John Mayer is known for entertaining the ladies, but his latest target is -- Taylor Swift? In March, Mayer revealed on Twitter that he had wrapped a new song called "Half of My Heart," and he was hoping his "Diamonds in the Stream" partner would be none other than teen icon Taylor Swift. Taylor is evidently blushing like well the schoolgirl she is at Mayer's attention and thinks its a grand idea. Mayer actually made an appearance at Taylor Swift's concert in Los Angeles last month where they shared a moment on "You're Body is a Wonderland" and "White Horse." Is it just me or is Mayer's affinity for younger ladies getting a tad creepy?

Source: Taylor Swift Tour

Evan Rachel Wood (the Wrestler) and Alan Cumming (Goldeneye) have both signed on for staring roles in the new Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark musical coming to Broadway next spring. Wood will play the vivacious Mary Jane and Cumming will take on Harry Osborne and his alter-ego the Green Goblin. More cast members will be named at a later date. Previews will begin on February 25th and tickets will be released to the general public on September 12th. American Express cardholders can take advantage of presales going on now at Ticketmaster.

Source: Rolling Stone

The ridiculousness of file sharing lawsuits still trudge on yet this time they've hit a new low. A Minnesota woman was found guilty of sharing 24 songs, and the record companies were awarded a baffling $1.92 million or $80,000 per song. It is obvious the 32-year-old mother of 4 has no means to pay such a far fetched sum, and that this circus is simply a PR vehicle for the RIAA to strike fear in the hearts of downloaders everywhere. This case is only one of 30,000 making their way through the court system currently. Most violators settle out of court for around $3500. If you find out who was on this jury panel that rewarded this ridiculous sum, please beat the living daylights out of them.

Source: Yahoo News

The recession hasn't been kind to many outside of fatcat AIG executives. People are hurting right now and no one more than the small business. The venerable indie magazine Paste unfortunately falls into this category. The Decatur-based magazine says the advertising dollars have dried up, and they are looking for donations from its reader base to try to bridge the gap. 75 top music artists have joined the fight, contributing rare and unreleased tracks to help Paste's cause. They include the likes of the Decemberists, Neko Case, Indigo Girls and Cowboy Junkies. Help save one of the rare pillars of music taste on the magazine shelves. Donate today.

iTunes has basically taken the music business out of the hands of the record labels. By embracing technology instead of stubbornly trying to fight the rising tide, Apple's iTunes has reinvented the music industry and looks like the unstoppable leader. That is until Spotify came along. Spotify is a European music service that serves up music on demand for free. What is the catch? You have to listen to a commercial every 30 minutes or so similar to commercial radio or you can pay a $14 monthly charge to listen ad free. Record labels seem to be embracing this new format including heavy weights like Sony, EMI, Warner Music and Naxos. The 6-month old service already boasts 1 million users, and they are serving up an impressive catalog of music, adding songs at the rate of 10,000 tracks a day. Will this new licensing format make downloading MP3s obsolete? Only time will tell if consumers adopt this format whole-heartedly, but with little downside I certainly wouldn't bet against it. If I were Apple, I'd be looking to launch a competing service yesterday before Spotify hits the US market and slaughters their cash cow. To be one of the first in the know concerning when Spotify hits the US, signup on their website.

Source: Newsweek

As Ticketmaster navigates the tricky, shark infested waters that plague its pending merger with LiveNation, more trouble lies on the horizon. Ticketmaster just settled a lawsuit from New Jersey's attorney general for $350,000 and agreeing not to link to their subsidiary TicketsNow off their main website. It all stemmed from the shady practice of forwarding fans to TicketsNow (a ticket seller on the secondary market) selling tickets for a steep markup once tickets for Bruce Springsteen's tour flashed sold out. Canada has also filed a $500 million lawsuit against the company for the deception they've leveled on Canadian fans. Now Leonard Cohen fans are feeling the heat. Recent tour dates in NY sold out in seconds. Ticketmaster affiliate Ticketexchange had inventory for over $1000 a ticket available while prices on TicketsNow ran upward of $1900. This just highlights Ticketmaster's questionable business practices and why they cannot be allowed even more power through the proposed consolidation with LiveNation. Congress should have heeded Pearl Jam's advice back in the 1990s and splintered up this monopoly.

Source: NY Daily News

Canadian jazz chanteuse Diana Krall will soon be heading out on tour to support her latest Brazilian bossa-nova styled record release Quiet Nights. Currently, her tour is slated to snake its way through Canada with a sprinkle of US dates in New England and along the west coast. With large gaps between her summer dates, it's fairly easy to surmise she will be filling in those vacancies with stops along the major US markets, sure to be announced in the months ahead. Diana Krall's tour will start March 19 in Honolulu. Quiet Nights marks Krall's first release since 2006s From This Moment On, and highlights three covers from bossa nova godfather Antonio Carlos Jobim. Diana co-produced the album with Tommy LiPuma.

Metallica's Lars Ulrich says if you don't see a Metallica date coming to your city in the near future -- never fear. Although the current Death Magnetic world tour is scheduled through August of 09, the band is now laying the foundation for it to run into the spring of 10. This tour will be Metallica's first time playing arenas in four years. The set list is said to be drawn heavy from the 80s classics with a sampling off the new album. Regardless of anything, they'll always wrap it up with "Seek and Destroy."

Source: Metallica Tour

Motley Crue will close down the legendary 'The Joint' concert venue on February 6 & 7 to clear the way for a new state-of-the-art 'Joint' set to open in April. The Hard Rock Casino & Hotel says the new venue will be twice the size with upgrades of the sound and lighting systems including seven VIP suites for its patrons. The stop will be two of many along Motley Crue's expanded Saints of Los Angeles tour winding through the spring of 09.

Source: Motley Crue Tour

It seems being in the bottom three every week finally caught up with her in life. Arista Nashville has dropped Kristy Lee from the label. Her debut album Why Wait has sold a meager 25,000 units and her aptly titled first single "30 Minutes of Shame" is charting weakly. This marks the second time she has been dumped by the label. Fellow Idol winner David Cook is tearing it up as his self-titled debut album is number 3 on the Billboard charts and number 1 on the digital album charts. It seems the cougar faithful are pushing their wrinkly support behind tasty David Cook.

Source: American Idol Tour

Guitarist Joe Satrini is suing Coldplay, saying their song "Viva La Vida" uses "substantial original portions" of his 2004 instrumental "If I Could Fly." Satrini wants "any and all profits" from the alleged plagiarism. The band has responded "If there are any similarities between our two pieces of music, they are entirely coincidental and just as surprising to us as to him." Much tamer than what Oasis' response might have been to Satrini "Who the f$%k are you? Saw it off you old bugger."

Source: Coldplay Tour

Seems you can't keep a crazy woman down. Tabloid side-show extravaganza Britney Spears will be touring on her new album Circus starting March 3 in New Orleans. The tour will wind its way through 27 cities in the Canada and US and feature sex kittens the Pussycat Dolls as openers. Spears gave the Good Morning America audience a taste of the booty shake this morning (check out the YouTube video), and came off like a stiff Panda waking up from a nap. Let's hope Emmy-winning choreographer Wade Robson can get this diva dancing again before her American close-up.

Source: Britney Spears Tour

Neo-soul brother John Legend has tacked on a second leg to his Evolver tour mere days before starting the initial round of dates in Minneapolis on 11/19. The second leg starts January 12 in Oakland with Estelle opening and winds its way through the beginning of February before he embarks to Europe. Evolver is Legend's third studio effort which debuted at number 5 on Billboard's Top 200. Hit single "Green Light," featuring Andre 3000 of Outkast, is a fixture on the pop, R&B and dance charts. Legend has garnered five Grammy's during his career and sold 5 million albums.

Source: John Legend Tour

The most highly anticipated tour in decades is forming as we speak. Led Zeppelin used the vaulted reunion show at London's O2 last year to announce plans for a full-out tour. One small catch. It won't include Robert Plant. That is basically like making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without the bread. The utter ridiculousness of Page, Bonham & Jones seem undeterred, pressing on without the legendary front man. The band is currently auditioning singers rumored to include Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Alter Bridge's Myles Kennedy. The remaining trio plan to tour supporting an album of new material. Regarding future touring with the band, Plant is quoted prior to the O2 show as saying, "The whole idea of being on a cavalcade of merciless repetition is not what it's all about". Keep an eye on Stubhub for upcoming Zeppelin tour dates.

Source: Rolling Stone

Twenty-three years have passed since Sting and the boys closed the door on seminal 80s fixture the Police, but its time for them to join forces again at this year's Grammy Awards. The group last performed together at their induction ceremony to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. Rumors have been running rampant for weeks that the band would reunite for a tour later this summer in commemoration of their 30-year anniversary.

Source: MSNBC

Last week news came from the Keane camp that lead singer Tom Chaplin had been officially diagnosed with exhaustion. It now looks like drugs and alcohol may have been the root of the problem as he was admitted to rehab. "I've been having to deal with an increasing problem with drink and drugs, and the time has come to get the professional help I need to sort myself out," Chaplin posted on the band's website. This unforeseen stop will postpone all the September dates on the band's North American tour. At the moment, the October dates remain unaltered. Keane's new album Under the Iron Sea entered the Billboard charts at number 4.

Source: Live Daily

Its seems Jeff Buckley is about to find a new audience for his music -- 10 years after his untimely passing. Buckley's mother and keeper of his estate, Mary Guibert, has met with Finding Neverland producer Michelle Sy, who in turn enlisted the writing talents of Brian Jun (Sundance favorite Black Steel). Currently, Jun is deeply researching the life of the musical virtuoso, hoping to have a first draft complete by summer's end. Casting decisions still remain a question mark.

Source: CMJ

The seldom seen Tom Waits is getting ready to venture into the thick humidity of the south. The legendary raspy singer will be taking on an eight city tour including stops in Atlanta and Memphis which he hasn't performed in since the 70s. When asked about the city selection, Waits replied, "We need to go to Tennessee to pick up some fireworks, and someone owes me money in Kentucky."

Source: LiveDaily

The forefathers of indie-rock, the Pixies, have revealed that the much rumored sixth studio album is not to be. Frontman Frank Black said that he had written a handful of songs earlier this year in the hopes of getting Kim Deal on board with the new work. "I tried to find my Pixies muse and write a so-called Pixies number but they weren't any good," Black told Billboard. "They sounded a little contrived or something. That's the problem with trying to repeat something you did a long time ago." Black just released his latest solo work Fast Man Raider Man last week and intends to tour with Foo Fighters later in the summer.

Source: CMJ

It seems anxious stateside fans, awaiting the UK group's tour for their latest effort Eyes Open, will have to wait a bit longer. All dates for the band's summer tour have been postponed until the fall. Singer Gary Lightbody has been informed by a throat specialist not to sing until mid-July. The shows will all take place between September 6th and 30th with exact dates to be announced in the coming weeks. Some venue changes are expected yet all tickets to the summer dates will be honored for the rescheduled shows.

Source: Snow Patrol Tour

There may not be a release date for the long awaited new Radiohead album yet, but Thom Yorke isn't letting that stop him from putting his mark on 2006. In July, Yorke will release his first solo effort entitled The Eraser. Yorke has said that this is simply a side project he's been meaning to work on for a while and not a division in the band. The track "Black Swan" will be featured over the closing credits in Richard Linklater's coming film A Scanner Darkly.

Source: Reuters

The British wonder group Radiohead is preparing to hit American shores for the first time in 2 years, playing an array of theatre dates. The group will begin their run in Philadelphia on June 1 & 2 and close in Los Angeles June 29 & 30. The venues are considerably smaller than their usual arena shows. The setlists are said to draw from their new material they've been gathering together for the coming album. At this time, no date has been set for its release.

Source: Top 40 Charts

It's been 15 years since the troubled singer has toured, but Friday he announced he is ready to hit the road. Michael has been tangled in problems of late for possession of marijuana in Hyde Park two months ago and when he collided with three parked cars on Monday. The recent drama harkens back to his 1998 arrest for lewd conduct that outted the pop star. He will start the European tour on September 27th in Madrid, Spain. No U.S. tour dates have yet to be set.

Source: Mercury News

The answer to life without Howard Stern seemed to be no answer at all. After a few short months in the DJ booth, CBS will be pulling Roth from his new gig. His stint has proved a ratings disaster based on the Winter 2006 Arbitron ratings. Opie and Anthony has been licensed from XM Radio to replace Roth in the seven markets.

Source: Billboard

The UK sensation, the Arctic Monkeys, are crashing on American shores yet again to spread their punk flavor from sea to shining sea. They are supporting their breakout debut Whatever People Say That I Am, That Is What I Am Not and followup EP Who the fuck are the Arctic Monkeys. Starting on May 17th in Vancouver, the Monkeys will hit 17 cities in the US and Canada. After selling out their Austrailian dates in minutes, this promises to be a hot ticket. Look for the PM review of the Arctic Monkey's full length debut later in the week.

Source: Spin

Cat Power's winter tour was shelved due to undisclosed health problems, but it is on again with a handful of West Coast appearances being announced. Chan Marshall will be keeping her existing dates at Bonnaroo and Coachella though previously scheduled stops in Boston, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago have yet to be addressed.

Source: CMJ

The summer music festival Lollapalooza is ready for launch on August 4-6 in Chicago's Grant Park. The high profile line-up includes Kanye West, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Death Cab for Cutie, the Shins, Ryan Adams and Thievery Corporation (see full list). Tickets are onsale now. 30,000 people came out for last year's musical celebration in Grant Park, and it marked the first time in the event's history that it wasn't a roaming tour.

Source: Billboard

Seminal 80s band the Smiths have turned down a potential 5 million dollar payday to reunite at the Coachella Music Festival in California according to former Smiths frontman Morrissey. The announcement came during a media conference where Moz put to rest reunion rumors with the statement, "It was a fantastic journey. And then it ended. I didn't feel we should have ended. I wanted to continue. (Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr) wanted to end it. And that was that." Morrissey said that writing for his forthcoming album Ringleader of the Tormentors (due April 4th) is coming from a much more positive place.

Source: Yahoo News

Dave Matthews Band is fueling up once again to tour for their latest release Stand Up. It will begin in Maryland Heights, Missouri on May 30th and close in Charlottesville, Virginia on September 23rd. The summer tour will stop at 37 cities. Openers will include Matisyahu, O.A.R. and G. Love and Special Sauce. Tickets go onsale to the general public on April 8th.

Source: Dave Matthews Band Tour

R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe and a diverse array of bands ranging from Bright Eyes and Public Enemy to Rufus Wainwright and Fisherspooner are joining forces to perform in the Bring 'Em Home concert. The event is a benefit supporting Iraq War Veterans Against the War and Veterans for Peace and will take place in Hammerstein Ballroom in New York on March 20th. The evening's guest hosts include Cindy Sheehan, Jane Fonda and Alec Baldwin.

Source: Rolling Stone

It seems old Creed frontman Scott Stapp can't stay out of the spotlight of grime these days. Less than a week after he was arrested for public intoxication, Red Light District has announced it plans to release the Stapp, Kid Rock sex tape, showing the duo involved in explicit sex acts with four female fans on a tour bus. A 40-second preview of the 45-minute tape has been posted on kidrocksextape.com and scottstappsextape.com with the full video planned to be released later this year.

Source: Billboard

Neko Case will be launching out to tour for her new solo album, Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, on March 7th in Austin, Texas. Case is looking to bring Kelly Hogan and Rachael Flotard of Visqueen on the road to back her. Martha Wainwright is set to open six of the dates with additional support still to be announced. Case will not be joining the New Pornographers on the road this spring. Case is set to play several music festivals this year as well as planning jaunts in Japan and Australia.

Source: Billboard

The indie Brit band Arctic Monkeys has officially taken their breakout debut Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not and made their mark on UK music history. Selling 360,000 copies in its first week of release, it passed Hear'Says record for fastest selling debut album. This is pretty amazing given that it happened without the promotional power of a major label instead through word of mouth and the Internet. They'll be invading American shores in March so be sure to catch these wily cats stateside.

Source: Soulshine

Tuesday marked the release of a tribute to father and son, Tim and Jeff Buckley. Entitled Dream Brother: the Songs of Jeff & Tim Buckley, the collection features a roster including Sufjan Stevens, the Magic Numbers and Tunng. Its been 30 years since Tim Buckley died of a drug overdose and nine since Jeff drown in the Wolf River in Memphis during recording Sketches for my Sweetheart, the Drunk.

Source: CMJ

Kristen Hall has decided to part ways with Sugarland to focus more on writing songs. Hall penned most of the band's hit debut Twice the Speed of Life and also contributed vocal and guitar work. Remaining members, Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush issued the statement "Kristen has decided that she wants to stay home and write songs, and we support her in that decision." Universal Music said the band would still continue as a group and will open for Kenny Chesney's tour beginning March 23.

Source: ABC News

Atlanta's biggest music festival is calling it a day after a 12-year run. Promoter Peter Conlon said the decision to end the grand yearly event stemmed from factors like low turnout over the last three years, inclement weather and problems relocating the event from Piedmont Park. Conlon said that in a good year the event would pull in 300,000 music lovers. The 2004 festival pulled in a mere 60,000. Other problem areas included competing with Vibefest, neighbor protests, more expensive talent and higher ticket prices.

Source: 11alive.com
For an insiders look at Music Midtown, check out PM's 2005 coverage of the event: White Stripes & Interpol - Keane & Tift Merritt - The Killers & Bloc Party

It seems manic rocker Courtney Love has hit on tough financial times and is looking to rake up some cash. She's said to be considering selling her rights to Nirvana's back catalog that fell to her after the suicide of her husband Kurt Cobain in 1994. Love has had a tough year, battling drug addiction and teetering on the verge of bankruptcy. The New York Post says she is looking for a cool $100 million for her rights to the catalog. Count on the fur to fly when former Cobain band mates Krist Novoselic and David Grohl (Foo Fighters) find out.

Source: Monsters and Critics

It's officially that time of year. We're hitting the home stretch on the holiday season so in the entertainment world that means we're getting hit with a flood of Oscar contenders and everybody whose got something to say about music is whipping out their best of 2005 lists (look for PM Media's next weekend). Spin has weighed in on the year that was anointing the Killers as the Band of the Year, Arcade Fire as Breakout Band of the Year and the London rapper, by way of Sri Lanka, M.I.A. as Artist of the Year. Kayne West's Late Registration took top honors as album of the year with other notable entries including Franz' You Could Have It So Much Better (3), The New Pornographers Twin Cinema (7) and Fiona Apple Extraordinary Machine (9). Its an interesting issue of the year that was covering everything from Jessica Simpson's butt implants, "Feel Good Inc." as the single of the year, and did you realize Frances Bean was 12? Twelve years of Courtney screwing an impressionable mind.

Source: Spin

Old 97's front man Rhett Miller is geared up to release his second solo album on February 28th. The title track "The Believer" stems from his reaction to the suicide of Elliott Smith. The Believer is to follow a path very similar to his first outing The Instigator. He includes the loneliness, spirited hooks and the upbeat country laced tunes supporting love gone bad. He even shares the spotlight on "Firefly" with the lovely Rachael Yamagata.

So you've heard of the human genome project, but have you heard of the music genome project? It seems that since 2000 the good folks at Pandora have been been furiously cataloging the genes of tens of thousands of musicians to compile a massive database of songs. Now us little people can access this ocean of knowledge to find new music similar to artists we already like. All you have to do is type in the name of the artist, and they serve you up a crop of songs that could be kid brothers to your favorite artist. If you are into new music and you've already listened to 48 hours worth of Innovative Radio in two days, give Pandora a try to expand your musical horizons.

Hey if you can't beat 'em, join them. In a move to combat the ever spiraling ticket prices sought in the after market, Coldplay has set up their own auction website so the fans don't have to be "ripped off" paying scalper prices online. Any money raised through these auctions will be donated to charity. Now if we could keep Ticketmaster from robbing us blind, we'd really be doing good. For more info, checkout the online auction on auction site.

Source: NME

If it wasn't bad enough that Sony is keeping you from cutting the disk you bought over to your iPod, now their copy-protection program, that automatically installs when certain BMG or Sony disks are played on personal computers, have become a harbor for viruses. Anti-virus companies have identified 3 Trojan horse programs that are burrowing away in Sony's XCP2 technology. These programs, that hold little difference from spyware, are opening the company up to a lot of legal headaches from installing unauthorized programs on user's machines.

Source: MSNBC

First Kobe and Shaq brutalized us off the court with their stab at rap. Now Spurs champ and Eva Longoria's resident boy toy, Tony Parker, is getting into the game. The current album is being done in Parker's native French, and he's already performed on the track "Top of the Game" with Fabulous and French rapper Booba. No release date is currently set for his new album.

Source: Soulshine

The popular peer-to-peer file sharing service, Grokster, shut down Monday to settle its piracy suit brought by Hollywood and the RIAA. Grokster's web site was updated to display a message informing its users that its file sharing service was illegal and no longer available. The Grokster brand will go the way of Napster transitioning into a fee-based version of its software that will be available within 60 days. The decision is said not to affect those already running the software.

Source: Yahoo News

The second annual mtvU woodie awards were given out November 2nd and, as expected, some deserving artists went home with Woodies while others had to hope their Viagra would kick in another year. My Chemical Romance was the evening's big winner beating out Common, Arcade Fire, Gorillaz and Fall Out Boy for Woodie of the year. Death Cab got best live action video honors for "Title and Registration." Muse got adorned with best international act. Suspiciously absent from the winners were the Arcade Fire who lead all artists with five nominations in the ten categories.

Source: Billboard

Mark March 7th on your calendar as the release date for Neko Case's new album Fox Confessor Brings the Flood. She works as co-producer on the album, collaborating with artists like Calexico and the Sadies. She begins touring again with the New Pornographers November 1st in London.

Source: Billboard

Chris Martin says X&Y marks the end of this phase of their career. He says the band has been working up some new material while out on tour that has a more stripped down sound. When asked to expand on this change of musical direction, Martin told Xfm, "We're always working on new material. We've got no laurels to rest on. We're still looking for our laurels in my opinion. We've everything to prove and we've finished phase one of Coldplay and now we're going to enter phase two, which could be the Abba phase it could be the transvestite phase, who knows, but it'll definitely be good." It should prove interesting regardless.

Source: NME

The original members of R.E.M reunited for the second time since Bill Berry's departure in 1997 to play, of all things, the wedding of one of the band's road crew. Lucky wedding guests and bowlers at the Athens, GA (R.E.M.'s homebase) fairlanes, Kingpins Bowl & Brew, saw a 7 song set including "The One I Love," "Permanent Vacation" and "Radio Free Europe." Good to see these living legends not too big to scale down. Though, don't count on Stipe and the boys playing your kid's bar mitzvah.

Source: CNN

Morrissey's new album Ringleader of the Tormentors is set for completion in the coming weeks. The follow-up to his stunning comeback You Are the Quarry is being produced by Tony Visconti who is known for his work with David Bowie and T-Rex. The album is due for release in early 2006, and Moz is very pleased with the results, describing it as "the most beautiful -- perhaps the most gentle so far."

Source: NME

Major labels like EMI and Sony BMG are putting tighter restrictions on CDs to keep consumers from pulling their tunes over to their iPod. Now bands like Dave Matthews Band, Foo Fighters and Switchfoot are telling fans how to get around the technology on their websites. Currently the disks only work with devices compatible with Microsoft Windows Media technology. Complaints from consumers are overrunning artist message boards and music retailers. For more information concerning circumventing this duplicitous technology, visit Download.com to checkout CDEX.

Source: CNN

It seems Garbage is calling it a day after 10 years. Frontwoman Shirley Manson said that this would be the last tour for the group. "We always swore if it wasn't 100 percent fun, we'd stop it, so that's what we've decided to do," said Manson to Australia's Herald Sun. The rumors of the bands split first kicked up when they cancelled the European leg of their Bleed Like Me tour.

Source: Spin

Brit indie rocker Ed Harcourt will be releasing his next album in download-only format. The 28-track effort will be comprised of b-sides, rarities as well as several unreleased tracks. The album is set to be entitled Elephant's Graveyard. The album also features vocals by Swedish musical phenom Sondre Lerche. Look for the latest effort on Harcourt's website in the weeks to come.

Source: Spin

Ten years ago, a slew of British artists from Oasis to Radiohead gathered together to release HELP which raised £1.25 million for children caught in Bosnian war. HELP organizer War Child has returned to offer HELP: A Day in the Life. The stellar ensemble of artists include never before heard tracks by Coldplay, Keane, Kaiser Chiefs, Damien Rice, Radiohead and Gorillaz among others. The 22-track effort spans the best established stars and the up-and-coming artists on the UK scene. All the proceeds raised from its sale will go to "material and psychological support and rehabilitation to children on the edge of conflict and post-conflict societies."

Source: NME

With the recent devastation of Katrina and Rita bearing down fast and furious, event organizers for the Voodoo Music Festival have opted to move from New Orleans to Memphis for this year's event. Running October 29-30, the music fest will feature Nine Inch Nails (Reznor is originally from New Orleans) and the slew of bands from the original line-up are being confirmed. Proceeds from the event will go to the New Orleans Reconstruction Fund and highlights of the event will be featured on VH1 on November 5th.

Source: MTV

October 17th will see the UK release of the Cardigans sixth studio album entitled Super Extra Gravity. Producer Tore Johannson returns after being scraped on their last effort. Nina Persson said: "We 'fired' him during the recording of the last album because we felt that he was pushing us towards an approach we attempted to leave. He still doesn't particularly like 'Long Gone...'. He has a whole different aesthetic. But for this album we came crawling back!" The album's first single is slated to be "I Need Some Fine Wine And You, You Need To Be Nicer."

Source: NME

Depeche Mode has announced that it will provide a secret password to buy tickets in advance to all those pre-ordering their new Playing the Angel album through iTunes. Advanced tickets go onsale September 20th, four days before they are available to the general public. The band did a simliar thing in 1998 with pre-orders for The Singles 86-98.

Source: BBC

The coveted British Mercury award went to unknown Antony and the Johnsons over more well known and higher acclaimed albums like the latest from Coldplay, Bloc Party and Kaiser Chiefs. While some controversy surrounds the British born, New York raised Antony, it was discovered that Hard-Fi lost by one measly vote. The eclectic rockers' brilliant Stars of CCTV definitely deserved to be in the final cut and in this reviewer's mind, only KT Tunstall and perhaps Kaiser Chiefs had better releases from the crop in question. Despite getting hosed by Mercury, Hard-Fi said they achieved their true quest of downing £20,000 worth of booze and getting completely plastered. Look for the review of Hard-Fi's Stars of CCTV coming next week.

Source: Volume 10

"The King of Pop(...tarts these days)" is in the works to record a charity single to help relief efforts for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Pained by the images he saw on television, Jackson will be reaching out to other big name artists to join in the efforts on a track tentatively titled, "From the bottom of my heart." Can we expect "We Are the World Part.2?"

Source: Reuters

"A Concert for Hurricane Relief" went from a heartfelt plea for help to a political launching pad the moment Kanye West stepped on the stage. Veering from pre-prepared comments, he said, "George Bush doesn't care about black people" and said America is set up "to help the poor, the black people, the less well-off as slow as possible." He went on to blast the media in general saying "I hate the way they portray us in the media. If you see a black family, it says they're looting. See a white family, it says they're looking for food." While his comments may have come at an inopportune time, given the nature of the event, it expresses the frustration felt by many in the African-American community.

Source: Yahoo News

So you want to reach out and help the survivors of Hurricane Katrina, but that means cutting off fun for the next month (booze, easy women, new music). I feel ya dog. That is why CD Baby and a select cadre of giving artists are banding together to ease everyone's pain. When you buy CDs from selected artists, all profits from the sale go to the Red Cross disaster relief fund. So you get to discover some of the best new music while helping out your fellow brothers in need a hand. If you need somewhere to start, queue up Jennifer Daniels' Summer Filled Sky that ranked 8th on the top albums of 2004. It's a beautiful work from one of the most talented unsigned artists in music today. Stream two minute song clips for free on all artists.

Check out the full list of artists participating at CD Baby.

After a three year break, MTV's famed, Unplugged, will finally return with a performance by Alicia Keys. The live session was filmed on July 14 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music with special guests including: Common, Mos Def, Damian Marley and Maroon5's Adam Levine. Fans will get a chance to catch an advanced screening one week before it becomes available in stores on October 11 via MTV's Overdrive.

Source: Reuters

To cope with and to take advantage of online music growth, Warner Music Group plans to launch a record label of emerging artists solely based off the web. This mean that new acts have more time to develop without the pressures of "having to churn out a slate of hits." Forget CD's and other typical records store products. The label will only distribute music online by releasing "'clusters' of three or more songs by an artist every few months. Warner hopes to have the label operating by the end of the year. Judging from the lack of news or buzz coming from Universal Music Group's all-digital label already in existence, this may not be the new revolution to combat online piracy for which labels have been hoping.

Source: The Seattle Times

The only thing more sought after than a new Cameron Crowe film is its soundtrack. Long known as an appreciator of great music, Crowe and his wife Nancy Wilson of Heart fame seem to use music to add the perfect emotional balance and tone to a film. The latest film includes tracks from Ryan Adams, Patty Griffin, Wheat, eastmountainsouth and Elton John. I was surprised to see that local talent i Nine was tapped to sing the Crowe/Wilson penned song "Same in any Language." Be sure to checkout Elizabethtown in theatres in October.

Source: Soulshine

Like, we are in need of a musical revolution when teen princess, Hilary Duff, tops the Billboard 200 with a greatest hits album. It's like, not so much that she topped the charts, but that she like, did it with only having two previous albums. I didn't realize that she like, had that many more hits outside of the one used for the Laguna Beach theme. "Most Wanted includes remastered and remixed versions of Duff hits like 'So Yesterday' and 'Metamorphosis,' along with four new tracks, some of which the singer co-wrote with boyfriend Joel Madden of Good Charlotte. Like, at least combine it with a couple of Lindsay Lohan songs to fill it out a little...and I don't mean her cup size.

Source: Billboard

Next Tuesday marks the long awaited release of Death Cab for Cutie's new album Plans. mtvU is giving you the keys to test drive this bad boy for free before it is set loose on the world. Does it cleanly shift from the beautiful Transatlanticism or does it stall out on the side of the highway? Check it out now at mtvU to decide for yourself and keep your eyes peeled for the PM review coming fast and furious next week.

Though they are officially known as Jump now, to their longtime fans they will always be Jump, Little Children. Longtime staple of the Southern indie rock scene, the band is reportedly "slowing down." Their manic tour schedule will pretty much stop following the coming tour and things will just sort of wind down. While they aren't ready to call it quits yet, it's hard to not see the writing on the wall. Irritation with the music business seemed the core issue at hand, and they've disbanded the machine (managers, publicists, etc). It may not be goodbye, but it feels like it. Catch Jump while you can touring the East Coast and real the full salvo at Jump's web site.

With her latest brilliant album Careless Love burning up the charts, the jazz singer is evidently nowhere to be found. Universal Classics has hired a detective to track down Peyroux after she failed to turn up for promotional work. This isn't the first time the singer has fallen off the face of the Earth. After recording Dreamland, she disappeared into the Paris landscape for seven years. A spokesperson for Universal said that it had gone "to great lengths to protect Madeleine from burn-out through too much promotional work. But it would seem that despite these efforts Ms Peyroux has had enough. She is that rare thing, an artist more interested in her music than in the glitz and glamour of show business." Bless her for it.

Source: NME

For those of us that got our hands on the leaked version of Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine, it was a bittersweet aquisition of an album that deserved so much more fanfare than the lengths of piracy that resulted because of record company politics. The album, originally recorded in 2002, will recieve a new breath of life with the help of Dr. Dre's right hand man, Mike Elizondo, and is scheduled for an October 4th release. "Now that my album is finally finished, I am very, very excited to have people hear what we did - I am so proud of it, and all of us who worked on it." said Apple in a statement. It's about time!

Source: MTV

Getting signed to a mammoth record label isn't all it's cracked up to be. As an artist, you can surrender some of your artistic vision, you get pennies on the dollar from the album sale, not to mention you are at the mercy of their marketing department. Should they not find your new effort radio worthy, they may just shelve it to never be seen again, poor Fiona. An increasing number of musicians are charting their own course by doing home recordings and releasing their material via the Internet. Artists like Ani Difranco and Aimee Mann have found great success with this new music model. Will others follow their lead?

Source: CNN

A Tori Amos live show is something of epic proportions. I think I've seen her perform just about every time she has swung through Atlanta. Bootlegs of her live shows have long floated around, but now she's become the pirate. She will be releasing 6 high quality recordings in the fall only available for purchase through www.toribootlegs.com. The material on these recordings ranges from classic Tori to new stuff. She also has a handful of covers from Jim Croce's "Operator" to Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer."

Source: Tori Amos Tour

It seems Sony Japan is missing the bus that takes their musicians and opens the world their music thanks to the biggest online music service in the world, iTunes. This stance has caused some musicians who are signed to the label to rebel against their keeper and have even gone straight to Apple to have their music delivered to the masses. In the meantime, "it appears that the artists will be suffering from Sony's failure to compete with both iTunes and the iPod."

Source: PC Pro

Death Cab for Cutie will start touring for their upcoming release Plans on October 3-4 at Vancouver's Commodore Ballroom. They will bring in Youth Group and Stars to round out their supporting bill. Bassist Nick Harmer said the group will embark on a European tour early next year. I've heard an early take on the album and it sounds pretty impressive thus far. Watch for a full review coming the week of release, August 30. For full tour dates, visit Billboard.

Source: Billboard

After releasing a brilliant two disk set like Cold Roses, most artists would be content to kick back and rest on the laurels for a while. I don't think Ryan Adams has a rest gear. The most prolific man in music prepares his second release of the year for September 26th. Tom Schick will be manning the boards as he did with Adams' Rock 'N Roll as well as recent releases by Rufus and Martha Wainwright. As an added bonus, jazz siren Norah Jones joins Ryan for a duet on the track "Dear John."

Source: Soulshine

Everything has a price and as many bands have come to learn, getting your song played on the radio is as easy as sending a program director off on an expensive vacation, giving away concert tickets, or just plain cash. These practices are hardly fair nor ethical to smaller bands trying to carve their niche in the market. Laws have been passed banning such "payola" schemes," but somehow, the record companies behind bands like Good Charlotte and Franz Ferdinand are able to side step best practices and have their music chosen for airplay over others. The days of "Jack FM" could be upon us soon and all the "self-promotion" could go the way of the cassette tape. Source: Newsday

Also, check out the June 12 posting of "How Do Songs Get Radio Play?"

Keane is everywhere with their hit debut effort Hopes and Fears. They are busily wrapping up their North American tour dates and look forward to getting back into the studio. With concern to the new recording, Tim Rice-Oxley said "We've done bits and bobs already, but we start in earnest now. It's a bit pressure and a bit worry at the moment, but we're excited about getting stuck into it. We're going to be in a studio in the countryside so we'll be able to step outside."

Source: NME

The short list of albums nominated for Britian's prestigious Mercury Prize were announced today. The award is for the best British or Irish album released in the past year. Atop the heap sits Kaiser Chief's debut effort Employment. Other notable entries include Coldplay's X&Y, Bloc Party's Silent Alarm, Hard-Fi's Stars of CCTV and M.I.A.'s Arular. Franz Ferdinand took home last year's top honors for their self-titled debut.

Source: Billboard

For the first time in 14 years, the indie rock outfit the Pixies are heading to the studio to record a new album. Black Francis was quoted as saying "We have been discussing recording a new album lately. As happy as we are with the success of the reunion tour, we really want to make a record for the right reasons, whether it is successful commercially or not." He also has a solo release due out next week, the country flavored Honeycomb.

Source: NME

Starsailor is busy wrapping up their third album that is due for release this fall. Frontman James Walsh says the new record is "more outward-looking, more influenced by what's going on in the world." It looks at war victims in the Middle East, a Jewish boy who died under strange circumstances after encountering a neo-Nazi organization and the eternal Protestant-Catholic powder keg of Belfast. Musically speaking, the band is said to be returning to the searing choruses and raw emotion that filled their debut Love is Here.

Source: Rolling Stone

Did you miss any of the largest concert extravaganza ever? Is your missing piece of the puzzle Coldplay's performance of "Bittersweet Symphony" with Richard Ashcroft in London? Madonna's "Like a Prayer" in Philly? Well AOL has everything all queued up to be streamed in its entirety to your desktop. You could waste days in broadband music heaven. While it may pale in comparison to the real experience, it's still pretty cool to see all these artists coming together for a great cause.

Check it out at AOL Music now and be sure to sign the Live 8 List to do your part to combat poverty.

The smooth voice of Luther Vandross was silenced forever as he passed away last night. Details concerning his death haven't been provided, but it is said that he never fully recovered from the stroke he suffered two years ago. He continually battled diabetes and fluctuations in his weight. The soulful singer broke the top 10 with "Here and Now" in 1989. His final album, Dance with my Father, was released shortly after his stroke. It shot to number 1 on the U.S. album pop charts and won four Grammys.

Source: Telegraph

Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court cast down a ruling against Grokster and Morpheus saying the way they were promoting their software was illegal, signaling the demise of these companies. They knowingly were advertising their software for the purpose of trading copyrighted files. Everyone from Don Henley, Sheryl Crow and Jay-Z were praising the ruling, but some musicians weren't quite so perky. Jeff Tweedy of Wilco stated "Any decision that outlaws or discourages developing technology that expands Wilco's reach is shortsighted. It is sad that conservatives and liberals in the Supreme Court can hold hands and agree unanimously on a decision so squarely on the side of big business and so damaging to the side of culture." Those in the indie music community echoed those sentiments saying closing these channels will severely hurt the distribution of music of independent artists.

Source: Gainesville Sun

As previously reported, the John Mayer Trio has assembled to explore John Mayer's bluesy roots. The details are now in. The other parts of the trio include Steve Jordan on drums and Pino Palladino on bass. The trio will debut their act on September 6th at the Fillmore in San Francisco playing an assortment of covers, new songs and existing Mayer tunes reworked for the trio format. Mayer's new album Continuum has "a kind of Sam Cooke" vibe going on. For the full details of John's new setup, check out the full article at Billboard.

The duo known as Turin Brakes are making their presence known with their third release Jack in a Box. Their Mercury Prize nominated 2001 effort The Optimist pinned the acoustic label on them, which they are looking to toss off. On the new album, they sample rock, alt-country and include a couple of those slower numbers. They will be embarking on a 16 date tour of the states starting in New York next month. For a full list of tour dates, visit Rolling Stone and look for a review of their latest in the week's ahead.

Source: Rolling Stone

I'm a big believer in generic brands. If I can save 50 cents buying the Kroger-brand Mac n' Cheese, I won't even hesitate. So why couldn't the same principle apply to our music? It seems music piracy affects 3 out 4 CD's and the bootleg versions are out selling the real thing. The way I see it, at least there are people out there still willing to pay for music. Read more from Southofboston.com.

Jimmy Christmas Billy. Can't you finish touring to support your solo album before you decide life on your own isn't for you? Corgan announced in a full page ad in Chicago newspapers that he is reforming the Smashing Pumpkins. He's quoted as saying "I want my band back, and my songs, and my dreams." He didn't say which, if any, of the former band members would be rejoining the group that disbanded five years ago nor when the Pumpkins would officially reform. Look for the PM review of Corgan's latest solo work TheFutureEmbrace next week.

Source: Yahoo News

Depeche Mode will be unveiling their yet to be titled follow-up to Exciter in October, but it's never too early lay down tour plans. They have already laid out a three-month European tour schedule starting in January 13th in Dresden, Germany. The six-week North American tour will begin in October. The new album is being co-produced by Ben Hiller (Doves, Blur). For a full list of European tour dates, visit Billboard.

Source: Billboard

Coldplay's X&Y took over the album sales charts this passed week in a big way and may have potentially revived their ailing record company, EMI Group Pic. However, don't asked lead singer Chris Martin if he's happy to help out because he just tell you, "I don't really care about EMI. I think shareholders are the great evil of this modern world." Read more from CNN.

Amazon is celebrating it's 10th birthday by having Bob Dylan and Norah Jones play a concert that will be streamed from the companies' web site on the evening of July 16th. There are slated to be other musical acts performing, readings by authors as well as behind-the-scenes footage of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Leave it to the preacher's daughter to introduce sin to summer. The vibrant red head will be embarking on a 27 date tour through North America, starting in Atlanta, to support her latest release The Beekeeper. If you are mired in disappointment over missing her without the band on her mini-tour, perk up. She has decided to leave the band at home for all these dates so it will just be Tori making love to the piano. The super talented Imogen Heap of Frou Frou will be opening all of these dates as well the Ditty Bops. For a full listing of concert dates, visit Billboard.

Source: Billboard

Pink Floyd, the classic rock staple and one of the most influential bands of our time, will be reassembling their original line-up to play London's Live 8. This will mark the first time the band has played together since the 1994 tour for their final studio work the Division Bell and Waters hasn't been apart of the group since 1983. Live 8 will be held on July 2nd at Hyde Park and looks to raise awareness on African debt and hunger issues.

Source: Billboard

Radiohead is busily working on their yet to be titled seventh album. When asked how recording was going in a recent NME interview, Thom Yorke replied "It's going well. It's a bit like Kid A - we're going through a period of change. But that's good. We'll get there".

He went on to say that the changes that the new session have brought to light seem very reminiscent of the changes the band went through in the period between OK Computer and Kid A. The new work is planned for release next year.

Source: NME

Radio continues to adapt to the ever changing listening patterns of it's users. iPods have proven to be so influencial that many stations have ditched their original format in favor of the "play what we want" approach. Instead of the reliable but predictable playlists that have turned so many of us away, many radio stations will begin playing random jams, not limited by genre or time period, much like all us mp3 lovers listen to music on our computers, iPods, etc. Read the full article.

Get ready for an album chart showdown this week. We've got new releases from Coldplay, White Stripes and, on the other side of the channel, the Tears. For those of you unaware, the Tears are the long awaited reunion of the Brit-rockers Bernard Butler and Brett Anderson previously of Suede. Coldplay is expected to prevail and rival Oasis' over hyped Be Here Now as the fastest selling album ever. Regardless, it should be a stellar week of music releases. PM has you covered with reviews coming shortly for all three works.

Read the full press release at NME and check back soon for reviews.

Keane, Killers, Pixies, Bloc Party, Interpol, White Stripes, Tegan & Sara, Tift Merritt and a bundle of other bands are all descending on Atlanta for the annual Music Midtown festival next weekend and PM is your key to the endless festivities. We will have full coverage of the event from the lines at the port-a-potties, the quality of the bratwursts and oh yeah the mind numbing level of great music bombarding you from six stages. Check in next weekend for the full scoop.

If you are in the Atlanta area and you want to get in on this fun get your tickets now.

Morrissey took to the Internet this weekend to clarify a previously announced booking at the upcoming Isle of Wight festival, for which he claims to have been confirmed in error. The former Smiths frontman also lashed out at his label, Sanctuary Records, and declared he would sign with a different company prior to the release of a new studio album.

Read the full article at Billboard.

Here's your chance to listen to the most anticipated album of the year, Coldplay's X&Y. Courtesy of MTV's The Leak, you can finally stream the album in its entirety and finally see what all the fuss is about.

Be sure to check out our review coming soon!

"Our best album since '...Morning Glory?'!" says Noel. "Miles better than 'Definitely Maybe'!" reckons Liam. "We're still the best band in the world!" continues Noel...

Ok so they're still wankers that think too highly of themselves, but their new work, Don't Believe the Truth, is a fine piece ready for consumption. NME has this work available to stream for free. So read up on their new effort here then check it out before you plunk down your hard earned cash.

Nine Inch Nails have cancelled their performance at the MTV Movie Awards because of a disagreement with the network over the band's use of a George W. Bush picture.

"Apparently the image of our president is as offensive to MTV as it is to me," frontman Trent Reznor posted on NIN's Web site Thursday.

The band was planning to perform its politically charged single "The Hand That Feeds" with the Bush image as a backdrop. The song features the lyrics, "Inside your heart it is black and it's hollow and it's cold . . . There's a price to be paid for the blood on which we dine/Justified in the name of the holy and the divine."

Read the full article at Rolling Stone.

Somewhere Bob Marley is rolling over in his grave. It seems Willie Nelson is making efforts to reach a broader fan base and what better than the burgeoning Reggae scene. With his upcoming appearance in the movie version of everyone's favorite old TV series, The Dukes of Hazzard, this could be a big year for the grandpappy of country. Read the full article.

And the winner of American Idol is...yeah I don't care. Let's talk about something that matters.

Ontario singer-songwriter Sarah Harmer will use her skills as musician to help preserve the Niagara Escarpment. A UNESCO World Biospehre Reserve found in southern Ontario, the Niagara Escarpment is a 700 km rock ridge that is home to thousands of streams, all sorts of delightful creatures, and some very old trees.

"The Man" is threatening to quarry the escarpment, so to counteract that evil, Sarah Harmer has created the I Love the Escarpment tour. Taking the songstress to seven towns that lie along the Niagara Escarpment, the tour aims to raise awareness and save the escarpment from certain doom!

Read the full article at Soulshine including tour dates for the Canadian folk.

U.K. electronic pop outfit Goldfrapp will return with its third album this fall. Due Sept. 20 via Mute, Supernature will be led by first single "Ooh La La," which will be commercially released in North America on Aug. 23. A video for the cut will be shot by director Dawn Shadforth (New Order, Jamiroquai).

The 12-track set is the follow-up to 2003's Black Cherry, which debuted at No. 4 on Billboard's Top Electronic Albums chart. It spawned the club hit "Strict Machine," remixes from which reached the No. 1 slot on Billboard's Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in June 2004.

Read the full article including track listings and tour dates at Billboard.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - British rock band Coldplay played Manhattan on Tuesday to promote their highly anticipated new album and said they are uncomfortable that [selling so many albums] can move a major corporation's stock price. Read the full article.

London rockers Coldplay will launch the Twisted Logic Tour in North America on August 2nd in Toronto. The tour will follow the band's release of their third album, X&Y, on June 7th. Alt-punk foursome Rilo Kiley will join the band on the thirty-six date trek, which wraps up in Bristow, Virginia, on September 30th.

Tickets for Coldplay's North American tour go on sale on June 4th.

Check out the full article at Rolling Stone complete with the full tour schedule.

It's been six years since Trent released the dual disk The Fragile. With Teeth certainly won't be mistaken for anything other than a NIN disk, but it also explores some new avenues in his sound. The kind folks over at NME have posted the full cuts for you to stream free of charge, which should hold you over until we can get you a proper review in the coming weeks. Enjoy!

Listen to the full album at NME.

Last Days, by former Palme d'Or winning director Gus Van Sant, portrays the inner turmoil that engulfs a troubled musician in the final days of his life. While Van Sant has admitted the film is inspired by Cobain and the Seattle music scene of the time, he has pointed out that it is still a work of fiction.

But parallels between Cobain and main character Blake are there to be seen. From the messy blond hair of actor Michael Pitt to suggestions that his character has spent time in drug re-hab - the main character is a Cobain-like figure. Moreover, the film is set in 1994 - the year Cobain shot himself.

Read the full article at BBC News.

Pop star plays the blues on new album. "I'm ready to shake it all up," John Mayer says of his next studio album, Continuum, due in early 2006.

Mayer is preparing to flex his new blues-based outfit, the John Mayer Trio, on the road and on a live disc. "I'm gonna go out in the fall with the trio and just play," he says. "Power-rockin', electric-guitar, in-your-face blues."

Read the full article at Rolling Stone.

Jenny Lewis, singer-songwriter for indie rockers Rilo Kiley and backing vocalist for atmospheric electronic act the Postal Service, is expanding her sonic palette with a soul-influenced solo debut. Tentatively titled Rabbit Fur Coat, the album is due out by January on Bright Eyes' leader Conor Oberst's label, Team Love.

For the near future, Lewis will concentrate on Rilo Kiley, as the band tours the U.S., enjoying an expanded audience thanks to its 2004 critical (and O.C.) favorite, More Adventurous.

Read the full article including Rilo Kiley summer tour dates.

Andre 3000, the eccentric half of the hugely popular rap group Outkast, is spreading his wings even further beyond just the music industry. With film appearances in Be Cool and the upcoming John Singleton flick, Four Brothers, Andre Benjamin is becoming a medai mogul in his own right. Now, the trend-setter has inked a deal with Nickelodeon and MTV to develop projects for film and television. Read the full article.

The file sharing battle has been quiet of late as the record companies continue to sue their customers and the news agencies give them less press for doing so. File sharing is down or is it? It's true that once popular file sharing programs like Kaaza have seen their number of users cut in half, but what of the underground avenues like Usenet and invitation-only networks? File sharing hasn't stopped; it has just gotten more sophisticated. This is a very intriguing article on the state of file sharing, the RIAA/MPAA's actions against these new threats and the laws being pushed around in Congress to deal with these issues.

Read the full article at PC World.

After months holed up in a Vancouver recording studio, Canada's favourite West Coast collective has wrapped work on their third full-length album. Dubbed Twin Cinema, the follow-up to 2003's Electric Version will make its debut on the presumably sunny day of August 23rd via Mint Records in Canada (Matador in the US).

Those who can't wait until August 23rd for Twin Cinema (like a certain news writer) can go to the band's website at www.thenewpornographers.com to download the title-track from the album, which has been described as some of the band's best work.

Read the full article at Soul Shine.

Bruce Springsteen's lyrics are too hot for Starbucks. Newsweek has learned that the nation's favorite coffee chain has retreated from a potential deal to sell the singer's new album, Devils & Dust, because of one steamy tune on the 12-song disc.

The episode appears to be the first time Starbucks has declined to stock an album by a major act because of concern over lyrics, notwithstanding the warning sticker. The java juggernaut, with almost 6,400 outlets in the U.S., has become an influential link in music distribution in just a few short years, especially in 2004. Starbucks boldly demonstrated its power in music last year when its outlets accounted for at least a third of sales of the million-selling album of Ray Charles duets, Genius Loves Company.

Source: Springsteen Tour

Our faithful friend Ryan Adams just released his latest double disk effort Cold Roses yesterday. While I am steadily combing through this track heavy work to get a review posted, you can stream the entire album for free on his site.

Stream it now at www.ryan-adams.com.

Normally I wouldn't weigh in on the matters of Linkin Park because, well -- they give me a headache. There is a very interesting situation perking up over at Warner Music. This entertainment giant is busy preparing their IPO when one of their most successful acts, the aforementioned Park, said they want to cut ties with Warner over the company's stripping the music group financially. Of late several artists from Kid Rock to Metallica have spoken out against Bronfman's recent dropping one record label after another. By the artist's accounting, Linkin Park has amounted to 10% of Warner Music's sales over the past 5 years.

Read the full article at Newsweek.

Coldplay, Nine Inch Nails, Keane, Wilco, Snow Patrol, Jem, Rilo Kiley, Razorlight, Katie Melua, Jamie Cullum, Bright Eyes, the Arcade Fire as well as Tegan and Sara are only about a quarter of the stellar bands playing at this year's Coachella Valley Festival. This is a ridiculous amount of music featured over a two-day festival, as they seem to be vying to become the west coast version of Woodstock. Cram the car with your camping gear because this was why road trips were invented.

Check out festival info at the slow loading Coachella website.

Can Napster's original file sharing renegade save the music biz against the social and technical revolution he created? His latest venture, Snocap, promises to turn P2P services from software pirating resources into profitable databases for legit downloads free from fears of copyright infingements. It basically acts as a "one-stop shop for rights management across multiple online retailers." His credibility with both the labels and the P2P community could be what pushes Snocap towards success, but will his idea take off. Read the full article from Business 2.0.

Looks like Coldplay are just getting warmed up before their long awaited release of their third studio album, X&Y. The first single, "Speed of Sound," has rocketed to number 8, making them the first British band to have a new entry in the US Top 10 singles chart since The Beatles. Read the full article.

The Real Network's Rhapsody division, in an effort to compete with the extremely popular Apple music store, will offer 25 free songs each month to users who download the proprietary software. This is another attempt to steal market share from Apple, which has proven successful with previous price reduction efforts. Read the full article on CNN.

Ticket scalping has been frustrating artists and fans for decades, and in the age of eBay, it's possible for anybody to buy and sell high-demand tickets for outrageous profits. But the bigger problem is that major ticket brokers have become far more nimble and sophisticated -- often using expensive software that enables them to get around ticketmaster.com's security and buy up large blocks of tickets before fans have the chance. "It's one of the worst aspects of capitalism," says Peter Harvey, attorney general of New Jersey, where selling tickets for fifty percent above face value is illegal. The state recently opened a $5 million anti-Internet-fraud crime lab with the FBI, and Harvey promises to use it to prosecute online scalpers.

Read the full article at Rolling Stone.

Now this is what Lollapalooza should look like. We all remember when the music festival that catered to the alternative crowd began to lose it's appeal way before big arena bands like Metallica took over and headlined one of it's later and less popular tours. That marked the official end of Perry Ferrell's brain-child and cleared the way for similar music fests like The Horde and Warped Tours. Looking at the current list of acts (Pixies, Death Cab for Cutie, and Blue Merle) set to take stage for a revamp Lolla tour, it's exciting to see that music is front and center and not the corporate dollars that inevitably put the final nail in the coffin. Unfortunately, those outside of Chicago's Grant Park will have to wait and hope that the tour picks up and come to a town nearby.

Read the full article.

The annual clebration of jazz starts today rooted in its hometown of New Orleans. The list of artists playing this exalted event is incredibly massive. They stretch across the genres sampling jazz, blues, soul, rock and just about anything else you can think of. If I had the means, I would definitely be in the middle of this musical madness.

Click here for more information on the New Orleans Jazz Festival.

Coldplay fans have sat in breathless anticipation for the June 7th release of the band's latest album X&Y. The first single off the disk, "Speed of Sound", is currently available on iTunes for download.

Evidently, Chris is getting a bit daring in his old age. While playing a secret show in east London, he scaled the main speaker set to get up to the balcony. Was Jennifer Garner up there making eyes at him? No, it was only everyone's favorite wanker, Noel Gallagher. The two promptly hugged then Chris managed to jump the 15 feet to get back on stage. Chris, my man, he isn't worth a cracked skull much less a sprained ankle. Read the full article, including the show's setlist, at NME.

Pre-order X&Y at Amazon then get an advanced look at Coldplay's new direction with "Speed of Sound" now at iTunes.

Late 2003 was a particularly tragic time for music as we lost two of its most promising young artists, Elliott Smith and Matthew Jay, in the span of a month. While Elliott Smith had an album (from a basement on the hill) finished and awaiting release at the time, allowing fans one last glimpse into this tormented soul, the same wasn't true of Jay. I made my way to Jay's website and discovered that another album, ...Too Soon, was released last October compiling early recordings and rarities available only via his web site.

Get more details about track listings and how to purchase at matthewjay.com.

The Seattle band Death Cab for Cutie is busily preparing their new album, Plans. For some strange reason, the record label has exiled them to a barn in the middle of nowhere Massachusetts to record the new album. Plans is said to have a healthy helping of depressing love songs that the Death Cab following will no doubt find comforting. Ben Gibbard wrote the album over the past two years in between touring dates and producer/guitarist, Walla, says it's his best work to date. Plans will mark Death Cab's major label debut on Atlantic, which is due out in August.

Read the full article at Rolling Stone.

When MTV began showing less and less music videos in favor of more and more Reality content, they created MTV2, which seems to be heading in the same direction. So instead of not getting your favorite videos via MTV, the channel that revolutionized the genre, you can now get it on demand through MTV's web-based "Overdrive." This is definitely long overdue, but what about the TV format? What happens when WebMTV suffers the same demise as its predecessors. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Read the full article.

Believe or not Planet Starbucks plans to market and sell CD's from up and coming bands that have yet to receive mainstream recognition. That's right, the corporate giant will strive to not only be your daily fix of non-fat Tazo Chai Lattes but also your new lead to undiscovered music.

Read the full Reuters article.

Former Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan will release his debut solo album, TheFutureEmbrace, on June 21st.

"It's guitar-driven and loud, but not aggressive," Corgan tells Rolling Stone. "The videos, music and tour will be really new and different. No one will accuse me of sitting on my past."

Recorded in Chicago, Future was co-produced by Corgan and features eleven new songs, including the first single, "Walking Shade," as well as an unlikely cover of the Bee Gees' "To Love Somebody," with the Cure's Robert Smith on backing vocals.

Read the full article at Rolling Stone.

Oasis, those British Wankers that were once the biggest act crossing the Atlantic from the U.K., are back and promising their best work since their debut, Definitely Maybe. The Gallagher brothers are sure to bring their family squabbles to the forefront with the usual confident swagger that made us hate them but love their music (I still haven't gotten over a cancelled show where I had 5th row tickets!). The May 30th release of Don't Believe the Truth is just in time to compete and steal some of the spotlight away from the U.K.'s current big name, Coldplay.

Read the exclusive interview with Noel Gallagher at NME.com

The once big name festival that showcased the best in Alternative music will be taking another stab at bringing anti-pop bands to the masses. 10+ years ago, it was the concert event of the year, but now Lollapalooza can't seem to reignite the same spark that attracted so many new fans. From 5-year breaks to poor ticket sales to cancelled tours, the festival hasn't been able to get it done. Now it attempts to stage another comeback, and Chicago will be the next launching pad.

Read the full article.

File sharing services and the entertainment industry will do battle this afternoon in the U.S. Supreme Court. Whatever decision comes from this will set a major precedent. Supporters of P2P file sharing look to the 1984 decision that shielded Sony from its users coping television shows on their VCRs without permission. The lower courts say this ruling applies to Grokster as well. The entertainment industry argues that Grokster's makes it's money through the illegal trade of copyrighted materials over these networks.

Read the full article at MSNBC.

Although they signed up to perform at Coachella ages ago, it seems the much anticipated reunion of Cocteau Twins just wasn't meant to be. Before the group even had a chance to get their reunited selves off the ground, they've already called it quits with no plans to try again. The Scottish dream-pop act was expected to be a huge draw at the spring festival, where they were to headline the first day (April 30th).

Read the full article at Soul Shine.

Mann has set a May 3rd release date on her fifth album, The Forgotten Arm, which will focus on a boxer and his girlfriend. She recorded the album in a mere 5 days this past summer, composing most of the songs herself on the piano. A very promising note is musical virtuoso Joe Henry is manning the production chair.

Read the full article at Rolling Stone.

This is specifically aimed at the Atlanta readers out there or in the near vicinity. The Music Midtown line-up has been released and it is something. Keane, the Killers and the Pixies are all playing on Saturday with The White Stripes queued up on Friday. All this and bands are still being announced. I usually avoid this festival madness, but I think I'm going to have to dive into this great assembly of bands this year. Music Midtown will be going on from June 10 - 12.

Find out about other bands and advanced ticket purchasing at Music Midtown.

An academic at McGill University has a simple plan to stop the plague of unauthorized music downloads on the Internet. But it entails changing the entire music industry as we know it, and Apple Computers, which may have the power to make the change, is listening.

Read the full article at Canada's Globe & Mail.

When it comes to bashing mainstream rock stations, I am always first in line. The insipid drivel that they play is unforgivable when you look at the amount of genuine talent being neglected. I haven't listened to mainstream radio in years and consider it one of the best decisions I ever made. With that said, it's a bit disturbing to hear that a lot of these venues are bleeding listeners so badly that they are having to switch formats to hip-hop, R&B and Hispanic oriented programming. Philadelphia's Y100, the only source for modern rock in this top 20 market, has recently switched to R&B. This trend is closing a lot of doors for rock bands to promote concerts and their material. There is no question that demographic trends are changing, but I think a large responsibility falls on these stations for waiting for the next grunge to magically appear and not heavily promoting the cutting edge artists that could revive mainstream rock at it's core. The music revolution isn't going to tap you on the shoulder to let you know it's already started.

Read the full article at Rolling Stone and tune into Innovative Radio for the best Internet radio has to offer in cutting edge music.

Say it isn't so. CBGB, known for breaking bands like the Ramones and Blondie, may close its doors due to conflicts with its landlord over rent. "For more than 30 years, CBGB has with ragged pride withstood every hand the neighborhood and the music scene have dealt it: punk-rock, death metal, crack addicts, city inspectors and bad plumbing. But it may have met its match in one of the city's most respected charity group."

Read the New York Times article.

Garbage will be releasing their fourth studio album, Bleed Like Me, on April 12th and launches their supporting tour in Seattle on April 8th. Lots of rumors had been swirling about concerning the group's breakup that seemed to change depending on which band member you talked to. Foo Fighter's Dave Grohl lends his drumming talents on the track "Bad Boyfriend".

Check out the full article at Rolling Stone complete with tour dates.

You would think that an artist with Beck's credentials would be too good to associate himself with the March 10th episode of "The O.C." However, quirkiness in tact, he naturally makes it look cool. This is no sell-out, and it gives us a chance to preview new tracks from his soon to be release album, "Guereo." Look for the PM Media Review coming this week.

In the meantime, checkout E!Online's full article.

Hallelujah! Praise be to Jesus! (and I'm not even religious) Five tracks off Fiona's latest effort Extraordinary Machine have been leaked out on the radio and you know what that means...they're on the Net. If you are crafty enough, you can find them. Jon Brion, the album's producer, has said that the album has been done for some time yet Sony has it sitting on its shelves collecting dust because they don't know how to market it for radio. Translation: it must be brilliant. Ironically enough, this past weekend Seattle's 107.7's DJ Andrew Harms found a spot on radio for five of the tracks off of Extraordinary Machine on his show. Three are still a little rough but "Better Version of Me" and the title track sounds ready for release. Oh my these are so very nice. Surprisingly, Sony hasn't hit Harms with a cease and desist order. Now the question is, how can I get away with playing these incendiary tracks on my radio show without the man coming after me? Hmmm...

Read the full release at MTV.

While it doesn't match up to the real thing, a live album can cure those missed concert blues, and luckily the Morrissey fix is on its merry way. Not one, but two live Morrissey releases will be put on shelves on March 29th. First up is a DVD called "Who Put the 'M' in Manchester", and covering the audio side is a CD informatively titled "Live at Earl's Court".

Read the full article with complete track listings at Soul Shine Magazine.

Well, it looks like we'll have to wait even longer for the latest release by Coldplay.

The guys have said they will release their long-awaited third album in June, as they announced plans to kick off their biggest world tour with U.K. gigs in London, Bolton and Glasgow.

Checkout the full Yahoo! article.

Cullum recently met with Pharrell Williams prompted by Williams hearing Cullum's rendition of "Frontin'". From that meeting the Neptunes have agreed to work on Cullum's forthcoming release. Cullum, the British jazz singing and piano sensation that has been riding high on his breakthrough effort Twentysomething, has also been working with Dan the Automator of Gorillaz. Cullum has already prepared 16 tracks for his new effort and hints that he wants to push out the borders of traditional jazz. Cullum featured several modern classic artists on Twentysomething including Radiohead, Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Buckley and looks to continue along this tangent on his upcoming release. Perhaps we'll see a little AC/DC "Highway to Hell" and Bjork "Human Behavior" among the tracks. Expanding the borders of jazz indeed.

Read the full article at MTV.

Scant weeks since Louris had regrouped with his old band mate Mark Olson to play select dates throughout America, Louris now says the Jayhawks are no more. Louris stated that the environment of being in a full time band was constricting him from learning and exploring new experiences.

Read the full article at Billboard.

Alt-country pioneers the Jayhawks are back together again in their original form as Mark Olson and Gary Louris set aside some long standing rifts to play a handful of dates. It is not a reunion tour since bassist Marc Perlman and drummer Tim O'Reagan are not involved but the duo have discussed writing some new material together that could form a record. Mark Olson originally parted ways with the band in 1995 as they sat on the verge of breaking into the mainstream. Olsen said he had grown tired of the music business and touring. The two didn't speak for six years following the split as Louris continued the Jayhawks without Olson yet they joined up a couple years ago to contribute a couple songs to the Dennis Quaid film the Rookie.

Read the full article at Billboard and look on Pollstar for Olsen and Louris touring in a city near you.

80's pop icon and serious artist following that hangover, George Michael has finally thrown in the proverbial towel saying there is nothing left for him in pop music per a recent documentary. He says life as a celebrity has never suited him and that pop music has died. "Nobody want to hear about politics, or any kind of strong ideas in pop any more." He has been no stranger to controversy over the years with his strong stand against the war in Iraq and being tossed out of the closet after getting caught in the infamous lewd act in a Beverly Hills toilet. He released the brilliant Patience last summer after 8 years had elapsed since his previous release of original material. As for what he would do next, he replied: "Perhaps it will mean writing for other people. I have an ambition to write a truly contemporary musical, not necessarily even for the stage, but for the screen ... I have got to find ways to make music and enjoy it the way I used to."

Read the full article at CNN.

Eight years ago, Madeleine Peyroux's debut album, Dreamland, was showered with praise. Critics swooned over her Billie Holiday-like voice, her choice of material (though pigeonholed as a jazz vocalist, her songs included Patsy Cline's "Walkin' After Midnight" and a pair of blues numbers) and her interpretive abilities. The album, despite no hits and little airplay, sold 200,000 copies, an amazing number for an unknown singer. And then she disappeared.

Read the full article at CNN and be sure to check back in next week for a review of Peyroux's latest album Careless Love.

A popular choice with PM, the Garden State Soundtrack took home the Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack. The collection is sure to spread the word on indie favs that have yet to hit the big time. Checkout new tracks from the Shins ("Caring is Creepy" and "New Slang") as well as familiar tunes by Simon & Garfunkel and Coldplay.

Rent or buy this movie?

There's a good reason why Kanye West is getting so much attention. Not only has he produced hits for the likes of Jay-Z and Twista, but he saved some of his best beats for his debut, "College Dropout" If you're a rap fan in need of catchy hooks and head-nodding jams, be sure to pick this one up. Now he's riding the success into the Grammy's (yes, we've already dissed the Grammy's in a previous post) with a leading 10 nods. Read the CNN article now.

Sick and tired of the listless Grammy's that don't even nominate worthy contenders much less award them? The Brit Awards can be your solace. Scissor Sisters wrapped up the well deserved honors of best international group, best international album as well as best international breakthrough group. Franz Ferdinand walked away with best British group and rock act. Soul mistress Joss Stone was awarded with British female solo artist and British urban act. Keane secured best British breakthrough act and their brilliant Hopes and Fears was tagged as the best British album. I couldn't have picked these better myself.

Read the full article on Billboard.

If your CD player has had nothing new to chew on of late never fear because the pipeline is cram packed with new music slated to be released in the coming months.

> Tori Amos' the Beekeeper on February 22nd more info
> Josh Rouse's Nashville on February 22nd more info
> Doves' Some Cities on March 1st more info
> Ivy's In the Clear on March 1st more info
> Eric Matthew's Six Kinds of Passion Looking for an Exit on March 8th more info
> Beck's Guero on March 29th more info
> Ryan Adams' Cold Roses on April 19th [1st of 3 to release this year] more info
> Ben Folds' Songs for Silverman on April 26th more info
> Nine Inch Nail's "With Teeth" on May 3rd more info
> Coldplay's yet to be titled album is due in the Spring more info

Conor Oberst has returned after three years to deliver a two-disk opus that surpasses his lofty past efforts. Digital Ash in a Digital Urn finds Oberst exploring the virtues of electronica funneling sounds from the Postal Service as I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning treads over his more familiar shades of folk and country.

Read more about Bright Eyes at MSNBC now.