bad for comedians."

Waldorf: "They're not comedians, they're musicians."

Statler: "I know!"

Both: (cackle, cackle...)

Don't let these two blind-siding old cranks tell you otherwise, the only thing terrible about Former Ghosts is the fact that Roza will not be appearing at the following dates due to scholastic duties. Stewart and Ruppert promise to make up for it large by heckling every single audience with corny one-liners

10.02.09 - Phoenix, AZ - Trunk Space
10.03.09 - Tucson, AZ - Solar Culture
10.05.09 - Austin, TX - Mohawk Inside
10.06.09 - Houston, TX - Orange Show
10.07.09 - Mobile, AL - Alabama Music Box
10.08.09 - Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn
10.09.09 - Durham, NC - Duke Coffeehouse
10.10.09 - Washington, DC - Comet Ping Pong
10.11.09 - Wilkes Barre, PA - Café Metropolis
10.12.09 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church Chapel
10.13.09 - New York, NY - Monkey Town
10.14.09 - Boston, MA - Middle East Upstairs
10.15.09 - Montréal, QC - Il Motore
10.16.09 - Toronto, ON - Whippersnapper
10.17.09 - Chicago, IL - Chopin Theatre
10.21.09 - Vancouver, BC - Media Club
10.22.09 - Spokane, WA - Empyrean Coffee House
10.23.09 - Seattle, WA - Vera Project
10.24.09 - Portland, OR - Lewis and Clark
10.27.09 - Merced, CA - The Partisan
10.28.09 - San Francisco, CA - Hemlock
10.27.09 - San Jose, CA - Works Gallery
10.30.09 - San Luis Obispo, CA - Arts Center
10.31.09 - Los Angeles, CA - Synchronicity Space

Rock Poster Art Film Debuts in New York: 37% Chance Lindsay Lohan Will Make an Appearance

By Liz Louche on 10-01-2009

In a world without a lot of films about rock show poster artists, one film stands alone. From the mind that brought you certain elements of Beavis and Butthead and Daria (What are these elements? I don’t know. It was on Wikipedia.) comes American Artifact: The Rise of American Rock Poster Art. Director Merle Becker interviews poster artists across the U.S.A., from the original '60s pioneers to the screenprinting stars exhibiting at Flatstock today.

The official premiere takes place October 15 in New York at Anthology Film Archives. Becker will be on hand to answer questions after the film, as will featured poster artists Tara McPherson and Lindsey Kuhn. Coinciding with the premiere will be the American Artifact Rock Poster Art Show, located at The Showroom NYC and running through October 18. Starring Ellen Page as Tara McPherson and Michael Cera as Fillmore promoter Bill Graham.*

* This is not strictly true. Or at all true. It's a documentary.

Hush Arbors to Release Second Ecstatic Peace! full-length Yankee Reality; J Mascis Co-Produces and Guests

By jbottie on 10-01-2009

Keith Wood’s folk-rock band Hush Arbors create music that conjures images of sunset views on mountaintops and the smell of dew on misty mornings, with its country/psychedelic approach paying homage to his Charlottesville, Virginia roots. Lucky for us, the homage won't be stopping anytime soon. After releasing an extensive catalogue of albums through small indies, Hush Arbors first managed to break into the indie label big time with the release of a self-titled album on Thurston Moore’s Ecstatic Peace! label. And hey, what do you know: the label will also release their new album, Yankee Reality, on October 6, featuring Wood, three newly appointed members, and lo-fi rock king J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.).

J Mascis co-produced each of the album’s 10 songs, plays guitar on two tracks, drums on one, and plays Mellotron on another. However, fans will be glad to know Wood’s voice stays as soft and pretty as a newborn kitten throughout every track.

Yankee Reality tracklist:

1. Day before
2. Lisbon
3. Fast asleep
4. So they say
5. One way ticket
6. Coming home
7. Sun shall
8. Take it easy
9. For while you slept
10. Devil made you high

YouTube, Warner Music Group Agree on Licensing Deal; Seal’s “Kiss From a Rose” Is BACK as Your Loft Party Closer; This Recession Is OVER

By Nobodaddy on 09-30-2009

Good news, Madonna, Rob Thomas, Wayne Coyne, Jim Morrison, Frank Sinatra, Billy Joe, Jeff Tweedy, James Hetfield, Enya, Regina Spektor, James Blunt, Ray Charles, Flea, T.I., Keith Sweat, Peter Buck, Jerry Garcia, Faith Hill... uh, Linkin Park: The Strike’s over. You’re going back to work.

The giant music company that isn’t EMI, Warner Music Group (WMG), finally struck a new deal with local indie-startup video website YouTube this week, after some nine months of separating us online music video fans from crucial Burt Bacharach videos and the like. In other words, videos from your fav artists will once again be allowed to waste your precious time with their outrageous online antics, after a spat in December of 2008 led to the hasty and probably Lars Ulrich-approved removal of WMG’s content from YouTube. And aside from once again being accosted with Ulrich’s ugly mug from time to time, this is a pretty good thing for us lazy, underemployed, freeloading, downloading, uploading, commie-socialist types.

So what’s changed? Well, basically, the new deal is that Warner itself will now be in charge of selling ads for its videos rather than the ‘Tube. This will allow the label to set its own prices for those advertisements as well as keep the majority of the ad revenues that result. Sweet. In return, YouTube will receive some sort of cut of all revenue under the terms of the agreement. Hey, let’s all have a money fight.

“We feel this is a sustainable model that works for both parties,” YouTube’s head of music Chris Maxcy said stoically, trying as hard as he could to bite his lip and not LOL at how rich he’s gotten. “It puts control and success of their future in their own hands.” (It was difficult to hear the rest of his interview, because there was a money fight happening in the background.)

In order to help create one of those illusory, McDonald’s-like “premium environments” around which to sell these ads, YouTube will also allow Warner to create custom channels within the service dedicated solely to Warner artists. “Members of the YouTube community will not only be able to access videos and other music-related content from Warner Music Group recording artists and songwriters, but will also gain access to an enhanced user experience on YouTube with a feature-rich, high-quality premium player and enhanced channels," Warner said. The label will then populate these channels with higher-quality video than YouTube’s usual shlock, and the two are developing some kind of branding presence that would help identify Warner videos from all of that pedestrian crap out there. Direct links to artist websites, chat capabilities, and other additional social networking capabilities are also apparently in the works.

But it’s not all “premium roast coffee” and “top choice angus beef” for us users with this new Warner music video channel thing, either. For example, it hasn’t been determined yet whether YouTube users will be able to embed Warner music videos from YouTube on other websites like they can now with regular videos. But concerned sources say if the fidelity of Lars Ulrich’s aforementioned hideous face can’t be replicated through the embedding process, it may not be allowed. Also, user-generated YouTube videos will not be allowed to appear on the premium music video player. And fans will have to wait for Warner’s official music videos to appear on YouTube before they can include label-owned songs in their own “Kiss From a Rose” fan videos and junk, as the label wants to launch its music simultaneously across the service.

But either way, the bottom line is that Warner’s music videos will start reappearing on YouTube in the months ahead. YouTube expects the process will take the remainder of the year to complete (including the time it takes WMG to insert its videos into the YouTube system, as well as the time it will take YouTube to finish building the premium video player and ad platform). And even if you hate Led Zeppelin as much as I do, there will still be plenty of... Genesis... and... Sean Paul... oh crap.

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