Billy Idol wants to be on stage with fellow Bonnaroo performers R. Kelly and Weird Al

80's rocker, Billy Idol will be performing a late night set at this years' Bonnaroo Music Festival at the same time as R&B genius R. Kelly and parody, polka king Weird Al Yankavic.  Idol told Rolling Stone, "It's a shame we can't get together on one stage, Weird Al, R. Kelly and me – that's [three] pretty diverse acts. If that's trying to give people a choice, Bonnaroo has really exceeded what it needs to do."

And it's a tough choice indeed.  Idol went on to entice fans over to his stage by promising a set full of hits. "We're going to be doing our party set," the singer said. "A lot of the [set] is gonna be 'Rebel Yell,' 'Eyes Without a Face,' 'White Wedding,' 'Dancing with Myself,' 'Mony Mony' – the songs people know."

Head over to Rollingstone.com for the full interview and to Examiner.com if you need help deciding between which act to see at Bonnaroo.

Tim Ries: The Rolling Stone Project - Photos

Tim Ries, saxophonist for The Rolling Stones, took advantage of his night off by playing an intimate gig at Martyrs' while the Stones are in Chicago.   He recruited fellow Stones musicians Kenneth Fowler (backup singer) and Darryl Jones (bassist), along with the Depaul University Jazz Ensemble to make up 'The Rolling Stones Project".  Check out photos from the set below and for my full review head over to Examiner.com.

Bernard Fowler - Backup singer The Rolling Stones

Depaul University Jazz Ensemble

Finnish singers

Depaul University Jazz Ensemble

Darryl Jones - Bassist for The Rolling Stones

Tim Ries - Saxophonist for The Rolling Stones

Kenneth Fowler, Tim Ries,

Damon Albarn Does Q and A with Rolling Stone Magazine

Damon Albarn of Blur, Gorillaz and countless side projects, talks about his many musical endeavors in a recent interview with Rolling Stone.  He even admits that he would love to play Gorillaz songs with his Blur band mates.

In some ways Gorillaz are a bigger band in America than Blur.

"Oh much bigger, yeah. It would be nice to play "Clint Eastwood" and "Feel Good Inc." with Blur, but I can't. They won't play them with me! [Laughs] But I've just finished a solo record – when I go tour that, I'll play stuff from all my different bands."

Albarn is currently touring with Blur in Europe.  Check out the full interview at Rollingstone.com.

video by AllShowsGo!

"Axl Rose's voice is like fingers on a chalkboard"

Says producer Steve Lillywhite

Steve Lillywhite, who has produced albums for Dave Mathews Band, Phish, Morrissey and The Rolling Stones, declined the opportunity to produce Guns and Roses' "Chinese Democracy".  In a recent interview with KROQ, Lillywhite recounts his meeting with Axl Rose. 

“I was summoned to Los Angeles to meet with Axl Rose, we went for sushi, and then we went to the studio to listen to some tracks and he played me some instrumentals,” Lillywhite said. “I thought, ‘I can understand why he’d want me to work on this.’ And then I said, ‘Do you have anything with vocals on it?’ He said, ‘Yeah, I’ve got one song.’ I was listening to it and I thought ‘Oh my God, I’d forgotten how much I hate his voice.’ I’m sorry! To some people, Axl Rose is royalty. To me, it’s like fingers on a chalkboard. Now, He was a very nice guy. We finished the evening – he paid – the next morning, the manager called and said, ‘Steve, you’re in. He thinks your fantastic. ‘ I said “I’m sorry, I don’t think I’m the right man for this job.” And that was it and I left it at that.”

Lillywhite admits that he would not have shared his thoughts if Axl didn't wrong him first.  “I wouldn’t be telling this story,” Lillywhite says, “except, the next issue of Rolling Stone came out and it said ‘Axl Rose Turns Down Steve Lillywhite!’ I would have said nothing if he said nothing!”

Watch Will Smith rap the theme from "Fresh Prince of Bel Air"

Plus Carlton Dances!

"Now this is a story all about how"... Will Smith stopped by the "Graham Norton Show" to promote his new movie "After Earth".  The audience was treated to a trip back in time as Will was joined by DJ Jazzy Jeff and Alfonso Ribeiro for a "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" reunion.  Watch Will rap the theme of the show and then join Alfonso in his trademark "Carlton" dance.  "After Earth", directed by M. Night Shyamalan, will be out in theaters May 31, 2013.

June Album Releases

Wow, there are a lot of great albums this month. Rap superstar Kanye West is back with his follow up to “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”, Queens of the Stone Age are releasing their creepy album “Like Clockwork, and Black Sabbath are releasing their first studio album since 1978. Check out the full list.

June 4 – Queens of the Stone Age – Like Clockwork

June 10 – Beady Eye – BE

June 11 – Black Sabbath - 13

June 12 – Sigur Ros – Kveikur

June 18 – Kanye West – Yeesus

June 25 – John Legend – Love in the Future

The National - Trouble Will Find Me

The National hit one good note on "Trouble Will Find Me"



“Trouble Will Find Me”, the eighth studio album from the Brooklyn based The National, is beautiful and melancholy. Fans of the band will love the trademark sounds of Matt Berninger's baritone vocals over the somber sounds of the Dessner and Devendorf brothers. The flip side is that “Trouble Will Find Me” isn't going to win over any skeptical listeners.

Matt Berninger knows how to portray universal emotions, primarily through his poetic lyrics. “Sea of Love” the first single off of “Trouble Will Find Me” feels personal and true as Berninger sings, “I see you rushing now/Tell me how to reach you/I see you rushing now/What'd Harvard teach you?”. The theme that you have to live life, rather than read about it, is present throughout the album especially on the bitter track “Graceless” and the timeless “Fireproof”. “Don't Swallow the Cap”, the album's most memorable track, offers an upbeat and defiant tone, as Berninger proclaims “If you want to see me cry/play “Let It Be” or “Nevermind”.

The difference between “Trouble Will Find Me” and an album like Nirvana's “Nevermind” is range. “Nevermind” has range of emotion, range of tone and most importantly musical range. The National strike one chord and they stick to it. This would be a great album if you have just ended a relationship or someone close to you has died, but for listeners who are getting ready for sunshine and summertime, it feels long and exhausting.

The National are good at what they do, writing sorrowful songs that can bring emotion out of the coldest of hearts. “Trouble Will Find Me” is skillful and stylish making it perfect for a raining day but it's the sunny, happier times where you might want put it away and to listen to some Daft Punk instead.

Morrissey Calls for A Ban on Foie Gras

This means you Kate Middleton

Earlier this week, Morrissey posted a message on the fan website, True to You, to call out Kate "Muddelton" on her love for the cruel dish, foie gras.  In other Morrissey news, he turned 54 yesterday.  Happy belated birthday, Morrissey!  Read his full foie gras post below. 

"Congratulations to Prince Charles for banning foie gras from all his functions.

However, unsurprisingly, this most savage and cruel commodity continues to be the favorite "dish" of smiling mother-to-be Kate Muddleton (from whom, in fact, we expect no less.)
Foie gras production is illegal in the UK, yet the ever-so-correct Fortnum and Mason have found suppliers in France who will keep their shelves stocked - possibly with the hope that smiling Kate will wobble in and place an order for her unborn child.
Since Fortnum and Mason are now the only department store in London who are associated with the pitiless atrocity of foie gras, would you please write to them/contact them and exert pressure on them to stop selling such a savage beyond belief "product".

Fortnum and Mason
181 Piccadilly
London W1A 1ER, England
Twitter: @FortnumandMason
http://www.fortnumandmason.com
thank you!
Morrissey

 

Laura Marling - Once I Was An Angel

Laura Marling Proves that She is Wise Beyond Her Years

This is a powerful album full of complexity and beauty.  Read my full review at www.examiner.com

Photo by Karl Walter/Getty Images for Coachella

Watch the trailer for "Springsteen & I"

Check out the new trailer for Ridley Scott's "Springsteen & I".  The film features footage from iconic Springsteen shows as fans share their personal experiences.  This must see for any Springsteen fan will be showing July 22nd at cinemas around the world.

 

http://brucespringsteen.net/

Watch Queens of the Stone Play "Like Clockwork" Live on NPR

Queens of the Stone Age will play their new album "Like Clockwork" in it's entirety tonight, at 11 PM EST, on the NPR show "First Listen Live".  Josh Homme and company will then play songs from their entire hard rocking catalog.  Tickets for Queens of the Stone Age's summer tour are on sale now.

Get your self ready for the show tonight by watching the rough riding animated track "If I Had A Tail".

http://www.likeclockwork.tv

Introducing "Pig Monster"

The new character from Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett

 "Pig Monster" is joining the cast of Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett's play "Monkey: Journey to the West".  As MTV reports, the play is an adaptation of "Journey to the West" by Wu Cheng, written and directed for the stage by Chen Shi-Zheng with the music provided by Albarn and the costume and characters designed by Hewlett.  "Monkey: Journey to the West" will be showing at The Lincoln Center in New York this July.  Get your tickets and be sure to watch the "Piggy Piggy" episode of "American Horror Story" before the show, just to make "Pig Monster" extra terrifying.

Arrested Development - Funniest Musical Moments

"Arrested Development" is coming back this week with Season 4 debuting on Netflix, May 26 and to celebrate we are counting down the Top Five Funniest Musical Moments from the first 3 seasons.

5.  "The Big Yellow Joint" - Bluth's Banana Stand was a hangout for hippies back in the day and it even inspired a hit song.

4.  "Lindsay's Cage Dance" - Lindsay protests the war with a wet and wild cage dance.

3.  "Good Grief" - Even the Bluths feels a little kicked around sometimes and they express their depression by walking sullenly like Charlie Brown.

2.  "The Final Countdown" - There is no better song to coincide with Gob's tricks, I mean "illusions".

1.  "Franklin Comes Alive" - Gob and Franklin collaborate on the unifying song "It ain't easy being white, it ain't easy being brown".

Bonus Clip - The Bluth's version of the chicken dance. "oh, come on"!

RIP - Ray Manzarek

Ray Manzarek, keyboardist and founding member of The Doors has died.  TMZ reports the rock legend passed away today after a long battle with bile duct cancer.  The organ intro to "Light My Fire" is quite possibly one of the most recognizable riffs in all of rock and roll.  Manzarek will be very missed.

http://www.raymanzarek.us/

Coachella 2014 Tickets onsale Friday!

Get ready for Coachella 2014!  Tickets for both weekends will go on sale this Friday at 10AM PST.  Register in advance with frontgate tickets to increase your chances of getting the coveted passes.

www.coachella.com

Watch - Kanye West - SNL

Kanye West debuted two new songs, "Black Skinhead" and "New Slaves", on last night's Saturday Night Live.  The episode was hosted by Ben Affleck and marked the official end of Bill Hader's SNL career.  The final skit looked like it may have not only been a send off for Hader, but also for Fred Armisen and Jason Sudeikis, who are both rumored to be leaving the late night sketch show.  See for yourself as Aimee Mann, Carrie Brownstein, J. Mascis, Kim Gordon and Steve Jones jam with the funny men of Saturday Night Live.

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/

Daft Punk - Random Access Memories

Everyone's Favorite Robots Make the Best Album of the Year

It's been eight years since Daft Punk released the electronic heavy, powerhouse “Human After All”, and in that time the duo of Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo have gotten back to their disco funk roots. “Random Access Memories” reminds us that they are just as comfortable with percussion and guitars as they are with synthesizers and drum machines. Song after song is interesting and catchy, making “Random Access Memories” the best album so far this year.

Daft Punk didn't work alone on this one. Pharrell Williams brings his soulful voice and hit making ability to the already classic “Get Lucky” and the inherently cool “Loose Yourself to Dance”. “Instant Crush” features Julian Casablancas, who manages to get his trademark vocals to shine through the use of a vocoder. The piano provided by Chilly Gonzales is intricate and beautiful in “Within” which will blend nicely with the “Discovery” track “Face to Face” in a live setting. Perhaps the best collaboration comes from Paul Williams on the spacey yet ragtime influenced track “Touch”. Williams, who previously worked with The Muppets on “Rainbow Connection”, has a knack for making audiences empathize with inhuman characters, like puppets or in this case robots. The result is beautiful and tragic and provoke feelings reminiscent to watching David, the child robot, stare at his potential savior The Blue Fairy in the film "A.I."

Daft Punk - Lollapalooza 2007

References to Stanley Kubrick, who wrote "A.I.", are also apparent in the interstellar track “Motherboard” which conjures the unsettling sounds of a nearby monolith. It seems the robots were very influenced by space on “Random Access Memories” with the tracks “ Beyond” and “Contact” evoking the wonder of the galaxy. Daft Punk come back down to earth with the fun, funky, disco tracks “Give Life Back to Music”, “Fragments of Time” and “Doin' It Right”. The inspiration of Chic guitarist Nile Rogers, who is featured on “Get Lucky”, is loud and clear.

In “Get Lucky”, Pharrell sings “Like the legend of the phoenix/all ends with beginnings”. It seems that Daft Punk are at a new beginning of their own. They are more popular now than ever, consistently in everyone's wish list to appear at musical festivals, and “Get Lucky” has become their highest charting hit in the U.S. “Random Access Memories” is a triumph in every sense of the word and as eager fans dive into the album, we can't help but imagine how amazing these tracks will sound live.

video by AllShowsGo!

Coachella Announcement

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival just posted the cryptic message "Monday, 10AM PDT" on their website.  This will most likely be an announcement about a ticket pre-sale for the 2014 addition of the festival.  Stay tuned for more information.

http://www.coachella.com/

Thom Yorke and Robert Del Naja Score Documentary - "The UK Gold"

The film is narrated by Dominic West

As The Telegraph reports, "The UK Gold" is about tax avoidance and one man's quest to take on an ancient British institution.  Dominic West (The Wire) will be narrating with Thom Yorke (Radiohead, Atoms for Peace) and Robert Del Naja (Massive Attack) providing the score.  No word yet on whether West will narrate in the voice of McNulty, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

http://www.theukgold.co.uk/

Watch - Queens of the Stone Age - If I Had A Tail

Queens of the Stone Age are channeling Quentin Tarantino's "Death Proof" in their new video for "If I Had A Tail"

http://www.likeclockwork.tv 

Goodbye - The Office

The Office's Best Musical Moments

The Office is saying farewell tonight and to honor the occasion we have compiled some of the greatest musical moments from the show.  http://www.nbc.com/the-office/

5.  Goodbye Toby - Michael's musical tribute to his mortal enemy, set to the music of "Goodbye Stranger" by Supertramp.

4.  "Country Roads" - Dwight and Andy compete for Erin's attention but soon enough she becomes the third wheel.

office country road song by mrbrdo

3.  "Free Love Freeway" -  Brilliant singer-songwriter, David Brent, teaches tolerance and love during a staff meeting.

2.  "Lazy Scranton" - Michael's A++ orientation video for the new staff.

1.  9,986,000 Minutes - The entire office sings this song to Michael Scott after his last Dundies.  If your a fan of the show, you will not be able to hold in your tears. 

Bonus Clip - Michael Scott's great take on "Happy Birthday". We are really going to miss this show.

Riot Fest - Lineup Announcement

The 2013 addition of Chicago's Riot Fest will be headlined by a couple of pop punk power houses, Fall Out Boy and Blink 182.  The 3rd headliner remains a mystery.  Who do you think it will be?  Three day passes are available at Ticketfly for $99.98.

www.riotfest.org

Watch - Queens of the Stone Age - Keep Your Eyes Peeled

The "Like Clockwork" saga continues with another chapter of impressively violent animation.  You might want to look away but "Keep Your Eyes Peeled" is fascinating.  See for yourself below.

http://www.likeclockwork.tv

Dealing With Festival Conflicts

Do you go with your head or follow your heart?

Festival season is in full swing and set time conflicts abound. How do you decide between them? Do you use your head or follow your heart? I would like to examine some of the toughest conflicts at Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo to try and figure out how to make the best decision.

Let's start with Lollapalooza, since they just released their conflict filled set times yesterday.

Case 1

The Killers vs. Nine Inch Nails - Lollapalooza

Industrial legends with an always amazing show versus the poppy, dramatic Las Vegas rockers with a ton of sing-a-longs. My head is telling me Nine Inch Nails, obviously. They consistently put on a great show, have a huge catalog of dynamic songs, and who doesn't want to look at Trent Reznor for ninety minutes. However, My heart is telling me to go with The Killers. I loved Nine Inch Nails in the past, but The Killers are the present. Brandon Flowers writes songs that are beautiful while telling a compelling story. I loved their last two albums and I haven't yet had the opportunity to see them. Heart wins on this one – I've seen NIN before and they are always stellar, but I really love The Killers in this moment. That being said, if you have never seen NIN, I definitely recommend checking them out.

Nine Inch Nails @ Lollapalooza 2008

Case 2

New Order vs. Queens of the Stone Age

Why Lollapalooza? Why must these two bands conflict with each other? New Order are new wave pioneers with an extensive collection of hits, while Queens of the Stone Age seriously rock in an age where most music is glossy, happy and over produced. So what's a festival goer to do. I love New Order with all my heart but my head knows that QOTSA are going to destroy the Bud Light Stage.  Every song that QOTSA have released off their new album “Like Clockwork” has been eerie and exciting. Besides, New Order isn't even a true reunion as founding member and bassist, Peter Hook, declined to join them.  Queens of the Stone Age it is!

Bonnaroo, less than a month away, is even worse for conflicts. Luckily, the headliners play unopposed, but Late Night is jam packed with great acts.

Case 3

Wu-Tang Clan vs. ZZ Top – Bonnaroo

For this conflict, my head is telling me ZZ Top. They are rock and roll legends and consummate musicians. My heart is pulling for Wu-Tang Clan. I listen to Wu-Tang way more than ZZ top, but still my head prevails this time. A great studio album does not necessarily make for a great live show and my heart has already been broken by less than stellar Wu-Tang performances. I always go in hoping for a great show, but it usually just ends up being, well, sloppy. ZZ Top for the win.

Wu-Tang Clan @ Coachella 2013

Case 4

R. Kelly vs. Superjam vs. Billy Idol – Bonnaroo

Billy Idol is full of fist pumping fun and I have been wanting to see R. Kelly late night at Bonnaroo for years, but how do you miss the Superjam. Ugh, what to do? Sorry Billy, you're the first to leave this equation. I'm sure the set will be fun, but we are debating magic here. Now it gets really tough. My head is telling me Superjam. It's a rarity and always one of the best sets at Bonnaroo, but my heart... my heart is dying to see R. Kelly. R. Kelly's performances are entertaining in every way possible, but so are the Superjams. Got to go with my head and my heart on this one and split the sets. Start over at R. Kelly and somehow tear myself away to catch a big portion of the Superjam. I hate splitting sets, but sometimes you have to compromise.

Bonnaroo Superjam 2011 - Dan Auerbach & Dr. John filmed by AllShowsGO!

How do you decide who to see when it's a tough conflict?

Watch Queens of the Stone Age's New Video for Kalopsia

Queens of the Stone Age gave us another look at their new album "Like Clockwork" which will be released on June 4th.  The video for "Kalopsia" features dark, disturbing and beautiful animation from the artist Boneface.  Enjoy!

http://www.likeclockwork.tv/

Lollapalooza - Set Times

Lollapalooza has released the set times for this year's fest.  Friday has some tough conflicts with Queens of the Stone Age playing at the same time as New Order and The Killers conflicting with Nine Inch Nails.  Other tough choices include Mumford and Sons vs. Postal Service and Phoenix vs. The Cure.  For more info head to www.lollapalooza.com

Friday

 

Saturday

 

Sunday

Sir Paul McCartney Joins Cruelty Free International

The former Beatle and longtime vegetarian is calling for a global ban on animal testing for cosmetics.  Sir Paul explains, “I have supported Cruelty Free International’s founding organization, the BUAV over the years with its campaign to end cosmetics testing on animals. I am so proud to be part of this historic event and congratulate Cruelty Free International for succeeding in taking the cruelty out of beauty across the European Union. Together we have made a huge difference, yet animals continue to suffer because over 80% of the world still allows cosmetics testing on animals. I am now supporting Cruelty Free International with its campaign to seek a global ban to ensure that animals do not suffer for the sake of beauty anywhere in the world.”

Comedian Ricky Gervais is also a supporter of Cruelty Free International.  You can learn more and get involved at http://www.crueltyfreeinternational.org/en

Stream - Daft Punk - Random Access Memories

It's here, it's here.  We can stream Daft Punk's "Random Access Memories" in it's entirely for free on iTunes.  Go to Daft Punk's page on iTunes and enjoy!!!!

 

http://www.daftpunk.com/

Random Access Memories - Unwrapped and Examined

Our next sneak peak of Daft Punk's forthcoming album "Random Access Memories" reveals the album artwork and packaging.  Watch the robots inspect the LP, before giving us a taste of the opening track "Give Life Back to Music".  "Random Access Memories" will be released, next Tuesday 5/21/13.

http://www.daftpunk.com/

Check Out - Vampire Weekend on SNL

Vampire Weekend graced the Saturday Night Live stage last night playing two tracks off their new album "Modern Vampires of the City".  Kristen Wiig hosted and previewed a frightening new Disney Show.  Check out the videos below.

 http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/

A Song for Mother's Day

Sung by the one the only Mr. T

 "I pity the fool" who doesn't treat their momma right.  Happy Mother's Day!

 

Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City

Vampire Weekend show their maturity and musical chops with third studio album.

Vampire Weekend are an intelligent band, there's no doubt about it, and with their third studio album they highlight their brains without the showy wordplay of their previous efforts. These mature vampires explore personal topics like love and God in a way that is very relatable to fans of all ages. "Modern Vampires of the City" is beautifully constructed from it's overall feel and track list, to each song in and of itself.

In “Step” Ezra Koening sings “ Wisdoms a gift/But you'd trade it for youth/Age is an honor/It's still not the truth”. You can feel this very youthful band struggling with their quickly approaching thirties, but aging suits them well. They practice a beautiful restraint that produces seemingly effortless melodies over their trademark shuffle rhythms and background of Rostam Batmaglij's synths. 

Vampire Weekend have perfected an upbeat modern rockabilly with songs like “Finger Back” and “Diane Young”. The rhythm section of Chris Baio on bass and Chris Tomson on drums create infections cadences that make you want to dance. The use of auto-tune could be questionable on “Step” and “Diane Young” but the songs are so good that it just feels like nitpicking. They explore their softer side with “Unbelievers”, “Everlasting Arms" and “Worship You”. Three thoughtful songs that remain fun, a very difficult thing to accomplish.

"Modern Vampires of the City" feels very now, very 2013 in a world where we are all connected. There are influences from the past (Paul Simon) and global influences (African rhythms), but presented in a fresh new way. This feeling is represented in “Diane Young” as Ezra sings “Live my life in self-defense/You know I love the past cuz I hate suspense /If Diane Young won’t change your mind/ Baby, baby, baby, baby right on time”.

Okay, so the boys still have a bit of fun with wordplay but that's part of the reason that we love them. And if Vampire Weekend can keep creating albums as rich as "Modern Vampires of the City", we will continue to love them for years to come.

Help The Pixies Get A Book Published

There is a Kickstarter campaign to publish the book "PIXIES: A Visual History".  The book is filled with vintage photos and the stories behind them.  If you "La La Love" The Pixies, you can help the cause at kickstarter.com

 http://www.pixiesmusic.com/

R. Kelly Sort Of Explains "Trapped in The Closet"

"It’s different…it’s new; it’s unique; it’s alien.  But you keep looking at it."

 

  

R. Kelly tells Vibe Magazine that "there are a lot of misconceptions about 'Trapped in the Closet'" and even compares his epic saga to the invention of the airplane. “It’s no different than when someone came into the room and said, ‘I got a great idea about how to fly, I call these things wings…this is called a plane. It will actually fly in the air and get you to a certain destination.’ Now people were looking at [the inventor] like he was crazy [laughs]. They looked at him like, ‘We don’t understand any of this.’ That’s how some people viewed ‘Trapped In The Closet.’"  I guess he really does "believe he can fly".

You can attend a "Trapped in the Closet" sing-a-long at this year's Bonnaroo Music Festival.  Just stop by the cinema tent Friday, June 14th at 2:20am ready to be entertained.

http://www.r-kelly.com/