Call It The Canadian Invasion. Ontario-born teen idol Justin Bieber swept the American Music Awards, which brought out the year’s best in music when it aired live from the Nokia Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday night. Thanks to the power of online voting, the fresh-faced pop singer won statuettes for Favorite Pop Album, Breakthrough Artist, [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Rock Band’
Doobie Brothers: “China Grove” Video; New Album Out Now
October 28th, 2010 |
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WORLD GONE CRAZY OUT NOW
In a new performance video from their recent album release event, the Doobie Brothers bring new life to
one of their greatest hits, “China Grove.” The original recording, with its instantly recognizable guitar riff, was a Top
15 hit for the band in the 1970s and more recently is a featured track on the video game Rock Band 3 – released on
the same day as the band’s new album World Gone Crazy.
World Gone Crazy, which features the current single “Nobody,” was released only a month ago to rave
reviews, including an Album of the Year nod from the NY Post. A deluxe version of the album includes a short
documentary on the band’s history, featuring classic performance footage and interviews with the band. Find it in
stores and online, and visit DoobieBros.com for additional information and updates.
Doobie Brothers
Tour Dates
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Doobie Brothers News
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Doobie Brothers
Concert
Reviews
Evening Crunch Crumbs: Niecy Nash Engaged; Lennon Killer Denied Parole For Sixth Time; Sad Day For Sex Workers: Craigslist Erotic Services Ads Are No More
September 8th, 2010 |
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-Superstar singer Celine Dion has revealed her growing baby bump to the public for the first time since announcing her pregnancy with twin boys in May. Well, don’t they look happy! -Weezer’s new album, Hurley, is currently streaming for your listening pleasure on MySpace…. -Crooner Brian McKnight has denied a report claiming that adult film star Alana [...]
OK Go Remix Contest For New Single
September 7th, 2010 |
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OK GO PARTNERS WITH INDABA MUSIC AND
THE ROCK BAND NETWORK FOR “WHITE KNUCKLES”
REMIX
CONTEST
OK Go have partnered with
Indaba Music and the Rock Band Network to launch a remix contest for their new single, “White Knuckles.”
The grand prize winner will have his/her remix turned into a game track by The Authority, a premier Rock Band
Network authoring studio and made available for download for Rock Band 3 in late November. They will
also receive a gaming console, a copy of Rock Band 3, and a set of Rock Band instruments to jam with friends to
their winning remix. In addition, two runners-up will receive copies of Rock Band 3 and OK Go’s Of the Blue
Colour of the Sky (Deluxe Edition) album, as well as a “White Knuckles” UK vinyl import single and a signed
set of ping-pong balls from the band’s “This Too Shall Pass” (RGM version) video. The contest runs from September
7 through October 14 with the grand prize winner announced on October 29. Contest entry forms and further
details are available at Indaba
Music and
OKgo.net.
Here’s the band’s last two official videos. They do set the creative bar for folks!
OK Go
Tour Dates
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OK Go News
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OK Go
Concert
Reviews
Big High: Live Clips, Debut with Screaming Tree’s Barrett Martin
July 20th, 2010 |
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SEATTLE’S GOT ANOTHER GREAT ROCK BAND
After being blown away by Big High at last year’s Summer Meltdown (see rave here), our expectations were high for the band’s debut record and their newly minted self-titled album more than lives up to anything we were thinking!
Grounded in all the stuff that makes classic rock classic, yet tempered with an immediacy and intelligence that feels very modern, Big High is the kind of album one plays on repeat and keeps finding new things to like over & over. Singer Mesa belts it out like a controlled blast furnace, melding the grit of Clutch’s Neil Fallon with the lover man glide of vintage Robert Plant – seriously, he’s that good. The band is a lean yet expansive combination of guitarist Ari Joshua, bassist Sandy and drummer Barrett Martin of Screaming Trees, Tuatara and Mad Season fame. The album also features longtime Seattle-ite Peter Buck (R.E.M.) as guest guitarist on four stellar tracks.
Big High embarks on their first West Coast tour in August (dates below) and here’s a couple recent clips of them in action.
Big High West Coast Dates
August 21st – Hempfest Mainstage, Seattle, WA
August 26th – Dante’s, Portland, OR
August 28th – The Bouquet, Boise, ID
September 1st – The Viper Room, Los Angeles, CA
September 2nd-3rd – Recording Sessions, Joshua Tree, CA
September 4th – The Hemlock, San Francisco, CA
September 18th – The Tractor, Seattle, WA
Big High Tour Dates :: Big High News :: Big High Concert Reviews
The Upcoming Rock Band 3 to be Available with Exciting Additions
June 13th, 2010 |
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Recently it was revealed by Alex Rigopulos, the CEO of Harmonix, that the company offered some exciting additions to the upcoming Rock Band 3, i.e. new guitars, authentic “Pro” mode and MIDI keyboard peripherals.
With the introduction of keyboards the company made a decision to offer a number of amazing new music onto the platform. Due [...]
The Mother Hips/Dusty Rhodes | 04.11 | CA
April 14th, 2010 |
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By: Kevin Flinn
The Mother Hips/Dusty Rhodes & The River Band/Blue James Band
04.11.10 :: briXton :: Redondo Beach, CA
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The Mother Hips by Andrew QuistRedondo Beach’s briXton played host to three very stylistically different yet thematically linked bands. As passe as the “hippie” moniker may be in the Age of the iPad and Obama and Whatever We’re Calling This Decade (Tens? Teens?), a communal sense of purpose and spirit was alive and well in the South Bay.
The evening’s opening act, Los Angeles’s Blue James Band, showcased its acoustic/electric jam-pop, never straying far from the formula that makes it successful – catchy hooks, reggae-tinged grooves and chops-laden solos. Frontman Clifton Williams and keyboardist Valerie Taylor‘s harmonies complement each other perfectly (as on “Believe”) and an impeccably tight drums and bass combo allows them to trade solos with equal aplomb (“Full Circle”). It didn’t take long – just two songs – before the Blue James Band had the first dancer of the night on her feet, swaying and flailing as the band chugged along happily and handily.
Second to the stage was Anaheim favorites Dusty Rhodes and the River Band (Winners of 2010 O.C. Music Awards for Best Rock Band and Best Live Band). While the sextet’s first few numbers may have been turned up a bit too loud, eventually the group found its footing (and its audience) towards the end of the set with “Blind Lead the Blind,” an anthemic shout-along that showcases all the group’s seemingly idiosyncratic facets into a cohesive, effective jangle. Watching the band perform feels like someone donated a van full of instruments to a commune of twenty-somethings, locked ‘em in a room and was likely blissfully surprised by the result – a throwback to a bygone rustic era of Music From Big Pink filtered through laser-sharp prog synthesizers and violins.
The headliners, The Mother Hips, embody the laidback atmosphere of the S.F. Bay Area that the band calls home. Tim Bluhm and co. have practically trademarked the dual-guitar hum and rattle that pervades each of their well-crafted songs. Bluhm and co-founder Greg Loiacono play off each other’s strengths, filling gaps in guitar melodies and vocal harmonies as only 20-year veterans of the road and studio can. Backed by a superb rhythm section, the songs stand on their own merit, regardless of who’s singing – Bluhm on the opener “Esmerelda” or Loiacono on “Confirmation of Love” – with most tunes sounding like slightly beefed-up brethren of Neil Young’s early 70s recordings with Crazy Horse, but with a swank and swagger all their own, courtesy of these Northern California stalwarts.
From a foursome eager to strut its virtuosity to a gaggle of high-spirited nuevo-folkies trying on some indie-stomp to psychedelic Americana rock heroes who’ve only improved with age, it’s a good bet that one (if not all) of these acts will return to the briXton sooner rather than later.
The Mother Hips Tour Dates :: The Mother Hips News :: The Mother Hips Concert Reviews
JamBase | Well Rounded
Go See Live Music!
Of Montreal/James Husband Tour
April 9th, 2010 |
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OF MONTREAL/JAMES HUSBAND ANNOUNCE SPRING TOUR DATES
“HEIMDALSGATE LIKE A PROMETHEAN CURSE” AVAILABLE FOR ROCK BAND
 Of Montreal |
Polyvinyl recording artists Of
Montreal and James
Husband have scheduled a series of tour dates this spring. The first leg of the tour began in Tampa, FL last night, April 8 at the Ritz and will conclude April 10 in Orlando, FL at Firestone Live. Both bands resume touring
May 22 in New Orleans, LA at Howlin’ Wolf and will wrap up June 2 in Carrboro, NC at Cats Cradle. Along the way, Of
Montreal has scheduled two festival appearances including May 26 in Columbia, MO at 9 Street Summerfest and
May 30 in Durham, CT at B.O.M.B Festival. Full tour details below.
Of Montreal recently stopped by the Nickelodeon kids show Yo Gabba Gabba to perform the song, “Banana,
Rice, Applesauce, Toast.”
Click Here to view the visit.
Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer track “Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse,” can now be played on
Rock Band video game. The Rock Band Network will allow gamers to buy songs and download them to play
on their respective gaming systems.
Click here
Of Montreal w/ James Husband Tour Dates:
4/9 – Miami Beach, FL – The Fillmore*
4/10 – Orlando, FL – Firestone Live*
5/22 – New Orleans, LA – Howlin Wolf**
5/23 – Austin, TX – The Mohawk**
5/24 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater**
5/25 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom**
5/26 – Columbia, MO – 9th Street Summerfest (FREE)**
5/27 – Lexington, KY – Buster’s**
5/28 – Pittsburgh, PA – Ches-A-Rena**
5/29 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of the Living Arts**
5/30 — Durham, CT — B.O.M.B Fest
5/31 – Charlottesville, VA – The Jefferson**
6/1 – Richmond, VA – The National**
6/2 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle**
* w/ James Husband
**w/ James Husband, Noot D’Noot
Of Montreal Tour Dates :: Of Montreal News :: Of Montreal Concert Reviews
Umphrey’s McGee Join Rock Band
April 8th, 2010 |
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FIRST OF SEVERAL UMPH SONGS READIED FOR POPULAR VIDEO GAME
Umphrey’s McGee will be launching their song “1348″ on the Rock Band Network this week. This marks the first release by the band in any video game. Umphreys McGee has been working with former Harmonix Music Systems employee and current Rock Band Network freelancer Andrew Buch. Buch is working on several songs for the program, including “1348″ and “Miss Tinkles Overture.” “1348″ is the first of these songs to be made available, with plans for others to follow shortly.
Buch, whose mind-numbingly difficult “Trippolette” is one the top-five best-selling launch songs on the Rock Band Network, has worked on several games in the Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises. Samples of his work can be found on his website.
“1348″ is scheduled to release sometime this week, and will be available to be purchased in Rock Band 2 on the XBOX 360 via the newly implemented Rock Band Network Store. It will additionally be available to purchase via the XBOX Live Marketplace.
Umphrey’s McGee Tour Dates :: Umphrey’s McGee News :: Umphrey’s McGee Concert Reviews
The Mother Hips: Family Hipnic W/ Greene, Dawes, Casal & More
March 2nd, 2010 |
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SECOND ANNUAL BIG SUR HIPNIC ANNOUNCED FOR APRIL 30-MAY 1
WITH THE MOTHER HIPS, JACKIE GREENE, LITTLE WINGS, DAWES, NEAL CASAL, AND MORE
THE MOTHER HIPS ANNOUNCE NEW TOUR DATES IN SUPPORT OF ALBUM PACIFIC DUST
 The Mother Hips |
(((folkYEAH!))) and The Mother Hips will be hosting the 2nd Annual Mother Hips Family Hipnic in Big Sur, CA. The event will take place at Fernwood Resort in Big Sur, CA over two days – April 30 & May 1, 2010. The other artists set to perform include Jackie Greene, Little Wings, Dawes, Neal Casal (The Cardinals), Farmer Dave Scher (Beachwood Sparks, All Night Radio), Elisa Randazzo (The Red Krayola), Parson Red Heads, Nicki Bluhm, Red Cortez, and Sparrow’s Gate.
The event was curated by both The Mother Hips, who will headline both nights, and (((folkYEAH!))) Presents. “The Hipnic is everything I like about music festivals; great acts, pristine surroundings and no crowds. This year the camping is on-site so it will be even better. It’s a beautiful place, a beautiful season, and a beautiful group of people,” says Tim Bluhm, Mother Hips frontman, singer-songwriter, and guitarist.
The Mother Hips are touring nationally behind their critically-acclaimed new studio album Pacific Dust which has garnered rave reviews from the likes of MOJO Magazine
(4 Star review) and both SF Chronicle and Relix claiming “The Hips have created one of its best albums yet, with classic rock melodicism, inspired flow, and tasty riffs.”
Additionally, two songs from Pacific Dust will be released this week on the popular “Rock Band” game as downloadable content to players.
2nd Annual Mother Hips Family Hipnic
CURRENT LINEUP (subject to change)
APRIL 30
Friday 5pm – 11pm
SPARROWS GATE
PARSON RED HEADS
NICKI BLUHM
DAWES
THE MOTHER HIPS
MAY 1
Saturday 4pm – 11pm
NEAL CASAL
LITTLE WINGS
FARMER DAVE
DAWES
JACKIE GREEN
MOTHER HIPS
HIPNIC DETAILS:
Weekend Passes (Tickets) can be purchased starting Tuesday March 2 at 9 a.m. by calling Fernwood Resort 831 667-2422. All 300 tickets will be sold in advance and will be non refundable. Only 300 Two Day Weekend Passes will be sold! This will be an unbeatable intimate outdoor music festival in Big Sur, CA. 2 Day camping passes, including your ticket to both concerts, are between $146.00 and $160 per person. There is a 6 person and 1 car maximum per campsite, so please carpool. There is also limited availability of motel rooms (can accommodate between 2-4 people), tent cabins (can accommodate up to 4 people) and cabins (can accommodate up to 6 people). If you can maximize the occupancy of your accommodation and come with friends your ticket price will be less. So get your friends together, car pool and save money! There is a limit of 1 vehicle per campsite and tent cabin and they are not allowing any pets at this event.
Exclusive Event Food Vendor will be The Redwood Grill:
Saturday: 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm – Big Sur Backyard BBQ – $ 12.99 Buffet all you can eat
Saturday & Sunday: 8:00 am – 11:00 am Breakfast Buffet $ 10.99 all you can eat
The Mother Hips Tour Dates :: The Mother Hips News :: The Mother Hips Concert Reviews
AT&T beefing up network, band promotes music with fighting game, ADBOWL lets iPhone users rank Super Bowl commercials
February 1st, 2010 |
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With the iPad being unveiled last week iPhone owners may be wondering how much worse the AT&T network will get. AT&T has announced that it is updating its network to handle the new load and improve service.
It’s not uncommon for bands to promote themselves in games on the iPhone like TapTap and Rock Band. A [...]
Umphrey’s McGee Songs On Rock Band Network
January 21st, 2010 |
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UMPHREY’S McGEE SONGS TO BE AVAILABLE ON THE NEW ROCK BAND NETWORK
 Umphrey’s McGee |
Umphrey’s McGee will be among the first group of bands to offer songs on the just-launched (beta testing period) Rock Band network. The much buzzed-about video game platform works with Xbox video game systems to allow bands to reach Xbox users, and to offer fans a way dig into their favorite band’s music in ways they have never been able to before.
Watch the demo here.
Umphrey’s McGee has been working with former Harmonix Music Systems employee – and now Rock Band freelancer – Andrew Buch. An alumnus of Berklee College of Music, Buch has authored several Umphrey’s McGee songs for the new program, including “1348″ and “Miss Tinkles Overture.” These songs and others will be made available within the next few months – when the first wave of the Rock Band network releases are scheduled to hit upon the release of the new Xbox 360 system.
Buch, whose video/music claims-to-fame include the underground release of his mind-numbingly difficult “Trippolette” in the original Guitar Hero, has worked on several games in the Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises, making him a likely choice to prepare the music of Umphrey’s McGee for the game.
Additional work by Buch can be found at his website, including video footage of both Umphrey’s McGee’s music and the Rock Band network re-release of “Trippolette.”
Umphrey’s McGee’s participation in the Rock Band network is one of many ways this band continues to prove they truly are a band of the 21st century. The band’s innovative, interactive Stew Art Series (S2) has been hailed as a ground-breaking fan experience. Hosted as individual events before that evening’s already scheduled show, UM’s Stew Art Series is a crowd-sourced improvisation experiment, in which all the music performed by the group on stage are entirely directed by S2 audience members. Check out this S2 video from the inaugural S2 event in Milwaukee.
Umphrey’s McGee is currently on tour; dates available here.
Evening Crunch Crumbs: Teddy Riley Attacks Daughters; Lindsay Lohan Expands Fashion Line; Diddy Offers Free NYE Rides Home
December 31st, 2009 |
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-Break out the earplugs, Flavor Flav takes autotune to another level with his heartfelt love song “I’ll Never Let You Go.” Maybe he should stick to the VH1 chitlin’ circuit……..
-Teddy Riley — a pioneering producer of the New Jack Swing-era of ’90s R&B — is accused of beating his teen daughters with a guitar from [...]
Sir Paul McCartney gets animated for Rock Band videogame
December 29th, 2009 |
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Sir Paul McCartney will enter the screens one more time as an animated Lego brick after signing a new deal with chiefs behind the game based on The Beatles.
The 67-year-old singer will have solo material released via The Beatles: Rock Band game when three songs from live Good Evening, New York City DVD are added [...]
The Willowz: New Album/Tour
December 2nd, 2009 |
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THE WILLOWZ ANNOUNCE FIRST TOUR IN SUPPORT OF EVERYONE
GIVE SNEAK PEAK INTO MAKING OF THE NEW ALBUM
 The Willowz |
Soulful garage rockers The Willowz are hitting the road in support of their latest full-length album, Everyone, which is available now digitally and hits stores December 15 via Dim Mak Records/Downtown Records. The band’s 2007 album, Chautauqua, made Rolling Stone‘s 50 Best Albums of the Year list, was OC Weekly‘s #1 Rock Album of the Year, and was Nominated for LA Weekly‘s Rock Band of the Year. The Willowz have also been featured on the soundtracks to Michel Gondry’s award-winning films Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep.
The band also pulls back the curtain for a taste of how Everyone was made, in a Making Of featurette about the album. Watch it here.
Download the mp3 for “Repetition” here.
The Willowz Tour Dates
12/11/09 Fri Cafe Bourbon St Columbus, OH
12/12/09 Sat Radio Radio Indianapolis, IN
12/13/09 Sun Empty Bottle Chicago, IL
12/14/09 Mon The Middle East Cambridge, MA
12/15/09 Tue Lee’s Palace Toronto, ON
12/17/09 Thu The M Room Philadelphia, PA
12/19/09 Sat Jerky’s Providence, RI
12/20/09 Sun Mercury Lounge New York, NY
Taylor Swift dominates American Music Awards
November 23rd, 2009 |
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Country singer Taylor Swift dominated the American Music Awards by scooping five awards including the Artist of the Year.
The 19-year-old singer won the coveted Artist of the Year award along with Favourite Pop/Rock Female, Favourite Country Female and Favourite Adult Contemporary Artist.
Her album Fearless was also named Favourite Country Music Album.
King of Pop Michael [...]
Video Game Industry Suffers Sales Drop in October
November 14th, 2009 |
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The video game industry witnesses a disappointing October after a small hike in sales last month, with industry sales falling 19 percent overall.
– After the video game industry received an encouraging boost last month from
the release of the highly anticipated “The Beatles: Rock Band” title and a
slight improvement in hardware and software sales, research firm The NPD Group
reported that sales dipped once again in October.
The firm said h…
iPhone Buzz Top Picks: iPhone tech talk world tour, Verizon ad slams, and more
October 21st, 2009 |
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Apple has announced that it will be hosting a series of iPhone Tech Talk World Tour events in select cities around the world. The events will run from October 29 to December 15 and will be open to members of the iPhone Developer Program.
I admit that I have long harbored hope that Verizon would one [...]
Beatles Give Video Game Industry a Boost
October 21st, 2009 |
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The video game industry halts a six-month sales decline as titles such as The Beatles: Rock Band and console price cuts entice consumers.
–
The NPD Group reports the highly anticipated video game “The
Beatles: Rock Band,” was the third-highest selling title for the month
of
September, selling 595,000 copies and outperforming rival game “Guitar
Hero 5,”
which sold 499,000 copies in September. Two sequels, quot;Halo …
Microsoft’s 2009 Holiday Sales Relying on Xbox, Windows 7, Beatles, Facebook
October 9th, 2009 |
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Microsoft showed off many of the products it intends to push during the upcoming holiday season, including the Xbox 360 game The Beatles: Rock Band and smartphones equipped with the Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system, during a massive Open House in New York City on Oct. 6. Microsoft also intends to heavily promote the Zune HD, its handheld media player, and a variety of hardware ranging from a high-powered mouse to high-definition cameras for video chat. Additionally, Microsoft used the event to show off its collaboration with Ford on in-vehicle technology for the 2010 Fusion.By Nicholas Kolakowski
– …