English singer Amy Winehouse, 27, was found dead in her home in London this morning. The troubled star, pictured here in this photo by Gary Miller at Coachella in 2007, had long battled drugs and alcohol and her most recent performance weeks ago ended after being booed off a Belgrade stage.
Winehouse joins an infamous list of rock stars who died at 27 including Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Brian Jones and Kurt Cobain, all who struggled with drugs, alcohol, and fame and left a legacy that far outlived many of their contemporaries.
In what has to be one of the more sad and bizarre music stories, Micheal Todd, bass player for Coheed & Cambria was arrested tonight for armed robbery after he allegedly held up a Walgreens by claiming he had a bomb and escaping in a cab with a supply of Oxycontin. Police traced the cab to the venue in Massachusetts and arrested the musician before the band had taken the stage at the Comcast center where they were opening for Soundgarden.
No word has been released from the band or its publicist has been released as yet regarding the incident or how this will impact the bands upcoming tour plans, including their stop in Brazil opening for Metallica. Stay tuned for more as the story develops. Their last stop in Austin was in April.
Updated 07/11/11 07:30: The band has released the following statement on their Facebook page:
Michael Todd was arrested today on what we consider very serious charges and therefore he will not be finishing up the current tour. Wes Styles, long time member of the Coheed family will take on bass duties starting tomorrow for the remaining dates. No shows will be canceled.
The way the press keeps playing it up it would seem a veritable storm of glass is being shed from Austin's new W Hotel, but in reality the number of panels that have plummeted has been small, and engineers are already swarming over the now temporarily closed hotel removing glass panels and causing traffic tie ups downtown.
Also located in the W Hotel is Austin's latest live music venue, ACL Live at the Moody Theater, and though they have shut down todays events they plan on playing through the crisis.
According to ACL Live "No changes have been made to ACL Live's ongoing schedule. We have postponed tonight's Wine Down Wednesday event in order to give the engineers the freedom needed to carry out their duties."
So ACL Live concert ticket holders fear not, your show will go on.
(photo of Earth Wind & Fire at ACL LIve at the Moody Theater)
Japan's Shonen Knife have been the staple that has bound the Japanese Rock music scene together since their inception in Osaka in 1981. 2011 celebrates thirty years since the band began releasing albums of their mixture of pop, punk, food and fantasy and in celebration of this milestone Shonen Knife is paying tribute to one of their biggest musical inspirations … NYC’s legendary Ramones.
“Ramones were my all-time idols since I first heard their music from a radio and rushed to a record shop. This year is the 30th anniversary of Shonen Knife. For celebration, we decided to record a cover album of our favorite band the Ramones. The title is “Osaka Ramones” with our respect. I’m very happy to release an Osaka Ramones project and to recognize their contribution to the evolution of Shonen Knife“-Naoko, Shonen Knife
Osaka Ramones is not only the name of a tribute album, but also the name of the side project which has made its way in and out of Shonen Knife’s performing history for decades. This East meets West punk rock combination is now captured in an album recorded and mixed between Osaka, JP and New York over the last year and was co-produced by Robby Takac of the American rock band Goo Goo Dolls. Set for release July 19 on Takac’s label Good Charamel Records, the album will be supported by a North American tour, dates to be announced shortly.
TRACK LISTING
1. Blitzkrieg Bop
2. Rock and Roll High School
3. We Want The Airwaves
4. She’s The One
5. Rockaway Beach
6. Sheenah Is A Punk Rocker
7. Scattergun
8. Psychotherapy
9. The KKK Took My Baby Away
10. We’re A Happy Family
11. Chinese Rock
12. Beat on the Brat
13. Pinhead
Toronto Canada's metal legends Anvil are headed back on the road again, following a successful tour across Canada this past May.
Making a US return, the band has a string of tour dates lined up for July in support of their 16th studio album Juggernaut of Justice.
Fans in Cleveland, Philadelphia & Chicago will also get a chance to meet the band at select in-store appearances, with chances to get autographs as well as meet these rock legends.
Cleveland radio stations WJCU, WCSB, WRUW and WBWC will be hosting competitions to win a meet & greet and Chicago will be offering meet & greet packages for sale at the venue.
7/26 - Chicago, IL - Reggies Rock Club
7/27 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
7/29 - West Chester, PA - The Note
7/30 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
7/31 - Boston, MA - Middle East Club
These Widespread Panic guys are pretty hard core for being so mellow. After playing ACL Live during this years SXSW, they took time off their current U.S. tour to come back to Austin and do a 2 day live internet telecast on Facebook from the ACL Live stage. Once they finish their tour of North America they immediately head off again for a Japanese tour at the end of July.
In addition to next Saturdays gig at The Studio @ Webster Hall in New York City, New York City rockers Sweet Cyanide have also added three new shows to their summer touring schedule The band will be performing in Philadelphia, PA, Hagerstown, MD and again in New York City within the next two months.
Sweet Cyanide cut their teeth opening for bands like Halestorm, Bullet For My Valentine, Pop Evil, Extreme, and Charm City Devils and released their first self-titled full-length album in August 2009. The band released their second album, Sweet Cyanide II, in July 2010.
6/25 – New York, NY @ The Studio @ Webster Hall (w/ Two States and All Points West)
7/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ North Star Bar
7/16 – Hagerstown, MD @ Hagerstown Sun’s Municipal Stadium (direct support Charm City Devils)
8/23 – New York, NY @ BB King’s (direct support Mr. Big *original line-up*)
Formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 by Verdine and Maurice White the legendary R & B band Earth, Wind & Fire is still going strong and playing to packed houses, as evidenced by their Saturday stop at Austin's ACL Live at the Moody Theater.
The band's current tour takes them though the midwest, swinging out to the east coast before ending July 3 in Atlantic City. Check out upcoming tour dates on their site at earthwindandfire.com
Well, they missed their first opening gig for Weezer by 20 minutes but the L.A. based (transplanted from New Orleans) hip hop act The Knux finally made it to Stubb's to open the second night's set.
Getting stuck in Austin traffic sucks when your late for a show - it sucks worse when your in the band. The Knux only have 4 East Coast dates listed on their site, all at the end of July. More info at theknux.com.
The Northside Festival schedule has new additions to their lineup including Asobi Seksu, Oh Land, Wise Blood, MINKS, The Miracles Club, Yellow Ostrich, The Stuyvesants, along with hundreds more.
Starting next week over 250 bands will play the four days at more than 25 venues scattered throughout the neighborhood, including the return of live music to McCarren Park, with Beirut and Guided By Voices set to headline. Beirut's McCarren show on Friday, June 17 is sold out, but tickets are still available to Guided By Voices on Saturday, June 18th, with support from WAVVES , Surfer Blood and The Babies .
SiriusXMU , North America's indie rock channel, will be LIVE broadcasting the Guided By Voices and Surfer Blood performances on June 18, plus band interviews straight from The Steve Madden Stage at McCarren Park.
Created by The L Magazine, The Northside Festival, June 16-19, is a four-day celebration of Brooklyn and what’s next in Music, Art, Film and Ideas. The best regional, national and global talent will be showcased, all within the walkable radius of Williamsburg and Greenpoint. For tickets and more info visit northsidefestival.com
Taylor, MI’s I Am Abomination has posted a brand new track "Abduction" on their official Facebook page. Part of their the upcoming new digital EP, Passion Of The Heist, to be released on July 19th, 2011, the EP includes guest appearances, including an appearance by ATTACK ATTACK’s Caleb Shomo on the track "Ascension".
""Abduction" is the first song I wrote for Passion Of The Heist," says guitarist Nick Sampson. "The result was beyond my expectation. It’s one of the more laid back songs on the EP technicality wise, but what it lacks in technicality, it makes up for in diversity and great structure."
The digital EP is being released by Good Fight Music, the same label that released I Am Abomination’s first critically acclaimed full-length album, To Our Forefathers.
Check out the new track at facebook.com/IAmAbominationMusic
Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. announced legendary heavy metal band Megadeth are recording a customized soundtrack for the company’s forthcoming action-adventure franchise NeverDead. "Never Dead," the official song sharing KONAMI’s video game title, will appear on Megadeth’s 13th album, which the band is currently recording.
"'Never Dead' was written specifically for the game, and the song’s lyrics and concept fit perfectly with its transcendental nature," said Madelyn Scarpulla, Senior Vice President of Marketing & Creative Services for Roadrunner Records. "Megadeth and Roadrunner are both looking forward to the mutually beneficial marketing partnership we have established with KONAMI with the launch of NeverDead and Megadeth’s new album coming this fall."
NeverDead, currently in production, is a third-person action game set in a futuristic world where humans are battling supernatural enemies across a dark post-apocalyptic metropolis. In the game, players will assume the role of a demonic hero agent named Bryce who, assisted by his female lead Arcadia, must undertake a series of missions to combat a demonic plague. NeverDead is expected to release later this year for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
Weezers infectious brand of pop mixed with an alternative edge has stood them well over the years, building them a huge following of devoted fans, who all seemed to turn out for both nights to fill Austin's Stubb's BarBQ to max capacity and then some, for the bands' way sold out stop in Austin.
Despite temperatures well over 100 in the tightly packed crowd, fans and band alike appeared to be having a blast, and by the second night Weezer had really "settled in, with frontman Rivers Cuomo kicking a soccer ball around the stage and interacting a lot more with the crowd from the pit, much to the distress of his concerned tour manager.
Fans without tickets lining the pavement outside of the venue may have actually gotten to see some of Tuesdays show as the Los Angeles based power pop bands' Cuomo led the audience in a singalong from the roof of the venue of "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived".
Precariously perched on the corrugated tin roof of the smokehouse and inviting attack from the local raccoons by shaking the trees, Cuomo returned to the stage for the third song, only to later pelt the audience with rolls of toilet paper.
Both shows were divided into two sets, a set of favorites first, then after a short break a full album. Monday night's crowd got Weezers debut album, Blue, while Tuesday's show got the cult favorite Pinkerton. There was little crossover between the 2 nights set lists, "Hash Pipe" probably being the most notable. Even though I'm a huge Weezer fan my favorite song, from the first night, wasn't even theirs but a smoking cover of Radiohead's "Paranoid Android".
It would be hard to pick which of the two shows I liked more, Mondays had more hits, but the band was much more fun and engaging Tuesday. I'm glad I didn't have to choose!
Check out more Weezer pics in our photo gallery. Set lists after the jump.
Brendon Urie , singer for the band Panic! At The Disco snapped his ankle during a concert in Florida this weekend.
Though his ankle swelled to the size of a softball he managed to get through the show and it doesn't look like it has impacted the bands current U.S. tour, scheduled to wind up June 29 in Omaha.
Toronto's NXNE festival announced today that Brit alt-rock icons Swervedriver will perform Friday, June 17 at The Great Hall (1087 Queen Street West) at midnight as an NXNE Presents show, a bonus to the NXNE current Music Line-up.
Growing every year in size and stature, the NXNE2011 music, film, and interactive festival will present more than 650 artists at 50 venues during this years event, along with 40 Films and 75 Interactive Conference Sessions over 7 Days.
NXNE2011 takes place in Toronto, Canada June 13 through 19th. Check out nxne.com/music/artists for more confirmed music programming for NXNE 2011 as well as ticket and travel information.