Monday Morning Newsletter (4-7-09)

On April 7th Jimmy Eat World is releasing a digital-only Clarity Live. The album is a live recording of their 1999 album recorded this February in Arizona. If you don’t remember, take word from Jose. Clarity was their last good album. That makes this worth listening to.

Rumors were confirmed this week that Rivers Cuomo will be collaborating with Rainn Wilson of the TV program The Office. Their joint effort will be released as a solo CD/DVD due out April 28th. The rest of Weezer is not even slightly jealous.

Brakebrakesbrakes (aka The Brakes) will be releasing Touchdown their 3rd album on April 21st. The album, produced by the Delgados' drummer Paul Savage, comes out on Fat Cat records in the U.S.

You’ve probably read that drummer Jimmy Chamberlin has left the Smashing Pumpkins. This time Billy Corgan has responded by holding open auditions Friday, April 10 in Los Angeles. Please submit resumes and video links to pumpkinsdrummer@gmail.com.

New Kids On The Block are back from the dead and have announced a summer tour. The “Full Service Tour” starts May 28th in Atlanta and ends July 18 in Dallas. Tour mates Jabbawockeez are expected to help attract that chomo-bait crowd they enjoyed in the 1980s.

Malawian judge Esmie Chombo ruled that Madonna would not be allowed to adopt a second child. His ruling was based on a state statute requiring adopters to reside in Malawi for a minimum of 18 months. The question of course is why this law wasn’t invoked the first time. Madonna is now considering purchasing the entire nation of Malawi.

Metalcore band Zao has announced that they will only press 8000 copies of their new album Awake? The remaining sales will be all digital. The release is scheduled for May 5th on Ferret Music.

Minneapolis-based alt-country act the Jayhawks have reunited for two shows this summer. One show at Barcelona's Primavera Sound Festival on May 30 and one at Minneapolis's Basilica Block Party on July 10. No other dates are scheduled but an appearance at Bonnaroo is rumored.

Monday Morning Newsletter (07/14/08)

Police have issued an arrest warrant for Joshua Wilkes, lead vocalist of the Legendary Shack Shakers. The arrest warrant charges Wilkes with exposing his genitals to hundreds of teens and adults in the audience. The venue was a nonprofit facility in downtown Nashville with three stages, an indoor skate park, and a coffee bar. A Rocketown representative stated "we are all treating this as a very serious criminal matter." The band claims that it is a mass hallucination brought on by ergot in the sacramental wine.

The Cargo Cult Revival will be heading out on tour this August, bringing their dirty stoner prog mess from Hartford to the Midwest. The governor of Iowa was quoted as saying “Damn yankees better stay away from our women and children!”

David Vincent, the lead singer of Morbid Angel, was detained by police this week in Italy. The charge strangely enough was for weapons possession. Vincent was taken into custody at the Milan airport when custom officials found his bullet-belt. The belt was not worn but was inside his checked-in luggage. José endorses both bullet belts and bandoliers. Vivá la revolución!

Metallica has announced that in addition to traditional CD and digital releases for their upcoming album, Death Magnetic, they will also have a special edition coffin box. It includes a CD of album demos a “making of” DVD, and some tchotchkeys. The coffin box joins the ranks of other coffin boxes put out by the Misfits and Alice Cooper.

Zao has confirmed that they are entering the recording studio this summer with original drummer Jeff Gretz. Zao stated on their website: "There is a new record written and we will be recording in the next few weeks. We are really excited about the new material and hope to have a new song up soon."

The band Boston has a new singer, 43 year old Tommy DeCarlo. His resume indicates his previous gig was as a credit manager at Home Depot. DeCarlo replaces original lead singer Brad Delp, who committed suicide last year. DeCarlo got the job through his MySpace page.

The band Why? have scheduled a massive summer tour. They begin in Germany in July and return to the U.S. in September. Then in October they begin a strong of dates in France, then England and Ireland in November and a scheduled deportation for illegal narcotics before Christmas.

The Recording Academy's Grammy Foundation gave a career award to Sir George Martin this week. Martin, now 82, is the most successful record producer of all time. He’s has over 50 chart-topping hits and one-billion units sold.

Scottish indie-pop band The Vaselines formed in 1986 and existed just long enough to release a handful of much-loved cult EPs and a single album. This week the Vaselines played their first-ever string of U.S. shows leading in to their performance at Sub Pop's 20th Anniversary explosion in Seattle.